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Old 2012-09-29, 15:44   Link #2261
Blonto
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Seriously, Taichi. It's not like they injected you with truth serum. They would have believed him if he just said something bad will happen if he talks. See, this is what I don't like in anime. When characters do stupid things not because they have to, but because they can.

Kokoro Connect sets up an interesting idea, but it doesn't know what to do with it. All the "solutions" to the problems so far have been terribly simple and anticlimactic. Almost like the characters had the solutions at the tip of their tongue and took an episode or two to make themselves do something about it. At first the characters would talk about how they perceived an issue, making the problems seem more complex than they actually are, but the solutions were always laughably simplistic. I mean really, Iori's problems stemmed from a silly misunderstanding that got solved in a one minute conversation? This show just doesn't want to take any risks. It doesn't want to change its characters, or anything, in any significant way and it's frustrating because it could do that so easily.
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Old 2012-09-29, 16:29   Link #2262
Kanon
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The way Iori's issue was resolved was laughable. I agree with with the previous posts: the show definitely has great ideas but it utterly fails at executing them. The drama felt manufactured. Every arc has been too formulatic and I felt the show never explored the issues it brought up in enough depth. It's a shame, this anime really had the potential to be great.

I'm looking forward to the remaining episode, even if I know it will just be more of the same and that they won't take any risks.
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Old 2012-09-29, 16:46   Link #2263
Arturia Polaris
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Well well, I'm pleased to see that Iori's final philosophy is the same as mine ^^

And I also doubt that she really loves taichi.

Taichi x Inaban ftw.

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Old 2012-09-29, 16:46   Link #2264
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Really great episode since it showed great development in Iori's character. The approach of this development felt awkward, especially since she stated during the first arc she didn't really know her true sense of "self", and her moving from that without much effort felt weird since there wasn't much steps taken to solve this issue.

I suppose this makes sense considering that this episode showed that Iori had been living in the past and endured the pain regarding family and life to keep everything she had in a matter she felt suited her needs. None the less great episode, the mother arguing with the abusive ex or whatever was really interesting to see.

"Do I really love Tachi Yaegashi", I wonder if the next arc will be the closure of the love triangle battle between Iori and Himeko.
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Old 2012-09-29, 17:03   Link #2265
~Yami~
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bah! like Number Two, I'm disappointed with Taichi.... there are lots of ways to explain his situation, but he actually spoiled everything...
at least, he experienced time-regression once... although he seems doesn't have any frustrating problem at all

Iori situation is something else... this is very simple! She overthinks everything...
I like how Heartseed explained that he and Number Two have their own fight...
Iori's resolve is touching... as expected from my favorite character... she's so similar with me

the best thing of course how Iori's mom and Iori are totally similar... both of them are little awkward and care to each other.... Maybe Iori Nagase has that "GAR" personality like her mom as well....

why there's no preview about the next episode???? and why Iori Nagase said "Do I really love Yaegashi Taichi?" that makes me lol... WUT??!?!!! o.O
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Old 2012-09-29, 17:10   Link #2266
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It's interesting to read how divided viewers are on this show. I think that this is mainly (though admittedly not solely) due to different perspectives on what the show is (or at least should be) about.


"This is a show that will explore great and daring ideas by forcing five teenaged friends through an assortment of unbelievable trials such as body-swapping and de-aging! These trials will bring forth fun and unpredictable chaos, and will bring these five teenagers to the very precipice of personality destruction... if not beyond!" - What I think the more critical reviewers wanted, something Twilight Zone-esque.


"This is a heartwarming and life-affirming show about five good friends who will grow stronger, both individually and as a group, by overcoming a series of bizarre trials foisted on them by some strange alien force. Though their bonds may stretch, they will never break, as fun and quirky scenarios play out for effects both comedic and dramatic!" - What I think the more pleased reviewers wanted (or at least accepted), something very conventional anime, and what the show actually is.


So while I understand the disappointment, and even shared it myself from time to time, I think the end of this anime's first two arcs made it crystal clear which of the above the show really was. I have to admit that it seems odd to me to be blasting the show for this when it's first two arcs made it very clear what it was truly aiming for.

