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REVIEW: The Future Diary Complete Series DVD


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MentalMachine



Joined: 09 Oct 2013
Posts: 74
PostPosted: Sat Oct 12, 2013 5:51 am Reply with quote
Crispy45 wrote:
JesuOtaku wrote:
What...what planet do you hail from? O_o???? CB is one of the most popular anime in the western world by miles. Unless you mean that only opinions from glorious Nihon count in this odd equation you've set up, in which case you have to flip the script and account for the large Japanese reverence toward Satoshi Kon.


"Glorious Nihon" matters more than the western world does when it comes to anime and Satoshi Kon might be a big name but Paranoia Agent didn't even rank in sales IIRC. I just find it hard to side with the mindset that all the 'best anime ever' is stuff that aired on American TV when we were kids. Definitely not nostalgia or anything like that... >_>


Yeah, because Japanese have NEVER exhibited "nostalgia" when it comes to the "best" or most "beloved" anime ever. Oh wait, they have. Plenty of times. More so than you Americans. Also, stop using "nostalgia" as an excuse. Cowboy Bebop is great, nostalgia or not. I didn't even watch it as a kid and I still loved it. What does sales have to do with quality? You probably think Cars 2 is better than Spirited Away or something, which if you did, you'd be a moron. Satoshi Kon's works are masterpieces whether you like it or not. Doesn't matter about "American" or "Japanese" perspectives. Finally, Cowboy Bebop has sold better than the majority of anime in Japan alone, just as I've said before. It sold more BD boxes than Gundam SEED. Gundam SEED, the most popular Gundam series next to the original and its sequel, Destiny. So stop acting like CB is somehow not popular in Japan. It is very popular on a sales basis. It never needed the west to become popular. Speaking of Destiny, just because something is popular doesn't mean it's good. Not even Japan actually likes Destiny. It's received a ton of criticism by Japanese fans and for good reason. It is a shitty show. 3 times to get an ending "right" is not what a good show makes.
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Surrender Artist



Joined: 01 May 2011
Posts: 3264
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
PostPosted: Sat Oct 12, 2013 6:50 am Reply with quote
Crispy45 wrote:
"Glorious Nihon" matters more than the western world does when it comes to anime and Satoshi Kon might be a big name but Paranoia Agent didn't even rank in sales IIRC. I just find it hard to side with the mindset that all the 'best anime ever' is stuff that aired on American TV when we were kids. Definitely not nostalgia or anything like that... >_>


There's a collection of usernames around here that reliably make the same kind of arguments, steeped in conspicuous contempt and often so many smilies that one suspects an involuntary compulsion, for the same purpose every time they appear in discussion. In fact, they almost never appear for any other purpose. I don't know where this unified hive mind exists or how it came into being, but it's persistent and very frustrating.

The problem is that the argument is essentially independent of any context, in fact it seems to be associated with a disregard for the idea of context, and never substantively engages the qualities of a particular work. It's entirely a meta-argument to undermine criticism. Most times that any of these names appear, it's to argue that some person who has criticized an anime or Japan is irrelevant, is illegitimate or is insincere.

They never engage aesthetic judgements themselves, but instead claim that the person is imposing western values, that the person's judgements are irrelevant by the disability of not being Japanese or that the person's true believes or motivations are made on some other grounds that makes them innately invalid. It's as though there's no actual valid criticism that can be made of anime, except perhaps that it tries to appeal to 'Western' tastes or is liked by 'Westerners'. They try to utilize what is probably a severely exoticized vision of Japan as an authority in argumenta ad verecundiam. This is very frustrating because it doesn't seem to be derived from an actual interest in or understanding of Japanese culture. These people seldom express an interest in things drawn from or steeped in Japanese culture, mythology or identity like Uchōten Kazoku (The Eccentric Family)

What I struggle to comfortably discern is the point of these behaviors. They almost always derail arguments about any given anime into an argument about arguing about anime. The people who make them never accompany them with positive claims about how we should think about anime or the merit and justification for their approach. If there's an instrumental value or purpose, I can't discern it and shudder to presume it. If there's an intrinsic value, it eludes me.
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paperfanofdoom



Joined: 15 Mar 2013
Posts: 33
PostPosted: Sat Oct 12, 2013 10:44 am Reply with quote
The review was great, but D+ on the story was much too kind if you ask me. I've never seen a series with more asspulls or a main ensemble of characters that I wanted to see get their "phones" destroyed until I saw Mirai Nikki. Of course, this is all subjectivity, but I have this to offer:

We spend 9 pages mulling over the merits of rape in fiction but in what context does it "work" in Mirai Nikki? Is there a reason why Mirai Nikki would not be a whole piece of art without the rape scenes? Was there a point in having spoiler[Ai be a victim of rape too] other than giving the author another opportunity to sketch out more scenes of women getting ravished, or is rape suddenly what constitutes for character growth?

