Forum - View topicBest First Episode Tournament: Post-Mortem
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18182 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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EDIT NOTE: This tournament has now concluded, with Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit as the winner. See page 38 for details.
First episodes typically set the pace and tone for the series. They are the attention-catchers which draw viewers in and get them hooked but can also be quality works in their own right. In this tournament the first episodes which do the best job at drawing viewers in and setting up their respective series, while also being powerhouses as standalone efforts, will be judged. Judging Criteria: All contestants are expected to be judged irrespective of the overall quality of their source series, as this is a tournament to judge how a series starts, not how it ultimately plays out. Episodes should be evaluated on their merits as a standalone production as well as their merits as an introduction to their series. In the former case, factors such as production quality, writing quality, entertainment value, and emotional appeal (if applicable) should be considered. In the latter case, factors such as how well the episode sets up its series and how effectively it encourages viewers to continue on with the series should be considered. Please avoid voting solely on which episode you liked more or know better, as this tournament is not intended to be a popularity contest. (Using “liked more” as a tiebreaker when merits are otherwise equal is still iffy but more acceptable.) Tournament Rules/Standards: 1. This is a single elimination tournament using a standard advancement bracket. 2. Advancement is determined by receiving a plurality of votes in a given match-up. In the event of a tie, all tying participants advance. 3. The field is divided into four lettered Groups, each representing one of the four major branches of the bracket. 4. Each voting phase will last exactly one week, beginning and ending at midnight Tuesday EST (i.e. GMT-4). No votes posted after the cut-off time will be accepted, even if an official end to the round hasn’t yet been announced. 5. Any registered forum member with posting privileges is allowed to vote, regardless of whether or not you’ve participated in any previous round, Group, or tournament. However, you must vote for all match-ups in a particular week for any of your votes to be counted. 6. Because the first round Groups will be much smaller this time, all votes must be justified. (Please note that this is a major change from past tournaments.) 7. Key is the final arbiter of the tournament and Dorcas_Aurelia is the final arbiter of the accompanying minigame. (If you don’t already know what it is then it’s too late to get involved now.) NOTE: Since this tournament is being run on an English-language site based in North America, official English spellings, title translations, and naming conventions will be observed in any case where it matters. References Since voters are not expected to know everyone going in, a Guide which briefly describes each character is being provided. These entries are linked to the names of the series and will contain a picture, other assorted details, and a link to a legal stream of the first episode in question if one is available. Use these as necessary to familiarize yourself with characters before voting. Round Links Round 1 Group A part 1 Group A part 2 Group B part 1 Group B part 2 Group C part 1 Group C part 2 Group D part 1 Group D part 2 Round 2 Group A Group B Group C Group D Round 3 (Group Semifinals) Group A&B Group C&D Round 4 (Group Finals) All Groups Round 5 Semifinals Round 6 Finals Last edited by Key on Thu Aug 02, 2012 3:28 pm; edited 19 times in total |
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Key
Moderator
Posts: 18182 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Round 1 Group A Part 1 is now closed.
