(L) Kamisama Dolls

[mangatron]

Hmmm.... I guess some series just aren't for everyone. Personally, I find the execution of these eps quite well (for 12 eps anyways), and currently fighting the urge to read the manga. Of course my views may change come series end, if it falls flat.

But oh well, at least most of the comments at the Crunchy are quite positive after ep 03. But what's with the hate with Kuuko? It's not her fault she's easily pissed as she is easily amused

I wonder why they don't list total episode count like they used to...

[0utf0xZer0]

Originally Posted by tomtkp

Prior to the anime version,I had read through 53 chapters of Kamisama Dolls and I agree with Ziziphus that the story does getting better and better and I have totally got hooked to the series.Even the first three episodes of the series seem appealling to me.I understand the grievance of some viewers about the slow pacing of the first three episodes as the series is still in the introduction stage.However,I really dislike the fact that some viewers are impatient enough and say things like "Oh,I will drop the series if there's nothing interesting in the next episode",even predicting that the series will be a harem series in the end despite not knowing what is gonna happen next.Yes,I admit that the anime producers are emphasising a bit too much on moe scenes,even the first half of the third episode is adapted from the omake chapters,not the main story but these scenes are not important compared to what the story is trying to tell us. What can you expect from mere three episodes?Action filled scenes?Or "Just tell me what is the village up to?" or "What is Aki's motive?What is the relationship between Aki and Kyouhei?I want an answer."?The story is not gonna tell you the answer until it is the right time to do so.Having reading through the manga,I think Kamisama Dolls has a solid storytelling in its own way,just like any other stories which have exposition (introduction),rising action,conflict,climax and eventually falling action and the end of the story.(The manga is still ongoing)

Yeah, my reaction to Embok's comment was pretty much "has he been watching the same show I have"? Even with the omake scene in episode 3, it was pretty obvious to me that the plot was not just window dressing. Compensating for the presence of the omake, its very obvious that the source material is quite plot oriented and I'd expect that to filter through to the anime regardless of whether or not the director adds filler. I don't want to offend Embok, but I do feel that his preconception of what the series was going to be like is preventing him from giving it a fair chance.

As for Justin's line about dropping the show if nothing interesting happened next episode, I read between the lines on that one and came to the conclusion what he meant was that the series needs to stop putting in so many Utao scenes. I don't think he actually meant that nothing interesting happened this episode, as there are quite a few plot twists late in the episode.

Originally Posted by justinstrife

We have 12 to 13 episodes for this series. Not 24 episodes. That isn't exactly a lot of time to get a halfway decent story told. So giving a show 4 episodes to try and keep viewers engaged, is crucial. Sorry if you can't wrap your 20 year old brain around that concept.

It's a bit arrogant to assume that another poster is too young to get your point when you aren't stating it well in the first place. How do you expect people to derive what you just said from the post he refers to?

[mangatron]

Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0

I read between the lines on that one ...the series needs to stop putting in so many Utao scenes.

After episode 03, I kinda lined up all the negative comments under "Utao", but at some point the assumption has to stop. The vagueness of posts are a clear magnet for misinterpretation, but really, was the Utao cake scenes in ep 03 really so deplorable?

Considering that scene wasn't just showing Utao, I viewed it as the kind of life Kyohei wants to live. That slice of his life he left the village for. This in turn was a good build-up to the scene when he runs into Aki, while he was on his way to meet the girls. Aki really put him on the spot about that, so much as to specifically target Hibino just to boil him over. So in my opinion, Utao's cake scenes weren't exactly a waste, especially since the second half of ep 03 turned serious, I honestly don't think Utao's going to have cake on her mind next ep, considering that telepathic SMS she received. Heck, she may even train seriously now, or who knows, maybe there's no more time to train.

[serenade_beta]

Spoiler for ep3:

Mumu...! I wasn't able to get in a comment earlier because I was on a plane, and look at the result! Cute, cute Utao is being criticized!

But, but...! I loved her moments this episode! So many facial expressions (distortions?)!
And the story is getting interesting too, with two new stalkers. Some male version of Utao (Eh...) and Bandou from Elfen Lied.

