Hey guys, so exam period is here, but that also means the christmas break is almost here. There are a few recommended series for this season that i want to catch, such and phi brain and guilty crown. Seeing as how this season is greatly hyped, i have high expectations for these shows. As a result, i might be delaying the end of the year review/rewards. I dont feel like this year is accurately represented if i only watch one show this season.
My surprise is constantly being put off cuse of my lazyness, but i have another surprise in store. I am going to be doing a lets-play of Deus ExL Human Revolution. i will upload it here, but will probably keep it off youtube cuse they are assholes about copyrights for these kinda things.
And yes, i will try to get fate 9/10 out tonight before ep 11 airs.
Read more!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
fate zero ep 7-8
Labels:
Fate/Zero
Hey guys, exams and all so im falling behind on the blogging. Im up to date in the viewing, so by the time you see this review, i have already watched 9. Im still only going to blog 7 and 8 for now, because i want to elaborate on the show, but dont want to clog up individual post with too many episodes. Epsiode 9 and 10 will be blogged together after i finish 10.
Summary 7:
Episode 7 reveals lancer's master managed to survive but more importantly the overseer of the war has declared a temporary ceasefire for the other servants and orders them to take out caster first, as he is killing innocent people indiscriminately, with the offer of an extra command seal as a prize. the overseer and Tokiomi know every master will be tempted by the offer, and they play to have Archer finish him off and get the seal. Meanwhile caster is gathering and killing more children to try and get Jeanne (actually saber) to see his evil ways. Saber engages, but without the use of one hand, she is unable to hold against Caster's monsters. Lancer joins to help and they fight Caster together. Meanwhile Lancer's master is going after Kiritsugu and we see some of Kiritsugu's magic abilities.
Summary 8:
Lancer's master and Kiritsugu continue to fight. Lancer's master is using mercury to scout attack and defend all at once. He renders all of Kirisugu's conventional weapons useless at once. Kiritsugu then uses his contender to punch through the shield by using a rifle size caliber bullet. Lancer's master continues chase, but is now injured. He catches up with Kiritsugu and when Kiritsugu tries the same trick, he uses even more magic to stop the attack. However this is exactly what Kiritsugu wanted, as his bullet this time is made from a part of his ribs. This contains his "origin" and essentially acts like a overload for magic circuits. The more magic they use, the more strength the shot has. By using the rifle shot first, it makes them more defensive and draws out more power on his second shot with the "origin bullet" Lancer's master is nearly killed and severely weakened.
Meanwhile, Saber and lancer combine to blow past the monsters of caster and land a damaging blow, forcing Caster to retreat. Lancer senses his master is in trouble and saber allows him to go. Lancer goes and saves his master, and warns Kiritsugu that only because of Saber's chivalry is he alive. (However it should be noted Lancer's master was the first to pick a fight, and had Saber not been chivalrous and blocked him from going, they would have both died. This point really irks me)
Meanwhile Maiya and Iri try to hold off Kotomine, but he is easily able to beat the both of them. it is only the a arrival of saber. He retreats, but it reveals that Iri has Avalon and is nearly invincible if she stays around Saber. Saber is unaware Iri has it.
Review:
Its interesting to see how Kiritsugu is actually really scared of Kotomine. He doesnt know much about him, but to be honest, at this point he hasnt really shown an evil side. Besides that we see that Lancer's master has some impressive skills, but his arrogance will be the end of him. We know he survives, but he doesnt seem to be holding up too well. Another point is just how well caster is holding. From what i read, its always just "caster shows up, caster is defeated" to see him actually prove to be a challenge for TWO servants at once. Speaking of Servants, we can see a real respect between lancer and Saber. and to be honest, Lancer is getting damn proud when he could have easily been defeated. He tries to but Kiritsugu in his place, but is saber was slightly more selfish lancer would have died right then and there. Also, Lancer's master was the one to attack first so i dont see why hes chastising Kiritsugu at all. Kirisugu's origin bullet looks damn impressive and it will be interesting to see how he proceeds from here. it looks like he will use saber and Iri to distract, while he goes for the masters. We see more scheming from the overseer and Tokiomi. I really wanna see this all end badly for him because hes taking advantage of the church.
Saber's attitude is so very different between this and FSN. Here she views Kiritsugu as immoral for trying to take out Lancer's master, yet it was Lancer's master who attacks first, as well in FSN SHE attacks rin head on and its only because Shirou calls her back she didnt kill Rin then. In the more relaxed and imprefect war, she seems more cold, calculated, and determined. Here she seems unsure of herself. Interesting was to balance things out as if she took every advantage like she did in FSN, the war would be over very soon. shes the main thing holding her back, and knowing what that will lead to, maybe thats why she abandons it in FSN.
Read more!
Summary 7:
Episode 7 reveals lancer's master managed to survive but more importantly the overseer of the war has declared a temporary ceasefire for the other servants and orders them to take out caster first, as he is killing innocent people indiscriminately, with the offer of an extra command seal as a prize. the overseer and Tokiomi know every master will be tempted by the offer, and they play to have Archer finish him off and get the seal. Meanwhile caster is gathering and killing more children to try and get Jeanne (actually saber) to see his evil ways. Saber engages, but without the use of one hand, she is unable to hold against Caster's monsters. Lancer joins to help and they fight Caster together. Meanwhile Lancer's master is going after Kiritsugu and we see some of Kiritsugu's magic abilities.
