Forum

I am unsure as to what you mean by the "Frozen Effect", so I'll cast my vote for the first option!

(And so, we are tied.)

Both of those sound equally interesting. ::flips coin::

Paranoia Agent it is!

Well in the interest of being ornery lets' get this tied back up again. Frozen it is.

I’ve watched all of Paranoia Agent and I vote for that.

(Thus, we are currently no longer tied.)

Well, it's been a week, and so far, I'm having a great Hanukkah. Setting that aside, let's announce the big winner! Three votes to two, it's...

Paranoia Agent and the Moefication of Anime!

See you soon, amigos.

2017

This year...just...what the hell?

I'm going to have to admit something to all of you; 2017 broke me. 2016 was, at the very least, consistently depressing. 2017 was the most chaotic and exhausting year of my life. It left me with severe trust issues and an overall bleak outlook on the future. This year was the closest I got to just calling it quits on everything. That includes anime.

This even showed in my writing. The more astute of you may have noticed that my output this year has been...middling, to put it lightly. For that, I can never forgive myself. I was hoping to complete my Code Geass recaps within this year, and I only got through nine episodes. NINE. Hell, I feel like I'm lucky that I even completed Ouran Host Club, which took over a year to do. That's not even getting into how most of my posts were recaps of Ouran and Code Geass.

So, yeah, I'm tired. Chances are, you probably understand where I'm coming from if you've seen the headlines. Jokes have been made about how AWFUL everything is. You've all seen them. I bet many of you have stories about the horrible things you personally went through.

Why don't we share some positive things we accomplished so we don't end this post on a downer? For example...

* I watched both seasons of My Hero Academia for the first time and loved it!

* As stated above, I finished Ouran Host Club!

* I also watched One Punch Man and Mob Psycho 100, which were both great!

* I got my wish for a Little Witch Academia TV series (which I will watch during my annual January hiatus)!

* At the beginning of the year, I saw Your Lie in April and liked it!

* As for my personal life, I got a job!

* I managed to (somewhat) get over my phobia of dentists! (Now onto doctors...)

* Wonder Woman and Coco were really awesome movies!

* I met some really cool relatives over Christmas!

Aaaaaand that's all, folks! See you next year.

Akane the Catgirl wrote:

[The more astute of you may have noticed that my output this year has been...middling, to put it lightly. For that, I can never forgive myself.

I trust this is hyperbole.

Hopefully this year will be better for us all. Make it so! Smile

Gina Szanboti wrote:

Hopefully this year will be better for us all. Make it so! Smile

I just can't help myself.....

Pop Team Epic Or How This Strange Little Anime Helped One Depressed Fan

So...if any of you have been paying attention, you may have noticed a lack of activity over here. You may have also noticed that a really-

- really -

really weird anime is airing on Funimation, Crunchyroll, you name it. You either love it or hate it, but regardless, if you watch it, you will have an opinion on it. As I write this, only four episodes are out, yet this strange series has made an impression amongst the anime community. I am talking about bkub Okawa's Pop Team Epic.

Of all things, this is what is helping me endure one of my worst bouts of depression I have ever had.

My first exposure to Pop Team Epic came through a Danganronpa fan edit of this very strip. I found it amusing enough, and that was all it took for me to get sucked into the madness. For those not in the know, the original webcomics follow the surreal adventures of two schoolgirls named Popuko and Pipimi. The jokes are absurd and the overall tone hilariously dark. There's nothing quite like Pop Team Epic, which is probably why it's managed to amass a cult following.

As someone who, to paraphrase Lydia Deetz, is strange and unusual herself, I was attracted to this weird little thing like a snail to beer. I found comfort in Pop Team Epic and was elated when the anime adaptation was announced. More importantly, this was a while before 2017 left me a broken and traumatized mess.

I have struggled with depression since my high school days, but January 2018 was when I was hit with a really bad streak. I simply lacked any motivation to do anything- not the things I needed to do nor the things I wanted to do. I could barely write, draw, bake, or even watch any of the shows I'd been looking forward to. Hell, I still can't. Even now, I am burdened by my own fractured mind.

