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EP. REVIEW: Akebi's Sailor Uniform


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everydaygamer



Joined: 10 Jul 2009
Posts: 928
PostPosted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 2:58 pm Reply with quote
Am I the only one not bothered by the feet stuff? I mean as far as kinks go it's definitely one of the least offensive ones and I doubt I'd even pay it much mind if people weren't complaining about it.
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09jcg



Joined: 19 Sep 2006
Posts: 522
PostPosted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 3:05 pm Reply with quote
^^^
I wasnt bothered by the feet thing. Honestly, all the talk abou sexualization really went over my head and I was surprised so many people took that away from the show. I suppose the level of detail that the show is animated in makes moment that typically would be mundane seem so much more intense? Either way this sort of snuck into my number 2 most enjoyed show this season; after Dress Up. Cloverworks has an impressive one-two punch so far this season.
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koukokaminaga



Joined: 04 Oct 2017
Posts: 5
PostPosted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 3:12 pm Reply with quote
So you guys if you read the manga


IT DOESNT STOP SO DONT EXPECT THE ANIME TOO LOL
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njprogfan
Collector Extraordinaire



Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Posts: 1155
Location: A River Named Toms
PostPosted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 3:18 pm Reply with quote
What I'm enjoying about this series is the pace, especially how she or another character will pause to react to something, or someone's question, or just a moment. It's a slow burn kind of slice of life I enjoy the most, (although those pregnant pauses do dwell on a body part or two). It's a nice change of pace series, especially after downing an episode of the energetic Sabikui Bisco.
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Moonsaber



Joined: 16 Jan 2007
Posts: 343
Location: USA
PostPosted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 3:18 pm Reply with quote
Gorgeous show, great animation and designs. The fan service in it I find hard to properly place, it is almost weird.

Still gorgeous show.

I got the impression this was High School and not entering at 7th grade, did I miss that?
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earl.m





PostPosted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 3:31 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
That said, there are also some strange, pseudo-sexualized moments in these episodes, like the sensual toenail clipper sniffing scene with the volume cranked up on those inhales. It's honestly discomforting, especially considering the age of these characters.


Then you might want to avoid Princess Tutu (transformation sequences/panty shots/nude scenes with the junior high school protagonist, plus her rival's cleavage-baring femme fatale act). Or Minami-Ke (especially season 2). And Minami-Ke is very mild compared to the mangaka's other work: Today In Class 5-2 (an ecchi anime about 5th graders that was successful enough to get 3 seasons).

And yes, all those shows did have the shonen and shojo crowd as their primary or secondary demographics.
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Oggers



Joined: 29 Nov 2017
Posts: 357
Location: Ontario, Canada
PostPosted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 3:31 pm Reply with quote
Watched the first two episodes and I'm not really sure what to make of this one. The visuals and animation are very well done, no doubt about that, and Komichi's enthusiasm about going to a new school where she can make more friends is definitely infectious. But there are also some moments that feel a bit too male gaze-y for my taste and while they aren't frequent, they still throw me off whenever they show up. The characters' faces can sometimes dip a bit into the uncanny valley when they're being really expressive, at least from my point of view.

I think I'll pass on watching further and see how the anime is received overall when it's done.
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meiam



Joined: 23 Jun 2013
Posts: 3442
PostPosted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 4:58 pm Reply with quote
Haven't watched it but is the show sorta like garden of the words (feet stuff, beautiful, slow pace)?
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09jcg



Joined: 19 Sep 2006
Posts: 522
PostPosted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 5:38 pm Reply with quote
meiam wrote:
Haven't watched it but is the show sorta like garden of the words (feet stuff, beautiful, slow pace)?
similar look but without the somber feel and romance
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15433
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:49 pm Reply with quote
The third episode came out a few days ago. And has it just been me that has found the later two episodes to be pretty gay? The girl in the second episode that got her to recreate the mouth thing and was called smooth, especially came across like she was pretty much flirting.
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everydaygamer



Joined: 10 Jul 2009
Posts: 928
PostPosted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 7:26 pm Reply with quote
DuskyPredator wrote:
The third episode came out a few days ago. And has it just been me that has found the later two episodes to be pretty gay? The girl in the second episode that got her to recreate the mouth thing and was called smooth, especially came across like she was pretty much flirting.


