×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
Akane Analyzes (Spoilerific).


Goto page Previous    Next

Anime News Network Forum Index -> General -> Anime
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
louis6578



Joined: 31 Jul 2013
Posts: 1857
PostPosted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 1:39 am Reply with quote
I'm glad to see you also think Princess Tutu is one of the better anime of that decade. It's a personal favorite of mine.

A few others, since I just remembered them being ANN articles.

"What's a beloved anime that you never quite got into or loved the way everyone else did?" (Perhaps a polite way of asking what anime you think is overrated)

"What anime would you say are underrated/deserve more exposure?" (In my opinion, Shiki and Gankutsuou come to mind)

"Favorite anime couple?" (To avoid childish flame wars, I'd like to hear your favorite canon couple rather than a preferable fan-ship. Assuming there is one. Mine is Sousuke Sagara and Kaname Chidori. Fakir and Duck are high up there for me too (ironically both are Luci Christian and Chris Patton))

"Most hated anime character?"
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Akane the Catgirl



Joined: 09 Oct 2013
Posts: 1091
Location: LA, Baby!
PostPosted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 10:07 pm Reply with quote
@louis6578

Me too! Princess Tutu was the first non-edited anime I completed. I remember I watched the show on Youtube back in middle school. I have a special fondness for it, even today. In fact, I'm glad it's held up even around fifteen years after its initial release. I'll talk about the show more when I eventually recap it.

Over/underrated Anime The Catgirl Has Seen

This is a pretty complicated question in that I try to keep my personal feelings to a minimum when judging an anime on its own merits. For example, Black Lagoon was a show I was pretty "meh" on, but I do acknowledge there's nothing particularly wrong with it, and it's a good gateway for live action television and film fans into anime. I just prefer my action in film-sized doses. I will say though not more anime fans need to see Redline, if only because the style is like no other and the dub ain't half bad.

Favorite (Canon) Couples

I will always have a special affection for Holo and Lawrence from Spice and Wolf. I just love their chemistry together, and the individual characters are very likable. It's one of the biggest draws of the show, and it feels refreshingly real in a genre dependent on cliches and stereotypes. Of course, I also enjoy Duck and Fakir's relationship, especially in the second half of the series. They're just so cute together!

Least Favorite Characters

Lilie from Princess Tutu. No contest. She's not so bad in the first half, but in the second half, she's f**king intolerable. She's failed comic relief who doesn't even fit in with the show's mostly light-hearted tone. Thank God Lilie is the only real dark spot in such a great story.

For least favorite male character, sometimes Kirito. What I mean is that most of the time, Kirito is just sort of a bland twit. Episodes Five through Seven are where he's at his most obnoxious, especially the last one. I think the writers were trying to make him someone like Kyon from Haruhi Suzumiya, but they ended up with an a**hole who treats our heroine of the week like garbage. I would but Alois Trancy from Black Butler 2, but I've only seen clips from it. Those clips, however, made me hate that kid and want him to die in a fire.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
louis6578



Joined: 31 Jul 2013
Posts: 1857
PostPosted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 10:36 pm Reply with quote
I also hated her. Pique was at least given... something for us to work with (and was marginally less frustrating as the "annoying best friend" type magical girl anime character). Lillie? Completely unnecessary and painful to watch. It's a shame they wasted time with those two as comic relief when Mr.Cat/Neko-sensei worked as one of the most welcome comic relief characters in anime this side of Isaac and Miria from Baccano.

Oh lord. If you thought Kirito was bad, check out Future Diary/Mirai Nikki. I guarantee you you'll have far more issues with that show's characters than SAO would dream of making for you.

As for Alois, he's annoying, but the sad thing is that his archetype can be done right. The arrogant person in power can be funny or "love to hate" if done correctly. Just look at one of my favorite characters, Gilgamesh from the Fate series. And even if you wanna go for a more assholish type, Dio Brando's portrayal in the very first episode of JoJo was delightfully wicked. Alois... struck me as what would happen if the brattiest kid ever were given even a small bit of authority. It's more annoying than cool. More cringe-worthy than jaw-droppingly evil.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
nobahn
Subscriber



Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 5120
PostPosted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 12:22 am Reply with quote
Akane
Dunno if you've already seen this one video about SAO's OPs; but if not, then here's a link.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Akane the Catgirl



Joined: 09 Oct 2013
Posts: 1091
Location: LA, Baby!
PostPosted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 12:26 am Reply with quote
@nobahn

Thank you for your links! I've seen the link while on my own Youtube excursions, and I'll try to watch it if I have the time!

