AnimeSuki Forums

Revan21 · 2009-07-03, 16:36

After two episodes I'm already considering to drop this series for good.

I like the animation and the music and that's about it

The overall story is just lame and stupid, but it was to be expected and that's not really the problem. What bothers me the most is that the characters are completely shallow and uninteresting. It looks like Marin will be the total airhead in the show, which would be nice if she could actually be funny for once. But sadly she's not, she's just stands there looking pretty. And while Kanon seemed like a fun character with her pessimistic personality, she quickly became tiresome by EP2 since all the jokes are about her evil aura and she getting angry about it

This was awesome in Skip Beat!, utterly boring here

I'll wait until the next episode so that the creators can get the slice-of-life, "living-together-is-a-pain" part going, but if the comedy does not improve by then I won't care anymore. It couldn't get any more uninteresting than this.

Sorrow-K · 2009-07-03, 19:06

Ep 1

That wasn't bad. I really liked the music and the laid back mood in the earlier part of the episode. I think the way they handled the premise is a bit of a reflection of the type of anime (I think) this is going to be: "oh hey, let's go to the surface for some reason". It's all very lackadaisical (in a good way). But if Sato proved anything with ARIA, it's that he's more than capable when taking a laid back and relaxed approach to things. There's also that focus on little sentimentalities (ie, with the desperate search for the ring), which also indicates that, like ARIA, this is going to be an anime concerned with the little things, which is a good thing for a character-driven anime to be concerned about.

I can see the concern about the mesh of genres. The mahou shoujo genre generally carries itself with quite a bit of fanfare, with lengthy one-on-one battles always preceded with rather elaborate transformation sequences that are built to over the course of an episode, while the ARIA-style slice-of-life series is very much about walking slowly through life and stopping to smell the flowers. These are things that don't usually mix. I think Natsume Yuujinchou had a fair idea when trying to mix slice-of-life with a more action orientated structure, in that, it made the action sequences more subdued, and relied more on implicit action and tension and fights that would resolve themselves more often from a sudden realization on the battle field, rather than who was stronger.

Yeah, mahou shoujo. Really not my thing. You can kinda go back to CCS which is generally accepted as good (haven't seen it myself in all honesty) but since then, as far as I can see, it's really only been Nanoha that's tried to do something new with the genre, and even that has fallen into a pit of formulaic nonsense. I'm kinda hoping that the mahou shoujo elements in this will get the lesser emphasis.

[Sakuretsu] · 2009-07-03, 19:39

This show would have been so much better if they omitted the magical fights, and proceed to the wonders of the sea. It was like, I'm watching Princess Tutu all over again. I was disappointed that they heavily jumped the shark as early as possible. Though it's inevitable, I'd stay to watch this just for Urin.

***relentlessflame*** · 2009-07-03, 19:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by [Sakuretsu]

I was disappointed that they heavily jumped the shark as early as possible.

I think you've just completely ruined the meaning of that saying. It's impossible to "jump the shark" at Episode 2 of 12. A story is still coming into is own at that early point in the story. If a story goes on a certain way for a long while, and then suddenly undergoes a dramatic change that removes a big part of its appeal or changes the essence of the story, then maybe. But at least give the show a few episodes so you can make a real determination of the sort of show it's trying to be; obviously the magical fights were part of the plan from day one. I appreciate that you don't like the sort of show this is turning out to be, but we don't need to bludgeon the saying in the process.

[Sakuretsu] · 2009-07-03, 19:53

Well, that's just my first time using that phrase. My own version of "Jump the shark" is from a soothing and blissful show to another generic magical fightan between good and evil. I guess I could see more of it in the near future though.. I'm sorry if I made a mistake. Thanks for your essential pointers.

***relentlessflame*** · 2009-07-03, 20:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by [Sakuretsu]

Well, that's just my first time using that phrase. My own version of "Jump the shark" is from a soothing and blissful show to another generic magical fightan between good and evil. I guess I could see more of it in the near future though.. I'm sorry if I made a mistake. Thanks for your essential pointers.

Sorry, that probably came across more harshly than I intended it to be. Just a little personal annoyance of mine when people use that saying (and some others like it) in the wrong context. Anyway, I hope that whether this particular show ends up being enjoyable to you or not, you're still able to find shows you enjoy this season.

