Lamune

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by Radiosity

Are you seriously saying you dropped Mai HiME after only a few episodes? ....

Me, too. I watched the first five or six eps of Mai-HiME, and a couple of later ones, but it just left me totally cold. The characters and situations were meaningless to me. I watched the first four eps of Otome and liked the first one, but totally lost interest after that, for the same reasons. One thing I've learned on Anime Suki is how much reasonable people's tastes can differ. For instance, I love Paradise Kiss, which few people seem to watch.

[rooboy]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

Me, too. I watched the first five or six eps of Mai-HiME, and a couple of later ones, but it just left me totally cold. The characters and situations were meaningless to me. I watched the first four eps of Otome and liked the first one, but totally lost interest after that, for the same reasons. One thing I've learned on Anime Suki is how much reasonable people's tastes can differ. For instance, I love Paradise Kiss, which few people seem to watch.

Yup, Paradise Kiss is another one. Tried the first episode and couldn't really deal with it, so I figure I'll wait til it's finished (if it's not licensed) and give it another go.

And I would have to add that not only do people's tastes differ (and none of us are "right" or "wrong" about what makes a good show), but that, frequently, due to life experiences or whatever, what you get out of a show may be different than what I do. For example, I can't stand Beck. But then, I've never been in a band, had a desire to be in a band, and the only music I really listen to is really dated (except the occasional anime soundtrack). But that being said, I'm always willing to give a show another shot if it has a lot of fans. As long as I don't have to wait around to like episode 20 or whatever before it starts to get good.

[Srin Tuar]

Originally Posted by rooboy666

Yup, Paradise Kiss is another one. Tried the first episode and couldn't really deal with it, so I figure I'll wait til it's finished (if it's not licensed) and give it another go.

Hah-
I hate high fashion, modelling, making clothes, dressing up really, art schools, and all that sort of stuff. I think its dumb and pointless.

I watched the first episode of parakisu not expecting much, or maybe at most have something to rant about it sucking so bad, just like beck did.

Instead I was entranced, and watched the first episode like 6 times in a row.
The music, the scenes, the characters. I dont know how to describe it except to say I cant
help but feel you are missing out.

Now, about lamune

Spoiler for episode 11:

This show had almost lost me by this point- slow and repetitive development of the main
characters made me feel as if nothing would ever change.

But this episode was awesome. The way Ken and Nanami are together is really and deeply
touching. As ken I know I would have had a hard time not descending upon nanami like
a ravenous wolf :P They are not just osananajimi, not just lovers, not just infantuated or charmed by each other, and not just in love. They lack the insecurity, the awkwardness, the doubt, and the misunderstandings universal to all couples.The two of them really belong to each other.

Perhaps its just a breath of fresh air from most love stories, and all the suukaku kankei plots.

I really felt the part when Kenji imagined something untoward happening to Nanami- he almost lost it. Thats a kind of shock you dont even get when someone tells you you have some inoperable condition and are imminently dying. He sees her when he looks in any direction,
her dying would be like the end of the world for him, in a way. (wow, its beautiful, but who
wants that kind of liability, that kind of weakness, i dunno)

And of course, the ending is a horrible cliffhanger. This is the first time I really feel compelled to see next episode of lamune.

[rooboy]

Originally Posted by Srin Tuar

I watched the first episode of parakisu not expecting much, or maybe at most have something to rant about it sucking so bad, just like beck did.

Instead I was entranced, and watched the first episode like 6 times in a row.
The music, the scenes, the characters. I dont know how to describe it except to say I cant help but feel you are missing out.

I actually _did_ watch the first episode. There're very few series I won't at least _try_. And even then, I usually will eventually give it a shot. Though I'm so far behind on Gundam lore that I just don't bother anymore with new ones. Also, I've been trying to rewatch the first episode of Mai Hime, and this seems like a completely different show than the one I didn't like. I wonder if I have it confused with something else.

FWIW, Lamune is one of the few shows I watch twice, once as a raw and then once again when it's been subbed.

Spoiler:

Episode 10 and 11 have been great as they show Nanami and Ken trying to take the toddling steps to being an official couple. This is a pretty scary time as, of course, there's always the fear that if something goes wrong, you lose your best friend in the process. Of course, somewhat similar to Nemu and Junichi, there is a little less fear for Ken and Nanami as they've for all practical purposes been a couple for years now. I guess I'm not that worried about the "cliffhanger" at the end of eleven simply because it's really not the type of show that seems to be going for shock value (a la Shuffle or DCSS, both shows I enjoy also), but instead is really just doing 12 episodes of character work on Ken, Nanami and the others.

