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What are you watching right now? Why? (please read 1st post)


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nobahn
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 5120
PostPosted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:27 pm Reply with quote
Wooga--
What I enjoyed about Neo Ranga was the protagonists were 3 ordinary sisters -- their personalities were quite human (well, the middle sister may have been too much of a goody two shoes.....).
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Jon182



Joined: 02 Oct 2012
Posts: 105
PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 12:30 am Reply with quote
I finished watching Bubble Gum Crisis, the original series. It took a while to get used to the old school anime style and the graininess. In the end it grew on me, especially the character designs by Kenichi Sonoda.

I've also finished watching Otaku no video, it was cool, but scary as well. I know that it's a parody and includes a lot of self-referential humor, but I can kind of understand why most Japanese people see otaku as freaks.

Started watching Gunslinger Girl, after having given up on it a while ago. It actually gets better, once you get past the first couple of episodes. I'm glad some forum members were so enthusiastic about the series, it made me give it a second chance.
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Tris8



Joined: 30 Oct 2009
Posts: 2114
Location: Where the rain is.
PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 12:53 am Reply with quote
Continuing my quest to even out the # of titles I've seen under each letter, I saw that 'Y' only had 11 shows under its belt ('S' has 65). So I decided to watch YuruYuri to add to the Y's. The beginning was a little slow but its hyperactive type of humor grew on me. I was surprised that I found the character of Toshino Kyoko to be very entertaining instead of annoying, as she is even more hyper and impulsive than Tomo from Azumanga Daioh. The Chitose nosebleed gag got really old really quick though. But overall, not a bad way to spend 5 hours.

I'd been craving some Lupin action so I randomly clicked on a title from the list of Lupin specials and got Lupin III: Missed by a Dollar. Well, I couldn't find that one (granted, I didn't look very hard) so instead I watched Lupin III: Seven Days Rhapsody. It was a fun Lupin special, slightly on the sillier side than many. In the very beginning, Lupin is imagining his getaway from a horserace track in which the horse he is riding karate kicks a police car out of their way. Later, when Lupin is captured by the bads, he is fed a truth pill. But he has a compartment in one of his teeth that slides open, vacuums the pill in, analyzes it and then tells Lupin what it was supposed to do. It also is able to shoot the pill back out into an enemy's mouth from Lupin's mouth. I tend to prefer the less silly Lupin specials, but this one was enjoyable, with plenty of Inspector Zenigata antics. It's kinda funny though. Zenigata talks about how many cops have lost their pensions for failing to capture Lupin. What about Zenigata? Hasn't he been failing to catch Lupin for years? He does get closer to Lupin than anybody else, but you would think they would have replaced Zenigata with someone else as head of the Capture-Lupin-Squad by now.
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zawa113



Joined: 19 Jan 2008
Posts: 7357
PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 8:45 am Reply with quote
Well I was gonna get up and put a DVD in but.... well there was a cat on my lap, so that simply wasn't an option. So I watched some stuff on here instead!

Armor Hunter Mellowlink eps 1-3
So, this is a spinoff of Armored Trooper VOTOMs, and Chirico isn't the main character. Instead, we get this badass dude out for revenge who, despite being capable of piloting the mecha in the show, decides it would be far more badass to take them out on foot using a giant gun. And this is why I love 80s mecha series! Seriously, they can be so over the top awesome! This is about a dude who is taking down mecha without using another mecha because he wants to!
But ok, I do have some problems, so far, it's episodic. VOTOMs wasn't episodic, so this is a strange change. It makes it better in shorter chunks as seeing a guy be that badass is still a lot of fun. I'll see if we ever get more development out of this, and I want to see where it crosses over with VOTOMs (as I understand both series happen at the same time).

