Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: Yurikuma Arashi
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CrowLia
 Posts: 5504 Location: Mexico |
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@errinundra: My problem is you're equating criticism and raising issues one may have with the show with "attacking". Those are vastly different. Here's an example:
"Free is a fujoshi garbage show" "I do not feel emotional connection to Yuri Kuma Arashi because the characters don't have any features that makes them relatable to me" One of the above is criticism. The other is an attack. I have not seen a single "attack" towards YKA series in this thread, in fact, this has so far been surprisingly civil (granted I haven't read each of the 250ish posts but you get my gist). By calling the current discussion "attacks" and "obsessing over what you dislike" you're giving every negative opinion a negative connotation and it reads as if you're suggesting people stop commenting on things they don't like or discussing about their differing opinions on the show. I'm not saying that was your intent, but that is how it came across. |
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Errinundra
Moderator
 Posts: 6523 Location: Melbourne, Oz |
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In fairness to myself, Yttrbio, I did change "attack that which they don't "get"" to "attack that which is "other"" before you replied. I did so because you do "get" it.
Last edited by Errinundra on Thu Mar 26, 2015 12:45 am; edited 1 time in total |
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JacobC
ANN Contributor
 Posts: 3728 Location: SoCal |
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How about let's say "different people have different opinions on art," "art exists to provoke conversation," and "opinions are subjective and deeply personal sincere reactions born out of wildly differing human experiences," and leave it that.
No more making unkind judgment calls and/or unfair comparisons on people in this thread with differing opinions to actual oppressors, mmkay? Mmkay. The minute it gets personal like that, it's not "heated debate," it's a "personal attack." Consider this your first and only warning. Don't make this stuff personal guys, it's Lesbian Bear Storm. |
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Hameyadea
 Posts: 3679 |
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Just a quick note about #12 (or rather, the changes in FUNi's subs):
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JacobC
ANN Contributor
Posts: 3728 Location: SoCal |
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Less World War Two, more Winnie The Pooh. :3 |
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Grungehamster
Posts: 41 |
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Yep. Note the fur color: 
Of course, then we can navel-gaze about what it means; sure it's probably just a cute allusion to other bear representations what with his innocent naivety and affinity for honey (like how the bear battle flag is a reference to Corporal Wojtek and the 22nd Transport Company), but you could argue that the animals in the Pooh stories were there to help impart life lessons for A.A. Milne's son Christopher Robin, something Milne in YKA does for Lulu (if tragically.) |
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CrowLia
Posts: 5504 Location: Mexico |
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I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm beating a dead horse here, but I was skimming over the review and stopped on the paragraph that talks about the recent acceptance of same-sex partnerships in Shibuya and found this:
The disclaimer on top says the review contains minor spoilers for Penguindrum and Utena, but this is a gigantic spoiler for the finale of the series. I'm glad I didn't read through the whole thing, god knows how "minor" the Utena spoilers are. Please make the disclaimer more appropriate so that people are properly warned about the potential spoilers in the review, because blimey knows I'd be really upset about reading that if I hadn't watched Penguindrum. Anyway, I just wanted to add to this, for anyone who's interested:
That a couple of years ago the Shunkoin buddhist temple and the Gran Via Hotel in Kyoto have established a sort of parthership that allows same-sex couples to hold a traditional style Japanese wedding, even if it has no legal bearance, so that's another instance of significant steps towards the acceptance of same-sex couples in Japan Last edited by CrowLia on Wed Apr 01, 2015 4:19 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor
 Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
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OK, the wording has been changed.
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Redcrimson
 Posts: 160 |
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I don't really have a problem with the way YuriKuma ended. It's a melancholy ending where Kureha and Ginko find happiness together, but the Wall of Severance still stands, and they have to abandon the society where structural oppression still exists. But Cybearg and Random Twin-Tails Girl will start the cycle all over again. Society still pushes girls into invisibility, but by taking a stand and never giving up on love, you can win the hearts and minds of individuals.
I don't see that as a concession at all. I feel like it's a much more honest, pointed resolution for the show thematically. Yurikuma admits that you can't just magically change rigid social systems overnight. That's why these issues are still important, and still worth making shows about in the first place. But hey, WTF do I know? I'm a straight white guy. Incidentally, I think YuriKuma falls pretty neatly in-between Utena and Penguindrum in the Ikuhara anthology for me. |
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JacobC
ANN Contributor
Posts: 3728 Location: SoCal |
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Nah, I had the same takeaway too. I wouldn't change a thing about the ending. I especially liked the idea of their love being "canonized" as a narrative example to others through the Forest Girl story, since stories have the power to change society over time like little else can, and I think Yurikuma is trying to become one of those stories itself too, tale-within-a-tale, play-within-a-play stuff. But I respect Gabby's take on it, and I think she explained it very well. It's good to think about these things and consider differing perspectives. Yurikuma has already had issues with communicating its message to various audiences, so I think it's good to take those potential mixed messages into account even if you otherwise love the show. Good art prompts conversation and all that jazz. (And bad art, bad art also does that.  Mediocrity and purestrain product is what usually languishes in criticism, just in my personal experience.)
