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Old 03-29-2014, 02:17 AM   #6301
Doppleganger
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Dear scientists,

Can someone explain the correlation between bicycle rides and incest?
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Old 03-29-2014, 02:42 AM   #6302
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doppleganger View Post
Dear scientists,

Can someone explain the correlation between bicycle rides and incest?
*NOOBISH STATISTICS MODE ON!*
There is no correlation! There is a confounding variable that underlies each and every situation involving such bicycle rides and the onset of incest! In this case, there is a repressed love in both siblings leading to such shenanigans!

*calms down*

In other news, I feel very tempted to watch Ookami no Kodomo no Yuki to Ame. Should I? It looks really nice.
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Old 03-29-2014, 02:47 AM   #6303
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If you watch it, I'll watch it too.

Hosada directed the legendary One Piece Movie #6, which was the most impressive OP-related anything I saw. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was OK, but not as impressive as OP #6.

I hope it's only for streaming...
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Old 03-29-2014, 02:52 AM   #6304
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doppleganger View Post
If you watch it, I'll watch it too.

Hosada directed the legendary One Piece Movie #6, which was the most impressive OP-related anything I saw. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was OK, but not as impressive as OP #6.

I hope it's only for streaming...
Ah. Hosada directed those? I should take a look at those too. *has never watched any movie-length anime since TTGL. For shame, Kamen.*

Also planning to have another marathon of something like Nisekoi or Hataraku Maou. But will eventually move to Golden Time and more recent stuff. But STUDYING. Cri.
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The Kamen Fleet (TL5 / A- Grade Referee) | Cameron Kalmia: Viridian's Maskmaker
Hizumi Yukikaze: Emerald Breeze~ | Tokikou Nobuyuki: Time Mage
Ludger Bullenaar: Bastion of Raji City | Helena Levinton: Violet Stitching
Shizuya Kasen: SHSL Armourer

Waifu Squadron and Explorers | Cavern of Chaotic Creativity




Paradise lies beyond the horizon, challenge it because it is unreachable.
Speak of the absolute territory, and grasp it with your hands.


Spoiler: show


SAAVE ME


FLOOF AND MOFUMOFU JUSTICE! *WHACK*


Spoiler: show

"Quit poking my face! >_<"
"Ahahaha, you'll never get rid of this! *hiss*"

Spoiler: show

"STOP POKING MY SISTER!"

Spoiler: show

"That was a terrible idea. But holy carp, this tastes pretty nice."


Spoiler: show
Kamen's mind:

"YOUKOSO WAGA CRAZY E"



Love burns brightly for one and all.

Spoiler: show


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Old 03-29-2014, 03:34 AM   #6305
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Ookami wasn't a bad movie. I didn't think it was great either though. Of course, most of my complaints of it are because I didn't like some of the directions they went with it, even if they're the more "realistic" choices. Yuki could have been great, but noooooo!
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Old 03-29-2014, 07:03 PM   #6306
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I wasn't aware that Urobuchi Gen had a new project coming out. Apparently Expelled from Paradise is a film and won't be coming out until November. It also looks like Gen took to heart the following made-up letter from a fan:
Quote:
Dear Urobuchi-sensei,

I loved Suisei no Gargantia! But do you think you could redo it with a few changes? First, make Ledo a girl. Gotta be a girl. Second, can she be voiced by Kugimiya Rie? :3 Gotta be Rie-chan. Third ... yeah, I ain't got a third. Just make Ledo a girl voiced by Kugimiya Rie and we good! We good.
The trailer doesn't excite me so I'll probably forget all about this until November. But here's hoping it'll be good all the same.
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Old 03-29-2014, 07:48 PM   #6307
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I don't have high hopes for Expelled from Paradise and actually anticipate it to be a disaster. Not pictured is how the very first trailer had some sexy 2D animation and many fans were upset to learn the whole thing was going to be poorly-done CGI, which that trailer Talon linked to demonstrates. It's disappointing because Toei was involved, and they can do better as demonstrated in the PreCure dancing segments, but the movie is woefully under-budget, which necessitated the swap to low quality 3D models. That, and I suspect it's some of the backlash from the success Arpeggio of the Blue Steel wrought during its run last year.
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Old 04-01-2014, 08:33 PM   #6308
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I been really lazy so how about a fatty post to dissect, yo.

