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HitokiriShadow
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Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 4739
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 Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 12:23 am |
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| Overall, it was a good series and I'm definitely glad I bought it. I was annoyed at their poor explaining of some things or completely ignoring others (so now we know why Camus/Kamyu is special, but we still don't know why she was sucking peoples blood or why NO ONE seemed to care or wonder why after they found her). I think my biggest disappointments in this last volume where what they did with the head of the bunny-eared clan (I really don't like the memory regression plot device) nor how they handled Yuzuha's death. But overall it was a good series and I really enjoyed the cast. The omake videos, especially the ones focusing on Touka, were awesome. Kudos to ADV for including all those extras. |
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Ai no Kareshi
Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 207
Location: South Africa
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| Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 1:32 am |
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| Quote: | This is the series at its best
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I have to disagree with this statement. While I love the entire series, the final part of the story just seems rushed to me. To someone like me who has played the original game, the last episodes look like nothing more than an extended movie trailer, given how much depth they cut out. (And before you condemn me for being some sort of pervert for playing the game, note that the PS2 version that I played contains no h-scenes).
While not everything about the sci-fi flashbacks are explained in the game either, a great deal more of it is. The flashbacks, especially the ones with Iceman, Mikoto and Mizushima (the holograph guy), are longer and more detailed. Also, I'm still irked by the fact that they completely left out Mutsumi's part in those – watching the anime only, the viewer has no idea who she is or why she is so attached to her "two fathers". I found the interaction between Mutsumi and Iceman in the game very sweet and I would have liked to see this included in the anime.
Kamyu love and Mutsumi love forever! 
P.S. I was just as disappointed in the handling of Yuzuha's death, HitokiriShadow. |
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Randall Miyashiro
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Joined: 12 Jun 2003
Posts: 2410
Location: A block away from Golden Gate Park
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| Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 3:54 am |
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I love this series from start to finish. There are so many characters in the series that are so likable. I think we would find a pretty good balance in regards to "favorite Utawarerumono girl" here. I personally vote for Karura, who I knew I liked when she first appeared with Motoko's (GITS) voice actress.
I'm glad that it is being released on Blu-ray with subs and dubs included for 50,000 Yen. This is fairly comparable to non-HD releases in price, and it sounds that it will be taken from the 1080p masters, and not upconverted like Yukikaze or Air on Blu-ray.
I love those little short stories especially the last two which are so funny.
I'm constantly surprised at the above average rating that Theron gives the animation for this series since the motion seems fairly minimal at best to the point that the CG stuff really stands out. People who are in the background hardly ever move and there is a high ratio of shots that are limited to lip flaps and eyes for motion. This doesn't bother me too much since animation (ironically) is the least important of the four categories in these reviews for me. I find it far more important to have good artwork and direction (like Berserk) which Utaware does very well. I just find it weird since I feel there are many shows reviewed with C and B grade animation that seem to have better animation, but this category is at least as subjective as music or art. It also doesn't help that I just watched the last volume of Noein which has amazing animation.
I think I was more surprised at abruptness of Yuzuha's than disappointed. I really didn't care too much for Oboro or Yuzuha, but I can see how it could be a big letdown for others. |
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Key
ANN Reviewer
Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 2832
Location: Indianapolis (formerly Mimiho Valley)
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| Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:39 am |
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| Ai no Kareshi wrote: | While I love the entire series, the final part of the story just seems rushed to me. To someone like me who has played the original game, the last episodes look like nothing more than an extended movie trailer, given how much depth they cut out. . .