Summary 8:
Lancer's master and Kiritsugu continue to fight. Lancer's master is using mercury to scout attack and defend all at once. He renders all of Kirisugu's conventional weapons useless at once. Kiritsugu then uses his contender to punch through the shield by using a rifle size caliber bullet. Lancer's master continues chase, but is now injured. He catches up with Kiritsugu and when Kiritsugu tries the same trick, he uses even more magic to stop the attack. However this is exactly what Kiritsugu wanted, as his bullet this time is made from a part of his ribs. This contains his "origin" and essentially acts like a overload for magic circuits. The more magic they use, the more strength the shot has. By using the rifle shot first, it makes them more defensive and draws out more power on his second shot with the "origin bullet" Lancer's master is nearly killed and severely weakened.
Meanwhile, Saber and lancer combine to blow past the monsters of caster and land a damaging blow, forcing Caster to retreat. Lancer senses his master is in trouble and saber allows him to go. Lancer goes and saves his master, and warns Kiritsugu that only because of Saber's chivalry is he alive. (However it should be noted Lancer's master was the first to pick a fight, and had Saber not been chivalrous and blocked him from going, they would have both died. This point really irks me)
Meanwhile Maiya and Iri try to hold off Kotomine, but he is easily able to beat the both of them. it is only the a arrival of saber. He retreats, but it reveals that Iri has Avalon and is nearly invincible if she stays around Saber. Saber is unaware Iri has it.
Review:
Its interesting to see how Kiritsugu is actually really scared of Kotomine. He doesnt know much about him, but to be honest, at this point he hasnt really shown an evil side. Besides that we see that Lancer's master has some impressive skills, but his arrogance will be the end of him. We know he survives, but he doesnt seem to be holding up too well. Another point is just how well caster is holding. From what i read, its always just "caster shows up, caster is defeated" to see him actually prove to be a challenge for TWO servants at once. Speaking of Servants, we can see a real respect between lancer and Saber. and to be honest, Lancer is getting damn proud when he could have easily been defeated. He tries to but Kiritsugu in his place, but is saber was slightly more selfish lancer would have died right then and there. Also, Lancer's master was the one to attack first so i dont see why hes chastising Kiritsugu at all. Kirisugu's origin bullet looks damn impressive and it will be interesting to see how he proceeds from here. it looks like he will use saber and Iri to distract, while he goes for the masters. We see more scheming from the overseer and Tokiomi. I really wanna see this all end badly for him because hes taking advantage of the church.
Saber's attitude is so very different between this and FSN. Here she views Kiritsugu as immoral for trying to take out Lancer's master, yet it was Lancer's master who attacks first, as well in FSN SHE attacks rin head on and its only because Shirou calls her back she didnt kill Rin then. In the more relaxed and imprefect war, she seems more cold, calculated, and determined. Here she seems unsure of herself. Interesting was to balance things out as if she took every advantage like she did in FSN, the war would be over very soon. shes the main thing holding her back, and knowing what that will lead to, maybe thats why she abandons it in FSN.
Read more!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Fate/zero ep 4-6
Labels:
Fate/Zero
Holy shit, Fate zero is good. Have i said that yet? because holy shit it is. I haven't been following a series, like full out get first release watch it first day kinda following for a long time. Fate zero is just that. I know this season is suppose to be the season of awesome, and to be honest i might be holding off my year end awards, simply because at this point fate zero would probably win every single one. Knowing how great this season is suppose to be, i might hold off until i watch a few different titles. Anyways, onto Fate Zero
Episode 4
So we get the fight between lancer and saber finally, and saber is heavy on the defensive. With lancers two spears she cant let her guard down and attack, but at the same time lancer cant judge saber's sword because of invisible air. Meanwhile, an assassin is watching the entire fight, and Kiritsugu catches sight of him. Lancer's master wants to end this quick and tells him to use his noble phantasm to finish things. Lancer drops his small spear and starts chipping at the invisible air, determining its shape. He later manages to pierce through saber's magic air. Saber realizes that his long spear negates magic. She releases her armor and decides to go full out, knowing she cant be defensive anymore. However this is a trap as lancer uses his second spear to inflict a wound on saber that Irelsveil cant heal, before saber can use Excalibur. Due to this, they both have revealed their identities. Saber returns her armor as only the long spear can pierce it and not the short one, but the damage is done.
Episode 5
Rider joins the scene, revealing his full name and all, and asks if they would rather join him and share in the glory of concurring together. Waver is annoyed at riders indiscretion, but that reveals lancer's master. Rider comforts Waver by saying only a man brave enough to ride with him can be his master, also calling out other servants who may be watching. Archer appears ans starts to berate them. However Berserker also joins the fight. When archer launches his swords at him, he is easily able to catch them and block all the attacks. This enrages archer who uses even more weapons, but still cannot hit him. Beserker even manages to use two of the weapons to break the lamp pole archer was standing on, making them stand on even levels. Archer prepares to go full out, but Tokiomi calls him back with a command seal to prevent giving away too much information. Beserker attacks saber when he sees him and Lancer's master orders him to do the same, but he refuses as it would not be fair. Lancer's master uses a command seal to force him to attack, but rider intervenes knocking away Beserker. Rider forces lancer's master to withdraw, or he will help saber to defeat him. with no other choice, they leave and the fighting ends for the night.
Episode 6
Caster, watching all of the previous nights action goes to saber thinking she is Joan of arc. Saber tells him she is not and forces him away. Caster despondent decides to keep killing children to show her that god is not worth following, thinking her forgetting her identity and all is part of gods work. Meanwhile Lancer, his master, and sola, the master's fiance, are discussing the last night. the master is upset with lancer, but sola steps up for him saying the master was too cowardly for hiding in the shadows, and since she is supplying extra mana, they still have an advantage. Meanwhile he take pleasure in the fact his hotel is strongly reinforced, as any attempt to attack them here would be useless. However Kiritsugu ignores that and blows the entire damn thing up after making sure to evacuate the innocent. we get a bit more of kotomine talking with archer, who is upset at how passive Tokiomi is being. Its clear by now archer is the one to steer kotomine to the path of evil.
