Category Archives: English Language Modern Visual Fandom

November 8, 2011

Chihayafuru’s Edutainment Value

By omo

Episode 6 is, in many ways, the episode I was looking for. It combined something that I understood (the protagonist and her buddy) with things I am more interested in (the new girl and how her personality clashes, the explanation of the poems, the context of karuta beyond just being a game). In fact, this episode is very compelling to me in the same way how Kanade’s explanations of the “Chihaya furu” poem was an eye-opener for Chihaya. I mean, now I get the ending visuals LOL.

Oh the joys of viewing things without context.

The coolest meta perspective is how the whole Chihayafuru-is-Japanese-heritage angle. By explaining those famous poems and their origins you get this whole-package history lesson. It transforms, in a very earnest sense, entertainment into education.

But that again is without the context of already knowing the stuff. I mean you must get into the problem where you have this artful story about high art and the only people who are interested in are history fujoshi and acafan-types. In the end everyone who watches your show already knows what you’re getting at. Does this complete the mission? I don’t know.

I mean if I learned something, maybe I can answer “yes” instead of “I don’t know.” But ultimately it’s got the impact of a gaijin hearing about some tidbit about Japanese history–about as much impact as it would on a 14 year-old Japanese kid dozing off in lit class because he just took the entrance exam 6 months ago, and doesn’t have to cram anything until the year after, and this history stuff is as useful as karuta to a non-Japanese. As in, karuta is pretty much useless if you’re not Japanese. I mean I don’t even think it’s useful for actual Japanese people.

Anyway, Chihayafuru is a solid show. I didn’t really like the back story bit; partly because it’s a bit contrived, and partly because Chihaya is too one dimensional for someone getting most of the spotlight. The solid production carried me through, and partly with the promise of this muda-bijin returning to her post-puberty prettiness. I’m only hoping the “crew gathering” part of this will be more interesting, since the focus shifts away from selling me something (ie., developing the protagonist, trying to convince us that karuta is not a joke) to stuff actually happening.

Leave a comment | posted in Chihayafuru, English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Modern Visual Culture

October 30, 2011

The King of Conquerors

By omo

One of the neat thing about Fate universe is its historical fiction aspect. Unfortunately, like most Japanese take on actual western things, it doesn’t quite match with what I have in mind when I think about Alexander the Great. In fact when the first promo for Fate/Zero came out, it left me sort of worried. The Iskander/Waver story is one of the best parts of Zero, after all, and I was hoping, if anything, that the adaptation would retain the Waver/Rider story’s charisma.

I mean, in my mind, Alexander the Great is this guy who died in his prime. Granted people back then don’t live very long on average, but he died when he was just 33 years old. (And from what I can tell, while that is higher than the average life expectancy for the period/location, once we take away the impact of child mortality anyone older than 15 should live to on average over 40 years.) Maybe that qualified you as “old” by anime standards, but it doesn’t mesh with the popular depiction of Alexander the Great in the west. I mean he’s middle-eastern, sure, but more to the tones of a pretty Greek dude and less of a crafty mountain bandit image. It would be weird once he starts playing video games!

Second, Alexander the Great is a great general. I think one of the most fabled thing about him is reportedly not losing a single battle. It also makes him one of probably the best military general ever lived on earth, given his exploits. At least in a top-5 list for sure. I’m not sure if the anime actually got this right when describing his background.

Third, and perhaps the most important one, is that it is with his sheer charisma that Alexander the Great was able to unite the large territories he conquered. The anime seems to build the Iskander Rider character out of this notion, and his semi-foolish claims of taking over the world (and had the means to at least made the joke seemingly less funny). That part is fine by me, at least in the sense that Fate Zero can also be a primer to history and bringing to life a historical marvel. At least, as long as you don’t think Alexander the Great is actually like this, or King Arthur is actually a person. I mean Arthur could be a girl for all we know.