Results can be seen here. And so it begins! Unlike in previous tournaments, the first round is running only four match-ups per week to enable voters dedicated to making the most informed votes a chance to view all relevant first episodes. To offset how much longer this will make the first round last, the second round fields will be twice the size. Group A-1 Eden of the East "I Picked Up A Prince" vs. Full Moon "I Want To Sing" Group A-2 Bakemonogatari "Hitagi Crab: Part 1" vs. Skip Beat! "And The Box Was Opened" Group A-3 His and Her Circumstances "Her Circumstances" vs. Last Exile "First Move" Group A-4 Azumanga Daioh “Child High School Student / She's a Prodigy / Scary Maybe? / Wildcat Tomo-chan! / The Osakan Gal” vs. Monster "Herr Doctor Tenma" Last edited by Key on Mon Apr 02, 2012 11:48 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Errinundra
Moderator
 Posts: 6523 Location: Melbourne, Oz |
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Group A-1
Eden of the East "I Picked Up A Prince" vs. Full Moon "I Want To Sing" Viewing history: I watched the first episode of Eden of the East over a year ago on the Madman Screening Room and never got around to continuing with the series. This is my first exposure to Full Moon o Sagashite. Is the first episode good enough to entice me to watch the rest of series? Obviously not with Eden of the East even though Kenji Kamiyama is one of my favourite directors. Probably not with Full Moon o Sagashite. I expect both will remain forever unwatched because there will always be anime with a higher priority for me. Both openers have their moments but neither is particularly outstanding. I’m voting for Full Moon o Sagashite because I was genuinely moved when Kouyama Mitsuki began singing for the judging panel and I liked the seiyuu’s non-anime standard speaking voice. (By the way, how on earth is a 12 year old going to cope with a 16 year old’s hormones?) Its premise of a girl who can look death in the eye and pursue her dream wins over the vague hints in Eden of the East. Group A-2 Bakemonogatari "Hitagi Crab: Part 1" vs. Skip Beat! "And The Box Was Opened" Viewing history: First exposure to both. Is the first episode good enough to entice me to watch the rest of the series? No for both. I’m voting for Bakemonogatari because of its more interesting visual presentation – that style of male character designs in Skip Beat! gives me the creeps. Best moment in either episode is when Kyoko Mogami throws the take-away dinner at Sho, thereby heeding my silent encouragement. It wasn’t enough to get it past Bakemonogatari, though. Group A-3 His and Her Circumstances "Her Circumstances" vs. Last Exile "First Move" Viewing history: First exposure to His and Her Circumstances. I have the full Last Exile series on fansubs. Is the first episode good enough to entice me to watch the rest of the series? Possibly for His and Her Circumstances. Definitely for Last Exile. I really enjoyed the first episode of His and Her Circumstances. It’s a shame it isn’t up against one of titles from A1 or A2 as it’s superior to all four. It loses out to Last Exile, though. I remember when my nephew showed me scenes from the episode some years ago. I was so gobsmacked by the sight of the flying battleships I asked him to lend me his fansubs of the series, which he kindly did and later provided copies. Group A-4 Azumanga Daioh “Child High School Student / She's a Prodigy / Scary Maybe? / Wildcat Tomo-chan! / The Osakan Gal” vs. Monster "Herr Doctor Tenma" Viewing history: I previously watched the first episode of Azumanga Daioh and, even though it’s on my want-to-watch list, somehow I never get around to it. Monster is another of the fansubs my nephew kindly gave me. I have watched the series right through once. Is the first episode good enough to entice me to watch the rest of the series? Perhaps with Azumangah Daioh. Definitely with Monster. Again, we have two strong contenders. Certainly Azumanga Daioh is a lot of fun and I’m sure I’ll get around to it one day but that just doesn’t cut the mustard against Monster, which had me ensnared before the first episode was half way through. **** If I had my way the four titles to progress from this group would be His and Her Circumstances, Last Exile, Azumanga Daioh and Monster but, sadly, that isn’t possible the way the tournament is structured. |
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Tris8
 Posts: 2114 Location: Where the rain is. |
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Group A-1
