AnimeSuki Forums

Mairsile · 2010-09-26, 21:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shiroth

You need to remember that we only have four episodes. Would you rather have liked this episode's pace to be slow, meaning that we'd see the two eating out together in the second episode? No thanks.

What I find really interesting is that even with 4 episodes per girl, the relationships in Amagami SS feel more genuine and deeper compared to typical immature comedic romances that take 12-24+ episodes for romances to develop. That's what is great about Amagami SS: It handles relationships on a mature and realistic level while balancing the awkwardness, humor and teasing while developing the relationships and characters.

Regarding episode 13, I gave it a perfect 10. Ever since I knew her character was a swimmer, and that she would get her own arc, I anticipated her debut. She shares many of the same wonderful traits of Kaoru and Haruka - hard-working, intelligent, flirty, playful, compassionate, and blunt - but is the only athlete out of all the girls. My instincts tell me, however, that she will be even more straight forward and a tease than Kaoru. The fact that she is an athlete, along with her winning personality, makes her my favorite girl. From the first episode, it certainly seems that Junichi is quite smitten with Ai and that they'd make a great couple.

Himeji · 2010-09-26, 22:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kanon

Me neither, but hey, if she doesn't mind showing her swimsuit, that's fine by me

I was actually amused the first panty shot in the series was actually a swimsuit shot, which apparently made it A-OK for both the girl and the guys (to be honest, I don't think seeing a girl's panties is that big of a deal, anyway). I hope Junichi will get a swimsuit fetish.

With Ai, he'll certainly have plenty of opportunity for that

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midnight Bliss

I am so excited for next week aaaagh.

Hate to tell you, but you won't be getting any next week.
You'll have to wait for another week.

margafred · 2010-09-27, 10:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by DragoZERO

There is an incredibly large difference. One is okay to be seen in, while the other is not. I do understand what you mean though.

I think its more to the girl's decision to allow a male to see what they're wearing beneath their skirt. Sure there are great differences between swimsuit and normal pantsu, but in the end, both are equally same when worn as an undergarment. Same with bloomers too.

HayashiTakara · 2010-09-27, 16:57

So far Ai's end theme is the best IMO.

Shadow5YA · 2010-09-28, 09:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by margafred

I think its more to the girl's decision to allow a male to see what they're wearing beneath their skirt. Sure there are great differences between swimsuit and normal pantsu, but in the end, both are equally same when worn as an undergarment. Same with bloomers too.

The same could be said about it being the girl's decision to allow a male to see her bare chest or genitals.

The big difference between a swimsuit and panties is that swimsuits can be seen in public while panties (and any underwear) are meant to be kept private. Maybe the two different outfits have the same appeal to some guys, but it doesn't change the fact that panties are much, much more private than a swimsuit. That's why Ai let Junichi see what was under her skirt and why Junichi was somewhat relieved and disappointed: swimsuits are normally allowed to be seen without permission, but panties are a forbidden pleasure for guys.

grandchaosSR · 2010-09-28, 12:43

Story - 9.0
Impact - 7.0
ED Music - 7.5

The episode started slow and somewhat boring but the pace changed a bit during the later half of the show. Anyway I don't understand if Ai is really flirty or if she is "one of the boys" type. She's a cool character though, teasing Junichi when she lift her skirt.

BTW Kaoru owned this episode IMO. She should have done that "move" in her arc...

margafred · 2010-09-28, 15:20

She had her owning gentle bites in her arc. That alone is sufficient to me

wingman32x · 2010-09-28, 18:23

I've watched this thing a few times now, and there's one thing that has been growing on me. That would be Junichi's behavior during their little date (Yeah, it wasn't an official date, but it pretty much was one). He pretty much played it perfectly. He impressed Ai without trying too hard and making a fool out of himself. That subtle move of picking up the trash at the end of the episode really impressed/got to Ai. I loved that scene.

