(L) Simoun

[JiCi]

Spoiler for episodes 25 and 26:

Preview for episode 25, ”Paru” (Pair), according to Animage Magazine (Japan):

Yuun appears at the Springs. The girls return to the Arcus Prima, hand in hand. Meanwhile, Arcus Prima is in an uproar when they find out that Aeru and Nevril did not head to the Springs yet. But the girls try their best to help Aeru and Nevril go to the ‘Different World.’
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Preview for episode 26, “Portrait of the Girls” (Kanojotachi no Shouzou), according to Animage Magazine:

Aeru and Nevril begin their journey. Since then, many years have past. Those that have been maidens are now adults and have experienced many things in their lives.

Spoiler:

Well, what do you know... Ael and Neviril will survive the Emerald Ri-Maajon, and we'll finally get to know how the Choir Tempest live the post-war.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by Futaba-chan

The concept of a separate shower room aboard the Arcus Prima bothers me....Adding a shower room feels like a last-minute bolt-on to allow for a skinship scene....

This seems true to me. Not that there wouldn't be such rooms on the ship for less exalted passengers to use, just that the sibyllae wouldn't use them. I'm not complaining: we did get that tasteful "skinship" (lol) scene, and also a glimpse of an interesting (but chilly?) shower room. But it was a device.

And fignae...

Spoiler for Morinas in ep24:

I hoped that Morinas's leaving the model on the window sill wasn't final, that she had a chance to come back for it. As for her choice, I didn't think she was totally set on becoming male: I thought she said she had wanted to do that so as to be able to play with Waporif and the Simoun. That seemed reasonable, her being a mecha otaku. But I thought she may have been implying that now she might choose female, in order to be with him in a different way. Unless she was implying that she now couldn't be with him at all, which would be awful. I'm still unreasonably hopeful that she can be female and still work with Simoun in Reikoku. The Reikoku miko might well approve. And there is that twin-tail mechanic who shows up in the background on the flight deck from time to time. We'll see in three days what she chooses, and in ten days what her future holds, I suppose. I loved her little smile after she said that Wapo-chan was getting smaller.

Your observation that no successful heterosexual pairings are in sight was interesting. I can imagine Morinas/Waporif, Vyura/Rodore, and even Alti/Kaimu, but none of those is really a clear possibility at this point. On the other hand, maybe there are just no successful pairings obvious right now -- except for that of the eien no shoujo.

Spoiler for ep25 unspoilerish preview from staff blog:

The staff blog suggests three highlights for ep25: Yun, Aaeru/Neviril, and Anubituf/Guraghief. In the pic below, why is Yun crying? A highlight will be seeing her happy in an eyecatch. And why is Aaeru kissing the wall? And keep a close eye on Guraghief and Anubituf (whom the blog-writer admits makes her heart beat faster).

And another entry in the staff blog says that Takahashi Rieko (Neviril), Koshimizu Ami (Paraietta) and Yukana (Dominura) are confirmed for an appearance at the Tokyo Game Show on Sunday 24 September, in support of the PS2 game, which is to be released sometime this fall.

[musouka]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

Spoiler for ep25 unspoilerish preview from staff blog:

And keep a close eye on Guraghief and Anubituf (whom the blog-writer admits makes her heart beat faster).

Man, I was already on pins and needles about episode 25, and that little tidbit just makes it worse. (I was feeling kind of guilty for my overwelming love for those two when there were so many amazing characters in the series, but seeing the talkback link to Echidna's equally celebratory blog entry makes me feel better. )

As an aside, I've really enjoyed reading all the discussion in this thread. I'm not confident enough to join in myself, but I've really enjoyed reading it for what it's worth.

[Futaba-chan]

Originally Posted by Seska

Spoiler for episode 24:

And, look like Anime-traditions. That after or bevor a love confessing, some fresh wind must blow trough the scene

Perhaps there is a "The Untold rules in a Anime!!" FAQ

There is. It's at http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AnimeTrope -- and see also http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DramaticWind and http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Simoun .

[Simon]

Originally Posted by Futaba-chan

There is. It's at http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AnimeTrope

Haha, classic.

Trope no Ri Mājon!

Spoiler for DomiLimo speculation:

Limone is really 700 years old.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by Futaba-chan

There is. It's at http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AnimeTrope -- and see also http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DramaticWind and http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Simoun .

Great site. Thanks. And someone (someone we know?) has done a good job of getting Simoun well-represented (over-represented?). I think cliches are often effective: they wouldn't be used enough to become cliches if they weren't effective in the first place.