Eden of the East "I Picked Up A Prince" vs. Full Moon "I Want To Sing" Eden of the East gets my vote here. This episode is so amusing yet intriguing; it really draws you in. One of the things that really caught my attention when I first saw this first ep is the character design for Saki. I really hated the ending for this series and it was a big disappointment, but I found the first ep to be fabulous and I couldn't wait to watch the next. Group A-2 Bakemonogatari "Hitagi Crab: Part 1" vs. Skip Beat! "And The Box Was Opened" Argh, I really don't want to vote against Skip Beat.... but Bakemonogatari has the better first ep imo. It's not until the end of the episode for Skip Beat does it really get rolling, and we only get a small taste of the new and strong Kyoko and what's yet to come. In Bakemonogatari, we get a full blast of Hitagi Senjougahara by the first ep. She is confident without being cocky, and borderline crazy. But the mystery of what could drive her to that level of defensiveness and what exactly is ailing her is what earns my vote. Group A-3 His and Her Circumstances "Her Circumstances" vs. Last Exile "First Move" Last Exile, no doubt. The world it begins to build is already intricate and magnetic by the first episode. The fantastical setting alone would be enough to keep me watching, but they did the unthinkable and threw in a fast-paced interesting story, guaranteeing me being hooked. Group A-4 Azumanga Daioh “Child High School Student / She's a Prodigy / Scary Maybe? / Wildcat Tomo-chan! / The Osakan Gal” vs. Monster "Herr Doctor Tenma" Both these episodes were really good, but neither of them gave me the feeling of 'I have to go watch the next one right now!' I am voting for Azumanga Daioh because it stands on its own very well, is hilarious and you can already see the unique personalities of the characters by the first ep. Not to mention the opener; the song is very different and an attention grabber, and the sequence equally weird yet kinda catchy and cute. |
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Ggultra2764
 Subscriber Posts: 3872 Location: New York state. |
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Okay, let's get the ball rolling...
Match A-1: Eden of the East, "I Picked Up a Prince" Gonna be difficult for this to get picked off easily as it delivers all the goods you can expect for an effective opening episode: excellent visuals, Saki as your cute and likeable heroine, Akira the mysterious and charismatic hero, an opening song by Oasis and enough engaging elements to suck you into the next episode with the mystery surrounding Akira and the missile attacks seen at the end of the episode. Match A-2: Bakemonogatari, "Hitagi Crab, Part 1" Shaft's unique visual presentation with this episode, the unconventional style of its character conversations and Senjougohara's borderline psychotic personality added enough elements to engage me into wanting to see more of Bakemonogatari thus I shall pitch a vote in for the series. Match A-3: Last Exile, "First Move" I like His and Her Circumstances better as a series. But in terms of having a first episode that hooks you into wanting to see more of what a title has to offer, I have to go with Last Exile. The CG animation used in the rendering of the various airships and planes look great on the eyes and are quite the sight to see animated, especially when Van and Lavie fly right into the aerial battle with Disith and Anatoray for their courier mission. It also gets you curious of the world of the series with its blurring of early 20th century technologies and Victorian era dress and hooks you into seeing what will happen to Lavie and Claus into the next episode with the risky mission they are getting into. Match A-4: Azumanga Daioh, “Child High School Student / She's a Prodigy / Scary Maybe? / Wildcat Tomo-chan! / The Osakan Gal” While Monster does offer up a decent look into the moral conflict faced by Dr. Tenma in its opening episode, it doesn't offer much to tempt you into watching the next episode nor did I find it to be too memorable to stand on its own compared to later episodes of the series. Being the series that helped kick start the now stagnant "high school gal pals" approach to the slice-of-life comedy genre (subjective opinion, but it's how I feel about many titles of its type nowadays), Azumanga Daioh's first episode is effective in introducing you to the title's style of humor as the series introduces several of the prominent characters and their quirks which are quite funny and have enough memorable moments in them to allow the episode to stand on its own. Key, is it gonna be mandatory to add in the episode title along with the anime we choose to vote for? |
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mow123
 Posts: 339 |
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I knew Bakemonoatari was going to put up a tough fight, but I am taken aback by the fact that it is shutting out Skip Beat. Skip Beat may spend some time winding up its punch for the big knockout hit at the end, but that hook is incredibly strong -- strong enough to get to finish it out in just 2 weeks off of Crunchyroll. Bakemanogatari had a solid first episode, but it really wasn't until the later episodes do we delve into the deeper levels of personality of each character each burdened with their own insecurity or borderline psychosis-like aliment does it truly get interesting. Also the plot and themes of Bakemogatari really don't get established in the first episode; we are treated to a unique style of animation and some interesting stylistic elements, but that's about it.