Pop Team Epic gave me something I sorely needed. Every Monday, I look forward to watching a new episode. I find myself laughing hard at the comedic performances from the various actors (did I mention there are no consistent voices for the two leads?). In this time where I often find myself wondering if anyone would miss me if I disappeared, this show brings sunshine into my life.

I don't know when I'll be back. It could be days, weeks, or even months before I can recover enough to start posting again. No matter what happens, though, I will get through each day with the help of two girls and their crass, off-the-wall, flipping-the-bird-at-the-viewer hijinks. So thank you, Popuko, Pipimi, and bkub Okawa. Though you never intended to, you've helped this depressed fangirl cope with everyday life.

Next Time: Who knows? The future is uncertain, but I'm still here.

Special Announcement!

Again, thanks for all the help! I don’t know what I could have done without you two!

[Hey, that’s what friends are for, aren’t they? Now, what did you learn?]

That Takeshobo and King Records are the devil.

[And…?]

...And Shouta Aoi is my new god of adorability and cannot be stopped.

[Good girl.]

Now, I believe I should be heading back to Code Geass-

[Wait, wait, wait...what do you mean “head back”?]

Well, er, um-

[I thought you lost your passion for that months ago.]

Well, I did, but you see-

[The way it is, you can drop the Code Geass recaps entirely, or you can keep going but half-ass it.]

[Either way, you’re f*cked.]

But-

[Be real with us- will continuing with Code Geass make you happy?]

...No. It won’t. But what do I do?

[Well, what DO you want to write about, buddy?]

[Didn’t she mention some anime about crying devils or something like that?]

[You don’t mean!?]

[Hold onto your butts, folks. Devilman Crybaby recaps are on their way.]

I've only had time to watch the first episode of Crybaby, but I liked it despite the fact that I don't like very much of Nagai's or Yuasa's stuff. Together they seemed to work pretty well somehow. Anyway, maybe this will make me get around to watching the rest of it. Smile

Introduction to Devilman Crybaby

Devilman Crybaby is a masterpiece. I do not say this lightly.

“But Akane,” you say. “Devilman Crybaby is only three months old! Are you sure you can call it a masterpiece?” Yes. Yes I can. Indeed, this anime is up there with Evangelion and Madoka Magica as one of The Greats. It is that good.

I watched Devilman Crybaby a couple of months after it came out. I was in the middle of what TV Tropes might call a “creator breakdown”, and the only reason I watched it was because a) everyone was talking about it and b) it was on Netflix. Then something peculiar happened; I actually liked it. I found the story interesting, the characters likable, and the themes surrounding it timeless. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, even weeks after I first finished it.

So how did we get here?

The History of Devilman Crybaby

First, we must start all the way back in June 1972. The original Devilman manga (created by Go Nagai) was published in Weekly Shonen Magazine, running for a little over a year. One month later, an anime started airing through the following April. Numerous adaptations spawned from Devilman, from sequel manga, to movies, to video games. Devilman Crybaby is only the latest iteration of Nagai’s manga.

The story remains the same in most adaptations. Akira Fudo is your ordinary teenage boy who happens to be friends with a borderline-sociopathic genius named Ryo Asuka. Ryo tells Akira about the existence of demons, the two go to a party/orgy to draw out said demons, then Akira becomes Title of Manga. He fights other devils, the masquerade is inevitably revealed, rocks fall, everyone dies. Oh, and Ryo is literally Satan.

I don’t think I’m spoiling anything, considering I’m reviewing an adaptation of an over forty-year-old manga.

The Players

Eunyoung Choi is the animation producer. This is not the first time she’s worked with the series director, having served as a staff member on shows such as Kaiba, Kemonozume, The Tatami Galaxy, and Ping Pong. Wherever Mr. Director goes, expect Choi to be not far behind. If you’d like to see an example of her work without wasting several days of your life, check out the ninth episode of Space Dandy.

Ichiro Okouchi is the screenwriter. You may recognize him for being the head writer of the 2006 smash hit Code Geass. Considering the other forces at work, it’s highly unlikely Okouchi had much input for this particular adaptation’s story. However, those familiar with his resume may see a few anime-original ideas that can be attributed to him.