What are the artistic merits of spoiler[stabbing a 4 year old kid through a table and zooming in on his face as he gasps for his dying breaths] in the series? Is that some symbolic reference to the violence that children are exposed to through Saturday morning cartoons? That certainly would explain why the chase scene between Yuno and the kid ending in Yuno's mom getting knocked out was inspired by Tom & Jerry. Or was it to show how awful and heinous the characters and their games were? Or maybe, juuuuuust maybe, was it just tasteless schlock that was thrown in there because the author was trying way too hard to be "edgy"?

How about the desirability of Yukki after he spoiler[killed all of his friends in one string of gunshots over a single BS phone call from Yuno]? Or the mastery behind spoiler[Minene resurrecting as Neo from The Matrix to save Yukki from alternate dimension Yuno who plans on killing them all to reset the world more and more times to repeat the same exact outcome from the game expecting a different outcome in ways that would work up Vaas]? In fact, was there any section of the plot that didn't end in some contrived BS manner or plot twist that came completely from nowhere? Aside from Akise, Marco, and Ai, were there any characters that were genuinely likable and deserved to survive the game?

It's alright to like silly things. We all have our guilty pleasures and stupid things we can revel in. However, as Sawa Nakamura once said "even being an idiot has it's limits". There's only so much storm force grade crap that can hit the fan before it gets clogged up and drip down on over those below. Mirai Nikki just so happens to be the downpour that reeks the most of desperation to mask up the odious stench of its unorganized plot.
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Akane the Catgirl



Joined: 09 Oct 2013
Posts: 1091
Location: LA, Baby!
PostPosted: Sat Oct 12, 2013 12:57 pm Reply with quote
paperfanofdoom wrote:
The review was great, but D+ on the story was much too kind if you ask me. I've never seen a series with more asspulls or a main ensemble of characters that I wanted to see get their "phones" destroyed until I saw Mirai Nikki. Of course, this is all subjectivity, but I have this to offer:

We spend 9 pages mulling over the merits of rape in fiction but in what context does it "work" in Mirai Nikki? Is there a reason why Mirai Nikki would not be a whole piece of art without the rape scenes? Was there a point in having spoiler[Ai be a victim of rape too] other than giving the author another opportunity to sketch out more scenes of women getting ravished, or is rape suddenly what constitutes for character growth?

What are the artistic merits of spoiler[stabbing a 4 year old kid through a table and zooming in on his face as he gasps for his dying breaths] in the series? Is that some symbolic reference to the violence that children are exposed to through Saturday morning cartoons? That certainly would explain why the chase scene between Yuno and the kid ending in Yuno's mom getting knocked out was inspired by Tom & Jerry. Or was it to show how awful and heinous the characters and their games were? Or maybe, juuuuuust maybe, was it just tasteless schlock that was thrown in there because the author was trying way too hard to be "edgy"?

How about the desirability of Yukki after he spoiler[killed all of his friends in one string of gunshots over a single BS phone call from Yuno]? Or the mastery behind spoiler[Minene resurrecting as Neo from The Matrix to save Yukki from alternate dimension Yuno who plans on killing them all to reset the world more and more times to repeat the same exact outcome from the game expecting a different outcome in ways that would work up Vaas]? In fact, was there any section of the plot that didn't end in some contrived BS manner or plot twist that came completely from nowhere? Aside from Akise, Marco, and Ai, were there any characters that were genuinely likable and deserved to survive the game?

It's alright to like silly things. We all have our guilty pleasures and stupid things we can revel in. However, as Sawa Nakamura once said "even being an idiot has it's limits". There's only so much storm force grade crap that can hit the fan before it gets clogged up and drip down on over those below. Mirai Nikki just so happens to be the downpour that reeks the most of desperation to mask up the odious stench of its unorganized plot.


I agree with a lot of this. However, there are a few interesting tidbits I wanted to share:

1. spoiler[Ai's backstory was exclusively in the anime. In the manga, all we get is the scene of Ai and Marco as children, and their wedding dream years later. There was no rape scene, and no interrupted suicide. All of that was in the anime only.]

2. Minene was awesome and don't you forget it.

3. Have you watched Mirai Nikki Abridged? It actually pointed out a few plot holes I didn't notice before. (How did Twelfth, a blind, insane man, manage to get Minene past a squadron of police? Why is Reisuke so unreasonably intelligent? Why was Yukiteru conveniently carrying darts in his backpack the first five episodes?) Also, it was hi-f***in'-larious. That is all.[/spoiler]
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TsunaReborn!



