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EP. REVIEW: Girlish Number


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lucio542



Joined: 11 Apr 2015
Posts: 262
Location: Brasil
PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 4:47 pm Reply with quote
I really liked this anime, the jokes and the protagonist its all fun.
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Muffum



Joined: 09 Mar 2016
Posts: 100
PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 5:04 pm Reply with quote
I haven't seen SNAFU myself, but I'd heard enough about it that my expectations going into this series were basically a more cynical Shirobako. I ended up entertained by the episode, but the comparison doesn't really do much justice to either Girlish Number or Shirobako, both because they focus on different aspects of the industry and their overall presentation differs in more than just their tone. Regardless, I am looking forward to more, largely because Chitose herself is so charmingly bratty and so I can see the light novel anime's production totally fall apart. I don't think the series will ever fully agree with Chitose's general mindset, but I'm not sure if it'll end up saying she's totally wrong either, since so many other characters seem to share similar ideas.
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 7:11 pm Reply with quote
^
The SHIROBAKO comparison exists because both shows want to show you a no-punches-held behind-the-scenes view of the industry, albeit slightly different parts of it. Both series do exaggerate for comedy, but Girlish Number does seem like it's going a more satirical route, focusing more on the negatives. Calling it a "cynical SHIROBAKO for VAs" is plenty accurate.
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Zhou-BR



Joined: 28 Feb 2008
Posts: 1422
PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 7:25 pm Reply with quote
I see this more as an extra-mean version of Seiyu's Life, and I enjoyed it much more than I expected to. I particularly like the author's sense of humor towards light novels and how they're disregarded even by people in the industry who make lots of money off them. Maybe I should give SNAFU a chance one of these days.
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whiskeyii



Joined: 29 May 2013
Posts: 2245
PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 8:01 pm Reply with quote
On a meta note, isn't Girlish Number itself a mixed media project like the fictitious one Chitose ends up in? I wonder if that'll determine whether the in-universe project sinks or swims. Laughing
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Morry



Joined: 26 Jun 2016
Posts: 756
PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 8:27 pm Reply with quote
Not a lot has grabbed me this season but this show's aesthetic and writing drew me in surprisingly well. I'm not sure if SNAFU comparisons are merited. SNAFU seemed to start off a lot more harsh and cynical than this. "Charming" definitely comes to my mind first here.
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Treeborn



Joined: 30 Mar 2013
Posts: 729
PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 8:40 pm Reply with quote
Oh, yea, this one's a keeper. I love how the background uses blended colors instead of the usual bold (which is good, too). Like the harsh truths it's presenting too lol as I agree with some of the comments the characters made - the light novel illustration comment is one I have felt for a long time :p still enjoy their adaptions, but I see that being true. Definitely tuning in to episode 2
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 23769
PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 8:44 pm Reply with quote
I think there is a qualitative difference in the type of cynicism on display in SNAFU and Girlish Number. It became pretty clear pretty fast that Hachiman's cynicism and harshness was a self-defense mechanism. And, while the various main characters had their flaws and foibles, they were, in the main, decent people. The show itself was not radiating a top to bottom cynical worldview.

Girlish Number is, in my opinion. I find the cynicism quite funny, but so far there is not even a trace of the earnestness that SNAFU often displayed. The first episode was one, long, amusing sneer at the anime industry - at both the cogs in the machine who make it and those who consume it.

I can see how somebody might find that "charming" but it's not the first word that pops into my head with respect to this deeply cynical show.
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HelloBucket



Joined: 07 Apr 2015
Posts: 477
Location: Upstate New York
PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 10:48 pm Reply with quote
It's rare for me to care much about authors or what format something was adapted from, but knowing that this is coming (originally) from an LN author really helps the humor at certain points in the first episode (and likely beyond). I can only hope that the author of the LN they're adapting for our MC's big break gets a larger, and more amusing role.
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HitokiriShadow



Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 6251
PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 11:21 pm Reply with quote
whiskeyii wrote:
On a meta note, isn't Girlish Number itself a mixed media project like the fictitious one Chitose ends up in? I wonder if that'll determine whether the in-universe project sinks or swims. Laughing


The one she gets involved in at the end is an adaptation of existing stuff, like SAO and any number of other things you hear of being "based on a LN". Girlish Number is a mixed media project in the sense that, say, My-HiME was. There is an LN but from what I understand it's a sort of short story collection and it's all stuff that happens before the anime. The anime is the focus of the project and is not an adaptation of pre-existing material.
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Hameyadea



Joined: 23 Jun 2014
Posts: 3679
PostPosted: Thu Oct 13, 2016 6:39 am Reply with quote
I enjoyed that first episode. I guess my interest lies in seeing whether the rest of the show will retain that level of cynicism and lashing out at the medium, or it will take a more optimistic viewpoint later on. Either way, that's a keeper.
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Animegomaniac



Joined: 16 Feb 2012
Posts: 4082
PostPosted: Thu Oct 13, 2016 7:03 am Reply with quote
Blood- wrote:

Girlish Number is, in my opinion. I find the cynicism quite funny, but so far there is not even a trace of the earnestness that SNAFU often displayed. The first episode was one, long, amusing sneer at the anime industry - at both the cogs in the machine who make it and those who consume it.


Wait, doesn't Chitose earnestly want to become a good voice actress? And didn't she look hurt when twin tails called her performance bad? I think the upcoming set up... where Chitose has the lead position; it's not just the role here; now, she'll get to be curt if someone gets in her way to the microphone... should have her both delighting in lording over her sempais while at the same time maybe wanting to be seen worthy of the lead.

I'm just not sure by who; The ones she replaced will hate her regardless, producers won't care and even her own brother will just tell her "Does it even matter now? You got the lead."

For herself? By herself? But that's not cynical at all though; Cynical Chitose: "Of course I deserve all this. Mwa-ha-ha!"
Previous hard working Chitose: "Shouldn't I have earned it? I will keep working at it because I know I would have made it anyway."

Anyway, great series start which gets an A+ from me. This is the perfect antidote to any seiyuu public event where even the sighs seem rehearsed.... and in unison somehow which always kind of freaked me out.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 23769
PostPosted: Thu Oct 13, 2016 7:05 am Reply with quote
Just read Nick's review and it contains a statement that I disagree with so completely, I have to comment:

Quote:
The show is careful to separate Chitose's smug, dismissive attitude from the world itself; her reactions are funny and endearing, but she's clearly not the voice of the show...


I'm not saying that Chitose is "the" voice of the show, but she is certainly part of its harmonious chorus which is: the anime industry is filled with poseurs, insincerity, hacks and morons. There is no way there is any difference between what Chitose is seeing, experiencing and feeling and what the show is espousing through its characterization of other roles. The idea that there is any separation between Chitose and the show's point of view about the anime world is not supportable, imo.

Also:

Quote:
Chitose is also counterbalanced by her brother, who approaches the industry with fatigue and skepticism, but nothing resembling Chitose's attitude.


That statement actually doesn't make any conceptual sense. How can Chitose's attitude which Nick himself has correctly identified as, "dismissive" be "counterbalanced" by "fatigue and skepticism?" He and his sister share the exact same opinion which they actually separately voiced: that the anime industry is messed up. Their only difference is that they have different personalities so the way they express their identifical opinion is stylistically different. That is not counterbalancing.
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jojothepunisher



Joined: 04 Sep 2007
Posts: 799
PostPosted: Thu Oct 13, 2016 9:27 am Reply with quote
I just want to ask whether anybody got the Legend of Heroes 6 reference. Seems like nobody else got it from comments in other websites.
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Parsifal24





PostPosted: Thu Oct 13, 2016 9:50 am Reply with quote
I enjoy it particularly the part where the people who give Chitose the job as the herione in Light Novel adeptation are more intrested in how it will sell than wther it's actaully any good.
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