Too bad they are being overshadowed by Utao and that weird thing at the end.
The staff really loves Utao too much.

It can't be helped though. Fukanzenneshou nandarou sounandarou sounandaroutte... Soujufukanounandarou sounandarou sounandaroutte.

[Thany]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

The staff really loves Utao too much.

Naaaah you're really just seeing things... Oh wait maybe you're right
I won't complain though, Utao is cute and they aren't going that slow stor-wise either

[Kismet-chan]

Forced myself to watch episode 3. I keep trying to like this show and find more good points about it, but I'm having a really hard time. Definitely not the worst show, obviously. (I'd say last season's Hidan no Aria was worse.) But it's not my cup of tea. It's just so... so... It's just too "meh". (Sorry for the lack of a more eloquent description of how this show makes me feel.)

Maybe if I hear good things about it down the line I'll return to it to give it another chance. But for now? Dropped.

[Dr. Casey]

Yeah, the moe stuff with Utao at the start was a bit much... she doesn't strike me as the type to get all squealy over a cake or fret about calories. I don't have anything against moe traits when they actually fit (ie Usagi in early Sailor Moon), but they shouldn't randomly be applied to every female ever even when it's out of character. Not every girl has to act like eating a piece of cake means an instant orgasm. (Victorique from Gosick was kind of the same way, I think. Kujo resolving a fight that nasty in episode 14 by giving her a raspberry sandwich or whatever seemed way too easy, and it would have been a lot more interesting to me to see them actually talk things over... it was cute, but she seemed less like an actual character there and more like a vehicle for moe. But eh, she was a well-written character on the whole, that's about the only hiccup that comes to mind.)

Very minor complaints, though, considering how much I enjoy the show. Kamisama Dolls is one of those shows that I really have a soft spot for but aren't completely sure why. Utao the angry loli certainly helps, her facial expressions are awesome, but I just really like the series as a whole. The Spanish-style opening theme and the ending theme are both great, too, I've listened to them far more than the openings or endings to any other summer anime. The angry, deranged girl introduced late in this episode is pretty interesting too. Looking forward to seeing more of her next episode.

Naaaah you're really just seeing things... Oh wait maybe you're right

Haha, this is awesome.

[mangatron]

Originally Posted by Thany

Naaaah you're really just seeing things... Oh wait maybe you're right
I won't complain though, Utao is cute and they aren't going that slow story-wise either

lol you....

What're you doing here? I swear I'm not watching this series for Utao, honest! It's not like I defend her because sheeeeee.........

Originally Posted by Kismet-chan

(I'd say last season's Hidan no Aria was worse.) But it's not my cup of tea. It's just so... so... It's just too "meh". (Sorry for the lack of a more eloquent description of how this show makes me feel.)

That's okay. Sometimes I can't describe something, and I'm supposed to be the guy that can but I kinda figured Hidan No Aria was going to be mentioned sooner or later, but the difference here is one is a novel and the other is a manga. I honestly think what doomed HnA was too many arcs in so little eps, so let's see how a manga goes in a similar number of eps.

Originally Posted by Dr. Casey

Yeah, the moe stuff with Utao at the start was a bit much... she doesn't strike me as the type to get all squealy over a cake or fret about calories.

It's... not all surprising, is it?

You know, since she's sorta like that sheltered maiden from an obscure village, who had no sweets whatsoever and was probably fed grass and.... never mind

[Dr. Casey]

Well, that does make sense. Looking at it that way the scene's actually pretty nice, I was just thinking of it as being stereotypical anime shit.

[mangatron]

I admit it does look stereotypical, but she is also a girl of few words, which also leads me to think that she really didn't have much people to talk to. No wonder that village is messed up

[0utf0xZer0]

Originally Posted by mangatron

It's... not all surprising, is it?

You know, since she's sorta like that sheltered maiden from an obscure village, who had no sweets whatsoever and was probably fed grass and.... never mind

Personally, I'm not really up for trying to rationalize the cake scene. It's been pointed out its from an omake in the manga, and those are often written as "what if" type scenarios. Including it was not a smart decision on the director's part.

