Forum - View topicANNCast - The Long Con
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Melanchthon
 Posts: 550 Location: Northwest from Here |
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My problem with Sword Art Online (besides its utterly stupid name), is suspension of disbelief. I forget who said it, (I'm thinking it was Roger Ebert, but whatever), but it was said that people generally only give one suspension, generally the premise of the story, but then demand that the story from here on out is rational. For example, I know that vampires don't exist, but I am willing to suspend by disbelief in vampires, as long as the story afterwards makes logical sense for a world with vampires in it. Sword Art Online just has too many things to suspend (listen to the podcast for Zac to list them all).
But even if I could get past all that, I still have philosophical problems with the story. First of all, I dislike virtual reality stories, because they lack realism. I understand their popularity, it stems from the common nerdy theme of escapism, into a world in which roles are reversed and the nerd gets to be the hero for once. My problems is that they aren't real, and therefore the events that take place inside them have no significance. Sure, if you lose, you die in real life, but you don't die a hero, you die a loney otaku hooked to a video game. I just have a hard time trying to understand why you would what to watch a show about modern people pretending to be in a fantasy world when you could watch an actual fantasy show. And bonus opinion on Muv-Luv. Technically, the purpose of making an anime is to make money. I'm choosing to ignore that because it is inelegant, and instead, evaluating anime on whether it can tell a good story. Any anime should be able to stand on its own and tell a complete story. If one needs to have played the ero-games and read the manga to understand a show, then it has failed as an independent production and should be considered as such--a failure. (The real problem is that fanboi's become emotionally invested in certain shows, and view attacks on those shows as personal attacks against themselves. This is very unhealthy, philosophy-wise, but there is little we can do until they grow up a little and learn to divorce their sense of self from the medium). |
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Fencedude5609
 Posts: 5088 |
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"Sword Art Online" is the name of the game, and hardly dumb by the standards of Japanese videogames. As for the rest...I don't get it. Seriously. I mean, its fine if thats how you feel, but I cannot comprehend why you think it would be better to tell a "real" fantasy story instead of this, particular, fantasy story. Since it is still a fantasy by every definition of the genre. Not to mention, we aren't "I just have a hard time trying to understand why you would what to watch a show about modern people pretending to be in a fantasy world" we're watching a story about people thrust into a life-or-death situation, simply due to the whims of a single madman. This life or death situation happens to be a videogame that will kill you if you die in the game. The fantasy setting is almost incidental, its not the point of the story. As a bonus, this statement: "First of all, I dislike virtual reality stories, because they lack realism." just makes no goddamn sense at all. The entire POINT of this story is that "virtual" reality BECAME GODDAMN REALITY
This would be more convincing if it hadn't followed half a paragraph of insults. Also, Total Eclipse is not that confusing (Horizon it isn't), and most of the counter-whining was because most of the complaints were similar to what happens with SAO, people honing in on one thing that isn't explained immediately and making a HUGE GODDAMN ISSUE out of it. Thus prompting people who know the answer (either from the MuvLuv games proper or the TE Game/Novels) to explain it. You sometimes have to give a story a chance to establish itself on its own terms. Sure, it may blow it in the end, but asking the audience to keep their pantsu from getting wadded for a few episodes shouldn't be too much to ask. |
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TitanXL
 Posts: 4036 |
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It's called Sword Art Online because it's all about weapon techniques. There's no magic in the game since it's the very first VR MMO. Just normal weapon combat. i.e. Sword Arts
I agree the 'why make it a vr when it can be fantasy" isn't much of a logical reason to dislike something; that's just personal preference. I like how it's an MMO, it makes it unique rather than just being Slayers. Not to mention the whole plot revolves around it being trapped in a game As for "otaku dying in his room", that's part of the appeal no? Some guy sacrificing himself when he normally wouldn't be in that situation evokes that anyone could be a hero, even a shut in otaku. The fact its VR gives him that option. |
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dandelion_rose
 Posts: 657 Location: Kuala Lumpur |
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Sword Art Online is an okay name for an MMORPG. I've seen worse.