Oh yeah, speaking of 80s stuff, and I'm behind on saying what I've been watching because of getting my appendix out suddenly, I've decided to drop Galactic Drifter Vifam. During the 80s ANNCast, the one guy listed it as his favorite. And since he was one of the two guys there who actually watched a lot of 80s series over the years and not several movies to prepare for the podcast (no offense, guys, but I am damn glad you brought those other two guys on board), I decided to give it a shot. Oh and he described Infinite Ryvius as its shadow, and I like IR. But the thing is, I found at least some of the characters instantly endearing in IR. I didn't really get that in Vifam. Also, IR had no annoying tagalong child whose sole purpose was to set off guns and bazookas at precisely the wrong time just to make things worse (sure, the kid in IR (Pat Cambell) was useless too, but in a plot sort of way, not a "he's in the way and making us obvious targets to things trying to shoot us" sort of way). Yeah, I really hated that tagalong kid. But the plot didn't interest me all that much either, so between that and not latching on to anyone, I decided to drop it. I think I gave it a fair try of 7 eps. Oh and apparently the guy directed Mellowlink, I started typing this without knowing, heh!

Oh, but I did finish one thing on DVD yesterday, Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk, aka "season 1". Which ended on a cliffhanger, but I got the SAVE set so it's all there. Anyway, it was kind of a mixed bag. First, it loved doing parody of adventure genre stuff, and I gotta say, it was damn good at it! It was more of a nice subtle satire at many times, but boy did I fall in love with the humor! Ep 1 went way over the top with it, but later eps still had it, albeit toned down significantly. But then it wanted to have its plot and eat it too, but it just didn't explain a lot of things very well. I still don't get what Ki and Succubus are per se. And then the end was like "Wait, what? You shared one scene together!" so that rather annoyed me. But I'm going to check out part 2 of the series anyway.

Kemonozume's first episode was the next thing I tried out. Man, the art looks like a mix between something Natsume Ono (House of Five Leaves) and Yusaku Hanakuma (Tokyo Zombie) put in a blender and had animated by Gonzo's drunken interns day. But it's Madhouse, so clearly this is done on purpose. And straight from ep 1, its clear this is the guy who did Tatami Galaxy and (slightly less clear) Kaiba. The first half of the ep had be going "meh", but then the second half picked up with that damn funny monkey, and I am curious to check out more as it's a very interesting premise.

Then, finished it up with the first two eps of Digimon Xros Wars Crying or Very sad I feel like I really wanted to like this more than I did. Gone are the traditional digivolving things, but when Frontier did that too, it didn't bother me all that much. It could be that I always viewed the digital world as a threat of danger in seasons 1-4, but Madleomon is just too damn incompetent to be much of a threat. And that's saying something because look at Mummymon and Arkukenimon (although they at least had a nice chemistry together, and when push came to shove, they could actually seem to fight). But here it feels like the digital world is just this giant fun fantasy land not full of stuff highly determined to kill them as badly. But I think it's just that I don't really feel as much heart from the series itself. Now, the main character is possibly the biggest bleeding heart in all of Digimon, but it's not him, it's somehow the overall series. So I've only seen two eps, but I'm quite disappointed, especially coming off of watching my Digimon Adventure set with everyone else when it came out like a month ago. It was already pretty clear to me from ep 1 of Adventure that Izzy was a computer geek and would be awesome! But here it's like childhood friend, self declared "rival", and sports kid. Sure, Tai and Davis both played soccer, but for Taiki, it's like sports is his defining personality. I actually found Shoutmon far more interesting than Taiki, even though I kinda rank him with Veemon in terms of overall annoyingness I guess? So I have some vague idea, but I don't know quite what it is about this series that irks me and makes me feel like it's dirty. Does it get any better or am I better off stopping right now? TVTropes page said it was the least popular series in terms of TV viewing (though it still sold lots of toys! Enough to get a third season anyway), and I can see why, it's far more... kiddie than the other Digimon series were. I've never seen Data Squad, maybe I should try that instead (yes, I hear you, loud chorus of "NOOOO!", I'll only do it if I really get bored)

Oh and let's just throw this in: MLP:FIM season 3 opener. It was pretty damn awesome! Though I still prefer Discord's "drink the glass and throw away the milk" *explode!* sort of crazy
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battousai10k



Joined: 28 Jul 2009
Posts: 3
Location: Mississauga, ON, Canada
PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 10:27 pm Reply with quote
[EDIT: No listing. Put reason. -TK]
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zawa113



