Forum - View topicBest First Episode Tournament: Post-Mortem
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Aylinn
 Posts: 1684 |
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Key I just want to say, I believe you. Even though I haven't met you personally, I have been a user of this forum for such a long time that I get to know you fairly well from your posts and I think you are a straight-up guy, to me, you have never come across as a cheater and I don't think you are one.
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Saffire
 Posts: 1256 Location: Iowa, USA |
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Huh, now that's a connection I never would have made on my own. That case still comes up on occasion (usually alongside Bob Maher), though for the most part only history buffs still remember. I wouldn't be surprised if the DCI wouldn't back down just to make an example; that was a pretty harsh era from what I recall/have read.
Group D-5 Fruits Basket vs. The Irresponsible Captain Tylor Vote for: Irresponsible Captain Tylor Fruits Basket is fun, but I don't feel like the characters become interesting until later in the series. Justin Ueki Tylor, on the other hand, is immediately entertaining and endearing. Group D-6 Mawaru Penguindrum vs. Macross Frontier Vote for: Mawaru Penguindrum Macross never did much for me, and it doesn't help that Ranka Lee is annoying. Penguindrum is something completely different, with a gorgeous style layered over its twists and hooks. Group D-7 Ouran High School Host Club vs. Kimi ni Todoke – From Me To You Vote for: Ouran High School Host Club KnT is a pretty slow show, so although Sawako is immediately endearing, the most important thing that happens is that she talks to somebody. Ouran's fun starts immediately, with an interesting premise and humor everywhere, Group D-8 Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit vs. Claymore Vote for: Moribito Claymore's first episode is actually pretty good. But it doesn't really have a chance here...Moribito's beauty and story trump it on most levels. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18247 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Oh, there's not a shred of doubt in my mind that they were looking to make an example because there were some other prominent cases of points-rigging that came up in the general proximity of this time frame. From what I heard from people who kept on with the tournament scene, I probably would have had a better chance of pleading my case (or at least having a chance to defend myself before punishments were levied, as I was given no warning before the hammer dropped) if the case had come up 2-3 years later. Oh, well. These days my only involvement with the game is the occasional prerelease event. I don't have the time to get back into that scene again even if I did have the money or the interest. |
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Tris8
 Posts: 2114 Location: Where the rain is. |
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Deliberately-chosen match? Hm... was it Moribito vs. Claymore?
Group D-5 Fruits Basket vs. The Irresponsible Captain Tylor Fruits Basket's first episode is a lot of fun, with antics between Yuki and Kyo, and Shigure stirring the pot. But it doesn't abandon fleshing out its characters or story for the sake of comedy, and the hook at the end is unexpected (if you don't know what's coming) and quite entertaining. Group D-6 Mawaru Penguindrum vs. Macross Frontier The arguments for Mawaru Penguindrum have convinced me. Plus, the premise just sounds really interesting. Having penguins as a theme? I'm there. Group D-7 Ouran High School Host Club vs. Kimi ni Todoke – From Me To You Ouran High School Host Club is one of my favorite series. It embraces cliche character types and parodies them, never forgetting to laugh at itself. Tamaki's over-the-top reactions, Honey's over-the-top cuteness, and Haruhi's over-the-top obliviousness never fail to make me laugh. Group D-8 Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit vs. Claymore[/quote] I haven't seen Claymore, but it would have to be one hell of an episode to beat Moribito. Moribito's first episode is one of my all-time favorites, with great action, interesting premise, an insightful and intelligent lead, and one of my favorite themes: political intrigue. This is a powerhouse of a first episode. |
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Dorcas_Aurelia
 Posts: 5344 Location: Philly |
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Vote in D-7 made.