Reaction:
The action and fighting in the 4th and 5th episode are amazing and a treat for the eyes. Just to put it in perspective, the average episode size is 300MB or so for the high quality releases, these two episodes pushed to 500MB, thats half a gig each. Lancer showed to be a much stronger servant than i expected, even able to cripple saber. Not too much of a surprise given how, like i said before, fate/zero is suppose to be when everyone is competent and at their best. Rider is just always good for laughs, and Waver too. i really just want to see more of them for the lawls. Baserker is amazing to watch in action, like an intricate dance. this is surprising given his class being... you know, Beserker. Still, its nice to see the conflict. Matou only wants to destroy Tokiomi, and Beserker only cares for saber. Nothing special in episode 6. very much a breather episode. even the whole blowing up a building stuff isnt too exciting given what has been happening. i dont expect caster to stay around too long, which is not a bad thing cuse hes probably the most boring of all the servants.
p.s. if your wondering why i keep calling lancer's master, lancer's master or the master, instead of his real name, its because i dont care to learn or to remember how to spell such a long name.
Read more!
Episode 4
So we get the fight between lancer and saber finally, and saber is heavy on the defensive. With lancers two spears she cant let her guard down and attack, but at the same time lancer cant judge saber's sword because of invisible air. Meanwhile, an assassin is watching the entire fight, and Kiritsugu catches sight of him. Lancer's master wants to end this quick and tells him to use his noble phantasm to finish things. Lancer drops his small spear and starts chipping at the invisible air, determining its shape. He later manages to pierce through saber's magic air. Saber realizes that his long spear negates magic. She releases her armor and decides to go full out, knowing she cant be defensive anymore. However this is a trap as lancer uses his second spear to inflict a wound on saber that Irelsveil cant heal, before saber can use Excalibur. Due to this, they both have revealed their identities. Saber returns her armor as only the long spear can pierce it and not the short one, but the damage is done.
Episode 5
Rider joins the scene, revealing his full name and all, and asks if they would rather join him and share in the glory of concurring together. Waver is annoyed at riders indiscretion, but that reveals lancer's master. Rider comforts Waver by saying only a man brave enough to ride with him can be his master, also calling out other servants who may be watching. Archer appears ans starts to berate them. However Berserker also joins the fight. When archer launches his swords at him, he is easily able to catch them and block all the attacks. This enrages archer who uses even more weapons, but still cannot hit him. Beserker even manages to use two of the weapons to break the lamp pole archer was standing on, making them stand on even levels. Archer prepares to go full out, but Tokiomi calls him back with a command seal to prevent giving away too much information. Beserker attacks saber when he sees him and Lancer's master orders him to do the same, but he refuses as it would not be fair. Lancer's master uses a command seal to force him to attack, but rider intervenes knocking away Beserker. Rider forces lancer's master to withdraw, or he will help saber to defeat him. with no other choice, they leave and the fighting ends for the night.
Episode 6
Caster, watching all of the previous nights action goes to saber thinking she is Joan of arc. Saber tells him she is not and forces him away. Caster despondent decides to keep killing children to show her that god is not worth following, thinking her forgetting her identity and all is part of gods work. Meanwhile Lancer, his master, and sola, the master's fiance, are discussing the last night. the master is upset with lancer, but sola steps up for him saying the master was too cowardly for hiding in the shadows, and since she is supplying extra mana, they still have an advantage. Meanwhile he take pleasure in the fact his hotel is strongly reinforced, as any attempt to attack them here would be useless. However Kiritsugu ignores that and blows the entire damn thing up after making sure to evacuate the innocent. we get a bit more of kotomine talking with archer, who is upset at how passive Tokiomi is being. Its clear by now archer is the one to steer kotomine to the path of evil.
Reaction:
The action and fighting in the 4th and 5th episode are amazing and a treat for the eyes. Just to put it in perspective, the average episode size is 300MB or so for the high quality releases, these two episodes pushed to 500MB, thats half a gig each. Lancer showed to be a much stronger servant than i expected, even able to cripple saber. Not too much of a surprise given how, like i said before, fate/zero is suppose to be when everyone is competent and at their best. Rider is just always good for laughs, and Waver too. i really just want to see more of them for the lawls. Baserker is amazing to watch in action, like an intricate dance. this is surprising given his class being... you know, Beserker. Still, its nice to see the conflict. Matou only wants to destroy Tokiomi, and Beserker only cares for saber. Nothing special in episode 6. very much a breather episode. even the whole blowing up a building stuff isnt too exciting given what has been happening. i dont expect caster to stay around too long, which is not a bad thing cuse hes probably the most boring of all the servants.
p.s. if your wondering why i keep calling lancer's master, lancer's master or the master, instead of his real name, its because i dont care to learn or to remember how to spell such a long name.
Read more!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
fate zero and other updates
Labels:
blog stuff,
Fate/Zero
so, im still around, but work and other important things are piling up. My surprise is nearly finished, but on infinite hiatus until i find spare time. Im not watching very much anime for the same reason hence my lack of post. I will give a quick update on last seasons. Blood C was cool, but no hook to keep me watching. i'll still finish, but its not a priority. HanaIro didnt seem to stay as strong an as well written as the beginning. Its not bad, just nothing special. Kamisama no memo-cho is a surprising winner. Very fun and the mysteries are a good hook. but im a sucker for mysteries like detective Conan so maybe it just happens to seem better. in the mean while, Fate Zero!!!