Joined: 19 Jan 2008
Posts: 7357
PostPosted: Mon Nov 12, 2012 1:20 am Reply with quote
I've decided to watch all the Phoenix movies. I've seen the series, and I own all the manga. Though honestly the TV series was just movies broken up. So I think once I'm done, the only parts that I will not have seen in anime form are: Sun part future, Life, Nostalgia, Civil War, Early Works, and Resurrection. And before anyone goes "But Resurrection was in the TV series", it is by no means an adaptation of the same story that was in the manga. Which should be fairly evident because it doesn't have the same Saruta from Space or Future. Good? Ok then. Also, I don't want an adaptation of Nostalgia as I think it sucks horribly. It's possibly the only Tezuka thing I dislike and I have it for completionist's sake. Even if that robot from Resurrection appears.
So I've started off with Space, which I had always found to be an interesting chapter. The music tended to be very 80s, like a "we have synthesizer and we will damn well use them!" but since this is a future chapter, I'm going to have to let it slide. But that stuff better not be in Karma or Yamato.
So, story! After a spaceship crew is suddenly awakened from stasis because the ship was hit by an asteroid, they're quite shocked to see the crew member who was supposed to be on duty as a shriveled dead guy in the command chair. Quickly, they board escape pods to make their escape (one person escape pods). Finally during this time, we learn of their relations through flashback and that there's just something not quite right about the dead guy. Everyone's been told or seen something weird about him. About 2/3rds through, the remaining crew members finally crash land on a planet where they are confronted by the Phoenix itself and learn of wtf was up with that one dude. It's an interesting mystery story, but clearly I've read the manga, so it wasn't exactly a surprise. So I was more looking out for pacing, which I think was very well done. Now, the ending is weird, but it was like that in the manga too. This is partly because of what happens to Saruta, as the exact same Saruta appears in both Resurrection and Future (now at the time the manga was made, Future had come out, but Resurrection had not). Though I don't believe that was made entirely clear in the manga until Resurrection as it referenced both (it generally went from future most to present most, but since Resurrection covered such a large amount of time, Saruta was able to appear after the events of Space as Space happens sometime during Resurrection).
I think this would be a good intro for Phoenix, or a good thing for people who enjoyed the TV show to go and watch. As for what I expect from the other 3 movies? I kinda only really remember the ending of Yamato (which I remember being fairly cheesy). Karma is awesome, all they have to do it pace it right. For 2772, I honestly have no idea as it's not adapted from a manga. I'll be looking out for connections though, it can't possibly have as few as Nostalgia had. Oh and for these movies, I totally think Discotek should pick them up and put them out as a set or something, that would be friggin' sweet!
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Tris8



Joined: 30 Oct 2009
Posts: 2114
Location: Where the rain is.
PostPosted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 1:45 am Reply with quote
Watched CLAMP's Kobato and found it too slow for my taste. It is a very simplistic slice-of-life story about a cheerful girl who must heal people's broken hearts to grant her wish. This would be an excellent show for a child as it has no objectionable content and has a very upbeat tone, but I think many adults will be bored by its slow progression. The last couple episodes were really good though. Was it worth it? Eh.... just barely. I experienced a similar thing with Chobits as with this series; bored for the first ~18 episodes, engaged by the last handful of episodes. Kobato's ending was better tho imho.

I have to admit... I'm a sucker for the cross-over parts. Anyone who has seen or read more than one CLAMP title probably knows that all of CLAMP's stories cross over with each other. Seeing characters from xxxHolic, Chobits, Angelic Layer and Tsubasa: Reservior Chronicles was really cool. I also loved slowly discovering how this tale fits in the timeline and universe-wise with the other CLAMP stories.

Because I'm a fan of other CLAMP works this ended up being worth the watch, but I wouldn't recommend it.
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Beltane70



Joined: 07 May 2007
Posts: 3868
PostPosted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 2:27 am Reply with quote
I just started watching Super Dimension Century Orguss for the third time.

