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EP. REVIEW: Girls Beyond the Wasteland


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Stark700



Joined: 30 Jan 2012
Posts: 11762
Location: Earth
PostPosted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 2:46 pm Reply with quote
I have somewhat of a mixed thoughts on this show but so far been alright with it especially with the dialogues. It reminds me a bit of Saekano and SNAFU (the characters). The storytelling feels fairly dull though imo and the comedy is also a bit of a hit or miss. I really hope they do some justice with the characterization soon.
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AksaraKishou



Joined: 16 May 2015
Posts: 1410
Location: End of the World
PostPosted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 4:01 pm Reply with quote
The main girl looks a LOT like Kuroyukihime from Accel World...
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Animegomaniac



Joined: 16 Feb 2012
Posts: 4070
PostPosted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 8:29 pm Reply with quote
I couldn't stand Saekano with non comedy and its collection of instant experts brought together not to make a product but a dream - somehow- but this one I like. Like it or not, they're here to make a marketable product.

For me, what I enjoy about the series is summed up in up what's Kei's role will be; Since he has no skills or creativity, that makes him perfect for "Assistant director". Oh, and their artist doesn't want to make a bishoujo game, she wants to go directly to hentai.

Another thing I loathed about Saekano... I only saw three non-linear episodes and that was two too many... was that not only the girls were the "best in the fields... that he could get from his school" *ugh* but they were also acclaimed in their roles under assumed names. So they didn't needed to come together and create anything at all, it was all a power fantasy for the lead. That show...

Here, not only are no one pros, they don't even have a desire to do what they're assigned to do. It's almost like the game is just an excuse to get the group together... wait, that's obvious for the structure of its source material... but it reminds me of something else. K-On!? No. Genshiken and their fan projects? No. Haruhi Suzumiya and reality itself?

Ok, ok, any school club anime where the point is quality time with the characters over any stated goal.

And why do I get the feeling that Bunta's first attempt at headhunting a crew would be much closer to the reality that should have been Saekano?
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relyat08



Joined: 20 Mar 2013
Posts: 4125
Location: Northern Virginia
PostPosted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 10:38 pm Reply with quote
Well, it's pretty much up to your reviews now Gabriella. I wasn't planning on watching this, but after dropping some other shows this season, I might pick it up. But only if your reviews are positive. Otherwise, I'll check out my backlog.
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gustave154



Joined: 14 Nov 2013
Posts: 89
PostPosted: Sat Jan 16, 2016 1:01 am Reply with quote
i'm liking it more than Saekano. Why? The kids are making an eroge instead of an all-ages game. i'm expecting alot of hilarious stuff
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T.Silver



Joined: 13 Jul 2015
Posts: 163
PostPosted: Sat Jan 16, 2016 2:46 am Reply with quote
I loved that the shy girls dream was to draw hentai Anime hyper
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Hameyadea



Joined: 23 Jun 2014
Posts: 3679
PostPosted: Sat Jan 16, 2016 7:38 am Reply with quote
Episode #1-2:

As opposed to Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata, this show finished gathering its members within an episode (and at the start of its run, too). So unlike SaeKano, where most of the value came from the characters slowly accepting the idea of creating a circle to publish a VN, here most of the show's intended value will be from the actual game-building process, I assume.

TL;DR
Similar to SaeKano, yet different. Also, SaeKano was based on LN series, this show is based on a yet-to-be-released VN (due in March, IIRC).
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Animegomaniac



Joined: 16 Feb 2012
Posts: 4070
PostPosted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 8:01 am Reply with quote
"What's her beef with BL anyway?" Yeah, her brother would have made one, if he could so obviously she should be more acceptable in their bishoujo game. Not even stopping at an otome game but going right for... not jugular, a lot lower really.

Episode 3

I'm still trying to wrap my head around that obsession of hers; She reads the relationship between the two lead girls in their basic game summery as a love hate relationship which she says is a good basis for an "anti yuri" lesbian relationship which is practically the same as yaoi? That's so convoluted, it's genius.

And when you get right down it, Bunta has a knack for accidental yuri? ... and it's kind of an interesting hook for a simple game. If they go that way.

I mean, develop the game with that in mind.

