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Old 2006-07-20, 16:42   Link #15
MrProphet
The Commissar Vanishes
 
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Tallinn, Estonia
Age: 41
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Well, episode 1 certainly took my attention.

Here's the plot:

Spoiler:

That's the first episode there.

Now, the narrative device used for FLAG is nothing short of brilliant. Imagine this. The whole episode is told through the point of view of a camera or the shots that were taken by a camera. We watch Saeko either through the narrator's camera, or through Saeko's webcam, or through the pictures Saeko has taken. There is a ot of still photography there.

The man who has directed this episode obviously knows and loves his Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras. Think about the first episode of Suzumiya Haruhi and multiply it by ten. Whoever shot FLAG knows every single technical aspect of camera work right there. From the blur of movement to the artifacts to the background noise to the menus to editing work to how lighting affects a camera. Wow, it really is impressive and shows quite a professional approach.

It really is a photographer's dream. Despite the lenghy demonstration video for the mecha, with all the shiny 3DCG used, the best part of FLAG is the use of still shots to convey ideals.

Narrator's initial introduction to war photography, when images of life and happyness (as conveyed through family photos) is intermingled with images of death, grief and destruction, is impressive. When Saeko is looking at the military video of the mecha using it's powerful guns to destroy a vehicle, she immediately flashes back to the photos of grieving people that she has taken.

It really is presented with a very powerful message of photography capturing life and death on a daily basis. Very moving and meaningful.

The story itself is somewhat lacking and most of the episode is highly conceptualized introduction stuff that only starts showing the hints of a plot somewhere closer to the end, as we get introduced to the HAVWC crew. Perhaps we will be following them, as Saeko will be shooting footage for her project.

I don't know if they'll contunue using the camera POV as a complete narrative device even further, but I certainly hope they will, because I thought it was highly effective, imaginative and unexpected method of storytelling.

So, all in all, color me impressed. FLAG is a serious, innovative work that approaches a new subject for anime in a surprisingly fresh and realistic way. I am looking forward to further episodes.
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