There is a lot to be said about Waver too. I think in the book Waver was more appealing as someone who had ideals about meritocracy but failed to look within and see the flaws that tarnished his capabilities. Besides instilling a spine into the lad, Iskander is a mentor, a friend, and someone who is simply just better than Waver and inspires Waver to become a better person despite the Grail War circumstances making things difficult. The anime captures the interpersonal dynamics pretty well, but I think of Waver more a tsundere than the semi-dere little critter that he seems to be in the anime. By painting Waver as this green-behind-the-ears grasshopper slash bumbling academic, the overall dynamics will work. I just think he is probably a little too soft-boiled. I mean even Azaka Kokutou would’ve schooled the boy, and I always thought just by being a Mage at the Tower at one point, Waver was already better than that. Well, that’s just me.

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I just want to note that I was in the last round of close beta for Sword Girls, which is this online collectable card game featuring pixiv-style moe girl visuals. It is a pretty fun game as far as a free-to-play online doohicky goes. The CCG mechanics lend themselves more to that style of play than actually decking it out and counting cards and what not like M:tG or whatever. Sure, you can do that in the game too, but it all feels too fancy and more about getting redraws to fish for combo cards. I guess what I’m trying to say is that some moe card games are solidly built on proven mechanics, others are more interesting and fancy than proven. Still I can see myself playing it from time to time. Top image is from said game.

28 comments | posted in English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Fate, Modern Visual Culture

October 19, 2011

Slip And Slide into Fall

By omo

This year has been good for anime. I’ve watched probably more this year than last year, despite having even less free time. There is something compelling that drives me to watch anime almost everyday. It’s almost like a personality flaw. Or maybe I use it as a proper escapist device, to kick back and relax to after a long day.

But I think the more I try to do it, the less I actually do. I’ve noticed that in the past year I have more and more shows in which I follow up to episode 10 or 11, only to left unfinished. Part of it speaks to how compelling some anime really are–that they aren’t. The real cause, I wager, is because that is when all the new shows come out, so older and less exciting fare gets edged out by newer unknown shows. New stuff is more exciting than old stuff, usually, because you don’t know what you’re going to get.

So maybe I should just drop more stuff, and if I want to scratch a particular itch, I will have that option to watch those shows later. Or just take a real break proper-like. It’s not certain that I may watch fewer shows this way. I think being relaxed and fresh-minded makes watching stuff more enjoyable, and I may find more enjoyable shows to watch as a result.

It’s with that realization that I tackle this autumn’s offering. I think a couple shows made it to the short list of truly compelling fare: Fate Zero and Ben-to. Seriously. I mean if you take a big picture view, there are only so many good genre offerings among all genres, and then the types that aspire to be more. Fate Zero definitely tries to be more than just a light novel adaptation–it feels like a proper novel adaptation, if such a distinction can be reasoned with. Regardless of what, it gets me honestly excited every Saturday morning. That is already a feat and by that alone, praiseworthy.

Ben-to is not exactly a rare offering, but it’s infrequent enough and long enough since Air Master that we are getting something that possibly may be worth the while. As long as it has enough guts and burning spirit and whack, I suppose. Style is ultimately what makes cool things timelessly aspirational and engaging. It doesn’t have to be slick, but it does have to be intense. Ben-to manages at least some of that. I think David Pro is consistent in this one regard–there’s something intense about their animation.

Guilty Crown manages to just fall short of that list with its pilot episode, but there are reasons to expect that it will move into that list if it can continue to provide the same production value we saw last week. In a way Guilty Crown just uses the same formula we are all too familiar with from the turn of the century, but dialed it down a little. The production…well, is quality stuff.

Oh, did I ever tell you I love angsty hot 2D chixorz?

I don’t think we have a really good moe show this season, although you might get something between C3, Horizon, Majikoi and Haganai. I like how all four approach things from the comedy side, but only Majikoi and Haganai pile it on. C3, or rather C³, gets a little bit of credit for getting down to business earlier than the others, but it also feels like the show won’t get much further than this. Horizon’s got that good pilot IMO. That Mashiroiro Symphony show is not good, but it is the kind of moe show that corners a particular market segment and as such we have about one series like this every season.