Do the simple one novel game first then follow up with the big 6 novel 8800 yen one. "And reality ensues"; The group didn't start to get into making the game until their potential profit got mentioned. Now that's the kind of people I can watch.
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FlierFin663



Joined: 04 Nov 2012
Posts: 5
PostPosted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 12:49 am Reply with quote
"By alienating the character who represents this side, Girls Beyond the Wasteland risks alienating a big part of its potential audience."

That's exactly what I was thinking when Teruha left the room. What kind of producer in their right mind suppresses the thoughts and opinions of their own production team? I'm glad they somewhat turned it around in the end, but having been part of a creative team myself, I nearly dropped the show on the sport thanks to that.
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wanpanbread



Joined: 23 Jan 2016
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 11:49 am Reply with quote
Kuroda wants to make a bishoujo game not a BL game. She's the producer so she can do whatever she wants. Seems
like you guys are missing the point here.
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HelloBucket



Joined: 07 Apr 2015
Posts: 477
Location: Upstate New York
PostPosted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 7:08 pm Reply with quote
The complaint about the lack of passion strikes me as weird. The best thing about the show is that everyone has their own reasons for getting involved in the project yet none of them are exactly "make a good bishoujo game". I don't see this as a failed attempt to create an idealism vs. practicality conflict, but a successful attempt to create an entirely different conflict about finding your place in the scheme of things in a way that you can contribute to something larger than yourself while still feeling personally fulfilled. This is driven home by the fact that the key characteristic of our protagonist is he has no idea what he wants to do with his life and that the obvious draw of Sayuki to him is that she seems to have that all figured out.
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Hameyadea



Joined: 23 Jun 2014
Posts: 3679
PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 10:37 am Reply with quote
Episode #4:

While I feel that the episode's first plotline -- about Hōjō Buntarō's struggle with the script, and its (somewhat flamboyant) resolution -- was handled in both a funny and satisfying way, the other plotline -- the one about Yūki Uguisu -- was, IMO, less so. The biggest thing that irks me was the forced attempt to create a tragic atmosphere by having her arriving the clubroom with the mop and tried to draw on the board before collapsing; that scene (along with the lead-up events) felt too much like "you much feel sad and empathetic HERE," rather than evoking said feelings.

Edit: After reading Gabriella Ekens' review, I also think that Yūki Uguisu's plot was aimed to serve as an educational experience for Hōjō Buntarō, but that doesn't really changes the way it was handled, though.
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maximilianjenus



Joined: 29 Apr 2013
Posts: 2858
PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 11:49 am Reply with quote
Quote:
It feels like I'm watching a thinly animated textbook guide on visual novel development with a story barely strung under it.


that's about right, and kind of a letdown; this is like those recent exercise anime except that this is about creaitng visual novels. this is gonna make new game look like an engaging and exciting documental on game creation.
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WingKing



Joined: 27 Apr 2015
Posts: 617
PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 11:58 am Reply with quote
I could not resist the irony in this episode of the group making an issue out of Buntaro needing to write stronger characters, when the characters themselves in this series frankly aren't that strong - especially compared to some of the other shows Gabriella listed off.

As a writer myself, I empathized with Buntaro in a slightly different way. I agree that he was likely nonplussed by everyone else not sharing his own enthusiasm for the story. There's also, however, the issue of specific feedback. I know when I write a draft of something and give it to people to look at, a mild emotional reaction like "it's good" is about the most frustrating and least-helpful feedback anyone can give me. I need specifics. Which elements of the story are working for you and which ones aren't? The only thing "it's good" tells me is that it's not good enough yet, but it doesn't tell me anything about what I can do to start making it better.
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CaRoss



Joined: 11 Nov 2014
Posts: 457
PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 1:18 pm Reply with quote
WingKing wrote:
As a writer myself, I empathized with Buntaro in a slightly different way. I agree that he was likely nonplussed by everyone else not sharing his own enthusiasm for the story. There's also, however, the issue of specific feedback. I know when I write a draft of something and give it to people to look at, a mild emotional reaction like "it's good" is about the most frustrating and least-helpful feedback anyone can give me. I need specifics. Which elements of the story are working for you and which ones aren't? The only thing "it's good" tells me is that it's not good enough yet, but it doesn't tell me anything about what I can do to start making it better.


Oh how I hate that as well. When you have someone look over your stuff and all they give is an "it's good," but refrain from giving any more feedback it really sucks. I write myself, and end up reading over a lot of other people's work as well, and really hate receiving or giving that sort of feedback.
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