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Yorozuya wrote:

I've read the first 100 chapters or so of Hunter X Hunter and they are speeding through (and in some cases skipping) material.

What have they skipped? To my recollection they've stayed at a reasonable pace, covering about the first 5 volumes. I watched the first anime and it was way too slow with unwanted extras.

dragon695 wrote:

Yorozuya wrote:

I've read the first 100 chapters or so of Hunter X Hunter and they are speeding through (and in some cases skipping) material.

What have they skipped? To my recollection they've stayed at a reasonable pace, covering about the first 5 volumes. I watched the first anime and it was way too slow with unwanted extras.

I am curious about what they have skipped over? I know they have skipped over some stuff.

ShinnFlowen wrote:

Can anyone explain why bodacious is good starting ep 11 because the show seems to have little to no action, which makes little to no sense given the fact the show is about pirates in space...

I have personally liked this show since the beginning. I've been tired of the shows involving people put into ridiculous positions and suddenly being complete geniouses.

The progression of learning the ropes and the path to becoming that end is just as interesting as the end result. In addition, there's a good progression of development. Admittedly, I can see why it's slow but I believe its subtle humor and world building help push it along.

It's in a similar aspect as to why I loved Candidate for Goddess until it became discontinued...

dragon695 wrote:

Bamboo, the anime producer for Hunter x Hunter pledged to remain as close as possible to the source material, the manga, with no fillers. The pacing is how it is in the manga, so you should blame the real culprit, the Manga Artist, if you need blame anyone at all.

I like how you not only missed the point entirely, but you're wrong. I went back and looked at the chapter the episode was based on, and the entire episode is different from the manga. The original material has no training sequences at all; they appear at the cabin, skip 10 days, and Leorio opens the door on his own while Gon has just sort of recovered. Kurapika lampshades it, no drama is involved, and it moves right along. The entire episode is about 5 pages of manga.

The anime's insistence on showing off that his arm is injured, and then it isn't, works against it. If Gon was actually recovered, there was no reason for him to pretend that he wasn't in all of the scenes; arguably it even contradicts his character.

still got to love another for jumping on the crazy train and going in full force into a wreck with bodies everywhere. This is one my favorites of winter 2012 and maybe my favorite for the year until something else can be this messed up... oh yeah here's johnny

Saffire wrote:

dragon695 wrote:

Bamboo, the anime producer for Hunter x Hunter pledged to remain as close as possible to the source material, the manga, with no fillers. The pacing is how it is in the manga, so you should blame the real culprit, the Manga Artist, if you need blame anyone at all.

I like how you not only missed the point entirely, but you're wrong. I went back and looked at the chapter the episode was based on, and the entire episode is different from the manga. The original material has no training sequences at all; they appear at the cabin, skip 10 days, and Leorio opens the door on his own while Gon has just sort of recovered. Kurapika lampshades it, no drama is involved, and it moves right along. The entire episode is about 5 pages of manga.

The anime's insistence on showing off that his arm is injured, and then it isn't, works against it. If Gon was actually recovered, there was no reason for him to pretend that he wasn't in all of the scenes; arguably it even contradicts his character.

Well I admit I goofed on that one. Still seems like they have remained pretty close to the source. Especially with the end of the tournament sequence, which some took issue with.

Quote:

It may have started out a bit on the silly side, but it's since become one of the most consistently entertaining shows week after week

Kind of like Mirai Nikki, which you dropped prematurely.

dragon695 wrote:

Saffire wrote:

dragon695 wrote:

Bamboo, the anime producer for Hunter x Hunter pledged to remain as close as possible to the source material, the manga, with no fillers. The pacing is how it is in the manga, so you should blame the real culprit, the Manga Artist, if you need blame anyone at all.

I like how you not only missed the point entirely, but you're wrong. I went back and looked at the chapter the episode was based on, and the entire episode is different from the manga. The original material has no training sequences at all; they appear at the cabin, skip 10 days, and Leorio opens the door on his own while Gon has just sort of recovered. Kurapika lampshades it, no drama is involved, and it moves right along. The entire episode is about 5 pages of manga.

The anime's insistence on showing off that his arm is injured, and then it isn't, works against it. If Gon was actually recovered, there was no reason for him to pretend that he wasn't in all of the scenes; arguably it even contradicts his character.

