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EP. REVIEW: The Asterisk War


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#844391



Joined: 09 Sep 2015
Posts: 517
PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 11:55 pm Reply with quote
man, last 3 eps had more plot than the rest of the season put together heh. Guess we'll see if it gets a 3rd season or not. Was honestly surprised that it got a 2nd one as it was and still pretty average as far as series go. Anyway, might check out the light novel if it doesn't get a continuation.

btw, what was with hilda rowland's (or whatever he name was) laugh? literally made me cringe
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Key
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Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2016 6:36 pm Reply with quote
It got a second season because it was planned from the beginning that way. We'll have to wait and see on the third season, I guess.

And yes, that laugh. Some people just shouldn't try to ad lib things like that.
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myskaros



Joined: 13 Jun 2011
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2016 7:29 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
And if Ayato's sister put herself in suspended animation then why is she naked? That might make sense if someone else had done it, but was she taking a bath when she did it?

I think the implication is that her power is "sealing," not suspended animation. She sealed Ayato's powers so that he can only release so much, so she probably sealed her own consciousness, or maybe just her powers so that the evil chairman couldn't get/use them, which follows that he's the one who put her into suspended animation.
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SilverTalon01



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PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2016 8:51 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
Julis using her flame powers to fly is also a pretty neat trick; I don't recall if she used it earlier, but if she didn't, why didn't she?


She used it a few times. The first was at the end of the first arc when she and Ayato chased after the puppet user. She used it in the festa, I think in the fight with the twins, but it was definitely in there.
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HaruhiToy



Joined: 15 Apr 2008
Posts: 4118
PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2016 10:43 pm Reply with quote
Ep 24 review wrote:
This teamwork aspect is still the best part of the series for me, and anytime the heroes are shown making plans and coordinating efforts, it's a treat.

Agreed that's what this series does best. But outside urgent battle scenes the characters interact with each other with a bit more apparent sincerity and mutual awareness than is typical in this kind of anime. That's what led me to follow this anime so far.

At the very beginning it looked like they were going to do the same old same old when Ayato met Julis by walking into her room while she was undressed. But they grew out of that and thankfully didn't do that kind of thing again.

But at this point it seems pretty thin gruel. Although I like it I can well understand some people being disappointed. Something is missing and I am not sure what.
review wrote:
And if Ayato's sister put herself in suspended animation then why is she naked? That might make sense if someone else had done it, but was she taking a bath when she did it?

Why not assume the medics who tended her and put her in the tank disposed of her clothes simply because that's how that tank device is used? It sounded like they had spent some time trying to revive her. So it would make sense she wouldn't be presented exactly as she was when she cast her spell.
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zztop



Joined: 28 Aug 2014
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 12:42 am Reply with quote
The anime's covered the 1st 6 volumes and the beginning of Vol 7 of the source novels. The recent Vol 10 was released in March 2016.
There's 4 volumes of material they can animate, but industry watchers say poor Bluray sales and a very small increase in LN sales will be factors against making another season. ( Compare to Rakudai Kishi, where Vol 1 of the Bluray was sold out on release and its LNs received a massive sales spike.)
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#844391



Joined: 09 Sep 2015
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 12:50 am Reply with quote
zztop wrote:
The anime's covered the 1st 6 volumes and the beginning of Vol 7 of the source novels. The recent Vol 10 was released in March 2016.
There's 4 volumes of material they can animate, but industry watchers say poor Bluray sales and a very small increase in LN sales will be factors against making another season. ( Compare to Rakudai Kishi, where Vol 1 of the Bluray was sold out on release and its LNs received a massive sales spike.)


That sounds about right, it seemed to be the general consensus that Rakudai was a better series in most aspects, and being shorter it left people hungrier for more. The Asterisk war isn't a bad series but it's very average, and happens to be in a genre that is getting more saturated every anime season.
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myskaros



Joined: 13 Jun 2011
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 1:28 am Reply with quote
#844391 wrote:
That sounds about right, it seemed to be the general consensus that Rakudai was a better series in most aspects, and being shorter it left people hungrier for more. The Asterisk war isn't a bad series but it's very average, and happens to be in a genre that is getting more saturated every anime season.

