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Shelf Life - Cobra Commander


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darkchibi07



Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 5459
PostPosted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 9:31 pm Reply with quote
wonderwomanhero wrote:


I am interested in Maria Watches Over Us. But in the review, when you say "lesbian-like relationships" do you mean like, in the way of Utena? (Like, vaguely hinted at?) Not that it's a problem, I'm just curious.


Yeah, it's vaguely-hinted for most of the female characters except for one who's an outright lesbian.

On another note, I also wanted to comment that I feel that not only Marimite laid a more stable groundwork for the yuri genre and fandom, but a lot of the "romantic friendship" tropes has been popularized and applied to a bunch of bishoujo shows ever since. There doesn't seem to be a coincidence for shows like Lucky Star, Lagrange, Hidamari Sketch, K-ON, and such were made with those tropes in mind.
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PurpleWarrior13



Joined: 05 Sep 2009
Posts: 2024
PostPosted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:28 pm Reply with quote
I watched the Cobra movie a few times on Hulu earlier this year. It's an addictive movie, and I've been trying to get some people I know to see it (mostly sci-fi fans)! Very Happy I wouldn't mind seeing the TV series hit US shelves. I would like to it (though I have seen that interesting pilot episode TMS produced for the US with Michael Bell and BJ Ward doing voices...). I did notice a slight mistake in the article: Sandra is not related to Jane in any way. The three sisters are Jane, Catherine, and Dominique. Sandra was only a comrade of Dominique, unless I missed something in one of my viewings.

Anyway, I can't wait to pick up Discotek's new DVD! Very Happy
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erinfinnegan
ANN Columnist


Joined: 31 Jan 2005
Posts: 598
PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 12:01 am Reply with quote
Meygaera wrote:
That shelf really puts the "Shelf" in "Shelf Life"

Indeed. Bamboo edits those photos, so I hadn't seen those shelves yet. When you put a bookshelf over your doorframe, that's hardcore.

wonderwomanhero wrote:
I am interested in Maria Watches Over Us. But in the review, when you say "lesbian-like relationships" do you mean like, in the way of Utena? (Like, vaguely hinted at?) Not that it's a problem, I'm just curious.

It's such a weird show... in the last two episodes of this set the girls go on "dates" on their day off. It is literally like any anime date episode featuring heterosexual couples, save for a lack of physical contact.

PurpleWarrior13 wrote:
I did notice a slight mistake in the article: Sandra is not related to Jane in any way. The three sisters are Jane, Catherine, and Dominique. Sandra was only a comrade of Dominique, unless I missed something in one of my viewings.

A friend was calling me out on this on twitter, too... I must've gotten the name wrong. Oops!
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pachy_boy



Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 1323
PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 2:19 am Reply with quote
wonderwomanhero wrote:
I purchased the thinpack Nadesico boxset (the one released ehh....about.....2008?) and it doesn't have the movie. Am I missing out on something great if I don't buy this newly released collection? (I do not have the money for it sadly).


The Nadesico movie is interesting, albeit very dark. The characters have all grown and matured in a lot of ways (Ruri especially), with some having gone in very bleak directions. The movie isn't for all fans of the TV series, but I thought it was interesting for it, just like how the Captain Tylor OVA gripped me with its depressing drama after a pure-comedy TV series. Hope this helps without spoiling much.
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enurtsol



Joined: 01 May 2007
Posts: 14746
PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 2:35 am Reply with quote
pachy_boy wrote:
wonderwomanhero wrote:
I purchased the thinpack Nadesico boxset (the one released ehh....about.....2008?) and it doesn't have the movie. Am I missing out on something great if I don't buy this newly released collection? (I do not have the money for it sadly).


The Nadesico movie is interesting, albeit very dark. The characters have all grown and matured in a lot of ways (Ruri especially), with some having gone in very bleak directions. The movie isn't for all fans of the TV series, but I thought it was interesting for it, just like how the Captain Tylor OVA gripped me with its depressing drama after a pure-comedy TV series. Hope this helps without spoiling much.


The Nadesico movie can be hard to understand without knowing the Blank of 3 Years gap joining the end of the TV series and the beginning of the movie.
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Mohawk52



Joined: 16 Oct 2003
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Location: England, UK
PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:17 am Reply with quote
Erin wrote:
I wouldn't go so far as to say the plot itself is nonsense, but it does seem as if the author made it up as he went along.
Whether or not a story is a masterpiece, or nonsense, don't all fiction writers do this when they are writing?
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pachy_boy



Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 1323
PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:23 am Reply with quote
Mohawk52 wrote:
Erin wrote:
I wouldn't go so far as to say the plot itself is nonsense, but it does seem as if the author made it up as he went along.
Whether or not a story is a masterpiece, or nonsense, don't all fiction writers do this when they are writing?


Some usually plan out the overall premise and some use the method of outlining beforehand.
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Lynx Amali





PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 2:35 pm Reply with quote
wonderwomanhero wrote:
I purchased the thinpack Nadesico boxset (the one released ehh....about.....2008?) and it doesn't have the movie. Am I missing out on something great if I don't buy this newly released collection? (I do not have the money for it sadly).



If you like the TV series and it's humor, avoid the movie like the plague.