It's kind of like blasting K-On! after Episode 12 for not having more music and instead just doing the heartwarming moe-friendship stuff. I get the criticism, but it should have been obvious a long time before that the show just wasn't about what you wanted it to be about.
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Old 2012-09-29, 17:16   Link #2267
Midonin
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Triple_R View Post
"This is a heartwarming and life-affirming show about five good friends who will grow stronger, both individually and as a group, by overcoming a series of bizarre trials foisted on them by some strange alien force. Though their bonds may stretch, they will never break, as fun and quirky scenarios play out for effects both comedic and dramatic!"
That's what I was going in looking for. While sometimes it got more dramatic than I'm used to (though I am trying to expand my horizons), I liked the happy endings and characters like Fujishima, and think that Taichi has the right idea. It's not that I don't appreciate conflict and the value of drama, it's simply that I like the life-affirming part more.
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Old 2012-09-29, 17:49   Link #2268
Blonto
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Originally Posted by Triple_R View Post
It's interesting to read how divided viewers are on this show. I think that this is mainly (though admittedly not solely) due to different perspectives on what the show is (or at least should be) about.
I didn't expect anything groudbreaking or tragic, I just expected something more complex. It didn't even feel like the gimmicks were all that important. As I already mentioned, the bodyswapping didn't do anything that couldn't be done normally. Same with the whole "unleashing of desires" gimmick. The gimmicks took second place to drama that is mostly uninteresting on its own.
You'd expect that with a situation such as this the characters would be more significantly affected, but the characters now don't seem much different from how they were at the beginning. We could've dug much deeper into their psyche with all these gimmicks, but it just looks to me like the author didn't have enough ideas for the characters' development beyond scratching the surface and using the gimmicks as an excuse to do that. I wasn't expecting the characters to become totally different people and I didn't expect any life-shattering events, in fact I was looking forward to a lighthearted show with friendly characters, but I wanted it to show a lot more wit.
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Old 2012-09-29, 18:45   Link #2269
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Originally Posted by Triple_R View Post
I have to admit that it seems odd to me to be blasting the show for this when it's first two arcs made it very clear what it was truly aiming for.
It's not what people are expecting; it's what the show itself brings up and then ignores or "disarms". The abusive father in this last episode is a very good example. He's almost always off-screen. Stylistically a distant threat. Then we get a vague summary (the "I heard you say Thank you" part), that falls flat because I just don't feel it. The problem is that a seasoned viewer of drama you can imagine what they're going for. But it doesn't work if you spare out the actual drama, focussing on the making up. It's like making an action movie, and then, when the fights begin, you cut away, and you see them bruised and recovering.

I thought the show was pretty strong, actually, when the core-cast was facing a crisis together. For example, I felt that the scene when they had to decide who was going to die in Iori's body was fairly strong and really showed the characters' differences. When it comes to being heartwarming, the show fails big-time, for me, mostly because it's ignoring the troubles too much. Most of the moments that are designed to make me feel good for the characters get a huge eye-roll from me. (Iori's decision not to do things over in this epsiode is straight out of the text-book for be-yourself propaganda.)

If the show were bad, I wouldn't have stuck with it so far. But much too often it just doesn't deliver.
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Old 2012-09-29, 18:47   Link #2270
Guardian Enzo
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For me, my ultimate disappointment in Kokoro Connect lies not in expectations, but execution. The show was a symphony of good ideas that were indifferently executed. I don't think a single arc ended as well as it started.

I also have to seriously question the wisdom of physically centering the series around a character, then declining to tell us anything whatsoever about that character. Taichi is the fulcrum of just about everything that isn’t Aoki/Yui related, the other two lead characters are in love with him, and we keep hearing what a great guy he is. But apart from his messiah complex we have no idea why he has this effect on people. Taichi is no more a character than a big rock that’s smack in the middle of the road. It has an impact – everyone has to change direction because of it – but it has no personality of its own. A rock doesn’t block the path because it wants to – it just does. That sums up Taichi pretty well, and it absolutely mystifies me what Silver Link (or the novelist, if this is the same there) could possibly have been thinking in designing the character dynamics of this series.
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Old 2012-09-29, 18:49   Link #2271
Chaos2Frozen
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You know, I have a feeling that in itself is a message of this show- The truth is there is alot of problems in this world that can be easily solved if people just talk to each other.
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Old 2012-09-29, 18:52   Link #2272
Hiroi Sekai
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I for one loved it. It's even got another 4 episodes which are obviously going to thicken the plot in some manner.

Some notes about the episode: Iori's mom is a badass. Seriously, take the jackass and leave him on the street. Where does he get off treating those two like shit.

The most interesting part of course, is Iori's last statement. Much as I like her as a character, if she's not actually in love with Taichi, then who am I to not support Inaba? We'll see what happens.
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Old 2012-09-29, 18:53   Link #2273
Arturia Polaris
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^^ One thing is definately certain.

This show manages to put character interactions as well as Tari Tari. Not every show manages to create believable modern day interactions between kids these days.

Damn, I sound like an old man now.

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Old 2012-09-29, 19:00   Link #2274
creb
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It was alright. Solid, which is a heap of praise for any show that goes with K-On eyes.

Plus, it had Miyuki Sawashiro voicing Inaba, and I'll watch and at least pretend to like anything Sawashiro works on.

