Category Archives: Franchises

January 21, 2012

Power Word: Please!

By omo

I’ve been looking at some of the blog posts and online reactions to Ano Natsu de Matteru. The general concensus can be categorized into three bins: 1) those who has seen and enjoyed the Onegai Teacher and Onegai Twins series, 2) those who did not enjoy those two shows, and 3) those who knew nothing about them until recently.

I find the general concept of AnoNatsu intriguing, coming from a reboot perspective. I think this guy kind of points out the problem–or better put, the trick. Does AnoNatsu stand on its own? I think that isn’t a question that those in groups one and two can truly answer, and Chris B. is firmly in that category. Actually, he kind of comes off clueless there, but that’s not the point I want to get at.

The general reaction among the 3 groups are:

Group one typically loves AnoNatsu just purely running on nostalgia alone. To use a sweet analogy, it’s like Peanut M&Ms, but now you have Almond M&Ms. And typically people who like nuts like both. We’re (because that’s who I am) the kind of people who gets excited seeing Ichika wearing something like Mizuho’s negligee or understand the secret behind Remon’s identity (as oppose to merely having knowledge of who she is). We are, I guess, Hayama. Actually, it’s more than just that. Some people get really into it and there’s plenty of Easter eggs in AnoNatsu that you can get tripping with both the new material and the old material and how the old material is in the new material. That’s three-fer-sugar high, to extend the sweet analogy.

Group two are, I hate to say it, made up largely of stereotypical Americans that gets hung up on teenage sex fantasies. Of course there are some legitimate complaints here and the Oneti/Onetwi series is all about adolescent romantic fantasies as a core component of that magic, so invariably some people will have issues with that. It is kind of interesting to see how people react to it now that they’ve been armed with 10 years of fandom vocabulary and development that wasn’t present back when Onetwi was around. I think regardless, AnoNatsu comes off somehow different than the genre tropes people are used to, even for this group, and I’ll get to that in a moment.

Naturally I am most interested in the opinion of people in Group Three. I think what made Oneti and Onetwi fun to watch is present in AnoNatsu so I expect that new viewers to find themselves reacting to it the way we did 10+ years ago. It helps that there’s a good amount of self-selection going on, given AnoNatsu doesn’t beat around the bush and doesn’t distinguish itself beyond that it is the spiritual successor of the Please! franchise. Also I think people prefer that to begin with. For example, like what this ANN reviewer said. I think just like back then, Please Teacher and Twins are romantic comedies for guys that actually walked that really scandalous road where fantasies are fulfilled from the get go, rather than a carrot on a stick form that is way too typical (especially given the constraints of serialized manga publication). From there, the rest of the show is set up to exploit that tension of fantasy being reality, but with a twist. (It slightly deviated from the typical Alien Girlfriend plot generator.)

[Well, If Ah My Goddess can do it, anyone can too. Also if you review anime for $, please do me a favor: Please do not quote from TVTropes unironically.]

I think more importantly it isn’t common to see reboots drag new fans into the fold of old, the original series, in this genre. I mean I can’t remember a single time when people quoted either Oneti or Onetwi in their “must watch” list. But for entertainment, I think they are a good time for everyone. It’s neat to see that some people are really enjoying it today even when they missed out 10 years ago.

PS. There is actually a mysterious fourth group of reactions that I left out: Those people who know about Please Teacher from way back but forgot Please Twins existed. They … are a fun group to watch. A bit of category 1 and 2 in those.

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

January 19, 2012

How to Make Redline Better

By omo

My reaction to Redline, in a word: overrated. I think the hype surrounding Redline is largely founded on good faith but it’s like a great down payment but defaulting on the rest of the loan, Redline doesn’t bring home all the goodness promised. And it’s sad because I don’t think the film and marketing material promised much–it’s what all the excessive word on the street is preaching.

However I am going to put that pedal to the metal is to cram as much car and racing puns into this delivery vehicle. You on board with me?

At the end of it all, in order to find something “overrated” it has to have some basis for me to have such a turbocharged expectation. I blame posts like this, selling it like a high school dropout turned used car salesman (because he was too busy watching Ninja Scroll than to study); the mentality drives such reviews, not the actual quality of the thing. It makes me wonder if it does more harm than good by kicking up dust like that. I appreciate the passion to go to town but like every other anime, it is but a small sample in a wide and broad swath of possibilities, among fans of all sizes, where the mileage invariably will vary. It’s like screeching of some dynoqueen Civic for being, well, dynoing like crazy. But when rubber meets the road, you’ve got to wonder.