Masaaki Yuasa is our series director. As outlined in Eunyoung Choi’s introduction, this is just one of many anime Yuasa has headlined. However, it wasn’t until Devilman Crybaby that he went from niche figure to household name. It should also be noted that Mr. Director is a huge Devilman fan, and never dreamed that he would be tasked to direct an adaptation.

Finally, Go Nagai is the original writer and illustrator of Devilman. He’s still active today, even at the ripe old age of seventy-two. He is considered the father of super robots, having also created Mazinger. Other works include Cutie Honey and Dororon Enma-kun. Without him, we may not be here right now.

Special Counts from Yours Truly

Starting from Episode Two, I’ll be recapping each episode via iambic pentameter. You’ll see why as we go along. In addition, I’ll have a “Did Anyone Die?” tracker at the end, doing exactly what you think it does.

Now, on with the show!

An interesting note about Go Nagai: He actually played himself in the low-budget horror comedy "The Toxic Avenger Part II"! However. instead of being a famous manga artist, he's an expert on rare flowers!

I've just finished watching Devilman Crybaby and as I mentioned in the What are you watching now? thread this show is both beautiful and grotesque. Yuasa is a perfect fit to direct this and perhaps we can see some influence that Go Nagai and Devilman had on his Kemonozume (Beast Claw).

Akane Recaps Devilman Crybaby Episode One: This Can Only End Well

In this episode, “I Need You”, we are introduced to the new versions of these decades-old characters (and by we, I mean people who live in Japan, because this anime seems to be the first time Western viewers have been exposed to Devilman for a while). It’s a great start to those who are new to the franchise, but I’ll be talking about what this adaptation changes. No, I haven’t read the original manga, but I have scrolled all over the internet and did as much research as possible. After all, I do want this recap to be accurate. Doesn’t everyone?

***

Let’s begin by talking about the opening, “Man Human”.

[Look at it!]

[And look at that!]

But seriously, this is easily one of the best openings of 2018. Hell, it’s one of the best openings of the decade. The visuals are just perfect, revealing elements of the story episodes before they come into play. The music, performed by Denki Group, has a catchy yet dark vibe that goes together with the tone of this show. I could go on, but if I did, we’d be here all day (plus, I’d be spoiling the entire anime). So, here’s a few things to keep an eye on:

* To start, there’s the first shot, zooming from the titular Devilman to a beating heart.
* Another cool thing is the use of cutting to and from a closeup of a given character’s eye.
* Finally, take a gander at the Rorschach paintings. Those aren’t your average splotches.

There are a few essays on Youtube analyzing why this opening is so good. Here is an excellent, albeit spoilerriffic, take from Mother’s Basement, so check that one out. Hell, go watch the opening yourself. (Personally, I recommend typing “devilman crybaby opening” in Tumblr’s search engine, but you do you.)

The episode truly begins with a sort of origin story. Two arms reach out toward several look-alike androgynous figures. A voice narrates over imagery of outer space: “Love does not exist. There is no such thing as love. Therefore, there is no sadness. That’s what I thought.”

We see all sorts of monsters as a single light descends to the planet Earth. More follow, leading to the lonely rock becoming a desolate, molten wasteland. Still, time passes, until we cut to modern day. Yet again, two arms reach outwards. But this time, another reaches back. The limbs belong to two young boys, one blond, one brown-haired.

A scraggly kitten lays dying inside a cardboard box. The blond boy points out what is obvious, yet the other child refuses to let him near it. The former intends to put the suffering cat out of it’s misery, but his friend does not budge. “People despised me,” says the narrator. “And you were a crybaby.”

Indeed, the kitten does pass away. Even though it rains, the brown-haired boy is still outside, mourning for the poor animal. The blond chastises his friend for crying, but the other child insists he’s crying too. “At the time, I didn’t know what you meant.”

Ten years later, we see a lone car with the blond boy - now grown up - behind the wheel. He cries out Title of Episode. This can only end well.