That said, Taichi joins a bottomless bag of holding of male anime leads that make me want to /facepalm, while simultaneously chanting a mantra to myself that what I've just watched is intended for an audience of a country/society that I do not belong to, and my /facepalm reaction should be moderated by that fact.
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Old 2012-09-29, 19:03   Link #2275
Lantern
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chaos2Frozen View Post
You know, I have a feeling that in itself is a message of this show- The truth is there is alot of problems in this world that can be easily solved if people just talk to each other.
Which brings up another truth - people are generally afraid to take the first, risky step in fear of hurting others / being hurt. It's not a fault, it's just human nature.
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Old 2012-09-29, 19:05   Link #2276
Arya
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Well, nice episode, I'm glad that finally we got to know Iori's issues and I really liked the build-up and all and the fateful question was handled nicely. Where I got a bit confused was about Iori resolution. I mean, the first part was very well handled, her family situation has been quite bad and her guilt she felt from her misunderstanding was realistic and explained quite well her behavior, so the subsequent resolution felt really inadequate.
About her inner issues I think the question is still there, who is the real Iori?, and not does she truly love Taichi?. I got that the question HS made to her should be the key, but her response was more like not denying what she is now instead of accepting what she is now

Anyways I like this series even with its flaws. I liked the characters development, who more who less, development which was more focused improving the character interactions more than the single character changes. i can see how the club changed along the road.
Taichi anyways is still a question mark, so I hope that the next arc will explore him and Iori who needs more time, (and subsequently Himeko , who apparently is the only one showed alone at the end of the episode, poor Inaban ).
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Old 2012-09-29, 19:16   Link #2277
Kirito
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Arya View Post
About her inner issues I think the question is still there, who is the real Iori?, and not does she truly love Taichi?. I got that the question HS made to her should be the key, but her response was more like not denying what she is now instead of accepting what she is now
That's a part of her I also find interesting because there's still the issue regarding her sense of "self". For her accepting the present, is probably a means of her acknowledging the current "her" as of this episode, to say the least. The part about her doubting the love she has for Taichi... I wonder if that has to do with the current "her" or the possible on-going confliction with her other "self/selves".
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Old 2012-09-29, 19:21   Link #2278
Triple_R
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Blonto View Post
I didn't expect anything groudbreaking or tragic, I just expected something more complex. It didn't even feel like the gimmicks were all that important. As I already mentioned, the bodyswapping didn't do anything that couldn't be done normally. Same with the whole "unleashing of desires" gimmick. The gimmicks took second place to drama that is mostly uninteresting on its own.
Well, that's kind of my point. These gimmicks, or ideas, or whatever you want to call them, aren't what the show is really all about. They have basically two purposes:

1. Spice up the show, and differentiate it from other shows of this type that are just straight-up character dramas.

2. Provide vehicles for character development and character drama.

In fairness, the show wasn't always clear about this. But from the moment that Inaba's "unleashed desire" resulted in her and Iori cordially agreeing to a friendly romantic competition over Taichi, it was then as clear as day to me that this show was never going to go anywhere truly shocking, or go anywhere truly daring, with its main cast. And so the characters are clearly more important than the ideas that the narratives throw at them, and the characters have a lot of plot shields around them.

It's not necessarily the show I'd most want, either, but given the way KC limits itself, it probably does the best it can given those self-imposed limits.


Yeah, KC plays it safe. To truly enjoy this show, it probably helps to accept that. I had a similar epiphany of sorts with K-On, where I just accepted the show for what it was, and basically came to enjoy it as being very good at what it was (even if that's a bit different from what I wanted it to be).
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Old 2012-09-29, 19:25   Link #2279
Flawfinder
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Originally Posted by Triple_R View Post
"This is a heartwarming and life-affirming show about five good friends who will grow stronger, both individually and as a group, by overcoming a series of bizarre trials foisted on them by some strange alien force. Though their bonds may stretch, they will never break, as fun and quirky scenarios play out for effects both comedic and dramatic!" - What I think the more pleased reviewers wanted (or at least accepted), something very conventional anime, and what the show actually is.
That would be fine if it didn't introduce issues like androphobia or domestic abuse. Or have a girl nearly die in the hospital. You can't introduce stuff like that and resolve them so simply, as it comes off as incredibly insulting. I'm generally not a big fan of "Best Picture" stuff where they try to be intelligent whilst playing it safe at the same time (one of the reasons why I'm not big into E7 as everyone else), but this was just too safe for my taste.
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Old 2012-09-29, 19:47   Link #2280
Kazu-kun
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Originally Posted by Arturia Polaris View Post
This show manages to put character interactions as well as Tari Tari. Not every show manages to create believable modern day interactions between kids these days
I have to disagree on this. For me Tari Tari is on a level of its own when it comes to true to life characterization. Tari Tari's characters feel like people I could have met in high school myself. The characters in this show, not so much. They still feel like anime characters, with personalities defined more clearly around specific anime tropes and the like. They're believable to some extent, but as anime characters, not modern day high-school kids. Aoki in particular is the typical MC's sidekick, and Taichi is the typical male MC to the t, included the fact that he attracts almost all the girls.

I should make it clear this isn't necessarily a criticism. Not every series needs the sort of character depiction that you see in Tari Tari.

Btw, this is not the say Tari Tari is free of stereotypes and tropes. It's just that most of the conventions it works with go beyond the anime format. I mean, in a way it's a little more like a live action family show (only, animated) than anime, so it uses that sort of tropes.
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Last edited by Kazu-kun; 2012-09-29 at 20:12.
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