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Akame ga Kill! (TV).


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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15433
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:32 am Reply with quote
Episode 1

Wow, they sure turned that around fast. Portraying the spoiler[family as looking like genuinely good or generous people], and feeling horrifying that spoiler[the assassins would just straight up kill them]. And then reveal of what spoiler[kind of monsters they were, and when he found that out he had no qualms, that was no innocent girl, she killed his friend, she is a monster, and he kills monsters]. I would have preferred if his attitude to the entire situation was different, like spoiler[he might be open to join them and kill other monsters], but I will file that under some small problems like his vest.

I started up thinking this was a bit like Chaika, I am happy with how it differs a little and I do plan to watch more. Actually this episode did have a bit more with something in Chaika than I would have guessed.
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leatherhead333



Joined: 15 Aug 2013
Posts: 1187
Location: Kansas
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 11:17 am Reply with quote
Well i can certainly say this show isn't for me. It's like if Kill la Kill tried to tell a serious story but wanted to keep the tongue and cheek comedy in. Just doesn't work.

After seeing this first episode i’m not really optimistic since it’s pretty clear they are already rushing (at least to me as an anime viewer). I find it hard to believespoiler[ that our MC simply got over his close friends deaths so quickly.] This another one of those shows that’s going to try to seamlessly mix in the comedy with the tragedy but I really find it hard to take shows like that seriously. They need to play these tragic situations straight not insert random humor for no reason if they want an attachment to be made to anyone.

This episode was pretty much a HUGE string of coincidences with spoiler[Tatsumi running into one of the assassins which makes her obligated to save him. And what are the chances they would be taking out that rich family the EXACT night he was lured there? Oh and let’s not forget that gift the old man gave Tatsumi managing to save him]…………it’s just……………..COME ON ANIME YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT! That’s just horrible writing. If the show wants me to take it seriously at some point but is going to make light of death in such a crude way I’m not buying into it. That's why I find myself not minding the gore in Tokyo Goul. Because every single scene of brutality serves a major purpose in establishing something in the story or characters. While here I get the feeling all it's going to do is be some cheap attempt to be edgy with all the gore but doesn't want to lose it's cheesy comedy moments (somewhat like Black Bullet but somehow worse).
I find that kind of humor to be quite detestable.

If i stay for anything it'll be the fresh Taku Iwasaki score. Looks like he's back to his orchestral roots Smile.
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15433
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 11:56 am Reply with quote
leatherhead333 wrote:
This episode was pretty much a HUGE string of coincidences

You know, I get real sick of you putting that onto every anime you dislike. You know what, it is nothing but coincidences in Star Wars, a coincidence that Romeo and Juliet fall in love, that Jake Sully is paralysed, that Buzz and Woody are picked up by a neighbour, that Harry stumbles upon Voldemort, that every action hero ever does not get hit by a stray bullet, and that any fiction ever has a plot line that is interesting beyond total realism which reality never has coincidences.

Lets look at the facts of the episode. The spoiler[assassins might use the street also a source of knowledge in learning about what is happening, you know find out about where people disappear, which means her being there and him being picked up there] are not exclusive. Added with spoiler[naivety that got him swindled, picked up by psychopaths, and eventually recruited] are along the same lines. And seems very reasonable to be spoiler[given a good luck charm when going on a journey, reasonable that he would put it over his heart, and reasonable that a skilled assassin would go for the heart]. I don't see the events as being really that unlikely.
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leatherhead333



Joined: 15 Aug 2013
Posts: 1187
Location: Kansas
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 12:42 pm Reply with quote
None of that is reasonable. Your spoiler[telling me out of the literal HUNDREDS of people the family killed that the assassins just HAPPENED to launch an assault on the mansion that night?] Give me a break. They just spoiler[wanted to get the MC to join the group as conveniently and quickly as possible.] So they set up a string events that would achieve that as fast as possible. It would have been nice if they at least spoiler[foreshadowed the attack like having one of the assassins tracking them while they shopped in town as I think i would have been able to ignore the coincidence if it was done in a tasteful manner.] But they didn't which makes it lame.

The thing over his heart is also dumb. spoiler[She could have just stabbed her sword further into his body. Heck she even noticed she didn't feel his flesh. Why is she suddenly sucky at confirming kills?
]

Acceptable coincidences lie in execution. For example if two people just HAPPEN to run into each other we need to be shown the events that lead up to it. If it just happens that's an example of lazy writing to drive the plot forward. If someone overhears people talking badly about them behind their backs there needs to be a reason why that character was there at that specific time and why it was brought up. If you want an example just remember the library scene in No game, No life. Jibril tells Dora that it might interest her to go to the library. spoiler[When she goes there she overhears Jibril and Sora's conversation which changes her entire opinion on him.] Now THAT'S a good example of good writing on such a situation. spoiler[It's somewhat coincidental that she happened to hear the GOOD parts of the conversation but her actually BEING THERE was properly foreshadowed.]

