Little Busters - Episode 2 Discussion / Poll

[Kairin]

Welcome to the discussion thread for Little Busters, Episode 2.

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[Klashikari]

I think this second episode confirms the little issue I had with the first episode: it is quite the irony, but they stick to the VN script a tad too much to the point it is way too slow (the first half jabs and all are quite too slow in their execution, so there is some "momentum break", an evident example would be the title gain). But because they do things a bit in a half assed way, some parts are just redundant: Masato and Kengo's fight doesn't look like a fight at all if you ask me, and adding the game SFX while the visuals don't match is is a bit on the random side.
At least, the baseball sequence flows way better, with the tsukkomi-antics being smoother.

I think the series might go too linear at some point, due to how they tackle only a character per episode, which doesn't make much sense with the setup (at least, good to see they show the issues Rin has with other classmates, otherwise we might have the impression there isn't really anyone else aside of the main cast).

Also, I can't help but wonder why they put such a tone on Riki's narcolepsy, as if it was a severe ilness (so the "cliffhanger" at the end was sort of too dramatic for its own good).

[Shiina]

Shimada's doing a fine job on scripts so far IMO, and I feel like the jokes hit their target a bit better than they did in episode 1. But that might just be me getting excited over seeing all those scenes again. Komari's even cuter than she was in the VN, loved her interactions with Rin! Kyousuke's recruitment was great too, he's such a nut. I also think the narcolepsy was presented too dark, but I'll reserve judgment on that until they address it next week.
Overall another fun episode, the plot/character introductions might be moving a bit slowly still but all Key adaptations are similar in that case.

[OPN]

Great episode. I actually liked how they did komaris introduction more then i did in the VN and i rather like the direction the episode took. The jokes are much better timed now and the same goes for the music. So 9 out of 10.

[Ceral]

Great episode. Komari... lol. Quirky characters are the best! <3 optimism. The whole flow of the episode was just about perfect for a second episode. The narcolepsy/himitsu thing was a little jarring though, ruined my enjoyment just a teeny bit, of what otherwise seemed to be a very light-hearted episode. All in all very satisfied, hope they keep it up!

lols @ Masato lathering up and leaving a sud silhouette after getting whacked,
Riki plucking cobwebs out of Komari's hair,
Kinniku chan
Neko Mittens

[Serphirs]

Even when art/animation wasn't the great wonder (over all some Kamikita's shots), actually think this chapter was really, but quite better directed than the previous one.
Nagai's hand might have helped in this. (although he did only the Storyboard think)

And unlike the rest here, I loved the way they handled the "narcolepsy/world secret" concepts, since it comes to break somehow with that "lack of direction/sustance" feeling that most people may have had with the first episode. In fact, that contrast between mere light-hearted slice and those dark/intriguing moments without prior notice like here now, were the things I liked the most from the VN.

The other good thing is, that the preview seems truly good in its animation side. We have to get used to that JC inconsistency at this point. Though, I conform with a good direction.

8/10

[flack]

Just finished watching the subbed second episode of Little Budget. Thought the pacing/narration was better this episode.

Spoiler for Comparison to the VN:

Komari is much much more moe than in the VN. Suprised at the flashback of images scene midway through the episode. Makes me more curious how the story is going to develop later.

Still a bit uncomfortable with the choppy visuals.

[Burden]

Hmmm. It was okay. JC really should've adopted a different art style though.

Once again though, plot progression is going well. Though I hate all of the blatant foreshadowing.

[Eater of All]

Spoiler for Comparison of the episode content to the game:

Getting used to the visuals now. Animation aside, I actually like some shots of Komari better than in the VN.

Komari's and Rin's scenes are pretty condensed; I think they're reducing the fluff in favor of more group interactions. Personally, I'd like that direction.

[relentlessflame]

Just want to remind game players that we do have a Weekly Anime-to-VN Comparison Thread. If your main comment is just going to be comparing how the anime adapted the game content, probably better to go there.

[Hiroi Sekai]

Much better than the first episode, although that wasn't bad in any way either. It does feel lesser in animation quality than other KEY works, but I'll just grab the Blu-Ray version when they finally get around to releasing it on disks.

Really excited to see more.

[thundrakkon]

This episode was definitely better than the first. The artwork and animation were improved, to about average level now, considering it was below average for the first episode. Still, no one knows how to blink in this anime. The intro still has good animation and artwork, but I know not to expect that for the episodes themselves.

The story and scenes felt more like Key in this episode as well. I definitely love the new character, Komari, even if her intellect is that of a 6 year old in a fully developed high schooler body. Strangely, though, she still makes more sense than a lot of the cast right now, but I'm guessing we will get more background story eventually to explain why the characters are the way they are.