I use the word “about” because Tamayura is kind of the other entry to that genre, or rather, it is also a genre unto its own–Hidasketch, Croisée, whatever. To be honest the music is the only attractive thing about the show so far, so I might just take it that far only. Case in point: I haven’t watched the last episode of Croisée, and I’m not sure if there is a reason as to why I ought to; the soundtrack is delightful though. I went in Croisée thinking it might actually be kind of intriguing, but that didn’t quite work out. Tamayura is probably even less of a hopeful bet.

Likewise, shows like Maken-ki and Kimi to Boku can thankfully be dismissed quickly. Again, not a knock against them, but I just can’t spare the attention. The subject matter seems a little too out of my comfort zone, although one is a school comedy with hijinks and there is fanservice. Or is it both? I don’t know, they have to execute better.

The slightly more-accessible crowd this season includes very-unaccessible Chihayafuru, moderately-accessible Phi-Brain, Gundam AGE, and Un-go. Un-go is surprisingly better than expected–I suppose that is a noitaminA show for you. Gundam AGE is about as good as expected, which is really good, I think. In a good season I might watch all of them, but I may just stick to one or two here. Chihayafuru has the advantage of having an attractive protagonist, but I’m not sure if that gets the show anywhere. Plus, Hikaru no Go has done it better. So the jury’s out on those.

I kind of enjoyed Mirai Nikki, but it isn’t the sort of show I can take seriously, and without the shock and awe factor it wouldn’t be a compelling watch. I don’t know, it isn’t a knock against the material, it’s solid stuff. I just don’t like the way it has been adopted, and I haven’t even read the manga!

I think this is why I don’t want to watch the Persona 4 anime. I would have to play the game first to really get something out of it, but that seems pretty much an impossibility in terms of time. Ah well. I have a copy from way back, it’s just sitting on a shelf eating dust.

And given the large pile of sequels to deal with this season, there’s not a lot to say in terms of how they are notable beyond that they are sequels of things I’m watching. I guess Working season 2 actually offers something slightly different? Does it even matter? I don’t think so.

Speaking of sequels, I don’t really want to talk about the new Last Exile because my mind is not made up on it. There are a lot to like about the show, but invariably we have to compare it to its first series. That makes things more complicated. I would render an opinion without the baggage, but it’s still too early to say.

Besides the few stragglers that I leave out every season, it’s a fairly neat wrap for a relatively “down” time compared to Spring and Summer ’11. But with this many sequels and 2-cour shows, does it even matter? 2011 still is shaping up to be one good year for TV anime. Now I just need to get my butt to a screening of Letter to Momo!

Leave a comment | posted in English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Modern Visual Culture

October 16, 2011

Anime That Saves Anime

By omo

I think it’s a small exaggeration to say that this season is the season where anime saves anime. By that I mean while as an avid viewer like myself might find, at any given season, a good dose of TV anime that are worth the time watching, it’s rarely the case that I can pick up a show and recommend to the average anime-aware nerd who may even be keen on a few titles of their own. When such a show appears, those rare viewer types perk up to listen for it, and goes to fetch it.

I suppose part of this thinking came about because I have friends who may have liked certain thing (like Final Fantasy 7, for example) but would have otherwise find the offering slim pickings out of what anime output OTA to the tube in the last 10 years. It’s without any irony that I can offer Fate Zero or Guilty Crown to these guys. Okay, maybe with a sliver of irony.

The more interesting thing is shows like Hourou Musuko and Madoka Magica were pretty good, to pick something else in 2011, but they are much harder to access by those guys. It’s like the average video game/anime overlapping demographic of over the age of 28 or something tend not to lean in that direction. I am even wondering if Redline falls in that category (or not). But then again, 28 is pretty old for this stuff. The younger crowd would have had a better tolerance for a much more fancier chuunibyou material that didn’t have that backbone Steins;Gate demonstrated, or that sense of lighthearted adventure you can find in anime back in the 90s.

Is this why Kenichi is getting an OAV?