But the wind blowing NeviAer was a little different from the stated trope: it was neither before an important truth is revealed nor when the characters were standing around looking noble. It was showing them off-balance, perhaps. In fact, I found that still-shot a bit weird and inexplicable, but strong. I have never minded the standard wind-blowing trope, which Simoun also has plenty of, but this was something different: a storm-wind of confusion and emotion? I think that goes for some of the other Simoun examples, too: e.g., Christmas cake, friend to all living things, et al. Non-standard versions of standard tropes.

[Matrim]

The trope list is really fun to read. It also made me notice some cliches in anime that I hadn't noticed as such until now.

[FatPianoBoy]

Actually, I don't think we can truly identify the calling out of Ri Maajon names a cliche. The Sagitta doesn't say it to be cool, she says it because she needs to let the Auriga (who can't see the gem) know what's going on. So, it does have a practical purpose.
Also, I don't agree with there being no viable heterosexual pairings. The thought never even crossed my mind, especially since it seems that same-sex relationships are highly frowned on (or forbidden) in Kyuukoku. Otherwise Anubituf and Guragief wouldn't look so lonely when they look at each other

[warainagara]

Originally Posted by FatPianoBoy

especially since it seems that same-sex relationships are highly frowned on (or forbidden) in Kyuukoku.

Hmm?
Neviril dated with Amuria according to the series director' interview.
And we have quite a few hints that Sibylla pairs often go together.
I'm just curious, what you're basing it on?

[oneplusme]

Originally Posted by warainagara

Neviril dated with Amuria according to the series director' interview.
And we have quite a few hints that Sibylla pairs often go together.
I'm just curious, what you're basing it on?

I think FPB's point is more that they may be frowned on once the participants have chosen a sex (since if they were intending to stay together, they should have picked complementary sexes).

[warainagara]

Originally Posted by oneplusme

I think FPB's point is more that they may be frowned on once the participants have chosen a sex (since if they were intending to stay together, they should have picked complementary sexes).

Ya, I suspected so.
But I wondered if there were implications about it in the show
because of the assumption that since Sybillae are free from such a recognition
ordinary people would be the same.

[Seska]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

For me, it looks like she is kissing the Walls inside the Spring. Perhaps some respect for "Tempus Spatinum" for good luck charm, bevor doing Emerald Ri-Majoon?

Mfg,
Seska

[FatPianoBoy]

Originally Posted by oneplusme

I think FPB's point is more that they may be frowned on once the participants have chosen a sex (since if they were intending to stay together, they should have picked complementary sexes).

Yeah, I forgot that part. Sorry

I'd suspected it for most of the series, but Wauf said something along the lines of: "Too bad he [Anubituf] is a man, huh?" to Guragief, and he looked all sad for a second. If a relationship between two men was acceptable, that comment wouldn't mean anything.

[Matrim]

I am going to play Devil's advocate here - maybe it's unfortunate not because society won't approve but because one of them (or the two) is not sexually attracted to men.

[warainagara]

Originally Posted by FatPianoBoy

I'd suspected it for most of the series, but Wauf said something along the lines of: "Too bad he [Anubituf] is a man, huh?" to Guragief, and he looked all sad for a second. If a relationship between two men was acceptable, that comment wouldn't mean anything.

Seeing that Wauf spoke it in relation to Guragief's character,
I think it's just that his character is suitable for female in Wauf's view.

[metronome]

http://www.simoun.tv/episodes/index.html

whoa
can't wait for episode 25 anymore~!

[FatPianoBoy]

Originally Posted by Matrim

I am going to play Devil's advocate here - maybe it's unfortunate not because society won't approve but because one of them (or the two) is not sexually attracted to men.

Perhaps, but it's not uncommon for an otherwise completely heterosexual person "to be gay for" someone of the same sex. I, for example, could be very gay for Wap and his DD-cup chest

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by metronome

http://www.simoun.tv/episodes/index.html whoa, can't wait for episode 25 anymore~!

The script and storyboard of ep25 are by the series director, Nishimura Junji. The episode director is Yoshida Shunji 吉田俊司, who directed episodes 3, 5, 8, 13, 18 and 23 (also directed episodes of Banner of Stars and Marimite). The animation supervisor is Kikuchi Yoko 菊池洋子, who also did ep19.

That preview paragraph may have been translated earlier in the thread, but in any case, here is my rough version:

Spoiler for preview of ep25:

"Yun appears before the girls at the Spring. The girls enter the water hand in hand, then return to Arcus Prima. When it is confirmed in Reikoku that Aaeru and Neviril are not going to the Spring, there is an uproar on Arcus Prima, where their friends want to know how the two intend to get to the 'Other World'...."