Joined: 08 Sep 2012
Posts: 4713
Location: Cheltenham UK
PostPosted: Sat Oct 12, 2013 2:48 pm Reply with quote
tee2330 wrote:
yeah ANN doesn't really have the best reviewing credibility not saying you not knowledgeable just saying that you guys are the IGN or reviewers IGN sucks so much that everyone's favorite tagline when they think IGN is "you can't spell ignorant without IGN" anyone got a cool tagline for most of ANN's reviews I've heard alot of shit about ANN's reviews and now I get why you'd be better off watching youtube anime reviews they're more informative and accurate then a [expletive] news network the hell!?


You do realise that every review you read/watch is an opinion right? Whether you agree or not with what the reviewer thinks doesn't change that fact... If you want reviews to portray everything you believe then write your own. Make sure you have thick skin though as there will be many like you.
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TarsTarkas



Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 5821
Location: Virginia, United States
PostPosted: Sat Oct 12, 2013 4:24 pm Reply with quote
@animemaster1

Thanks. I just finished watching the last several episodes. Shouldn’t be a problem to find the OVA and watch that also. The ending was just as you said, though you have to make sure you watch the last Murmur episode too.

- - - - -

About the extras: part 1 and part 2 both had an Omake episode. But after watching them, it didn’t appear that there was anything ‘Omake’ about them. At least as I could tell, they are just subtitled versions of the dubbed episode. Nothing seemed strange or new in the subtitles either. Perhaps someone can explain, just what is Omake about them.

My thoughts on the series, is that it is a no holds barred anime. The reviewer was right about the dub, and probably some points on the plot.

But after all, this is a ‘last man standing’ murder game, where the participants are chosen, not for being righteous, but for their ability to make the game entertaining. Much like our modern ‘reality’ shows. So, evil and damaged goods are needed. So there can only be one and it is either you or them.

If you are squeamish or offended by depictions of violent crime, well, this show isn’t for you. Especially, since there are a lot of depictions of various tortures, rape, mutilations, murder, and other evil crap. One such is example is how Minene Uryū, spoiler[ blows up a couple hundred kids, and a little bit latter probably blows up another couple hundred, with Yuna’s unintended help. ]

Show is not perfect or great, but I thought it was interesting and enjoyable.
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Jave



Joined: 08 Aug 2013
Posts: 198
PostPosted: Sat Oct 12, 2013 10:12 pm Reply with quote
MentalMachine wrote:
It sold more BD boxes than Gundam SEED. Gundam SEED


Lying on the internet seems like a dumb idea when a quick Google search can prove a statement false Laughing
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Echo_City



Joined: 03 Apr 2011
Posts: 1236
PostPosted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 5:11 pm Reply with quote
Hope Chapman wrote:
"punched his ticket" is more commonly a phrase implying career success than it is a euphemism for being killed.

Source? Until you made this assertion, I'd never heard that phrase used to mean "career success". Strictly speaking, I still haven't.
Akane the Catgirl wrote:
3. Have you watched Mirai Nikki Abridged?
Please don't recommend that rot to anyone. No one should have to suffer through that. Having seen it myself I am of the opinion that if you want to torture someone, as anyone recommending that crap does, they should just waterboard 'em instead as it is more humane.
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tee2330



Joined: 11 Oct 2013
Posts: 64
PostPosted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 9:06 pm Reply with quote
I get that the reviews are opinion based and all but some people like to read reviews before going into popular animes to see if it's worth spending money or watching it some people can't just watch a show unless they know they'll enjoy it or the premise is interesting but the review just seemed like someone bashing it and people read reviews so they can see if they'll like the anime or not but he was putting down all negative points or what seemed like negative points the review made the anime sound like crap so anyone wanting to watch the anime might get discouraged some people won't watch an anime because of a really bad review there's no way in hell I'm watching school days after the shit I've heard opinions form so called "professional reviewers" are kinda important (most people would think they're professional since the reviews are from a news network well just think about it the review caused all of these comments and arguments saying that the reviews a load of crap I enjoyed watching future diary alot lots of others did to my friends are also enjoying it you can't give something that lots of people say is good such a low score if you do this will happen so called "fanboys" will bash you however I just strongly disagree with your opinion
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Stall_19



Joined: 07 Mar 2013
Posts: 78
PostPosted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 9:19 pm Reply with quote
Reviewer watched the show with an open mind, thought it was crap, wrote in their review that they thought it was crap and described in great detail what about the show that she thought was crappy.

I'm not sure where you think the reviewer went wrong here.


Last edited by Stall_19 on Sun Oct 13, 2013 9:25 pm; edited 1 time in total
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getchman
Space Cowboy



Joined: 07 Apr 2012
Posts: 9117
Location: Bedford, NH
PostPosted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 9:24 pm Reply with quote
holy run-on sentence Batman!
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor


Joined: 05 Jan 2002
Posts: 7912
Location: Anime News Network Technodrome
PostPosted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 10:58 pm Reply with quote
tee2330 wrote:
you can't give something that lots of people say is good such a low score if you do this will happen so called "fanboys" will bash you however I just strongly disagree with your opinion


You can, actually. That a bunch of children attack you for disagreeing with them is usually what happens, which is unfortunate. But, hey, internet.

