Forum - View topicFractale (TV).
|
Goto page Previous Next |
| Author | Message | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ShinobiX
 Posts: 889 Location: NY |
|
|||||
|
Good anime overall, but I have to ask. Why does Japan like to screw up something that is good with some sick perverted degenerate crap? Do not care. That was NOT needed. I repeat. NOT needed. Director was probably going for a more dramatic sympathetic effect, but I'm pretty sure the opposite happened. Furthermore, Japanese people hate the stereotype which states Japan is most perverted country, but then they produced stuff like this. Is it a part of their culture? You know what...I'm beginning to think so because it like they have a disease and they can't get rid of it. Time and place for everything. This anime did not need to be spoiled by their disease.
Anyhow, couldn't help but scream Miyazaki as I was watching this (10 yr old energetic girl) and how should I put it....the anime is not perfect and starts off slow, but it grows on you. Despite the slow start, the first half of the anime is better than the last half. Obviously, the ending was rushed, but they did a good job. Without going into detail, Fractale achieves something that many animes can not do despite its unpolished presentation. |
||||||
|
||||||
Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 23856 |
|
|||||
Take your ignorant, racist b.s. and shove it, moron. You think Japan suffers from a "disease" because of what you see in anime, you a-hole? You make me sick. And just to add to your colossal stupidity, you pick an example where a series was extremely delicate in its handling of spoiler[child sex abuse]. You're braindead, of course, but if you weren't so much of an idiot, you would have recognized that that element was not used in an exploitative, lolicon way. |
||||||
|
||||||
Penguin_Factory
 Posts: 732 Location: Ireland |
|
|||||
|
So, like quite a few people I ultimately ended up being disappointed by this show. I actually dropped it around episode 5 or 6, but I've been following the events since then on anime blogs and I watched part of the finale.
Now that the show is over I think I can quantify my complaints about it. I said previously that I dislike it when dystopian stories force the main characters to run from their society and take up arms with rebels because how they interact with the society is almost always more interesting than their attempts to fight it. That's definitely the case here. Add to that my other complaint that the characters seemed to spend way too much time tramping around empty fields. It felt like the interesting, fully realized world that grabbed me so much in the first episode was always just over the horizon, constantly referenced but rarely actually seen. Seriously, go back and watch that first episode. It's like a completely different series. Also, after seeing the Big Reveal in the last episode my main thought is that spoiler[the "real" Phryne] from the past seems like a much more interesting and sympathetic character than anyone the narrative actually followed even though she was only on-screen for like 30 seconds. Forget Clain and the rest of the cast, I want to see her story.
I'm not entirely sure what you're referring to here (maybe someone who has watched more of it can fill me in), but I'm almost certain you're overstating things massively. It's important to keep in mind that we're viewing Japan through a distorted lens here. Lolicon and the creepier side of moe may be very popular among hardcore otaku, but hardcore otaku are a very small subset of the Japanese population. So no, Japanese people do not have a "disease". [/i] |
||||||
|
||||||
|
Aothan
Posts: 10 |
|
|||||
I'm glad to find others have interpreted Fractale in a similar way. I found the anime to be an observation on the process of ideas/power and thus 'the world'. Contrasting between the syncretic calibrations of centralised power and its contested iterations, with a more idealised system of dialectical progression. as an anime I'm conflicted how to rate Fractale: pleasant and definitely thoughtful, but either too subtle or simply vague for its natural (widely shared) audience. The creativity and/or direction of Fractale is indicative of some depth of skill, that might not yet be completely able to comprehensively depict according to both format and audience. |
||||||
|
||||||
HaruhiToy
 Posts: 4118 |
|
|||||
|
My take is that they developed a good premise and some good characters, but then didn't know what to do with it. The "rebel against the dark utopia" meme has been done countless times and it looked like they were doing a good job of it here. Then it failed to deliver anything but a happy ending.
About the only unique thing in it was the dualistic nature of Phyrne/Nessa. They didn't do much with that either. spoiler[Nessa was a stuffed bunny toy? WTF.] Note to ShinobiX: I also don't see what you are driving at. Maybe it is the apparently lecherous nature of the scientist guy towards his "daughter" Phyrne. If you extrapolate the story I would guess spoiler[that character has had nonconsensual sex with an uncountable number of her clones since there is no apparent restriction on him from doing so and it is obviously his inclination.] So what of it? The screenplay did not go there. It is not a sympathetic character. However you feel about it that seems natural to the story and the insipid nature of that character. Regardless, just how that is supposed to reflect on the nature of Japanese or any other culture except the fictional one is beyond me. |
||||||
|
||||||
|
GeminiDS85
Posts: 391 |
|
|||||
|
I have a confession to make: I was completely and absolutely ignorant to the intelligence of this show. Long story short, I was recently required to reread Azuma’s Otaku: Japan’s Database Animals for a class I am taking this semester. Similar to any text that deals with critical theory, the second reading usually gives you a fuller grasp of the underlying theories and concepts the author is trying to convey to the reader. That being said, for some reason this week I remembered that Azuma was in some way connected to this show. So with Azuma’s theory of animalistic postmodern society fresh in my mind, I started to think about Nessa and Phryne in relation to the propagation of simulacra at the cessation of the “Grand Narrative.” Suddenly everything began to fall into place, and one thing became astoundingly clear to me: Fractale is an intricate and convoluted allegory for Azuma’s theory on postmodern society.
