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EP. REVIEW: Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash [2016-01-18]


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stilldemented



Joined: 16 May 2015
Posts: 232
PostPosted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 2:49 pm Reply with quote
I have a different line of thinking when it comes to Ranta.

He strikes me as the type of guy who takes things too far. His attempt at lighthearted jest is considered to be crass and somewhat vulgar in nature. His childish antics are scrutinized heavily.

But Ranta just isn't the type of person to backpedal on something once he commits to it. He won't apologize because he sees it as backing down. I get the feeling that he doesn't want people walking all over him for just being himself and stating his mind. He has no filter.

Because of that, he tends to make bad situations even worse. Like with the bathhouse scene this episode. All the guys who were barely even involved went ahead and apologized. Ranta stood his ground in defiance.

Basically, Ranta is a character that unintentionally crosses the line on a regular basis. Once he does he can either backpedal or double down. So he doubles down to validate himself.

In regard to the fanservice elements, I've just watched too much anime to let it bother me anymore. I can understand how it could make someone uncomfortable and therefore detract from the enjoyment of a series.

I could attempt to encourage people to look past it, but not everyone is capable of it. Everyone has a line and it doesn't always have to make sense. For example, my friend won't watch any Disney animated film that outgrossed The Lion King because he loves that movie.

Compared to that, I'd say that not watching a show due to what is considered to be excessive fanservice is far more sensible.

So, I get it. I am enjoying this show, but i can see how it could already be considered a turn-off for others. What bothers some doesn't bother others and all that jazz.
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15433
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 2:31 am Reply with quote
I have been writing my opinions on the characters in the anime section of the forums, and I think it is pretty good.

My opinion on Ranta is that he is scared. My opinion is that as not exactly a clever guy he has pretty poor social skills. His tough act is a way so that he can feel important, have self esteem, and he is pretty used to people hating him for it. He could back down, but he cannot because he is afraid doing so will say that he is lesser to others and make him depressed. When he get scared he panics, which is why he suddenly yells when they are trying to ambush a goblin, and why he tries to peek on the girls to distract his thoughts of what he went through. Sure people will say he is annoying, but he does not know how to handle things, no one is going to just support him like with Shihoru, and even if he was, he probably could not stand being pitied.

The show did not put a whole lot of attention on it, but Yume is also suffering from some for of an insecurity complex. Pay attention to the amount of times she gets a word or saying wrong, and then just a small line she says about not being too good at speaking, or really the conversation she has with Haruhiro. There seems to be a thread that she probably believes she is worthless from having these problems, including that she could not get Shihoru to cheer up while Manato could in market.

And where is the problem with Haruhiro being tempted? He is like a teenage boy, they get tempted, and getting a bit does not make them a pervert. He was not going to inform them that they were dressed "tempting" because it is immoral for them to do that, but because just recently they were upset at one of the boys peeping on them. It would be right to let them know how the boys might see them. Especially since Shihoru has body image problems, and I don't think Yume is too far off.
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sunflower



Joined: 04 Sep 2005
Posts: 1080
PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 1:46 pm Reply with quote
Can I just take a moment to express my hatred for Funimation's streaming? They leach the intensity out of whatever emotions or reactions an anime might produce in me because of their stuttering, hesitating, pausing streams. It doesn't matter if I'm using an app over 4g, wifi, or even freaking 1 GB Lan on my PC, I can't get an uninterrupted viewing of one episode from them. Even if I get up to watch them at 6am when there should be zero traffic on their site. Grrrrrrr.

Ok. Now, I decided to read the fan translation of the first novel of this series (no spoilers don't worry) which seems to be what they'll cover in this anime. I just wanted to express my appreciation for what the animators have done with the work. They take a paragraph of simple "he did this, she did that" and turn it into visual poetry.

The only thing I was disappointed in was the second battle in episode four. In the book it was much more lengthy and intense and clear what was happening and why, and that is important later in explaining character reactions.

But overall, this show is a beautiful adaptation of the LN. And it's defying my expectations at every turn.
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 3:22 pm Reply with quote
A lot of moments in this episode, especially the first scene with Manato and Shihoru, surprised me by hitting a tone of scene and pace of character interaction that reminded me quite a bit of Haibane Renmei, a likeness I wouldn't have foreseen from a show about "being in an RPG". I guess it makes sense since the conceit for the characters is very similar to that for the characters in Haibane, but it was certainly interesting to see a resemblance to a kind of tone I'd only ever really seen hit in one other show.

Thinking about it in retrospect, there's a few moments from earlier episodes, like Moguzou's morning cooking, that hit that same kind of wistful resignation/lurking sense of something uncanny. Combined with the watery colour palette the show is really effective at conveying atmosphere, though it could stand to ease up on the music a bit I think.

This was probably my favourite episode so far from start to finish. The varied reactions to Manato's death were really well done, especially Haruhiro's frustrated grief and Yume comforting Shihoru (the painted still shot of the latter was really pretty).
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MidoriUma



Joined: 05 Sep 2014
Posts: 130
PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 3:55 pm Reply with quote
Hey, reviewer?