While I am a staunch supporter of Rakudai Kishi being the much worthier series over Asterisk War, I have no illusions about the fact that they both occupy the much feared subgenre of "superpowered high school male who mysteriously attracts a harem" Smile
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SilverTalon01



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PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:34 am Reply with quote
They are both magic high school battle series. Rakudai is definitely not a harem though. I don't even think you can say there is a love triangle since Ikki clearly has no interest in his sister. Its really just a straight up one on one romance which I think is one of the things that makes it stand out among other magic high school battle series.
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zztop



Joined: 28 Aug 2014
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 10:38 am Reply with quote
SilverTalon01 wrote:
They are both magic high school battle series. Rakudai is definitely not a harem though. I don't even think you can say there is a love triangle since Ikki clearly has no interest in his sister. Its really just a straight up one on one romance which I think is one of the things that makes it stand out among other magic high school battle series.


That's true. Of note in Rakudai was how other female characters like Ayase and Touka never showed any romantic interest in Ikki - they only saw him as a friend and fellow Blazer, whilst a typical harem series would've had them grubbing for Ikki's affections.
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myskaros



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PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 12:11 pm Reply with quote
In most non-VN stories that are generally considered "harem," the main character only has 1-2 love interests, so I wouldn't say that prevents Rakudai Kishi from being a harem series. Even in Asterisk, it's fairly clear that Ayato only really has romantic eyes for Julis. Either way, the "harem" part isn't particularly as important as the "powered high school battles with an overpowered male protagonist who is excessively popular with the womenfolk."
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Key
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 1:20 pm Reply with quote
When it comes to classifying something as a harem series, I've always felt that how the girls act is far more important than how the guy acts. If at least three girls are at least romantically interested in the male lead then it's a harem series, regardless of whether or not the guy has eyes for only one of them. So yes, The Asterisk War is indisputably a harem series.

Now, a much trickier case is And you thought there is never a girl online?, where there's a clear couple but only faint hints that one of the other four girls (and one female teacher) in Hideki's orbit is significantly interested in him romantically. I'd still call it a harem because the girls still pretty much swirl around Hideki.
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HaruhiToy



Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 1:34 pm Reply with quote
Key wrote:
So yes, The Asterisk War is indisputably a harem series.

I would say having the MC lead wake up after a three-day convalescence with two harem members sleeping on him and the third walking in to start the scene would pretty much nail that issue down. They had the good taste to keep Claudia out of that scene so we can be thankful for that.

But since you brought up what matters is how the girls act I would point out that in this particular harem anime they behave quite differently than what we usually get. There seems to be very little of the over-emoting and selling of the rivalries and blushing and stuttering and planning. Each of the girls relate to Ayato and each other in a very natural way. When the two supporting girls found that Ayato had partnered with Julis so they couldn't they did very well with each other and it felt right.

In the case of Julis, the natural romantic lead, I note that she didn't overreact to the plan her brother had of hitching her to Ayato. Although he is perfectly aware of her femaleness at times they don't waste a lot of time putting on a show pronouncing how impossible it would be for either of them to ever even consider being together. They just get on with business.

If you have to have a harem anime this is much better way to do it.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 1:54 pm Reply with quote
HaruhiToy wrote:
If you have to have a harem anime this is much better way to do it.

You'll get no argument here!
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SilverTalon01



Joined: 02 Apr 2012
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 4:20 pm Reply with quote
myskaros wrote:
In most non-VN stories that are generally considered "harem," the main character only has 1-2 love interests, so I wouldn't say that prevents Rakudai Kishi from being a harem series. Even in Asterisk, it's fairly clear that Ayato only really has romantic eyes for Julis. Either way, the "harem" part isn't particularly as important as the "powered high school battles with an overpowered male protagonist who is excessively popular with the womenfolk."


First, what is with this 1-2 stuff. You can't possibly have a harem with a single romantic interest. That is just silly. Even if you want to say counts (and personally I don't think a love triangle is the same as a harem either), Ikki only has one love interest. He never shows any romantic feelings for anyone else. Shizuku, who Ikki only ever sees as a sister, has pretty much given up on the romantic relationship after the third LN. None of the other girls he interacts with fall for him, and new girls, even if fairly minor characters, falling for the MC is pretty standard for a harem.

Also, I don't think that is true for Ayato, though I do think he is closest to Julis. Either way, there is what Theron said about the number of people romantically interested in the MC mattering too. There are easily 5 girls interested in Ayato.
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