Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: Deca-Dence
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11407 |
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Well, ok, that may be true, but that's pretty lazy if the writers are doing that. It's a distinction that exists, whether the average person has reason to care about it or not, and in this narrative it seems like a pretty important one. I mean, most people don't really distinguish between insects and arachnids, but if you're telling a story about a war between spiders and scorpions vs beetles and hornets, the difference would matter. Maybe being cyborgs rather than robots or androids is why Solid Quake wanted to monopolize the "rights" to the remaining humans. They still need the genetic material to base their cyborgs on and can sell that material to other corporations. Going out of their way to acquire those rights seems kind of pointless just for the NPC/ rare species cachet in the game, especially when they're creating all kinds of new species. Humans just aren't as impressive a draw as say, bringing back dinosaurs. 
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darkchibi07
 Posts: 5471 |
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UGH, this is what I was afraid of in Deca-Dence in regards with Natsume's role in all this, and sadly episode 10 really emphasized this really imbalanced the focus lately between her and Kaburagi as Chris mentioned in the review. I felt like I knew a lot more of Kaburagi's and the cyborgs' plight than I do with Natsume's and the other humans' reactions to all this. Hell, they didn't even explore too much of their despair that they have to fight the Gadoll again after they thought they won.
I really hope next episode where Natsume spoiler[faces Huggin] gives her some gravitas and justice to her character. At the very least have her fend him off. |
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Agent355
 Posts: 5113 Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready... |
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On the one hand, I liked the reveal and subsequent realistic depression. I kept comparing it to the many anime that have a surprise, world changing reveal in the last few episodes. It’s hard to do it right and most do it poorly (remember Darling in the Franxx?) If *we*, the audience, were kept in the dark about Kaburagi’s POV until this episode, it would have been spectacularly mind blowing for an episode or two, and then the rushed exposition on the new characters and stakes would have fallen flat. This show works well as a subversion, and seeing Natsume’s reaction through Kaburagi’s eyes really brought that home.
On the other hand, it also highlighted the power imbalance between the characters, and Natsume’s reaction had some false notes. I would expect her to be more upset at how easy it was to kill all the Gadoll, because it means her comrades lives could have been saved if they had done it just weeks earlier. I would expect her to be angry at Kaburagi for being complicit in a system that sees human lives as expendable—an aspect of their situation that he was confessing to her, but she didn’t seem to grasp. While it’s completely understandable that she’d be shaken by this literal world shattering reveal and wish she had stayed ignorant, I didn’t think she’d want to stay ignorant because she just wanted to continue getting stronger (and killing more Gadoll,) but because it means that lives (not least of all her father’s life) could have been saved if she knew sooner, and she doesn’t want that on her conscious. And then she resolved to forgive Kabu quickly, which makes sense not only because she has good memories of him as her mentor/father-figure, but because he’s literally the only one she can discuss this with. Her speedy attitude change was also to move the plot along, but there were enough in-universe reasons to make it realistic. |
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11407 |
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How so? She was a child when her father was killed, so that's in no way on her or her ignorance. And even now, if she'd known, what could she have done? She wouldn't have known the first thing about how to take down the system even if she had known what the system was. The only possible influence she could have had with this knowledge would have been to get Kaburagi to act sooner, which he couldn't have done until he had the help of the prisoners. Since the series just doesn't have time for her to work all that out through talking with him about why didn't he do something sooner, especially without retreading areas the viewers already know, I'm fine with the way she recovered her equilibrium to move forward. Heh, I'm still holding out hope for Pipe 2.0 to come charging out in a new form (perhaps a much smaller one) to help save Natsume. He had a huge meal (so much he couldn't finish it, apparently) just before the Genocide, so he's got energy to spare. If not, then RIP, Pipe! |
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Panino Manino
 Posts: 746 |
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Just passing to say that this anime is cool!