A while back Hayao Miyazaki did this rant on TV about how he hates otaku and how animation is being corrupted by them. Here's his theory. Otaku are obsessed with anime, but are also addicted to conventions. They not only have a high tolerance but a preference for the "same thing" and are actually have intolerance for something too different (see Sakurasou's food debacle). They also are not artistic connoisseurs, preferring characters, personalities and fantasy over a visual adventure. The result, Miyazaki says, is "anime incest".

What is it? It's basically that the fans crave what is essential anime McDonald's, a low quality, but tasty product that is the same everywhere they go. Animators can get away with cutting borders on budget and the like because fans don't care if it's got cute girls and indulges their fantasies. Eventually, this leads to anime cheapening overall to something that is almost disgraceful, and a stifling of creativity because fan demand doesn't want anything but this escapism. Further, the next generation of animators, drilled in from a young, impressionable age that this is correct, further reinforce this standard. The result is while anime becomes a fantasy escape for the Japanese, it has almost no appeal around the world and little to no artistic value...because the product has inbred itself so many times it's become highly specific to one audience.

The image that is commonly brought up is this one. Note the old director on the left and his understudy the young animator at the right. The animator loves the hot girls and loves drawing them, and doesn't have a problem with working hard to make anime so long as it has them. The guy on the left wants to do something ambitious but his hands are tied.

Yeah, so, I forgot what I brought this up. But does anyone here agree with Miyazaki that "anime incest" is a real problem that needs to be addressed?
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Old 04-01-2014, 10:09 PM   #6309
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I think we've all been aware of that for a while, just not in those words. We still get some shows that do some stuff that's different, even if it's a small amount. It's just a shame said shows never get the popularity they deserve (Shimashita and Tsuritama). Though what studio is the animator and owner picture you linked from?

A good few of my shows have ended this week, so it's time for reviews!

Sekai Seifuku: Bouryaku no Zvezda
This was a fun show. It had characters with interesting stories, and some fair development between Renge and Asuta. Sadly most of this show is pretty superficial. A1 doesn't even attempt to put in any semblance of story, and just makes it "LOLI TAKES OVER THE WORLD!". No reason for it, and no explanation as to why everyone is following her. I know this show isn't meant to be taken seriously, but they could have tried a little bit. Also at the end....*sigh* A1's jingoism shines bright! Next season, they'll be fighting the evil smoking Americans (even though our smoking laws are much more strict)! Overall, I did enjoy this show, but it didn't really leave a lasting impression. I give Sekai Seifuku a 6.5. Sadly, this was my favorite show of the season. That says alot about the winter season....

Mikakunin de Shinkoukei
This was cute and amusing at first, but after a couple of episodes, it got boring. It was the same, tired, overused SoL hijinks you see everywhere. For most of the show, it seems the point of it was to oogle the loli doing cute things. I liked the relationship between Hakuya and Kobeni, but it was almost an afterthought. Also the last episode was so god damn cheesy. I give Mikakunin a 5.5.

Toaru Hikuushi e no Koiuta
You know, this show had a good thing going for it. It had two characters with very interesting stories, and paired them together. It being interesting because of spoiler reasons. Sadly, that's the only good thing about this show. After that was introduced, the show became nothing more than a cesspool of cliches. We have war cliches, we have love cliches, we have war AND love cliches! There's also bunches of needless crying (the screaming kind). There was this one particular scene where the main guy reunited with the main girl, and they spent 2 freaking minutes of having them twirl! Also the revelations are so god damn unnatural and sloppy. This show gets a 5, and I'm being generous.

Wizard Barristers: Benmashi Cecil
Eeh. This show did nothing for me. It had an interesting premise, but alot of it is just an excuse for "MAGIC FAIGHTO!". Hell they even say it in the next episode preview. The characters were too dull for me to get into, and I just can't sympathize with the wizards. This show wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I give it a 6 just for not really irritating me like all these other corny cliche shows have.

