Animu/Mango General

Naas_Human

That it's easy to come to an entirely different conclusion just demonstrates how unhelpful it was. I already knew who she was and it still felt like a bizarre way to go about one of the few returning character backstories the show spent time on.

fourteenwings

Twelve episodes is over six hours, and I think that's more than enough to tell a coherent story. In storytelling, you work with what you've got, not the other way around.

glennmagusharvey

Naas_Human wrote: »

That it's easy to come to an entirely different conclusion just demonstrates how unhelpful it was. I already knew who she was and it still felt like a bizarre way to go about one of the few returning character backstories the show spent time on.

The show spent rather little time on who she was, aside from that one line. That said, I guess whether one is okay with that explanation depends on whether one is okay with ambiguity being left in a story (possibly intentionally).

fourteenwings wrote: »

In storytelling, you work with what you've got, not the other way around.

Well yeah and some stories succeed despite that limit. 6 hours isn't much time, considering that it's basically about two or three movies worth and a movie can barely tell a solid whole story from start to finish including setting presentation and backstory etc.. Of course, ambiguity (and assumptions) can make things okay, but at least for stories I like at least I prefer taking more time to get to understand things.

fourteenwings

a movie can barely tell a solid whole story

Movies that are not SF fests can be very good at storytelling.

I like anime because of the short time-frames, mostly because I don't spend 30 or so hours still watching the same plot-heavy series (and because usually by then it starts to eat itself up).

glennmagusharvey

fourteenwings wrote: »

a movie can barely tell a solid whole story

Movies that are not SF fests can be very good at storytelling.

Eh, fair enough I guess.  Since they don't have to do as much work introducing the setting.  Still though I feel there's something to be said about getting to know the characters in more ways than just a one-paragraph summary of their traits and conflicts but rather getting to know them like a familiar friend or something.

fourteenwings wrote: »

I like anime because of the short time-frames, mostly because I don't spend 30 or so hours still watching the same plot-heavy series (and because usually by then it starts to eat itself up).

I personally prefer 2-cour series, which is about 12 hours, albeit for me usually spread over several days or weeks.

Naas_Human

It's not exactly one line, considering the actual flashback scenes (which bug me in a different way since it looks like she shrank after StrikerS), not to mention that it's brought up later on.

This isn't a case that could conceivably be intentional ambiguity, considering it's about something that was actually portrayed, and the Nanoha franchise doesn't exactly take Utena's approach where after 39 episodes and a movie I'm still not sure what anybody's powers were supposed to actually be.

glennmagusharvey

I remember wondering when they'd get into her backstory and then the most they did was that one line.  Which I was actually kinda satisfied with since it means that this story is more accessible to someone who hasn't seen the rest of the franchise.  Though to be honest I don't think Nove's backstory is all that important -- the only thing that's really important is that she's not competing with the rest of them, but is their trainer and also a substantial bit older than the rest of them.

In any case they seemed to noticeably try to keep the rest of the series at arms' length, though.  There's even a flashback where a portrait that would include Nanoha and Fate has their two faces covered by a reflective glare.

Naas_Human

That was also needlessly obtuse as it's not like we don't know who they were.

Also, there was a flashback to Nove and Vivio set after StrikerS but before the gym had much membership.

Vorpy

Is Kanna Kamui a clone of any character or a recolor ripoff or is her existence generally her own?

Like how you can tell certain characters are just "Hey we wanted Nagato in this series but didn't want to just rip her off completely or buy rights to use her so we have this character!"

Naas_Human

Creators are fans too, so I'd be more surprised if something isn't derivative. Even if that it might be on a level that isn't obvious.

Earthlight_Ray

Attack on Titan had a good premise with interesting themes but it's kinda getting into the "overpowered shounen protagonist" category. My hot friend said I should watch it.

glennmagusharvey

Vorpy wrote: »

Is Kanna Kamui a clone of any character or a recolor ripoff or is her existence generally her own?

Like how you can tell certain characters are just "Hey we wanted Nagato in this series but didn't want to just rip her off completely or buy rights to use her so we have this character!"

Well every character can be related to another just like every human can be like another human. There's always varying amounts of sharing of traits.

Mostly it comes down to what people think of the characters. Of course, if you just hang around the anime fandom you're gonna get a lot of people who've seen other anime and whose first ideas are to compare anime characters.

Going with that line of thinking I guess Kanna is some variant of the really young moë kid archetype? if you had to pick an anime character archetype to fit her into

Dunno how you decide what to call a "clone" but I guess some people like to use that term to complain about characters that they feel are too similar, though that's not something I complain about.

fourteenwings

Has it really been four years since the first Attack on Titan?

I don't think Nagato (Yuki, right? unless this is a KanColle thing), can be compared to somebody significantly younger than her who is more free with their secret powers (dragon or data-being/robot, respectively).

glennmagusharvey

@fourteenwings: are there any specific reasons to not pick up the Re:Zero Starting Life In Another World light novel?  By "specific" I mean more than just "ugh it's an LN".  I'm asking because I saw one copy of volume 1 of it at the local bookstore, as well as one copy of volume 1 of Spice and Wolf.

fourteenwings

Not really, why not just try out whatever and see what fits best?

