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Kaiba (TV).


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Steve Berry



Joined: 22 Apr 2003
Posts: 522
Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA
PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 9:17 am Reply with quote
While I was watching this, an old animated film came to mind, which I looked up-- The Fantastic Planet, or The Savage Planet depending on how its translated from French. I was struck by the designs of some of the buildings, the white towers with the black hole-like doors, the color scheme perhaps, and the totalitarian nature of a dual class society, all of which brought that trippy film to mind. Over at Anipages, I was reading some of the comments, which linked to another forum, and voila-- yes, indeed, Yuasa has commented on this film being an influence on him. He commented more on the world building evident in the original film, but I actually felt there were some visual cues as well. The Fantastic Planet has more of a Moebius feel to it (a very cool French comic artist) in terms of character design and what not, which Kaiba does not have, but still..... Did anyone else see this? Perhaps it was auditory as well??? The very quiet stillnesses, with the ambient music on occasion? I haven't watched TFP in a long time, so it's not very clear in my mind.

Past all that, the chase scene to start the show was fantastically kinetic, and very thrilling. I also liked how they just dumped us in to the plot, in media res, to get things going-- he wakes up, and there we are. I also loved the color scheme in the bar scene, which reminded me a great deal of Star Wars (in a good way), even down to the main character being led to meet this other person sitting at a table, who is going to get him off planet (so to speak). Fun!

I never fear for Yuasa being engaging visually, it's really about whether or not he can get me to connect with his characters, and whether there's going to be a coherent plot that builds. Well, we'll see...... but for a first episode, it was wonderful. Easily my fav of the season.
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Axe-336



Joined: 19 Jan 2007
Posts: 143
Location: Springfield, VA
PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 9:05 pm Reply with quote
I randomly picked up a fansub of Kaiba while looking for new stuff to watch (I like titles that are one word if they're Japanese I guess...). Anyway, I remember thinking the opening was great, and at first bein somewhat puzzled by the animation. But then I was like "Heck, at least it doesn't look like something that just got spit out of some Otaku's blender." By the end of the first episode it had grown on me, I definitely like the difference. It'll be interesting to see where it goes.
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HellKorn



Joined: 03 Oct 2006
Posts: 1669
Location: Columbus, OH
PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 9:16 pm Reply with quote
Anime shouldn't be this good.

Really hyperbolic of me to say, but Kaiba has bowled me over. Best first episode since... hell, I dunno when.

I love everything about it. What really pushes it over the edge for me is the soundtrack -- utterly complimentary and awesome. The score played when Popo gives the exposition detailing their world -- which came seamlessly, I might add -- is captivating.

The two chase scenes are fast and involving, and it's also great to see Yuasa's apparent favorite setting: The Bar! I still remember how striking he portrays it from Mind Game and Kemonozume.

I'll also add I like how Yuasa balances his scenes; Kaiba staring at his wondrous surroundings while the dark liquid substance flows behind him is the easiest example to see here.

I've been feeling growingly indifferent about anime for a good while now, with, excepting Mononoke, nothing revolutionary and truly ambitious coming out in a while. Considering that and a lot of other miscellaneous factors (stuff I want to be licensed almost always NOT getting licensed, the growing disconnect and divide about fansubs and moe and whatnot, etc.), it leaves me ambivalent. Thankfully the first episode of Kaiba at least makes me grateful for staying with it all.

I will absolutely be buying the R2 DVDs, be they singles or in a box set.

Cloe wrote:
I haven't seen it yet! Like I mentioned to Steve, I've fallen almost completely out of the loop since, like, August (I've recently been focusing on collecting older OOP DVDs and more obscure licensed titles and pretty much ignoring the fansub scene, like a chump).


Well, outside of Ghost Hound, the anime scene has been pretty barren since the previous summer season delivered us Mononoke and Baccano!, so you didn't really miss all that much between then. And there's no better excuse to get back into the fansub scene than another Yuasa anime.

Quote:
I'll be sure to check out Mononoke ASAP, though, since anything that shows up in the Anipages is worthwhile.