I just want to let everyone know that I was going to post my recap of Ouran Host Club Episode Two today, but due to only having the first half written, I'm going to try to get it up tomorrow. Thanks for your patience, and I'll see you in less than twenty four hours!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Akane the Catgirl



Joined: 09 Oct 2013
Posts: 1091
Location: LA, Baby!
PostPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 8:52 pm Reply with quote
Akane Analyzes: "Mermaid Princess" from Chobits

Hello and welcome to Akane Analyzes! You know, we all have that one song that makes you cry, or at the very least, makes you feel down for hours afterwards. Some would nominate "When She Loved Me" from Toy Story 2. Others would mention that one song from all those animal shelter commericals. As for me, one of the saddest songs I've ever heard is "Mermaid Princess", sung by Rie Tanaka for Chobits. The reason why, though, lies in the context. Today, I show you the inherent depression inside "Mermaid Princess"!

Warning: There are spoilers for Chobits here, especially concerning the second half. You've been warned.

The Lyrics



Translation provided by Anime Lyrics:

At night, the town is quiet like the bottom of the ocean
I continue down the road by myself
Guided by the distant voice
I keep searching for the soft blue light
Hey I found you
And so, without leaving you again
No matter how much I hurt inside I'll always be near you
Forever
Forever


Got that everyone? Let's talk about the character of Freya.

The Tragedy of Freya



As the series goes on, we discover the existence of our heroine Chii's "older sister", Freya. Once upon a time, there was a couple who couldn't conceive a child. The husband was a scientist who eventually created a robot daughter- but not any ordinary robot. No, their mechanical daughter was the first of a line called Chobits, androids that could have emotions like humans could.

But over time, the android daughter grew distressed. She had fallen in love with the closest thing she had to a father. Not only was this inherently wrong, but he was already in loving relationship with her "mother". The android, so disgusted with herself, slowly lost herself to despair. It was only because of the love of her younger sister that the android didn't die completely.

That nicely leads into a rather large theme I've noticed about this series...

Love Hurts...A Lot



In the world of Chobits, being in love will bring hardship and suffering before you can be truly happy. Most of the couples that eventually end up together have to go through hell, even being in previous relationships turned sour, before they can have their fairytale ending. The second half is where this general theme turns up, showcasing the tragedy and pain that most of the characters had to go through in their love lives. In fact, this ending theme song first starts playing after we find out that our main character's teacher is dating his best friend after her husband left her for a Persocom.

Aside from the aforementioned teacher-and-student romance, there's no shortage of sadness surrounding the couples of Chobits. For example, we find out that Chii's employer at the bakery she works at had a Persocom wife. They were happy together, until her memory began to fail, with no way to fix it without risk of killing off her personality. The lonely couple that created Freya and Chii? Our hero's landlord is the widowed wife. And that's not even getting into the pain that Hideki and Chii go through just to earn their own happy ending.

So About That Mermaid Princess...



If there's anything I've learned while studying Japanese culture, it's that their mythology has a fascination with strange creatures and bloody violence. So, of course, Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid hit a cord with the Japanese people. From direct adaptations to retellings to appropriation of imagery, mermaids feature throughout the medium of anime. So how does this apply to Chobits in general?

Well, like the original fairy tale, this anime revolves around heartbreak and unrequited love, as detailed above. The Little Mermaid's original text ends with not only the mermaid losing her prince, but dying too. Mr. Ueda, Miss Hibiya, and Takako have all suffered because of love, but unlike the mermaid, they all have found happy endings. Heck, two of them are able to find a second love before the story ends.

Conclusion

"Mermaid Princess" ties in with Chobits' themes of how sad love can be sometimes. Most people have to deal with troubles when it comes to their love life, whether it be a relationship that ended badly or reflecting on the one who got away. Still, there is hope. The song is ultimately about finding happiness in spite of not being together with the one you love. And that's okay.

