(L) Zetsuen no Tempest ~The Civilization Blaster~ (BONES)

[Triple_R]

While I can sympathize with the many complaints this series seems to be getting, I personally am finding it a very engaging, immersive, and rewarding watch.

For me, the slow and careful buildup is making this narrative much more enriching and fulfilling to sort of dig my teeth into. Admittedly, it can seem slow when watched in separate 20-something minute chunks. In fact, what it's making me think of so far is an excellent animated movie (or movie series) that's been sliced into a bunch of anime episodes to air on TV. A part of the reason for this is the thick and powerful soundtrack which really does sound like something I'd expect to hear in a movie theater more than on a TV screen.

But this world has truly made me believe in it, which is impressive given the weirdness that is going on.

And I like the sharp contrast between our two lead male protagonists: One of them driven entirely by a thirst for revenge, and even smirking constantly like he was playing the villain. The other one displaying just the slightest touch of sadness over the metallic death plague, while thinking a bit more "big picture" and carefully and shrewdly taking everything in while trying to decide what to do next.

Neither is exactly your conventional anime male protagonist, but both contain some elements of him. And both are somehow more realistic for it. That helps a lot in the overall believability of this anime's fictional world.


All of the above being said, I hope that we do "move over to the next town/city" or something like that next episode. I think that this "first setting" has been played out as well as it can be, and it might be time to shift gears a bit.

[Mura]

Zetsuen has been licensed.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...est-magi-anime

[Kaioshin Sama]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

All of the above being said, I hope that we do "move over to the next town/city" or something like that next episode. I think that this "first setting" has been played out as well as it can be, and it might be time to shift gears a bit.

I hope not. Usually when they change settings from whatever secluded location is when Bones shows have started crapping the bed on plot/character stability of late so I'd rather they stay there at least a little longer this time. Honestly if it weren't for the fact that every Bones show I've tried to watch since Brotherhood regardless of key staff has lost it's way past the 3 episode mark and either meandered all over the place or become stuck in Monster of the Week hell I'd be fully ready to commit to this as one of my favorites of the season so far, but man, I'm really torn here. I'll be really sad if this show is yet another one and this really is their last chance to recover my impression of how they handle the direction of their productions.

[ookamigirl]

Hakaze is just a guide so far.
Hope we'll get to see her magic in real action.
Mahiro seems to only care about finding his sister's killer.
Yoshino on the other hand is pretty clueless and naive.
Things seem to be changing for Yoshino.

[shmaster]

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

The way he said it though...if it sounded inwardly bitter or the sort of acidic "can't be helped" while still smiling brightly...that would have fitted him better than the deadpan way he said it.

I am in agreement that Yoshino does not sound deadpan there.
But I find the bitterness in his tone only added to his emoness.
I can't find the sorrowfulness his displayed in the manga anywhere in the anime.
The contrast between his smooth, often smiling exterior with some gesture of uncaringness and his sorrofulness inside is what I liked about Yoshino.
How he appears pretty gloomy most of the time in the anime really killed his charm to me.

[Arya]

mmm, nice episode. I thought that Yoshino was a different character, given the description we got in the first episode, but it seems that it was related only to the fact that he and aika were hiding their relationship from Mashiro. So, he seems to be the typical good guy who discovers to have some very good skills in shooting/fighting /etc. Anyways I liked how they played with the secret.
I can't really say that Mashiro is more affected that Yoshino, (even if it wouldn't be that odd, I mean, she was her sister) it's simply that Mashiro has super-powers and Yoshino hasn't.
Anyways for the entire episode I switched from Yoshino and Mashiro being the killer.

About the music, I like it very much, but I have to agree that they are misusing it and overplaying it, not all the scenes needs that kind of music
And yes the pace is a bit slow but for now it's ok.

On a side note, until now I haven't connected the dots about the three episodes/bones issue. Now I connected it :ao:

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by shmaster

I am in agreement that Yoshino does not sound deadpan there.
But I find the bitterness in his tone only added to his emoness.
I can't find the sorrowfulness his displayed in the manga anywhere in the anime.
The contrast between his smooth, often smiling exterior with some gesture of uncaringness and his sorrofulness inside is what I liked about Yoshino.
How he appears pretty gloomy most of the time in the anime really killed his charm to me.

