Forum

Saturn wrote:

CareyGrant wrote:

there's some Yuri goodness (something we could use more of in anime, in my opinion--Yaoi and BL get huge play) in this gem?

I'm not commenting on your taste or anything, lest I be accused of such, but doesn't yuri pop up AT LEAST as often as yaoi?

Do we have a Yuri paddle? Checkmate... well, not really.

Both the long and short answer are no. What I'd call true yuri/shoujo-ai (relationships beyond common platonic friendships or relationships) is, in my experience, much more fringe and scarce than BL/yaoi, especially in manga (Boy do they ever love their boys in manga).

I think some of this overestimation of yuri's presence in anime is due in no small part to porn's influence/bias on our psyche - can't throw a rock without hitting some kind of girl/girl in porn; two anime girls/women do not a yuri make - which is not the kind of content I'm referring to, but full-on open or non-ambiguous (non-porn, non-fan service) relationships between female characters.

Rio sounds too stupid to me, especially with the mysterious cards and gate thing. I mean, that sounds like something for Yu-Gi-Oh or some other card game-based anime. I think the creators of this show were just confused as to how they wanted this show to go and just mixed in the naughty fanservice genre with the shonen card game factor mixed in.

I also agree on your Canaan review. Canaan helped fill the DTB2-shaped hole in my heart. Rolling Eyes

I only wish the ending could have been better, it reminded me of the ending of The Spirit, which I consider to be a bad thing. I thought the dub was excellent as well.

Quote:

full-on open or non-ambiguous (non-porn, non-fan service) relationships between female characters.

Well, there are--especially in the 2nd half--many heart to heart conversations between the 2 main female characters (Haag & Black), with them waxing poetic about how they "need" each other to exist and how they're incomplete without each other. They hold hands under a dark, starry sky & there's ample hugging between these 2, but you could still call the relationship ambiguous.

I don't think you'll find any blatant yuri relationships here, as you will in another Sentai release, Blue Drop.
(For the record, Canaan doesn't try and ride the yuri-fanservice gravy train, or include highly suggestive quasi-porn yuri scenes; this is not Strawberry Panic by any means Wink

)

A question about the column:

Quote:

I love the liner notes from Right Stuf, where they've taken the time to explain difficult puns and their translation choices for Japanese idioms. I'm also glad those features are on the DVD and not just in the booklet, which is great if you do happen to rent this series.

Just to clarify, are the liner notes also in a printed booklet?

Thanks for the review on Canaan!! That one has been itching at me for some time. I'll take a chance on that series for sure

Sanosuke_Inara wrote:

erinfinnegan wrote:

I'm no yuri expert, but there is a ton of yuri in Canaan.

Wo-ho-ho, saying it has a "ton" is overdoing it a bit, dontcha think? Surprised

There's definitely some, but it's really not that big of a deal in the series.

I was exaggerating a bit. Sure, in the show Maria and Canaan are just really, really close friends in the text, but you can read some serious subtext into it if you're so inclined. They do hold hands and end up in nearly-romantic situations.

ss-hikaru wrote:

Shelf Life seemed really short this time round. I think I'm used to 3 DVD reviews followed by a streaming review (except that recently we haven't really been getting many streaming reviews). I don't know, it just felt short to me (like awwww, it's over already?!)

Maybe that's the way Bamboo was writing it before I took over in 2009, but I find the Shelf Life schedule pretty unforgiving. Because series come out all in one box I often end up having to watch three entire series per week. It's probably unhealthy.

doctordoom85 wrote:

Well, usually when most people say, "video game anime suck", they're talking about traditional video games, not visual novels. I'm not sure about Canaan, but Higurashi is based off a visual novel, hence why people don't mention it as an exception.

Do you get to make choices in those visual novels? Are they game-like or are they just straight-up novels? I guess I could've said "based on games" to include games without video elements...

No choices are made in Higurashi, In 428 (the VN that Canaan was based on), then yes, it has choices. Most VNs typically have some sort of choices made by the player which then differ the route of the game taken.

erinfinnegan wrote:

doctordoom85 wrote:

Well, usually when most people say, "video game anime suck", they're talking about traditional video games, not visual novels. I'm not sure about Canaan, but Higurashi is based off a visual novel, hence why people don't mention it as an exception.

Do you get to make choices in those visual novels? Are they game-like or are they just straight-up novels? I guess I could've said "based on games" to include games without video elements...

The Higurashi visual novels (and this is where someone will come in and say "No, they're sound novels"; just ignore them) don't involve any choices. I think I heard something about mini-games being present in them (presumably for the club activities). But other than that, its a novel with illustrations and sound on a computer screen.