Deathkillz · 2009-07-03, 21:06

Whaaa..why magical girl?

ep 2

Spoiler:

Guido · 2009-07-03, 22:05

When I first saw Marin's face at the prologue to episode one I called out that she looks a lot to Nadja Applefield, at least to me.

First of all, I give thanks to Omni because I got acquainted to this series when he post his sypnosis for episode one at his blog.

Two years ago on the summer season I began watching magical-girl show, targeted at an older male audience, called Nanatsuiro Drops.

I think that for now I'll be getting similar vibes for this anime as I did on the one mentioned above.

All the elements that make up this show: the op and ed themes and the story are slow paced, which treats the audience to get deeply immersed into the universe where the characters dwell. However, the downside to this narrative technique is that the story itself can become dull, dragging, and likely boring for viewers.
For myself, I did not feel sleepy and vexxed at all watching the first episode.

The animation I think employs shades and tones of pastel and aqua colors which nicely enrich the environment and the atmosphere going around the island, and particulary the bottom of the sea where Urin and Marin live.

I'm not getting hyped for this series, but rather I will let it grow on me.

Zippicus · 2009-07-03, 22:25

After watching the first couple of episodes it looks like I'll follow this one. I'm an absolute sucker for the magical girl genre. I had no idea what to expect when I decided to check it out so I'm pretty surprised how things have turned out so far.

Fuze · 2009-07-04, 01:30

Like many others, I'm also on the boundary with this series so far. As predicted before the series began airing, I absolutely love the feeling I get from the serene scenery similar to that of ARIA. I wouldn't be surprised if the director went to nice beaches and locale to get influenced, just like he went to Venice for ARIA. Also as predicted, the tone of Kaleido Star is there with costume design and acrobatic movements. The cuteness of Shugo Chara and/or Ojamajo Doremi is also there.

All those things sounded really really good but now that I have seen it, it does feel a bit unnatural seeing all of those aspects trying to blend together. At the end of episode 2, I couldn't help but feel like Umi Monogatari is trying to play homage to several genres, just as Gurren Lagann paid homage to giant robot. When I thought of it that way, it didn't feel as awkward.

Two things are for certain for me at this point- it's entertaining and visually pleasing. So, I'll keep watching to see where it will go.

Malkuth · 2009-07-04, 05:38

Dunno, guys, I found the 2nd episode quite funny ... in a mindless way that is

But seriously the BGM does not fit at all and it was quite prevalent throughout the action. It felt like watching Aria, with a Black Metal BGM, only inverted

gaguri · 2009-07-04, 09:27

@Sorrow

Watch Princess Tutuuuuuu

anyway

mediocre episode is mediocre

Phantasmagoria · 2009-07-04, 10:07

The first episode started out with a bang, until a talking turtle appears out of the blue and it sort of killed off my expectations.

I was looking forward to something more dark, with suspense that will keep your adrenaline rush going but.. the second episode killed all of it completely.

The Priestess of the Sky and the Sea very much reminds me of the Priestess of the Sun and the Moon. In an instant, I thought it was a moment of Kannazuki no Miko with all the chants going on and so forth. The battle animation wasn't very epic, and they seemed to "tone" it down to appeal to the younger audience.

What's up with the purification and.. a happy octopus? It's too light for a switch, I expected something along the lines of violence.. but maybe, the swimsuit babes are never geared towards that kind of storyline in the place.

I am a little disappointed..

BrokenWingz · 2009-07-04, 11:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deathkillz

Whaaa..why magical girl?

ep 2

Spoiler:

Surprise to see you mention sailor because he did contribute a lot to the sailor moon franchised as a director. lol, I can't help but smile when you say Duck, tutu anyone.

musouka · 2009-07-04, 13:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sorrow-K

Yeah, mahou shoujo. Really not my thing. You can kinda go back to CCS which is generally accepted as good (haven't seen it myself in all honesty) but since then, as far as I can see, it's really only been Nanoha that's tried to do something new with the genre, and even that has fallen into a pit of formulaic nonsense. I'm kinda hoping that the mahou shoujo elements in this will get the lesser emphasis.

Sorrow-K, I respect you tons and tend to agree with you nine times out of ten, but it always sort of makes me grrk to see people talking about genres that they self-admittedly have no interest in and haven't explored, right before going on to make totally spurious generalizations. Nanoha isn't fit to lick Princess Tutu's shoes when it comes to originality, say nothing of something like Utena.