I had seen the series twice before, once raw, and a second time as a really bad Hong Kong subitled version that I borrowed from a friend. This time, I'm actually watching the subtitled set that was released by imaginasiantv several years ago.
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zawa113



Joined: 19 Jan 2008
Posts: 7357
PostPosted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 9:24 am Reply with quote
Now that my character has been guessed in the guessing game, I can say that I've started watching Panzer World Galient. Man, this is possibly the craziest Ryosuke Takahashi series I've seen yet. First off, it's the only one that (I think) is intended for kids. Not that that stops him from going over the top in the mecha department, even for him. Seriously, episode 1 features a quaint medieval castle town being attacked by freaking centaur mecha. Yes, centaurs, most anime point out how difficult it is for the two legged mecha to move (Takahashi avoids this by making almsot all of his two legged mecha have wheels in their feet), who would make one with four legs? Also, they shoot lasers out of their chests. Also, for a series that is supposed to take place in a semi-medieval fantasy world, there are normal, two legged mecha (albeit ones that transform into that mix between a plane and mecha that Macross had, thus allowing them to fly) seemingly everywhere. The centaur mech lack those wheels, so yeah, centaur mecha. Oh and the eyecatch? It looks like the third and fourth Doctor's tunnel intros. The pilot is 12, the youngest mecha pilot I can think of outside of Bokurano (which wasn't using kid pilots for fun, but to depress the audience). Also, there's a clear expy of Chirico Cuvie from Armored Trooper VOTOMs among the bad guys. And there's a UFO. Seriously, I think out of all the Takahashi anime I've seen so far, this has the most scifi stuff crammed into it in the most medieval setting.
But ok, when I'm not going "dammit, Takahashi! Not everything needs a mecha!", I'm still enjoying myself with the series. The action comes at a fast enough pace. But...it's still my least favorite Ryosuke Takahashi series so far despite having centaur mecha. I don't know why, maybe it's because I can't quite tell if it's taking itself seriously or not, or that I'm also watching Armor Hunter Mellowlink, which has a more mature plot. Maybe the plot just doesn't feel as mature? But between the centaur mechs and being a kids' show, I'm willing to let it slide to continue watching it.
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Megabattimus



Joined: 28 Oct 2012
Posts: 5
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:07 pm Reply with quote
I've been watching a lot of anime lately:

I'm up to episode 8 of Baccano, so the halfway point. Really awesome show that I can't wait to finish when I get the DVD in hand.

Up to episode 12 of Digimon Tamers. It's as awesome as it was when I watched it as a kid.

Up to episode 4 of Durarara. Pretty cool show, though I'm not enjoying it as much as Baccano.

Up to episode 6 of Wolf's Rain. Really awesome show.

Yesterday I also watched Summer Wars for the first time. Really, really awesome movie. Probably the best Studio Ghibli film that WASN'T made by them. If you haven't seen it yet, go out and watch it. Though, I'd recommend watching the blu-ray, because it looks AMAZING in HD.
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Beatdigga



Joined: 26 Oct 2003
Posts: 4352
Location: New York
PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:21 pm Reply with quote
Well, I'm watching a few things right now. The first was I tried to watch Toonami, with Tenchi Muyo GXP. And it was awful. It was just everything wrong with harem anime in general in the new millennium. They are so focused on the dumb comedy bits, or the ecchi bits, that they forget to make the characters actually worth anything. It's literally 22 minutes of "guy has bad luck" jokes and then SPACE!

To wash that out of my mouth, I ended up watching Saber Marionette J of all things (at least the first twelve episodes). And I have to say, I'm enjoying it so far. It's a harem show, but unlike the first episode of GXP, there's a sense as to why these three women (and one male) are attached to him, a very good excuse as to why the male lead hasn't succumbed to lust, and a general feel for the characters and setting. It's a lot of fun, particularly for an older series, but like I said, the fact that the characters are the forefront, rather than the ecchi or the jokes or what have you, make it work.

Been watching a bit of Psycho-Pass, but the lead character is so grating that it's painful. There's a few really interesting ideas and setups, but that's being drowned out by her (and some fairly clever Satoshi Kon esque commentary on Japan's obsession with cuteness that just seem out of place in the gritty scenario they want to present).

Still watching Brotherhood and Eureka 7. On Hulu, both shows are bearable, hell, enjoyable. Brotherhood in particular is starting to get pretty good. It would help if Hulu kept the dubbed episodes up all the time though, but as it stands I have to switch between sub and dub.
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Errinundra
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 9:00 am Reply with quote
Kurau: Phantom Memory

Reasons for watching: Another of the series from the Best First Episode tournament that caught my interest; also Key's advocacy in the tournament along with his official ANN reviews.