I was going to write that I didn't remember any place in the show where it is made clear that same-sex relationships are frowned on. That statement of Wauf's is one, perhaps, but still the only one I can remember. I do see a wistful look in Guraghief and Anubituf, but perhaps that's my imagination and things are actually more possible than we've been thinking.

Actually, one of the few complaints I have about this show is that we don't see many adult women. We've only seen what appear to be peasant communities and women as priestesses. What are all the other women doing? What is "normal life" like?

I also wanted to mention some other shows Toyoguchi Megumi (Alti) is in: in addition to this and Black Lagoon (and its upcoming sequel), she is the lead in The Third (26 episodes) and one of the leads in the new Pokemon (which should be a long-running and profitable gig), as well as having an important role in Innocent Venus.

[oneplusme]

Originally Posted by FatPianoBoy

Perhaps, but it's not uncommon for an otherwise completely heterosexual person "to be gay for" someone of the same sex. I, for example, could be very gay for Wap and his DD-cup chest

Pah. You have no taste. Anubituf is clearly the sexiest guy in the show by a mile.

[m000m000]

Originally Posted by Futaba-chan

As sad as I'm going to be in three weeks when there's no new Simoun episode, I don't think I'd want a sequel, assuming that my supposition that the series is going to come to a very definite ending is correct. A Simoun sequel would be like a Babylon 5 sequel (or Lain, or Haibane Renmei) -- the series told its story very completely, and ended, and there isn't really room for a true sequel. And we're getting a retrospective ending from years later, anyway.

A movie or short OAV series that told a prequel story, or a gaiden story set between episodes 2 and 6 or 9 and 12, might work, or an entirely separate story set on Daikuuriku, but as it is, Simoun seems just right. If they'd planned the thing to be 39 episodes from the beginning, that would have been another matter, but it would be hard to add to the main narrative itself.

Agreed. A sequel to a clearly finite stories like Simoun just wouldn't work without seriously screwing over or cheapening the original. Well, unless you do it in the manner of Mai Otome or something, and go for a spin-off instead of direct sequel instead...

In terms of never-going-to-happen short Gaidens, I'd love to see something about how Mamiina's & Yun came to meet each other and how they had it during the time on Arcus Niger. Both aren't exactly the most conformationist of characters, so you could get some interesting things out of it. That, and well, they're both my personal fave's ;-).

Originally Posted by Futaba-chan

Further analysis of other footage implies that the magazine statement about Simulacrum being landlocked is incorrect (or, more likely, they changed their minds). Early episodes clearly show the Arcus Prima departing from the Grand Temple and heading out to sea.

You really sure? I dunno if I've been imagining things, but it's always looked like it been hill of an island/peninusla in a circular lake for me. The whole impact crater thing and stuffs.




As for Marimite... It's good stuffs - If you like that sort of thing.

It's definitively an aquired taste, and usually something that comes across just as oddly silly and excessively melodramatic to most people . But for some of us it's a mint little pice of otome-melodrama with specks of subtlety thrown in for spice, mixed to perfection~

...And Shimako so makes the show worth every minute of perpetual Yumi-Sachiko angst. Ok, I jest , but she really is like a pure shining beacon of awsome when she has her little moments in an otherwise already good show~ And Noriko's such a perfect complementary force and foil to her once she shows up later on~~

Season 2 was so good . I'm really looking forward to the new OVA, even if it will be extremely hard for it to topple over the old stuff. Well, I guess in the end that'll all depend on which characters they'll keep in the major focus this time around.




...Ah, sorry, excuse my fanboy splee .

Originally Posted by wowo

Bad directing, to me, is when overall execution is bad.
When well written (or at least ok) plot, script, art, and music come together badly, that's bad directing.

Pretty much.

I think the most glaring example of bad direction in the series was Mamiina's run through the gauntlet, or well, it was easily and glaringly highlighted because it was such an important moment.

Spoiler for episode 18/19:

The way they went about things made the whole thing just more confusing than it ought to have been - Recall all the speculation here in this thread about whether the soliders or Miko's shot her, or whether she pushed the enemy miko's off the Simoun or they jumped out of their own will?

Such things of confusion, among others, should simply just not happen, especially in such key moments. If it does, it means the final presentation was executed in a poor manner.

That's just one type of example that fits the criteria though, but I'd have to go and re-watch episodes if I were to give examples from anything but the most recent ones, and other posters already nailed this episode (Though I disagree with the opinions on the confession scene, I thought it was awsome ).