(L) Noein -- Mou Hitori no Kimi e

[Mueti]

There's no science in Noein. It's fiction.

[BluWacky]

Originally Posted by Mueti

There's no science in Noein. It's fiction.

Well, yes, but it also draws on a lot of scientific background. Of course if you actually study quantum mechanics it's going to be complete bollocks - just like Alexander Senki is complete bollocks if you've studied anything about Macedonian history (surprisingly enough, there wasn't any Pythagorean CG magic...) or Ergo Proxy is bollocks if you've studied philosophy of mind. The key is suspension of disbelief - and if Aquillion couldn't suspend his/her disbelief, fair enough, Noein's not for him/her.

Even if Schrodinger's cat isn't a good example to use, it made Uchida's explanations that much funnier

[Quajafrie]

Well, at least the show made me do a little research on quantum physics and get interested, so that's something.

[Pengu]

I have watched 14 episodes so far so I am not going to make and concluding remarks about the series in general, but I must say Yuu is a character I find quick to hate.
I really like the series so far and all the other characters are all very likable but Yuu acts in so many despicable ways it's making me mad.

He is selfish like noone else, moody, scared, indecisive, jealous, worthless, shows a poor attitude against everyone, acts like owns Haruka. I have a hard time seeing anything good at all in his personalities.
Unbelieveable Haruka puts up with his tirades all the time and still like him.
Only in anime I guess....

Very nice plot though even if the "alternate timespace" was bit over the edge since we are talking about 15 years and the world is in ruins.

[Troilism]

Hi I didn't know where to post this and when I did a search for noein threads nothing came up. Anyways I just had a question concerning this anime and the different timespaces.

I am kind of confused about how it works...so different timespaces have different VERSIONS of a person? What I don't get is HOW they exist...Karasu says he is from the future, how does Yuu live that long to become karasu? Or is he not Yu?

Does it work like they are the same person but they are not the same people? I just don't understand if they ARE the same people then how does Yu live that long? How does karasu just get "born" in the future? What about his childhood? Why is his name different? If they are so different how are they the same people?

Thanks for any help. I am REALLY enjoying this anime at the moment but am kind of confused at this time space thing...

Also if this doesn't belong here please move it.

EDIT: Nevermind someone can delete this post. I just finished episode 6 and it's only 15 years later. I understand how everything works now...sorry.

[Asrialys]

Originally Posted by Troilism

Hi I didn't know where to post this and when I did a search for noein threads nothing came up. Anyways I just had a question concerning this anime and the different timespaces.

I am kind of confused about how it works...so different timespaces have different VERSIONS of a person? What I don't get is HOW they exist...Karasu says he is from the future, how does Yuu live that long to become karasu? Or is he not Yu?

Does it work like they are the same person but they are not the same people? I just don't understand if they ARE the same people then how does Yu live that long? How does karasu just get "born" in the future? What about his childhood? Why is his name different? If they are so different how are they the same people?

Thanks for any help. I am REALLY enjoying this anime at the moment but am kind of confused at this time space thing...

Also if this doesn't belong here please move it.

EDIT: Nevermind someone can delete this post. I just finished episode 6 and it's only 15 years later. I understand how everything works now...sorry.

Heh, I was about to post a bunch of spoilers before reading your edit. I thought you finished the series!! LOL

[Troilism]

Originally Posted by Pengu

I have watched 14 episodes so far so I am not going to make and concluding remarks about the series in general, but I must say Yuu is a character I find quick to hate.
I really like the series so far and all the other characters are all very likable but Yuu acts in so many despicable ways it's making me mad.

He is selfish like noone else, moody, scared, indecisive, jealous, worthless, shows a poor attitude against everyone, acts like owns Haruka. I have a hard time seeing anything good at all in his personalities.
Unbelieveable Haruka puts up with his tirades all the time and still like him.
Only in anime I guess....

Very nice plot though even if the "alternate timespace" was bit over the edge since we are talking about 15 years and the world is in ruins.

