Asatte no Houkou Overall Series Impressions & Total Series Rating

[xris]

This thread is to be used for discussing the entire 12 episodes of Asatte no Houkou ... your thoughts about the show, overall impressions, speculation on a possible second season, etc., etc…

A few subjects you might want to ramble on about:

• General impression of the series.
• Opinions on the overall story, writing & plot devices.
• Thoughts about the animation quality.
• General speculation on a second season.
  
  
• How did the anime compare with the manga?
• Characters/Character Design
• What the show meant to you.
• What could the creators/animators/writers could have done better.

And so on.

The poll represents your total series rating. In other words, how you would rate all the episodes combined (1-10)? If you'd rather rate the whole series by technical/artistic merits, you can do so. An example:

Animation Quality: 1-10
Voice Actors: 1-10
Script: 1-10
Adaptation from Manga: 1-10
Editing: 1-10

Average = Total Series Rating

Or a combination of the two. Or your general gut feeling.

[Shiroth]

Everyone understands that this was in no-way a perfect series, but its got that charm that i really love about it. Together with the characters, the setting, the beautiful scenery - and of course, the music. So i'll be giving it a 10, heck - if even the series was a complete failure, i'd still give it a 10 for episode 08.

[Deathkillz]

its been a while since i watched the final RAW so my head is a bit cloudy but no i remember posting about it being one of the best autumn series

mainly its cause of the mood and theme of the story ~ the magic was apparent but not overwhelming ~ i remember clearly the first transformation ahh it was like heaven the way it was represented ^__^

and the character growth is to die for ~ seeing how karada trying her best even if she did fail logically by running away i still respect that

then theres shouko trying to manage her feelings for hiro ~ at first i hated her for being spiteful but as her personality grew i was cheering for a hiro x shouko end ^__^

Adaptation from Manga: 1-10

seriously that is a wear topic to touch on...after reading the manga thread i should say that the anime is 100% safe proof...man was i shocked to find out how dark things go in the manga version O.o so id say an adaption value of -10 (but in a good way)

overall i just love this slice of life series ^__^ 10/10

[aliensporebomb]

Art: 9
Atmosphere/Feel: 10
Music: 10
Writing: 9 (lost the plot a little)
Characters: 8 (much from the manga was lost but that's okay in this case)
Overall: 9

My biggest problem with this series is ultimately the fact that they could
have had a 16-24 episode series here but in the interest in keeping it to
12 episodes they squished it. Some sequences felt rushed and some of
the situations could have been explored with more depth.

Also, being that the manga was considerably darker than this it is almost
like what happened with "Welcome to the NHK" although that series had
more time to explore its plot in its anime version so it came across as a
slightly happier version of a darker overall series where this one has no
inkling to the viewer of its dark side except those who know of the manga.

I think audiences would have been too alienated had they actually adapted
the manga plot to the anime - in this case, we have a situation that gives
us a feel good ending and no major problems are left over.

I get a little tired of anime that pounds me over the head and makes me
feel worse than before I started watching it so this one made me think a
bit and enjoyed it for quite a lot of things - the music in particular was
nice, contemplative and mellow in many cases and quite nice. Even the
uptempo pieces did not lose this feeling and it went with the art quite
beautifully. The design was fairly stylized in an attractive way and even
the addition of the Kotomi character was nice in my opinion - she added
to the show and gave Shouko a friend that she did not have before.

I'd buy it on DVD for sure, it's something I could enjoy watching again.

I might even buy the manga.

[Pellissier]

Wow, reading the manga events definitely reversed my opinion of the whole Asatte no Houkou product. But I'll be coherent and I'll judge the anime only, since it was nice, didn't have any unconvenient deviations, and I enjoyed it. Had the anime taken the direction of the manga, I would have dropped it before the halfway and given a straight 1.
So, no, my opinion of the anime won't be influenced. Besides, I have already thought and decided the rating for this series.

Asatte no Houkou was a nice change of pace from the other series of the fall season, certainly not close to the best slice of life series, but an interesting one.
I wasn't impressed from the first episode, because overall I thought too many characters were introducted all in once, and so it was difficult to sympathize. Later, when the anime focused mainly on Karada and Shouko, it became much better. While I was not fond of alterning "Karada episodes" with "Shouko episodes", I have to say they were good, on their substance. Letting aside the manga knowledge, Hiro and Tetsu were also nice characters, stubborn but with good sides. Again, due to the shrinking, I feel like we missed a lot of Hiro. He developed as a character, but while they made us perceive it, they didn't actually show it.

The story had its ups and downs. Mainly it felt too rushed. In example, when Karada decided to escape by her own, I totally didn't understand why she had to, and especially there was nothing before letting assume that action of her. The ending was rushed, they made up a lot of things in one single episode, most of which were satisfying. The symbolisms were also good, but thinking of it, they took too many shortcuts (like Tetsu suddenly accepting "ok, she's Karada" (at least show what Hiro said to him), or the piece of stone jumping out of nowhere (ok, predictable, but still... )).