NEXT TIME: Busy busy busy! The next date for anything will be...September. See you then!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
louis6578



Joined: 31 Jul 2013
Posts: 1857
PostPosted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 2:41 am Reply with quote
Off topic, but since Madoka is a near and dear series to you, I wonder what you think of me saying that it has a bit of wasted potential. I don't think anything was bad about it, and I do agree that it's one of the best anime of this decade, but I felt like it lacked a little something next to Fate/Zero and Psycho Pass. Particularly, I feel like Sayaka's depression was a little bit forced, and Kyoko's attachment to her (and more of her character change) was rushed. Not to mention that I feel Mami's death would have had more weight to me if it had been done in episode 5 or 6.

I feel like my major complaint about Madoka is that I didn't feel strongly for any character aside from Homura in the end. I think it has a lot to do with the length. If these events transpired over the course of 22 or 24 episodes rather than 12, I can see myself feeling a lot more for these characters. It's like the problem Jacob and Zac had with Brotherhood's first 13 episodes (which squeezed the original FMA's first 25 to 30 episodes into 13 or so).

I don't think Madoka was bad by any stretch, and if you liked it, I'm glad (I loved it too, but feel like I should love it more than I do currently). Are my complaints unjustified? Is there something I'm missing about the show's appeal perhaps?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
nobahn
Subscriber



Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 5120
PostPosted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 8:31 am Reply with quote
louis6578 wrote:
Are my complaints unjustified? Is there something I'm missing about the show's appeal perhaps?

Heretic! THOU SHALT BURN – IN – HELL!!! ( Wink JK, natch!)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Zin5ki



Joined: 06 Jan 2008
Posts: 6680
Location: London, UK
PostPosted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 1:32 pm Reply with quote
Thank you for the article, Akane!
Akane the Catgirl wrote:
Well, like the original fairy tale, this anime revolves around heartbreak and unrequited love, as detailed above. The Little Mermaid's original text ends with not only the mermaid losing her prince, but dying too. Mr. Ueda, Miss Hibiya, and Takako have all suffered because of love, but unlike the mermaid, they all have found happy endings. Heck, two of them are able to find a second love before the story ends.

Making this comparison with Chobits is interesting. While many characters suffer for the sake of their current or past loves, what would you say makes the comparison to The Little Mermaid especially pertinent to this anime, as opposed to any other ode to romantic pain? Would there be some parallel to be drawn between the mermaid and Chii herself, or do you think the latter's generally favourable circumstances prevent that?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Akane the Catgirl



Joined: 09 Oct 2013
Posts: 1091
Location: LA, Baby!
PostPosted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 4:41 pm Reply with quote
Thank you all for your comments!

@louis6578

I have to say that I very very very very VERY politely disagree. I never once had the issues you did, though I will admit that the plot is really tight, to the point where you need to pay attention to the subtler interactions between the characters and certain conversations. Interestingly enough, Urobuchi did say that the tenth episode was supposed to be twice as long as it was. I'd love to recap the series someday, though. That will be fun.

@Zin5ki

I think the Little Mermaid comparison really applies most to Freya's story. In both, a humanoid girl falls in love with a human man who is in love with a human woman and the humanoid suffers because of her love and kind of dies. More specifically, the mermaid becomes an air spirit who is given the chance to work really hard for her soul, while Freya becomes a part of Chii.

Thanks for your patience, and I'll see you soon! (It pays to have Netflix.)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
louis6578



Joined: 31 Jul 2013
Posts: 1857
PostPosted: Thu Sep 22, 2016 4:38 am Reply with quote
No issue disagreeing. I actually find it more interesting to hear opinions that differ from my own since they cause me to rethink my thought process.

I think I should specify though. When I watched this for the first time, almost every plot twist and reveal was spoiled for me. To be fair, most shows get spoiled for me. I get spoiled in generals, not specifics. This show seems like the sort of thing where the "why" of it isn't as important as the "what" so if I know what's going to happen, it doesn't really matter how it gets there from an emotional point.

But my main issue was with Kyoko and Sayaka. Frankly, Sayaka seemed a little too quick to lose all hope and faith. I know Kyubey is supposed to be the bastard here, but I'm with him on the point of Soul Gems being your soul. "You humans don't even realize you have souls and would have never found out if you didn't act stupidly." What's the big deal? Sure, they're liches, but is that so terrible?