Synopsis: Following a great war in the future, a prosperous and mostly content world is watched over by a seemingly benign police state. On a terraformed moon Dr Amami is conducting research into an exciting new power source - Rynax energy. When an experiment goes catastrophically wrong, two alien creatures are brought into the world, and promptly lodge themselves in the body of Dr Amami's 12 year old daughter, Kurau. The stronger alien - termed a Rynax or Rynasapien - fuses with Kurau's consciousness while the other remains dormant. Not hostile towards humans, Kurau the alien pledges to Dr Amami that she will protect Kurau the human from harm and return her to him eventually. Kurau grows up, develops superhuman powers and becomes an "agent", essentially a troubleshooter for hire. Ten years after the accident the second alien finally emerges as a duplicate of the 12 year old Kurau (though with longer hair and a sunnier disposition) and is given the name Christmas by the older Rynax. The two share an uncanny bond and seek to understand what they are, what their relationship is with their "family" and why their appearance has triggered the arrival of other Rynax. The police, however, have their own agenda with the Rynax, relentlessly hunting down the two women.

In the last couple of months I've watched two above average romantic comedies - Toradora! and Kimi ni Todoke. Kurau: Phantom Memory is also preoccupied with love but it couldn't be more different. I'd go so far to say it is one of the most fascinating ruminations on idealised, unconditional love that I've ever encountered. On the surface Kurau: Phantom Memory may appear to be an action series but to think that would be a mistake. When Rynax appear in the world they must bond with a pair. Failure to do so or the loss of a pair is so devastating that it will lead to emotional death at the very least, and very likely a literal death. A Rynax with a dormant pair within them will get by but it is a lonely, fretful existence. Together the pair are extraordinary - their commitment to each other is total. One of the achievements of the anime is that their love isn't cloying, isn't overplayed and isn't fanservicey. It comes across as genuine. 22 year old Kurau is tomboyishly attractive, somewhat earnest and protective. 12 year old Christmas - so named because of the happiness she brought to Kurau - is sweetly innocent but every bit as committed as her older sister figure. (I suppose their bodies are technically clones.) She may seem innocent and dependent but their relationship is mutually and equally supportive and rewarding. Their love is simultaneously alien and ideal. It infuses the anime with an optimism that never wavers despite the forces arrayed against them.


Christmas and Kurau

This optimism is also apparent in the way that Kurau and Christmas affect the people around them. Their love brings out the best in others. Dr Amami is initially traumatised by the loss of his daughter but comes to trust the amazing children he has "fathered"; Kurau's Swiss relatives are prepared to sacrifice everything for them; even the putative police antagonists - the coldly determined Ayaka Steiger and the bureaucratic, efficient Inspector Wong - find themselves influenced by the pair. Really, there is only one irredeemably bad person in the entire series - Director Saitou - but even he has his reasons. He only appears on the odd occasion and it is telling that he never meets Kurau and Christmas face to face. He succeeds as a villain because he is calm, rational and gently spoken, making him far more sinister than the laughing psychopath all too common in anime.

The ongoing supporting cast (as opposed to the one or two episode characters) are mostly good, especially the aforementioned Ayaka and the supremely likeable private agent and former police officer, Doug. (He is also referred to as Dag, which has unfortunate connotations for an Australian. A dag is the shitty, matted wool stuck to the tail and rear end of a sheep. When applied to people it indicates that they are graceless or ridiculous, although its use isn't as vicious as the origin of the term might suggest, sometimes even being used affectionately.) Hired secretly by Dr Amami to watch over Kurau, Doug is the action jock of the series but that is readily forgiven because he's a bit of a loser and, better still, never takes himself seriously. Actually he is something of a dag. He is a loner, divorced and has a son he struggles to connect with. Kurau and Christmas unconsciously transform his life. In return he supports them above and beyond the requirements of his contract.

The moment the ruthless Ayaka Steiger appeared I just knew that she was bound to undergo the major redemption of the series. She is icy, formidable, and has a terrible backstory that is linked to the big bad - Director Saitou - in a way she will come to learn in time. Ayaka is a not an unfamiliar type in anime - the loyal military woman whose career compromises her principles. Think of Abelia from Now and Then, Here and There in particular, Limelda Jorg from Madlax and even Misawo Yokoyama from Rideback. You just know they will have their "road to Damascus" moment. They even look similar. I must admit to liking the character type. Despite the severity of her demeanour, I found her attractive.