That’s wicked ****ing cool! 
Unfortunately this is not the sort of assertion that I can unpack in just one post. However if anyone who has read Azuma’s theory is reading this post, I invite you to ponder about this show’s plot in relation to the function of allegorical narratives. I still cannot believe how wrong I was about this show! |
||||||
|
||||||
Anymouse
 Posts: 685 |
|
|||||
|
I am interested in hearing your analysis. I assumed the novel was better and represented his theories better as well. I have read articles on his theories and at least one of his essays, as well as the forward to Japan's Database Animals. I did not get the feeling that this show was particularly well done or particularly deep past the first episode or two.
|
||||||
|
||||||
Tuor_of_Gondolin
 Posts: 3524 Location: Bellevue, WA |
|
|||||
|
I'm sure the analysis would be interesting on some level, but when Fractale is viewed as an anime, it's a mess. The idea that you need to have read some guy's tract in order to make sense of the various characterizations and plot threads is... well, it doesn't make for a very approachable show.
I wanted to like Fractale. I *tried* to like Fractale. Ultimately, it made me want to wring someone's neck: so many interesting threads that, when blended together, produced a complete mess. |
||||||
|
||||||
|
Errinundra
Moderator
 Posts: 6534 Location: Melbourne, Oz |
|
|||||
From the ANN encyclopaedia entry for Fractale:
You are spot on! |
||||||
|
||||||
jl07045
 Posts: 1527 Location: Riga, Latvia |
|
|||||
|
For me the commentary about society's dependance on technology was the only part that show handled really well. Of course the theme itself was nothing new for anime, but it was better explored and more thoughtful than what I have seen elsewhere.
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
Anymouse
Posts: 685 |
|
|||||
|
To me even that could have been made more prominent. It was pretty well demonstrated in the first episode, but took a backseat to the romance and adventure elements later on.
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
GeminiDS85
Posts: 391 |
|
|||||
I have absolutely no objection with people disliking narratives that obfuscate their purpose under the guise of symbolism, metaphor, allegory, or intertextuality. I completely empathize with consumers who do not wish to perform research, re-watch a show, or study a concept to fully comprehend the message that is being communicated through that medium. If the work does not entertain you, why should you have to sing its praise just because it has some profound meaning? However, this exact way of thinking is what leads to database consumption. That being said, one of the core problems Azuma is addressing in his text is the vapidity of the works of otaku culture. As you have probably observed from countless tirades on this forum, there is very vocal group of people who desire the creation and use of more “intellectual” narratives in anime. However, what does it say to production companies and critics when these “intellectual” types of narratives are produced and then fail to resonate with its target audience? A problem, in general, with allegorical narratives is they often convolute their meaning to the point of causing paroxysms among their consumers. But at the same time, if otaku culture does not push its works to standards of narrative construction utilized by mediums that are routinely praised as high art, the works produced in and for otaku culture risk becoming only vapid and stagnant pastiche. Basically, I am agreeing and disagreeing with you at the same time. 
You should try reading Azuma's text some time, because it might give you a different outlook on why you consume certain types of narratives more than others.
Try thinking about the concept of originality, or the loss of originality, as being a major focus of Fractale’s narrative.
Would you be interested in doing another installment of the ANN Book Club? Read Azuma's theory while watching Fractale and then discuss the concepts in relation to the narrative. |
||||||
|
||||||
|
jl07045
Posts: 1527 Location: Riga, Latvia |
|
|||||
Elaborate, please. |
||||||
|
||||||
|
Anymouse
Posts: 685 |
|
|||||
|
I have no problem with deep or metaphorical concepts in a narrative. Ghost in the Shell provides plenty, and so does Paranoia Agent. But I could not find evidence of such in Fractale beyond the first episode or two. Many of the episodes especially towards the end of the series were themselves populated by database elements that are played straight and detract from the serious commentary that the series began with.
Fractale discussed those things, and was very insightful at times, but never used those insights. It's descent into the pseudo mystical was a damage to the series. Ghost in the Shell kept a cool head until the very last episode, and managed to explore similar themes. It also touched upon religion and the immortality of the soul without making mysticism and spookiness centerpieces of the shows climax. The ending was a very simple shoot the villain, life goes on ending. This was overwrought, and did not help advance the message set up at the beginning. |
||||||
|
||||||
Gon*Gon
 Posts: 679 |
|
|||||
|
Reading this thread, I think I just figured out the problem with this anime.
Being complex and deep can be a good thing. But if you make your series too deep like Fractale did, it's going to fly over the head of not only otakus, but most of the audience in general. And the end result being most people having no idea what the heck just happened. On a purely entertainment stand point, I wouldn't have minded if the anime remained like the first two episodes. Blondie and her two henchmens acting like buffoons unsuccessfully trying to capture Phryne in the beginning were some of my favourite parts of the anime. It felt kinda nostalgic for some reason. |
||||||
|
||||||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group