I do agree that Utao probably hasn't had many sweets before, but there are much better ways this could have been shown if the director wanted to. For example, it could have come up in a scene when Hibino and Utao are out in the city. To me, the manner he went about it was annoyingly "in your face" - the antithesis of the opening scene with Utao having her first flight on Kukuri in episode 2. That was cute without feeling forced in the slightest.

I'm not against Utao - I thought she was great in episode 2 - but I do not like the way that particular scene was used.

[mangatron]

Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0

It's been pointed out its from an omake in the manga, and those are often written as "what if" type scenarios. Including it was not a smart decision on the director's part.

I also made note earlier about the console, in ep 02 it was clearly broken, but here in the cake scene she wants to play again the cake scene definitely was out of place.

And... I've just about had enough of this cake topic even though I've explained how some of this makes sense, even I admit it's something from the manga that felt out of place here, so... how about Hibino's big ones, eh? If those cakes did that to her, I say eat up Utao, Papa's secret recipe has some immense growth potential

[tomtkp]

Originally Posted by justinstrife

We have 12 to 13 episodes for this series. Not 24 episodes. That isn't exactly a lot of time to get a halfway decent story told. So giving a show 4 episodes to try and keep viewers engaged, is crucial. Sorry if you can't wrap your 20 year old brain around that concept.

You make me feel like I want to hide my age.(Sorry,just kidding)

Actually about the "I want to drop this series if nothing interesting happens",I didn't mean you,Justin.I just randomly saw some comments about dropping the series after mere 2 or 3 episodes.I didn't mean to attack a partcular person.I just disagree with the above statement because I think it's unfair to the series.

I personally do not agree that 4 episodes are enough to judge an anime.It does not do justice also to some series which have slow and plain beginning and suddenly there is plot twist at the latter part of the series.There is no absolute guarantee that those who drop that particular series will ever return once the series does became good in the later episodes.It's a pity that those animes which have slow beginning always tend to get negative comments and lose audiences as well when the slow-paced beginning is just one process of the storytelling.One thing I like about Kamisama Dolls after reading the manga is the natural pace of its storytelling.I personally like this kind of storytelling where there are more character and setting introductions than action scenes in the beginning.Once everything is set,then the real thing begins.It is a better way of storytelling instead of just action scenes right from the start to the end.The natural flow of the story in Kamisama Dolls just makes me feel that the mangaka is trying to tell a story to me (the readers) and I throughly enjoyed his/her story.I suggest the audiences to watch the series at least until the halfway point of the season(which is 6 or 7 episodes but the more the better) to decide whether the story is suitable for you or not,not just some 4 episodes which is a mere one fifth of the current manga chapters (2 out of 9 volumes).

[justinstrife]

Shows that have some length to them, have time to flesh out characters and plot, and really build attachment of the characters with the viewers. These shorter series, don't have that luxury. Greater than a movie, but not like say a 24-26 episode series. I'm just tired of mega rushed endings because the directors/producers spent too much time on fluff, and then realized too late, that they were out of time.

I can't even begin go tell you how many anime shows end up total garbage because of that. :ack:

[0utf0xZer0]

Originally Posted by tomtkp

not just some 4 episodes which is a mere one fifth of the current manga chapters (2 out of 9 volumes).

Hmmm... with 13 episodes (five 48 minute Blurays + one 72 minute bluray according to CDJapan = 13 episodes) and 9 manga volumes, my guess is that they're not planning to adapt the entire story thus far. I hope they choose a good point to end the anime (or at least its first season).

How many chapters of the manga were adapted in the first three episodes? You say you've read 53... how many are out in all?

Originally Posted by justinstrife

Shows that have some length to them, have time to flesh out characters and plot, and really build attachment of the characters with the viewers. These shorter series, don't have that luxury. Greater than a movie, but not like say a 24-26 episode series. I'm just tired of mega rushed endings because the directors/producers spent too much time on fluff, and then realized too late, that they were out of time.

