Category Archives: Franchises

January 16, 2012

Details in Space, Details from Space

By omo

There is just one comment I want to make:

How do you deal with an audience who is going to point out that those girls are working in zero-gravity with skirts? In a show where they’ve tried to, well, avoid showing anything underneath skirts? Tried to, because it seems that they did in Mouretsu Pirates anyway.

How do you deal with an audience who is going to ask themselves “Wait, how do you get cellular reception underwater?”

I guess this is where I grin and nod to your typical Tatsuo Sato anime.

I think that is one of the continuing challenges to make content for an increasingly fanatic and jaded crowd; like a sea of Simpson’s Comic Book Guys. But some people just have the touch.

Two girls, one cup.

The forbidden uniform. The forbidden line. What is next?!

Wait… Disney will never license this show, right? Just like Ocean Waves, right? LOL.

20 comments | posted in Ano Natsu de Matteru, Franchises, Modern Visual Culture, Mouretsu Pirates, Rinne no Lagrange

January 10, 2012

Ano Natsu de Matteru Is Just Like Onegai Teacher

By omo

It is one thing when some new show gets compared to some other show for some reason. Sometimes it’s quite superficial (Guilty Crown:Code Geass) other times it’s because they come from the same staff (Ghost in the Shell SAC:Eden of the East). Sometimes, it’s because of both. On occasion, you know a show is just like this other show, made by the same people, with the same themes and ideas, telling more or less the same story, but just a reboot (Utena:Mawaru Penguindrum). Once in a blue moon, you get some show that is just like some other shows because the same people that worked on both shows are aping off the same idea they made a long time ago into some new show that is suppose to make you go “oh hey this is just like Onegai Teacher.”

Where do they start? Setting? Nah. Music? Eh. Character design and color direction? Background art?

The opening.

I pity the fool who skips openings. Because anyone who knows his anime production costs know like, a good chunk of the total budget goes into that 90 seconds. It’s kind of like eating a strawberry shortcake and not eating the strawberry on top. Actually, it’s more like having excellent ramen but not drink the stock. Yes, I admit, sometimes it’s okay to skip the OP. Especially for long running shows. But sometimes it makes the difference of having the right mood and expectation going into a show and end up liking it, and not having that set for you and end up hating the same show.

So if you would have a look down memory lane:

Onegai Teachers OP (the bonus version w/o credits)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0UtDMKr8xc&feature=related]

Onegai Twins OP (It does an audio lead in, so sometimes the effect vary! Whiplash~)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPfK8R8zLKQ]

And now AnoNatsu OP (wwww onetits)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-ogI1VMTzM]

The feeling of the three OPs are similar, but not the same. I think Onegai Twins OP is very similar to AnoNatsu simply because of the same cuts technique, except Onegai Twins has a more upbeat affair, and the visual shows. Well, there are really just three people in that show, versus something like 6 here. Gone is overlapping fades and in is weird CG effects to play with the colorspace. The photo/film effect is in for all three, but the way they’re done is different–Oneti uses that candid cam motion thing, OneTwi is a slideshow, and AnoNatsu is using filters.

Well, I’m not very good at this but there are plenty of other things you can point out. It’s just right there.

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One thing I want to comment on about AnoNatsu right off the bat is that the character that made Oneti for me has a parallel in AnoNatsu. Koishi single-handedly sold me Oneti. I thought Ayako did an awesome job in it, and I remember still vividly trying to talk about it with some director, who pointed out how the schtik was suppose to work. The girl carrying the torch right now in AnoNatsu is played by Kaori Ishihama, who is mostly a newbie. Kind of excited! On the other hand, maybe the more service-friendly and mysterious Mio played by perennial moe queen Kana Asumi could also make a  move. Everyone made moves in Oneti and Onetwi, after all.

And yeah, Yukari Tamura reprises her deadpan role in Remon. Although Ichigo is more deadpanned by an order of magnitude, actually. Happy 10th anniversary for this character.

The biggest question is, though, can Tomato pull one out of her butt? I guess it depends on how you feel about her role as Anaru.

9 comments | posted in Ano Natsu de Matteru, Modern Visual Culture

January 8, 2012

Mouretsu Pirates Is 75% Baked

By omo

Coming into this season I am only looking forward to one show: Mouretsu Pirates. So now that we’ve had the very initial tastes here are just some thoughts.