Fate zero is a prequel to Fate stay night, a personal favorite of mine, and when that ended, a few of my friends told me fate zero was even better. So when i heard that it was to be adapted into an anime, i was hyped to say the least. I kinda was expecting disappointment because very few things with that kind of hype really live up to it.
Quick summary for ep 1-3
So we basically get introduced to the characters and all the servants being summoned. Caster is batshit crazy controlled by a killer. berserker is controlled by a matou, infused with worms. Kiritsugu is controlling saber, Tohsaka is controlling archer, with Kierei controlling assassin helping him. and waver is comedicially partnered with alexander the great. whos in control, your guess is as good as mine, id say alexander. and lancer just showed up.
If i were to think of Fate Stay knight as an imperfect fight, Fate zero is definitely the more perfect, trained version. All except one are train mages, there are no false heros, like assassin, all the masters know their abilities and all the servants are in their top shape, unlike rider, saber, and assassin in the FSN, and archer who pretends to be incompetent.
The biggest impact of the show comes from the drama. i wont say too much, but in my year end reviews, Fate Zero is already winning a special award Read more!
Fate zero is a prequel to Fate stay night, a personal favorite of mine, and when that ended, a few of my friends told me fate zero was even better. So when i heard that it was to be adapted into an anime, i was hyped to say the least. I kinda was expecting disappointment because very few things with that kind of hype really live up to it.
Quick summary for ep 1-3
So we basically get introduced to the characters and all the servants being summoned. Caster is batshit crazy controlled by a killer. berserker is controlled by a matou, infused with worms. Kiritsugu is controlling saber, Tohsaka is controlling archer, with Kierei controlling assassin helping him. and waver is comedicially partnered with alexander the great. whos in control, your guess is as good as mine, id say alexander. and lancer just showed up.
If i were to think of Fate Stay knight as an imperfect fight, Fate zero is definitely the more perfect, trained version. All except one are train mages, there are no false heros, like assassin, all the masters know their abilities and all the servants are in their top shape, unlike rider, saber, and assassin in the FSN, and archer who pretends to be incompetent.
The biggest impact of the show comes from the drama. i wont say too much, but in my year end reviews, Fate Zero is already winning a special award Read more!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Everything better with assassins
Labels:
others
I've been playing a little (too much) Assassin's Creed lately, and I've been thinking. Everything is better when you add Altaïr into it.
Rule #1: All fictional kills are caused by Altaïr. NO EXCEPTIONS
The deathnote is simply Altaïr's hit list.
Altaïr killed Bruce Wayne's parents, creating batman
Altaïr also killed uncle Ben and Gwen Stacy.
FF7: Aries was killed by Altaïr in disguise
Detective Conan: Altaïr has been following Shinichi for 500+ episodes to give him more cases to solve
Harry Potter: Snape didn't kill Dumbledore, Altaïr did
Star Wars: Han may have shot first, but Altaïr got the kill on greedo
Clue: It was Altaïr, with the hidden blade, anywhere he damn well pleases
Naruto: When Itachi used his Sharingan to kill his clan, he simply summoned Altaïr
Feel Free to add your own. Will add when i think fo new ones :) Read more!
Rule #1: All fictional kills are caused by Altaïr. NO EXCEPTIONS
The deathnote is simply Altaïr's hit list.
Altaïr killed Bruce Wayne's parents, creating batman
Altaïr also killed uncle Ben and Gwen Stacy.
FF7: Aries was killed by Altaïr in disguise
Detective Conan: Altaïr has been following Shinichi for 500+ episodes to give him more cases to solve
Harry Potter: Snape didn't kill Dumbledore, Altaïr did
Star Wars: Han may have shot first, but Altaïr got the kill on greedo
Clue: It was Altaïr, with the hidden blade, anywhere he damn well pleases
Naruto: When Itachi used his Sharingan to kill his clan, he simply summoned Altaïr
Feel Free to add your own. Will add when i think fo new ones :) Read more!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Amagami SS Rihoko and Tsukasa arc
Labels:
amagami
Hey guys, no im not gone, and no i haven't forgotten about the surprise, its just taking a long time and its a lot more work than i though it would be, but it will get finished eventually. This review is going to be pretty big and long because it includes a quick summary and a review of two arcs, the two arcs that has the greatest controversy. I'm also going to be doing an overall series review in this post. I know that there are two more episodes left, and i do plan on covering them, but they are more like extra eps so i feel the overall summary is better here. Anyways, onto the review.
Rihoko Arc Summary:
Rihoko and Junichi are chilhood friends and right from the start, it is obvious that Rihoko likes Junichi as more than just a friend. Rihoko has another issue though and she feels shes overweight. She tried diets before, but can never stick to them. She vows to complete her diet this time around. Rihoko is also in the tea club whose only two other members are seniors who will be graduating. With that in mind, they look to get new members to join. The seniors noticed the attraction between Junichi and Rihoko so they try to push him them together and make him join the tea club as well. TBH a bit more happens, with the founders festival and new years as well, but nothing really happens. The rest of the story is her trying her diet and trying to get new memebers. At the end, Junichi does join the tea club and Rihoko hopes to be able to tell him her feelings one day.
Reactions:
Well there is a lot to talk about in this arc, so lets get right into it.