In this series the happenings left for us to assume outweigh the actual happenings. Possible interpretations of reality don't equal reality itself. Asatte no Houkou stumbled several times on this matter, making it its major flaw.

Musics: good, from the Op to the sweet inserts songs. Voice acting: I'd prize as best voice actress of the series Shizuka Itou (Shouko) who was brilliant, particularly on last episode, but overall gave the right feeling of what it means to feel like a failure, and then acquire hope, then losing those hopes, and finally gain that little bit of happiness all would be aiming for. The semi-debutant Ayumi Fujimura (Karada) did also well, carrying grown Karada wasn't an easy task but she succeded. Mention also for Koshimizu Ami (Kotomi), wise and far away from the high pitched silliness of Tsukamoto Tenma.

Many pointed out the atmospheres: those were total winners. I love the country, I love the nature and the landscape, the sea, the fields, the summer. In this regard, the anime impressed me and gave me a sense of breeze on each stage. I'm awarding many points for this, in a slice of life of this kind the environment is very important and it was since the last time I watched "Totoro", or the last episodes of "Honey & Clover" (Takemoto/bike travel) that I wasn't feeling such a strong emphasys on the role of nature in anime.

All in all, a nice break from the usual pace I'm used to. A series to watch to relax, and to learn some basic points about life (I'm on the conviction one never ends on learning those). While some flaws deterred this series from being something higher than it actually was, there's no doubt Asatte no Houkou deserves to be delivered to the memories' wagon with all my respects.

Overall Rating: 82%

[Theowne]

My score for this series would probably be "Very Good" aka 8/10. It has interesting concepts and characters but I don't feel that 12 episodes was enough for it to be really be told effectively. The idea behind this show was a really thought-provoking one, and while the show used it well enough, I think there's more to the idea of switching ages and more problems that could arise then what's portrayed in Asatte no Houkou. The art and settings were top notch, the character drawings were a bit stiff at times but mostly they were pleasant.

It's something I would reccomend, but I don't think it is one of my favourites.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by aliensporebomb

My biggest problem with this series is ultimately the fact that they could
have had a 16-24 episode series here but in the interest in keeping it to
12 episodes they squished it. Some sequences felt rushed and some of
the situations could have been explored with more depth.

I kinda agree, though i just couldn't see this series lasting more then the given episode length. Going onto say 24 episodes, we'd sure encounter a filler of some kind. Although it would be fun to see the characters act it out in that way, its the story thats important for this series, and that was the main focus through out the series.

It might have felt a lil' rushed, though i believe 12 episodes was the right choice with this one.

[Joojoobees]

I totally understand the complaints that the series was too rushed, because I think the motivations for actions taken by several characters was ill- or un- explained.

On the other hand, I appreciate the effort to tell the story concisely. Would more episodes have really led to a better understanding of what underlay the story? Or would it have led to filler? We can't know for sure, but who can be blamed for assuming the worst?

Something that has at least been alluded to in comments above, is that the basic premise for the story is quite promising. The central issues of either wanting to start over, or finding oneself as an adult, are great, and are paired quite nicely.

There was so much that I did enjoy about the show, and I am not sorry that I watched it, but I can't imagine recommending it to someone, so I scored it quite low (Good) compared to most of y'all.

Finally, I'm a little surprised to see the number of comments stating that this is a slice-of-life show. I really didn't think this was true. It seemed to me to be plot-driven. I actually like slice-of-life as a genre. I would be interested in hearing from people what about this show made it slice-of-life for them.

[Kyuusai]

I wouldn't call the series rushed. It was definitely a series that needed to take its time in order for its impact to be clear.

In the last half, though, it dragged on with little happening, focusing on the least important relationships. Then, after all of that, the conclusion was crammed into one episode. A good third of the series was utterly wasted.

Hiro overcoming his fears (which were never properly explored in the first place), Shouko coming to terms with her pain and understanding her motivation, and Karada realizing that she still had a place in her brother's life no matter the circumstances... These were among the most important plot points of the series, but most weren't even addressed properly until the end, when they were resolved in moments. Instead, we got to see Tetsu struggle for AGES, refusing to believe Karada, when that was possibly the LEAST important thing in the entire series.

I'd never had higher hopes for an anime, but by the middle it had lost its way, and it never regained it.

[Matrim]

In the last half, though, it dragged on with little happening, focusing on the least important relationships. Then, after all of that, the conclusion was crammed into one episode. A good third of the series was utterly wasted.

Hiro overcoming his fears (which were never properly explored in the first place), Shouko coming to terms with her pain and understanding her motivation, and Karada realizing that she still had a place in her brother's life no matter the circumstances... These were among the most important plot points of the series, but most weren't even addressed properly until the end, when they were resolved in moments. Instead, we got to see Tetsu struggle for AGES, refusing to believe Karada, when that was possibly the LEAST important thing in the entire series.