In my mind, Skip Beat has the stronger first episode, but I will be the first to admit that Bakemonogatari puts up a hell of fight and it definitely has its own merits. |
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Key
Moderator
Posts: 18182 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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No, just the series names are fine. Concerning A-2: I think Bakemonogatari's dominance is more an indicator of how it makes an immediate impression as something excitingly different, whereas Skip Beat! is fairly bland until its big hook at the end comes up. (Yes, I saw both when they first came out.) Admittedly it's a strong hook, but that isn't enough against capable competition. SB isn't the only series which got into the tournament about which that can be said, so I suspect that's going to be a common early deciding factor. Concerning A-3: I am a little surprised that Last Exile is making such a strong early showing. It certainly has catchy style points, but I don't remember its first episode being that memorable. It's been several years since I saw either the first episode of it or the first ep of its competition, but His and Her Circumstances, despite distinctly inferior technical merits, left far more of a lasting impression. It strikes bold and fresh ground in its characterization of Yukino and gives a feel that you're going to see something completely different in a storytelling sense - but I guess the contrast here is that LE does that in a visual sense. Should be an interesting match to watch play out. I'm going to use the above as my justifications for my eventual votes in A-2 and A-3. I'm going to wait on actually casting votes until later in the week, as I haven't yet gotten around to the first ep of Full Moon. (It will have to be absolutely dazzling to beat out EotE, though, which I consider one of the tournament's stronger contenders.) |
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Spastic Minnow
 Bargain HunterExempt from Grammar Rules  Posts: 4609 Location: Gainesville, FL |
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Eden of the East "I Picked Up A Prince"
vs. Full Moon "I Want To Sing" Voting For: Eden of the East After watching Full Moon I was a bit surprised it even made the tourney. I figure a really great first episode has to have some sort of cross-over appeal but it very much felt like a typical fantasy fulfillment tale. Yes, it has an extra bit of darkness but there was nothing in it that I think would convince a person who isn’t already a fan of the theme of the show to continue. Eden of the East though, has comedy, intrigue, and a pair of characters with instant chemistry. It looks good and presents an interesting world immediately, that is alike but not completely like our own. There are so many ways for the first episode to hook you. Group A-2 Bakemonogatari "Hitagi Crab: Part 1" vs. Skip Beat! "And The Box Was Opened" Voting For: Bakemonogatari I want to double check Bakemonogatari and may change my vote here but as I remember it, its first episode’s style intrigued me like no other and I have to go with it. On the other hand, Skip Beat is the only show whose first episode I first watched during the nomination period that not only impressed me but actually had me marathon the show in question within a few days. So I may revisit this match but I wanted to vote now so I could make my dissenting vote on the next match... [If anyone is interested, I did revisit Bakemonogatari and my vote stands and is strengthened. Yes, Kyoko is a fantastic character- but she is just about the only really great thing about the first episode (as is later confirmed for the series as a whole). Bakemonogatari has a female almost as intriguing, a lot of tantalizing peaks into back story that you hope to learn about, and an unrivaled design sense that gives me goosebumps. And while Skip Beat's first ep. inspired a marathon, IIRC, so did Bakemonogatari initially.] Group A-3 His and Her Circumstances "Her Circumstances" vs. Last Exile "First Move" Voting For: His and Her Circumstances Back when I watched Last Exile on G4 it got an annoying release schedule. It originally didn’t play all the way through, but roughly in thirds, separated by months. This emphasized a problem with the show as a whole and especially the first episode, it can be really confusing. Because of that confusion I ended up having to rewatch the beginning to remind myself what was going on. But to focus on the first episode. That battle makes no sense! You don’t understand a bit of it, who are these combatants? Why are they paying heed to “The guild” and why they hell would anyone every have air battles that utilize musket firing lines? If these ship captains were presented as the core of the story it might work better- you’d get the idea that the battle “matters” and you’ll get to understand these battles, but