Deadpan as in...emotionless...like a very severe case of 8th grader syndrome...He comes off more like that than genuine emotion to me.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin Sama

I hope not. Usually when they change settings from whatever secluded location is when Bones shows have started crapping the bed on plot/character stability of late so I'd rather they stay there at least a little longer this time. Honestly if it weren't for the fact that every Bones show I've tried to watch since Brotherhood regardless of key staff has lost it's way past the 3 episode mark and either meandered all over the place or become stuck in Monster of the Week hell I'd be fully ready to commit to this as one of my favorites of the season so far, but man, I'm really torn here. I'll be really sad if this show is yet another one and this really is their last chance to recover my impression of how they handle the direction of their productions.

Well, Bones is one animation studio that I admittedly don't know much about, so given what you're saying about them, I can understand your perspective here.

I guess for me is that I'm not sure what more they can do with this place that's now basically a ghost town. I think that sticking there for two full episodes was a good decision because it allowed the tragedy of this metallic death to settle in a bit more, giving it a greater sense of depth and horror to me.

But yeah, the emptiness and tragedy of this setting is now crystal clear, and part of me is eager to see what happens next.


But ah well, I suppose if they do stay around this city for another episode that might make it a convenient locale for an uninterrupted one-on-one fight anyway.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Arya

mmm, nice episode. I thought that Yoshino was a different character, given the description we got in the first episode, but it seems that it was related only to the fact that he and aika were hiding their relationship from Mashiro. So, he seems to be the typical good guy who discovers to have some very good skills in shooting/fighting /etc.

From the clues of episode 1, he was always someone who was good at presenting the front of an honor student, but who was actually just as much of a thug as Mahiro. They enabled each other. (At least, that's what Aika thought.)

And the clue from ep2 is that there's a darkness in him that'd allow him to kill in cold blood. Or to make deals with someone he was having a potentially deadly fight with just seconds before.

Anyways I liked how they played with the secret.
I can't really say that Mashiro is more affected that Yoshino, (even if it wouldn't be that odd, I mean, she was her sister) it's simply that Mashiro has super-powers and Yoshino hasn't.

That wasn't the case when Mahiro first went on his quest.

[Haak]

I don't know, Yoshino always appeared pretty bitter to me. I think he's an extremely interesting character. Hell i think Mahiro and Aika are extremely interesting characters too. Two of them dating behind the third's back and one of them ending up murdered really is an interesting twist to the "two guys and a girl" dynamic. I'm liking what I'm seeing so far.

[Arya]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

From the clues of episode 1, he was always someone who was good at presenting the front of an honor student, but who was actually just as much of a thug as Mahiro. They enabled each other. (At least, that's what Aika thought.)

And the clue from ep2 is that there's a darkness in him that'd allow him to kill in cold blood. Or to make deals with someone he was having a potentially deadly fight with just seconds before.

Yes, that what I also thought, but with this episode I had the impression that he is not that much thug. Surely we are still at episode two so it's just a feeling.

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

That wasn't the case when Mahiro first went on his quest.

You have a point there. Yet I find his behavior more down to earth than Mashiro's. That's probably why I didn't see any big meaning about how they dealt with their grief. All in all I liked how they described his suffering mixed to the frustration of being helpless. Probably it's even for that reason (and the implied resignation) that I felt him being more the good guy type.

[kuromitsu]

Originally Posted by shmaster

I am in agreement that Yoshino does not sound deadpan there.
But I find the bitterness in his tone only added to his emoness.
I can't find the sorrowfulness his displayed in the manga anywhere in the anime.
The contrast between his smooth, often smiling exterior with some gesture of uncaringness and his sorrofulness inside is what I liked about Yoshino.
How he appears pretty gloomy most of the time in the anime really killed his charm to me.