I simply cannot get over the name 'Muv Luv'. |
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Fencedude5609
Posts: 5088 |
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MABU RABU |
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icomeanon6
 SubscriberPosts: 114 |
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It's not a nice situation, but I don't see how west-to-east or east-to-west stuff like the Marvel anime or Funi's Mass Effect can get any chance with anyone. On one hand you're going to have anime fans who are disgusted with the notion of Westerners messing up their stuff, and on the other you're going to have Westerners disgusted with the notion of anime folks messing up their stuff. The fact of the matter is that most Americans view anime and Western media as dramatically different categories of media. I don't foresee any such future efforts being even as successful as Animatrix for a long time. Which sucks, because both sides of the Pacific could stand to learn things from the other.
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Fencedude5609
Posts: 5088 |
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It doesn't help that they are basically always terrible. Which is the real issue. |
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Cecilthedarkknight_234
 Posts: 3820 Location: Louisville, KY |
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Cat planet cuties and yamada's first time...those take the cake |
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Fencedude5609
Posts: 5088 |
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Except that those shows are actually named "Asobi ni Iku Yo!" and "B-Gata H-Kei", admittedly, those are pretty silly titles too. Seriously, complaining that an anime (or any entertainment product from Japan) has a silly name is the lowest of low-hanging fruits |
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Cecilthedarkknight_234
Posts: 3820 Location: Louisville, KY |
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well I wold rather have weird japanese names than "we are trying to sell cheap 80's porn titles here" but that's just me. Also bomb-shells from the sky would have worked. I'm normally not a nit picker on finer details but that did make me go =_= |
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Cheesecracker
 Posts: 240 |
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[sarcasm]Because there's nothing more clear and funny than watching someone giggle in front of you while making some vague references. Especially in text[/sarcasm] Please explain where it was going before it was "ruined." Does it involve falling into boobs or having to eat lots of really bad food? |
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Fencedude5609
Posts: 5088 |
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It involves exactly what Chagen mentioned, an utterly hilariously bad sex scene. But if you just want the true nugget, here you go SPOILERS BY THE WAY Happy Glopping! Last edited by Fencedude5609 on Sat Jul 21, 2012 3:22 am; edited 1 time in total |
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poonk
 Posts: 1490 Location: In the Library with Philip |
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Huh. I was sort of interested in watching UtaKoi but hearing Bamboo's comment about the character in ep.01 wondering why the guy wasn't going to rape her ("Are my boobs not big enough?") I'm really, really reevaluating my interest. I'll probably watch it myself to be sure but I'm not anticipating it now.
I did make an effort to watch the first episodes of a handful of shows and didn't make it past like 5-10 minutes of most. I'll withhold my comments because I don't want to start an stupid argument but let's just say I'm sure my neighbors could hear my eyes rolling. The only series I found that I want to follow is Natsuyuki Rendezvous. The premise reminds me of something I'd see in a drama, so... no shock there. |
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Animerican14
 Posts: 963 Location: Saint Louis, MO |
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Huh, I guess I didn't think of him too much as being the utter viewpoint character. I mean, sure, I recognized him as the main character, and these episodes were focused a lot on stuff shown from his perspective... but will the entire story be like that? If that's the case, then, well.... not having read the visual novel, I wouldn't have known 100% that it would be his perspective. Thinking that it would've made plenty of sense story-wise, I was hoping to see some more of the real-world implications early on-- and really, they could've fit in talk of a manhunt of sorts at the start of the second episode(?) where they did talk about the deaths and show people mourning-- but if they get to talk further of the real-world implications later on, then I'll be fine with it. Part of me just wishes that there would be more obvious outrage beyond the end of the first episode (without it devolving into excessive angst), or more of an urge to bring justice down upon the game master rather than just merely play by the rules of "I'll beat this game and become free." But again, there's much to come.
I think I'll just defer to Melanchton here, who makes a very good point about the suspension of disbelief.
I'm fine with the overall premise (though that gave me .hack vibes too strong for my liking at the very start)... I just wish there was a bit more logic (and thus more exploration of realistic consequences) at the very front end of the series, that's all. |
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Fencedude5609
Posts: 5088 |
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Please tell me where, in the current ~50 minuites worth of show, you would have put this.
And then you, or someone else, would be whining about how the show is all exposition and no action. You seriously cannot please some people |
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