it’s clear that Claus and Lavie are the heart of the show and these guys are just a flashy assignment. It all looks cool but that does not make it a “best” episode. His and Her Circumstances though, has a great episode, that can trick someone who might not originally like Shojo into not realizing what they’re watching can be called “a girly show.” It’s fast-paced, stylish and humorous. It is NOT (apparently) about a girl falling in love, it’s about a very weird girl, a schemer, a narcisist you can actually like, a true original. The only drawback is that it does feel a little incomplete for a first episode, it feels like you must continue to keep getting the story. In that way and others it’s like its later shojo progeny, Skip Beat. Both have a seemingly sweet girl with a dark side and a first episode that immediately makes you want to watch the continuation. Last Exile made me hope that it would start making sense sooner rather than later. Group A-4 Azumanga Daioh “Child High School Student / She's a Prodigy / Scary Maybe? / Wildcat Tomo-chan! / The Osakan Gal” vs. Monster "Herr Doctor Tenma" Voting For: Azumanga Daioh Monster had some intrigue, a good set-up, but it was only a set-up that didn’t really hint at what kind of show it would be. It doesn’t discourage me from watching more but I feel no compulsion to continue. Azumanga Daioh, has charm pouring out all over. The first episode isn’t the strongest of the show, it feels a little disjointed and its segues are a little awkward but as a first episode it still gives you plenty to entice you to continue watching it as a comedy with an interesting style and very very distinctively weird characters. Last edited by Spastic Minnow on Mon Apr 02, 2012 3:01 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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P€|\||§_|\/|ast@
 Posts: 3498 Location: IN your nightmares |
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I not only truly believe Full Moon is one of the strongest contenders in the tournament, I am firmly convinced it should make it into the semifinals. There are only 2 other anime in existence which I feel deserve the tournament title in it's place and both of them are in the tournament. I'm not trying to disagree with people's impression of the show, I'm just expressing some discourse on how shocking it is that others don't sympathise with just how moving, impressive and inspiring the first episode of Full Moon is. And I TOTALLY disagree this should have something to do with being familiar with the show. I had very low familiarity with the show before watching it. I just happened to acquire a copy of it and watched it, and was completely blown away by the surge of emotion that ensued. I've watched it many times and I'm just as excited and exhilirated from watching it again as I first did, when having no knowledge of the show. In fact even after progressing through the series and actually knowing it well, later episodes don't stand up to the first impression I got from the first episode. Well it's a good series it doesn't need to, I already got hooked because of the amazing 1st episode. Please for those who have not seen it, watch it. don't knock it, it's great. Furthermore, like I said about few anime that tackle the subject of sick children: This is a sensitive subject and I think Full Moon excels on handling it in a cheerful but not too over-sympathizing way, that anyone with a heart and who has ever experienced having a sick loved one should be truly moved and inspired by. If you don't agree, watch it again 
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Key
Moderator
Posts: 18182 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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I have yet to watch Full Moon (although I will definitely do so before casting my vote), but I will point out that it's hardly paired against a lightweight who got in just because of being popular. Eden of the East's first episode is strong in every respect: it has great artistry and technical merits (in fact, probably the only first ep in the tournament that can beat it in those regards is Moribito), it is very well-written, and it establishes interesting characters and an original, intriguing premise. Its premiere earned an average rating of 4.625 out of 5 across four reviewers, making it one of the highest-rated shows (if not the highest-rated show) we've ever previewed since going to assigning number ratings.
FM may be a strong contender, but so is EotE. It's just unfortunate that they got paired up early, but the disadvantage of a field of 64 is that it greatly increases the chance of powerhouse matches in the first round. |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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The episode link in Full Moon o Sagashite's writeup actually just points to the show's ANN Encyclopedia page.