I almost feel pity for all those morons that didn't liked how the cute robots looks and dropped the anime in the beginning (I'm still trying and failing to bring them back). How can you not like those things? Their action scenes are more exciting than the fights with the monsters in the "game". |
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Yttrbio
 Posts: 3653 |
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You might have better luck bringing folks back by not calling them "morons" for having a different taste than you.
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Agent355
Posts: 5113 Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready... |
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Kaburagi didn’t exactly explain why they were able to do this now and not sooner, so from her perspective, there was a literal push button solution to the deadliest threat to everyone she’s ever known, but those lives weren’t worth protecting. And the desire to save someone or the guilt of not saving them can be illogical, especially in a kid’s mind. I’m also hoping that’s not the last we’ve seen of Pipe, but if he does come back, I hope he’s not a monster! |
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meiam
Posts: 3442 |
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"Oh crap, Omega blocked Deca-Dence punch!"
"Oh crap, Omega wrecked Deca-Dence and destroyed it's only weapon!!!" "OH CRAP, Omega has a giant laser!!!!!!" "How can we possibly beat Omega?" "Oh I know, let's use Deca-Dence" 
I'm guessing it's going to be revealed that actually Deca-Dence only used 10% of it's capacity, cause capitalist corporation are so well known for making product that widely over deliver on the necessary specs, and that Minato didn't know because *reason*. But it's still a bit lame that the secret weapon to defeat the enemy is the one we've just been shown is completely outclassed and inadequate. |
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Yttrbio
Posts: 3653 |
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Dumb question time:
Why/how was Minato even there? Personally, not as his avatar? |
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Covnam
 Posts: 3680 |
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Huh, I thought that dome went down after the last major event, but I guess that was just a smaller one (or a hologram or something).
I still don't get why it has a cannon that shoot a fist instead of a real weapon. I guess just rule of cool?
Yeah, I was wondering how his real body got down from (I presume) the ship as well... |
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cheshire1501
Posts: 51 |
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As far as we know, Minato's real body was on earth as far back as the end of episode 8 (when he visited Kabu in jail). So I recon transport between the two modes doesn't take that long. Also, it seems that there was a direct link between Huggin's lair and the jail, as shown in episode 6. |
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meiam
Posts: 3442 |
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Many peoples spent their entire live trying to come up with a better alternative (and all failed) so maybe expecting an anime to come up with a better economic system was asking a tad much. 
Ultimately the show was fine as "forgettable but nice while you're watching entertainment", but nothing more really. It strangely has literally nothing to say about video game (unless we're supposed to think NPC lives matters). And it's comment on capitalist can be pretty much summed up as "man doesn't it suck that we can't all do whatever we want?", which has been said many times before. It's insistence about Bug being great doesn't really square with the capitalist side since many people you could consider "bug" in capitalism are celebrated, so long as their successful (think Steve Jobs, or all the talk about starting your own company in a garage). Unless it was trying to literally talk about video game bug, which is strange point to make since most bug have no redeeming value and that the few that do cool stuff aren't worth the bad one. |
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RealMTL
Posts: 178 |
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I liked this show a lot and I think Studio Nut did a pretty good job with the animation despite the occasional odd CG monster. There wasn't really a deep narrative or some comment on society and video games but that's not a bad thing. Another good anime original in my books.
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boldulysses
Posts: 87 |
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I agree. The reviews have COMPLETELY over-analyzed this show and in the process, created some of the most convoluted, tortured prose I've ever read. It was a fun, well-paced and -plotted sci-fi popcorn romp with appealing characters. I really enjoyed it. |
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John Thacker
Posts: 1006 |
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Excellent show about the importance of agency, and a good object lesson in the evil of communism, even when it dresses itself up by operating online games. Central planning is no substitute for individualism and liberal democracy. Capitalism is the hero here, and the villains are the CCP and Tencent, with clear parallels to their actions in Xinjiang and elsewhere.
One of the better anti Marxist shows out there. |
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