  • I’m glad Tatsuo Sato, for the most part, delivered the things I wanted. Or at least, it’s on the menu if it isn’t in the show already. Time will tell if this will be any good, of course. But in the season of judging-book-by-cover I think we’re well ahead of the curve on episode 1. Tatsuo Sato is also the really only reason I’m looking forward to this (but…not Rinne no Lagrange for some reason).
  • Speaking of judging book by cover (or by Director), I don’t know why so many people gets turned off just by the title and the way how this show tries to lure people in by its protagonist. It’s a little post-Haruhi-ish I suppose, and some people are just allergic to that. If it was only like that. And okay, it’s fine to get hung up on the name. Even if it seems a lot of people get hung up by the name. But dropping the show or not even trying it because of the name? Really? Okay they use the word “Bodacious,” which I suppose may not fit the idea of the show so well (time will tell), but they also used the word Pirate, which, as we will see, is not even correct. But criticizing choice of English words for an anime to this extent? Com’on man.
  • And one more thing about the names: “uchuu kaizoku” is …probably less of a mouthful than “uchuu privateers” or some equvalent? And I guess everyone knows who is a space pirate. Marika has some high standards to live up to!
  • The basic premise is that in the age of seafaring colonization, some independent entities were either hired or pardoned by rival governments to rage wars on opposing parties. The word is better used as Privateers. Letter of Marque and all. Copy and paste that into our new SF anime and you get how Marika becomes a “pirate.” But if they are legal pirates then how does it work? That exact question is actually raised within the show when Marika reads up on all this. Seems to me the show might actually, you know, involve this question in its script beyond posing it?
  • The basic idea of this anime is an anachronism. I mean, don’t we use the concept of “security contractor” for this basic idea nowadays? So I suppose it isn’t a surprise when the show also asks the question about anachronism in a literal sense. Well, it is still surprising because it’s awfully 4th-wall-ish. It was used in the context of how a maid cafe could still exist–I think people who are digging their space pirates probably aren’t digging Akiba maid cafes unless they enjoy maid cafes, an overlap that is probably not as big as some may like. And I think a lot of people get the wrong idea about the show because it was promoted in a way where Marika serves at a maid cafe. Well, Ruri serves in a cat pajama too? LOL. I guess Sato still had an explanation for it, maid outfit or cat outfit alike.
  • All this is just to say there are a lot of room in the script to flex wit. And I think that is single-handed the best thing that makes Nadesico such an epic and classic SF anime. That self-awareness is signature.
  • The fundamental mastery of science fiction is the ability to explain things away sufficiently. The key here is sufficiently. A lot of anime adaptations are lazy in this regard, and a few explains the wrong thing too much (think Madoka). Sato’s? They’re top notch and spot on.
  • Looking at some first impression posts, I see people complaining about pacing. I think those people can DIAF. The pacing is actually pretty solid for a show that has to expand so much effort on world building. If anything I think the pacing is well above-average, compared to shows like Fate/Zero.
  • Also, that opening sequence where Marika lands that simulation shuttle? Totally unrealistic. But slick like Satelight’s space mecha stuff.
  • I find the coloring on the characters…also typical of Satelight. Well, nothing wrong with that per se.
  • Wine in a beer mug, LOL.

Makes me wonder what would Tatsuo Sato do with a Yamamoto Yohko-sort of story. Is Mouretsu Space Pirates it? Maybe?

16 comments | posted in Modern Visual Culture, Mouretsu Pirates

January 3, 2012

That Bandai Entertainment Thing

By omo

The writing was on the wall. It was interesting to see how they would crank down their operation. When the store got axed you knew it was going to happen. At the same time, you wondered how that impact Aniplex’s fledgling operation. I get the feeling thanks to their partnership, Bandai lasted longer and long enough to do something like, say, K-ON on single Blu-ray volumes.

Admittedly my perspective is really skewed–someone who would spend a lot of money to buy, say, Madoka CE or the Rakkyo set. I don’t really like what that implies. I mean, again, K-ON was a simple, bare-bones, $30/pop sort of a deal. At least give us something like Madoka’s release? But now there’s just one less player. According to the Justin/Chris write-up from Iyadomi, it may mean that more Gundam Unicorn-esqe releases. That would make an acceptable trade-off for someone like me.