I can't even begin go tell you how many anime shows end up total garbage because of that. :ack:

The question is, what do they end with? Like many other shows - which probably includes many of those you're complaining about - Kamisama Dolls is based on an incomplete manga. There's basically three options:
a) Cover to the end of a particular arc.
b) End mid arc.
c) Anime original end.

It's not going to be possible to judge whether the adaptation is going fast enough until we know how they're going to end it. For all we know rushing to catch up could just leave us with a mid-arc ending.

To me, its fairly obvious they can't possibly fit nine volumes in 13 episodes, so I'm hoping they choose option a) then get greenlit for a second season when there's an appropriate amount of material.

[Kyouka]

is it wrong to say im watching this show for aki cause he looks like a accelerator hunk?

[mangatron]

Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0

Hmmm... with 13 episodes (five 48 minute Blurays + one 72 minute bluray according to CDJapan = 13 episodes)

Wait, I was correct, it's 12 for a broadcast run and that OAV type of ep for the 13th one. You know what this means, right? There's no way they'd leave the TV run hanging and wrapping it up on disc, this means we're 1/4th of the way into the story I'll be glad to stand wrong even if it means getting 1 extra ep of cake.

How many chapters of the manga were adapted in the first three episodes? You say you've read 53... how many are out in all?

I'm rather interested to know too, so that I can calculate ch-per-ep and maybe figure out how far they plan to go. I thought it might be nice to try reading the manga now instead of waiting till series end, but with a twist that I only read what the Anime covered.

The question is, what do they end with? Like many other shows - which probably includes many of those you're complaining about - Kamisama Dolls is based on an incomplete manga. There's basically three options:
a) Cover to the end of a particular arc.
b) End mid arc.
c) Anime original end.

I'm usually for option A, as it's rare for an Anime to start after a manga finished, and we all know how option C has been throughout the years (I will always remember Omamori Himari )

Originally Posted by kyouka

is it wrong to say im watching this show for aki cause he looks like a accelerator hunk?

I think Accelerator was mentioned here before

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by mangatron

I think Accelerator was mentioned here before

Some people are even calling this show the "Accelerator vs Accelerator anime", as Kyohei is voiced by Accelerator's VA.

[Gohan78]

Originally Posted by tomtkp

I personally do not agree that 4 episodes are enough to judge an anime.It does not do justice also to some series which have slow and plain beginning and suddenly there is plot twist at the latter part of the series.

But 4 episodes out of 12 is already a third of the series!

Even if the series has a slow buildup, the director should be able to throw in enough elements to get me hooked in the first couple of episodes. Otherwise it's his fault, not mine.

Now, that's not the case with Kamisama Dolls, which I'll keep watching for now (although it's an average show at best IMHO).

[Seiryuu]

Haven't read more than one chapter, so I don't know what's coming. The moe is great at places I love the loli tundere brocon Utao. The relationship between that sort of character and a brother's busty, friendly love interest is awesome in all incarnations. Particularly when said love interest really loves cute things.
Also liking Suou. She's a real lolicon psycho-sadist.

The story is rather interesting, though it needs more time to build. It's shown enough potential for me to stay more than 3 eps. I generally agree that 3 eps isn't enough to judge a series, but it is enough to determine whether there's any merit to continuing, and any less is insufficient in most situations. I still worry a bit, because the style and mood still makes me think of shows like Narutaru, or even Bokurano. I have a bad feeling that the more I like a character, the more certain it is they'll die soon in a horrible fashion. I could definitely see Kyouhei being forced to take up the position of Seki again by Kukuri losing its adorable master. I hope that doesn't happen but somehow in a show like this that cuteness seems like a very unpleasant death flag.
Will be interested to know just what Kyouhei did in the past, how his and Aki's pasts are connected and what happened to them. I have a hunch that Kyouhei was something of a "leader" in his group of friends as a kid, and he led them into attempting something that they should never have done; I'd actually be surprised if Kyouhei wasn't directly responsible for some incident that both led him to run away and led Aki to snap.