Well I admit I goofed on that one. Still seems like they have remained pretty close to the source. Especially with the end of the tournament sequence, which some took issue with.

You're right; they do stick pretty close to the source. The only major differences from the manga so far are: cutting the bit with Kaito in the beginning (and sadly taking most of Mito's personality with it), though I've heard those flashbacks will be added in later; the first half of episode 12; and the first half of this most recent episode. Other than that, they've been following the manga nearly panel for panel. Minus the blood, of course - the original manga has quite a bit more of that. But the censoring standards of today aren't really the animator's fault...

Yorozuya wrote:

I've read the first 100 chapters or so of Hunter X Hunter and they are speeding through (and in some cases skipping) material.

They've been averaging two chapters an episode; isn't that typical for most series? Episode 23 covered literally only 21 pages of the manga--that's about the length of your average WSJ chapter.

@Bamboo
There actually is a legitimate reason as to why Gon's arm healed so quickly. It'll be mentioned in the next arc.

Regardless, I sort of feel like you're trying to find things you dislike about the episode instead of talking about the things that were actually covered. I'm not trying to influence your opinion or anything (I personally didn't really care much for episode 23 either), but your focus seems to be in a different place from your other Stream reviews.

You tend to report and discuss the "big" scenes that a show does when writing for the Stream: plotwise or scenes with innovative direction. But you largely reported on something I thought was pretty minor in the context of the show.

For instance:

Quote:

"He was only exercising one arm? Well, uh… he's just really mentally strong! And scrappy! Yeah, that's our Gon, the victim of half-assed writing!"

Haven't we always known that Gon is much stronger than the average twelve-year-old? I mean...in the first episode he reels in a whale-sized fish from a 50-foot-tree. Three episodes ago, he broke a man's arm simply by squeezing it. But in episode 20, Satotz does explicitly say that Hanzo broke Gon's arm in such a clean fashion that it would heal to be even stronger.

You don't even discuss episode 22 or mention what Killua's been up to for the past three weeks at home. Or the fact that Gon spends a day getting beaten without attempting to fight back. The focus of the review stays on Gon's magically healing arm.

Maybe I'm picking at this because I know that it's filler material (remember episode 12, when the protagonists spent half the episode in mostly silence? these bits are directed in the exact same way). But I was really hoping that your review would talk about the more important moments in the past two episodes.

I've been reading the manga for Chihayafuru and the 16th volume just came out early last week. SO. GOOD. The series is very much still ongoing so I don't expect a resolution for the anime. I'm thinking they'll stop it at a place where it makes sense to have a pause, and then if we're lucky, there will be a second season down the road.

So sad that a bunch of series I love will be ending next week, namely Natsume Yuujinchou Shi. We probably won't get a 5th season until a year or two later and ahhhhhh!! Don't want to wait that long!!

Last edited by walw6pK4Alo on Tue Mar 20, 2012 8:38 pm; edited 1 time in total

The thing to keep in mind for Lagrange is that it should end on a cliffhanger to set up for the second season continuation in Summer. So it's definitely more aptly paced for a 24 episode show, not a shorter one where a character suddenly goes mad at the end the conclusion is rushed and hasty spit out. With the anticipation that it will end in a certain way for now, you can see why the emotional highs are climaxing suddenly. That's in contrast to Horizon's second season which will just be a continuation of the story; the end of the first series wasn't all that captivating or different from what the show had already presented.

I'm glad Pirates is picking up speed from the last few episodes, but it will really hinge on how they handle this Golden Ghost Ship and its mystery. If they fail to make it interesting, I believe the entire show collapses and people caring to discuss it drop off. As for the space maelstrom and reaching an ancient fortress, I got some Laputa and Last Exile vibes as they handle reaching the quarry in the same manner: desperate and being pursued by belligerents.

Jaymie wrote:

Quote:

It may have started out a bit on the silly side, but it's since become one of the most consistently entertaining shows week after week

Kind of like Mirai Nikki, which you dropped prematurely.

According to the manga readers, it only gets worse from here on out. The ride was still enjoyable, I just hope they change it up from the manga's awkward end.

GokuMew2 wrote:

So sad that a bunch of series I love will be ending next week, namely Natsume Yuujinchou Shi. We probably won't get a 5th season until a year or two later and ahhhhhh!! Don't want to wait that long!!