I think a big part of me not being able to buy into her depression over Kyosuke is that Kyosuke is less of a character and more of a plot device. This isn't an inherent bad thing, but unlike with other characters who are love interests, you don't really see much for Sayaka to be attracted to. He doesn't really show any sort of positive personality trait aside from bland niceness. Now, it's understandable that he lashed out at her in the hospital, but not particularly likable. I think if you humanized him a bit more, I'd get the emotional response they wanted from me. However, Kyoko's sudden friendship with Sayaka needed an extra scene or two to really sell me.

I know I'm probably nitpicking. But let me just make it clear. These are not "show ruining flaws." They're totally personal to me. I can see how someone else might gloss over them or even think that they're not issues. This is still my second-favorite magical girl anime after all. ^^
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Akane the Catgirl



Joined: 09 Oct 2013
Posts: 1091
Location: LA, Baby!
PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 3:51 pm Reply with quote
Akane Recaps Ouran Episode Two- In Which Haruhi Kisses A Girl And Is Okay With It

Last time on The Young, The Rich, and the Air-Headed:

Haruhi Fujioka entered a fancy-shmancy school for the scions of the one percent for reasons that are yet to come. When looking for a place to study, she encounters The Host Club. The club is made up of beautiful men who entertain young ladies, but since the target demographic for this is made up of teenage girls, there is no teen sex. Haruhi attempts to escape from the hot guys, only to accidentally break a very very expensive vase. Being too poor to pay it all back, our heroine is enslaved by the hosts, forced to do odd jobs to pay off the debt. However, the boys soon find out that she is quite attractive, and promote her to host. Meanwhile, a client named Ayanokouji is not pleased to discover that her boo Tamaki might have homosexual tendencies. Haruhi soon finds her personal belongings in the school fountain, and is helped by her deffo-not-love-interest-no-sir Tamaki. Some time later, the host club confronts Ayanokouji on her jealousy and possible homophobia, and she's banned from the club. Buuut since Haruhi did intentionally humiliate her, her quota has gone up. More hijinks to come!

"The Job of a High School Host!" is another great episode. It's funny, witty, but also has heart. That's a thing you'll see a lot of as we go through the series. What are we waiting for? Let's dive in!

***

The episode begins with imagery of the cherry blossom trees just about to bud, seeing as this is the beginning of the school year and that's when they're in bloom. We see Haruhi studying as usual, until she realizes she's late for her club activities. Much to her utter bafflement, the club room/music room has been turned into a tropical paradise, complete with beefcake hosts. "Can you see this from heaven, Mom?" Haruhi thinks as she looks on with the most "the hell is this I don't even" face. "This is the club I was forced to join."

The twins are quick to reprimand our heroine for her lateness. Of course, this rainforest theme was Tamaki's idea, as he explains that the guests shouldn't have to huddle under a kotatsu until spring, and besides, their heating system is superb because rich. Before Haruhi can complain further, Kyouya steps in to remind her of that little eight million yen debt, and please no complaining because poors don't do that. Besides, how can anyone say no to Tamaki?



[Seriously, how can you deny THIS cutie patootie?]

We then cut to host club hours, where we see Tamaki himself charming the panties of his customers. He then mentions that the hosts are sponsoring a Hanami (that would be cherry blossom viewing) party. The twins then add while talking to THEIR customers and playing up the twincest that it's going to be sooper fancy. Haruhi briefly wonders if Kyouya was the one to come up with the tropical paradise, only for him to deny it. He mentions that all decisions are made by His Majesty Tamaki, although Kyouya does indirectly admit he gave him the idea by slipping a Bali magazine into his graces. "So HE'S the real brains behind the operation." thinks Haruhi.

Suddenly, Honey and Mori appear on the scene, with both of them being so moe my nose is bleeding. As Haruhi wonders what's up with those two, her clients ask if "he" is going to put on a tropical-themed outfit like the rest of the boys. Haruhi says she doesn't think it's appropriate, while we see a chibi flashback with her rejecting the outfit Tamaki suggested. Haruhi and the girls continue to chat about the party, when we meet our Client of the Week.