Ayaka Steiger confronting the big bad (I just love women with guns) and the likeable Doug

As far as plot goes, Kurau: Phantom Memory is episodic, consisting of a series of, often unrelated, events that steadily add to the world building, revealing the nature of the Rynax and the labyrinthine schemes of the police. With each tale new characters are introduced, play out their particular crisis and are then disposed of. The individual stories are engaging but it does give the series a stop-start feel. I watched the first sixteen episodes at the rate of a couple a night, which suited the structure quite well. The last eight episodes demanded more attention. Another of the problems, and one that annoyed me somewhat, was the way, for the sake of brevity I suppose, elements and characters would be introduced oh so conveniently for the plot. For example, at one point Kurau is trapped on the moon, with no way of getting to earth, and is about to be captured by Ayaka. At the last possible moment out of nowhere, she is grabbed by a space freighter pilot whom she rescued earlier in the series and taken aboard his ship. If that isn't enough, when Ayaka is about to capture the space freighter, pirates just happen to be in the vicinity, thwarting Ayaka yet again. In another instance Yvon, a mentally unhinged, unpaired Rynax, pursued by the police thanks to a tracking device in his brain, just happens to arrive on earth at the remote Swiss village where Kurau and Christmas are living. These plot contrivances spoil an otherwise well-written script but I suppose you could say this is an emotional journey, rather than a more conventional action story. Nevertheless, the plot develops from the premise more than it does from the characters' own motivations.

Another problem is a paradoxical one. While the characters revolving around the central pair develop satisfyingly, Kurau and Christmas remain relatively static. Because their love is perfect, it doesn't grow. Their relationship recalls John Donne's poem, Lovers Infinitenesse. Donne's dilemma in the poem is that if his love is absolute then it cannot grow further; if his love can grow then he is not loving sufficiently. The love between Kurau and Christmas is what it is. It doesn't really change. The plot develops (in a stuttering way) as do some of the characters as I mentioned, but the heroines just keep on keeping on. Thankfully, the two are sufficiently appealing and their relationship so affecting that it isn't that great an issue. The grand, ecstatic emotional moments shared by the two make it all worthwhile.

These big moments are enhanced by a musical score that gets better as the series progresses. While the ending theme uses the same chord progression as Philip Glass's North Star and the piano embellishments are reminiscent of Mike Oldfield's own guitar embellishments in his cover of the Philip Glass work, the song is sufficiently different to be worthy in its own right. Some of the incidental music early on in the more traditional action scenes is cheesily unimaginative but as the series explores its emotional heart the music improves along with it. One simple but powerful piece adds tremendously to the big emotional climaxes, such as the moment in episode 11 when, in front of their tormentors and on opposite sides of a force field, Kurau and Christmas reach through the field and touch hands. It sounds simple but it's real lump in the throat stuff. Visually, the science fiction setting, the colour palette and the character designs are all pleasing to the eye. It came as no surprise to me to learn that Tomomi Ozaki was the character designer for both this and Le Chevalier d'Eon. The final ten minutes of the last episode gives a what-happens-afterwards rundown for the main characters. I love it when shows do that. It's very, very satisfying. (Well... apart from a couple of teases.)

Although Kurau: Phantom Memory has some shortcomings, they are more than made up for by the extraordinary relationship between the two main characters. As bonuses there are many other things to like about it as well. Rating: the high end of very good.


Last edited by Errinundra on Wed Nov 08, 2017 10:33 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Tris8



Joined: 30 Oct 2009
Posts: 2114
Location: Where the rain is.
PostPosted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 7:26 pm Reply with quote
Ever since you said you were watching this show, I've been anticipating your review for it Very Happy. I'm glad you enjoyed it, it's one of my favs! The one thing that didn't bother me at all was the static-ness of Kurau's and Christmas's relationship. In fact, it was a plus for me. I think the biggest reason why is because their relationship is such a breath of fresh air compared to many other 'couples'*. Christmas and Kurau encounter situations that would throw 98% of other couples off into anxiety, suspicion and/or depression. But they avoid all relationship-related potholes by simply knowing each other so well and talking to each other.
I didn't know that the same character designer did Le Chevalier d'Eon as Kurau, but it makes complete sense. I should have recognized that from the noses.