Haaah..... Hopefully 2014 won't be a dry year like 2013 was. Sadly, not even one good show aired the first season, and Precure already sucks. Sad tidings for the year indeed!
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Old 04-01-2014, 11:23 PM   #6310
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doppleganger View Post
I been really lazy so how about a fatty post to dissect, yo.

A while back Hayao Miyazaki did this rant on TV about how he hates otaku and how animation is being corrupted by them. Here's his theory. Otaku are obsessed with anime, but are also addicted to conventions. They not only have a high tolerance but a preference for the "same thing" and are actually have intolerance for something too different (see Sakurasou's food debacle). They also are not artistic connoisseurs, preferring characters, personalities and fantasy over a visual adventure. The result, Miyazaki says, is "anime incest".

What is it? It's basically that the fans crave what is essential anime McDonald's, a low quality, but tasty product that is the same everywhere they go. Animators can get away with cutting borders on budget and the like because fans don't care if it's got cute girls and indulges their fantasies. Eventually, this leads to anime cheapening overall to something that is almost disgraceful, and a stifling of creativity because fan demand doesn't want anything but this escapism. Further, the next generation of animators, drilled in from a young, impressionable age that this is correct, further reinforce this standard. The result is while anime becomes a fantasy escape for the Japanese, it has almost no appeal around the world and little to no artistic value...because the product has inbred itself so many times it's become highly specific to one audience.

The image that is commonly brought up is this one. Note the old director on the left and his understudy the young animator at the right. The animator loves the hot girls and loves drawing them, and doesn't have a problem with working hard to make anime so long as it has them. The guy on the left wants to do something ambitious but his hands are tied.

Yeah, so, I forgot what I brought this up. But does anyone here agree with Miyazaki that "anime incest" is a real problem that needs to be addressed?
First of all, I've seen the documentary that your TinyPic upload comes from. In fact, I feel like we all saw it. (All of us who were active here whenever the first of us who saw it brought it up.) If you don't recall having seen the documentary in your picture, then try searching UPN for posts that I made which make mention of "documentary", "anime", "director", or any other keywords which you think may help you find the post. It's hard to imagine that I would have watched it and not discussed it here, but I can't rule out the possibility.

Second, in addition to Miyazaki's disdain for mainstream anime, I recall that he has also expressed a disdain for foreigners in the past. I can't seem to find evidence of it now, and the very idea seems absurd given that this is a man whose films feature Western neo-classical soundtracks , are frequently set in Western (or at least decidedly non-Japanese) lands, and whose very art style takes Asian facial characteristics and "white washes" them out of existence in favor of anime's stereotypical large circular Western eyes, Western hair colors, etc. But like I say, despite all of this, I seem to recall that he's revealed himself to be a bigoted xenophobic twat in the recent past. So what I'm trying to say is, even if you like Miyazaki's work as a director and/or animator, you don't have to like him as a person nor concern yourself with his views on anime and otakudom.

But with those two points out of the way, let's set about answering your question. You mention that:
Quote:
[Miyazaki claims that otaku] not only have a high tolerance but a preference for the "same thing" and actually have intolerance for something too different (see Sakurasou's food debacle).
I'm not sure that intolerance for something too different from the norm is referring to things like the Sakurasou soup incident. That was a case of straight-up Japanese nationalism bordering on racism. No, what I think Miyazaki is referring to when he suggests that otaku only want more of the same and display an aversion to artwork that deviates from the norm is stuff like Aku no Hana or Mawaru Penguindrum.

In the case of Mawaru Penguindrum, we have a work overflowing with visual and thematic flair but, at least for me and many others, lacking in quality as a narrative. I tend to be very harsh when the story is poor and the art isn't to my liking (Penguindrum was guilty on both counts), but I think that Miyazaki would chastise me for being too harsh on the Utena director. I think Miyazaki would say that I am missing the point: that even if Penguindrum specifically wasn't to my liking, I should still be celebrating that we get a "work of art" "of such vision" and "of such boldness" in this day and age. That sort of thing.