Kanako Kasugazaki (voiced by the quite versatile Laura Bailey) is introduced with a recurring visual of her on a Mad Teapot ride, dark and unmoving. She flirts with our heroine, announcing that "he" is her NEW favorite host, much to Tamaki's shock. We cut to after-hours, where Tamaki is binge-eating cup ramen while the rest of the club plans the party. Kyouya and the twins exposit that Kanako has a case of Host Hopping Disease, as opposed to how normal clients pick one host and stick with them. As we find out later, this is the PG equivalent to "sleeps around with a bunch of guys so the one guy you DO like notices and gets jealous". Tamaki was Kanako's latest fling before Haruhi came into the picture, which explains his sudden depression.

Speaking of, Tamaki immediately denies his sulking is due to Kanako, then demands Haruhi start dressing like a girl again because how dare Haruhi be hotter than him. We learn here that the only people at school who know about Haruhi's lady parts are the club and literally nobody else. (The twins helpfully explain that Haruhi doesn't take gym). Tamaki then drags a f**king huge portrait of a more traditionally girly Haruhi out of some vintage chest, then tells her to start going back to that appearance because See Above.



[A helpful picture in case I couldn't explain it well enough (which I probably didn't).]

The boys are confused as to how middle school!Haruhi could become high school!Haruhi. She explains that it was the good old-fashioned "get gum in your hair" that led her to get a more boyish cut. Haruhi doesn't care at all that she looks like a boy, to which Tamaki protests that "a girl should never refer to herself as a dude!" before crying about it to Kyouya. Or rather, "Mama", much to Kaoru's confusion.

Haruhi refuses to put up with Tamaki's whining and states plainly that being a host pays off more than being an errand boy. Hikaru then asks her if she's skilled at dancing because she's going to need it for the upcoming partay. Haruhi gets the most "oh god this is going to suck face" as she realizes she's going to be dragged to this cotillion, even though she's not exactly a party person. I feel you, Haruhi. I do.

Suddenly, Tamaki gets an idea! Haruhi is going to go to the party and learn how to dance the waltz, or else the school finds out about Haruhi's true sex AND be demoted. The next day, Haruhi is forced to practice with Kanako, while Tamaki looks on in comically over-the-top gloominess. After dancing, Kanako flirts with Haruhi before identifying the host club's new tea set as a Ginori accurately. Of course, as soon as the club members recognize her prowess, Kanako denies it.

Immediately, we hear the sound of a rather plain male student coming in with the host club's newest shipment of tea cups, much to Kanako's surprise. He's Tooru Suzushima, voiced by Eric Vale, and as we soon find out, he's Kanako's f-i-a-n-c-e-e. At this sight, we learn that Tooru is heir to a first class company that imports tableware, and that the club works with his family to get the best of the best stuff. We then get a shot of Kanako being unusually sad as Kyouya wonders if Tooru is going to go study abroad in England next month.

Haruhi catches on that Kanako seems to know Tooru a little too much, but the client denies it and excuses herself. Honey helpfully explains the two's engaged status, and Kyouya further exposits that they're childhood friends, BUT he didn't tell them earlier because he didn't feel the need to. Oh, and the only real problem with Tooru is that while he is nice and no doubt good for Kanako, he's kind of a bore. So now it's up to the host club to save Kanako and Tooru's relationship!

After commericals, it's the night of the party! The host club has gone all out, with a grand ballroom, stage lights, an orchestra, and basically everything but the kitchen sink. Kyouya welcomes everyone and announces that at the end of the night, one lucky girl will be crowned queen AND get a kiss from the His Majesty himself. So...it’s like a prom night. I guess? I've never been to prom.



[Me no understand this "prom" you speak of.]

As Tamaki’s adoring fangirls wet themselves over him, Haruhi is, well, less than enthusiastic. Not only does she not care for parties, she's never even been to a formal. Kyouya proceeds to rectify this with a good ol'fashioned food bribe; more specifically, Haruhi's favorite fancy tuna. "Damn these filthy rich jerks," thinks Haruhi in embarassment as the boys proceed to dote on her like she's a puppy.