First of all, the character. When i first heard about Amagami, Rihoko was one of the most popular characters before the series started. I didn't really get it at the time, but then i learned that Rihoko is suppose to be heavier than the average characters, but she doesn't look like it. This is a case of hollywood pudgy, where a character is said to be overweight, but doesn't look any different. But we're constantly shown that she is eating snacks, more than usual and she couldn't fit into a hole Junichi was able to fit into easily. Well like i said, i didn't really get it, and never really felt sympathetic for the character. The worst part is, this story could have been much much better. Given how dramatic and serious Amagami can be at times, they should have shown her as average weight, and in fact becoming unhealthy because of dieting, but i would guess they want to stick to the original story.
The next point of complaint is the boringness of the character and the story. For the first time we have a character who is attracted to Junichi from the very beginning being childhood friends. This is an interesting chance to play on the story. However, instead the story doesnt really move along. Nothing really happens. Rihoko tries to diet and fails, Rihoko tries to confess to Junichi and fails, Rihoko tries to get members for the tea club and fails, Junichi runs away from the tea club. I honestly tried to think about what happened in the story, and besides minor plot scenes like new years and such, the overall plot doesn't really go anywhere. On that topic, Junichi seems to have no interest in Rihoko. He doesn't join the tea club for her sake, and he never showed any signs of wanting to be in a relationship. In other arcs this would be fine, but this is Rihoko's arc, yet he shows no interest in her.
Alright, i avoided it as long as i could. The biggest issue of this arc. Rihoko is the only girl to NOT win over the affections of Junichi. She doesnt start a relationship, she doesn't fully confess her feelings, anything. Theres not much needed to be said. This is simply stupid. It is insulting to the fans who have been waiting for this arc. There are rumors the directors of the show didn't want this arc to overtake Tsukasa's arc, but given Tsukasa's popularity i have to question that. Even if this was true, the entire point of the resetting arc format is that people can choose which arc they like best. You shouldn't be trying to push the popularity of one character over another, especially with this format. Overall i had no interest in Rihoko, i still have no interest in Rihoko, but the decision to destroy the character with such a weak arc is stupid. The only real fault i have had with this show.
Tsukasa Arc Summary:
Junichi due to his past avoids the founders festival. Knowing his attitude has to change, he votes not to run away next year. Next year when the class chooses a committee member for the founders festival the next year, Tsukasa volunteers again, but seeing as how she is also the class rep, the teacher decides she needs someone to help her. Junichi volunteers so he can force himself to go this year. They start working and Junichi is very impressed with Tsukasa's abilities. When they run into Tsukasa's sister, it seems like Tsukasa doesn't like her. However one day he finds a note book, and when Tsukasa founds out he found it, she threatens to beat him, showing a side of her much different from her public image. She said the note book contains something that would force her to leave the school should anyone find out. He find out she cares very much about her reputation and puts on this act to look good. She continues to work but she works herself into exhaustion and misses school one day and Junichi visits her. When she returns, he suggest they ask others in the class to help, worried about her health. Three of the other girls confront Tsukasa about her relationship with Junichi. Tsukasa breaks her act and gives the girls a tongue lashing. That night, Tsukasa burns the note book and asks Junichi to start a relationship. The next day the three girls try to pick on Tsukasa during PE, but the rest of the class still supports her. Junichi worried that Tsukasa will work herself into sickness again asks her to get the others to help again. Tsukasa slaps him and is obviously upset. The next day, Tsukasa does a 180 and goes back to her cheerful nice persona. when Junichi confronts her she says the mean Tsukasa is gone. The founders festival goes out without a hitch, but Junichi still wants the real Tsukasa back. He confronts her again and she breaks down showing the real Tsuaksa still exists. Tsukasa tells Junichi her motivation is that when she was a child she found out santa doesnt exists. She decided she wanted to be santa and bring happiness to everyone at christmas. However as time went on, she realized she did it more for herself rather than out of goodness. Junichi doesn't agree and they start a relationship. Ten years later the two celebrates Christmas at their school, with their daughter.
Reactions:
This is a much much better arc than Rihoko's. The story is much stronger with a huge sense of mystery. Throughout watching it i really wanted to find out what her secret was. I had read some spoilers and knew she was suppose to be a bitch underneath but other than that i didn't know anything. This was the first arc i skipped ahead to try and find out what her deal was. the saddest part is, we never really know. She mentions something about finding out santa isnt real, and that is what causes her to work so hard for the founders festival, but other than that nothing is really explained. Why does she hate her sister so much? What is in her notebook? Why did she say it was worse for her finding out Santa didn't exists? Through some digging i found the answer to the first two. Apparently she always resented her sister for being so outgoing and never needing to hide her true self. Her diary hid her real feelings and while i guessed that, it might have been nice to see the writing itself. The last one, why the santa thing hit her so hard, was never answered. In fact, if anyone has played the game and can fill me in that would be great. Overall a strong arc, not perfect, but definitely very solid.