Group D-5 Fruits Basket vs. The Irresponsible Captain Tylor Thoughts: Fruits Basket is a nice story with a pleasant introduction. We meet the world's nicest high school girl, see the hardships she cheerfully puts up with, and then meet several of the Sohmas, who provide her with lodging when her temporary living accommodations are destroyed. We get a brief hint that the Sohmas aren't just isolated, but special, before the end of the episode introduces the nature of the most adorable curse ever. I've only ever seen the first episode of Tylor, but I do want to see the rest of it someday. The way the title character bumbles his way into the captainship of the motliest rag-tag crew in the navy is charming and humorous. And then there's the little thought in the back of your mind: is Tylor really just that lucky, or is he much smarter than he lets on. I'm giving a slight edge to Tylor because, comparing just the introductory episodes, the stakes look like they could be a little bit higher in that series. Voting for: Irresponsible Captain Tylor Group D-6 Mawaru Penguindrum vs. Macross Frontier Thoughts: I HATE YOU KEY! That aside, Penguindrum is quite special. The mysterious illness Mawari is dying from is a little cliche, as is her revival through supernatural means. Until you look a little harder at the details. The transformation sequence is (I won't say FABULOUS because that's Star Driver's meme) spectacular and captivating, and the rest of the episode is no slouch in the visual department, either. There are clear indications that there are layers of depth below the surface, and the symbolism and philosophy it touches aren't just to look pretty. While Macross Frontier can't really compete in the realm of depth, the animation and art easily holds its own, and the music is even more exhilarating. When I first watched Macross Frontier (the Deculture Edition), I had zero familiarity with the franchise, and only limited interest in mecha series in general. Frontier enthralled me to such an extent that not only did I immediately fall in love with the series, I went on to seek out the previous installments of the franchise, including the 25-year old original series. Voting for: Macross Frontier Group D-7 Ouran High School Host Club vs. Kimi ni Todoke Thoughts: Ouran is cute, clever, and funny. The art and animation is self-referential at times, and the jokes like the light bulb thing are pretty original. The twist, if you don't know it going in, is pretty surprising. Kimi ni Todoke is a cute and mildly funny first episode, but it doesn't really stand out much. Voting for: Ouran High School Host Club Group D-8 Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit vs. Claymore Thoughts: The match-up of the strong female fighter protagonist series? Claymore's first episode does belie it's shonen action-adventure series roots, with its intimidating heroine saving a village from a hideous monster. Raki's personality is a little annoying, but his presence allows us to see that Clare isn't just an emotionless monster-killing machine. Moribito has the advantage of it's lead woman starting off as a more rounded character. It also takes a unique (for anime) route and has her be a middle-aged woman who is attractive without being sexual, and is comfortable with her roll in life. Its action scenes aren't quite as thrilling as Claymore's, yet hold up well. Chagum might trigger some warnings of a potentially burdensome child character, but his portrayal avoids raising too many red flags. In addition, beyond just establishing the nature of its world (which Claymore did as well) Moribito has already introduced the major conflict for the series by the end of the first episode, and provides an immediate lead-in to the next episode with Balsa and Chagum's flight from the palace. Voting for: Moribito Last edited by Dorcas_Aurelia on Sat May 19, 2012 10:45 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Key
Moderator
Posts: 18247 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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No, D-8 was the deliberate one. This one was, honestly, random. |
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Dorcas_Aurelia
Posts: 5344 Location: Philly |
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I'm aware, but still... Made my vote in D-7. Underwhelmed by Kimi ni Todoke. Not bad, just only fine. |
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A Mystery
 Posts: 1887 Location: Netherlands |
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Some difficult choices this week! However, the first two shows seem to be the weaker ones (IMO). Okay, let's go!
Group D-5 Fruits Basket vs. The Irresponsible Captain Tylor Voting for: Fruits Basket Viewing history: seen Fruits Basket before. Fruits Basket: I can almost dream this one, haha. Tohru's introduction is quite good, most aspects of her character plus backstory are already shown. She might be a bit too naive, but that didn't turn me off. Some hints about Sohma's family secrets are given. There's comedy and some drama. The opening and ending music fit the series. Animation isn't very good and I remember drowning in Tohru's (too big) eyes the first time I saw the series and Yuki's asymmetric lila hair cut is just too girly. Animation and art style are not top priority for me though. This series does have the zillionth high school setting in anime, but Tohru's friends aren't generic and the Sohma family surely isn't either... and the cliffhanger/twist makes you curious about what's next. The Irresponsible Captain Tylor: Let's see how irresponsible he is! Well, that title is well chosen. The animation is quite good for an old school anime and Tylor is quite funny (and shares my laziness...), though a bit too naughty for my tastes  . My complaint would be the generic space war setting, there's nothing original or interesting about that. Aside from comedy and a bit of action, I don't see this series having a lot of depth judging from the first episode.