Higurashi is very much an exception to that though. Most visual novels include choices and variant paths. This makes adaptations a bit tricky, since they generally have to make a linear story out of multiple non-linear story branches. This is why two of the Clannad girls had their own alternate universe episodes; there was simply no way to do those AND the main girl's path which was necessary for the main plot of the second series.

My understanding of Canaan is that its not a direct adaptation of a visual novel like most VN adaptations, but instead is a prequel to a visual novel called "428".

Like doctordoom85 said, when people talk about video game adaptations mostly sucking, they aren't including visual novels in that. That's referring to the more traditional type of video games, like Devil May Cry, Star Ocean, Xenosaga, Valkyria Chronicles, etc. Though there are a few like Utawarerumono and Tears to Tiara that straddle the line, due to having more traditional gameplay elements. But anyway, the "video game adaptations suck" rule does not apply to visual novels.

I really like the idea of Rio being the anti-Kaiji. I only caught one episode of Rio (thought it would be fun to watch in a group of people getting very drunk), but I love Kaiji. Kaiji 2 is just as gripping and OTT as season 1. Awesome, Awesome, Awesome!

SakechanBD wrote:

Keichitsu0305 wrote:

By the way, Ms. Erin, the picture you're using is from Season 1. ->http://www.rightstuf.com/1-800-338-6827/catalogmgr/K01VkRA5-2kGsbSuh9/browse/item/86679/4/994/48
This is Season 2->http://www.rightstuf.com/1-800-338-6827/catalogmgr/K01VkRA5-2kGsbSuh9/browse/item/90574/4/994/48

That's my mistake; I'll fix it. Thanks!

You're welcome! ^__^

Echo_City wrote:

Just to clarify, are the liner notes also in a printed booklet?

That is confusing... the "Liner Notes" are on the DVDs themselves (they are called liner notes in the DVD menus), but Junjo also comes with a booklet. I can't remember if the translation notes are also in the booklet, but I don't think so.

Megiddo wrote:

No choices are made in Higurashi, In 428 (the VN that Canaan was based on), then yes, it has choices. Most VNs typically have some sort of choices made by the player which then differ the route of the game taken.

A friend of mine had Higurashi (in Japanese) on his phone, and I launched it, thinking "I'll just play until I get to the first choice." Eventually I gave up.

The way the Higurashi anime was structured, I assumed the different endings were based on player choices... so it's interesting to find this out!

Heh, no. There are separate arcs released for Higurashi (and Umineko). That's why there are different 'endings' in the anime, each the arcs were animated. I believe there are 4 "question" arcs and 4 "answer" arcs, the latter being used to further explain some questions that are raised by the former.

Megiddo wrote:

Heh, no. There are separate arcs released for Higurashi (and Umineko). That's why there are different 'endings' in the anime, each the arcs were animated. I believe there are 4 "question" arcs and 4 "answer" arcs, the latter being used to further explain some questions that are raised by the former.

IIRC, the original anime series contained the four "question" arcs, but only the first two "answer" arcs. You had to get the second season to see the final two "answer" arcs.

I was strictly referring to the games with that post, but I did not make that clear, sorry. (Other than the "that's why there are different 'endings' in the anime" statement)

I'm surprised nobody has pointed this out.... It was Chris Beveridge who said that he was going to continue watching Rio, not Tim Maughan. Maughan mentioned that the only anime he had watched recently were Iron Man, Wolverine, and Madoka Magica.

Also, P.A. Works was the studio that was in charge of Canaan, not Production I.G.

braves wrote:

I'm surprised nobody has pointed this out.... It was Chris Beveridge who said...

.
Really? But with Maughan's accent....! I could've sworn...

braves wrote:

Also, P.A. Works was the studio that was in charge of Canaan, not Production I.G.

That may be so, but Production I.G. is in the credits. They have a very distinct city-scape style. I bet they didn't work on the entire series, but they appear to have done part of it. Studios often collaborate.

Forum - View topic
Shelf Life - Settlers of Canaan

This Week in Anime - What's Weekly Shonen Jump's Next Big Manga?

Voice Actor Takaaki Seki Dies at 54

The ANN Aftershow - Will You Watch Solo Leveling Season 2?

Dark Moon: The Blood Altar Volumes 1-2 Manhwa Review

Interview: Voice Actors Rika Hayashi and Hiroki Tōchi Talk About Their New Golf Anime, Tonbo!

Japanese TV Special Ranks Top Anime Songs, as Chosen by Foreign Fans

This Week in Anime - So, Is Sound Euphonium Queerbaiting or Not?

Wonderful Precure! Episodes 1-12 Anime Review

Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction Part 1 Anime Film Review

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Game Review

Forum - View topicShelf Life - Settlers of Canaan

Forum

Forum - View topic
Shelf Life - Settlers of Canaan