Forum - View topicShelf Life - Magic & Lyrics
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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Home in a nut shell.
I'm pleased to see Xenosaga get an actual decent review. I loved the story of the game but always thought it would have been better off if it was just an anime. The game play was largely generic and the length of the cut scenes, while not bothersome in itself, made the game play feel like a needless activity necessary only to move on to the next cut scene. I wasn't going to get the anime based on all the crappy reviews it got but maybe I'll give it a chance after all. |
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LordPrometheus
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It's a shame that nobody at ANN seems to like Nanoha. It's a cute, innocent, and quite fun show, and I greatly enjoyed it. For once we get a magical girl series that's not filled with gobs of worthless boob and yuri fanservice. I haven't seen A's yet, but I hear it's even better and more action packed.
As for When they Cry, good call on that being Shelf Worthy. Since finishing it, it's jumped up into my top ten favorite series. Watching the kids descend from "Lalala, we're playing tag!" into "I'm going to bash your skull in!" is absolutely captivating. I could not stop watching. Sure, some of the situations are ridiculous, but others spoiler[like the torture scene with Shion] are just absolutely bone chilling. I can't wait for the box set, and I hope Funi licenses the second season, because it's even more intense. |
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The Risky Penguin
 Posts: 88 |
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Good to hear, cause I've seen the first season and hoping I get the same intense feeling as before. I also can't wait for the box set myself.
That might be because the whole Xenosaga game is a anime in it self. The game play was ok, but however so limited since the game is mostly cutscenes (which most were enjoyable). However if you do like the anime, I suggest you to play the game, its more enjoyable. |
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LordPrometheus
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Not only does the second season maintain the intensity level, it actually develops the plot beyond seemingly random murders, and begins explaining what the crap is actually happening to the characters. I haven't finished watching it yet, but it's pretty much the only show that I've felt compelled to go watch the fansubs for. I couldn't wait for it to get licensed. 
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DavidShallcross
 Posts: 1008 |
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Dave's got a nice collection, considering it's mostly under a year old. But he needs to get some actual shelves....
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RadicaLElly
 Posts: 194 Location: Coral Springs, FL |
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In before mass Nanoha wank! Seriously though, I tend to love magical girl shows and I just couldn't get myself into Nanoha.
Also, I understand the complaints about how some people treat any show with older animation as being sh*t. I have some shows I've tried to get other friends into who won't give them the time of day because the animation is so dated . Still doesn't excuse the fact that MAPS is awful, though. |
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The Ramblin' Wreck
 Posts: 924 Location: Teaching Robot Women How To Love |
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Remember that Higurashi is based on a mystery video game. S1 sets up the "Question Arcs" and the S2 delivers the "Answer Arcs". It's probably less "bloody" but it has several "holy crap" moments, and the lion's share of the plot progression. |
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irishninja
 Posts: 344 Location: Seattle-ish |
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Jumping in before all the Nanoha lovers start lynching Bamboo. Sadly I agree with you, Bamboo. The show did not live up the hype to me (and I love mahou shojo as a genre). Also, the amount of creepy fan service in it is just bewildering. And what's the point of having a different director and art director for nearly episode? It made the show look and feel really inconsistent, which didn't help. Blah. I hear the second season is the best, so I'll give a try when it comes out, but I'm not sure I'll preorder it like I did with this season.
Some older shows still look good, even if they are done with a different animation style than we're used to today (NGE, CCS, anything by Miyazaki, &c.), but a lot of times I suspect the shows looked bad when they were made and just look worse today. Just how in 10 years we'll look back at badly animated series that are releasing these days and still think they're badly animated. |
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cool3865
 Posts: 770 Location: Austin, TX |
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yea the 2nd season of nanoha was much better, i really didn't like the first season and could bearly get through it.
i'm done with the 2nd season and starting up the third one. |
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Zin5ki
 Posts: 6680 Location: London, UK |
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This is the first time I've spotted The Humanoid in the weekly DVD collection. To each their own I suppose.
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Labbes
 Posts: 890 |
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If you didn't like Nanoha S1 because of the fanservice and inconsistent look and you love mahou shoujo, chances are high you will like the second season. Pacing improves a lot as well, since there are no episodes where nothing happens. I still find A's forgettable, but I can't exactly explain why ^^ |
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Splitter
 Posts: 1276 Location: Knockin' on Heaven's Door |
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First, glad you loved the first part of Higurashi, Bamboo, even though it was for more than interesting reasons
 "
Now onto Nanoha... so did you watch more than three episodes before this review? Because, I mean, if you had watched the whole thing you'd know the dramatic transformation it takes after the first three episodes into more of a sci-fi action adventure than a magical girl series. You'd know that Fate's appearance and circumstances give the series a much needed dark element, and you'd know that the goddamm "let's find the Jewel Seeds" plot is practically non-existant halfway through and becomes "we have to save Fate". But you know, I don't have to tell you that because you saw all 13 episodes... right? |
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belvadeer
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Ah Xenosaga, it seems like a distant memory now. The games I mean. I have had the chance to watch at least 3 episodes of the anime and I'm happy to see it turned out well (although some minor things were changed, but nothing too nitpicky). A shame they couldn't get the same voice actors and actresses from the game in the English dub but I think they perform fairly well.
And damn that is one impressive DVD collection O_O |
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kadian1364
 Posts: 60 Location: Indiana |
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Even if Bamboo and I don't quite see eye to eye on Nanoha, I can surely respect her POV, and I see a lot of the valid criticisms she brings against it. If I had just read the section concerning the series and not looked at the Shelf Life grade, I wouldn't have thought it to be so terrible. All I ask of my reviewers is a fair shake, and not to use it as a platform from which to launch a diatribe against the ills of the perceived target audience, anti-social as they may be. Her take was much more level-headed and moderate than the last time this site featured a Nanoha review.
The review of When They Cry is pretty spot on. It's absurdly entertaining, employing rather juvenile and barefaced shock tactics that makes you feel guilty for enjoying so much of it. The story seems convoluted, but its aims are simple: surprise and disturb its audience, and When They Cry does that really well. |
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ANN_Bamboo
ANN Contributor
 Posts: 3904 Location: CO |
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I did watch all 13 episodes, and I was bored to tears during all of them. I chose to only mention the Jewel Seeds plot, because that's the set-up, and talking more about the storyline would've involved spoilers and too much synopsis.
Aw crap! I don't know how I came to the conclusion that he killed them. Maybe that was wishful thinking on my part, because that would've made it more ridiculous(ly amazing). Last edited by ANN_Bamboo on Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:15 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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