The whole "I totally saw this death coming a mile away" thing is rather dubious, and in any case comes off as bragging and belittling to those of us who didn't expect it.

I know it probably boosts your ego, and might give you more street cred as a reviewer, to make the claim that you can predict deaths in advance. But it really just comes across as a sad combination of bragging and laughing at those of us who didn't (although frankly it's quite easy to claim after the fact that you saw it coming)
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Princess_Irene
ANN Reviewer


Joined: 16 Dec 2008
Posts: 2599
Location: The castle beyond the Goblin City
PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 4:06 pm Reply with quote
I don't need "street cred" as a reviewer and I really did see it coming - I mentioned it in my review for episodes one and two, although I did cut the line about him feeling doomed.

I never intended to make you feel inadequate and I'm sorry you interpreted my words as "boastful;" my intention was to state that the show didn't really hide that it was coming and had foreshadowing. It's my job to see those things - both here and in my academic career.
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zrnzle500



Joined: 04 Oct 2014
Posts: 3767
PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 4:24 pm Reply with quote
Yume sure got her socks and shoes on quickly in that sneak attack by the goblins. Aside from the first ep, I would agree that the fanservice has focused more on the legs than breasts. Even with the well endowed Shihoru, they seem to focus more on her thighs than her bust, which is where you would expect the focus to be if their strategy was to highlight their strengths. I commend them for their attention to detail with Yume's feet. If you're going to highlight something, it should at least be appropriately detailed, something many shows all too often don't do for that particular appendage, though I can think of reasons why. It seems to be a slight trend I would say too, with more lower body fanservice being focused on than the usual monomaniacal focus on boobs, what with Dimension W's butt fascination (though it is hardly uninterested in breasts) and last season's Shomin Sample being very interested in thighs and having the main being a thigh fetishist.

I also though the watercolor stills were very effective in the scene at the priest healers place. Even if you removed all the context, you could tell what happened and how each character reacted just by looking at it.


Last edited by zrnzle500 on Sun Jan 31, 2016 4:34 pm; edited 1 time in total
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wolf10



Joined: 23 Jan 2016
Posts: 898
PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 4:25 pm Reply with quote
Reviewer is not the only one who saw that coming. Everything from his caring demeanor to his role in the party to his very name having connotations of truth, kindness, and love flagged him as a character who would have the most dramatic impact by leaving the party. Somehow. He's almost too textbook as a sacrificial lion character.

It's no fault of Grimgar that it's so overdone, but also nobody's fault if they didn't predict it. I treasure the days of my life where I wouldn't have seen it coming, but I've become relatively unaffected by character deaths at this stage. "Oh, yes, this is the part where the naive hero is confronted with the reality of death by losing their well-established primary emotional support." Lately I'm more impressed when shows manage to trim away their innocence without a major death, but it's all a matter of preference, really.

It's still pretty, the remaining characters are still likable (even Ranta), so I still hope we can see some positive development out of all this. To me the only danger Grimgar is in right now is for it to swing around and become too hardened.
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Raiyou



Joined: 01 Sep 2007
Posts: 32
PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 4:35 pm Reply with quote
I found this episode incredibly frustrating. You're in a world with healing magic and fight to the death almost daily, yet only one person in a party of 6 learns any kind of healing magic? Even just this episode they are talking about Shihoru wanting to support the group and she learns - wait for it... yes - shadow magic. AHHH, I just want to scream at these people because this death was so preventable.

I just cannot imagine living in a savage world with your life on the line and not wanting to learn healing spells. Like in "everyone's favorite death game" SAO it made sense Kayaba did not include it at all because wouldn't nearly everyone's first thought would be "Oh shit, I really die if I lose all my hit point? I better learn to heal myself!"

I'm just annoyed because I do like this show and care about it's characters. I'm not trying to bash it. Sigh.
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 4:46 pm Reply with quote
Raiyou wrote:
I found this episode incredibly frustrating. You're in a world with healing magic and fight to the death almost daily, yet only one person in a party of 6 learns any kind of healing magic? Even just this episode they are talking about Shihoru wanting to support the group and she learns - wait for it... yes - shadow magic. AHHH, I just want to scream at these people because this death was so preventable.


Well I think the show establishes that the party's ability is restricted by their poverty and the overall economy in Grimgar. This episode is the first in which we've seen them acquire any additional skills other than the ones they started with, so it's not really surprising that they haven't been able to branch out into the skills of other classes.

On the obviousness of Manato's death: I had it spoiled for me in episode 2 and it really didn't lessen its impact at all, because the show did such a good job at establishing a compelling dynamic between him and the rest of the party, and especially him and Haruhiro. Certainly in episode 4 that he's going to die later is blatantly broadcasted throughout the entire first half, but it really just added to the melancholy of how well they were starting to get along. For me anyway. I mean the cloud passing over the sun right at the end of his pep-talk was about as obviously telegraphing as it gets, but it was still pretty effective.


Last edited by 鏡 on Sun Jan 31, 2016 5:14 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Mitrospeed





PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 5:10 pm Reply with quote
Raiyou wrote:
I found this episode incredibly frustrating. You're in a world with healing magic and fight to the death almost daily, yet only one person in a party of 6 learns any kind of healing magic? Even just this episode they are talking about Shihoru wanting to support the group and she learns - wait for it... yes - shadow magic. AHHH, I just want to scream at these people because this death was so preventable.