We cut to Haruhi watching on as the other hosts dance with their clients. Before two background girls can invite "him" to dance, Kanako shows up and steals Haruhi for herself. As soon as the boys notice this, their operation goes into plan.

Step 1. Spirit away Haruhi.
Step 2. Girl up Haruhi (with wig and pink dress included)
Step 3. ???
Step 4. Kanako and Tooru get together!

Tamaki interrupts the other hosts in the middle of Step 2, and is completely blown away by Haruhi's attractiveness. (By the way, I still think he's bi). Haruhi, however, does not like being all dolled up, which I can understand, given that I hate wearing dresses and makeup. F**k societal gender norms.

We then cut to Tooru watching the cherry blossoms from the hallway. Turns out that Kyouya, Hikaru, and Kaoru teamed up to write a fake, hilariously over the top love letter to lure him into the meeting place, much to our heroine's grief. Tooru gently lets Haruhi down, indirectly revealing his feelings for Kanako. Of course, Kanako's ploy to make him jealous worked out a but weirdly, because now he thinks she doesn't love him anymore.

At the same time, Tamaki is leading Kanako to meet with him, revealing that he knew about her little mind games. We then flashback to Kanako and Tooru as children geeking out over teacups and being lovey dovey. It's here that we learn that both of them are trying to get the other to notice them out of their own insecurities. Haruhi suggests to Tooru that instead of dancing around the subject, he should just tell Kanako how he feels. But just as it looks like things are going to get better...

Kanako walks in.



Believing that she is once more unworthy of her fiancee, Kanako runs off in tears with Tooru in pursuit. "Looks like we just made matters worse." says Haruhi. "But he did go running after her." Tamaki points out. And that's when Haruhi realizes what the true plan was; show Kanako how miserable she was making everyone so she'll finally confess her true feelings to Tooru. That's...actually pretty brilliant.

As Tooru finally catches up to Kanako, the two of them are caught in the limelight. Tamaki dedicates the final dance of the night to the two lovebirds. As they dance, Tooru finally tells Kanako he loves her and proposes to her. At this, we see Kanako in the teacups once more, the lights turning on and the ride starting up. Oh, and Kanako is the prom queen, so yay!

However, instead of Tamaki giving the kiss, the banana-munching twins announce that HARUHI will be giving Kanako a smooch on the cheek. Haruhi is not pleased to hear this, but forces herself to go through with this when Kyouya promises to cut her debt by a third. As Haruhi walks down, Honey casually mentions that this is Haruhi's first ever kiss, to which Tamaki reacts by attempting to stop the Big Damn Smooch. Then he slips on a banana peel, and the two girls make lip contact.

...Oops.

The episode ends with Haruhi being surprised that she kissed another girl, but given how amazing the night was, she's fine with it. Everybody laughs and parties. Except for Tamaki. He didn't get to kiss Haruhi.

***

Daaaaamn. This episode proves early on that Ouran Host Club can do both comedy and drama well. Everything just works, from the jokes, to the direction, to the quiet moments. It's not one of the most vitally important, but it is a heartwarming story featuring a bunch of goofy antics and fanservice. There's more to come from one of the biggest hits of 2006. See you then!

NEXT TIME: Still busy! I'll try to get another Fairy Dance recap out as soon as I can!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 5:07 pm Reply with quote
Akane the Catgirl wrote:

charming the panties of his customers.


At first I thought that was a typo, but perhaps not... Anime catgrin + sweatdrop
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Akane the Catgirl



Joined: 09 Oct 2013
Posts: 1091
Location: LA, Baby!
PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2016 5:42 pm Reply with quote
Akane Recaps Sword Butt Online Episode Sixteen- KIRITO, YOU IDIOT!

