Forum - View topicShelf Life - Paradiso Lost
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Alestal
 Posts: 605 Location: Dallas, Texas |
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Great Article.
I really liked Ristorante Paradise, it had it's moments of dullness but in the end it was relaxing and pleasant. The ending was great, spoiler[the scene with Nicoletta and her mother was very emotionally powerful.] I never realized that Durarara was so simular to Paranoia Agent until now. I hope the previous series gets more exciting soon, for the moment it's riding on Baccanno's coatails and the quality of it's art. |
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belindabird
 Subscriber Posts: 134 Location: Minneapolis |
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I just wanted to pop in and defend one of my favorite anime from 2009
Ristorante Paradiso is really an excellent anime, and decidedly non-creepy. It pains me to see people who haven't really watched the show complain about how squick-worthy the subject matter is, when really it deals maturely with what romantic content there is and most of the story isn't comprised of that anyway - it's more the story of two people who have baggage in their lives that they need to overcome and they ways in which they do just that. There's no real sexual content at all, no one is taking advantage of anyone else, and it's not some creepy fanservice title either. It is, however, the type of show that doesn't have a tone which is widely-appealing. It deals with personal growth of a subtle nature, and many of the characters are of an age that I suppose most anime fans can't sympathize with. I did find a kindred spirit in Nicoletta, however. Her story of finding direction and discipline at the restaurant should be relatively familiar to anyone just out of school. Anyway, it's not as if the men in the show are all leering at the female character or constantly chasing tail. They're all very interesting people and it's a wonderful experience to get to know them throughout the show. It's not for people who are searching for a strong plot-oriented show, though; it's almost an entirely character-focused outing and that's really its strongest point. |
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tuxedocat
 Posts: 2183 |
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I actually got a paid membership to Crunchyroll for shows like Ristorante Paradiso and Tortov Roddle because they are so atypical. The art in Tortov Roddle and Petits Cubes reminded me somewhat of a mix between various expressionists and modernists like Van Gogh, Dali (as you mentioned) and Chagall. I also agree these are so worth watching, especially if you are taking an art history class. It's fun to spot the influences.
I've since found out that Ristorante Paradiso caters to a fujoshi subset who fetish on older men. I shouldn't have been surprised that Japan has actual "clubs" of these women (and even younger girls!), but I was. I enjoyed the series anyway, especially when it focused on cooking and the restaurant itself, though I agree that not much really happened between the first few episodes and the very last one. Having been a chef, I can testify that the restaurant business is really cutthroat. I didn't get that, at all, from this show. Durarara is one of my favorite shows on Crunchy right now, and it seems to be getting positive comments overall from the viewers. It sure is better than the majority of new shows this season, IMO.
This has been my favorite Shelf Life so far, Erin. I like how the streaming format allowed you to focus on the pros and cons of the shows themselves and not so much on the issues surrounding DVD's like MSRP. I'm a really good bargain shopper, so MSRP doesn't really factor into whether I'll buy a title. It's the quality, or lack thereof, in the show itself that helps me make the decision. That, and well written reviews of the shows, like these were this week. Cheers! |
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Egret
Posts: 45 |
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Ha, I've got you beat. I'm twenty-three, I have a four-year bachelor's degree, I work at a law firm, and I make $7.50/hour. --Logan, honey, hang on to that job, if you can. I'd kill to be making that right now. Also, your taste in games is fun! |
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crosswithyou
 Posts: 2892 Location: California |
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Izaya and Shizuo. 'Nuff said.
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vashfanatic
 Posts: 3489 Location: Back stateside |
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You sure about that? I'd thought it was only 12. I mean, I'd love it if it was 24, but I probably can't afford for another 3 months of this on crunchyroll... well, unless my interview today results in something fruitful. And of course there's the option of waiting a week and not getting super-ultra-hi-def. But seriously, if Baccano! is three stories scrambled together, then Durarara!! is a single story told like a fractal, with each episode unleashing a web of new plot elements expanding out from it. Each episode focuses on a set of characters and reveals their connection to the story without really revealing what the story itself is. Think Lost, only with fewer polar bears and infinitely more humor. I'm still reserving final judgment on it, though so far I think Baccano!'s a better series. But if this really is 24 episodes, it could be coming to a midway "wham!" moment where it all suddenly fits together and I start loving it to death (ala episode 9 of Baccano!). |
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egoist
 Posts: 7762 |
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I'm surprised you can use CR in its HD form. It's been so sluggish lately, and I sincerely can't handle any lag. I usually watch in 480p, just to avoid that grating situation. If it really is a burden I'd rather wait and watch for free. |
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Quark
 Posts: 710 Location: British Columbia, Canada |
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A young woman in her 20's can date anyone, so long as it's legal. There's nothing creepy about a young woman having an interest in older men. I think some of the appeal of the older man is that generally they're more responsible, intelligent, well-read, experienced, interesting and mature than most younger men. Myself, I'm 26 and my big celebrity crush is Nick Cave. He's 53, balding, and for a while had a grody porno mustache. For me, he's way cooler than any younger celeb out there. Er, so suffice it to say, I really want to watch Ristorante Paradiso. |
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leafy sea dragon
 Posts: 7163 Location: Another Kingdom |
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I've seen Le Maison de Petits Cubes, and it was pretty cool. I didn't know it was Japanese until I read the credits. This sounds pretty interesting. Petits Cubes was one of those animated short films that felt artsy without feeling pretentious. I loathe pretention in what I watch, read, or hear. It just felt like someone wanted to tell a story, and that's it.
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maxxjulie
Posts: 192 |
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Erin's reviews aren't anything to go by. I remember reading her top 5 favorite things in Otaku USA one time and there was maybe one thing that wasn't in French and/or extremely obscure. i mean like three people in America would know what they were. based on reading her stuff and hearing her podcast, i get the impression she's pompous and high brow. i used to like her podcast years back, but it eventually got insufferable.
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wandering-dreamer
 Posts: 1733 |
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Yup, confirmed in multiple places (like the DVD count and the broadcasting) that this is a rare BB 2 cour show. And, from what the novel fans have said, it sounds like the first three novels tell one complete story and the VAs have said that episode 12 is the one to look out for. I'm loving Durarara so far, I have read some spoilers (seriously, it's impossible not to) so it's easier to see the connections, but I can't wait to see it all come together. |
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maaya
Posts: 976 |
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Come on Erin ... you do a complete column only about streaming animes ... and don't cover Erin, The Beast Player? Still waiting for any review on the second half of the series on ANN and another one for the first half wouldn't be bad either
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Dorcas_Aurelia
 Posts: 5344 Location: Philly |
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I hadn't realized that. That changes things a bit then. |
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swienke
 Posts: 245 |
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I actually like Durarara's more relaxed pace compared to Baccano!. I think it allows everything to sink in a little better and gives the characters more time to develop. With Baccano!, sometimes I felt like the relentless pace that it set forced it to cut out any subtlety or nuance, leaving a little bit of a bad action movie aftertaste in my mouth. Don't get me wrong: I loved Baccano! and thought it was great entertainment, but I felt like it could have been more. Durarara, on the other hand, may not have as many kinetic action sequences, but it more than makes up for that with its deeper character development and more cerebral atmosphere. I suppose it ultimately comes down to taste, but I think I already like Durarara more.
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wandering-dreamer
Posts: 1733 |
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Well, next week is more streaming and The Beast Player is 50 episodes long. You gotta give a person time to get through all of that, but I would also love to see The Beast Player to get more exposure. |
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