You'll want to buy the third arc of Ayakashi ~ Samurai Horror Tales first. It's an OOP Geneon title. The Goblin Cat arc, also handled by the same key staff as Mononoke, went over so well that Toei produced the aforementioned spin-off. Some DVDs of that are still around, so snatch it while you can.
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zawa113



Joined: 19 Jan 2008
Posts: 7358
PostPosted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 8:25 pm Reply with quote
Just finished seeing the first ep:
I hope someone liscences this. The encyclopedia says its only supposed to be 12 eps, I really would like to see this liscened in the next few years.
I'm not quite sure what to expect from the series as of the first ep, but it has made me want to see the next ep, so mission accomplished. Art and music are definite highs, but it intrigues me in its story thus far as well and its beginning to explain so I can't be mad at it either.
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Kagemusha



Joined: 20 Feb 2004
Posts: 2783
Location: Boston
PostPosted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 11:06 pm Reply with quote
Steve Berry wrote:
While I was watching this, an old animated film came to mind, which I looked up-- The Fantastic Planet, or The Savage Planet depending on how its translated from French. I was struck by the designs of some of the buildings, the white towers with the black hole-like doors, the color scheme perhaps, and the totalitarian nature of a dual class society, all of which brought that trippy film to mind. Over at Anipages, I was reading some of the comments, which linked to another forum, and voila-- yes, indeed, Yuasa has commented on this film being an influence on him. He commented more on the world building evident in the original film, but I actually felt there were some visual cues as well. The Fantastic Planet has more of a Moebius feel to it (a very cool French comic artist) in terms of character design and what not, which Kaiba does not have, but still..... Did anyone else see this? Perhaps it was auditory as well??? The very quiet stillnesses, with the ambient music on occasion? I haven't watched TFP in a long time, so it's not very clear in my mind.



I suppose it makes more sense that the Kaiba-crew would have been influenced by an internationally acclaimed animated film rather than an obscure American computer game. And though I haven't seen The Fantastic Planet I think Kaiba has a very Euro-comic feel to it; one blogger (Jog) described it as if "Osamu Tezuka had been a founding father of Metal Hurlant," which is pretty much a perfect description in my opinion.

Quote:
I also loved the color scheme in the bar scene, which reminded me a great deal of Star Wars (in a good way), even down to the main character being led to meet this other person sitting at a table, who is going to get him off planet (so to speak).


Exactly what I was thinking when I watched it. At this point in time I think it's impossible to make a "futuristic bar" scene and not be influenced in some way by the Mos Eisley Cantina.
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v1cious



Joined: 31 Dec 2002
Posts: 6203
Location: Houston, TX
PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:08 pm Reply with quote
episode 2 is finally out. there wasn't a whole lot of plot development in this episode, other than spoiler[we find out the girl in the locket is a wanted terrorist, and Warp stealing an escape pod at the end]. the weirdness was even more on display in this episode, particularly spoiler[the explosive sex scene Shocked]

overall, it was a solid episode i guess.
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HellKorn



Joined: 03 Oct 2006
Posts: 1669
Location: Columbus, OH
PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:09 pm Reply with quote
v1cious wrote:
spoiler[we find out the girl in the locket is a wanted terrorist, and Warp stealing an escape pod at the end].


spoiler[Uh, Warp is now Kaiba. The woman who had taken Warp onboard and had literally explosive sex with him copied herself. She then put that copy in Warp's body, leaving our hero to adopt the Kaiba's body.

It's kind of like masturbation... I think.]


The memory eggs remind me of candy corn. Candy corn is great, and so is this episode. I'm still completely in love with the score.
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HMMcKamikaze



Joined: 20 Jul 2006
Posts: 189
PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:07 pm Reply with quote
That was a very strange episode, and I didn't understand much of it, but originality and animation alone more than compensated for that.
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Axe-336



Joined: 19 Jan 2007
Posts: 143
Location: Springfield, VA
PostPosted: Thu May 01, 2008 12:01 am Reply with quote
Having seen the second episode, the childish character deign is rather misleading I think. Though I'm guessing thats what they were going for. People see it and are like "Oh, so a nice show then?" and then you get to episode 2 with that... sex scene I guess? (Though people would do it in the real world if it were possible) Anyway, I was surprised at the fairly adult themes. I guess never judge an anime by its animation style.
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Labbes



Joined: 09 Feb 2008
Posts: 890
PostPosted: Fri May 02, 2008 5:28 am Reply with quote
Kaiba is really weird, but I like it so far. I still don't get who or what Kaiba is spoiler[is it that white thingy without the ability to speak?], but the way to story goes on is just awesome. The change of locations, the way spoiler[characters are introduced and killed off], the beautiful drawing style and the wonderful music. It all comes together and it really, really draws me in. Certainly the most original series this season, and also one of, if not the, best.
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fokkusuhaundo