In the case of Aku no Hana, we actually have a strong product (good voice acting, good story, good characters) that is condemned by many for its one two deviant properties: its animation and its direction. Many fans were appalled by the crudely rotoscoped animation. Many viewers were put off by the director's slow, drawn-out scenes. (Example: the 8-minute walk Kasuga and Nakamura have between school and home after the events of Episode 07.) This was a case of people purely complaining about the visual. Unlike Penguindrum where the complaints (if any) are with the story and characters, here the complaints are purely cosmetic. I think the following is symbolic of Miyazaki's complaint with otaku:




The Japanese fan who uploaded these pictures said, "This is what we wanted" of the first picture and "this is what we got" of the second. The second of course is an unedited screencap of what Nakamura looks like in the anime. The first is a more "manga faithful" depiction of Nakamura but goes even further than even the manga did in moe-ifying her appearance. I think if Miyazaki were to see this, a) he'd get upset and b) he'd say, "This is exactly what I'm talking about. Damn otaku!"

You ask:
Quote:
Does anyone here agree with Miyazaki that "anime incest" is a real problem that needs to be addressed?
Regarding its reality, I think that the largest face of the "anime incest" Miyazaki speaks of is the moeblob craze that dominated the second half of the 2000s. So yes, I'd say that "anime incest" is very real.

Regarding whether it's a problem in need of addressing, I'm not so sure it can be addressed in modern Japanese society since it was a naturally-arisen end result of consumers voting with their dollar-votes. To stamp out the moeblob craze and get anime back to being bold and experimental, you'd have to resort to either legal means (lol no way, don't be ridiculous, they're not going to outlaw moeblobs ) or else go incredibly indie with your endeavors. And the latter isn't really going to have much of an impact on the greater world: it's just you, one lone studio (and possibly even one lone man), going up against the entire industry. See: Shinkai Makoto's films. He keeps on making 'em, they're not moeblob productions, and yet his most recent films have had pretty much zero impact on the moeblob series of 2012, 2013, and 2014. This is probably Miyazaki's greatest frustration. That even though he "goes it alone" (along with the rest of the Studio Ghibli family) and continues to produce animated feature films of such quality that people the world over consider them works of art, that even though Studio Ghibli continues to be among the most profitable animation studios in Japan if not the #1 most profitable animation studio in Japan (I'm assuming; they make tens of millions of US dollars per production and only make one two-hour production a year, so ... ), his endeavors have had no discernible impact on the viewing habits of most Japanese animation fans nor on the productions habits of most Japanese animation studios.

Finally, you write that Miyazaki's theory of "anime incest" entails that:
Quote:
the fans crave what is essentially anime McDonald's, a low-quality but tasty product that is the same everywhere they go.
This statement, as a generalization, I don't think is entirely fair of him to make. (Well, the McDonald's analogy is your words, not his, but you know what I mean.) If you look at UPN for example, who among us would say that Hikaru no Go is "the McDonald's of storytelling"? Who among us would say that Kaiji is the animation equivalent of a McDouble or an Egg McMuffin? Sure, we enjoy our McDonald's too from time to time (Senran Kagura, Servant x Service, Nourin) but we also enjoy our Mom's home cookin' (Natsume Yuujinchou) and of course we're always happy to get a free meal from a Michelin 3-star restaurant (*insert anime here you rate 10/10 and feel is genuinely one of the best stories you've ever seen in your life*). To say that anime fans have a proclivity for "low-quality but tasty products" is, thus, not only unkind but inaccurate.

Don't get confused now. I'm not denying the reality of Miyazaki's "anime incest." Remember? *points several blocks o' text up* I'm just saying that to generalize all otaku as the art world's equivalent of hamburger-snarfing junk food addicts is unfair. Yes, there is a demographic within otakudom which supports the junk food animes. No, that is not all otaku.
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Old 04-01-2014, 11:53 PM   #6311
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To clarify, and you touched on this a bit, while I think Miyazaki intended to barb the cultural attitudes that he finds so distasteful, the actual subject of the interview was framed in terms of animation. From what I've read, it was easy to read between the lines that he was using animation as a proxy for attacking the culture (which he would have been heavily criticized for, had he been more forthcoming) but his animation arguments held some of their own weight as well.

Take the Nakamura example you posted. What Miyazaki was actually saying is that otaku want that look, they love that look, and they're really not as concerned about animation quality so long as they have that look. This allows (often forces) studios to get away with cheapening the anime to the point it's Simpsons-esque, and Simpsons/FG have long been lambasted as crimes against animation but excused because of the cultural role they play and sometimes for the humour.

