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Spotlight: Soul Eater


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Who Is This Guy!?



Joined: 07 Aug 2008
Posts: 183
PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 3:56 pm Reply with quote
Charred Knight wrote:
So I was reading the article for about two seconds when I noticed a major mistake

on the second sentence.

Shinigami are not from Japanese Folklore, it's taken from the western concept of the Grim Reaper. That's why Shinigami are different in every series having only to do with death. In Bleach Shinigami transport souls to the Soul Society, while in Death Note they kill people by writing their names down in books.

Um...dude...No.

Every religion and every culture has always had their own form of a God of Death.

However, much like many other unexplained phenomena, being Dragons a prime example, many descriptions and myths of these Gods coincide and intertwine without having said religions ever crossing paths.

About the only thing that differs between Japanese and Western folklore is that Japan has had the addition of another "goddess of death", Izanami. But in all technicality...she wasn't so much a goddess of death as she was all creepifying and corpsified.

You're trying to make a point that spread across anime into something culturally truthful...? Nice try, buddy. Instead of attempting to learn Japanese culture through shonen fare like Bleach, perhaps you should read a real book or two....
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edzieba



Joined: 13 Dec 2006
Posts: 704
PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 4:02 pm Reply with quote
The western 'Grim Reaper' and eastern god(s) of death operate in different ways. The Grim Reaper of Soul Eater is clearly influenced more by the former than the latter.

To take your dragon example: eastern dragons are generally benevolent, wingless and highly intelligent. Western dragons are malevolent, winged (either from the back or occasionally forelimbs), and unintelligent beasts (with a few intelligent dragons post-Tolkien). This is despite the two depictions generally looking the same, and sharing a name.

Yes, anime is not the best source of cultural knowledge, but knowledge thereof is useful in understanding the convetions used.
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Who Is This Guy!?



Joined: 07 Aug 2008
Posts: 183
PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 4:23 pm Reply with quote
edzieba wrote:
The western 'Grim Reaper' and eastern god(s) of death operate in different ways. The Grim Reaper of Soul Eater is clearly influenced more by the former than the latter.

To take your dragon example: eastern dragons are generally benevolent, wingless and highly intelligent. Western dragons are malevolent, winged (either from the back or occasionally forelimbs), and unintelligent beasts (with a few intelligent dragons post-Tolkien). This is despite the two depictions generally looking the same, and sharing a name.

Yes, anime is not the best source of cultural knowledge, but knowledge thereof is useful in understanding the convetions used.

Of course there are going to be some significant differences. If there weren't, now THAT would be a truly creepy situation.

That said...the simple point I was making was...no matter which religion and culture involved...Grim Reapers never swung around shape-shifting katanas. Razz Contrary to popular belief, so it sadly seems...
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Charred Knight



Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 3085
PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 4:27 pm Reply with quote
Who Is This Guy!? wrote:
Charred Knight wrote:
So I was reading the article for about two seconds when I noticed a major mistake

on the second sentence.

Shinigami are not from Japanese Folklore, it's taken from the western concept of the Grim Reaper. That's why Shinigami are different in every series having only to do with death. In Bleach Shinigami transport souls to the Soul Society, while in Death Note they kill people by writing their names down in books.

Um...dude...No.

Every religion and every culture has always had their own form of a God of Death.

However, much like many other unexplained phenomena, being Dragons a prime example, many descriptions and myths of these Gods coincide and intertwine without having said religions ever crossing paths.

About the only thing that differs between Japanese and Western folklore is that Japan has had the addition of another "goddess of death", Izanami. But in all technicality...she wasn't so much a goddess of death as she was all creepifying and corpsified.

You're trying to make a point that spread across anime into something culturally truthful...? Nice try, buddy. Instead of attempting to learn Japanese culture through shonen fare like Bleach, perhaps you should read a real book or two....