I also noticed that the anime is playing itself off like a game so far, like Masato gaining some sort of nickname status after each defeat. It also seems like missions are given, and they must complete the tast in order to move on to the next item. Add on top of that, each character is recruited one by one in a systematic way. This might be okay for a game, but seriously, this is anime and should be done that way. The flow is too game-like right now. I hope it flows better in future episodes.

[FredFriendly]

As an anime only viewer, my lingering 2nd impression of this episode is, what a bunch of morons. Not only Rin, but the rest of the group pitched in to clean the storage shack without, apparently, asking why. I can see it now, after completing all that tasks, which will probably be similar tasks designed to clean up the school, Rin learns the big secret: she's a moron for doing all those tasks. I can understand why Kamikita helped, as she thought it was the new baseball team's club room, but, geez, who in there right mind would comply with mysterious, anonymous messages tied to a cat? Now we know: a bunch of morons.

On the other hand, the opening scenes with Komari-chan and Riki were quite fun. Komari-chan is quite the character. The way she swayed Kyousuke with her enthusiasm was great. And her relentless pursuit of Rin's friendship, particularly pretending to be hurt so Rin would get close enough so she could tickle her, was quite amusing.

I think this is the first anime that I have watched that included a character that suffers from narcolepsy. As such, I didn't find it too dark or too dramatic, since it was from Riki's first person perspective. I can imagine that it could get pretty annoying, to say the least. Just imagine suddenly falling asleep at the wheel.

[Team Rocket Elite]

Masato getting a title is part of a mini-game in the VN. It's a for fun side thing that has nothing to do with the main story at all. They skipped the explanation on how it worked but you can probably guess most of the details.

Spoiler for Battle Ranking Minigame rules:

When it started each member of the Little Busters is given a rank from first to last. At certain points in the story, you would be given the option to go battle other characters or watch battles between other characters. The battle system is what we see in the anime. Each character gets a random item (usually a joke item) to battle with. If the lower ranked character wins, they swap ranks with the higher rank characters. The winner gives the loser a new title regardless of whether the higher or lower rank won.

[leokiko]

The muscle dance was the best part of this episode.

Oh, and Komari's panty shot.

[Linkark07]

What can I say, liked how Komari was introduced. Masato was funny as always.

[Johnny]

Originally Posted by Klashikari

Also, I can't help but wonder why they put such a tone on Riki's narcolepsy, as if it was a severe ilness (so the "cliffhanger" at the end was sort of too dramatic for its own good).

QFT. It's like they're trying to follow the path of Kei from Onegai Teacher with the tones it was using...

Other than that it wasn't a bad episode. Komari seems like an idiot, but a loveable idiot. Really no clue what baseball was huh...

[Divini]

Spoiler for Comparison to the other Key anime:

If there's anything I learned from watching the other Key-adapted animes (Air, Clannad, Kanon), is that there's always a supernatural element that plays a significant role in the story.

Riki's narcolepsy just screams that plot element. All I can guess is that it's related to whoever wrote that note tied to the cat, and/or related to what the "secret of the world" written on that note is.

[calorie]

Another great episode. As someone who's being introduced to the LB world for the first time, I can say I already like the characters and the whole story setup, even if the premise seemed a tad ridiculous. This anime will create a strong feeling of bond within the group and thus evoke my sympathy as well, I can tell that already.

I found the jokes to be well delivered again, and they felt fresh compared to what can be seen in an average anime. Kamikita-chan was adorable, almost too much, but the silliness factors in nicely to balance that out. I think she'll be fun to watch. Did not like the anteater part but I realize this sort of thing is somewhat necessary in a VN adaptation (I'll just ignore things like that). This episode was pretty darn well animated, I like the style better than the one in Angel Beats! for now. If they can keep this up, I'll soon forget that LB anime wasn't bestowed with the godly KyoAni craftsmanship.

The secret notes and the narcolepsy got me interested already, and add some depth to the plot (the latter will definitely have something to do with the supernatural).

Looking forward to the next one .

[bigdeal000]

Originally Posted by thundrakkon

I also noticed that the anime is playing itself off like a game so far, like Masato gaining some sort of nickname status after each defeat. It also seems like missions are given, and they must complete the tast in order to move on to the next item. Add on top of that, each character is recruited one by one in a systematic way. This might be okay for a game, but seriously, this is anime and should be done that way. The flow is too game-like right now. I hope it flows better in future episodes.

You know what the irony is here? Regarding characters, the pace of the game IS NOT like that. I guess the anime is more game paced then the game itself meh, time limit constraints...