The rotosctoped Aku no Hana was actually well animated, but sales-wise I don't think it did that well, especially not as well as a juggernaut like Arpeggio of the Blue Steel, which is the exact opposite. A show with palatable character designs, looks great in stills, but since it's actually CGI it looks really awful in animation.

As for the documentary, I remember it now! I don't recall why I forgot. We did see that didn't we? Wasn't that guy from Madhouse?

It's also funny, but moeblobs and the personalities that are marketed with them are dominating the industry way more than hentai is. I guess that feeds into the herbivore man stereotype but I'm not a herb at all, and yet I still find the allure powerfully magnetic.
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Old 04-01-2014, 11:57 PM   #6312
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Quote:
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See: Shinkai Makoto's films. He keeps on making 'em, they're not moeblob productions, and yet his most recent films have had pretty much zero impact on the moeblob series of 2012, 2013, and 2014.
I mentioned it before, but even Makoto Shinkai's most recent "work" felt more "moe-ified" - in part due to character designs by the same guy who did Anohana's designs (which aren't that moeblobby visually compared to most other examples but still have that kind of appeal). Still, he was responsible for the directing and storyboarding, and there was clearly a lot of attention spent on making the girl seem cute and klutzy, which I've never seen in a Shinkai production. It's high-quality but still catering to the "McDonald's" crowd I find.

(Although speaking of animé incest I could go on again about how he keeps recycling the same story and scenes, but meh. Not really relevant to the topic discussion. It doesn't actually bother me that much since his animation is always beautiful to see, I just find it amusing how predictable he's become.)
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Old 04-02-2014, 12:32 AM   #6313
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Take the Nakamura example you posted. What Miyazaki was actually saying is that otaku want that look, they love that look, and they're really not as concerned about animation quality so long as they have that look.
While on the one hand I think this accusation is fair to make because it is accurate, on the other hand I feel it is hypocritical of him to levy such an accusation when his own studio has been drawing characters' faces exactly the same way for thirty-five years. (For comparison, Walt Disney's Snow White, 1937, came out thirty years before Walt Disney's Jungle Book, 1967; for further comparison, consider the in-house evolution of Walt Disney Pictures' drawing style between the 1980s and the 2010s.)

But back to the accuracy of the accusation. I think he's generally correct. Even manga doesn't show that much deviation from one artist to another -- you can tell artists apart from one another, yes, but few of the most popular artists can be said to draw faces in a way that is undeniably ugly. (Fukumoto Nobuyuki is a notable exception.) But when you make the jump from manga to anime, fans tend to want one of only two things:
  1. character designs that are faithful to the source material
  2. in-house character designs for which this studio has developed a reputation
For examples of the latter, Kyoto Animation and P.A. Works. For examples of the former, Madhouse and ufotable. Fans tend to be unhappy when a project doesn't conform to either of these two expectations.

Of course, this isn't really what Miyazaki is talking about here, and I doubt it's what you wanted me to talk about either. Miyazaki's honing in on "the generic anime face." He's honing in on Studio Feel's Minami-ke Tadaima just as much as he's honing in on Kyoto Animation's pancake fried egg faces. He's honing in on Genshiken Nidaime every bit as much as he's honing in on Infinite Stratos. He's saying that so long as the production looks like that, "looks like anime", then otaku will support it. And that studios' awareness of this fact is promoting the cutting of corners during development, the catering to the demographic in unwholesome ways, etc.

I dunno. It's 1am and I only slept for 3 hours yesterday night. I can already feel my mind slipping from me as though it were 4am. I think I need to wrap this post up here and tackle the rest another time. Oh! But one last thing:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Doppleganger View Post
The rotosctoped Aku no Hana was actually well animated
Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnno. ^^; The idea to rotoscope was fine. I didn't mind that the characters looked like real people. What I minded, what was truly awful, was the technical quality -- or shocking lack thereof. It felt like the craftsmanship of college freshmen taking an animation course. It was pretty damn bad. Everybody looked horridly pasty. Eyes, lips, and noses would just vanish or appear suddenly, as if by magic, as characters approached or moved away from the camera. I mean, how have you forgotten this already?