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinigami

oops

I think your talking about Enma/Yama who is the God of Death in Buddhist belief, but whenever he appears his called Enma not Shinigami.

No one would call their God of Death "God of Death", no culture is that lazy.

Who Is This Guy!? wrote:
Of course there are going to be some significant differences. If there weren't, now THAT would be a truly creepy situation.

That said...the simple point I was making was...no matter which religion and culture involved...Grim Reapers never swung around shape-shifting katanas. Razz Contrary to popular belief, so it sadly seems...

No one said that Bleach is an accurate portrayal of Shinigami since there is no accurate portrayal of Shinigami

The point is that Shinigami changes depending on the series since it has no firm grasp on folklore, compare that to the portrayal of Kitsune, and Tanuki, where you can generally tell what they are going to do.
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Mistypearl



Joined: 03 Oct 2008
Posts: 517
PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 5:01 pm Reply with quote
giascle wrote:
Kyogissun wrote:
I loathed the Excalibur episodes with a passion.


Get out.


Aww, I actually liked Excalibur, though sometimes I was annoyed at constant expose Anime cry
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JacobC
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Joined: 15 Jan 2008
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Location: SoCal
PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 5:19 pm Reply with quote
I have seen the Excalibur episodes, actually. I thought they were a riot, but I was in a room with like 17 other otaku, so that really changes how funny something is...like being drunk or something.

I agree that they are kind of stupid, but if the writers at Funimation have a creative bone in their bodies (which they CLEARLY do if you've seen anything from Funimation, they're very good at adaptations balancing natural flow with original intent,) they're going to have SOOOO much fun with Excalibur's dialogue. I can see him being written and played really really funny if they put the effort into doing so, and they should, because that'll make those filler moments actually enjoyable. (Again, I thought they were funny in a "Dumb and Dumber" kind of way.)
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Dorcas_Aurelia



Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 5344
Location: Philly
PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 6:34 pm Reply with quote
giascle wrote:
Kyogissun wrote:
I loathed the Excalibur episodes with a passion.


Get out.

Maybe you should stay away from the internet if you're going to get so worked up with anyone having a different opinion from you. Lots of people, lots of people (myself included) find the Excalibur episodes to be a massive drag on the series.
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Ryllharu



Joined: 26 Aug 2005
Posts: 70
PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 6:40 pm Reply with quote
Dorcas_Aurelia wrote:
giascle wrote:
Kyogissun wrote:
I loathed the Excalibur episodes with a passion.


Get out.

Maybe you should stay away from the internet if you're going to get so worked up with anyone having a different opinion from you. Lots of people, lots of people (myself included) find the Excalibur episodes to be a massive drag on the series.

...except at least one of them is totally canon with the manga. They are like omake chapters at the end of the volume, purely there for comedic effect.

I heard the same complaints about how an episode about the students taking a test was "filler dribble." Again, totally canon and part of the regular storyline.

Soul Eater is a series that doesn't take itself too seriously. I prefer it that way. A lot of other series out there are far too overly dramatic for the material and audience.
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Mad_Scientist
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Joined: 08 Apr 2008
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 6:44 pm Reply with quote
Ryllharu wrote:
Dorcas_Aurelia wrote:
giascle wrote:
Kyogissun wrote:
I loathed the Excalibur episodes with a passion.


Get out.

Maybe you should stay away from the internet if you're going to get so worked up with anyone having a different opinion from you. Lots of people, lots of people (myself included) find the Excalibur episodes to be a massive drag on the series.

...except at least one of them is totally canon with the manga. They are like omake chapters at the end of the volume, purely there for comedic effect.

I heard the same complaints about how an episode about the students taking a test was "filler dribble." Again, totally canon and part of the regular storyline.

Soul Eater is a series that doesn't take itself too seriously. I prefer it that way. A lot of other series out there are far too overly dramatic for the material and audience.