Overall Amagami Review:
So lets take a look at amagami as a whole all together. In my opinion, when amagami is good, its really good. One of the top drama/romance stories i've ever seen. Keep in mind they have 4 episodes to write and tell a full story, often changing the character's attitudes so its not like they can simply do it once and repeat. The concept of each girl having only 4 episodes to establish their character was worrisome at first because i didn't think that was enough time to fully flesh out the characters. watching the very rushed first arc with Haruka certainly didn't help that. However when we got into the later arcs, especially the arcs i didn't care for, i feel that 4 episodes can work, and in fact is helpful in some situations. For instance, i was stuck on the Sae arc for well over a month because i couldn't stand her voice. Had i known i would need to hear it for 6 or 7 episodes i likely would have dropped it. That's not to say i would stop watching just because of one voice, but if it fails to hold my attention with my schedule i will end up dropping it like it or not. If so i would have missed the fantastic Ai and Tsukasa arcs. i was also stuck in the Rihoko arc after coming off such a strong Ai arc and hearing the train wreck it turned out to be. The biggest benefit of this format is that they can have vastly contrasting characters and have them all win. Sure i may not like Sae but others do and they can enjoy it as much as i enjoyed the arcs i liked. However this format is the ONE format you have no excuse to play favorites. This is designed so that everyone can win. Gimping one arc because its "too popular" is just stupid. This is the biggest misstep with Amagami and it really hurts the writing team for this. So would this format work again? I'd like to see it again. if they can master getting a good story down in a short time, and amagami shows it is possible, than this format has a lot going for it. It takes a really strong writing team to do that though so if might be a huge failure the next time its tried. They also need to avoid the mistakes amagami made and keep every arc as strong as the last. Its still a very good show and overall i enjoyed it.
Now lets go over my rankings for the arcs and the girls.
Ranking by Arcs:
Tsukasa:
This is probably the best written and best preformed arc. It was complicated, well paced, and was mysterious enough to get me hunting for spoilers. they left out some things so it could be better, but its still probably the best arc of the show.
Kaoru:
It was a well written arc and very emotional. This is probably the only arc to make Junichi look completely competent.
Ai:
Overall a good arc and well written. It doesn't really have anything spectacular, but its not bad.
Haruka:
At points this was a great arc. It did a really good job showcasing Haruka and her playful nature. The thing that hurts this arc a lot is its pacing. It really feels rushed, something that no other arc suffers from.
Sae:
the arc was generic. it didnt make any big mistakes, but nothing captured my attention in particular.
Rihoko:
I dont think anything more needs to be said. Just look above.
Ranking by girls:
Ai:
This is why i wanted to do separate rankings for the arcs and for the girls. Writing wise her story was average, but Ai herself i love. Shes the kind stoic one, the one who has problems eating them inside but doesn't want to bother others with it. You really felt that she and Junichi relied on each other and through that seem to have a strong relationship going forward.
Haruka:
She is fun-loving, playful, sexy, and kind. Shes basically what every teenager's dream girl would be, but it doesn't make her conceited. Its sad how her arc didn't give her enough time to develop, but she certainly stole the spotlight when she cameoed in the other routes, mostly with her playful teasing of Hibiki. She's also voiced by my goddess Ito Shizuka which always helps :D
Tsukasa:
Im not a super fan of the tsundere types, which is why Tsukasa is low on my list personally. Her arc is really good and brings out the best in a character i though i would have zero interest in. Also, before her arc i kept hearing how she was such a "bitch" underneath, but to be honest she wasnt a whole lot meaner, well aside from trying to kill Junichi, to everyone than normal. Ya shes not the perfect Yamato Nadesico, but shes far from a bitch.
Kaoru:
Like i said, she played to the tsundere crowd which isnt my main interest. Her character is interesting and her arc brought out a real weakness that we can all relate or sympathize with. Shes good, but IMO is outclassed. This is just to show how strong the cast is overall to have me say the 4th out of 6th in my ranking is still good.
Rihoko:
Nothing really wrong with the character, but i also never felt like i sympathized or like the character at all. Very bland and average for me. All the hype around her and the let down of her arc didnt help either.
Sae:
Sorry, i hate this character. And TBH, its only because of the voice. I cannot stand that voice. It might be a shallow way to judge, but it was a breaker for me.
All in all, an amazing series. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good romance story. Read more!
Rihoko Arc Summary:
Rihoko and Junichi are chilhood friends and right from the start, it is obvious that Rihoko likes Junichi as more than just a friend. Rihoko has another issue though and she feels shes overweight. She tried diets before, but can never stick to them. She vows to complete her diet this time around. Rihoko is also in the tea club whose only two other members are seniors who will be graduating. With that in mind, they look to get new members to join. The seniors noticed the attraction between Junichi and Rihoko so they try to push him them together and make him join the tea club as well. TBH a bit more happens, with the founders festival and new years as well, but nothing really happens. The rest of the story is her trying her diet and trying to get new memebers. At the end, Junichi does join the tea club and Rihoko hopes to be able to tell him her feelings one day.
Reactions:
Well there is a lot to talk about in this arc, so lets get right into it.
First of all, the character. When i first heard about Amagami, Rihoko was one of the most popular characters before the series started. I didn't really get it at the time, but then i learned that Rihoko is suppose to be heavier than the average characters, but she doesn't look like it. This is a case of hollywood pudgy, where a character is said to be overweight, but doesn't look any different. But we're constantly shown that she is eating snacks, more than usual and she couldn't fit into a hole Junichi was able to fit into easily. Well like i said, i didn't really get it, and never really felt sympathetic for the character. The worst part is, this story could have been much much better. Given how dramatic and serious Amagami can be at times, they should have shown her as average weight, and in fact becoming unhealthy because of dieting, but i would guess they want to stick to the original story.
The next point of complaint is the boringness of the character and the story. For the first time we have a character who is attracted to Junichi from the very beginning being childhood friends. This is an interesting chance to play on the story. However, instead the story doesnt really move along. Nothing really happens. Rihoko tries to diet and fails, Rihoko tries to confess to Junichi and fails, Rihoko tries to get members for the tea club and fails, Junichi runs away from the tea club. I honestly tried to think about what happened in the story, and besides minor plot scenes like new years and such, the overall plot doesn't really go anywhere. On that topic, Junichi seems to have no interest in Rihoko. He doesn't join the tea club for her sake, and he never showed any signs of wanting to be in a relationship. In other arcs this would be fine, but this is Rihoko's arc, yet he shows no interest in her.
