Forum - View topicREVIEW: Black Cat DVD 1
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kollivier
Posts: 15 |
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Regarding "oni" and "oni gokko", I just wanted to mention that "oni gokko" literally means "playing demon" or "pretend demon", and is a kid's game that is really the same game as "tag". "oni", in the context of that game, doesn't literally mean "an ogre/demon", but the one who is 'it' and has to go catch the others. That's why, for example, Torneo let that guy get a "head start" in Eps. 3, as after all, those are the rules of the game.
 I think there's a meaning in Torneo's trying to pass off these assassinations as a "kid's game" to Eve. (However, it's also true that there is a double-meaning here, as Torneo and others do see Eve as a real 'oni' rather than just a pretend one. Thus Sven's outburst of "she's not oni!" in Ep. 4.)
Anyway, apologies if you knew this already, but from the review I got the impression you might not have been aware of the connection between "oni (gokko)"=>"tag". (See also the start of Urusei Yatsura for a pretty funny pun on the dual-meaning of 'oni' in the contexts of 'ogre/demon' and 'playing tag' This is not to say that one interpretation is 'right' and the other is 'wrong'; I think they simply focus on different aspects of the dual-meaning of "oni" in this case.
The shame of it is that I'm not sure any translation could convey 100% of the context and connotations that the Japanese viewers get, but that's just part of the richness of both the Japanese and English languages. |
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Roguespider
Posts: 45 |
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I don't know if its just me but I find myself diverging more and more from the reviews on ANN. This review I found myself at least agree with two thirds of the review. Train as a main character doesn't get as much screeen time as people might like but its enough to tantilize you and his time with Saya lets you know there's more to him then meets the eye (then again is does tend to be cliche). The supporting characters such as Rinslet, Saya, and Eve definitely add more and make the series much more enjoyable.
Sven though I wouldn't consider a side character. The series may be named after Train Hearnet aka Black Cat, I wouldn't say he's the only main character. Sven is pretty much a main character. Its also his English voice that I disagree with. I think his tone tries to be too deep. And then it varies in normal speech. I can understand how in outrageous (and what I can only describe as anime) moments the voice will vary a lot, but when they're talking normally the voice tends to stay constant. The English dub however does not and at times the guy is giving off a voice of either absolute no emotion (when their should be) or a totally wrong emotion. I feel as if Sven's voice is like going back to the early days of bad dubbing. Sven aside, just about everyone else's voice comes off very well done. Train seems to have the cold exterior but also the youthful voice that will be needed in future volumes. Rins does a great job in changing her voice as need due to her being a master thief. Eve's voice is pretty good as a child that has been sheltered her entire life. When she has the creepy voice that goes with her acting like a bioweapon, I find myself reminded of Rei from Evangelion. The only other voice that stands out as possibly being a problem is Sepheria from Chronos. While she only has one line in the first episode her role will become more important and be larger as the series goes on. For such a woman, I was quite shocked at the deep voice she had in English. I don't want to compare it to the Japanese voice but in this case I felt the Japanese voice came off as empowered but not deep and I feel as if Funimation mistook the empowered voice as a deep one and decided to go with a deep English voice as a result. I can only hope that Sepheria VA decides to lighten up a little bit in the next volumes. I also hope that the next volume has Train in what seemed to be a totally different attitude and outfit. -Roguespider |
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championferret
 Posts: 765 |
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I haven't seen the anime, but the comment
Reading the manga, I think Sven is an AWESOME character, and Train, whilst not exactly unique, isnt quite that dull. But Rinslet...ugh, she was the character that made me want to stop reading. She was just...cliche on a stick, really. A theif with 'sex appeal', and basically nothing else to her character than that, more likeable than Train? o_o When she entered I nearly hit the desk with my head in annoyance that the manga was degenerating into cliche action pulp and would have stopped reading for good if Eve hadnt come in (in my opinion, its really Eve and Sven who save this series). Of course, it could be that Rinslet isnt as detestable in the anime... |
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Randall Miyashiro
 Posts: 2451 Location: A block away from Golden Gate Park |
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From the first DVD it almost seems to be more a story about Sven than Train. I also felt that the first volume strayed a little away from the standard Jump formula plot structure. I really don't care for the list of mini bosses leading to the final boss while attaining the "ultimate attack" on the way. I also don't care for the teenage boy who begins the show with no friends or parents lead, which describes over half of the Jump titles that come to mind although I hear that the story drifts from Sven and focuses more on Train as it goes on.
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LydiaDianne
 Posts: 5633 Location: Southern California |
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I have to say that I'm enjoying the manga but reading this review makes me very hesitant to get the anime. I like Train, Sven and Eve in the manga as well as Rinslet. I hope that I will learn more about Train's relationship with Saya in future volumes.
But, I think that I'm going to stay away from the anime..for right now at least. I'll think about changing my mind when I see the reviews on future volumes. |
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WesW
 Posts: 144 |
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Quote from review:
"Animation quality is also erratic; capable in calmer scenes but distractingly inadequate in action scenes, where little of the movements are usually shown and motion intended to imply swiftness instead come off looking jerky." That's what I remember most about this show. The action sequences at the end of the series were so jarring and disorienting that I could barely follow what was happening. |
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Karoush
Posts: 2 |
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It's been awhile since I watched the Anime of Black Cat, and it was obviously in subs. I haven't seen the English version.
It was good enough to get me interested in picking up the manga. So far, I like the manga's storyline better. It has better flow and, I think, makes a bit more sense because of that. The Anime feels, in retrospect, like they took all the plot elements of the manga, scrambled them together, and cooked them up. Though the English version of the Manga is only up to volume 6/20. Sooo.. hard to say. Though one point I want to make is that Train does start off a little slow. I think to underscore the changes that are to come. Since, without making a point of this in the beginning, one can't appreciate what character development is to come. |
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Weazul-chan
 Posts: 625 Location: Michigan |
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honestly, I think the whole alternate timeline could have worked (I love how it gave more insight into Saya and made 'that event' even more emotional than it was in the manga when you knew so little about her) but it was shortened from its planned two season, 52 ep, run to only 23 eps, right around ep 10, so the rest of the series was rushed as hell, skipped some of the best fights (like Train and River vs Shiki and his humanoid bug, gods, I loved that fight and wanted to see it animated!), had one completely weird as hell filler ep with a Saya lookalike, and they tacked on a whole new arc obviously pulled right out of their ass for the last, I believe 3, eps. not to mention there was no burst railgun or glaspar eye 
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Karoush
Posts: 2 |
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I hadn't known they originally planned it to be 52 eps. I wish they'd stuck with the original plan! Since the fact it was prematurely shortened probably really messed up whatever they were originally intending (which was probably better than what we got).
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Weazul-chan
Posts: 625 Location: Michigan |
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not to mention more eps could have meant more Anubis, which, out of all the things that the anime introduced that wasn't in the manga, was what I liked second best (if you're wondering what the first one is, it's the fanservice scene of Train - I'll admit it, I fangirl over Train).
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dubmonkey
Posts: 2 Location: Denton, TX |
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The "demon" usage went too well with the mural in the background when Torneo is talking to Eve to let it go really.
I must say that Brandon Potter is doing a hell of a job as Sven and Train's character does have more facets than what we have seen so far. Thanks - t |
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phoenixriderblade
Posts: 1 |
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what is the rating of it cos i've seen an 18 and 12 certificate
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