We cut to track practice. Three teenagers immediately stand out - a girl dressed in green, another girl with a ponytail, and a single, very familiar boy. The boy lags very far behind, while the girl in green - referred to as the “Witch of Track and Field” - takes the lead. Two boys on the bleachers comment on their classmates, bringing up a murder involving an athlete named Moyuru Koda. Their conversation turns to something called a Sabbath, but before it can go anywhere, the slow boy starts to tear up.

This is Akira Fudo, voiced by Griffin Burns. Now, Akira’s characterization is pretty much the same as it’s ever been. He’s a nice guy, although after gaining superpowers via demonic possession, he gains a bit of a sinful side. The major difference in this adaptation, however, is that his niceness is heavily emphasized in comparison to the original manga. There is a good reason “Crybaby” has been added to the title.

The girl in green comes up to them, noting that her friend is crying again. The two bleacher bums show her the video concerning Koda, and in response, she mentions that she’d be crying too if her friend died (Yeah, about that…). She cheerfully suggests they do a practice relay for an upcoming meet, but she is soon interrupted by an important phone call.

This is Miki Makimura, voiced by Christina Vee. In the original story, Miki had a bit of an aggressive side to her. In this adaptation, though, she’s...how do I put this? Oh, right, she’s a f*cking saint. If she ever started singing, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see little woodland creatures flocking to her. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however. In fact, it’s Miki’s kindness that makes her ultimate fate so tear-jerking here.

Said phone call comes from Miki’s modeling agent, Nagasaki. I am absolutely certain that his intents are one hundred percent pure and that he has no sexual inclinations towards teenage girls. And by that, I mean the total opposite. Put this man on To Catch a Predator, please.

Elsewhere, we cut to Koda’s agent talking to him. Apparently, in addition to all the murder stuff, said athlete has been accused of doping. In the middle of his lecturing, he is unceremoniously murdered. As proven later on, Koda’s secret is so much worse than just doping.

Later that day, Akira, Miki, and the ponytail girl walk home. They talk about normal teenage things like cell phones and making sure to clear your search history after looking for internet porn. Miki breaks off with the group, then texts her perverted agent that she can’t meet up with him after dinner. She heads off by herself to a riverside dock, where she is accosted by them.

[Oh noes! They’re slowly rapping towards her!]

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s The Gang, created specifically for this incarnation. I should note now that a good majority of the raps are not dubbed into English. There are notable exceptions, but whenever I bring them up, just assume they’re in Japanese. Good thing Netflix provides subtitles!

Anyhoo, two of the rappers (voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch and Keith Silverstein) recognize Miki as a local celebrity. Before much can happen, Akira dorkily shows up, having followed Miki. The rappers harass him too, when suddenly, a blond boy in a white coat shows up with guns ablazing, crying out to Akira.

This is Ryou Asuka, voiced by Kyle McCarley. Ryou’s characterization here is...interesting. To put it plainly, in this anime, he’s a huge asshole. As demonstrated during his childhood days flashback, he’s cold, blunt, and could not give two sh*ts about anyone aside from Akira. Not only that, he’s much smarter here than he was in the manga. Some fans of the source material took umbrage with how Ryou was written in this anime, bemoaning how his nicer moments were erased in favor of making him more of a jerk. In my opinion, I think the way he’s portrayed works when you consider one of the main themes in play.

Akira is overjoyed to see his childhood friend, who promptly starts firing warning shots at the rappers. Miki has no idea who Ryou is, but Akira is all “No, it’s cool, he and I are best buddies”. He’s just been away in America, working hard as a college professor. Miki tries to warn her friend about going off with the (to her) random dude toting a murder toy, but her pleas fall on deaf ears. The girl runs off after the two boys in pursuit, though not before lecturing the rappers over the whole debacle.

Meanwhile in the Ryou-mobile, Akira questions his friend about the obviously illegal weaponry, which the latter brushes off with “Screw the law, it doesn’t matter anyway.” Ryou tells him to get a cellphone from now on, then after questioning why Akira does track to begin with, we finally get an explanation as to Title of Episode. One of Ryou’s colleagues died a month prior, and the reason is quite disturbing.

