Forum - View topicKatana Maidens: Toji no Miko (TV).
|
Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3 |
| Author | Message | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Zerreth
 Posts: 207 Location: E6 |
|
||
|
A couple notes before we move onto the 2nd cour if you don't mind.
Toji no Miko's OST went on sale two days ago on amazon.jp and I already ordered it because of how fun the music is. This show really caught my eye because of how well paced the first few episodes were and easily a great example of what great anime original shows can be. A bit of the poorly composited CGI does stand out a bit but I feel like whomever's heading the episodes seems to be remotely aware of how jarring it is and there appear to be many cuts to minimize its exposure. As such, I will say I applaud them for being aware of this issue and hope that this is primarily due to a time constraint and hope the blurays show some improvement. 12.5 was the standard fare recap episode, but we got some extra information in the first half. Primarily, a slightly better explanation of what utsushi is as well as a more overt wording of what Sayaka's special ability is. spoiler[ She can infinite jin'i ] The best way I can describe this show so far is "fun." It reminds me of the first season of Dog Days and what that would feel like if they moved more towards world building instead of what it actually devolved into, a fanservice battle anime that slowly began to affect character personalities as well... I'm just kinda disappointed that this show isn't being talked about more. I don't ever expect it to be Greatest of All Time or anything of that sort, but I feel it sets a very high standard of what you should expect of a any show (not just "girls doing x things") as it executes its concept very well. Here's to hoping that they maintain this quality for the 2nd cour. spoiler[P.S. After ep. 11 I went back to see all of Yume's scenes once again, and they've done a relatively good job of foreshadowing her predicament and keeping her character consistent before she goes all Okita Souji and starts coughing up blood] |
|||
|
|||
DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15495 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
|
||
|
Episode 13
We have had a mid season shift, which kind of looks like what I expected from the show, but at this point we know enough about the characters to actually give a damn about their parts in an organization of battle high school girls that fights monsters, with a looming threat of an outside force. Which the first half had turned around by making the characters primarily on the run from authority figures. Kanami now has some fans, Hiyori is finding directions that she wants to move towards, as a happier person, and Sayaka is coming into her own personality. I was indeed hoping we would get a shift like this, once it had proven that it can be better than similar shows of its ilk. I have seen plenty of other anime where we start off with a bunch of teenage girls already comfortable in roles that the characters are in now, and they tend to feel like too much, with a focus on suddenly introducing a large cast, followed by attempts to personalize each one, and probably a reliance on fanservice. But nothing has been rushed here, and we know the characters now, without feeling like they are just boiled down to immediate display. |
|||
|
|||
|
Zerreth
Posts: 207 Location: E6 |
|
||
|
I thought the parallel to the first episode was clever. Yeah, some assets were reused but it was fairly tasteful. Also, an interesting way to show the shift of the show's focus by giving Kanami the spotlight.
The pacing as usual is on point. Small reveals here and there that help build up the major conflict of the half. Gotta say though, for some odd reason I supremely enjoy all the dream world scenes with Kanami and Minato. There's something about their relationship and interactions that feels very natural. |
|||
|
|||
BodaciousSpacePirate
 Subscriber Posts: 3017 |
|
||
|
Really enjoyed this latest episode. Normally, I feel like shows in this genre would treat these two characters as not important enough to justify devoting an entire episode to the ways in which they interact and perceive one another.
