Forum - View topicREVIEW: Monster DVD Box Set 1
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bleachj0j
 Posts: 925 |
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I'm sorry it wasn't. |
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Prede
 Posts: 388 |
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Personally I enjoyed Death Note , much much more then I am currently enjoying Monster. I mean this show is great, probally the 2nd best anime currently on TV (NTHT is still on SyFy  ) but it cannot deal out the amount of suspense Death Note did, seemingly with ease. This series struggles to create suspense, and at times falls on it's face. Death Note was incredbly good at creating suspense, it rarely even had to try, most of the time it felt like it came naturally to the director, writers, and mangakas IMO. Add onto that the intellegence of the plot, crazy plot devices, and dramatic scenes, and just how damn addictive it was and you have a winner in my book. The originality of the concept is a plus as well. Now my opinion may change as I keep watching this show, but currently I rank Death Note much higher. This show needs to change drastically in order for me to rank it higher then Death Note. As it is though, I really do like it. I currently have it ranked as an 8/10, but it's a high 8. With every episode it aproaches a 9, but so far feels way to contrived for me to rank it any higher. Death Note was a solid 10/10 and made my favorites list. By episode 2 I was on the edge of my seat, and the suspense didn't let up until the nail biting, dramatic (and very satisfying) conclusion.
This series is good at character development and atmosphere. Death Note was the wildest ride I've ever been on. A much better psychological thriller. |
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Kirikiri23
 Posts: 130 |
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http://img.chan4chan.com/img/2009-03-08/1236526611279.jpg Tsk some people |
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walw6pK4Alo
 Posts: 9322 |
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But specifically like Monster, I wonder to what anime you are referring. I was referring to the Legend of the Galactic Heroes, being a large work with a large cast of characters and more finely worked plots and development. Other than that, no series really come to mind. |
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Kirikiri23
Posts: 130 |
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What about K-on? or pokemon? |
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Prede
Posts: 388 |
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Yeah that is the other "grand scale" mature type of show out there, also done by Madhouse btw. But I was just refuring to the anime based on seinen manga that get passed over, in fear that they won't apeal to teenagers. Not any specific show in mind, just that demographic generally. Kirikiri23" How am I trolling? If anything you are, by posting nothing but a link to a picture and a couple of words. The least you could do would be add to the conversation. I was only stateing my opinion , and responding to someone else's opinion. I was not trying to get a rise out of anyone. But it appears you may be trying too though. Especially with your " how about K-on? or Pokemon" response. |
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penguintruth
 Posts: 8467 Location: Penguinopolis |
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Don't depress me by mentioning LoGH. We all know that'll never be licensed. Probably the greatest anime of all time, and most anime fans in North America have never and will never see it.
I'm not sad for myself (I've seen it), but for others. More people should really see it. But yeah, I can see where my anger over the music thing in Monster is a little overboard. I just wish Viz had given the consumer a heads up. It's not about the music itself, but a lack of disclosure. I get flashbacks of Bandai's Zeta Gundam release, which I am still a little butthurt over. |
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DKL
 Posts: 1956 Location: California, USA |
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spoiler[If you look at various people that Johan "commission", he's actually very very specific with what he wants done; I was under the impression that Nina was actually drawn away from her house so that the 2 detectives could do their dirty work unbothered (Tenma showing up wasn't part of the plan, however)... ALSO, remember, Roberto pretty much tells Lunge towards the end that he's not allowed to kill Tenma... I'd assume that this is also something that would fall under Nina as well, since Johan (who believes that everyone in the world will end up killing each other... so he might as well be the last person standing) seems to want to choose the people who will see "the end" (which Roberto isn't allowed to see, despite really wanting to)... now, if you go back to Tenma's conversation with the blind old WWII veteran, Johan told the old man that he values his sister as much as Tenma... etc, etc, etc. Of course, that's not to say that everything always goes as planned: Tenma did shoot Roberto after all.] Anyway, yeah, there are multiple ways to interpret a bunch of things; I just try to link up as much specific observations as possible, but what I like about the story is that it doesn't spoonfeed everything to the audience. That said, in the pantheon of contrived stories, Death Note is actually pretty up there (like, the story involves the police [and all the women in the show] being stupid and Light being smarter than everyone else)... But that's fine; it's a very entertaining show, mostly thanks to Tetsuro Araki's visual inventiveness (where pen-writing, chip-eating and even walking is made as exciting as possible) and humor (in the second to the last episode, the characters had to try to communicate with each other over the turbulence caused by someone's hand writing... I found that really really clever). That said, interestingly, Araki has actually grown up a bit, if Kurozuka and his Aoi Bungaku arc are any indication. |