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farichada
 Posts: 303 Location: Wisconsin, USA |
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Perhaps it's region locked. That's what you get for being a pesky foreigner appreciating our, uh ... I mean Japanese animation. Yeah, that's my guess, but I really don't know why the license aren't able to secure streaming rights to all regions. All that legal nonsense causes heart ache for non-American fans. |
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farichada
Posts: 303 Location: Wisconsin, USA |
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Group A-1
Eden of the East "I Picked Up A Prince" vs. Full Moon "I Want To Sing" Eden of the East steals my vote away just like how the main character steals/persuades the pants off of a random Japanese business man. Joking aside, Eden of the East has an exceptionally memorable first episode, and if I wasn't stupid I probably should have taken it much further than I did with my bracket. It is also excitingly strange and different compared to the run of the mill anime first episode. The episode makes you wanting to see more as it paints picture of mystery and intrigued paired with memorable characters and a distinct art/animation style. Plus what better way to start an episode than to have Japanese naked man with a cell phone in front of the White House. Perhaps, I am a little biased on that last point, but this first episode is still a titan among its peers. Group A-2 Bakemonogatari "Hitagi Crab: Part 1" vs. Skip Beat! "And The Box Was Opened" Arrrrg matey, yes Bakemonogatrai's first ep is unique, but Skip Beat has the better first episode just because it's setup and strong hook at the end are so memorable where with Bakemonogatari all I remember it was very different and atypical and had a hell of a female lead. Speaking of hell of a female lead, what was the saying hell hath no vengeance like a woman scorn or in other words better not piss off this b**** or she is going to punish you with her wrath for the rest of your life. Both first episodes are impressive, but Skip Beat's first episodes didn't only make me marathon the whole series in 2 days; I also remember a lot more of the details then the much less straight and memorable first episode of Bakemonogatari, Plus is Bakemonogatari's first episode that great when the biggest specific detail from that episode that I remember is that the show opened with what seems like a 10+ second long panty shot? Not my cup of tea...... Group A-3 His and Her Circumstances "Her Circumstances" vs. Last Exile "First Move" Last Exile, without a doubt in my mind. This first episode does a great job of immersing you in the complex and interesting world that this series takes place. I agree with a previous poster that the amazing setting alone would be enough to keep me watching. Add in some adrenaline pumped pacing and an interesting story, and you pretty much guarantee I will watch the whole series. Group A-4 Azumanga Daioh “Child High School Student / She's a Prodigy / Scary Maybe? / Wildcat Tomo-chan! / The Osakan Gal” vs. Monster "Herr Doctor Tenma" I <3 Azumanga Daioh, I really do, but the first episode of Monster has so much content, unfolding mystery, and an excellent setup that it makes me believe this is one of the stronger first episodes in the tournament. Sure, it's not incredibly quirky in a typical anime fashion, but I think it's glorious story telling, realistic and complex setting and premise make it a masterpiece in its first episode and ultimately as a series as a whole. Also for a series that is such srs bisness it really still has a lot of heart even the first episode which had me rooting for Dr. Tenma from the get go. He is probably one of the mature, complex, altruistic, and likable protagonists, and this first episode gives a glimpse of who is and how he just a hardworking good guy in the wrong place at the wrong time that practically makes him fugitive for the rest of the series. Oh, Tenma how I feel for your flight. A masterpiece of a first episode -- everyone must watch it now....... |
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Key
Moderator
Posts: 18182 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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No, that's me putting the wrong link in the wrong place on that Guide entry. I can only correct that from home, though, so it'll be probably six hours before I can get to it. |
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Spastic Minnow
Bargain Hunter Exempt from Grammar Rules Posts: 4609 Location: Gainesville, FL |
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Not arguing against your choice, my vote stated my uncertainty, but... How is Hitagi falling down that spiral staircase and being caught by Koyomi not etched in your memory? That's the single scene that comes to mind most when I think of the episode. Koyomi with a stapler in his mouth also makes for a very strong image. |
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