Forum - View topicPastel Memories (TV).
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15462 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Pastel Memories (TV) Genres: action, comedy Themes: café, magical girl, otaku Plot Summary: Akihabara is known as a shining beacon for otaku culture everywhere. But in a not-to-distant the future, that culture is on the decline due to a mysterious affliction causing widespread memory loss. As a result, Akihabara has lost its luster. However, in one of the few remaining otaku shops, Izumi and a handful of comrades hatch a plan to restore lost memories and return “Akiba” to its former glory. ---------------------------------- Episodes 1 & 2 I saw the first episode, and it did not really leave a big impression on me. Really, the premise it started on that suddenly otaku culture would die, just did not ring true, and made it hard to really get into the hunt the characters had for the volumes of a manga called Rabbit Café. The manga was clearly supposed to be Is the Order a Rabbit?, it's English title, which I recall also going by GochiUsa. The fact it was strongly referencing a series that you could pick out, is good, it can kind of go onto what made Anime-Gatari such a fun show, but that one went rabid fire with the references that real anime otaku would pick out, while it did not seem enough here. I think that the promise suddenly set up at the end of the first episode, which was delivered by the second episode, did put in a better place. Making it more clear that some supernatural force erased memories of most otaku fiction, destroying its legacy, and sounds more in line for what could make the entire thing collapse. And the characters spent the majority of this episode in another series, they were all in the distinct setting of Is the Order a Rabbit, although it seems they were not allowed to just straight up steal the character designs of the main characters, and it did seem to have some fun at being corrupted a bit. Rabbit Café was looking a bit Is the Order a Eel. Although, on the character design front, not being able to directly take characters, that leave a bit of a question of the appearance of one in particular. One of the girls shares a uncanny resemblance to Hanekawa Tsubasa, from the Monogatari series. While this could often be just set aside, for a show that knows its audience should really be in the know, and see similarities, so it really makes me wonder why they would have made that decision. I am also left wondering what else might be a reference, that I just don't recognise due to some limited knowledge, memory, or eye. Anyway, I can see myself commenting on different series that might show up. Who knows, it could become a bit like The Girl in Twilight if it does interesting things with different worlds. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15462 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 3
This episode was all Rozen Maiden, that is nostalgic. The trick was this time that the dolls, stand ins for Shinku and Suigintou, has their clothes replaced with tracksuits, ruining their fashion appeal. They also did a Dragonball Z fighting without power ups and stuff, which had me right along with the show saying "this isn't Rozen Maiden". The details were what was right, like Kun-kun on the tv, and the like with the setting. Episode 4 This episode kind of went less wholesome, although a series that kind of tries to hide it behind a venire of being cute, and I think the show itself was doing the same, it was Ro-Kyu-Bu, now that actually surprised me, didn't guess it from the outfits at the very start, but when they get them it is actually right with the bloomers and goggles being like Saki's. Technically did not look like they messed with the series by the likes of changing the appearance like the other two, but instead the plot of playing basketball was right alongside the plot the first arc of Ro-Kyu-Bu. Oddly the way they convinced the coach, Subaru's stand in was playing on him being a lolicon, a joke within the show. The way they got good at basketball also seemed to be by showing loli fanservice, despite them being teenagers. With the end of these girls that some reason became fan of the series, all seemed to become lolicons, which I guess is kind of gutsy. Have no idea what they will pull off next, with so far their list being Is the Order a Rabbit, Rozen Maiden and Ro-Kyu-Bu, so I am going to guess series with mostly female characters, based on this series itself being mostly female. Maybe something like a Saki or Chobits. Regardless I am interested for what may be next, the characters all are altered a little bit so they are not usually like their real series counterpart 100%, but their setting all tend to look just right. |
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Animegomaniac
Posts: 4082 |
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Episode 4
I liked how they covered both aspects of Ro-Kyu-Bu, the inspiring sports part of the series for girls which I believe was there to the perverted High school male among grade school girls who I know was there. And he was there in the episode too but he just wasn't into the non... The series is picking up steam and there are actual characters I like now, Rei and her steampunk crew. It may never be compulsive viewing for me but it's definitely in the "Oh, there's a new episode now. Guess I'll watch it sometime" category. I was irritated by episode 3 and it's lack of Suiseiseki. I mean, she showed up as a bit part but I kept waiting for one the main girls to get dressed in her iconic green dress ... and the eyes, I wanted someone to have the eyes. And in episode four, all the girls get the shorts and t shirts because... probably because they're not copyrighted. There's the more obvious reason but that's a given in this show... the most I can say about the ending is that it admits it but it also concedes there are butts too. This show's going to walk a fine line between "Hey, recognize this IP? Kind of, right?" and "Now we did it, we're getting sued." levels of iconography. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15462 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 12 (finale)
It kind of turned out less interesting than I was hoping, really had me losing my attention as it went on. It should not be the case as I was sort of interested by some of its choices of shows to sort of reference or poke fun at, and really it felt like it kind of abandoned that fun side of it by the end, or at least anything I had interest in. Never really cared that much for the characters themselves, there honestly being too many with too little impact for me to want to learn them. I give a rating of So-so (5/10), it didn't really grab my attention. Also, what was with the super sexual ED with swimsuits, that didn't match the rest of the show? |
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