Granted, I can forgive it to some extent if the argument to be made is that it was an artistic decision and that the animators are more than capable of animating "the real way" but they chose to go for a super Bohemian approach here because it suits the story. Still though. You can call it "Bohemian" or "avant garde" or whatever else you like: it doesn't change the fact that it looks like crap and that it looks like almost no effort went into animating it.
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Old 04-02-2014, 03:15 AM   #6314
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Imma sleep myself, but I just wanted to chime in that I disagree with Talon's assessment - that's a high frame rate anime, and each frame is different. Perhaps the animation direction leaves room to be desired, but from a quantitative point of view, it's quite impressive.

A big twiiiiist was revealed in Naruto.

Spoiler: show
Naruto is the reincarnation of the son of the Sage of the Six Paths who brought peace to the world, and Sasuke is the reincarnation of his brother who went astray.


This lead a witty poster to summarize the series as such...(paraphrased)

Spoiler: show

Chuunin Exam: "There is no destiny...only hard work."
Akatsuki Arc: "The son of the greatest Hokage...Naruto, that is you."
Konoha Invasion: "Naruto, you are the chosen one to guide humanity."
Current Arc: "Naruto, you are the reincarnation of the first ninja who guided humanity and your best friend/male crush is the reincarnation of your once prodigal brother. You were born to save him and break the cycle of hatred once more."
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Old 04-02-2014, 03:26 PM   #6315
Talon87
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I actually read the chapter in question about a week ago, prompted by AK2. I didn't much care for it myself but it was a nice gesture from Kishimoto to try and give his fans a sense of universe-building closure. I also appreciated his tongue-in-cheek approach to explaining how ...

Spoiler: show
... the Sage of the Six Paths' mother is Princess Kaguya, known to Japanese readers to be a Lunarian, despite the fact that according to Naruto history the Moon is the imprisoned body of the Ten Tails and therefore did not exist before the Sage of the Six Paths created it. A PARADOX!

As for the specific revelation you honed in on, I thought it was dumb myself, but that's a matter of personal opinion. For me ...

Spoiler: show
... it takes away from Naruto being the story of Uzumaki Naruto and instead makes this "The Legend of Ashura" or some such. It's like Naruto is no longer the star of his own story. He's been relegated to reincarnation status of a greater, more important figure in the history of ninja.

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Originally Posted by Doppleganger View Post
This lead a witty poster to summarize the series as such...(paraphrased)

Spoiler: show
Chuunin Exam: "There is no destiny...only hard work."
Akatsuki Arc: "The son of the greatest Hokage...Naruto, that is you."
Konoha Invasion: "Naruto, you are the chosen one to guide humanity."
Current Arc: "Naruto, you are the reincarnation of the first ninja who guided humanity and your best friend/male crush is the reincarnation of your once prodigal brother. You were born to save him and break the cycle of hatred once more."
Not surprised. I've said it before and I'll say it again: the show rocked up until the very end of the Chuunin Exam arc. It was around that time that the series took its first of many missteps.
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Old 04-02-2014, 04:57 PM   #6316
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Ascended heritage as it were has always been the major bite to shounen manga, and I hate it. You take a protagonist, show he's special, then show that his family (usually the Dad) was the reason he was special and there's nothing particular about him as an individual.

I don't see why Japanese writers, at least for shounen, are so obsessed with this convention, or the appeal of it. At least with the "reincarnation" or "inherited will" angle that justifies destroying heroes at the end of their series, like Mazinger and Goku, it's related to the mythos of a man achieving immortality through those who carry his legacy. There should be no appeal to ascended heritage, it's all negative.
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Old 04-02-2014, 09:25 PM   #6317
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Originally Posted by Doppleganger View Post
Ascended heritage as it were has always been the major bite to shounen manga, and I hate it. You take a protagonist, show he's special, then show that his family (usually the Dad) was the reason he was special and there's nothing particular about him as an individual.