I def don't think ANYONE liked Yuu....It makes sense though the way he is. I haven't finished the series so I can't understand everything but pressure from his mother for school along with weird stuff just happening would be a little stressful. No one is perfect and imo Yuu represents how a real person would react.

I mean school itself and studying is stressful ENOUGH if you have experienced university. Quizzes due every second day, boring lectures, tons of reading all can drive you a bit batty and stress you out, but the difference is WE have outs like weekends and such while Yuu doesn't seem to have that to relieve stress and such.

As for the alternate timespace. I really liked it. It seems over the edge but they explain how timespace diverges into infinity so there are bound to be crazy things happening. It's also not THAT unbelievable if you think about how a devastating event could happen tomorrow for us and change our lives forever.

[Guardian Enzo]

Without spoiling too much, I'll just say that it's necessary for Yuu to be all of those things in order to justify his potential futures. I don't want to get too deep about metaphor and all that, but I think there's an element of Yuu representing how the pain of adolescence can seem like the universe is collapsing around you, and the anime sort of brings that to actual, factual existence. Yuu is miserably unhappy at home and hates himself, and Haruka is the only thing that soothes his pain. The entire story pretty much builds on that framework, in an incredibly intricate and complex way.

Remember - while Haruka is the "main" character in the literal sense, this story is actually about Yuu. He's the one who drives all the various threads in the story.

[Guardian Enzo]

It's nice to see new discussion of this series after all this time - it's quite a gem. One of these days when I have a couple days off work, I should sit down and watch it wire-to-wire and see what new stuff I get out of it. While Noein certainly missed the mark sometimes, I think it deserves enormous credit for being as innovative and taking as many risks as it did. In terms of character, plot development and the wildly divergent visual styles, the show risked alienating a lot of fans - but when it hit, it hit big. Imperfect as it was, this is one of the series that really sticks in my memory.

Following up on Yuu, I think you could look at him as Noein's Shinji Ikari, in a way. In order for the shows to really connect emotionally, you have to be both angry and sympathetic to both characters - and I was. Their inner turmoil is the canvas on which the universe-sized drama is drawn. In fact, while I'd never really thought about it before it seems to me that there are quite a few parallels between Noein and Evangelion. Both took risks, angered fans and caused intense debate among them, and ventured way out where science meets mumbo-jumbo (but in a fascinating way). Noein certainly isn't a direct lifting, but you could definitely say it has to exist in a post-Eva creative environment.

[Aquifina]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Following up on Yuu, I think you could look at him as Noein's Shinji Ikari, in a way. In order for the shows to really connect emotionally, you have to be both angry and sympathetic to both characters - and I was. Their inner turmoil is the canvas on which the universe-sized drama is drawn. In fact, while I'd never really thought about it before it seems to me that there are quite a few parallels between Noein and Evangelion. Both took risks, angered fans and caused intense debate among them, and ventured way out where science meets mumbo-jumbo (but in a fascinating way). Noein certainly isn't a direct lifting, but you could definitely say it has to exist in a post-Eva creative environment.

I think the idea of being both "angry and sympathetic" toward Yuu is a good way of looking at his character. On the one hand, he's such an obnoxious figure, but his home situation makes it explicable, and there's something profoundly understandable in how he despairs at his powerlessness, when compared to Karasu. But even early on, one sees his determination to protect Haruka--the scenes with the exacto blade, for example.

Spoiler for Yuu's Character Development:

I was thankfully pleased, however, that the "present-day" Yuu really did "grow up" in the series, with the help of Haruka and Karasu. In the end, however, it was he more than anyone else who chose to reject Noein's fate, and for me, that was what was so satisfying about the series. A true bildungsroman, and a vindication of the idea that to some degree we can control our destinies.

I was also impressed how the series dealt with Yuu's and Haruka's relationship, which seemed so one-sided at the beginning, but eventually one sees how much he really cares about her. There were some truly sweet movements in the series between the two.