|
|||
|
|||
|
DuskyPredator
Posts: 15495 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
|
||
|
Episode 18
I know it was largely shallow reasons that had me think of Yukari along the lines of Satsuki from Kill la KIll, but the reunion this episode also brought some to mind, with the return of her, now not a villain. And the meeting of an aspect, which strangely caused some pain, but may not be so black and white. The now villains almost had a good moment, that it looked like the innocent girls would be left out of the mess, but then Yomi took part in a really shocking scene in pretty much mascaraing them so they would be used as pawns. It is shocking both at what happened with the girls being bloodied, and that it felt like up till now Yomi was not really any active force of evil rather than keep being pushed around. Meanwhile, due to their absence, I was kind of missing Kaoru + Nene and Ellen, who kind of feel like they have been taking over the show, in a good way. Especially Kaoru, she felt gimmicky before, but I have liked her current role as being forced to work while being lazy, getting yelled at by her boss. |
|||
|
|||
|
DuskyPredator
Posts: 15495 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
|
||
|
Episode 19
Right when they were saying in the beginning that the enemy had made no moves, that they could only wait, and hint that their best weapon was wait for where they turn up, I had the strong feeling that the best thing the enemy could do would be to totally turn that on its head. Making a public announcement, appealing to the public, so that the Toji could not act without an uproar. It is a frustrating development, but on another level I also appreciate it as a move to complicate our heroes action. Like how could kind of wish the heroes make the public call when they were the underdogs. And now I wish that the heroes could put the facts out there that the story is bull, and that director cannot be trusted. The evil director herself, I think is being shown as being pretty crazy. She was dressing the princess up, like she is some pretty flower, while the princess is clearly annoyed by being treated like some doll in being dressed up, but it is using the crazy woman regardless. Does she really not understand that the team she is on leads to death? |
|||
|
|||
|
DuskyPredator
Posts: 15495 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
|
||
|
Episode 20
What was kind of cool about watching this after the recent episode of Grancrest War, was how differently it seemed to handle the idea of having down terrible things, that they might never make up for, but still might be able to turn things around. The comparison especially of how Marrine in that compared to Yomi here, who really comes across as broken and pitiul due to not being able to turn around. But also the whole thing with Yukari and Princess Ichikishima. Yukari at this point wants to set things right, Ichikishima apparently has her beliefs out of validating her own existence, and was actually something that kept Yukari with what sanity she has. The topic of being able to open a dialogue to be able to understand each other was especially good, and even Ichikishima being told that she should have pride in who she is and do what is right. The girl who really wanted to fight Kanami, who was working as a sort of dark reflection of Kanami, not in spite of being cheerful, but I would say even because of it, in how it showed a possible unhealthy and uncontrolled enthusiasm for competition. Maybe that Kanami had been unfairly pushing it onto others. |
|||
|
|||
|
Zerreth
Posts: 207 Location: E6 |
|
||
|
Yomi was by far the weakest developed out of the 4 guards and this second half really helped develop Suzuka and Yomi as characters. By the end of the first half I was admittedly confused as to how passive Yomi seemed throughout the show but now she has more freedom, we can actually see emotion and a better understanding of her character. Still weak (substance wise), but much better. It's interesting to have her in that group of four since they all behave differently regarding the aradama they accepted with her seeming to be the only one who fully accepts everything regarding the operation, good and bad.
I was hoping there would be a bit more from her as a character. It's been very often shown that she's actually not at swordplay but she seems to get offed too easily. |
|||
|
|||
|
SomeHero
Posts: 53 |
|
||
|
I like this one! For some Reasons, Hiyori seems like some ,Han` and Kanami like an ,Luke` Charakter. The most disappointing was the ,Camera to Close to the Girls`. Now ist even more interesting (spoiler[ only that the emper... erm princess Takemi is to overpowerd ], especially with How Yume, Yomi (and Yukari, hey ^^) are now. My favorite Scene: spoiler[ Mai: Sayaka, join the Rebellion! Sayaka: why? Mai: we have Cookies. Sayaka: ok, im in! ]
|
|||
|
|||
|
Zerreth
Posts: 207 Location: E6 |
|
||
|
Episode 21
What the hell. That was a ridiculous amount of material to cover in 23 minutes. While I'm always grateful for the consistent pacing of this show, this is probably the first time I felt that this was way too fast. I almost felt that way around episode 12ish, but with how 13 progressed, I was okay. I figure they obviously have some additional ground they want to cover with the last 3 episodes, but damn that was a blur. Even just extending this show out to 26 episodes to break this episode down into 2 segments may have helped. I know this show doesn't focus too much on the fighting, but this was definitely by far one fight (2 fights?) I really wanted to see drawn out just a little longer. The way they presented future sight was really cool and I'd always been looking for a better presentations of it outside of a shounen-esque monologue or super slow mo which I feel ruins the effect. Minor critique on this week's info dump though. Yukari's explanation of aradama and human potential felt unintentionally comical. The show almost felt as if it was taking those words a bit too literally and her mannerisms and script did not help making it sound less corny. I know that's the character, but I almost feel like the phrasing and the way she talked about aradama potential and human interaction was delivered too seriously, making what should be a somewhat more complicated concept turn into a 2 variable math problem. P.S. Spiderman's got nothing on Kanami. She would do uncle Ben proud. I think we finally see the clearly defined split between Ayumu and Kanami now. |