It’s kind of sad that I’m more concerned about “will there be a Bandai After Dark panel at Otakon?” than any of this. Including the people that got let go! That sucks, man. I hope you guys get some time to enjoy your unemployment benefits and have no problem finding a new and better job.

In the midst of this, I think it’s important to note that Bandai’s shifting out of this new release thing because of a strategic restructuring from the Motherland. It’s that time of the year. It isn’t just because title X or Y didn’t sell well, or because they’re still doing single releases–if anything I think we will see more single releases in 2012. That’s what Japan wants. And when it’s done right, that is what I want, too. Actually I want whatever that is done right, single or sets.

And in the end, that is what matters. That and “what is going to happen to K-ON“? All those people pining for Turn-A Gundam, I feel you. But I’ve been feeling you for so long, I don’t know why you’re still worrying about a 1999 title. It’s not healthy.

10 comments | posted in English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Gundam, K-ON

December 28, 2011

Year in Review: Team Iri Wear Pants – Comedy Reigns in 2011

By omo

If Mawaru Penguindrum can be explained by the transfer of fates via the vehicle of an allegorical apple, then Fate/Zero can be explained by the wearing and ownership of pants. The idea here is that, well, what did Rider work to get? What did Saber wear? What did Iri wear? In Urobuchi’s world, people wear pants. I mean that is typically what happens during winter in Japan anyway. Without spoiling it for you, the winner of the Holy Grail War this time also wear pants. All who survived as participants wore pants. Pants is clearly necessary for survival in the Holy Grail War.

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I’m going to say that 2011 is the return of the comedy. There were a lot of funny shows in 2010, but it feels like the funnies have for the most part stayed for the year as well. What is notable is seeing more of it in serious shows. I think if OreTsuba can bust my guts laughing, anything can. The potential is there.

I mean, talking about Mawaru Penguindrum again, was it funny? It isn’t epic funny like those Nanami episodes in Utena, but there were good chuckles all along the way. And man, Ringo. Ringo!

I watched Nichijou and Sket-Dance this year, so that may have skewed things. I think Hanasaku Iroha sometimes is really funny, although I don’t think some of those instances were intentional.

Working!! returned, which is usually solid for a few laughs. Bakatest, too, had some really big ones, despite season 2’s more somber tone. Squid Girl S2 also was solid, again. Majikoi and Horizon had laughs, and the latter is as serious as Fate/Zero is. Haganai, for the most part, was still funny. Oh wait, I’m suppose to laugh at the manual stereo mage orbit talk was I?

R-15 was pretty funny, despite being more hetare-funny half the time. Twin Angel was all hetare-funny all the time (but it wasn’t THAT funny unfortunately). Yuruyuri had a couple gut-busters, which is pretty surprising. And in 2011 we learned the true meaning of being a mage.

Going back to the start of the year, we did have Mitsudomoe S2 (which was pretty funny for the most part). OreImo True End was funny enough. Level-E was epic. And, well, there was Qwaser S2.

Looking back I think I ended up watching more comedies this year than what is fairly represented, but that is probably because they didn’t suck, like, say, in 2009.

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This year I read both the fan-translated Kara no Kyoukai series and fan-translated Fate/Zero series. They are available here and here, respectively.

As a result, over large stretches of 2011 my mind is full of Type-Moon-ness. It is like a keg of kerosene to react to some spark from Type-Moon. But Fate/Zero isn’t that spark.

Carnival Phantasm is that spark that blew my mind. I’m not too sure what to make of it besides that I have to fight that urge to import the whole thing. Because it doesn’t seem to make sense especially since I missed the boat on all that Take-Moon stuff way back when. I mean this is before Fate/Zero, sorta, and Fate/Zero’s been around the block once or twice already.

There is so much that goes on in that show. The visuals are engrossing and varied. It is funny. What the hell is going on? I don’t know. Does it matter? Not really.

The only regret left is that Fate/Zero content is not represented in Take-Moon, and thus missing in Carnival Phantasm. I mean, take a look at this to get an idea.

PS. #cp_dateall ftw.

PPS. ALTER! ALTER! ALTER!

2 comments | posted in 30-sai no Hoken Taiiku, Fate, Hanasaku Iroha, Kaito Tenshi Twin Angel, Kara no Kyoukai, Mawaru Penguindrum, Modern Visual Culture, Nichijou, Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai, Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai, Seikon no Qwaser, Working!!