Once you grow up a little bit and try to engage people you disagree with differently, as though you're actually interested in discussing the work rather than just vomiting hatred all over them for not parroting your opinion back to you, you'll have a much more fulfilling and meaningful time discussing the media you consume.
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enurtsol



Joined: 01 May 2007
Posts: 14746
PostPosted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 12:26 am Reply with quote
tee2330 wrote:
I get that the reviews are opinion based and all but some people like to read reviews before going into popular animes to see if it's worth spending money or watching it some people can't just watch a show unless they know they'll enjoy it or the premise is interesting but the review just seemed like someone bashing it and people read reviews so they can see if they'll like the anime or not but he was putting down all negative points or what seemed like negative points the review made the anime sound like crap so anyone wanting to watch the anime might get discouraged some people won't watch an anime because of a really bad review there's no way in hell I'm watching school days after the shit I've heard opinions form so called "professional reviewers" are kinda important (most people would think they're professional since the reviews are from a news network well just think about it the review caused all of these comments and arguments saying that the reviews a load of crap I enjoyed watching future diary alot lots of others did to my friends are also enjoying it you can't give something that lots of people say is good such a low score if you do this will happen so called "fanboys" will bash you however I just strongly disagree with your opinion


Sort out your priorities. If you value your friends' opinions above reviewers, then go with your friends. But if you value reviewers' opinions more than your friends', then that's on you.

A reviewer could give you a good review of Twilight --which obviously a lot of people enjoy and thus agree with the review-- then you go and watch it but think it's crap, then you blame the reviewer for giving you a good review. A review is just a review - there are many others.
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Akane the Catgirl



Joined: 09 Oct 2013
Posts: 1091
Location: LA, Baby!
PostPosted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 1:46 am Reply with quote
Akane the Catgirl wrote:
3. Have you watched Mirai Nikki Abridged?
Please don't recommend that rot to anyone. No one should have to suffer through that. Having seen it myself I am of the opinion that if you want to torture someone, as anyone recommending that crap does, they should just waterboard 'em instead as it is more humane.[/quote]

You know, you could have just said "It wasn't my thing." and moved on. Was it really necessary to be as rude as you were? Comedy is entirely subjective, and I thought Mirai Nikki Abridged was hilarious. If you didn't think it was funny, fine. But if you're going so far as to call it crap for reasons you didn't explain, at least justify your righteous hatred for it. I liked Mirai Nikki Abridged for it's fast pacing, great editing, and rapid-fire comedy. (It should be no coincidence I also loved Code MENT.)

My point is, if you're going to bash something, explain why you're going to bash. It just seemed as if you merely hated it, and therefore, thought it was awful. "I hate it, therefore it's bad", will always be the stupidest logical fallacy in my book, alongside with it's inverse "I like it, therefore it's good."
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Gritoit



Joined: 29 Feb 2008
Posts: 6
PostPosted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 2:17 am Reply with quote
TarsTarkas wrote:
@animemaster1
My thoughts on the series, is that it is a no holds barred anime. The reviewer was right about the dub, and probably some points on the plot.

But after all, this is a ‘last man standing’ murder game, where the participants are chosen, not for being righteous, but for their ability to make the game entertaining. Much like our modern ‘reality’ shows. So, evil and damaged goods are needed. So there can only be one and it is either you or them.

If you are squeamish or offended by depictions of violent crime, well, this show isn’t for you. Especially, since there are a lot of depictions of various tortures, rape, mutilations, murder, and other evil crap. One such is example is how Minene Uryū, spoiler[ blows up a couple hundred kids, and a little bit latter probably blows up another couple hundred, with Yuna’s unintended help. ]

Show is not perfect or great, but I thought it was interesting and enjoyable.


I totally agree with the above and find it to be a better more informative review than the actual reviewer posted.

Not sure why but this is indeed one of the most hateful reviews I have seen on this site in a long time.

Kind of feel like people doing the reviews should have a somewhat neutral ground from which to state their opinions. Hopes review felt like a giant list of I hate this show, don't watch it.

I also agree with someone else formerly in this discussion that most of the current reviewers working on the majority of reviews do a better job of stating their opinions + actual factual attributes.

Mirai Nikki being compared to Higurashi is a very good comparison can't remember who mentioned it.

Anyways just my opinion but for anyone on the fence who CAN deal with violence and gore I would say give it a try and don't let this very lopsided review discourage you. I would recommend watching it subbed but that is just a personal preference of mine.

Also curious why one would have a person who from the reviewers comments very adamantly does not like this level of violence do a review for a show that is labeled: Objectionable content: Intense?

In fact as I looked further it even list gore and death.
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