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This Week in Anime - is Tower of God Living Up to Expectations?


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cchigu



Joined: 15 Feb 2020
Posts: 250
PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 3:07 pm Reply with quote
ToG is a disappointment. I dislike the webtoon too but good god it is way better than the anime.
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#907571



Joined: 20 Apr 2020
Posts: 9
PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 3:32 pm Reply with quote
Don't really get the hate for this. Basically every long running shonen (or whatever you call the Korean version of shonen) takes more than 13 episodes to explain everything. You can't expect every single character to get backstory in 13 episodes, otherwise the season would be stuffed with backstory.

It's not like Attack on Titan, to give one example, explained exactly what Eldia was, or what the Titans exactly were, in Season 1. And that was more than 20 episodes. It took a while to get the full picture. Certainly more than 13 episodes.

I will say that Bam is too naive, and it gets annoying sometimes, but the guy grew up alone in a cave. It's implied that Rachel was the first person he met. Is it really that hard to believe the he'd be attached to her? I've seen a lot of anime get better reviews that make a LOT less sense.
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bennyl



Joined: 06 Apr 2019
Posts: 123
PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 3:47 pm Reply with quote
For something all the Korean comics fans were saying was the best, it was fairly crap. They are playing this out like they have Naruto level name recognition and 500 episodes to let this story play out ala Shippuden. It's not the worst thing I've ever watched. Didn't even feel I wasted my time watching it. But as a stand alone work, c tier at best. Feels like it was made for fans of the comic and not many otherwise.
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Yune Amagiri



Joined: 28 Jul 2016
Posts: 921
Location: France
PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 4:25 pm Reply with quote
To be honest the manhua is actually a really good aventure shonen, the problem is that you need to go past the first 150 chapters or so to discover that. The part that is animated is nothing but a prelude, it was by far the worst and least interesting arc so far and it doesn't help that they did cut some scenes in the anime here and there.
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Angel M Cazares



Joined: 23 Sep 2010
Posts: 5406
Location: Iscandar
PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 4:47 pm Reply with quote
There were expectations for this show? Because I sure never had any.
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ATastySub
Past ANN Contributor


Joined: 19 Jan 2012
Posts: 637
PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 5:02 pm Reply with quote
#907571 wrote:
Don't really get the hate for this. Basically every long running shonen (or whatever you call the Korean version of shonen) takes more than 13 episodes to explain everything. You can't expect every single character to get backstory in 13 episodes, otherwise the season would be stuffed with backstory.

It's not like Attack on Titan, to give one example, explained exactly what Eldia was, or what the Titans exactly were, in Season 1. And that was more than 20 episodes. It took a while to get the full picture. Certainly more than 13 episodes.

I will say that Bam is too naive, and it gets annoying sometimes, but the guy grew up alone in a cave. It's implied that Rachel was the first person he met. Is it really that hard to believe the he'd be attached to her? I've seen a lot of anime get better reviews that make a LOT less sense.

This seems to be a common misconception. No one is saying everything needs explained. What they're saying is you need a reason to stick around long enough for that to happen. Most of the time this is done by giving characters understandable motivations even if the setting they're in is nebulous. Or if characters are unmotivated you have stronger dynamics with other characters to drawn the audience into at least wanting to watch more of them. Sometimes it is simply strong world building over forgettable characters. Other times an aesthetic alone can carry that weight until a story kicks into gear. There are very many variations of things that can hook a viewer and get them invested in the story. That ToG chooses to not do any of these seems to be pretty well acknowledged even by its defenders. It assumes if you're watching a generic battle show you've seen others and that they've done the work for it.

Take a closer look at other examples that are used to justify why no one should criticize ToG for this level of blandness, and you'll realize that those did a lot more than you think.
In anime form AoT 13 episodes in has been completely through training and solidly into Trost. The twist of Eren's titan form has been revealed. ToG has... Bam patting himself on the back for nothing.

As for manga form
Yune Amagiri wrote:
To be honest the manhua is actually a really good aventure shonen, the problem is that you need to go past the first 150 chapters or so to discover that. The part that is animated is nothing but a prelude, it was by far the worst and least interesting arc so far and it doesn't help that they did cut some scenes in the anime here and there.

150 chapters is a hell of a lot. Naruto is completely through the Chunnin exam by that point. Bleach is in the middle of Soul Society. Even the longer paced One Piece has a crew of Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Sanji, and Chopper heading to Alabasta! HxH is fully through Yorknew City and into Greed Island! Some of the strongest material in those series, which ToG is banking on you already knowing and being a fan of!

There's only so much you can do to wade through that much dead space if that's the case, and not cutting things would probably take even longer. There's a glut of fun shonen action/adventure that don't require the hurdles that ToG is putting up, and even more good things that start and end in that amount of time. No one is saying they need all the answers up front (Hell, One Piece still hasn't answered many!), but they need a reason to care, and ToG so far is not providing.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 6:03 pm Reply with quote
I can see why people don't like this, but I'm really enjoying it. It's got enough mysteries and intrigue to keep me interested until they start doling out some answers. I might change my tune if none are forthcoming for another 50-75 episodes, but for now, it's all good.