Group D-6 Mawaru Penguindrum vs. Macross Frontier Voting for: Mawaru Penguindrum Viewing history: Seen Mawaru Penguindrum before. Mawaru Penguindrum: the big question: are penguins cute? Or do they bring disaster? Er, the first episode is quite emotional, with the sister dying and coming back to life. Shouma and Kanba don't get her back for free, but what they exactly have to do is still unclear. Only that it involves penguins. The characters are likable, the premise interesting. The show seems to have some depth and philosophy, with the talk about fate. Macross Frontier: Our longhaired guy seems to be the protagonist. He seems to not really stand out in his group and is mocked for looking girlish/being from a kabuki family. He meets two girls: a superstar, Sheryl and Ranka (the nyangirl). There's a war going on and his group is participating in it. One of them dies. Ranka is in danger and he decides to save her, using the machine from his dead friend. Okay, that's the gist of what I understood/remembered after watching this episode . He'll probably get higher in rank and better his skills, the two girls will play a big role in his life... but what else? The episode is exciting, the music very good, but the execution is less good than Mawaru Penguindrum's first episode is. Like others have said, the visuals ARE quite awesome. I believe Mawaru Penguindrum doesn't lose in that department though, and during the mecha fight, while it looked gorgeous, I was just wondering who is who and for what reason (summary: what's going on?!) instead of enjoying the 'fireworks'
_______________________________________________ Second viewing: Er, sorry, Dorcas, you're indeed right on a lot of points. But I believe his fellow classmates only adjusted his stunts because well, otherwise the show would suffer from it, right? They cannot ignore him, it's better to play along and make the audience happy. Mawaru Penguindrum is quite good in the visual department and seems to have more depth. The aliens aren't shown to have any emotions, they even behave a bit like bugs. Group D-7 Ouran High School Host Club vs. Kimi ni Todoke – From Me To You Voting for: Ouran High School Host Club Viewing history: Seen both. Ouran High School Host Club: Aw, I like both episodes in this match up! I mean this one’s very funny, the second one is better in the emotional department. The high school setting is more original than Kimi ni Todoke's. Scratch 'very funny', after multiple rewatches I still find it hilarious. The male characters aren't fleshed out yet, except for Tamaki (the light bulbs clearly show how clueless he can be), but there hasn't been enough time for that and they're meant to be a bit stereotypical. The main female lead, Haruhi, however is well introduced: down-to-earth, clever, sympathetic, ambitious and not afraid to speak up. Kimi ni Todoke: Sawako is so cute. Her scary facial expressions are priceless. There’s already character development in the first episode: loner Sawako opens up and makes a beginning in making new friends and even in love (although she hasn’t realized it yet, lucky bastard). We already see a glimpse of Yano&Yoshida (loving that), but it primarily focuses on Sawako and Kazehaya. When comparing these two episodes, I believe that while both are quite girly in theme and execution, Kimi ni Todoke is not for the people who cannot handle sweet stuff at all. Sawako IS naive, clueless, hard working, 100% good natured and all, Kazehaya seems like a perfect guy. OHSHC is a parody of the reverse harem genre, which makes it easier to swallow for a wider audience. And Haruhi is a better lead, IMHO. Group D-8 Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit vs. Claymore Voting for: Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit Viewing history: Seen Moribito. Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit: Balsa is a rare kind of woman in anime: strong both fysical and mental, kind, very attractive, yet not too sexualized and almost thirty. Though just like Claymore, there a lot of questions at the end (what exactly is the thing in Chagum’s belly), it is clearer what the central conflict in the series is about. The animation is very good, just like the music, world building and the character designs are not over the top. Claymore: Wow, now I see why Key paired these up haha! At first I didn’t see any real faults in both episodes except that Claymore has bleaker colours… but Dorcas Aurelia made quite strong arguments here for why Moribito should win. While I don’t mind it that much if characters let their emotions get the better of them, Raki IS a bit of a crybaby, though his shock after seeing the demon-disguised-as-his-dead-brother die by the hands of Clare whas very realistic. Clare is quite a fierce character, yet seems to be the silent apathic type that does have some emotions. I prefer Balsa. Last edited by A Mystery on Mon May 21, 2012 4:35 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Dorcas_Aurelia
Posts: 5344 Location: Philly |
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Alto does stand out in his group, as it's made abundantly clear that his ambition is to find a place where he can fly as high as he likes without restriction, something his fellow classmates don't mind. This is further expanded when he attempts an unauthorized stunt during the concert and the others adjust their stunts accordingly. Also, he's not part of the military faction that fights off the aliens at this point, which you can tell because Luca and Mikhail get a call to scramble, and Alto is left behind. Your predictions of the future plot of the series are as broad and only as accurate as if one were to extrapolate Mawaru Penguindrum's plot would be about Shoma and Kyo discovering the Penguindrum and saving their sister's life. Wondering who is whom during the dogfight/battle might be a legitimate complaint if at this point of the series it weren't clearly just humans vs aliens and which ship is piloted by which individual mattered. By the time Alto gets into a Valkyrie, it's a one-on-one fight. |
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A Mystery
Posts: 1887 Location: Netherlands |
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Well, it's clear that on first viewing, only a portion of all information has entered my brain (I heard that especially in lectures, listeners only remember a small part of it afterwards) I will review it tonight, to properly give an answer (no time right now).
