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REVIEW: Rozen Maiden: Träumend DVD 1




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Fronzel



Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1906
PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 1:29 am Reply with quote
I felt Träumend was sorely inferior to the first season...can you really stand to watch Kanaria for more than 10 seconds? She's like a non-cute, even more hyper Hina-Ichigo who gets even less characterization, if you can believe that.

Plus, it actually starts to feel like a harem series. With dolls!
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Illusionary_Systems



Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Posts: 50
PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 4:51 am Reply with quote
I disagree. I liked Träumend the same if not more than the first season. More characters, more background story and the into is better. The first season was more basic in comparison in my opinion.
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Mylene



Joined: 07 Feb 2006
Posts: 2792
Location: Indiana
PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:17 am Reply with quote
I'm with Fronzel on this one. While Traumend was 'darker,' I also felt it was less enjoyable than the first. Yes, more of the Game is made clear, but the new characters introduced felt less fleshed out than the original dolls, and in some places the story just felt a little forced. That's not to say Traumend was bad, there were certainly a few truly excellent episodes towards the end, but for me it failed to live up to the first season.
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ConanSan



Joined: 13 Jun 2007
Posts: 1818
PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 10:33 am Reply with quote
RM: T is a waste of celuiod. The writers backed themsevles into a courner, thinking they could end it only to realise "Oh, we can crib another series out of this one" even though spoiler[half the cast was DECIMATED and were clearly not coming back (Genon Spoiler rule in effect) and in the end the ending had the villian win.]

spoiler[N** dies, S***** cries and b****** a H***, it's the ending no one wanted but got force fead.]

{DO NOT post spoilers without spoiler tags. Even obfuscated ones. Even though you obviously dislike the anime. Not everyone feels the same way, and many fans of the series will gladly string you up from the nearest lamppost for spoiling their fun. -- This has been a courtesy notice from moderator abunai, who will be far less courteous the next time you do this... also, it's spelled "celluloid".}

Also, the entire RM franchise got cruely thrown out the window with the manga's ending.

Seriously guys, support Shugo Chara when that gets licenced, it's JoJo's Bizzare Adventure: Strardust Crusaders if it were pened by CLAMP, it's a better timesink than this one.
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CaptainAvatar



Joined: 28 Aug 2006
Posts: 381
Location: Saint Louis, MO
PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 2:58 pm Reply with quote
I have always said reviews are opinions - you certainly don't have to agree with them. Personally, I found Volume 1 to be bittersweet. In my opinion, it stepped things up a notch with the appearance of the final Rozen Maiden dolls, meaning the Alice game can commence. The fact that their is the possibility this will never see a complete release just frutrates me to no end. I really wish Geneon would say something (anything?) to give us an idea of where this whole mess is heading: are you going away for good, leaving the other licensors to pick up the pieces (or leave shows unfinished), or do you intend to continue as a viable entity pending distribution partnerships ala Kadakowa? The complete silence has been frustrating to say the least!
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Keonyn
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Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 5567
Location: Coon Rapids, MN
PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 4:21 pm Reply with quote
I'm with you snl67, and I haven't picked up this volume as a result of the limbo the series is in. I figure I'm better off with one complete series and a half empty box than the start of the second just a 1/3rd empty box.

The review is about what I expected. Rozen Maiden isn't anything spectacular but I still enjoyed it, cliches and all. I mean, anime in general tends to rely on cliches more so than other mediums, at least that's what I have noticed. I think it uses its cliches well despite the abundance and I like the mix of serious and not-so-serious elements, it's one of my favorite things about Chrono Crusade and Rozen Maiden does it pretty well too.
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Pete577



Joined: 26 Apr 2007
Posts: 18
Location: Michigan
PostPosted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 10:49 pm Reply with quote
I loved Traumend. I found that it far exceeded the first season, which was like the basics. The thing I love about Rozen Maiden is the characters, and Traumend continues the great character plots from the first season and does it well.

In my opinion, I loved the art, loved the plot, loved the characters, and loved the music.

Oh, and great work, Conan-san. You fail. Its not that I don't respect your opinion, but learn how to use spoiler tags, okay?
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Illusionary_Systems



Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Posts: 50
PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 2:50 pm Reply with quote
It really is one of those series that you're either in the love it camp, or the hate it camp. Smile
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Talon87



Joined: 05 Dec 2005
Posts: 89
PostPosted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 6:14 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
The beginning of the second series in this franchise casts back to the opening episodes of the first season when the series still deserved the “entertainment” in "high-gloss, low-depth entertainment," before it succumbed to ambitions of drama that submerged what charm it had.
And it was right about here I just quit reading completely. Seriously, what the hell is the point in reviewing a series when you completely miss the boat? :\ I mean, it would be one thing if this reviewer hated Rozen Maiden for what it is, but hating it for what it isn't is just retarded. I mean, this reviewer is basically saying "I wanted slapstick comedy like you see in Season 1 Episode 5, and what I got was drama drama drama. Therefore, this show sucks." Yeah, I guess it "sucks" if you hate drama and love slapstick, but then what business do you really have reviewing any drama at all?

Then you go off on this "Rozen Maiden is so cliche" rant with your whole "cue the super stronger villain for Season 2" bit. I mean, puh-lease, this is a cliche that exists outside anime, and it's a cliche that shows far greater and far worse than Rozen Maiden have succumbed to. Take for instance any Shonen Jump series -- heck, even PuriTeni or Hikaru no Go! Complain about "newer, stronger, even more evil!" villains in sequel seasons all you want, I don't think you're going to see many issues of manga flying off the shelves where the new villain on the block is "the old villain but trapped in the body of an old grandma with no memories and Parkinson's! Can our heroes defeat her? Find out!"

In your world, sequel seasons simply wouldn't be made. Maybe sometimes that actually would be better. Maybe we would be better off if people just left well enough alone. But considering the huge fan demand for a second season and the rampant plot deviations from the source material for Season 1, I can't really fault the studio's writers for what they did with Barasuishou. What had to be done to make a 2nd season was done -- and it was pretty enjoyable. Completely worth it (if for nothing else) for spoiler[the return of Suigin Tou] and the appearance of Megu.
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