Shiroth · 2009-07-04, 15:15

Well i must say, i rather like the twist of the second episode, and now the path this show will take after those events. There's also more classic Muramatsu Ken in the second episode, so that's also a bonus.

Plus i am a fan of the mahou shoujo genre. Sure it won't be anything ground breaking the ever so amazing Princess Tutu or Utena, though there's wrong with soft mahou shoujo now and then, and that's what this is. It seems like more people need to acknowledge that fact.

Sorrow-K · 2009-07-04, 19:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by gaguri

@Sorrow

Watch Princess Tutuuuuuu

OMG! Way to take a massive dump on my head.

Quote:

Originally Posted by musouka

Sorrow-K, I respect you tons and tend to agree with you nine times out of ten, but it always sort of makes me grrk to see people talking about genres that they self-admittedly have no interest in and haven't explored, right before going on to make totally spurious generalizations. Nanoha isn't fit to lick Princess Tutu's shoes when it comes to originality, say nothing of something like Utena.

You too. Princess Tutu has been on my "to see" list forever, since I've heard nothing but good things about it, but I've never actually taken that step to make time to see it. And while we're talking about awesome mahou shoujo anime, Full Moon wo Sagashite has one of the best endings I've seen in an anime. I can't believe that I momentarily forgot about these two titles.

Ok, I take back what I said. Most mahou shoujo are generic, but the good ones are extraordinary.

chinaboat · 2009-07-05, 02:17

Please, please, please let this be a satire because regardless of the fact that he had a truly funny band-aid on his shell, the Ninja Turtles wise, old non-human mentor with the cute hat is right off the shelf with nothing added and the, once again, totally inappropriate piano piece ruined, to me, a fairly decent fight sequence the end of which probably indicated the absence of death or serious injury in the series (not counting the major bad guy).

But the fairly hideous Sailor Moon transformation which transformed her from an underwater airhead to an experienced fighter who gave her lolicon sister calm and reasoned instructions was the capper. We know she was experienced because the wise old turtle said:

Spoiler:

Could someone explain that line to me? And, since he taught her, this couldn't be her first transformation correct? Then she must have had something on her hands when she looked at them and said, "What's this?" Just what was "that"?

In the, I sadly believe vain, hope this will be a mahou shoujou satire I'm gonna stick for a few more.

klare · 2009-07-07, 02:15

Spoiler for does anyone else notice?:

i also agree to suggestions that the background music is strange and this looks like Sailor Moon

Ashlotte · 2009-07-07, 23:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sorrow-K

OMG! Way to take a massive dump on my head.

You too. Princess Tutu has been on my "to see" list forever, since I've heard nothing but good things about it, but I've never actually taken that step to make time to see it. And while we're talking about awesome mahou shoujo anime, Full Moon wo Sagashite has one of the best endings I've seen in an anime. I can't believe that I momentarily forgot about these two titles.

Ok, I take back what I said. Most mahou shoujo are generic, but the good ones are extraordinary.

Yea its an extremely hit or miss genre for me aswell.

Mmm as for the episode...Jarring? Yes abit, but once I got over my shell shock I quite enjoyed it honestly...The characters are still just as fun as the first episode and the fight was extremely well choreographed I thought.

Whether this one sticks more towards Mahou shojou or lighter fare like the first episode I can see myself enjoying it either way.

2009-07-03, 16:36	Link #101
Revan21 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Middle of Nowhere Age: 39	After two episodes I'm already considering to drop this series for good. I like the animation and the music and that's about it The overall story is just lame and stupid, but it was to be expected and that's not really the problem. What bothers me the most is that the characters are completely shallow and uninteresting. It looks like Marin will be the total airhead in the show, which would be nice if she could actually be funny for once. But sadly she's not, she's just stands there looking pretty. And while Kanon seemed like a fun character with her pessimistic personality, she quickly became tiresome by EP2 since all the jokes are about her evil aura and she getting angry about it This was awesome in Skip Beat!, utterly boring here I'll wait until the next episode so that the creators can get the slice-of-life, "living-together-is-a-pain" part going, but if the comedy does not improve by then I won't care anymore. It couldn't get any more uninteresting than this. __________________