Let's compare it to here. Were we given any indication that the spoiler[assassins were going to attack the mansion that night? No. They just attack.] Which is why it's lazy writing. Wink
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15433
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 1:22 pm Reply with quote
leatherhead333 wrote:
Let's compare it to here. Were we given any indication that the spoiler[assassins were going to attack the mansion that night? No. They just attack.] Which is why it's lazy writing. Wink

Guard: You see the city, it looks spoiler[nice but it is actually filled with corruption, and those wanted posters over there are people getting rid of corrupt rich people]. I am definitely not spoiler[warning you that the nice looking family you are with are dangerous, and will in my last moments confirm my guilt of taking part by not doing more by calling myself rotten]. And not foreshadowing either, because spoiler[for professional assassins that are strong in stealth they would have to make an obvious indication of who their next target is].
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leatherhead333



Joined: 15 Aug 2013
Posts: 1187
Location: Kansas
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 1:43 pm Reply with quote
Yeah it obvious there was something up with the family spoiler[but as I said the attack on their mansion was randomly timed.] The whole professional thing is just an excuse. spoiler[You could still give off the impression that they are professional by having them sneaking around tracking the family. What's so unprofessional about that? As long as they aren't seen by the crowd why would it matter?]

I don't think you are arguing about the same thing I am DP. Your trying to argue whether what happens in the episode is reasonable while I'm arguing whether the author made the situation come off as completely random or if it was structurally sound within the show by giving proper details leading up to such events. That is not the case here and I see you providing nothing but excuses that anyone could use for a cheaply written situation. If the show completely non serious this wouldn't be a problem. But given the fact it's trying to serious at times my expectations on proper storytelling is far more critical.
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15433
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 2:05 pm Reply with quote
Well I counter by aserting that spoiler[actively telling the audience what was about to happen would take away from the shock of the scene of the mother being brutally murdered]. I actually liked suddenly having such a brutal twist of fate after a little foreshadowing, and say that anything further was not needed.

The example you gave of NGNL is not a case where sudden surprise would be a contribution.
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leatherhead333



Joined: 15 Aug 2013
Posts: 1187
Location: Kansas
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 2:23 pm Reply with quote
Well i suppose that's your preference then. But so many unexplained conveniences happening at once took me right out of the episode which is a good sign that isn't going to change (unless they explain it next episode).

Shock value favored over structurally sound events aren't my cup of tea. But that's what opinions are for Wink
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Tuor_of_Gondolin



Joined: 20 Apr 2009
Posts: 3524
Location: Bellevue, WA
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 2:58 pm Reply with quote
I, too, thought that the string of coincidences was pretty stretched, especially when you see how big the city is. Him meeting Boobs wasn't a stretch since he was at a recruitment center, and I doubt they're located just anywhere....

Hmm... the more I think about it... He went to sleep (or tried to) along a major thoroughfare. My *guess* is that this is a place where a lot of newcomers who don't know where else to go end up when they have no money (and therefore no connections or anyone to look into what happened to them), so loli's coach trip through there was much like a predator checking out the local watering hole. Sweater-guy mentioned that he and his fellows were supposed to meet at a particular landmark, which may have been close to where the thoroughfare was located. That makes things a bit less of a stretch, and Boobs might've been near the recruiting center for some particular reason.

Regardless, it did come across as a bit forced due to, again, the sheer size of the city, but it wasn't enough to kill my enjoyment of the show. I also thought that the exchange before the shed was... poorly paced. It's like they wanted Sweater to get in with Night Raid, and were kind of at a loss on how to do it in an appropriately cool way.

As for portraying the family as Nice: I was immediately suspicious from the start, because I am a paranoid sort of guy, but I didn't expect the truth to be that... extreme. I guess this is to show how many people in the city see things, and then later show the truth that lies beneath the façade, and thus how clueless many people are about what is really going on there... so, yeah, shock value, mostly. I just thought it wasn't done all that well.

Still, I liked the episode well enough to keep watching it. Boobs and Stoic Swordgirl are both pretty cute, and overall the show has potential, so I'll stick with it for now.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 23665
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 4:39 pm Reply with quote
I initially didn't spoiler[suspect the family at all because I thought, what are the odds of the MC encountering two baddies pretending to be nice in a row?] Apparently pretty good...
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Tuor_of_Gondolin



Joined: 20 Apr 2009
Posts: 3524
Location: Bellevue, WA
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 6:15 pm Reply with quote
It's a wretched hive of scum and villainy, Blood-...
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casualfan



Joined: 24 Jul 2012
Posts: 333
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 6:20 pm Reply with quote
As long as there is a valid reason for why things are happening than I wouldn't call that a coincidence. After all, the point of a main character is that interesting events will be happening around him and the audience takes his point of view. Personally I like that the anime is going for the emotional route because it works really well with the premise. The retribution part would've felt less rewarding if everyone in the shed is just faceless nobodies.
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leatherhead333



Joined: 15 Aug 2013
Posts: 1187
Location: Kansas
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 7:02 pm Reply with quote
casualfan wrote:
As long as there is a valid reason for why things are happening than I wouldn't call that a coincidence. After all, the point of a main character is that interesting events will be happening around him and the audience takes his point of view. Personally I like that the anime is going for the emotional route because it works really well with the premise. The retribution part would've felt less rewarding if everyone in the shed is just faceless nobodies.


It's a shame that spoiler[such close people were thrown so easily aside by the MC who didn't really grieve their deaths. If anything the insert of a stupid comedic moment ruined the impact their deaths before his eyes.] Laughing
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Vaisaga



Joined: 07 Oct 2011
Posts: 13224
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 7:09 pm Reply with quote
Not like spoiler[he had a chance to grieve. He wanted to give them proper burials, but cat lady said they'd do it later.]
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getchman
Space Cowboy



Joined: 07 Apr 2012
Posts: 9117
Location: Bedford, NH
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 7:20 pm Reply with quote
I wasn't blown away, but I did like it, so I'll keep watching
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