Whether they are part of the original manga doesn't matter too much: people can still dislike them. And I'm fairly certain the 2nd and 3rd episodes weren't part of the original manga.
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Zoe



Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Posts: 898
Location: Austin
PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 6:50 pm Reply with quote
Mad_Scientist wrote:
And I'm fairly certain the 2nd and 3rd episodes weren't part of the original manga.


The third episode was an extra chapter from volume 9. It kind of served as an extra introduction for the second team of students.
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the Rancorous



Joined: 08 Feb 2006
Posts: 2248
Location: Hunting the Dragon in Gransys
PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 6:54 pm Reply with quote
So it was liscensed after all...
I remember leaving a very long "grow-up" lecture on a certain fansub board when Funi sent out the C&D's for this show and a bunch of little kids started flailing around and screaming through their hands. Awww, good times...

I haven't watched any of it, but it definitely sounds like its worth checking out. Maybe I'll be able to enjoy it more than Bleach and Death Note Mad .
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Unit 03.5-ish



Joined: 07 Dec 2008
Posts: 1540
Location: This space for rent
PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 7:09 pm Reply with quote
the Rancorous wrote:
So it was liscensed after all...
I remember leaving a very long "grow-up" lecture on a certain fansub board when Funi sent out the C&D's for this show and a bunch of little kids started flailing around and screaming through their hands. Awww, good times...

I haven't watched any of it, but it definitely sounds like its worth checking out. Maybe I'll be able to enjoy it more than Bleach and Death Note Mad .


I love when people whine over things that are technically illegal BEFORE the C&Ds are let loose. I wonder if idiots like that fancy some light reading to enlighten themselves.
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Mad_Scientist
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Joined: 08 Apr 2008
Posts: 3011
PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 7:28 pm Reply with quote
Zoe wrote:
Mad_Scientist wrote:
And I'm fairly certain the 2nd and 3rd episodes weren't part of the original manga.


The third episode was an extra chapter from volume 9. It kind of served as an extra introduction for the second team of students.


Interesting. Oddly enough (or maybe not), I liked the 3rd episode a lot better than the 2nd. Excalibur can be funny, but it's best I think if the episode doesn't focus on him and his ramblings too much. The 2nd one did that, and it ended up just annoying, in my view.
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maaya



Joined: 14 Oct 2007
Posts: 976
PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 7:37 pm Reply with quote
About Maka and Soul:

Quote:
and the pair's souls resonate at a much deeper level than the rest of the main cast.


I don't think it's as evident as that. The bound of Tsubaki and Black Star is pretty deep as well.

Quote:
Forgoing serious-as-a-heart-attack drama for exaggerated, larger-than-life action and over-the-top wacky hijinks, Soul Eater explores the imposing concept of death gods in a tone that's less Death Note and more Gurren Lagann.


That's true I suppose, but as Gurren Lagann, Soul Eater gets pretty dark and serious at times as well later on.

About the Shinigami - the one in Soul Eater definitely looks like a personification of Death as we know him. He is also called "Death" in the series, not Shinigami.

Either way, Soul Eater is one of the best shonen series I've seen so far. The animation and overall style is superb and unique as well Shocked
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tmsidr



Joined: 16 Sep 2008
Posts: 26
Location: Germany
PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 10:38 pm Reply with quote
I watched the fansubs till Funimation sent those letters. It's a really great show with battles that make a lot more sense than the ones in other shonen shows (and of course interesting characters and great animation). The Excalibur episodes were strange but I liked them. I think it's really not a kids show, because the battles get really intense (e.g. the Medusa onee especially), and the whole style is a little bit to abstract to be liked by the Naruto kids (I watch Naruto myself).

I hope that Funimation starts to release the show on Blu-Ray because it looks really great in HD. Furthermore, they should start releasing it very soon, because I'm a little bit sulky that I don't get my fansubs for it anymore, even when I concluded after the first episode that this is a show that I will buy as soon as it is released on Blu-Ray with at least subtitles.
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