Forum - View topic

Hey, Answerman! [2009-02-20]

7ThIsGod wrote:

The script is stripped down of the sort of filler and padding that dogs most anime shows and arguably fits 2-4 different series into 27 episodes.

There was a lot of unnecessary material in the program. Most of episode 4, for instance. Wasting time with the different generals when they could have trimmed it down and maintained the same plot progression and even increased the emotional impact. Most of the beginning of the timeskip arc was too padded. The drama with Rossui really could have been trimmed and still had the same relevance. The entire space portion could and should have been a couple of episodes at the most, instead of trying to pull the most out of the deaths of redshirts. And at a certain point it becomes a giant, cartoonish pissing contest.

Fun to watch, no doubt. Just not really anything special.

It had themes that have shown up before...

I might apply a slight tweak to Eureka seveN's ending, just to allow us to see spoiler[Talho and Holland's child].

Top Gun wrote:

I might apply a slight tweak to Eureka seveN's ending, just to allow us to see spoiler[Talho and Holland's child].

I can't resist rolling out my irritation with having bought all of Eureka 7 at near suggested retail. Change the ending? How about we start with episode 36 or 37, whenever it is the story turns into a spoiler[Survivor season, and goes emo-angst-emo-emo-soap-emo-emo-angst-stupid most powerful mecha in existence can't mount a sand dune and then suddenly without explanation is carrying everyone through the woods. No explanation for why they couldn't see the Big Tree before--it just finally appears because otherwise, we would have missed all the pointless episodes previous. Then Renton stands immobile in a library while his sister, whom we never met, explains in detail to us the entire story, not avoiding the opportunity to cover every single theme, just so Renton can regurgitate it to Holland so the audience really, really gets it. That show nose-dived so fast and so far I wanted to throw the whole thing in the trash. There were a few redeeming episodes and scenes toward the end, but overall they should have fired the writers and hired new ones at episode 36. ] There.

I'm not going to bother quoting since it would take too much space, but I have to side with penguintruth about Gurren Lagann. It had the cool factor, without a doubt, but I don't think that it had any sort of amazing themes in it. It had themes that have shown up before, and I definitely don't think it somehow managed to "fit 2-4 shows" into it, and certainly not those of the shows listed. To me, this was a successful attempt by Gainax to make something that was fun to watch, and that's about all there is to it.

It perfectly illustrated the dynamics among the main characters and had a sense of cotidianity that added the necessary backdrop for the events in episode 8.

7ThIsGod wrote:

It perfectly illustrated the dynamics among the main characters and had a sense of cotidianity that added the necessary backdrop for the events in episode 8.

What does this word mean?

I don't know, I suppose my big issue here is that the massive coolness factor almost overshadows the points that the show wants to make.

pparker wrote:

I can't resist rolling out my irritation with having bought all of Eureka 7 at near suggested retail. Change the ending? How about we start with episode 36 or 37 ... There.

I know I've rebutted all of these points once before, so I'm not about to do so again now. But there is one egregious mistake in there. spoiler[The "tree" didn't exist until after the end of episode 49. It was the result of the program in Eureka's collar being executed upon Dewey's death, which attempted to force her to become a new Coralian control cluster to replace that which had been destroyed at the end of episode 48. I thought that was made reasonably clear.] In any case, I still count the show as a complete masterpiece, especially the final few episodes. Best-executed fictional romance I've ever come across in any medium.

Also, try learning what "emo" actually means before stringing it next to itself ten times over.

...I don't even want to respond to that, because I honestly can't tell what the hell you're even specifically referring to in there. But if you're throwing Planetes in the same boat with E7, then I'm just about assured as loving its ending every bit as much as I've loved its first 14 episodes, so that's a big relief.

As for the previous week's question, I don't know that I have any series I think of specifically as "comfort food," because it's been quite some time since I've actually sat down and rewatched anything. I suppose that any of the shows I viewed multiple times back in the day on [adult swim] would definitely qualify. Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Ghost in the Shell, FLCL, FMA, Big O, Samurai Champloo...they all feel like old friends, and I'd gladly pop in a disk of any of them at the drop of a hat.

Top Gun wrote:

...I don't even want to respond to that, because I honestly can't tell what the hell you're even specifically referring to in there. But if you're throwing Planetes in the same boat with E7, then I'm just about assured as loving its ending every bit as much as I've loved its first 14 episodes, so that's a big relief.

Ah, I know I'm too critical, and in a small minority on this one. I expected a different story, and what I got p*ssed me off. That's all. And, yes I expect you'll enjoy Planetes--no Eureka 7 fan I've heard of hasn't.

pparker wrote:

... And, yes I expect you'll enjoy Planetes--no Eureka 7 fan I've heard of hasn't.

I'd actually love to go point-to-point with you, since little brings me more enjoyment than a heated (and most likely pointless ) debate, but I'd find it nearly impossible unless you were able to break down your opinions into more specific details, and since I know you probably don't recall many of them and definitely have no desire whatsoever to re-watch the episodes, I'm certainly not expecting you to.

Oh, and thanks for the agreement on Evangelion. I feel like a lone soldier in that one.

pparker wrote:

Oh, and thanks for the agreement on Evangelion. I feel like a lone soldier in that one.

There is no lone soldier in Evangelion debates. I had to wade thru thousands of thesis-long discussions while that was first coming out. No, no, definitely much much more than one in any side, oh my poor poor tired eyes remember quite well.

I wouldn't normally do this (respond to an Answerfans column a week late in the forums), but I just want to say that Azumanga Daioh is my comfort food animation, it's happy, with well animated, fluffy visuals, the characters are all well realized and likeable, with good development, the music is cheerful, there are just enough indications of the girls' and womens' sexual desire, interest and curiosity to stop them from coming off as innocently moe in that way that makes me want to throw things at the television, and it condoningly portrays a lesbian crush. Finally, there are lots of cats.