There’s just something, an intangible way that it makes you feel, that shows like Guilty Crown gives off. It’s like sinking your teeth into FF7 and spending your first few hours into that landmark game.

The thing is, despite the mind-blowing fabulousness that is Mawaru Penguindrum, I’m not so sure that even fits. Cute and funny penguins do go a long way to break down that barrier. It’s as if the show just wasn’t written for that oversea audience, though.

Which is to say, while I am much less critical of the new Last Exile than some, that intangible feel is definitely running thin in the pilot episode. Perhaps it’s just a case of nostalgia being less accurate of what it was, but it would be the first time I find Maaya Sakamoto not the most welcomed vocal in a show. I mean, great song, but it just doesn’t fit the show. That’s not to mention the way how the animation turned out.

TL;DR: Having boobs is great, but it’s how you use it that makes all the differences.

Leave a comment | posted in English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Fate, Guilty Crown, Last Exile

October 13, 2011

Thin Slicing My Mind: NYCC Edition

By omo

I was purusing the schedule for NYCC/NYAF and I’m like, dude, besides the awesome JP guests they rope in every year (although this year is a little of a downer for a wota), it doesn’t exist. My words is not as persuasive compared to a visualization of it by looking at the overall con panel scheduling, so take a look at that. I mean I guess SDCC has less of an anime programming track, and way less artist-alley types represent, but who cares about that? Fact or fiction, I’ve resigned to the fate that a large chunk of anime con artist alley tables are hawking the same tired crap I see at every con, and 90% of the tables sell the same character art doohickies that stands on the fringes of trademark infringement, where the primary narrative are the same tried and true online memes you can get on the internet (or purposefully avoid on the internet). I would really rather go look at the non-weeaboo selection; most of them at least try to make something truly original.

I’m glad Shinkai is getting more face time overseas; I think Comix Wave needs to really capitalize on this market. Doubly so to see them bringing over a new work from a new artist, although I’m not sure if it’s worth hauling my butt from an impromptu vacation to visit. Women directors + SF = pretty potent combination though.

Still, I’m going to try to visit the NYAF staple Ryu Moto and his travelmate bkub. I love bkub’s stuff and I don’t even know why. Maybe that is a problem. I’ve hung up the sketch I bought from them last year–this dashing visage of Deadpool–in my bathroom. It seemed right. Hopefully I can pick up something again this year. Being only visiting for a day, though, I’m hoping I can even catch them. Or else I would have to proxy or something. I would probably hang something from Hanamoto too but it would probably brand me as a lolicon child molester for the visitor of my home. That was a joke.

Leading up to the con, I’ve been trying to get a HTPC to work. I sunk about $80 (after rebate) into it, cannabalizing from my previous system. I probably could have gotten away with sinking $0 in it, but SSDs are very nice and none of my old video cards have a HDMI out, which is kind of necessary today. I also finally test drove Crunchyroll’s Boxee app. It turned out there was a huge bug in which plagued the system the past month where you couldn’t watch any premium content even if you are a paying customer. There was some workaround but it didn’t work for me. The day I read the CR forums for a fix, the one dev posted that a fix was coming on this past Monday. And it was fixed.

Boxee on CR is kind of like just having a browser pointed at CR and watching it like that; the only real advantage is that all the screen UI stuff is customized for your television, so you don’t have to press all these extra buttons. I just need to figure out how to get my Dinovo mini’s play/pause/FF buttons to work properly. Like, by installing the drivers first? If I can also do “wake on bluetooth keyboard” with it, that would be a doozy. Anyways, CR on a TV is pretty nice, the playback is hardly flawless but it was acceptable given the level of convenience. Plus part of the problem is probably caused by the aging hardware I was running.

Also, DXVA is wonderful. Kind of like 10bit video but minus the hassle of transcoding it so your portable devices can play them. Would someone just make a 10bit supported version of avisynth so I don’t have to change my workflow pretty please…

So, if you’re coming to the con, maybe we can meet up. No promises, but it could be fun.

Leave a comment | posted in Conventions and Concerts, English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Modern Visual Culture