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EP. REVIEW: Otaku Elf


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DRosencraft



Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 665
PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2023 9:54 am Reply with quote
This one so far is my "diamond in the rough" for the season, as I hadn't seen anything about it, and was skeptical about it going in. I assumed it would be the more standard fare of our otaku MC being a totally useless clod taking up space and being insufferable about how much of a burden they are to those around them, or being a 20+ minute slog of fanservice shots and lewd nonsense. I was initially worried they'd spend forever and a day depicting Elda and Koito as being viscerally antagonistic towards each other to the point of questioning their relationship - another common trope for the setup - but they don't do that either. Instead you get a genuine feeling they like and care for each other, even before Koito finds out Elda is her idol. The bits about Edo's past are nice features, and are not the typical stuff a lost of anime highlight in passing. Overall, this series seems to be solidly grounded, not trying to do too much. It'll be interesting to see how things develop with the new characters (Elda's relative?) next week.
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q_3



Joined: 02 Sep 2015
Posts: 129
PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2023 2:04 pm Reply with quote
This is such a charming series. I worry that it's one of those situations where the title (in English, at least) gives a misleading impression of what the show is actually about. At least, I initially wrote it off as probably just a shallow, pandering, fanservicey CGDCT, but it actually turns out to be chill, surprisingly thoughtful, and cute but not horny.
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Oggers



Joined: 29 Nov 2017
Posts: 357
Location: Ontario, Canada
PostPosted: Sun Apr 23, 2023 10:43 am Reply with quote
This is a very cute, laid-back show, and the opening theme is super catchy (seriously, it's been stuck in my head for about two weeks now). I like how Elda's otaku interests aren't just a symptom of living in modern-day Japan and that she's pretty much always had a habit of getting addicted to things, at least since she wound up in Japan 400 years ago.
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nyaa



Joined: 27 Oct 2022
Posts: 102
PostPosted: Mon Apr 24, 2023 4:14 pm Reply with quote
This is my favorite new show this season-it gives me cool laid back vibes.
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aepplesauce



Joined: 27 Apr 2023
Posts: 19
PostPosted: Fri Apr 28, 2023 10:58 pm Reply with quote
She has the cutest sneeze lol. Loved seeing some more of these dorks, but how did the elf-to-elf sickness start? Does one randomly get sick and then pass it to the other every 50 or so years?
Hope we get to see more Yord, specifically since she was going to a concert it would be nice to learn more about her idol-fan side. As it is, I agree with the review that she isn't horribly interesting. Her size makes me wonder how the immortality thing works though...
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meiam



Joined: 23 Jun 2013
Posts: 3442
PostPosted: Sat Apr 29, 2023 10:07 am Reply with quote
It's kinda lame that whenever they do the little history tidbit sequence its only about edo era. She lived trough everything, she saw so much more, but it seems like she was just alive for 20 years then and then went to sleep until today time.

Also, where did the elf cold come from?
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Beltane70



Joined: 07 May 2007
Posts: 3868
PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2023 11:12 am Reply with quote
Maybe for her, those times are the ones that are most memorable to her. My father always liked to talk about what it was like growing up in the 30s and 40s, but I rarely if ever heard him talk about the 50s or 60s.
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DKL



Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 1933
Location: California, USA
PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2023 12:48 pm Reply with quote
Another way to think about it is how that particular period is probably something the original author or whatever was really into and likes talking about, whether or not the reader/viewer follows along.

Like oddly shaped bottles, it's not for everyone, but it's what they're into and become oddly focused on even though there are conceivably other things to talk about.

That said, this show has actually probably been one of the more relatable experiences of being a recluse loner degenerate with niche interests. I too spend most of my days eating poorly and talking about things no one, even in the context of anime and video games, likes talking about because of how oddly specific it all is.
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DarkAudit



Joined: 17 Oct 2020
Posts: 32
PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2023 7:07 pm Reply with quote
I'd love to see a bit where Koito meets up with the 15 generations of mikos that came before, and they all share their Elda stories.
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meiam



Joined: 23 Jun 2013
Posts: 3442
PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2023 8:55 am Reply with quote
Beltane70 wrote:
Maybe for her, those times are the ones that are most memorable to her. My father always liked to talk about what it was like growing up in the 30s and 40s, but I rarely if ever heard him talk about the 50s or 60s.

She lived trough multiple change of government (including the regime imposed by Ieyasu being replaced by the Meiji restoration), she saw water and electricity being introduced, lived trough WW2 and so much more.

The interesting aspect of immortality is to see how society change over multiple generation and see idea fade and come back. To ignore all is just a waste of story potential.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Thu May 25, 2023 12:16 am Reply with quote
The edutainment segment this time was interesting as usual, but I thought it was funny that the "assignment" was to find out what games your grandparents played. I think the Edo period was just a little bit before Grampa's time...

Also, were Edo denizens aware of penguins? African animals weren't unknown to them (I guess the Dutch might've brought them some South African penguins), but I dunno about Antarctic/South American ones. Anyway, Elda is quite the master origami crafter!
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nargun



Joined: 29 Mar 2006
Posts: 924
PostPosted: Thu May 25, 2023 3:03 am Reply with quote
Gina Szanboti wrote:
The edutainment segment this time was interesting as usual, but I thought it was funny that the "assignment" was to find out what games your grandparents played. I think the Edo period was just a little bit before Grampa's time...

Also, were Edo denizens aware of penguins? African animals weren't unknown to them (I guess the Dutch might've brought them some South African penguins), but I dunno about Antarctic/South American ones. Anyway, Elda is quite the master origami crafter!


Ja wiki sez rangaku scholars were aware of the existence of penguins by mid-edo (~1725?), but there's no mention of any being bought to Nagasaki.
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DarkAudit



Joined: 17 Oct 2020
Posts: 32
PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2023 9:46 pm Reply with quote
In another universe, Haira and Isuzu are Prospera and Suletta. Just sayin'.
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Angel M Cazares



Joined: 23 Sep 2010
Posts: 5407
Location: Iscandar
PostPosted: Sat Jun 24, 2023 10:41 am Reply with quote
In the end Otaku Elf is a solid anime, but I wish it had been as good as Gingitsune.
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Glordit



Joined: 11 Sep 2020
Posts: 435
PostPosted: Sat Jun 24, 2023 3:23 pm Reply with quote
Loved the series, the subtilty about Elda being worried about involving herself with others in the community, out of the fear of her outliving them all and missing them once they are gone.

The 3 deities also having addictions or problems of their own; Hikikimori, gambler and a foodie was great! Since they are praised as these sacred beings but have problems and addictions just like everyone else.
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