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Alternative Ice
Joined: 07 Jul 2016
Posts: 95
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 2:11 pm
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About the exam:
The anime cuts a scene before they get on the boat where Ikta and Yatori take the written portion of the exam, and the boat ride was to some island where a practical exam would take place.
Neither the LN nor the manga adaptation go into specifics on the nature of the second exam, but I theorize that it would have involved the participants having to compete to achieve some sort of goal, like the paintball mock battle at the end of the third episode or needing to traverse the island to reach some area the fastest or finding some hidden thing.
The deal Ikta and Yatori had was that he would help her get the number one ranking in the practical exam, and she would use her families connections to get him a cushy job at the capital's national library.
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MiloTheFirst
Joined: 10 Dec 2014
Posts: 429
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 2:46 pm
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Quote: | (...) female cadets wear a school-style pleated skirt over dark hose. At least it doesn't leave their legs exposed, but it seems like a weird and unnecessary compromise to have the skirts at all. |
To their defense, the setting implies menstrual pads have not being invented yet
Quote: | (...) All of this works for now because unlike so many other series featuring a brilliant character, who usually makes a showy display of explaining how smart they are, Ikta just lets it show through his actions |
Completely agree. I wish this would become more common as it allows the narrative to be taken more seriously. By not having another character going out of its way to verbally state MC's intention, we can actually feel that he adjusted to the situation and not otherwise (the story built around displaying how awesome he is). I know there are those who sometimes find it difficult to put 2 and 2 together and deduce the strategy, but in that case not having it verbally stated might add to the replay value of the episode
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CaRoss
Joined: 11 Nov 2014
Posts: 457
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 4:01 pm
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MiloTheFirst wrote: |
Completely agree. I wish this would become more common as it allows the narrative to be taken more seriously. By not having another character going out of its way to verbally state MC's intention, we can actually feel that he adjusted to the situation and not otherwise (the story built around displaying how awesome he is). I know there are those who sometimes find it difficult to put 2 and 2 together and deduce the strategy, but in that case not having it verbally stated might add to the replay value of the episode |
As much as it would be nice to leave a little more to the actions of the characters, there's also the fact that instead of feeling like it will provoke the viewer to replay the episode, they could quit over the fact that it comes across too much like an "asspull."
And while most great strategists have "asspull" moments in their lives, it doesn't sit well with viewers.
Thankfully Alderamin is skirting that fine line, but it's still a very present risk.
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Hameyadea
Joined: 23 Jun 2014
Posts: 3679
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 4:09 pm
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I like the show's "don't tell, do" approach; it was one of the main reasons why I enjoyed watching Ginga Eiyū Densetsu and Senjō no Valkyria -Gallian Chronicles-. The show's art style is also quite vibrant, helping to sell the "exotic" vibe of a fantasy world.
It quickly becomes one of my favorite shows of the Season.
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Key
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Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18226
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 7:11 pm
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MiloTheFirst wrote: |
Quote: | (...) female cadets wear a school-style pleated skirt over dark hose. At least it doesn't leave their legs exposed, but it seems like a weird and unnecessary compromise to have the skirts at all. |
To their defense, the setting implies menstrual pads have not being invented yet |
Interesting argument, and definitely an angle that I wouldn't have considered. However, I'd be surprised if the series' artists actually thought it through that much.
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HaruhiToy
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
Posts: 4118
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 8:10 pm
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Ep 3 review wrote: | (Ikta claims she was divorced, so she was fair game.) |
Going by the subtitles only (I didn't catch the Japanese) he said he "was told" she was divorced. It is actually an odd wording because if that means the woman is the one who told him, she lied to get him to have sex with her. The only importance of that is that it is a prophylactic against those who will insist he is nothing but an unprincipled scumbag.
Also noteworthy is that the Sergeant Major seems to be about his own age, so her mother would be old enough to be his mother as well. So it seems he is into older women and he didn't even remember the daughter.
As you say the schtick might get old, but this particular schtick seems to be woven pretty deeply into the character development and story, not just layered on top.
