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REVIEW: Blood-C BD+DVD


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here-and-faraway



Joined: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 1528
Location: Sunny California
PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 11:40 am Reply with quote
After reading this review, I am intrigued and want to get this. Ah the temptations of caveat emptor.
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Calibrator



Joined: 24 Mar 2013
Posts: 64
PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 11:53 am Reply with quote
This snow was utter crap. I'll just leave it at that.
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pachy_boy



Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 1323
PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 12:18 pm Reply with quote
The last episode made me realize, "Oh, this is why the show had been slow and repetitive during its first half." When the amount of grotesque monsters and killings started picking up midway through, they were shocking enough as they started shattering the slice-of-life fluff. But that last episode--just plain meanly sadistic. One would really have to see it for him or herself to believe it, but must watch the whole show beforehand.

My personal verdict--I'm not normally for gore and violence, I'm really not a fan, but I loved the last episode for the impact of its through-the-roof shock alone, made possible by the way the show was made before. I guess that is kind of genius in its own way (perhaps Quentin Tarantino would get a kick out of this?).

Carlo said:
Quote:
The final scene results in no satisfaction, but rather, a feeling of "What was the point of watching all that?"


I would guess it's a setup for the upcoming film, so by then we'll all see if this was a story that went nowhere.
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rinkwolf10



Joined: 05 Apr 2009
Posts: 750
PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 12:22 pm Reply with quote
This show felt like Happy Tree Friends (just youtube it) and I like Tree House Friends because I know what was coming every episode after the first one I watched.

But, with Blood C- I didn't see it coming and that is a plus for me because it does a good job explaining it (you don't have to agree with the explanation, you just know what it works). I liked it for just that.

Also, I've never seen Blood +, so I can't compare the 2 and I can't say what those fans feel about this show. Since, Saya is acting "quite" different through the majority of the show, compared to how she acted in the Blood +.
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Spleen



Joined: 29 Jun 2012
Posts: 56
PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 12:23 pm Reply with quote
This show was brilliant. As you get older and watch more animé, it gets harder and harder to find something that makes you feel genuine shock, surprise or revulsion. When I watched Blood-C I thought I was jaded enough that nothing could do it. But there were several moments that made me shrink into my sofa.

The monsters were brilliantly imaginative - some of them (like the train car) are a bit silly, but it was a creepy, otherworldly kind of silly, and in that way I felt they still fitted.

The film was absolute crap though. Hugely disappointing.
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DRWii



Joined: 16 May 2007
Posts: 636
PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 12:33 pm Reply with quote
I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about this series. I'm not exactly a stranger to super-violent anime, but for some reason this is one of the few where the violence actually bothered me, and I just can't quite put my finger on why. The best guess I've got is just how frivolous it all seems. I've never read the works of H.P. Lovecraft, but I know a lot of his stories were based on themes of how pointless and insignificant human life is, and how hopeless/useless our actions are; there were honestly a few times I was reminded of this during the show. If this was intentional, then I can at least commend the staff for giving me such a uniquely uncomfortable experience, but if it wasn't...geez.

Last edited by DRWii on Thu May 16, 2013 1:04 pm; edited 1 time in total
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jr240483



Joined: 24 Dec 2005
Posts: 4374
Location: New York City,New York,USA
PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 12:54 pm Reply with quote
Spleen wrote:
This show was brilliant. As you get older and watch more animé, it gets harder and harder to find something that makes you feel genuine shock, surprise or revulsion. When I watched Blood-C I thought I was jaded enough that nothing could do it. But there were several moments that made me shrink into my sofa.

The monsters were brilliantly imaginative - some of them (like the train car) are a bit silly, but it was a creepy, otherworldly kind of silly, and in that way I felt they still fitted.

The film was absolute crap though. Hugely disappointing.


Well I liked the movie. it was decent enough. as well as this series. though the C+ for the dub and C for the storyline have me scratching my head cause it's preety solid on both counts especially since the writer was dead on when it came to the performances of both VAs for Saya. though this new english VA for Saya was solid , in my opinion , Kari Walgren's take as Saya on Blood + was much better.

and how is it that the violence was a negative? the high graphic violence had to have been expected cause there was a lot of it for both the movie and Blood + though it was more toned down for that TV series , so everyone expected the same thing for this series.

Regardles, it was enjoyable to watch. the only disapointing thing was that Blood C- Never got an Adult Swim broadcast like Blood + did.
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zensunni



Joined: 05 Mar 2010
Posts: 1291
PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 1:32 pm Reply with quote
I am ambivalent about this show. It was mostly a waste of time, but it had some good points. However, I do have a comment about the grading:

Quote:
Overall (dub) : C+
Overall (sub) : B-

From this text of the review:
Quote:
An understated (but not emotionless) English dub helps to get the mood right—the voice acting creates a sense of foreboding throughout, and screams of terror are reserved for only the most necessary moments. Even the big revelations come out through simple, almost deadpan conversations, rather than through overacting and yelling. Alexis Tipton, in the role of Saya, effectively captures the innocence and insecurity of the protagonist—in fact, her Japanese counterpart (Nana Mizuki) sounds almost too level-headed to be the teenage girl portrayed in the show. The secondary characters, meanwhile, seem content to act out the same personality trait over and over, although that's more the fault of a storyline that portrays them as one-dimensional figures.

it seemed like you liked the dub more than the sub. Are you certain that you didn't intend for the grades to be reversed?