I like Bam, so I get why other characters seem to like him too, though perhaps not why he motivates them to such a degree. To me he's like Pinocchio, in the process of becoming a real boy (I'm starting to wonder if Rachel actually did create him, and is now looking to get free of her tag-along creation). He doesn't seem to understand how anything works, or grasp that others have hidden motives and lie. He takes everything at face value, and has only one obsessive goal (for now): being with Rachel and getting her to the top of the Tower. It's enough for him. For the time being, that's enough for me, since there are lots of interesting and colorful characters to watch as he learns how to become a person.
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metalpail



Joined: 08 Jan 2018
Posts: 8
Location: New York City
PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 6:18 pm Reply with quote
Love that this columns go a long way to parsing my own excitement and gripes about current shows. I mean, after this most recent episode I felt like I was watching Rise of the Shield Hero. And I don't even know anything about that show except you really hate a woman in that show too, maybe?

I'm reading a lot of webtoons these days though and I have to say that there are some choice romance ones. I hope some of those get adaptations in the future because they don't take as long to "git gud"
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Tuor_of_Gondolin



Joined: 20 Apr 2009
Posts: 3524
Location: Bellevue, WA
PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 6:39 pm Reply with quote
I expect the next episode will deal with the fallout that just happened. After that, the Prologue will finally be over. Honestly, I think the anime could've handled it better: they cut out too many things that would've helped people make better sense of what was going on.
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TarsTarkas



Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 5821
Location: Virginia, United States
PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 7:18 pm Reply with quote
I am only halfway through. I don't have a problem with Bam. He is probably the easiest character to understand his motivations. We all were young once. There are plenty of young men and young women, who followed their secret (and not so secret) crushes. That is as valid a reason as any other. While Bam may or may not harbor romantic intentions toward Rachel, it is clear she is important to him. And really is that any way to try to cut ties with someone. Any normal person would wonder what is going on. Is she doing this of her free will, are the Ancient Aliens taking her into their space ship, is she trying to protect him from her dark past, etc. If I don't follow her, will she be harmed or killed? A bunch of dark paths may whisper in the back of your mind, guilting you into doing something.

Considering how they met and stayed together for some reason, it was Rachel's very actions that damned Bam to follow her.

There is plenty of truth in what you'll said about Bam's interactions with the rest of the cast, but as a consolation, it should be acknowledged that Bam didn't enter the Tower of God to be part of a never ending battle royal death match. Sure there was going to be conflict, but I don't think he ever thought it was going to be a death match against other humans.
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15433
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 7:59 pm Reply with quote
I usually decide if I am going to watch an anime after the first episode, I watch way too many and if I watched a few episodes I am probably going to finish. But I stopped after a few episodes of Tower of God. I thought that I just must be missing why everyone was excited, but it was just so boring, the main character especially, and it felt like none of the aesthetics drew me in. I am happy to see that I probably would have thought that way if I forced myself to watch more.

My problems were things like Bam being a pacifist, but when thrown into the battle royale part Bam was threatening some guy who had done nothing but stand still, and needed someone else to tell him the guy was not a threat. Like the story tried to have things both ways in his characterisation just to make another character look the cool and knowledgeable part.

Regardless of whether some characters turned out good, I just disliked so many of them that I could not be that patient to focus on good ones.
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bennyl



Joined: 06 Apr 2019
Posts: 123
PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 10:00 pm Reply with quote
Tuor_of_Gondolin wrote:
I expect the next episode will deal with the fallout that just happened. After that, the Prologue will finally be over. Honestly, I think the anime could've handled it better: they cut out too many things that would've helped people make better sense of what was going on.


I think the opposite. If this thing isn't going to hit its stride for another three seasons at the current pace, they needed to compress all that prologue crap into two episodes, and get to the good stuff before everyone tunes out.
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dandon223



Joined: 08 May 2019
Posts: 32
PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2020 12:58 am Reply with quote
bennyl wrote:
Tuor_of_Gondolin wrote:
I expect the next episode will deal with the fallout that just happened. After that, the Prologue will finally be over. Honestly, I think the anime could've handled it better: they cut out too many things that would've helped people make better sense of what was going on.


I think the opposite. If this thing isn't going to hit its stride for another three seasons at the current pace, they needed to compress all that prologue crap into two episodes, and get to the good stuff before everyone tunes out.

Season 1 is a good stuff but they adapted it poorly.
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Hiroki not Takuya



Joined: 17 Apr 2012
Posts: 2501
PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2020 1:01 am Reply with quote
I for one like this show for the "slow burn" drama it is constructing and it did pick up pace the last couple of episodes so it seems to be getting better. But I do appreciate Anaak the most and have from her first appearance. Seems like this just isn't the reviewer's "cup of tea"...
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LastPage 3



Joined: 13 Jun 2010
Posts: 190
PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2020 2:00 am Reply with quote
DuskyPredator wrote:

My problems were things like Bam being a pacifist, but when thrown into the battle royale part Bam was threatening some guy who had done nothing but stand still, and needed someone else to tell him the guy was not a threat. Like the story tried to have things both ways in his characterisation just to make another character look the cool and knowledgeable part.


Bam isn't really a pacifist, though. He's not a violent person by nature, but it isn't as if he has any moral principles against necessary violence.

The columnists seem to have missed that too, along with the major theme of Bam's relationship with the other characters. It's not his unwillingness to betray people to go up the Tower, (though it's a part of it).

It's the fact that everyone else from Khun to Anaak all lost the most important thing in their lives before coming to the Tower, and for better or worse that shaped the people they are today. That's exactly why they have such a strong reaction to Bam, who still has the thing he cares most about
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