BTW, I believe the SciFi channel has started airing Noein again, if anyone's curious.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Aquifina

Spoiler for Yuu's Character Development:

I was also impressed how the series dealt with Yuu's and Haruka's relationship, which seemed so one-sided at the beginning, but eventually one sees how much he really cares about her. There were some truly sweet movements in the series between the two.

Spoiler for Yuu's Character Development:

I think you could say he only cares about her, and little else. She's closer than his family, his only real friend, and the only object of his romantic interest. She is, almost literally in this case, his universe.

Originally Posted by Aquifina

BTW, I believe the SciFi channel has started airing Noein again, if anyone's curious.

Ugh - that's a horrible dub, though. Please watch the subbed version!

[Aquifina]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Spoiler:

I think you could say he only cares about her, and little else. She's closer than his family, his only real friend, and the only object of his romantic interest. She is, almost literally in this case, his universe.

Spoiler for Yuu and Haruka:

I wouldn't go that far, though. Remember Yuu after his mom calmed down resigning himself to studying for his exams and going to Tokyo?--ironically enough, exactly what his mom wanted him to do, but this was a decision he made for himself. He has a practical side. There's also Isami. And Karasu also found a way to go on after his Haruka's death--dedicating himself to be a soldier, until he met the "present" Haruka.

But yeah, I'd go as far as saying Haruka's certainly the "center" of his universe.

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Ugh - that's a horrible dub, though. Please watch the subbed version!

I don't think it's *that* bad, although I do prefer the subs. There is something weird with the redneck accent of the female scientist/detective, whose name I don't remember. For those who are interested, the DVDs were actually pretty affordable at Best Buy.

If one has cable, the SciFi broadcasts are a good way to get introduced to the series; that's how I found out about it. I'm really happy I stuck with it too--I was intrigued, but it took me a while to get used to the animation (and at times, the animation is just *bad*), and it took me a while before I really became sympathetic to all the characters. But eventually I did, and it remains one of my favorite series.

[SeijiSensei]

I'm with Guardian Enzo on this one; the dub is pretty awful. I could only listen to a few minutes of conversation between Haruka and Ai before switching back to the Japanese audio track. Kudou Haruka's performance, even as a rookie seiyuu, is far and away better than the English VA for Haruka.

That ridiculous Appalachian drawl they chose for Uchida-san made me cringe. I doubt her voice actress really sounds that regional in real life; it's just too over-the-top. She sounds like she should make a guest appearance on the old "Designing Women" American TV show. Oftentimes US southern accents are used to represent speakers from the Osaka area (e.g., Osaka herself in Azumanga, or the kids in Abenobashi Magical Shopping Arcade). Did Uchida sport a regional Japanese accent?

The best thing on the DVDs, other than Noein itself, are the tours of the actual location, Hakodate, with Kudou and the director, Akane Kazuki. I suspect he had a bit of crush on Kudou, too, and I wouldn't blame him! The scene on the bus where he tells the interviewer that she's really "scary" was pretty hilarious, as was the shot of Kudou sitting at one of the desks in the school the children attend. (I still wonder if the "scary" translation was a mistake since the words for "cute" and "scary" sound so similar.)

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

In terms of character, plot development and the wildly divergent visual styles, the show risked alienating a lot of fans - but when it hit, it hit big. Imperfect as it was, this is one of the series that really sticks in my memory.

I'm always puzzled by the negative reactions this series apparently generated. Sure the spinning house got a bit old, and the animation sometimes varied from episode to episode, but even at its worst, it was still better than most series I've watched, and at its best, it was eye-popping. I can understand reactions like Aquillion's, where he finds the "science" in Noein too silly to deserve watching, but since I think of it more as a fantasy I don't really care whether or not the "multiple worlds" hypothesis holds up. (There's some new evidence in its favor, too; see my post earlier on in this thread.) What I find much harder to understand are the criticisms of the animation. I guess some people didn't like the character models, but again I just accepted them and moved along. I thought Haruka was lovely throughout. Some of the other characters like Miho are a bit on the caricaturish side, but again I got over that in a minute or two.