Also, about the one-dimensional characters in the script, I believe that aspect of things is explained pretty well. spoiler[They are supposed to come across as one-dimensional because they are actors playing roles, not real people.] That was actually one of the more interesting aspects of the story, in my opinion.
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sainta



Joined: 21 Feb 2011
Posts: 989
PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 1:38 pm Reply with quote
The problem with some of these violent scene is that they are just sick not scary. It's kind of like why the new parody films are not very good. They don't build an atmosphere just pull something to entertain us.

For example, the violence in Gantz is overthetop but they know how to add horror. For example when Kurono fought a statue he appeared to be getting the upperhand until he realized he was missing a leg shocking the viewer. Blood+ also had better use of violence since certain moments increase the horror.

I still haven't watched the Blood C movie and I don't know if it's worthy.
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 2:45 pm Reply with quote
Calibrator wrote:
This snow was utter crap. I'll just leave it at that.


I would agree with you, except that comparing BLOOD-C to manure is insulting . . . to manure. That is to say, even normal crappy shows aren't as bad as this systemic trainwreck. It has to be one of the absolute worst shows I have ever watched. And that last episode is revolting and just plain vile.
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Rahxephon91



Joined: 08 Jun 2003
Posts: 1859
Location: Park Forest IL.
PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 2:47 pm Reply with quote
Eh whatever Blood C was a very entertaining show. I never got the hate.

sainta wrote:

I still haven't watched the Blood C movie and I don't know if it's worthy.
Nah, it's pretty bad. What should have been a movie where Saya goes crazy action girl is turned into a movie with little action. The villain is made lame with his stupid moviations, and the new characters are just there.
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walw6pK4Alo



Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 9322
PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 3:36 pm Reply with quote
I just love misanthropic anime. Blood-C's main issue for me is just how empty vast tracts of it are, but when it gets going I can't look away. Reminds me so much of ridiculously ultraviolent 80s and 90s OVAs that don't or can't get made today, so that's never a bad thing. It just happens to work better in OVA form than TV.

Also, Another's and Girls und Panzer's director, among others, keep knocking them out.
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Reibooi



Joined: 03 Mar 2008
Posts: 394
PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 3:46 pm Reply with quote
I really hated this show. I am a big fan of the original Blood movie and Blood + and I'm all for what this show kinda went for.(The insane violence is not my cup of tea and it did get to me but it isn't the reason I hate the show)

What really annoys me is spoiler[ That the show implies or what have you that Blood C Saya is the original Saya from the movie(Blood: The Last Vampire) which makes NO SENSE. The world of the movie and the series are so insanely different it makes no sense to insist it's the same character. In the original movie the monsters Saya fought were more basic and looked similar because they were a species and not just random monsters. In Blood C the enemies were so cartoony and over the top it makes it impossible to suggest that this Saya and the original movie Saya are the same. What gets me with that is the story doesn't even need it to be the original Saya for it to work. All they would need to do is establish that she was a more violent and aggressive person via the flashbacks they already did and they would let you slowly get what was happening in the same way.]

Blood + got it right in this regard. They took the concept and certain characters re imagined them and then made something that was completely original.(in regards to what came before it in the movie)
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nechronius



Joined: 23 Nov 2005
Posts: 275
Location: So Cal, USA
PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 4:04 pm Reply with quote
Blood-C = C-

Had a few interesting elements. The action scenes were dynamic and inventive. A lot of sadistic cruelty for its own sake, pretty much violence porn in the later episodes.

The BIG plot twist was... interesting I suppose. But as Carlo says, can be considered kind of a cop-out, reminiscent of the "All just a dream" trope.

The movie was pretty run-of-the-mill and by-the-numbers. Generic, clichéd phrases to describe a generic, clichéd movie. Even the plot twist near the end is quite generic. Didn't do a great job of explaining a lot of the open questions from the TV series.

I did find it amusing though that cutesy, high pitched voice Saya suddenly transforms into serious, deep voice Saya for the movie. Because having a significantly deeper voice means things have gotten serious.
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jymmy



Joined: 11 Nov 2011
Posts: 1244
PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 4:13 pm Reply with quote
The tweest did make the show a bit better - or at least more interesting - but nothing could have actually justified the mindless tedium of most of the show. If it had come after most of the show being equally bad but in a different way, it would have just been even more stupidity, but it did fit. And calling it stupid is kind of pointless considering how much worse everything that had gone before it was. It works as a meta twist, but still isn't much better, although I think it definitely is better.

I give it points for the last episodes making the whole show slightly less terrible and for really being visually fantastic. I liked Clamp's designs and the fight scenes - of which there were a good number - were excellent and lengthy.
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