Alright, i avoided it as long as i could. The biggest issue of this arc. Rihoko is the only girl to NOT win over the affections of Junichi. She doesnt start a relationship, she doesn't fully confess her feelings, anything. Theres not much needed to be said. This is simply stupid. It is insulting to the fans who have been waiting for this arc. There are rumors the directors of the show didn't want this arc to overtake Tsukasa's arc, but given Tsukasa's popularity i have to question that. Even if this was true, the entire point of the resetting arc format is that people can choose which arc they like best. You shouldn't be trying to push the popularity of one character over another, especially with this format. Overall i had no interest in Rihoko, i still have no interest in Rihoko, but the decision to destroy the character with such a weak arc is stupid. The only real fault i have had with this show.
Tsukasa Arc Summary:
Junichi due to his past avoids the founders festival. Knowing his attitude has to change, he votes not to run away next year. Next year when the class chooses a committee member for the founders festival the next year, Tsukasa volunteers again, but seeing as how she is also the class rep, the teacher decides she needs someone to help her. Junichi volunteers so he can force himself to go this year. They start working and Junichi is very impressed with Tsukasa's abilities. When they run into Tsukasa's sister, it seems like Tsukasa doesn't like her. However one day he finds a note book, and when Tsukasa founds out he found it, she threatens to beat him, showing a side of her much different from her public image. She said the note book contains something that would force her to leave the school should anyone find out. He find out she cares very much about her reputation and puts on this act to look good. She continues to work but she works herself into exhaustion and misses school one day and Junichi visits her. When she returns, he suggest they ask others in the class to help, worried about her health. Three of the other girls confront Tsukasa about her relationship with Junichi. Tsukasa breaks her act and gives the girls a tongue lashing. That night, Tsukasa burns the note book and asks Junichi to start a relationship. The next day the three girls try to pick on Tsukasa during PE, but the rest of the class still supports her. Junichi worried that Tsukasa will work herself into sickness again asks her to get the others to help again. Tsukasa slaps him and is obviously upset. The next day, Tsukasa does a 180 and goes back to her cheerful nice persona. when Junichi confronts her she says the mean Tsukasa is gone. The founders festival goes out without a hitch, but Junichi still wants the real Tsukasa back. He confronts her again and she breaks down showing the real Tsuaksa still exists. Tsukasa tells Junichi her motivation is that when she was a child she found out santa doesnt exists. She decided she wanted to be santa and bring happiness to everyone at christmas. However as time went on, she realized she did it more for herself rather than out of goodness. Junichi doesn't agree and they start a relationship. Ten years later the two celebrates Christmas at their school, with their daughter.
Reactions:
This is a much much better arc than Rihoko's. The story is much stronger with a huge sense of mystery. Throughout watching it i really wanted to find out what her secret was. I had read some spoilers and knew she was suppose to be a bitch underneath but other than that i didn't know anything. This was the first arc i skipped ahead to try and find out what her deal was. the saddest part is, we never really know. She mentions something about finding out santa isnt real, and that is what causes her to work so hard for the founders festival, but other than that nothing is really explained. Why does she hate her sister so much? What is in her notebook? Why did she say it was worse for her finding out Santa didn't exists? Through some digging i found the answer to the first two. Apparently she always resented her sister for being so outgoing and never needing to hide her true self. Her diary hid her real feelings and while i guessed that, it might have been nice to see the writing itself. The last one, why the santa thing hit her so hard, was never answered. In fact, if anyone has played the game and can fill me in that would be great. Overall a strong arc, not perfect, but definitely very solid.
Overall Amagami Review:
So lets take a look at amagami as a whole all together. In my opinion, when amagami is good, its really good. One of the top drama/romance stories i've ever seen. Keep in mind they have 4 episodes to write and tell a full story, often changing the character's attitudes so its not like they can simply do it once and repeat. The concept of each girl having only 4 episodes to establish their character was worrisome at first because i didn't think that was enough time to fully flesh out the characters. watching the very rushed first arc with Haruka certainly didn't help that. However when we got into the later arcs, especially the arcs i didn't care for, i feel that 4 episodes can work, and in fact is helpful in some situations. For instance, i was stuck on the Sae arc for well over a month because i couldn't stand her voice. Had i known i would need to hear it for 6 or 7 episodes i likely would have dropped it. That's not to say i would stop watching just because of one voice, but if it fails to hold my attention with my schedule i will end up dropping it like it or not. If so i would have missed the fantastic Ai and Tsukasa arcs. i was also stuck in the Rihoko arc after coming off such a strong Ai arc and hearing the train wreck it turned out to be. The biggest benefit of this format is that they can have vastly contrasting characters and have them all win. Sure i may not like Sae but others do and they can enjoy it as much as i enjoyed the arcs i liked. However this format is the ONE format you have no excuse to play favorites. This is designed so that everyone can win. Gimping one arc because its "too popular" is just stupid. This is the biggest misstep with Amagami and it really hurts the writing team for this. So would this format work again? I'd like to see it again. if they can master getting a good story down in a short time, and amagami shows it is possible, than this format has a lot going for it. It takes a really strong writing team to do that though so if might be a huge failure the next time its tried. They also need to avoid the mistakes amagami made and keep every arc as strong as the last. Its still a very good show and overall i enjoyed it.
Now lets go over my rankings for the arcs and the girls.
Ranking by Arcs:
Tsukasa:
This is probably the best written and best preformed arc. It was complicated, well paced, and was mysterious enough to get me hunting for spoilers. they left out some things so it could be better, but its still probably the best arc of the show.