Be glad it's gotten 52 episodes, that's wonderful. But I still want more Spicy Wolf.

SakechanBD wrote:

You raise a valid point. Maybe what I could do it keep watching all the shows, but only write about the "Dropped" shows every few columns or so? Kind of just to check in on them, and give them a chance to get back into the rankings.

Or maybe add other shows halfway in if most of the feedback has been positive and you had initially had incorrect preconceptions. Not to say some shows go from medicore to stellar, but perhaps introduce elements that make it more interesting than previous episodes or what the premise makes it sound like. I see that sentiment tossed around constantly for shows like Queen's Blades. I'm a proponent of patience and not dropping shows unless they turn in to endless shounen power level angstfests. Maybe that's torture to some, but I do have a completion attitude towards anime. I'd rather not start something at all rather than drop it midway.

Mr. Toto wrote:

You don't even discuss episode 22 or mention what Killua's been up to for the past three weeks at home. Or the fact that Gon spends a day getting beaten without attempting to fight back. The focus of the review stays on Gon's magically healing arm.

Maybe I'm picking at this because I know that it's filler material (remember episode 12, when the protagonists spent half the episode in mostly silence? these bits are directed in the exact same way). But I was really hoping that your review would talk about the more important moments in the past two episodes.

I don't think it's really my place to discuss those events, because those are huge events that a) could be considered spoilers and b) really need to be seen and not described. But the pacing is something that can be discussed, since that's in the execution of something, and not in the content.

I missed a ep of ano natsu so I didn't look there, I also admit, once its done I'll check out chisafuyu(If I got the name right)

As for Hunter x Hunter though not only do I agree that you ignored the bigger events like killua, but I feel you forgot about the fact that it has been a WHILE between Gon's arm injury AND the time he was training. This ep really isn't my fave at all, unlike last week, But I do have to admit you didn't seem to remember that.

Also, there is a reason why gon's arm healed quickly so really it was foreshadowing. I hate having to say it after you said in a matter not to, but... yeah, its foreshadowing.

Quote:

Let's play a game. Name a non-franchise mech show in the past 20 years in which a pilot hasn't flown into a blind rage.

Oh. I'll play.

Dancougar Nova? I recall spoiler[God Beast] being more of a calm reveal and the only time Aoi loses it is when spoiler[Moon Will] starts trashing humanity and she ends up punching him for it.

Maybe Asura Cryin? Don't really recall Tomo ever explicitly losing it.
Heroic Age? Oh wait. Nevermind. Blind rage is a plot point in that.
Gravion maybe? Don't recall Touga and co ever going into a rage. Well, there was the confrontation between Eiji and Touga but that was more of a "Wake up, buddy!" confrontation.

On the subject of Lagrange though;
spoiler[Youko ; _ ;]

So glad I stuck with it.

SakechanBD wrote:

I don't think it's really my place to discuss those events, because those are huge events that a) could be considered spoilers and b) really need to be seen and not described. But the pacing is something that can be discussed, since that's in the execution of something, and not in the content.

I don't mean to imply that I want you to thoroughly talk about every big scene in the episode or spoil them for new viewers. But everything that happened in the past two episodes feels extremely glossed over...except Gon's arm. It's a pretty minor plot detail imo...the scene in question takes up a maximum of five minutes between two full-length episodes. There are very few lines of dialogue.

That doesn't mean the scene isn't worth criticizing or discussing (on the contrary), but you somewhat imply that it's the main part of the episode. You spend a lot of time in your reviews for the other series talking about the characters...how their experiences affect the narrative and such. But your review for HxH largely stuck to discussing a montage.

I guess I sort of have to gripe because you don't talk about the director's intent behind anything in the past two episodes. Why does it exist? For what purpose does it serve? For what reason is Gon sneaking out at night to train? Why does he choose to get beaten up all day without fighting back...especially when the director explicitly shows what Gon is capable of doing?

You chalk it up to lazy writing, but I don't know if that's the case (especially since the entire scene didn't exist in the manga; it likely was added with purpose). It sort of concerns me that you're willing to think about character psyches and the directional aims in other series, but not this one either.

I think that it's sort of a mistake to assume that a series is being shallow due to its target demographic...especially one with such a reputation among literary crowds in Japan.

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