Seiryuu · 2010-09-29, 04:58

Very fun episode, though a little odd how the girl's personality seems a bit different from from previous parts, more playful and less standoffish.
Reminds me once again of my bafflement at girls' getting so embarassed over people seeing their panties but not caring about swimsuits. It's not like the view she'd given the boys would have been at all different if she'd been wearing black panties instead of a school swimsuit. And you know if she'd accidentally shown them her real underwear, even if they'd tried to cover their eyes she would have treated the accident as proof of their being perverted deviants.
I understand that she's used to people watching her swim, but it still seems odd that the simple fact that they're "supposed" to wear them in public makes girls willing to show them off when more conservative garments are as forbidden as nudity. I mean, while not the case with Ai since she's wearing an athletic suit, some girls will strut around in thongs but still get embarrassed showing normal underwear.
I will concede that, unlike many swimsuits that are more for "show", school/sport swimsuits are thicker and more practical, so since it feels different from pantsu they may find it easier to view them as different from pantsu.

BetoJR · 2010-09-29, 05:54

^^

A man after my own black heart.

MeoTwister5 · 2010-09-29, 05:58

Seiryuu seems like an expert in panty psychology. Do they give out degrees for that?

Equidistant · 2010-09-29, 13:39

And so begins another arc where Junichi will end up with a girl simply because he's the main character. There's absolutely no need for him to have an actual personality, or be a developed character, simply existing is good enough. As for Ai, she definitely gave off the impression that she's never once talked to a guy before Junichi, since it seems that all it takes for her to become interested in someone.

Seiryuu · 2010-09-29, 21:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

Seiryuu seems like an expert in panty psychology. Do they give out degrees for that?

Not really. I just find it strange that there'd be that kind of distinction. You're covering the same area, and yet more conservative underwear can still be more forbidden than risque swimsuits. And since many swimsuits are made of similarly thin material, I can't imagine they should feel any different. If it looks like fancy panties, and feels like panties, then why should a girl go out of her way to flaunt them and then freak out if someone sees her REAL panties? Not that I'm complaining, just baffled.
Concerning the rest of the story, I'm curious what's coming with her. Wouldn't be surprised to find that her family's not quite as happy as he thought at the start of the ep. Just because she's excited and happy to have managed to get her brother's present doesn't necessarily mean that all's well and everyone's happy. I don't know, since I haven't played the game or read much online, but it would be interesting and fitting to find that he's mistaken.

DragoZERO · 2010-09-30, 07:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by CantQuiteGuess

And so begins another arc where Junichi will end up with a girl simply because he's the main character. There's absolutely no need for him to have an actual personality, or be a developed character, simply existing is good enough. As for Ai, she definitely gave off the impression that she's never once talked to a guy before Junichi, since it seems that all it takes for her to become interested in someone.

Well, I think he had to work for it in the first two arcs. But the senpai love card negated any effort on his part last time and probably this time as well. At least it looks like Ai will give him a hard time for a little while, heh.

wingman32x · 2010-09-30, 09:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by DragoZERO

Well, I think he had to work for it in the first two arcs. But the senpai love card negated any effort on his part last time and probably this time as well. At least it looks like Ai will give him a hard time for a little while, heh.

I agree. Ai is no Sae. Even from the first episode, she's owned Junichi multipe times. She puts the guy in his place when he does something stupid. Sae just goes along with it anyway.

As far as them getting along too well. That could be because of the chemistry the two have. IMO Junichi and Ai have the best chemistry together out of all the Amagami girls I've seen. They fit together so well and they both seem to be genuinely attracted to one another.

Equidistant · 2010-09-30, 10:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by wingman32x

I agree. Ai is no Sae. Even from the first episode, she's owned Junichi multipe times. She puts the guy in his place when he does something stupid. Sae just goes along with it anyway.

As far as them getting along too well. That could be because of the chemistry the two have. IMO Junichi and Ai have the best chemistry together out of all the Amagami girls I've seen. They fit together so well and they both seem to be genuinely attracted to one another.