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Key
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Joined: 03 Nov 2003
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Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 8:42 pm
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Oh, I do think that Ikta has a bit of scumbag in him, and I'm totally fine with that. While you (very) rarely see it pop up in anime, there is a long literary tradition of major characters who are still the good guy (and more rarely lady) despite being unprincipled in who they sleep with.
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sunflower
Joined: 04 Sep 2005
Posts: 1080
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 9:04 pm
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MiloTheFirst wrote: |
Quote: | (...) female cadets wear a school-style pleated skirt over dark hose. At least it doesn't leave their legs exposed, but it seems like a weird and unnecessary compromise to have the skirts at all. |
To their defense, the setting implies menstrual pads have not being invented yet |
Uh, there was never a time in civilized history when menstrual pads hasn't been invented. It's just that the material used has become more sophisticated over the centuries. In fact, some cultures invented tampons millennia before Tampax (the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans wore them). This is really not a plausible argument.
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Alternative Ice
Joined: 07 Jul 2016
Posts: 95
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 11:55 pm
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The anime cuts out some of what happened with Ikta and his subordinate in the past.
Originally when he's telling the story to the other main characters, he says that before their relationship had ever gotten to the point of them sleeping together her daughter had come home unexpectedly one day, drove him out of the house, argued with her mom and then called her father back from his business trip.
And yeah the Sergeant Major is about three years older than him.
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MiloTheFirst
Joined: 10 Dec 2014
Posts: 429
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 12:18 am
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sunflower wrote: |
MiloTheFirst wrote: |
Quote: | (...) female cadets wear a school-style pleated skirt over dark hose. At least it doesn't leave their legs exposed, but it seems like a weird and unnecessary compromise to have the skirts at all. |
To their defense, the setting implies menstrual pads have not being invented yet |
Uh, there was never a time in civilized history when menstrual pads hasn't been invented. It's just that the material used has become more sophisticated over the centuries. In fact, some cultures invented tampons millennia before Tampax (the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans wore them). This is really not a plausible argument. |
Well, I thought it was implied I meant the "modern mass-produced disposable variety". Of course humanity has developed ways to deal with that issue since there is written history but unlike modern day tampons, wearing a cloth (as state of the art as it may be) under trousers is not going to impede osmosis from getting the pants (noticeably) bedraggled as well. there is a reason why women wearing skirts became commonplace to begin with, it was more practical, even for changing such rag (which they still wear while using a skirt).
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MiloTheFirst
Joined: 10 Dec 2014
Posts: 429
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 12:39 am
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Alternative Ice wrote: | The anime cuts out some of what happened with Ikta and his subordinate in the past.
Originally when he's telling the story to the other main characters, he says that before their relationship had ever gotten to the point of them sleeping together her daughter had come home unexpectedly one day, drove him out of the house, argued with her mom and then called her father back from his business trip.. |
wow, that's quite a narrative change. even so, I can see why they would decide to do that. against a tight schedule, stating that he actually went all the way with a random woman is a efficient way to tell the viewer that being a flirt is an actual part of his character and not an excuse for harem-antics, which is a much appreciated breath of fresh air.
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JacobC
ANN Contributor
Joined: 15 Jan 2008
Posts: 3728
Location: SoCal
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 12:43 am
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MiloTheFirst wrote: |
sunflower wrote: |
MiloTheFirst wrote: |
Quote: | (...) female cadets wear a school-style pleated skirt over dark hose. At least it doesn't leave their legs exposed, but it seems like a weird and unnecessary compromise to have the skirts at all. |
To their defense, the setting implies menstrual pads have not being invented yet |
Uh, there was never a time in civilized history when menstrual pads hasn't been invented. It's just that the material used has become more sophisticated over the centuries. In fact, some cultures invented tampons millennia before Tampax (the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans wore them). This is really not a plausible argument. |
Well, I thought it was implied I meant the "modern mass-produced disposable variety". Of course humanity has developed ways to deal with that issue since there is written history but unlike modern day tampons, wearing a cloth (as state of the art as it may be) under trousers is not going to impede osmosis from getting the pants (noticeably) bedraggled as well. there is a reason why women wearing skirts became commonplace to begin with, it was more practical, even for changing such rag (which they still wear while using a skirt). |
I'm getting the distinct impression you don't know much about either the history of skirts or how menstrual cycles work to be perfectly honest. Skirts aren't any less likely to get dirty because of monthly accidents than pants. If you're sitting down or lying on your stomach or bending over, it's all going to go to the same place, cause the same stains, regardless of if there's a piece of cloth directly over the "impact site" or not. Liquid runs up and down according to gravity. Anyway, the short version is you don't know what you're talking about and skirts are not less period-proof than pants, sorry.