Probably people who don't like the animation in Noein aren't big fans of Mononoke, either

[Aquifina]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

I'm always puzzled by the negative reactions this series apparently generated. Sure the spinning house got a bit old, and the animation sometimes varied from episode to episode, but even at its worst, it was still better than most series I've watched, and at its best, it was eye-popping. I can understand reactions like Aquillion's, where he finds the "science" in Noein too silly to deserve watching, but since I think of it more as a fantasy I don't really care whether or not the "multiple worlds" hypothesis holds up. (There's some new evidence in its favor, too; see my post earlier on in this thread.) What I find much harder to understand are the criticisms of the animation. I guess some people didn't like the character models, but again I just accepted them and moved along. I thought Haruka was lovely throughout. Some of the other characters like Miho are a bit on the caricaturish side, but again I got over that in a minute or two.

Probably people who don't like the animation in Noein aren't big fans of Mononoke, either

For me, it wasn't so much a question of character style with the animation. Although a bit weird at first, I got used to it, and I agree, Haruka was actually quite cute. And Karasu's design was downright badass. It's the collapse in quality that sometimes occurred in the animation, where things just seemed sloppy. You'd go from an extremely well done fight scene to a sequence of character dialogue were it just looked really slapdash. And I for one thought some of the character designs (you mentioned Miho, I'd throw in Uchida also) didn't work out so well.

[gaguri]

What I find much harder to understand are the criticisms of the animation. I guess some people didn't like the character models, but again I just accepted them and moved along. I thought Haruka was lovely throughout. Some of the other characters like Miho are a bit on the caricaturish side, but again I got over that in a minute or two.

Well, I wouldn't really criticise it and call it bad, but I do think its visual aspects are overrated. Its eye-popping when it needs to be, but it's too inconsistent throughout the series. And I really didn't like the character design, but it's more of a personal taste so...

I thought Kemonozume was more daring, stylish and consistent in terms of both art and animation to come out of that year.

Of course, I had quite big issues with the story too but that's another story.

[Troilism]

I just finished Noein....Wow, I think my head just exploded.

Seriously this is my favorite anime. Every episode was just such a trip. Even some of the slow episodes brought something else that just made them feel right. I loved watching this so much...great storyline, great characters, GREAT fight scenes, and overall I just love this thing to death...moreso then I enjoyed Baccano!

[SeijiSensei]

Having recently bought the individual Noein DVD's I was shocked to receive an email today from RightStuf saying that the complete boxset can now be purchased for just $20 with the right coupon code:

Spoiler for code:

sensational

Even without the special discount you can buy the entire 24-episode series from them for about $40. Might be time to stock up on some early Xmas gifts...

[Troilism]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Having recently bought the individual Noein DVD's I was shocked to receive an email today from RightStuf saying that the complete boxset can now be purchased for just $20 with the right coupon code:

Spoiler for code:

sensational

Even without the special discount you can buy the entire 24-episode series from them for about $40. Might be time to stock up on some early Xmas gifts...

Wow talk about a SOLID deal.

[Jura]

Is there's something about the mask that Noein had? Or was it just fluff to add to the style..

I bought the box set. I've watched it before when it was 'new' and not talked about.

[Moonbase]

I finished watching this anime and was very satisfied with the story. I fall into the group that thought it looked good when it wanted to (and that it definitely had quality hits throughout) and that Yu's character was justified in his angst. Overall, a very memorable and touching anime.

I also wish to order this online from RightStuff and was wondering how people get a hold of these coupon deals. The one posted above doesn't seem to work anymore; any help would be greatly appreciated!

Also, WOW. I read the last few pages of this discussion and I'm really glad I did. Such in-depth analysis by so many contributors. You honestly have made me see the anime in a different way. Thank you.