I don't think Yoshino is emo at all. (If he was I'd be less at lost when it comes to him.) Gloomy - maybe and I'd say for very understandable reasons, but it's not even that. To me, Yoshino seems like a very cynical person. Initially he came off as somewhat empty and/or aimless, but after this episode I'd say that's not really the case, he's just cynical and pretty matter-of-fact, maybe to the point where he's a bit of a sociopath. And when he's pushed too far by the circumstances this side of his personality comes out even stronger. (FWIW he reminds me another character who has this very matter-of-fact attitude but for my life I can't remember who it is...)

Although I don't think Evangeline's point was that Yoshino is able to kill in cold blood, more like that when it comes to that Yoshino won't be held back by compassion or pity. I don't think he would've killed Evangeline, but he would've certainly incapacitated her. Basically, Yoshino is not a person you want to piss off.

Then again, this is just my impression of him, as a non-manga reader.

[shmaster]

Originally Posted by kuromitsu

I don't think Yoshino is emo at all. (If he was I'd be less at lost when it comes to him.) Gloomy - maybe and I'd say for very understandable reasons, but it's not even that. To me, Yoshino seems like a very cynical person. Initially he came off as somewhat empty and/or aimless, but after this episode I'd say that's not really the case, he's just cynical and pretty matter-of-fact, maybe to the point where he's a bit of a sociopath. And when he's pushed too far by the circumstances this side of his personality comes out even stronger. (FWIW he reminds me another character who has this very matter-of-fact attitude but for my life I can't remember who it is...)

Although I don't think Evangeline's point was that Yoshino is able to kill in cold blood, more like that when it comes to that Yoshino won't be held back by compassion or pity. I don't think he would've killed Evangeline, but he would've certainly incapacitated her. Basically, Yoshino is not a person you want to piss off.

Then again, this is just my impression of him, as a non-manga reader.

A very reasonable interpretation of Yoshino's chaarcter in the anime. And I think you point out another point that somewhat bothers me in his anime self that I couldn't properly describe. He felt cynical in the anime, and that replaced the somewhat uncaring and "can't help it" attitude on his exterior. And... it felt jarring.

[DragoonKain3]

Me personally as a childhood friend couple shipper, Yoshino is like catharsis for me. Not gonna lie, was completely bummed out when I learned that Aika is dead. And if Mahiro is emotion incarnate concerning the death of Aika, Yoshino in contrast is extremely logical. He is right, in that what would killing the killer accomplish? No, Yoshino asks himself what can he do for her in this 'world that is out of joint'.

Because hey, if magic can do those things, is there a possibility to revive her? In the normal world there isn't, but in this world where people can practically teleport and people are turned to metal? Looks like he at least is holding out a tiny shred of hope for Aika, which I'm holding out for too.

[Dop]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin Sama

Man it's just killing me that I can't get this soundtrack yet. It's so fantastic it might be a strong contender for my OST of the year at this rate.

Agreed. It completely enthralled me in the first episode, and did it again in the second, I absolutely have to buy this when it comes out.

Originally Posted by Insane

Somehow i got a feeling that Yoshino is the assasin here.

That wouldn't surprise me in the least. When he held the gun at Evangeline and she thought he was able to shoot calmly, I got the feeling that he's killed before.

[-khriz-]

I love Yoshino, I have been reading the manga and he is the most interesting character in the entire manga, you never know what he is thinking or what he will do next. Mahiro it's okay, but Yoshino is something else. I don't like how they changed the fight between him and Evangeline though. They didn't show Yoshino true character.

[justinstrife]

I'm really hoping they aren't going to pull a fast one and make Yoshino the killer... He's the most interesting character in the series so far and I want more flashback scenes of him with Aika! With the chance of changing the past or bringing her back somehow...

[ninryu]

>Finish downloading episode 1.
>Video pause at girl-out-of-a-barrel scene.
>Rage.

[klare]

as a person that is new to magic, Yoshino did very well in using them to fight, he looks like even not afraid of dying

wonder will they show us what Mahiro saw in the crime scene...

[mayumi]

Originally Posted by shmaster

Okada Mari.

if this series doesn't do well. i already know who to blame.