I just cannot imagine living in a savage world with your life on the line and not wanting to learn healing spells. Like in "everyone's favorite death game" SAO it made sense Kayaba did not include it at all because wouldn't nearly everyone's first thought would be "Oh shit, I really die if I lose all my hit point? I better learn to heal myself!"

I'm just annoyed because I do like this show and care about it's characters. I'm not trying to bash it. Sigh.


The thing is they can't simply learn healing magic. They choose one class to become and then they are bound to this route unless they change their class. Ranta for example is destined to be a Dark Knight, he can't be anything different anymore. Besides would you really think that they, who have no knowledge about those things through media and games like us would think of that? They haven't even seen another party doing it differently than them. They don't know what is right and what is wrong, it has worked out for them so far up until this point and the realization that they did do something wrong the whole time is point of their growth

Also what's the problem with Shihoru and shadow magic? She chose a spell which paralyses an enemy so in other words which sets up easy kills, how is that not supportive? She had the choice between the crafts of fire, ice, lightning which are all just damage spells. She made the only right choice to pick something that would allow opening for the others.
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TheRahi00



Joined: 20 Aug 2013
Posts: 154
PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 5:14 pm Reply with quote
MidoriUma wrote:
Hey, reviewer?

The whole "I totally saw this death coming a mile away" thing is rather dubious, and in any case comes off as bragging and belittling to those of us who didn't expect it.

I know it probably boosts your ego, and might give you more street cred as a reviewer, to make the claim that you can predict deaths in advance. But it really just comes across as a sad combination of bragging and laughing at those of us who didn't (although frankly it's quite easy to claim after the fact that you saw it coming)


I think you are really missing the point. I think the majority of the viewer saw this coming and it's nothing to brag about. It was quite obvious with the way they used him in the previous episodes.
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HelloBucket



Joined: 07 Apr 2015
Posts: 477
Location: Upstate New York
PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 5:22 pm Reply with quote
on the subject of foreshadowing

Over in the anime subforum thread, I had commented that they had also set up some foreshadowing for Manato potentially betraying the party. So, while I certain Manato was going to leave the party I wasn't really convinced of how until the start of this episode which quickly started setting up the party leader's untimely demise.

鏡 wrote:
This episode is the first in which we've seen them acquire any additional skills other than the ones they started with, so it's not really surprising that they haven't been able to branch out into the skills of other classes.


To add to this: It's not even clear (yet) if a person even could learn a skill from another class. The professions are all maintained by guilds and guilds tend to withhold their secrets from non-members. Likewise, I haven't seen any comment one way or the other of anything sort of prepared healing methods like potions or scrolls so even if they could afford those there's no indication they exist in the setting.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 5:53 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
This week's insert song enhances that atmosphere by not having words, and the background for most of the rest is sounds of the woods rather than actual music, which makes the wordless song more like a eulogy than it might otherwise have been.

Since you mention eulogy, I assume the song you're talking about is the one that played over the aftermath of the death. That had lyrics. In fact I found myself wondering what the lyrics were saying, since for me the music itself was overbearing and not evocative of the crushing sorrow I assume it was intended to evoke (it felt more like a vaguely melancholy, I-will-overcome-this love song than a eulogy), and thought maybe the lyrics might salvage the mood.

Up till now I've been thinking Moguzo was likely on the block. He has that Biscuit vibe to him. Now I'm afraid it's his sweet and innocent demeanor that's about to be murdered. :/

Gotta say, I was right with Ranta when he said Yume's story better have a point. Her dialog tends to annoy the hell out of me, maybe even more than Shihoru's timidity.
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sunflower



Joined: 04 Sep 2005
Posts: 1080
PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 6:08 pm Reply with quote
TheRahi00 wrote:


I think you are really missing the point. I think the majority of the viewer saw this coming and it's nothing to brag about. It was quite obvious with the way they used him in the previous episodes.


Yeah...no. I didn't see it coming after last episode, and I'm a practiced reader of decades used to spotting death flags. Hell, I guessed the twist for The Sixth Sense just from seeing the previews before it even came out. Obvious death. Here they were clearly setting him up for some kind of shift or betrayal that would remove him from the group, but he didn't have death written all over him, so I really don't think you can say that the majority of people saw it coming. When I read the LN translation this week I was quite surprised that it happened. So no, really.

And the discussion above is why I think the anime failed in the battle scene. In the LN, they were feeling cocky and decided to go against the goblins against Manato's better judgement. The two goblins they faced were different, one extraordinarily intelligent and one incredibly large and strong. They incurred so many injuries and Manato had to keep healing them and fighting at the same time that he couldn't heal himself, and so he died.

Shihoru had to choose a class of magic that would be useful to the group. They already had a healer-- that's the priest's only job. So she chose shadow magic, something that really will be useful to them once she becomes practiced at it. Manato is the one who failed them and he knew it. That's why he was apologizing. And they thought they failed him, and it heavily influences their actions to come.
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