I don't see why Japanese writers, at least for shounen, are so obsessed with this convention, or the appeal of it. At least with the "reincarnation" or "inherited will" angle that justifies destroying heroes at the end of their series, like Mazinger and Goku, it's related to the mythos of a man achieving immortality through those who carry his legacy. There should be no appeal to ascended heritage, it's all negative.
It could be related to the Shinto religion and the worshiping of ancestors in Japan and outside of it. There's also the social class system and very much vertical social hierarchy, and a kind of addiction to up-holding traditions and passing on traditions/businesses/etc. Maybe it's a nature vs. nurture thing?
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Old 04-03-2014, 12:42 PM   #6318
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Dear scientists,

Can someone explain the correlation between bicycle rides and incest?
I love analyzing stuff like this. Glad you asked! ^__^

When riding a bicycle with two people, one obviously does the driving and the other one holds on. Of course, the one riding in the back can be said to be depending on the one in front, while the one in front can be said to draw strength from the presence of the one behind them. This support/support is a common dynamic in romantic relationships, and an even more common dynamic in sibling relationships. It compares the similarities between the two, which is likely the underlying reason for incest anime in the first place (alongside the age-old draw of the taboo, of course).

Next of all, bicycle riding can be viewed as being childish or innocent, especially when compared to other forms of transportation. Obviously this 'innocent perfection' is another tenant of such anime- I can only imagine that the idea of 'friend, family, and lover' in one relationship can be considered a bit of a romantic ideal to some.


I could expand further but that seems redundant.
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People should watch what they enjoy regardless of what others think, even if it's a terribad guilty pleasure.
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Though, I also dislike the concept of lamenting the current day while wishing to re-experience the past. At least, my modern attitude is to try and make each new day magical even if it's not, since exclusively reminiscing about the past is too pathetic.
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Old 04-03-2014, 12:46 PM   #6319
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Kin, are you some kind of literary god?

That was amazing! I wasn't even expecting a tasty response like that, more along the lines of total indifference or "oh wow, that's some pretty common imagery, isn't it"? It's also almost always older brother-younger sister too!
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Old 04-04-2014, 05:04 AM   #6320
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Finally caught up with Pokemon! I also didn't overlook this week's episode when it released (too bad I can't say the same for 3 Puchim@s episodes)! I guess I can give brief thoughts for the three episodes.

Pokemon XY

19:
Spoiler: show
This episode was alright. Though I can't really say it did much for me. The only real interesting thing to me about it was the fact that the Pokemon was the evil one. It's a decent change compared to the usual "There's no evil Pokemon, only evil peoplemon!


20:
Spoiler: show
Once again, only okay. Serena's tsukkomis were kind of amusing, especially at the end. Also they really made the first gym leader come out nice. Looks like Citron shouldn't have turned her down! Also it looks like this show's making a big deal out of ANOTHER okay move! Next watch them try to defend themselves against a Magikarp's AMAZING splash attack!


21:
Spoiler: show
This one started out kind of charming. We get Eureka and Citron being goofy with the videos, and some cute moments with Serena and Fokko. Sadly after the first half of the episode, things got kinda sloppy. They made such a big freaking deal with the mud. I understand Fokko has a thing about not getting dirty, but good lord they made that WAY too damn dramatic, especially when Serena could have returned it to its Pokeball, or Fokko could have went AROUND the mud (atleast I'm sure they drew the mud where it could be walked around. Such a shame too, since it has been a while since we've gotten a Serena episode. The highlight of the episode is Citron's video at the end.


Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san
I decided to start this, since it's supposedly loaded with sick, sadistic humor. The first episode did not disappoint. I loved some of the things they did to their client, especially at the very end. It's a little too hyperactive, and I can easily see the novelty of this show wearing out very quickly, but let's hope things stay the way they are. We don't want this show to turn out crappy like Ping Pong Club.
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Old 04-05-2014, 11:12 AM   #6321
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15-second preview for Mekakucity Actors next week!

Wow they really Monogatari'd it up. Totally thought that was a close-up of Araragi at first.

(That's also apparently part of the theme song they used. Wonder who'll be singing it, if it has lyrics.)
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Old 04-05-2014, 02:26 PM   #6322
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Some stuff to yack about.