|||
|
|||
|
DuskyPredator
Posts: 15495 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
|
||
|
Episode 22
Kind of crazy how this was like the big fight for the second half, with everyone doing the "You go on, I will hold them off here". But different in how Kanami is fighting alongside Yukari, and they are sort of going to Hiyori. Also crazy that Yomi is somehow still alive, and still loyal to the worst character who might finally realize she is a piece of work. Has been cool how Nene has been able to help out lately. |
|||
|
|||
|
DuskyPredator
Posts: 15495 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
|
||
|
Episode 24 (finale)
Whew, it is finished. I do think that the finale was a bit too technical in places, and the technical parts of show have mostly been the weakest part of the show. The emotional parts were good, though. It was kind of cool to have the mothers pop up like this after so long talked about. It was a mostly happy ending, and sounded like they are working towards a real happy ending that would require preparation for when the princess gets back, and other aradama could be on better terms, although nothing magical yet. It feels like we went through quite a lot with this series, at first being a tournament, that turned into a fugitive show, that steadily grew the cast, growing characters, to having a big showdown, switching over to trying to help manage everything, the plot of the princesses, and focusing on things like being human and always needing to go a bit further. I have said before, but this could have easily just spent its entire run as battle high school type of show, along the lines of Battle Girl High School, an excuse to have a bunch of girls with various personalities together, that fight monsters. But instead it has actually been much more story focused, and feel like it has made characters earn their development. I know there should be a lot to talk about, and hopefully it is not just because I have finished multiple series already in the last couple of days, but left me feeling a little exhausted, that Katana Maidens has felt like a very extensive series, that real effort was put into making it a varied narrative. By the end, I like quite a few parts that I would even say I really like the mascot character, Nene, who was developed especially well into the second act, and this was me thinking there was no chance I would even care about him after they had the boob thing. But him and his partner, Kaoru, were probably my favourite characters in the show. I give a rating of Good (7/10), which I think the show was brought down a bit from not doing too amazing things at times. Again with some shows recently I found myself tuning out at times, but this was definitely one of the better shows. |
|||
|
|||
|
BodaciousSpacePirate
Subscriber Posts: 3017 |
|
||
|
I'm pretty sure this is the show this past season that I'm most confident I'm going to end up getting on Bluray. This all could have ended up so mediocre, but it didn't, and that's really something that the creators should be proud of!
|
|||
|
|||
|
Joshua Zarate
Posts: 2061 |
|
||
|
That was a nice final episode. Seeing the conversations between Kanami and Hiyori’s mothers were a nice way for them to have closure and the way it was all executed had me feeling down knowing that it was indeed the last episode. This show did things I didn’t expect it to and handled it all with a lot of heart and enough care to present itself as something I feel confident in recommending to those interested in this genre. I had quite a good time with this series and I surely will not forget it for a long time.
|
|||
|
|||
|
Zerreth
Posts: 207 Location: E6 |
|
||
|
This show never overstayed its welcome for me. Something was always moving every episode it felt really nice to have a properly planned out 2-cour series with a finale. It wasn't perfect by any means and there were slip ups and really awkward pieces and progression at points but it was very noticeable that there was a direction to where all of this was going and I like that.
Compared to Princess Principal where it seemed like after they established all the characters then they choose to rush the end game, Toji no MIko was somehow able to create a very strong 1st cour that could have ended right there but pushed forward into territory that usually many shows don't actually dive into (what do you do after you take out the "big baddie"?).
I'm going to have to disagree with that first statement. my biggest fear with this show was that it would "simply" be a battle highschool and honestly, that era has passed and we definitely don't need any more of that. I feel that they're simply not fun. You can incorporate as much world building as you like but ultimately the students return back to school and it's very rigid structure. The first episode that completely overturns the tournament arc trope along with a pretty well executed following 2 episodes of handling being a fugitive along with a very distinct lack of power (society-wise) showed me that this show was going to be special. I don't think it ever reached a level where it changed the way I watch anime, but all shows don't really have to. Overall it was a really strong execution and I hope we get more anime originals like this. My final hope is that they touch up a few of the very poorly composited 3d renders of some of the fight scenes in the blu-rays, Regardless of whether that happens or not I'm going to be buying this series once they're out. My favorite character has to be Yume. Her consistency throughout show up until the big reveal really struck home for me. P.S. I already purchased the OST on release date, and my god the full battle music tracks is so VIBRANT. The ost simply just sounds fun. |
|||
|
|||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group