You see, that's what I'm missing. For my part, I've seen zero chemistry between Junichi and anybody. He suddenly falls in love with the school idol and confesses to her in like a day, follows her around like a dog, and love is born. In Kaoru's arc, they're old friends who suddenly realize they love each other. Why do they realize this? Because it's Kaoru's arc. Then this current arc, my question would be, why does Ai even take any notice in Junichi, outside the fact that this is her arc? To her, he's just some random guy who happens to be her friends brother, and this is justification enough to ask him out to help her with shopping? Him picking up trash off the beach is enough to get her to start liking him? The way i saw that beach scene play out was like this

"You see a discarded water bottle in the sand"
A: Pick it up
B: Leave it alone

And I can't help wondering if this anime would be any different if Junichi never said a word, and instead a dialogue box popped up and picked a choice every so often.

DJLowrider · 2010-09-30, 10:50

I would pose two things to consider regarding Junichi's ever-shifting (and somewhat vestigial) personality.

1) VNs are mostly about the girls you're pursuing, not the protagonist.
2) Protagonists in VNs are largely meant to be analogues for the player, not their own character.

Amagami, or at least its anime adaptation here, seems to clearly be this sort of game. The girls so far, with the exception of Sae, are far more developed and interesting characters than Junichi, whose role is merely to facilitate the girls' stories.

If your view is that VNs are meant to be fantasy fulfillment for the player, then Amagami is likely a success. If your view is that VNs should present a more complete story with a protagonist who is a full-fledged character in their own right, Amagami is pretty much a failure. I, myself, prefer the latter but I'm still more or less enjoying Amagami for what it is in spite of Junichi being nothing more than a walking, talking, malleable plot device.

sikvod00 · 2010-09-30, 15:00

^ I agree 100% with your observation.

Itlandm · 2010-09-30, 16:24

No, really, it would be OK if the male protagonist was not someone I'd be ashamed to know. But he is. How this can be the avatar of the player in a game is some part of Japanese psychology that is simply out of sync with mine. Perhaps Japanese gamers have more self-insight than western ones and don't mind being portrayed as dumb and somewhat creepy.

Seiryuu · 2010-09-30, 20:41

I don't really see anything particularly creepy about him, aside from a few moments like his kiss ploys. I wonder where Ai's going to let him kiss her? So far we've got a trend going, and I'm not sure what other erogeneous zones there are that he can kiss a girl (or watch as tiny fish kiss her there) on national TV, aside from the lips.

View Poll Results: Amagami SS - Episode 13 Rating
Perfect 10	15	25.86%
9 out of 10 : Excellent	23	39.66%
8 out of 10 : Very Good	12	20.69%
7 out of 10 : Good	5	8.62%
6 out of 10 : Average	0	0%
5 out of 10 : Below Average	1	1.72%
4 out of 10 : Poor	1	1.72%
3 out of 10 : Bad	0	0%
2 out of 10 : Very Bad	0	0%
1 out of 10 : Painful	1	1.72%
Voters: 58. You may not vote on this poll

2010-09-27, 16:57	Link #84
HayashiTakara Chicken or Beef? Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Seattle Age: 41	So far Ai's end theme is the best IMO. __________________ http://htakara82.deviantart.com/

2010-09-28, 12:43	Link #86
grandchaosSR Servant of the Void Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: The Rift	Story - 9.0 Impact - 7.0 ED Music - 7.5 The episode started slow and somewhat boring but the pace changed a bit during the later half of the show. Anyway I don't understand if Ai is really flirty or if she is "one of the boys" type. She's a cool character though, teasing Junichi when she lift her skirt. BTW Kaoru owned this episode IMO. She should have done that "move" in her arc... __________________ http://grandchaossr.deviantart.com

2010-09-28, 18:23	Link #88
wingman32x Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Age: 34	I've watched this thing a few times now, and there's one thing that has been growing on me. That would be Junichi's behavior during their little date (Yeah, it wasn't an official date, but it pretty much was one). He pretty much played it perfectly. He impressed Ai without trying too hard and making a fool out of himself. That subtle move of picking up the trash at the end of the episode really impressed/got to Ai. I loved that scene. __________________ Fans of Ai, come Join the Ai Nanasaki Fanclub!!