Personally I find the biggest problem in Redline the lack of that rival component. It’s got nobody to race with. In fact the handling of all the racers besides JP and Sonoshee is pretty half-assed. There are about a dozen concurrent plot lines in the span of 90 minutes, give or take. And all but the main one is…just thrown in there, without a lot of passion. Certainly much less than the eye-dropping animation on display. I mean, the half-assed execution is probably a product of having just too much in too little, givng the audience very little reasons to put money on anything in the movie except the primary pairing. By the time when the film crosses the finish line, you’re left wondering what difficult challenge JP and Sonoshee have overcome. I guess it’s about themselves? Being determined and courageous enough to pick themselves up to cross the finish line, against tremendous odds? Odds expressed as bets? And such bets are actually being gamed, because everyone we care about (namely you, the viewer) knew JP is way better than the odds?

And wait, isn’t JP’s real struggle not even on the course? It all had to do with his friend/mechanic and the mob? Isn’t that exactly the UN-anime/manga thing in regards to what typically passes for a fight/sports setup? Oh wait, this is where people are suppose to say “no” to angsty teenage characters trying to improve their game over their bitter rivals. It’s closer to some HK Blood Opera, except JP is not full of bullet holes (tho not for lack of trying) and bleeding to death because he has terminal cancer, or something ridiculously Jun Maeda-like.

I mean, racing is a sport, right? Where you can “win” at something? Or is it an allegory in Redline? But without defining the challenges, it’s not clear if what JP and Sonoshee accomplished across the finish line is really the proverbial “all that.”

At least, instinctively, when JP and Sonoshee did their best Utena Movie impression at the end, it did not leave me impressed beyond the audio-visual treat that none can deny. What is there for JP to lose? Or Sonoshee? It feels like seeing a bunch of clowns racing down the track, with explosions going on, but you know they’ll be fine because they are, like all the other racers in Redline, clowns trained to survive these high-octane stunts. Plus they’ve got Plot Armor.

The lack of this realism definitely is something part of the visual presentation. Unreal, more like. Fantastic dialed up to eleven. Yeah, maybe in their various flashbacks and tearful rememberences, JP and Sonoshee appeared human. But that is not only just the backdrop to the film, it isn’t even the purpose–I’m here to see some badass racing. I mean, if you go into Redline with any other expectation (and besides to see some gorgeous animation), you will be disappointed. I find that fundamentally two contrasting flavors to this film. On one hand they could ditch all of that and just parade it down the raceway like a pro; but it probably won’t work in the feature-film format.

TL;DR–these are the things Redline can do better:

  • Ditch more of the side plots so it can spend time on the main characters.
  • Spend more time making Sonoshee and JP human by spending less on those in the show that aren’t.
  • Change or lessen the contrast between superhuman feats and motivation based on the lack of by defining the challenge as something JP could not overcome.
  • Have better marketing instead of having semi-fans parade nonsensical claims that distort the quality of the film. (Instead they can have contests in which they will try to cram as many racing and driving metaphors in their reviews.)

In other words, my biggest complaint of the film is the lull in the 30-35 minute gap between when we first see Sonoshee’s tits and when the proper Redline race begin. Most of those things will go to making that segment a lot more engaging. I mean, the whole introduce-to-rest-of-racer thing ought to be important but in the end that whole sideshow doesn’t add anything to the main story. It felt contrived in that they had to explain those elements as they play pivotal roles in the final race, but it was not possible to elevate those elements beyond one-dimensional props. I mean who cares about the motivation of the SuperBoins? Or the crybaby cop? And those two are way more outstanding than the other half-dozen miscreants that line up at the starting gate. I think this audience is better served if they spent more time studying the superlaser satellite thing or driving around in circles at the river bed.

Seriously, after such an high octane opening, it feels really tedious having to wait like, 40 minutes, just to get to the next race, with a plain-Jane Vanilla buildup. It’s like going from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds and it takes half an hour to do a quarter-mile. Give me a break.

I’ve said it before: Redline is more like the final crow call of an era bygone than something that saves something else. Get over it guys, the market has already long spoken as to what kind of businesses and what kind of franchises sell. I think I’m with you in that the world may be a better place if more productions like Redline existed, but it isn’t going to happen if they would have the flaws Redline has. The market just cannot sustain that volume of arthouse projects as a mainstream sort of thing, even if said arthouse project is Redline. You are better off standing in line with all the other otaku with their niche entertainment. I mean that’s where everybody is going to be soon enough.

11 comments | posted in Modern Visual Culture, Redline

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.

===

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