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mow123
 Posts: 339 |
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Knew about the Key and MTG ban since even before I joined the threads. The DCI was just looking for blood at the time. Just bad timing and you happened to hang around the wrong crowd.
Group D-5 Fruits Basket vs. The Irresponsible Captain Tylor Vote for: Irresponsible Captain Tylor Tylor is an immediately endearing and likable character. Him alone makes you want to continue on and see what great things lie ahead in his future. Fruit Basket had a somewhat dull opening episode. Group D-6 Mawaru Penguindrum vs. Macross Frontier Vote for: Mawaru Penguindrum Both are good, but Penguindrum is something entirely different while Macross F is more of a slight twist on an old genre. The main female lead in both shows also made the difference for me. The stark difference in the personalities within the one character makes for fun times. Group D-7 Ouran High School Host Club vs. Kimi ni Todoke – From Me To You Vote for: Ouran High School Host Club Ouran is more my type of show. KNT has too much relying on one character and desperately tries to make a connection between you and the audience. It desires sympathy while OHSHC is plain ol fun and down right spoiled when it comes to animation and writing as far as shojo goes. Group D-8 Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit vs. Claymore Vote for: Moribito Moribito's first episode is awe inspiring; I will write more in the later round. Moribito is the type of first episode that deserves to go very far. The writing, likable characters, interesting story, and setting are all there. Add in some awesome animation and some top notch voice work and Claymore is utterly outclassed. |
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infiltration.cru
 Posts: 321 |
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Group D-5
Fruits Basket vs. The Irresponsible Captain Tylor So ok, Fruits Basket really surprised me. It had a lot more interesting nuances than I imagined. The protagonist is easy to sympathize with and the show sports an interesting cast. But Captain Tylor is still a notch more entertaining. It's sci fi, it's got an old school feel to it and has potential and displays where the goofball humor is headed. Vote for: The Irresponsible Captain Tylor. Group D-6 Mawaru Penguindrum vs. Macross Frontier I've never seen any Macross series , neither have I watched Mawaru Penguindrum for more than the first episode. Macross does well in setting up an interesting world and characters that may become interesting at some point. Other than that it's pretty much the standard first episode of a mecha show. And annoying singing. Really annoying. Mawaru Penguindrum is really imaginative. It's not just the over the top visuals or the penguins. I remember how relieved I was when I found out that the little sister was only Shonen Jump-dead. It's really rare for any series to pack that much of an emotional punch in its first episode. Vote for: Mawaru Penguindrum. Group D-7 Ouran High School Host Club vs. Kimi ni Todoke – From Me To You Two series that I may watch to cool my head off. While Kimi Ni Todoke starts out pretty much as a standard high school romantic comedy with an almost sociophobic lead, Ouran High School Host Club presents a likeable lead and a cast of rather over the top characters and some - admittedly not very deep - notions about class and gender. Since I actually liked both first episodes I can't really decide for a vote and therefore I'll go by details. This is where KnT loses because of its weak willed protagonist whereas OHSHC's MC seems more in control and aware of herself. Vote for: Ouran High School Host Club. Group D-8 Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit vs. Claymore This is really easy. While Claymore has an entertaining opener and is a quite fun series over all, Moribito just oozes with quality right from the get go. So much happens in the first episode without it being rushed. Also the characterization of Balsa is superb, we learn so much about who she is just by watching her act and hearing her speak about anything. Furthermore the anymation is incredibly good and everything just looks so vivid, I can't stop looking at it. Vote for: Moribito - Guardian Of The Spirit. |
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Spastic Minnow
 Bargain HunterExempt from Grammar Rules  Posts: 4617 Location: Gainesville, FL |
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Group D-5