While not everything about the sci-fi flashbacks are explained in the game either, a great deal more of it is. The flashbacks, especially the ones with Iceman, Mikoto and Mizushima (the holograph guy), are longer and more detailed. Also, I'm still irked by the fact that they completely left out Mutsumi's part in those – watching the anime only, the viewer has no idea who she is or why she is so attached to her "two fathers". I found the interaction between Mutsumi and Iceman in the game very sweet and I would have liked to see this included in the anime. |
I was strictly speaking from the viewpoint of someone who's only watched the anime, of course, which would certainly explain the difference in opinion. It didn't even occur to me that they didn't explain Mutsumi's attachment until you mentioned it; could you elaborate (in spoilers) for those of us who will probably never play the game?
| Quote: | | P.S. I was just as disappointed in the handling of Yuzuha's death, HitokiriShadow. |
Although it caught me off guard at first, it made sense when I stopped and thought about it, and it fits within the framework of what Oboro felt he needed to do at the end. It's not like her not surviving for the long haul should have been a surprise, given how close to death she was earlier in the series. Ultimately it was not an issue for me. |
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W-General
Joined: 17 Jun 2004
Posts: 218
Location: Ithaca, NY, USA / Taichung, Taiwan
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 1:08 am |
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The mishandling of Yuzuha's death has its roots in that this is a ero-game to anime adaptation.
We know that Yuzuha's really sick, so eventually she is going to die - it was just a matter of when and how it's presented. The way it was presented in the anime probably ticked people off because it was very sudden. In the game, it didn't seem too bad because as you know it, Utawarerumono has its roots in ero game, and in the game he gets to bang all the girls (except Aruru) and Yuzuha was able give birth to Hakuoro's son before she passed on. This is not present in the anime at all, so people probably felt something's amiss. |
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Furudanuki
Joined: 29 Jul 2006
Posts: 435
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 10:41 am |
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| W-General wrote: | | The mishandling of Yuzuha's death has its roots in that this is a ero-game to anime adaptation. |
W-General's comments are correct, but I wanted to add a bit more info so that people don't get the impression that in the game Hakuoro is a sex maniac who blithely takes advantage of a frail little girl like Yuzuha. That's not the case at all.
In the anime and the game there are several scenes where Yuzuha and Eruruu are discussing the nature of family and love. In the game, Yuzuha makes the decision that, no matter what the consequences to her health, she wants to have a child before she dies. She feels that creating a new life and sharing her love will give some meaning to her existance: there will be a family to remember her. The only man Yuzuha really knows - other than her brother, Oboro- is Hakuoro. So Yuzuha begs Oboro to intercede with Hakuoro on her behalf. Oboro refuses repeatedly, but Yuzuha persists and eventually her resolve wears down her brother's resistance. Oboro drinks heavily while trying to work up the nerve to approach Hakuoro about the matter, and winds up in full supplication mode tearfully begging Hakuoro to grant his sister's one request. Hakuoro is shocked at first, but he knows how deeply Oboro loves his sister, and also understands how much it must have cost the proud Oboro to approach him about the matter. Eventually Hakuoro agrees, and fathers the child Yuzuha wanted.
Edit - In the game the only members of "Hakuoro's Harem" who he actually takes the initiative to sleep with and does so entirely of his own volition are Eruruu and Urutorii - but in her case there is a strong "comfort sex" element involved. |
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HitokiriShadow
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Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 4739
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| Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 12:34 am |
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| Key wrote: |
I was strictly speaking from the viewpoint of someone who's only watched the anime, of course, which would certainly explain the difference in opinion. It didn't even occur to me that they didn't explain Mutsumi's attachment until you mentioned it; could you elaborate (in spoilers) for those of us who will probably never play the game? |
I've never played the game but I did think it felt rushed at times, though nothing too bad pacing wise. More importantly, it just didn't do a good job of explaining things or simply didn't explain things at all that were, presumably, explained in the game.
| Quote: |
Although it caught me off guard at first, it made sense when I stopped and thought about it, and it fits within the framework of what Oboro felt he needed to do at the end. It's not like her not surviving for the long haul should have been a surprise, given how close to death she was earlier in the series. Ultimately it was not an issue for me. |
I didn't have a problem with her dying itself (heck, I would have been disappointed if she was magically healed or something, I just thought that how it was shown left something to be desired. I only learned of the other issues W-General mentioned later. |
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