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Prede
Posts: 388 |
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Yeah I think Viz really should have done the right thing and told fans/customers ahead of time, like how Funimation said they couldn't get the rights to the opening of Speed Grapher. It was wrong for them to just put it out there, with no warning. But I sort of understand their reasoning, although I disagree with it. From their point of view saying anything would make sure people know about the change is background music, and therefore mean they would get less sales. It would be bad press to say something. Also i really don't think they care enough to be bothered. DKL: Yes Death Note has stupid women, and stupid police officers, but it also had intellegent police officers and women. Let us not forget Light's father, or Misora. Both who are incredbly bright in my opinion. And Misa isn't really an airhead either. She may not be a genius, but she's not an idiot. I thought she was very clever at times. I thought it's portral of stupid police officers and smart police officers was realistic. I mean in real life not every cop is as smart as Sherlock Holmes. There can be stupid cops out there. As for the women, I really didn't think the series was trying to paint them all as idiots. Just society in general as stupid. Which sadly I agree with. Not one gender or the other, just people. Last edited by Prede on Mon Jan 04, 2010 10:18 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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vashfanatic
 Posts: 3492 Location: Back stateside |
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...or not buying it = not supporting the release of things that have butchered the original. Maybe it isn't Viz's fault, but I want the original as much as possible in anime. I wouldn't want a stripped off rearranged soundtrack any more than edited video footage. I know it can still be enjoyed that way, but you know what? I don't feel I should encourage this sort of thing by voting with my wallet. Get me the version that aired in Japan, and I'll buy it in a jiffy. Otherwise, this series will be too expensive for me to get a compromised version. |
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Prede
Posts: 388 |
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It's called the R2's. Your welcome to buy them, since you seemed to have seen the series already, and you probally should too... And "butchered"? They (the Japanese studios) rearranged a few tracks, they didn't replace them with songs from the "Backstreet Boys" here. |
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DKL
Posts: 1956 Location: California, USA |
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No, seriously, everyone is stupid (women included for following along with Light ["you can kill me if I'm no use to you"]; the chauvinism in the work isn't exactly subtle... Light even had this one great line early on in the series; went something like "she IS a woman after all"): I'm pretty sure that, in real life, if you're suspected of doing something that big, there's no way people in charge would pussy-foot around (for some reason, spoiler[Light actually has to turn himself in at one point... like they shouldn't have done this earlier?]; even if there isn't sufficient proof, swift action is applied and people's rights are suspended. spoiler[But, you know, the story would end if they just killed Light and then saw what happened; L and his crew have to come up with silly reasoning to keep the plot going] If you wanna see a more realistic picture of "professionals at work", see a Michael Mann or a Mamoru Oshii movie; as is, Death Note, despite my intense like for it, is just edgy entertainment for teenagers. But, you know, if people in the thing were actually smart (L has to hold their hands a lot of the way), there wouldn't be any EPIC (and EPIC is a lot of fun). Anyway, yeah... I like the thing, but not because I believe it's particularly "intelligent". |
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Monadology
Posts: 5 |
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Anyone whose primary criterion for enjoyment is tightly written story with a lack of contrived plot points has no business calling the Death Note ending satisfying. spoiler[Giovanni's shenanigans at the end are ten times as contrived as anything in Monster, much less the convenience and inexplicable foresight involved in Mello's sudden selfless sacrifice. ]
Don't get me wrong, I liked Death Note's ending. I was surprised a show like Death Note ending up actually having edifying content. But that was moral satisfaction that had nothing to do with the fast dissolution of its previously intelligently crafted plot around the Yotsuba arc. Monster has a relatively rough start, but quickly comes together far surpassing Death Note in maintaining a coherent, complex and suspenseful intelligently written plot. Death Note starts off strong but quickly buckles under its own weight. |
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DKL
Posts: 1956 Location: California, USA |
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Hey man, Death Note had an AWESOME ending. I mean, just look at the "acting"; it was AMAZING and the poetic visuals! That said, while we're on the topic, as for works that do a better job of looking down on the stupidity of the human race, there's always stuff by the Coen Brothers and Stanley Kubrick, I think... |
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Monadology
Posts: 5 |
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Oh totally. As a tragedy of human folly and hubris, it was pretty amazing. I didn't mean to come across so unenthusiastic about it. Or rather, what found awesome about it wasn't really relevant. |
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