I mean lots of SoL shows are like that but I'd be lieing if I said it didn't seem like Akebi was slowly building a harem lol.
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Gonzo_Deluxe



Joined: 01 Nov 2020
Posts: 21
PostPosted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 7:58 pm Reply with quote
everydaygamer wrote:
Am I the only one not bothered by the feet stuff? I mean as far as kinks go it's definitely one of the least offensive ones and I doubt I'd even pay it much mind if people weren't complaining about it.

I think we're dealing with a lot of symbolism in this show, and bare feed in general represent childhood innocence here. If you really want to get into the weeds, the uniform could represent Akebi's transition to adulthood and the snafu with having the wrong uniform is symbolic of how difficult that can be. I could easily see a big moment in the future being that Akebi outgrows the sailor uniform and elects to move to the blazer.

Even without the symbolism, what I don't get is why we're evaluating the actions of 11 year olds as if they were adults. I'm willing to bet 99% of kids have at least sniffed their own feet at some point. So within the world, there's nothing weird about it. If kids running down the street saying they're "Master of the Universe" isn't too weird, then toe sniffing isn't either. Whether the show fetishizes these actions in a weird way is more a matter of the viewer's perception: it was a fairly drawn-out cut, but it also was a critical moment in establishing the relationship between the two girls.

Finally, what I'm seeing in this show is that while Akebi is the POV character for the story, the imagery and framing of the story seems more from the perspective of an adult like a teacher or parent watching these kids grow up. They love these kids and every shot reflects that love, whether the kids are learning, playing or just being weird.

Prediction: If you liked Aquatope, you'll like Akebi. Much the same type of coming of age story for the characters, though much more slowly and at a younger level.
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Gonzo_Deluxe



Joined: 01 Nov 2020
Posts: 21
PostPosted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 7:59 pm Reply with quote
09jcg wrote:
meiam wrote:
Haven't watched it but is the show sorta like garden of the words (feet stuff, beautiful, slow pace)?
similar look but without the somber feel and romance
I think a closer analog would be 2021's Aquatope. Female friendship bordering on saphic.
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Megumi Chisato



Joined: 04 Aug 2021
Posts: 37
PostPosted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 9:47 pm Reply with quote
Gonzo_Deluxe wrote:
Even without the symbolism, what I don't get is why we're evaluating the actions of 11 year olds as if they were adults. I'm willing to bet 99% of kids have at least sniffed their own feet at some point. So within the world, there's nothing weird about it. If kids running down the street saying they're "Master of the Universe" isn't too weird, then toe sniffing isn't either. Whether the show fetishizes these actions in a weird way is more a matter of the viewer's perception: it was a fairly drawn-out cut, but it also was a critical moment in establishing the relationship between the two girls.


Definitely agree. It's more of a reflection on the viewer than the show itself. In my humble opinion, it's weird, awkward, and embarrassing, more so than anything sexual, and that's pretty much the point. It's meant as a means to break the ice and tension between the two, and it works.

I guess when something makes us feel uncomfortable, we rationalize it by immediately lumping it together with all the other icky sexual stuff.
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Gem-Bug



Joined: 10 Nov 2018
Posts: 1193
PostPosted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 10:15 pm Reply with quote
Megumi Chisato wrote:
Gonzo_Deluxe wrote:
Even without the symbolism, what I don't get is why we're evaluating the actions of 11 year olds as if they were adults. I'm willing to bet 99% of kids have at least sniffed their own feet at some point. So within the world, there's nothing weird about it. If kids running down the street saying they're "Master of the Universe" isn't too weird, then toe sniffing isn't either. Whether the show fetishizes these actions in a weird way is more a matter of the viewer's perception: it was a fairly drawn-out cut, but it also was a critical moment in establishing the relationship between the two girls.


Definitely agree. It's more of a reflection on the viewer than the show itself. In my humble opinion, it's weird, awkward, and embarrassing, more so than anything sexual, and that's pretty much the point. It's meant as a means to break the ice and tension between the two, and it works.

I guess when something makes us feel uncomfortable, we rationalize it by immediately lumping it together with all the other icky sexual stuff.


If it was super casual and minus the lingering shots I would agree with you. But that, combined with our knowledge, as adults, that both feet and young girls are some folk's fetish material, definitely makes us stop and question "Ok, so who are these slow, gaze-y panning shots really for? Is this necessary next to the story being told?"
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