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***relentlessflame*** · 2007-12-20, 03:14

Well, I guess the main thing I would mention as a comment would be that it's worth considering the "era" in which this show aired. On the one hand it was "only 4 years ago", but at the same time, Da Capo was the first anime in the genre to get greenlit for a 26-episode run. It helped set the stage for eroge-based anime being a staple the way it is today. So I feel that comparing it to the more refined approaches used today is a bit incomplete in terms of an overall perspective. Someone had to do the experiment so that others would learn from it. It's interesting to compare it to "today's fare" and see whether it holds up, but the show wasn't made for today's audience; the staff didn't "know better". It's probably more interesting to compare it to what was done with ToHeart, Kanon 2002, and possibly shows like Sister Princess and Sister Princess RePure (which had the same director, incidentally) to see what factored in to their storytelling approach.

The other thing I guess I would say is that I don't at all think that the early episodes were trying for "humour", even if they were more light-hearted than the second half. At least, I never really thought of it as trying to be funny, anyway. It was more to introduce you to the characters so that you'd have some connection or attachment to them when things kicked into high gear in the second half. So, while I certainly agree that the latter half is the most memorable part of the show, I didn't mind the more casual "getting to know you" phase in the first half as much as you did. But then again, like I said, this is when I saw it 4 years ago -- maybe it'd seem more trite now given all the shows I've seen since, only because by now it's been copied, tweaked, and improved so many times by other shows.

At the time when it aired, though, it did win converts, since it helped define the genre. But for new people coming in at this stage in the game, it may be a tougher sell (just like it's tough to sell new fans on pre-digital/hand-drawn anime -- it just doesn't seem as refined compared to nowadays). This isn't really an attempt to defend the show or anything (I have no reason to doubt or question your opinion, as I think it might make sense as a newcomer), but just trying to offer a different perspective from someone who was here "back then".

2007-12-20, 03:14	Link #605
*relentlessflame* 　 Administrator Join Date: Dec 2003 Age: 41	Well, I guess the main thing I would mention as a comment would be that it's worth considering the "era" in which this show aired. On the one hand it was "only 4 years ago", but at the same time, Da Capo was the first anime in the genre to get greenlit for a 26-episode run. It helped set the stage for eroge-based anime being a staple the way it is today. So I feel that comparing it to the more refined approaches used today is a bit incomplete in terms of an overall perspective. Someone had to do the experiment so that others would learn from it. It's interesting to compare it to "today's fare" and see whether it holds up, but the show wasn't made for today's audience; the staff didn't "know better". It's probably more interesting to compare it to what was done with ToHeart, Kanon 2002, and possibly shows like Sister Princess and Sister Princess RePure (which had the same director, incidentally) to see what factored in to their storytelling approach. The other thing I guess I would say is that I don't at all think that the early episodes were trying for "humour", even if they were more light-hearted than the second half. At least, I never really thought of it as trying to be funny, anyway. It was more to introduce you to the characters so that you'd have some connection or attachment to them when things kicked into high gear in the second half. So, while I certainly agree that the latter half is the most memorable part of the show, I didn't mind the more casual "getting to know you" phase in the first half as much as you did. But then again, like I said, this is when I saw it 4 years ago -- maybe it'd seem more trite now given all the shows I've seen since, only because by now it's been copied, tweaked, and improved so many times by other shows. At the time when it aired, though, it did win converts, since it helped define the genre. But for new people coming in at this stage in the game, it may be a tougher sell (just like it's tough to sell new fans on pre-digital/hand-drawn anime -- it just doesn't seem as refined compared to nowadays). This isn't really an attempt to defend the show or anything (I have no reason to doubt or question your opinion, as I think it might make sense as a newcomer), but just trying to offer a different perspective from someone who was here "back then".