2009-07-03, 19:06	Link #102
Sorrow-K Somehow I found out Join Date: Feb 2006 Age: 40	Ep 1 That wasn't bad. I really liked the music and the laid back mood in the earlier part of the episode. I think the way they handled the premise is a bit of a reflection of the type of anime (I think) this is going to be: "oh hey, let's go to the surface for some reason". It's all very lackadaisical (in a good way). But if Sato proved anything with ARIA, it's that he's more than capable when taking a laid back and relaxed approach to things. There's also that focus on little sentimentalities (ie, with the desperate search for the ring), which also indicates that, like ARIA, this is going to be an anime concerned with the little things, which is a good thing for a character-driven anime to be concerned about. I can see the concern about the mesh of genres. The mahou shoujo genre generally carries itself with quite a bit of fanfare, with lengthy one-on-one battles always preceded with rather elaborate transformation sequences that are built to over the course of an episode, while the ARIA-style slice-of-life series is very much about walking slowly through life and stopping to smell the flowers. These are things that don't usually mix. I think Natsume Yuujinchou had a fair idea when trying to mix slice-of-life with a more action orientated structure, in that, it made the action sequences more subdued, and relied more on implicit action and tension and fights that would resolve themselves more often from a sudden realization on the battle field, rather than who was stronger. Yeah, mahou shoujo. Really not my thing. You can kinda go back to CCS which is generally accepted as good (haven't seen it myself in all honesty) but since then, as far as I can see, it's really only been Nanoha that's tried to do something new with the genre, and even that has fallen into a pit of formulaic nonsense. I'm kinda hoping that the mahou shoujo elements in this will get the lesser emphasis. __________________ .:The Nihon Review:.:Ikoku Meiro no Croisée:.:Tamayura: Hitotose:. .:Behind The Nihon Review:.:Understanding Guilty Crown’s Failure:. .:MAL:.:Twitter:.

2009-07-03, 21:06	Link #107
Deathkillz ~ You're dead ^__^* ~ Graphic Designer Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: uk, England Age: 34	Whaaa..why magical girl? ep 2 Spoiler: Didn't expect this series to go all magical girl on me and what's worse...I got the feeling that this series is some sailor moon knock off when the cannon fodder of a monster came. There is no escaping it, this is doomed to be one of those "monster of the week" type series and first it is an octopus, next it will be rubber duckzilla. Suddenly my drive to continue with the series just got a bit lower... On the up side though, I was marginally still entertained by the wise cracks from Kanon's mum and indeed, Kanon herself. I am still unsure about this series...it seems like a great waste of time but one that has yet to be a complete turn off for me...yet... __________________ Siggy: hohohohoho~ \| AnimeHistory welcome to our blog ~ \| Summer2009 early review Under the radar series Summer2009: Kanamemo, GA Geijutsuka Art, NEEDLESS

2009-07-03, 22:05	Link #108
Guido Snobby Gentleman Join Date: May 2004 Location: Monterrey, México Age: 43	First Impressions When I first saw Marin's face at the prologue to episode one I called out that she looks a lot to Nadja Applefield, at least to me. First of all, I give thanks to Omni because I got acquainted to this series when he post his sypnosis for episode one at his blog. Two years ago on the summer season I began watching magical-girl show, targeted at an older male audience, called Nanatsuiro Drops. I think that for now I'll be getting similar vibes for this anime as I did on the one mentioned above. All the elements that make up this show: the op and ed themes and the story are slow paced, which treats the audience to get deeply immersed into the universe where the characters dwell. However, the downside to this narrative technique is that the story itself can become dull, dragging, and likely boring for viewers. For myself, I did not feel sleepy and vexxed at all watching the first episode. The animation I think employs shades and tones of pastel and aqua colors which nicely enrich the environment and the atmosphere going around the island, and particulary the bottom of the sea where Urin and Marin live. I'm not getting hyped for this series, but rather I will let it grow on me.

2009-07-04, 09:27	Link #112
gaguri Senior Member Join Date: May 2007	@Sorrow Watch Princess Tutuuuuuu anyway mediocre episode is mediocre __________________

2009-07-03, 19:39	Link #103
[Sakuretsu] (´・ω・) Join Date: Sep 2008	This show would have been so much better if they omitted the magical fights, and proceed to the wonders of the sea. It was like, I'm watching Princess Tutu all over again. I was disappointed that they heavily jumped the shark as early as possible. Though it's inevitable, I'd stay to watch this just for Urin.

2009-07-03, 19:53	Link #105
[Sakuretsu] (´・ω・) Join Date: Sep 2008	Well, that's just my first time using that phrase. My own version of "Jump the shark" is from a soothing and blissful show to another generic magical fightan between good and evil. I guess I could see more of it in the near future though.. I'm sorry if I made a mistake. Thanks for your essential pointers.