2010-09-29, 05:58	Link #91
MeoTwister5 Komrades of Kitamura Kou Join Date: Jul 2004 Age: 39	Seiryuu seems like an expert in panty psychology. Do they give out degrees for that? __________________ Medical Student vs. Anime Last Exile - Fam the Silver Wing -

2010-09-28, 15:20	Link #87
margafred ლ(́◉◞౪◟ ◉ ლ ) Join Date: Jul 2007	She had her owning gentle bites in her arc. That alone is sufficient to me

2010-09-29, 04:58	Link #89
Seiryuu Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003	Very fun episode, though a little odd how the girl's personality seems a bit different from from previous parts, more playful and less standoffish. Reminds me once again of my bafflement at girls' getting so embarassed over people seeing their panties but not caring about swimsuits. It's not like the view she'd given the boys would have been at all different if she'd been wearing black panties instead of a school swimsuit. And you know if she'd accidentally shown them her real underwear, even if they'd tried to cover their eyes she would have treated the accident as proof of their being perverted deviants. I understand that she's used to people watching her swim, but it still seems odd that the simple fact that they're "supposed" to wear them in public makes girls willing to show them off when more conservative garments are as forbidden as nudity. I mean, while not the case with Ai since she's wearing an athletic suit, some girls will strut around in thongs but still get embarrassed showing normal underwear. I will concede that, unlike many swimsuits that are more for "show", school/sport swimsuits are thicker and more practical, so since it feels different from pantsu they may find it easier to view them as different from pantsu.

2010-09-29, 13:39	Link #92
Equidistant Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Age: 37	And so begins another arc where Junichi will end up with a girl simply because he's the main character. There's absolutely no need for him to have an actual personality, or be a developed character, simply existing is good enough. As for Ai, she definitely gave off the impression that she's never once talked to a guy before Junichi, since it seems that all it takes for her to become interested in someone.

2010-09-30, 10:50	Link #97
DJLowrider Ahou ga Join Date: Feb 2009 Age: 47	I would pose two things to consider regarding Junichi's ever-shifting (and somewhat vestigial) personality. 1) VNs are mostly about the girls you're pursuing, not the protagonist. 2) Protagonists in VNs are largely meant to be analogues for the player, not their own character. Amagami, or at least its anime adaptation here, seems to clearly be this sort of game. The girls so far, with the exception of Sae, are far more developed and interesting characters than Junichi, whose role is merely to facilitate the girls' stories. If your view is that VNs are meant to be fantasy fulfillment for the player, then Amagami is likely a success. If your view is that VNs should present a more complete story with a protagonist who is a full-fledged character in their own right, Amagami is pretty much a failure. I, myself, prefer the latter but I'm still more or less enjoying Amagami for what it is in spite of Junichi being nothing more than a walking, talking, malleable plot device. __________________ Click to visit my Fanfiction.net profile with all my stories.

2010-09-30, 15:00	Link #98
sikvod00 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Miami, FL Age: 37	^ I agree 100% with your observation.

2010-09-30, 16:24	Link #99
Itlandm Porcupine Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Norway Age: 65	No, really, it would be OK if the male protagonist was not someone I'd be ashamed to know. But he is. How this can be the avatar of the player in a game is some part of Japanese psychology that is simply out of sync with mine. Perhaps Japanese gamers have more self-insight than western ones and don't mind being portrayed as dumb and somewhat creepy.

2010-09-30, 20:41	Link #100
Seiryuu Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003	I don't really see anything particularly creepy about him, aside from a few moments like his kiss ploys. I wonder where Ai's going to let him kiss her? So far we've got a trend going, and I'm not sure what other erogeneous zones there are that he can kiss a girl (or watch as tiny fish kiss her there) on national TV, aside from the lips.