*using this very loosely since they aren't a couple.
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Errinundra
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 8:09 pm Reply with quote
Thanks, Tris8. As I was writing the review I was hoping you'd give it a tick.

You are right. The central relationship is fantastic, regardless of how it develops. As you say, it's about knowledge and communication. I suppose that, given that Kurau and Christmas are essentially the same person at different ages, one could take the message that a happy life is built upon self-awareness.
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Mister V



Joined: 15 Apr 2009
Posts: 1000
PostPosted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 7:11 am Reply with quote
So, Evangelion 3.0 (aka Shingekijouban: Q)

First, the spoiler-free part, my general impressions.
The visuals are quite impressive, perhaps the most impressive part of the movie, look very well in a cinema as well. I'd say about 85% of it is CGI, that is, quality CGI with good cel-shading, so it's not jarring at all, but some sequences where the characters are clearly drawn in the traditional way stand out as slightly... off; possibly because they're sandwiched between full CGI.
There was also a very strange short in the beginning, produced by Ghibli, and narrated by Hayashibara herself, which was I think showing what I assume was the First Impact. But it was kind of weird, - they used models of those angels with some real footage from Tokyo, which made it all look like the old Godzilla with some modern effects thrown in. I'm really not sure what that was all about.
The sound for some reason I had problems with in the second movie as well - just underwhelming. All those epic tracks - I hadn't even heard them in the movie (just way too low and too short), and discovered them after the soundtrack was released. But there's some great piano pieces (unfortunately, they accompany scenes that might make some viewers snort in disdain, but the pieces themselves are quite good), and it sounded like there are a couple more of those epic-sounding choir tracks, like in two.
Now, the story is my biggest gripe. It's like the first of the final arc episodes, you know? Lots of action, most characters taken to their limits, despair, etc. Except in this case, there is no actual series behind it, so you're left wondering what the hell happened and what is that huge thing you don't remember and why... well, you get the idea. It's also fragmented and jumps a bit from one point to another, which doesn't help.
Finally, the weakest point are the characters. They all get a bit of screen time, but ultimately they're just passengers in the express train of the story, and you see them in windows for a moment as it flies by. There's no time to appreciate them. Except Asuka, who probably has the most attention, - and even then, she's mostly shown in combat, and... well... characters are why Eva's popularity was not a one-season thing, but a lasting phenomenon. I hate to say it, but they're just not given justice here. And that's a real pity. Why was Disappearance so incredible? Because it played on the strongest part of the series, which was its cast. We have an even more complex cast here, with more possibilities, and what do we get? Sadly, little to nothing, except more Shinji (I'm not sure anyone really wants that).

Overall I'd say I enjoyed it, especially the visuals, but the rest left me somewhat dissatisfied. Despite all the information and events crammed into that, they had no impact (forgive the pun). It's sort of like if you showed your friend the second to last episode of some western show you liked a whole lot, and as he only heard about, he'd watch it and go "um, yeah, that's grand... umm...". That's how I feel at the moment. Hopefully the final movie will set some things right, but yeah, mixed feelings about this one.


Now, for the spoiler part.
spoiler[Shinji's back to being a complete disaster. Which is not surprising, considering that what we'd interpreted as positive doings at the end of the second movie is in fact a complete and utter disaster (he actually started the Third Impact, and apparently didn't really save Rei? although that last bit is kind of uncertain). But it's still his fault for being brainless - not even spineless, he just doesn't have two brain cells to rub together, and... I even hesitate to call it 'manipulated', because there really isn't anything to do there except mention something, and he just runs to do it. He's really an absolute disgrace.
The questionable moments with the piano were scenes with Kaworu. I actually heard several snorts in the audience, which otherwise was dead quiet during the entire movie. Yeah, they kind of overdid things there.
There was a pretty interesting bit with Gendou's right hand man showing Shinji pictures of his mother and telling him she's Ayanami/the control system, that sort of thing.]

There's more stuff, but a lot of it is weird and unexplained as well.
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