Kaoru:
It was a well written arc and very emotional. This is probably the only arc to make Junichi look completely competent.
Ai:
Overall a good arc and well written. It doesn't really have anything spectacular, but its not bad.
Haruka:
At points this was a great arc. It did a really good job showcasing Haruka and her playful nature. The thing that hurts this arc a lot is its pacing. It really feels rushed, something that no other arc suffers from.
Sae:
the arc was generic. it didnt make any big mistakes, but nothing captured my attention in particular.
Rihoko:
I dont think anything more needs to be said. Just look above.
Ranking by girls:
Ai:
This is why i wanted to do separate rankings for the arcs and for the girls. Writing wise her story was average, but Ai herself i love. Shes the kind stoic one, the one who has problems eating them inside but doesn't want to bother others with it. You really felt that she and Junichi relied on each other and through that seem to have a strong relationship going forward.
Haruka:
She is fun-loving, playful, sexy, and kind. Shes basically what every teenager's dream girl would be, but it doesn't make her conceited. Its sad how her arc didn't give her enough time to develop, but she certainly stole the spotlight when she cameoed in the other routes, mostly with her playful teasing of Hibiki. She's also voiced by my goddess Ito Shizuka which always helps :D
Tsukasa:
Im not a super fan of the tsundere types, which is why Tsukasa is low on my list personally. Her arc is really good and brings out the best in a character i though i would have zero interest in. Also, before her arc i kept hearing how she was such a "bitch" underneath, but to be honest she wasnt a whole lot meaner, well aside from trying to kill Junichi, to everyone than normal. Ya shes not the perfect Yamato Nadesico, but shes far from a bitch.
Kaoru:
Like i said, she played to the tsundere crowd which isnt my main interest. Her character is interesting and her arc brought out a real weakness that we can all relate or sympathize with. Shes good, but IMO is outclassed. This is just to show how strong the cast is overall to have me say the 4th out of 6th in my ranking is still good.
Rihoko:
Nothing really wrong with the character, but i also never felt like i sympathized or like the character at all. Very bland and average for me. All the hype around her and the let down of her arc didnt help either.
Sae:
Sorry, i hate this character. And TBH, its only because of the voice. I cannot stand that voice. It might be a shallow way to judge, but it was a breaker for me.
All in all, an amazing series. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good romance story. Read more!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
K-ON: The collage years (manga)
Labels:
K-ON
Hey guys, the special surprise, as well as my regular blogging has been put on hold for now due to exams. I'll get to them eventually, this is definitely something i dont want to just drop, but i also gotta make sure it turns out great. a little side filler while you wait.
summary:
So Yui and the others are now in collage, and no surprise they are living in the same dorm. We see Yui being Yui practically unable to function without Ui. She kinda takes an crutch on Ritsu, but Ritsu is having none of it. They make it through the opening ceremony, but Yui accidentally drools on the shoulder of a new character, Wada Akira, who i swear i cannot even tell is a female. They take a look at the poster of the existing light music club that the university offers and decide to check it out. As luck would have it, (or poor writing) Akira and her two friends are also joining, setting us up for the next chapter, in the story and in the life of the girls.
Reaction:
Well i guess i can stop guessing what the movie is about. The K-ON manga has continued on into the university life. Its a nice little touch, and maybe would have been nice as a movie extra, but honestly i does really cheapen the big dramatic goodbye the girls went through at the end of the last season. Also the manga seems to really set up the story, so i have a feeling this wont be jsut a 4-5 chapter thing an a completely new story altogether. I cant say the atmosphere or story that worked well in K-ON about high school students will work in University. But i'll give it a chance to impress me. hey if you told me there was a good story about girls eating cake all day, i wouldn't have believed you. The other problem is how these new girls are replacing azusa so easy and how Yui is so accepting of them, but that seems to really be in her nature. I also wonder how this will fit into the fact the light music club is already established, and itsnt being set up by them. their lazy attitude might not slide in an established club, and the whole point of their club in high school was, 'we may not be good, but we are fun and can try hard when we needed'.
So ya, not a great start, but i'll give it a chance to impress me. Read more!
summary:
So Yui and the others are now in collage, and no surprise they are living in the same dorm. We see Yui being Yui practically unable to function without Ui. She kinda takes an crutch on Ritsu, but Ritsu is having none of it. They make it through the opening ceremony, but Yui accidentally drools on the shoulder of a new character, Wada Akira, who i swear i cannot even tell is a female. They take a look at the poster of the existing light music club that the university offers and decide to check it out. As luck would have it, (or poor writing) Akira and her two friends are also joining, setting us up for the next chapter, in the story and in the life of the girls.
Reaction:
Well i guess i can stop guessing what the movie is about. The K-ON manga has continued on into the university life. Its a nice little touch, and maybe would have been nice as a movie extra, but honestly i does really cheapen the big dramatic goodbye the girls went through at the end of the last season. Also the manga seems to really set up the story, so i have a feeling this wont be jsut a 4-5 chapter thing an a completely new story altogether. I cant say the atmosphere or story that worked well in K-ON about high school students will work in University. But i'll give it a chance to impress me. hey if you told me there was a good story about girls eating cake all day, i wouldn't have believed you. The other problem is how these new girls are replacing azusa so easy and how Yui is so accepting of them, but that seems to really be in her nature. I also wonder how this will fit into the fact the light music club is already established, and itsnt being set up by them. their lazy attitude might not slide in an established club, and the whole point of their club in high school was, 'we may not be good, but we are fun and can try hard when we needed'.
So ya, not a great start, but i'll give it a chance to impress me. Read more!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