Anyway, the probable reason women in the military in Alderamin wear skirts is because the author and/or artist thought it was attractive. Occam's Razor on this one, guys.
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Agent355
Joined: 12 Dec 2008
Posts: 5113
Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready...
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 1:39 am
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Menstruation issues aside (because, as Jake said, it's not like the clothes you wear makes as much of a difference as the protection you wear), I don't see how skirts are a liability to begin with. Pleated skirts are comfortable and are very easy to move in. If you wear tights, stockings or leggings underneath, you don't have to worry about "panty shots." What's the problem? Skirts have been part of real life military uniforms, too (although, most military women wouldn't have been in combat forces until very recently).
My only issue with this episode is that Chamille seems to be developing a crush on Ikta, and I don't want the show to go there. Although, Ikta knows first hand that sleeping with the wrong people will get him in trouble, so it probably won't. I'm kind of curious about how he ended up with his subordinate's mom in the first place...
Still loving the show. It was a bit heavy handed with proving Ikta's awesomeness this ep, but it looks like other characters, like Torway, will get more focus in the future, and the show has to show us how much of a super military genius Ikta is to justify the whole "he becomes the greatest general ever" thing. As for Torway, growing up as the youngest in that family must of been hell.
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MiloTheFirst
Joined: 10 Dec 2014
Posts: 429
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 2:22 am
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JesuOtaku wrote: | Anyway, the short version is you don't know what you're talking about and skirts are not less period-proof than pants, sorry.
Anyway, the probable reason women in the military in Alderamin wear skirts is because the author and/or artist thought it was attractive. Occam's Razor on this one, guys. |
Well Jesu since you insist so much that "I have no idea what I am talking about" let me be honest with you, I am male, I do not have a vagina, so of course any experience I have with dealing with menstruation is second hand. however, menstruation is no stranger to me, as someone who grew up with a mother and a sister and now has a wife, I have had to help to deal with such "accidents" more often than I care to remember. from washing staining clothes to sweeping blood drops flom the floor or even chairs, and of course go to the convenience store to buy pads and such. of course since I don't particularly enjoy dealing with blood stains I have inquired the aforementioned women how can such situations be prevented. and aside from a pool of knowledge that is not relevant to this particular discussion, they all came to agree that skirts are less likely to become stained and make for an easier clean up, my observations while doing laundry support that statement but I digress.
On a side note, I concur with you in that alderamin using skirts is most definitively an aesthetic choice for character design, I had just made one casual comment on how skirts might be useful while lacking modern-made-pads, which then derived in a couple of back and forth. regretfully you had to go out of your way to say twice I am shit talking, and now it has turned more embarrassing for all of us than it had to be
My apologies to everyone for overextending this discussion
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MiloTheFirst
Joined: 10 Dec 2014
Posts: 429
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 2:29 am
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Agent355 wrote: |
My only issue with this episode is that Chamille seems to be developing a crush on Ikta, and I don't want the show to go there. Although, Ikta knows first hand that sleeping with the wrong people will get him in trouble, so it probably won't. |
Yeah, I also got that impression. I don't want the show to go there either but honestly I don't see it happening anyways, he clearly dislikes her in general, it seems to me as if he is putting up with her precisely because he sees her as a child
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