Joined: 28 Feb 2008
Posts: 346
Location: San Diego ♥ ☼ ▓
PostPosted: Sat May 03, 2008 12:56 am Reply with quote
I have a feeling that by the end of this show, I'm not going to understand the plot and story any more than I did from the first episode, but that's all perfectly fine because the imaginative art style and animation is reason enough to keep watching. spoiler[So that woman copied herself into Warp's body just to have explosive sex with herself? That sure is a hell of a way to die (commit suicide?), but what happens to the copy she made of herself?]. Anime exclamation

If I hadn't made a stop at this thread I would have been left with no clue as to what had happened that last episode.
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Kagemusha



Joined: 20 Feb 2004
Posts: 2783
Location: Boston
PostPosted: Sun May 04, 2008 2:32 am Reply with quote
fokkusuhaundo wrote:
I have a feeling that by the end of this show, I'm not going to understand the plot and story any more than I did from the first episode, but that's all perfectly fine because the imaginative art style and animation is reason enough to keep watching. spoiler[So that woman copied herself into Warp's body just to have explosive sex with herself? That sure is a hell of a way to die (commit suicide?), but what happens to the copy she made of herself?]. Anime exclamation

If I hadn't made a stop at this thread I would have been left with no clue as to what had happened that last episode.


If you are to go on what Vanilla says spoiler[the copy, knowing that it would eventually be destroyed, kills the original. The copy is paralyzed when Vanilla shoots it, and I imagine that he'd trash the memory and save the body (which Kaiba is likely to locate soon). As for the actual sexual act, I think its just meant to be some kind of masturbation and probably doesn't have much importance other than adding to the world's weirdness.]

Second and third episodes were excellent. The basic ideas behind the show are quite simple but the small details and nuances are a bit confusing (I still don't understand why spoiler[the doctor released Chroniko's memories rather than converting them into a chip]). It almost reminds me of a trippy GitS:SAC with how its investigating the separation between body and soul and how memory defines one's identity. Anyone have a more in-depth take on it (especially episode 3) yet?
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HellKorn



Joined: 03 Oct 2006
Posts: 1669
Location: Columbus, OH
PostPosted: Sun May 04, 2008 5:08 pm Reply with quote
Episode three is damn good. Really heavy hitter that doesn't veer into melodrama. I like.

Kagemusha wrote:
I still don't understand why spoiler[the doctor released Chroniko's memories rather than converting them into a chip]


spoiler[They have an healthy supply of memories but so few bodies. The doctor didn't need any memories, but did need the body -- that's why he changed Chroniko's memory before he completed the procedure.]

Memories are obviously the defining trait here, being the key link to identity and happiness. It's poignantly portrayed when spoiler[Chroniko's aunt sells off Chroniko in order to get her own memories back, but when they return she realizes the happiness she had given up.]
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fokkusuhaundo



Joined: 28 Feb 2008
Posts: 346
Location: San Diego ♥ ☼ ▓
PostPosted: Sun May 04, 2008 6:07 pm Reply with quote
HellKorn wrote:
Episode three is damn good. Really heavy hitter that doesn't veer into melodrama. I like.

Episode 3 really hit me hard as well and it really makes you realize how important and defining of a trait your memories are. Kaiba is really shaping up to be the masterpiece that I've been waiting for this season. It makes me wonder what Kaiba is feeling after experiencing other people's memories when he only just recently woke up without any of his own.
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Kagemusha



Joined: 20 Feb 2004
Posts: 2783
Location: Boston
PostPosted: Mon May 05, 2008 1:41 am Reply with quote
HellKorn wrote:
Memories are obviously the defining trait here, being the key link to identity and happiness. It's poignantly portrayed when spoiler[Chroniko's aunt sells off Chroniko in order to get her own memories back, but when they return she realizes the happiness she had given up.]


Oh shi...I cannot believe that I missed that. I must have been asleep. I mean the direction of the episode was incredible but something about Chroniko's story wasn't exactly clicking and I was wondering why everyone was raving about it. The last piece of the puzzle makes it so much more powerful (and haunting).
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