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Lemonchest
Posts: 1771 |
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I think YKA set itself up for its (depending on your POV) problematic ending by Ikuhara going with his fondness for having his characters escape rather than break the system, but Ginko & Kureha having nowhere to escape to - since they're excluded from both the human & bear world by the end of the series.
Also, I think I read an interview transcript where Ikuhara said the brothers died in Penguindrum not so much because he initially planned it, but because several production team members insisted on it when he asked for their opinions. Maybe Japanese really just dig melodramatic sacrificial gestures in the name of love that much, rather than it being about restoring the social status quo or whatever. Of course, dead or not, the characters will live on in tumblr blogs & fan art & officially licensed body pillows & all that good stuff. |
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KENZICHI
 Posts: 1102 |
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Really nice review! Though I do like all you said I liked how it ended. It reminded me of a fairy tale with them finding eternal happiness together. I also don't mind that they left the world of humans to be together because they touched the heart of another girl who was part of the exclusion ceremony all along. I did not expect that ending with Ai and the robot bear, but I loved that they included that a lot. I think it represents the real world. Controversial things like this do take some time to get over. Horrible things that I think should have been long gone ages ago are still evident in our society today. Obviously the school in Yuri Kuma was not ready for such a big change like this, but maybe they'll be even more ready when they see Ai and the robot bear. Sadly we are moving in a snails pace so maybe it won't be soon even in their world.
I can't explain it well, but obviously the story with Ginko and Kureha is just the stepping stone of what is to come in the future. (Hopefully) more understanding and acceptance. Maybe Ai and the robot bear are the one's to truly stop the storm or maybe a generation after them. I like the possibilities of more situations like Ginko and Kureha. It takes many controversial stories to start up a major movement so one day that time will come for them. |
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justsomeaccount
 Posts: 471 |
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Well, this last episode there are things that I liked and things I didn't.
What I wasn't fond of, surprise surprise, is Ginko and Kureha's resolution. To be fair, I thought (expecting this direction was going to take place) it was better executed than other scenes in both pacing, directing as dialogue, and while I was expecting the twist of Kureha turning into a bear, is still the best choice they could take with the situation. However, I never cared about those two character's relationship and it feels to me artificial and fake, so no surprises on that front, meh. What I liked was the scenes with the yuris at the end of the episode. In this front I can at least eat my own words... a little bit. I still think they have been too simplistic and boringly black without layers during the rest of the show, but at least the scenes at the end give them more dimensions to their behavior (which is the expectable 'internal prejudices win over our empathy', but at least there is that, a little of conflict or humanity in their acts instead of being just evil). I even felt more for the crying half-dead cyborg bear (words I never expected to say together) and the other yuri than for the main couple. Also, maybe because I watched this episode on my mobile instead of a big screen, but the animation and art this time look nice and cool, which is good since I don't like the aesthetics on this show. The message of hopeful openess is well intended too, and as I said, the execution of this episode was the best one out of all of them. So, as a whole, I didn't like the show, I think it's very simplistic, not very planned-out and not developing well the few interesting ideas it had, but I'll give it that before this episode I was expecting to straight-up hate it, because there are a lot of things I hate about this show that I already mentioned, and it's not surprise for me that it's so alienating that very few people who aren't fans of the director stuck with the show or liked it. However, at least this episode proved that maybe I could have enjoyed better, some hidden potential, so while I wouldn't recommend this to anyone not fan of the director, at least I didn't feel I shouldn't have watched it. But I really hope the other directors' works are much better than this one, because this doesn't bring any appeal to this director for me.
I don't agree with this, it's true that oftenly first episodes don't have earned a very tight emotional connection yet, but not only they can still have, but they can show the future potential to it. Even with your examples, I've only seen the first episode of Penguindrum and I personally liked it more and felt more emotionally invested than in any episode of Yurikuma despite my confusion. And not just because of the situation, most importantly is the dialogue what made me feel them like characters, while in this show most of the characters felt to me like puppets with catch-phrases sound buttons. And I gave a pass the first episode, when the third one came along I was severely concerned. |
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Redcrimson
Posts: 160 |
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Oh yeah, definitely. My jab was meant to be self-depreciating and not accusatory. I've actually really enjoyed Gabby's write-ups since I'm only tangentially familiar with Class S stuff and LGBT issues in Japan. I'm gonna miss reading these. |
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GeOMeek417
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Now that yurikuma is now at an end( AND I LOVE IT), I have 3 issues I feel I don't know how to resolve
1)why was there so much monsterous feminine imagery in the show? It's Barbara creed feminist film student 101 that the second you use horror imagery in a film/TV show (abject female bear monsters; big ol suspiria = the scary womb; scenes where everything goes red is the fear of female menstruation, etc)its a deep psychological construct of female fear towards the image of femininity. So why does Yurikuma uses it SO MUCH to the point it feels self aware? I'm just curious from that perspective 2) Why does ginko sexually assault kureha in episode 2? It's not embedded in a dream sequence so it's not contextualised as an embodiment of kureha's sexual desire with her fear of bears/internalised homophobic conditioning. 3) what kind of love was being championed in lulu and Milne 's final moment? was this championing a familial over homosexual love as true love? I just felt it fuddled lulu's character arc within the wider perspective of gay oppression a bit. I could be wrong tho! I'm just interested in other's opinions |
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