Fruits Basket vs. The Irresponsible Captain Tylor Vote for: Fruits Basket Objectively I can see that the set up and comedic possibilities of Captain Taylor are very promising and that makes me want to vote for it, Subjectively I personally don't find him more than chuckle worthy and think his schtick could actually end up annoying me and that makes me want to vote against it. The tie-breaker is the same problem A Mystery has, the cliche war setting, You'd have to be blind not to see what’s going on here. Fruits Basket may not be among the strongest contenders in the tourney but it is a very good set-up and Tohru’s story is a touching one- if a bit over the top in its shojo-ness Group D-6 Mawaru Penguindrum vs. Macross Frontier Vote for: Mawaru Penguindrum Tremendous design, wonderfully weird story elements, a great piece of genuine tragedy whose gravity is felt despite only being introduced to the characters in this one single episode, which emphasizes how strongly the characters are presented at an early point. Macross Frontier’s first episode is a very good example of its mecha outline but it still a very standard one, especially if you’ve ever seen another Macross series and the characters are so far rather weak. Group D-7 Ouran High School Host Club vs. Kimi ni Todoke – From Me To You Vote for: Kimi ni Todoke I’m a bit confused as to why there are so many arguments that KnT and Sawako are “standard,” I don’t understand that at all. Sawako’s social handicaps but endearing kindness in the face of such thoughtless cruelty makes her a very unique character to me. Yes, there are characters in anime like her in anime, just go up two matches above to find one a little like her later in Fruits Basket, but they are usually a funny supporting character and never so thoroughly conceived as Sawako is even in her first episode. I just rewatched Ouran’s first episode last night and it is indeed a very pleasant first episode, it had me smiling throughout, but to me it is just a pleasant show, whereas KnT comes off as truly special to me. Group D-8 Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit vs. Claymore Vote for: Moribito I was going to wait to vote until I saw the first episode of Claymore, which I still plan on doing tonight, but I wanted to get my word in on KnT now rather than later but it doesn’t look like Claymore is going to present much of a challenge to the easily praised first episode of Moribito. A feature of the first episode I really love is the way it concludes, how very serious it feels and how the decision isn’t taken lightly at all. You really know you’re in for something special and well thought out from the beginning. |
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The Naked Beast
 Posts: 1028 Location: A Blue Planet |
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Group D-5
Fruits Basket vs. The Irresponsible Captain Tylor This first episode does a great job of introducing the ever positive Tohru and her living situation. Her "chance" meeting with her classmate, Yuki, and his cousin, Shigure, is quickly brushed as she revels in the Chinese Zodiac animals before her. The episode does a great job of balancing comedy, drama, emotional depth, and introductions. Kyo, being one of my favorite characters from the series, makes his entrance in a very dramatic (and destructive) manner. To bring an end to the episode, Tohru accidentally stumbles upon the super, secret Sohma family curse. My vote goes to: Fruits Basket. Group D-6 Mawaru Penguindrum vs. Macross Frontier Not having any legal streams does make this hard to pick. But I am going with Mawaru Penguindrum. Penguins are involved somehow and you rarely see penguins in anime. There is support for the emotional pow to the episode. Everything about the series I have heard about this and [i]Macross Frontier[/u] have been good. In the end, my vote goes to: Mawaru Penguindrum. Group D-7 Ouran High School Host Club vs. Kimi ni Todoke – From Me To You The series itself may even be considered a "character." In the beginning, you have an arrow pointing out the super expensive vase to the audience which Haruhi still breaks accidentally. The light bulbs where each main character figures out Haruhi's secret, the depiction of the super rich, the duties of a host, and Tamaki's clueless-ness and his over-the-top character make this a very memorable episode. Oh yeah, and the twincest. My vote goes to: Ouran High School Host Club. Group D-8 Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit vs. Claymore Great backgrounds, visuals, and animation; a very likeable, strong, seasoned; a rarely seen middle-aged female lead, and a great adventure make this a very hard-to-beat first episode. Oh, and you rarely see spears as a main weapon. Balsa brings a lot of impact to the episode with everything she does in the episode especially with her saving Chagum and agreeing to be his guardian. My vote goes to: Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit. |
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Key
Moderator
Posts: 18247 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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With six hours left and 4-6 more votes expected, D-7 and D-8 are already decided and D-6 is very close to it. D-5 is still entirely up for grabs, however, with the two participants separated by a single vote right now.
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