Last time on SAO:

Kirito: Ah, what a lovely afternoon in SAO.
The dream is collapsing!
Suguha: Ah, what a lovely winter morning.
Kirito: Hi Sugu. Wanna practice kendo?
Suguha: Sure!
Fighting ensues! Suguha wins!
Kirito: Damn, this really isn't like video games! Anyway, I'm off to visit Asuna. Bye.
Suguha: If only I were at the hospital instead of that b-
Kirito: What?
Suguha: What?
At the hospital!
Kirito: La, la, visiting Asuna~
Dan Backslide: Hello little boy.
Kirito: Who...the f**k...are you?
Dan Backslide: Who the f**k are you?
Kirito: I asked you first.
Dan Backslide: Well, I asked you second.
Kirito: Alright. I'm Kazuto Kirigaya, semi-professional hero. I'm here to visit MY waifu.
Dan Backslide: Really now. Asuna was MY waifu before you came along. Now p*ss off.
That night...
Kirito: And then he told me to p*ss off, that a-hole!
Suguha: It's okay. I know what it's like to be unlucky in love.
Fuuuuulashback!
Suguha: So he's not REALLY my brother?
Mom: That's right.
Suguha: ...He's my cousin.
Mom: Yes.
Suguha: You know, come to think of it, he does look pretty hot.
Mom: What the hell is wrong with you!?
Fuuuulashforward!
Suguha: Well, good night, my sweet, sexy prince charming.
Kirito: What'd you say?
Suguha: Nothing.
The next morning!
Suguha: Oh sh*t my boobs are exposed! I MUST BE PURE WAIFU MATERIAL!
Kirito: Huh? An e-mail from Agil? Let's see...is that Asuna? OH MY GOD.

Hi everybody. Had a nice time since the last recap? I did. Recently, we had Rosh Hashana over at my place. I had a lot of good food, spent some quality time with family, and took my little brother to see the Storks movie a couple days ago. I bring this up because this episode made me angry. You'll see why as we go along, but the alternative title I choose for "Land of the Fairies" should give you a good idea of where my rage comes from.

***

The episode picks up from where we last left off. Kirito goes to visit Agil at his work place (called the Dicey Cafe) after receiving The E-Mail. Agil comments that our hero is quite early, to which he makes a...potentially racist joke? Alright, so he specifically says "What'd you do? Scare all your customers away?". Is this racist? Yeah, I know Japan doesn't have the same issues with race America does, considering how homogenous the former's population is. Someone help me out here.

Anyhoo, Kirito asks Agil what the hell is up with the picture of Asuna. To this, Agil responds by showing our hero an unopened case for a brand new game called "Alheim Online". We learn that it's another VRMMO, and that unlike SAO, it's based on skill rather than level, which I am one hundred percent certain will not be a problem for White Bread over here. Also, you can fly, which...I understand. I mean, yeah, it's pretty cool to feel like you're flying in midair. Who hasn't dreamed of it?

(Also, minor nitpick, but fairies didn't have wings until from the Elizabethan are to around the Victorian age, during the period when they became cute, wish-granting creatures. NO. True Fairies will do stuff like murder you on a whim or steal your babies or eat you. THEY ARE NOT ADORABLE. F**K THOSE MURDERING A-HOLES.)

Back to the episode. Kirito and Agil get back to talking about the resident waifu, who is indeed in Alfheim. Apparently, Asuna is inside this castle that nobody in the game can reach, and yes, people have tried and failed to take the easy way there. Kirito puts two and two together to realize that Dan Backslide was responsible for this. He asks to borrow the copy of Alfheim from Agil, who says that he can play it on his Nervegear.

Two things. 1) Alright, let me put my Playstation Four Game in my XBox. I'm sure nothing bad will happen! 2) So, Kirito, you're going to strap yourself into the Death Machine when you can just buy the console needed for Alfheim. Do you wanna know what I think of that?



[In other words, you're a twit.]

So, we cut to the Kirigaya house, where Suguha is still thinking about the events of the previous night. She quickly stuffs a muffin down her throat, and Komedy ensues as she chokes on the muffin at the sight of Kirito's sudden return. A girl almost asphyxiated herself to death. Ha ha ha ha.

Kirito thanks Suguha for her advice and heads upstairs. With the knowledge that he may never be able to claim Asuna as his trophy, he puts the Death Machine on his head and logs into Alfheim. It is here that Kirito makes the dumbest decision in the series so far. When he's asked to input his name, he remembers that Dan Backslide recognized him as the Great Hero Kirito. This guy is our baddie, and is definitely keeping Asuna hostage. So what does our hero do? HE INPUTS "KIRITO" AS HIS IN-GAME NAME.