2009-07-03, 22:25	Link #109
Zippicus Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Detroit, MI	After watching the first couple of episodes it looks like I'll follow this one. I'm an absolute sucker for the magical girl genre. I had no idea what to expect when I decided to check it out so I'm pretty surprised how things have turned out so far.

2009-07-04, 01:30	Link #110
Fuze Member Join Date: Jan 2009	Like many others, I'm also on the boundary with this series so far. As predicted before the series began airing, I absolutely love the feeling I get from the serene scenery similar to that of ARIA. I wouldn't be surprised if the director went to nice beaches and locale to get influenced, just like he went to Venice for ARIA. Also as predicted, the tone of Kaleido Star is there with costume design and acrobatic movements. The cuteness of Shugo Chara and/or Ojamajo Doremi is also there. All those things sounded really really good but now that I have seen it, it does feel a bit unnatural seeing all of those aspects trying to blend together. At the end of episode 2, I couldn't help but feel like Umi Monogatari is trying to play homage to several genres, just as Gurren Lagann paid homage to giant robot. When I thought of it that way, it didn't feel as awkward. Two things are for certain for me at this point- it's entertaining and visually pleasing. So, I'll keep watching to see where it will go.

2009-07-04, 05:38	Link #111
Malkuth Banned Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: London Age: 43	Dunno, guys, I found the 2nd episode quite funny ... in a mindless way that is But seriously the BGM does not fit at all and it was quite prevalent throughout the action. It felt like watching Aria, with a Black Metal BGM, only inverted

2009-07-04, 10:07	Link #113
Phantasmagoria Senior Member Author Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Dream	The first episode started out with a bang, until a talking turtle appears out of the blue and it sort of killed off my expectations. I was looking forward to something more dark, with suspense that will keep your adrenaline rush going but.. the second episode killed all of it completely. The Priestess of the Sky and the Sea very much reminds me of the Priestess of the Sun and the Moon. In an instant, I thought it was a moment of Kannazuki no Miko with all the chants going on and so forth. The battle animation wasn't very epic, and they seemed to "tone" it down to appeal to the younger audience. What's up with the purification and.. a happy octopus? It's too light for a switch, I expected something along the lines of violence.. but maybe, the swimsuit babes are never geared towards that kind of storyline in the place. I am a little disappointed.. __________________

2009-07-04, 15:15	Link #116
Shiroth Beautiful fighter. Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: England, UK Age: 37	Well i must say, i rather like the twist of the second episode, and now the path this show will take after those events. There's also more classic Muramatsu Ken in the second episode, so that's also a bonus. Plus i am a fan of the mahou shoujo genre. Sure it won't be anything ground breaking the ever so amazing Princess Tutu or Utena, though there's wrong with soft mahou shoujo now and then, and that's what this is. It seems like more people need to acknowledge that fact. __________________ MyAnimeList Twitter

2009-07-05, 02:17	Link #118
chinaboat Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Chicago	Please, please, please let this be a satire because regardless of the fact that he had a truly funny band-aid on his shell, the Ninja Turtles wise, old non-human mentor with the cute hat is right off the shelf with nothing added and the, once again, totally inappropriate piano piece ruined, to me, a fairly decent fight sequence the end of which probably indicated the absence of death or serious injury in the series (not counting the major bad guy). But the fairly hideous Sailor Moon transformation which transformed her from an underwater airhead to an experienced fighter who gave her lolicon sister calm and reasoned instructions was the capper. We know she was experienced because the wise old turtle said: Spoiler: "Princess of the Sea, fight as I have taught you!" Could someone explain that line to me? And, since he taught her, this couldn't be her first transformation correct? Then she must have had something on her hands when she looked at them and said, "What's this?" Just what was "that"? In the, I sadly believe vain, hope this will be a mahou shoujou satire I'm gonna stick for a few more.

2009-07-07, 02:15	Link #119
klare Senior Member Join Date: May 2009	Spoiler for does anyone else notice?: - Marin's chest does not fit her thin body - Marin has a habit of hugging everybody - Kanon's evil spirit look is like a clone from Skip Beat - Kanon's mom looks young enough to be her sis - after Kanon transformed, she looks like the witch in Final Fantasy X i also agree to suggestions that the background music is strange and this looks like Sailor Moon