See, the Russian professor (a Dr. Fikira, by name) was doing research in the Amazon rainforest, and Ryou was taken along to help translate. One night, however, Fikira started exhibiting erratic behavior involving wanton violence towards the wildlife. Not long afterwards, he attempted to kill Ryou, turning into a horrid monster against his own will. Before he completely lost himself to the beast inside, however, Fikira committed suicide by self-immolation.

So, interesting note. Here’s a gif from one of the earlier adaptations featuring a similar scene.

That man trying to kill Ryou? He’s his father. Yeah, Ryou had a family in the original manga. Here, though, his backstory has been heavily altered, but we don’t find out until the end just exactly how Ryou came to be the way he is.

Anyway, Ryou explains the following to Akira (and, by extension, us):

1. Fikira was possessed by a devil, and so were the people he was researching.
2. Devils have existed since before the dawn of humanity.
3. They are heartless and cunning monsters, but must possess something living in order to survive.
4. A whole bunch of weird sh*t is happening that can be attributed to demonic activity. The public doesn’t know yet about demons, though.

Why’s Akira coming along? Ryou says he wants him by his side because he’s scared, but we all know the truth, don’t we? YOU LOVE HIM, YOU MORON. YOU WANT THAT SWEET BOD OF HIS, DON’T DENY IT.

And so our heroes enter Debauchery-ville. There’s booze, boobs, and plenty of drugs to go around for everyone. But Ryou finds this particular party too tame (I’d hate to see what his definition of wild is), so the obvious solution is to start killing people, of course! All in the name of summoning demons/science/lulz. Akira obviously doesn’t approve, but only gets beaten up for his troubles.

And then...the Sabbath rave massacre happens. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the highlight of the episode, and for good reason. It’s where the animation shines best, and where the most horrifying moments of the series start. It’s racy and shiny and gory and all those wonderful adjectives. In short, it’s pure madness.

...And I can’t show you any of it because, contrary to popular belief, I like my time here at ANN and do not wish to be perma-banned. So here are some pictures I found on Google Images to portray what happens before, during, and after this blood orgy.

As all this chaos occurs, Ryou calls out to a demon only referred to as Amon, asking it to possess Akira. The boy himself is understandably freaking out at the mass death surrounding him. Still, when Ryou is in danger, he comes to the rescue. Akira reflects on Ryou’s query on why he runs, and just as it looks like it’s the end…

To the strains of “D.V.M.N.”, Akira awakens as Devilman. All monsters who stand in his way are slaughtered within seconds. As Ryou lies wounded on the ground, he remarks: “I’ve made Akira into a devil, and I might have just created the most powerful, ruthless, and brutal devil in this world.”

[F*ck yeah.]

***

You see how important a first impression is? When you watch this episode, you understand exactly what you’re in for, no bones about it. There’s gonna be guts, nudity, and all that X-rated stuff you won’t see anywhere aside from the World Wide Web. Still, beneath all that hardcore material, there’s a philosophical undertone and a timeless story that’s just waiting to be told. The best is yet to come, my dearest readers, and you can’t find any of this on regular television..

Did Anyone Die?

I’m pretty sure that sports agent is dead. The professor in Ryou’s flashback killed himself, so there’s that. Also, anyone at that Sabbath who wasn’t named Akira Fudo or Ryou Asuka is pushing daisies. Other than that, all named characters so far are alive and well.

Forum - View topic
Akane Analyzes (Spoilerific).

This Week in Anime - So, Is Sound Euphonium Queerbaiting or Not?

Wonderful Precure! Episodes 1-12 Anime Review

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: The Ways of Monster Nation Manga Ends Due to Artist's Health

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Dips to #3 in 4th Weekend, SPY×FAMILY Film Debuts at #5 at U.S. Box Office

Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction Part 1 Anime Film Review

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Game Review

	Anime News Network Forum Index -> General -> Anime	All times are GMT - 5 Hours Goto page Previous Next
Page 31 of 32

Forum - View topicAkane Analyzes (Spoilerific).

Forum

Forum - View topic
Akane Analyzes (Spoilerific).