Personally, SAO aside, I am very much a gaming LN person (Accel World, , etc)  apparently.

glennmagusharvey

shortlist(?) off the top of my head:
Angelic Layer, Fruits Basket, Four Rhythm, Plastic Memories, Canaan, Solty Rei, Chain Chronicle (pending decision), Elsword, RWBY

Naas_Human

list of what

glennmagusharvey

what i'm watching

Vorpy

Earthlight_Ray wrote: »

Attack on Titan had a good premise with interesting themes but it's kinda getting into the "overpowered shounen protagonist" category. My hot friend said I should watch it.

I don't remember telling you to watch it. :P

Once I learned that Eren can regenerate limbs and survive terrible trauma I just threw him in the "Wolverine on Steroids, No Need to Worry" folder, however the other characters who, if stepped on, die permanently, are still free game and I worry about them.

That soundtrack is beautiful but I hope they can captivate me with a new song besides "Vogel im Kafig" and "Attack on Titan". I overplayed it to the point where it no longer affects me emotionally.

Vorpy

glennmagusharvey wrote: »

Vorpy wrote: »

Is Kanna Kamui a clone of any character or a recolor ripoff or is her existence generally her own?

Like how you can tell certain characters are just "Hey we wanted Nagato in this series but didn't want to just rip her off completely or buy rights to use her so we have this character!"

Well every character can be related to another just like every human can be like another human. There's always varying amounts of sharing of traits.

Mostly it comes down to what people think of the characters. Of course, if you just hang around the anime fandom you're gonna get a lot of people who've seen other anime and whose first ideas are to compare anime characters.

Going with that line of thinking I guess Kanna is some variant of the really young moë kid archetype? if you had to pick an anime character archetype to fit her into

Dunno how you decide what to call a "clone" but I guess some people like to use that term to complain about characters that they feel are too similar, though that's not something I complain about.

Basically trying to find a moe kid cuter than Kanna but I'm terrible at searching for cute tear-jerking animes.

glennmagusharvey

Vorpy wrote: »

Basically trying to find a moe kid cuter than Kanna but I'm terrible at searching for cute tear-jerking animes.

Well I guess there's the Key Three to start with.  But I'd say you should be looking more at "excessively cutesy" stuff than "tear-jerker" stuff.

----

#tastes post

https://twitter.com/Jaoaoaoaoao/status/858104289394348034

Those images are basically like, you show them to me and my first reaction is "this is not my type of show".
Well, maybe not the bottom two; those are sorta fine.  The first two on the other hand basically say "weird-looking psychological horror stuff is probably a major component" and I'm like, ehh, nah.

fourteenwings

Who watches good anime, anyways. Sickos.

glennmagusharvey

Well it's not about whether it's well-written or not.  It's just an aesthetic that I don't get excited about.

----

Anyway, the second episode of Plastic Memories starts with a certain character showing up, one who is the obnoxious kind that doesn't do stuff right but cheats and then smugly smooth-talks their way out of it.

Also the OP is...a little tonally schizophrenic.  Is it in C minor/Eb major or F minor?

So apparently these robots have free will, a human's level of intelligence and even empathy, need exercise to stay in shape, and even need to use the bathroom.  (Or maybe not...?)

(no spoilers please)

glennmagusharvey

Aria the Scarlet Ammo was about a boy who becomes a combat master (albeit an obnoxiously condescending one) when he gets aroused, and that was...one of the worst premise ideas I've ever heard.

Aria the Scarlet Ammo AA, however, seems to feature Aria the upperclassman (upperclassgirl?), who's basically one of the school's best, and a wannabe apprentice who's apparently very very much an Aria fangirl even though she generally sucks at everything (with some key exceptions though).  I guess they decided to just cut out the guy main character and simply make it about cute girls doing stylish combat.  That's an improvement over the previous arrangement, I guess.

Also for some reason, newbie fangirl reminds me of Madoka Kaname, despite being basically nothing like her personality-wise.

glennmagusharvey

*adds Twin Angel BREAK, Granblue Fantasy, Kemono Friends, and Aria SA AA to PTW*
hooray backlog

glennmagusharvey

oh wow this is amazing
https://infinitemirai.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/cuenca-spain-home-of-sora-no-woto/

glennmagusharvey

I don't normally like figurines much but this is kinda cool: https://otakumode.com/shop/576b5252574e8f4c56214900/figma-Racing-Miku-2015-TeamUKYO-Support-Ver

glennmagusharvey

Oh I think I know why Aria SA AA reminds me of MadoMagi -- the first episode starts with the protagonist -- who is basically the less-experienced newbie -- having a dramatic and dark dream.

fourteenwings

Anime-MCs are always having the weirdest non-relevant dreams in episode 1.

Aikatsu Stars! 2nd Season is being way too good to me lately and I can't help but wanting it to go on forever.

Naas_Human

But Madoka's dream was actually relevant in pretty much the way Sayaka suspected.

I can't for the life of me decide whether I actually like Granblue Fantasy's casting, besides how Lyria is kind of annoying. Sawashiro as Katalina is weird when I'm more used to her as Mordred , but that's more my own fault, probably. Also there's one guy who is way too obviously Sugita.