It was supposed to be the beginning of a trilogy too, which never came to pass so not only does it have a cliff-hanger ending, it also requires you to know the Blank Of Three Years video game (for the Saturn, Japan only)

Not only that the plot that the movie had is also concluded with Nadescio: The Mission. (For the Dreamcast, Japan only)

I'd still recommend it if you want a decent popcorn flick, a film that you don't take seriously but otherwise, no. It's nothing amazing because they take the mood of the TV series and make it grimdark.
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Shippoyasha



Joined: 28 Aug 2007
Posts: 459
PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 4:50 pm Reply with quote
I think you guys are being overtly harsh on Marimite. The show clearly caters to a stylized subject of a more elegant school life where relations between senior and junior are akin to walking on egg shells. I can agree with the frustration of yuri themes not explored enough, but there is some realism in the way girls interact with eachother. It is somewhat fantastical in setting, but the entire story mechanic is mostly slice of life.

Marimite is a bit of a flagship title for shows like it, but it is for the niche audience who wants to delve into shows like these. As far as interpersonal, student relationships go on a platonic level, the show excels. It is not what I would call high fantasy strictly. I personally had life experience that had a similar feeling when I used to tend to my upperclass girls.

Again, I sympathize with frustrations with the extreme platonic nature of the show. One needs to have an affinity for these stories to get into shows like marimite.
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
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Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 5:58 pm Reply with quote
Mohawk52 wrote:
Whether or not a story is a masterpiece, or nonsense, don't all fiction writers do this when they are writing?


With Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling supposedly wrote the final chapter of book seven before she even finished the first book.

Most writers make their stories up as they go along. But that doesn't mean they have to.
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erinfinnegan
ANN Columnist


Joined: 31 Jan 2005
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 2:54 pm Reply with quote
pachy_boy wrote:
Mohawk52 wrote:
Erin wrote:
I wouldn't go so far as to say the plot itself is nonsense, but it does seem as if the author made it up as he went along.
Whether or not a story is a masterpiece, or nonsense, don't all fiction writers do this when they are writing?

Some usually plan out the overall premise and some use the method of outlining beforehand.

It's one thing in text, but film and television, and especially labor intensive animation is typically tightly scripted out well in advance. The higher the budget, the tighter the plot. Hollywood films tend to run in a 3-act structure, for example.

"Making it up as you go along" is a different kind of story telling philosophy. It's my understanding that Alice in Wonderland was originally made up to entertain three young girls as a story told aloud. Since the author made it up on the fly, he could change story direction to amuse his audience, and it didn't have to "make sense". I don't think he planned out notes in advance.

I think the individual three sections, or possibly chapters, of the Cobra film have internal logic, but the film's overall story never comes together in a believable way. It's downright whimsical. If you let go of logic, it's delightful.
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Princess_Irene
ANN Reviewer


Joined: 16 Dec 2008
Posts: 2599
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 3:00 pm Reply with quote
erinfinnegan wrote:

"Making it up as you go along" is a different kind of story telling philosophy. It's my understanding that Alice in Wonderland was originally made up to entertain three young girls as a story told aloud. Since the author made it up on the fly, he could change story direction to amuse his audience, and it didn't have to "make sense". I don't think he planned out notes in advance.


Pretty much, but there were some big changes between the original version, Alice's Adventures Underground, and the published version, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Basically it was a story he told the three Liddell sisters on a boating excursion and refined later. (I should not be allowed in the forums when I'm home sick from work...)
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bravetailor



Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 817
PostPosted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 4:22 pm Reply with quote
dtm42 wrote:
Mohawk52 wrote:
Whether or not a story is a masterpiece, or nonsense, don't all fiction writers do this when they are writing?


With Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling supposedly wrote the final chapter of book seven before she even finished the first book.

Most writers make their stories up as they go along. But that doesn't mean they have to.


Apparently Robert Jordan wrote the end to his Wheel of Time series a long, long, time ago. The problem was figuring out how to get there. The fact that he died before he did it shows what kind of tangle he got himself into.


Stephen King has admitted to basically writing a lot of his novels organically, usually with no definite plan in sight. And when he does have a plan, they are usually scrapped during the process.

There is no actual rule to writing a story.

But I think what Erin is referring to in regards to Cobra is that it has a quality of a pulp tale, which usually are quite entertaining but often have something of a rambling quality to them.
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Mohawk52



Joined: 16 Oct 2003
Posts: 8202
Location: England, UK
PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 1:09 am Reply with quote
I'm afraid you all missed the point of my question. It's fiction, and all fiction is made up within the mind of the creator firstly and foremost before a single letter is written, or typed on paper, or screen. Yes J.K. Rowling made up the ending before making up the rest, but it was still made up inside her mind before she wrote it. Wink
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pachy_boy



Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 1323
PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 5:42 am Reply with quote
Mohawk52 wrote:
I'm afraid you all missed the point of my question. It's fiction, and all fiction is made up within the mind of the creator firstly and foremost before a single letter is written, or typed on paper, or screen. Yes J.K. Rowling made up the ending before making up the rest, but it was still made up inside her mind before she wrote it. Wink


Your question read as specifically referring to the "make up as you go" part, hence our "confusion".
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