Hozuki no Reitetsu
This show ended, leaving me with nothing else for the Winter season. For the most part, this show was only okay. It has a very interesting take on alot of Japanese fairy tales, and the characters are fairly endearing. Sadly the show just isn't funny. It tries, but with it being called "dark humor" and it mostly being "MURDER!" in a suggestive tone being the only dark thing about it, it's difficult to really laugh at. It has some amusing moments here and there, but if I'm lucky, I might get a laugh an episode. Where this show really shines is the character designs. The show LOOKS great. Every character looks unique. Too bad the show isn't really good enough to really do anything with them. Overall, Hozuki gets a 6. Maybe the character designer will go off and do something better?

Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san
So I went and watched this after looking at the Hozuki page and realizing that this is a real dark comedy. This show was awesome. I loved some of the things the characters did to people. Like in the first episode, it was about a woman who came to the main characters to get her cheating husband to stop cheating on her, and to punish him. What do the main characters do? They (episode 1 spoiler)
Spoiler: show
make him impotent, meaning he won't seek out other women, but can't satisfy his wife either.
I also love how gross they make everyone look. Every character besides the main two humans look so fucked up. The humor does get excessively hyperactive at times, but I enjoyed the hell out of this show. Azazel-san gets a 8 from me. I'll also check out the second season whenever it finishes downloading!

Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou
My first new show of the season, and it was pretty meh. This show has the potential, with the love interest this show has, but I have a feeling this show will stay along the lines of generic romance comedy. The way this show likes to scream "PLEASE LAUGH AT ME BECAUSE I'M BEING LOUD AND FAST!" really got on my nerves. Also it seems the main guy is a beat-up doll. I'll stick with this for a few episodes, but if the show doesn't deliver anything worthwhile, I'll drop it.

Daimidaler
Poorly designed robots and constant tit shots...Yeah, this show is dropped. I only watched this because it has been forever since a non-Gundam mech show aired, and I wanted to see a new one for a change. Also the fact that I ignored a bunch of new releases already. Sadly this show is just another pile of fanservice garbage.
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Old 04-08-2014, 12:34 AM   #6323
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Shows! Shows! Oh god the shows! Actually I only have two. Most of the shit this season has is either card games (5 of them this fucking season!) or reverse harems, which isn't bad in itself, but I've only run into bad ones, so I'm a bit wary. Also there's sports.

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei
This show is like Index plotwise. This is one of the few shows that don't instantly put me off, so I figured I'd give it a shot. So far, I don't have any real complaints. The ways of invoking magic are silly, but that's it. Also we have siblings who are REALLY friendly at the start of the show! Watch them pull some BS and make them stepsiblings.

Brynhildr in the Darkness
This is like Another, but more over-the-top and silly it seems. Nothing really grabbed me, but there's nothing else worth a damn, so I'll continue until I get bored or pissed off.

There's JoJo too, but I don't really want to watch it. Everyone has a giant boner for the shounen with people in Hentai Kamen poses, but I just don't feel it. I'll start on it sometime though! I have hopes for the OP at the very least.
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Old 04-08-2014, 12:57 AM   #6324
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Is your new avatar Raikou Cabernet, bbb? Or is it somebody else?

As for me ...

Episodes Watched But Have Yet To Write Posts For:
JJBA Stardust Crusaders Ep01
Nagi no Asukara Ep25
Nourin Ep10
Pokémon BW Special 2 (Iris special)
Pokémon XY 021

Episodes Yet To Watch:
Nagi no Asukara Ep26
Nourin Eps 11,12

Spring 2014 Series:
Aside from Stardust Crusaders, I've yet to start anything. Still haven't gotten through the Winter 2014 offerings. So I'm not really in any rush to try and tackle the Spring 2014 ones. For now, I think HxH, Pokémon, and JJBA will be my only currently-airing series that I'll be watching.
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Old 04-08-2014, 01:06 AM   #6325
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Talon87 View Post
Spring 2014 Series:
Aside from Stardust Crusaders, I've yet to start anything. Still haven't gotten through the Winter 2014 offerings. So I'm not really in any rush to try and tackle the Spring 2014 ones. For now, I think HxH, Pokémon, and JJBA will be my only currently-airing series that I'll be watching.
Skip the winter stuff and watch Mekakucity Actors with me. *shot*

(In seriousness, I don't think there's anything from the past season that'd be really worth your time or immediate interest. *shrug*)
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