Exactly. The most important events and developments of the characters were rushed or not shown at all and Tetsu hijacked the series, as far as I am concerned. My bias against him aside, surely it should have been more important to explore Hiro's change in motivation leading to his getting off his ass and doing something for a change in the last episode or Shouko's motivation for staying with Hiro.
I voted 8 but it's more of a 7,5 rating. If everything in the series was on the level of the atmosphere and Shouko (not counting her weird motivation in tyhe last episode) it would probably have been 10.

[Joojoobees]

Originally Posted by Matrim

Exactly. The most important events and developments of the characters were rushed or not shown at all and Tetsu hijacked the series, as far as I am concerned. My bias against him aside, surely it should have been more important to explore Hiro's change in motivation leading to his getting off his ass and doing something for a change in the last episode or Shouko's motivation for staying with Hiro.

Yes, I completely agree, although I must say that Tetsu's response to Karada's disappearance made the most sense. I have to give him credit for doing something about a missing kid. Why Hiro didn't call the cops the very first night I don't understand. Which is a recurring problem for me with Hiro; I don't really understand why he did anything. Why didn't he write to Shouko and say, "Sorry, I have to stay in Japan and take care of my sister."

Spoiler:

In fact, why did he get back together with Shouko in the end? Did he ever love her? Or does he just go with the flow?

I don't understand Hiro at all.

[Ziv]

Originally Posted by Joojoobees

Yes, I completely agree, although I must say that Tetsu's response to Karada's disappearance made the most sense. I have to give him credit for doing something about a missing kid. Why Hiro didn't call the cops the very first night I don't understand. Which is a recurring problem for me with Hiro; I don't really understand why he did anything. Why didn't he write to Shouko and say, "Sorry, I have to stay in Japan and take care of my sister."

Spoiler:

In fact, why did he get back together with Shouko in the end? Did he ever love her? Or does he just go with the flow?

I don't understand Hiro at all.

He was probably under alot of stress at the time and just tried to pretend his problems didn't exist rather than do something about them. Keep in mind that his parents had just died too. It was probably easier for him to forget that he ever had a girlfriend than to try and deal with not being able to see her.

[Matrim]

Yes, I completely agree, although I must say that Tetsu's response to Karada's disappearance made the most sense. I have to give him credit for doing something about a missing kid.

I don't blame Tetsu for his desperate efforts to find Karada, I complain about putting so much emphasis on this search while other more key events were rushed. And you are absolutely right about Hiro, the motivation for some of his actions is quite an enigma, especially his sudden change of personality in the end.

[Joojoobees]

Well, my favorite character is Shouko. She is broody, and she acts out of spite in the first episode, but I totally get her.

[Guardian Enzo]

I really don't get the "hijack" argument at all, I must say - the series was never about Hiro, anyway. It was about the strange miracle that took place and how if changed the lives of those affected, and Tetsu - not only as the one who loved Karada but also as someone completely uncomfortable and ill-fitting in his own skin - was one of the most radically affected.

[Matrim]

Who says the series was all about Hiro so Tetsu was not required at all? Not me for sure. But Hiro was more affected than Tetsu since he knew both Shouko and Karada and understanding him is important in order to understand the motivation of those two, so I find it weird that the boy got so much more screen time in the final episodes.

[Pakxenon]

A Very Good drama production. Outstanding first 2 episodes sets the summeresque mood and atmosphere needed. It got more boring as it progressed, but the story and character network was worth it.

And I liked Karada when she was loli. >_>

[Skane]

07/10

I have a lot of grief with Karada's character.

Natch.

[JediNight]

Originally Posted by aliensporebomb

My biggest problem with this series is ultimately the fact that they could
have had a 16-24 episode series here but in the interest in keeping it to
12 episodes they squished it. Some sequences felt rushed and some of
the situations could have been explored with more depth.

This unfortunately happens A LOT in anime due to the way Japanese TV timeblocks are structured. Many shows would have been wonderful around the 18 episode length, but they either get cut short or stretched long to fit the timeblock since there are no re-runs on Japanese TV. The good thing is theres more new TV then, the bad news is then sacrifices have to be made in plot many times.

I give the show a 9/10 for the rushed ending is my only major gripe with it. I absolutely loved it nearly all the way through, but they manage to spoil that mood slightly in the last 90 seconds with the deus ex machina from Kotomi. Granted you DO see that shard break off at the start of the series. I think the way it was setup however, that they should have left them the swapped ages.

It just seemed that the plot was wrapping up to still make everyone happy that way, and I didn't get the feeling that Shouko and Hiro were really in the "getting back together" phase. Hiro was finally able to properly apologize, and they were able to come to an amiable understanding after all these years, but that wasn't really saying they should get back together then.

Most of the Japanese folklore related to supernatural things is bittersweet and has a tough lesson to be learned. I think they correctly captured much of the bittersweet lesson with the wish, and yet they kinda undid much of that with the last-second reversal. I'm hoping the manga goes the other way.

[queen_desu]

I really liked it but the ending is kinda not what I was hopiong for. I wish they showed how they would end up after but I kinda think that they wanted you to make ur own conclusion. That's also good..