I'm sorry, Kirito, but are you high? I mean, I have no idea what the hell you're doing! You have officially painted a big fat target for everyone who hates you to see! You might as well be holding a sign saying "TAKE ME I'M YOURS TO KILL"! THIS IS SO STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID



Hi. Sorry about that...outburst. Don't worry, though. I feel a lot better now that I've had some macaroni and cheese, Starbucks frappuccinos, and a marathon of my favorite Disney movies. Now do you understand why it took so long to get this post out? Okay.

So, after that raging stupidity I outlined up there, Kirito selects "Spriggan" as his race (by the way, the spriggans in this game are nothing like spriggans as outlined by Cornish folklore), and suddenly finds himself falling from the sky. But just before he can land in Spriggan territory, whoopsie daisies, a glitch occurs and he falls into a seemingly endless abyss. Kirito then crashlands into neutral territory face first. Yes, SUFFER you intolerable idiot!

Our hero discovers that while he can log out this time AND has all his skills and stats Because Stu, almost none of his items made it over. However, one item- or rather, one character- is still there. Yes, it's Yui, and she's okay!

Okay, as someone who's watching this episode by episode, I have to ask this. Is Yui going to have a legitimate point in this arc? So far, all she's done is explain things to Kirito about ALO that he could have learned about without her help. I have the feeling the only reason she's here is because the writers can't bear to kill her off because then our hero would have to suffer the consequences of that. ARGH.

So, after their reunion, Kirito explains their current location to Yui, while she herself exposits that the ALO system is nearly identical to that of SAO. (Sidenote: I know sh*t about computers, so could somebody explain if this is dumb or not? Thanks!) Yui recommends that Kirito deletes his non-responsive items before the system does for him, and he does so with a reluctance I can't explain. Then the system identifies Yui as a support program and reformats her into a pixie. Um...wouldn't it make more sense if Yui deliberately chose to disguise herself as a pixie to avoid detection? Whatever.

So, Kirito tells Yui about the situation with Asuna. Our hero briefly wonders about the teleportation glitch and bemoans how far is from the World Tree and to a greater extent Asuna's sandwiches. Kirito then discovers his wings and recieves a brief flight lesson from Yui that he didn't need. Suddenly, Yui notices two other players flying above them, one being a blonde, buxom-



[TALK ABOUT THE INCEST!]

...Like I said, Elephant in the Room, I will discuss it when we get there. Which will likely be next episode. Okay? Okay.

So, the blonde (who we find out is named Leafa) is traveling with another player named Recon (voiced by Marianne Miller). Suddenly, the two are ambushed by rival players, but Leafa is prepared! But try as they might, Recon is defeated and Leafa is left cornered by three of the bandits. Before anything can happen, Deus ex Kirito crashlands into the scene. The episode ends with our hero asserting his dominance as the alpha male and showing off his bravado against the enemy players, and never have I been so happy to finish an episode.

***

Jesus Christ, this was stupid as hell! Never before have I seen so much dumb in such a relatively short amount of time! The contrivances make me angry and the moronic decisions Kirito makes are enough to put anyone in a rage! If this is a sign of things to come, then god help me for the rest of the arc. All I can say is WHHHHHYYYY. WHYYYY.

COUNTS:

It's All The Same To Me: 2 (Unchanged)

NEXT TIME: Still busy, but I'll try to get another recap out as quickly as possible. Sorry for the inactivity, and thank you for your patience!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2016 7:39 pm Reply with quote
Akane the Catgirl wrote:
Suguha: So he's not REALLY my brother?
Mom: That's right.
Suguha: ...He's my cousin.
Mom: Yes.
Suguha: You know, come to think of it, he does look pretty hot.
Mom: What the hell is wrong with you!?

Very Happy

Is it racist? I think not. I think he was just making a joke about Agil's gruff trading style from the game not working well irl if he kept being such a hardass.

I was never very clear about the relationship of the companies behind SAO and Alfheim and their hardware, but I believe it's quite possible to build a game on another game's bones (if you don't run afoul of copyright) and it's certainly possible to make the same game for different systems. It always seemed sketchy to me that Alfheim recognized SAO's players and gear/stats though. But I'm not a VG player, nor all that computer literate, so don't take my word for it. Smile
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> General -> Anime All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page Previous    Next
Page 16 of 32

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group