Every episode of Lamune leaves me with a really contented feeling, I know that there's no real way they could have stretched out this kind of show longer, but I am sorely going to miss it when it's gone.

[Radiosity]

Originally Posted by rooboy666

Also, I've been trying to rewatch the first episode of Mai Hime, and this seems like a completely different show than the one I didn't like.

Good, stick with it, it's really an excellent series

[Srin Tuar]

Originally Posted by rooboy666

Spoiler:

I guess I'm not that worried about the "cliffhanger" at the end of eleven simply because it's really not the type of show that seems to be going for shock value (a la Shuffle or DCSS, both shows I enjoy also), but instead is really just doing 12 episodes of character work on Ken, Nanami and the others.

Spoiler:

Im not worried about him not surviving. (allthough the potential shock value is high, its unlikely)
Its just frustrating that the event derailed the intense amorous buildup that was taking place, so it
left me hungering for that to continue.

Spoiler for detail:

Them wiping the rain off each other
Nanami jumping into his balcony so suddenly
both of them staring into each other
hauling her to the hospital through the typhoon wind and rain
kenji repairing her garden while she recovered
nanami knowing where he was intrinsically
nanami finding her hat
... then distractions

Heh, maybe it wouldnt have been intense if I didnt have to go through 10 episodes of buildup.
But whatever it was, I liked it.

[mangatron]

You know, I've never posted in the previous Lamune thread or this due to lack of time available also considering the amount of anime I watch this season (I've set priorities for Canvas 2, To Heart 2, MSLN 2, DC 2....wait a minute, they're all sequels ROFL....), Shuffle, GPO, PPD, and others aren't high on my to-post list, and Lamune would've had I not been arrogant in reserving my nose for Canvas 2 and TH2 .

Me, a really big fan of Mizuiro, I've had Mizuiro 2003 avatars and sig's that sparked interest into many who laid eye's on them, time and time again I watch Mizuiro 2003 so much so I encoded it to play on my Pocket PC PDA. Portable Hiyori, and looks like I'll need to add Nanami in here as well. Now, normally I wouldn't have had deep interest in this anime other than in it for the girls , but I thought about something, the similarities that was a no-doubt-about-it on why I love the Lamune anime so much.

-Same VA for Nanami as was Hiyori
-Both girls have a boyfriend with the name "Ken" in it.
-Both girls call their respective's "Ken-chan"
-Both girls have pinkish hair
-Both girls cry
-Both girls have something special the boy has given them
-Both girls were sick at one time
-Both Ken's have identical attitude's
-Both Ken's have quite a sister
-Both series have school life in them
-Both series have a touch of laughter here and there
-Both series have memorable girls in them
-Last but not least, the one thing that is uncomparable: episode count. Mizuiro 2003, 2 episodes. Lamune, 12. You know what make me scream out loud for joy? Watching Lamune is like watching Mizuiro 2003 for 12 episodes And I'm loving every minute of it. I can't recall any of the numerous romance anime I've seen that has a couple with a relationship like Nanami x Kenji.

And about episode 11, a sad thing I wasn't surprised about it...

Spoiler for episode 11:

...knowing about the game sorta ruined the surprise, but I felt it was going to happen anyways. The accident Kenji had, although I didn't know it would happen that way, I knew it was going to happen, as one who knows of the game, it was well documented there lol...here, have a looksey:

Spoiler for may really spoil what the outcome will be, click at your own risk:

Aw hey look, he owe's her one

Now it all the more makes me want to see the above scene, if it gets animated as well. I'd like to hear my Nanami cry one last time before she attains true happiness....

You know, I class this anime in my list Category: moe melts I mean, I just have to meet Yuuko-san someday, I mean wow....she plays the role very, very well.

[Radiosity]

I'd love to meet her too Her Kaede role was awesome too (she does psycho role to perfection ).

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by Radiosity

I'd love to meet her too Her Kaede role was awesome too (she does psycho role to perfection ).

Gotou Yuuko has an extensive personal website. There are lots of photos of her under "Photo." There are some details about her in the first post in this thread.

She can draw really well. Look under "Comic" and "Illustration." Her diary is interesting and up-to-date. Her most recent entry is entitled "And I'm a Buddhist..." and talks about getting brown color contact lenses to help prevent red-eye in photos of her, but having to take them out because it was so dry in the studio and her eyes hurt, so it was a choice between red-eye and red eyes. She says she's been really busy and looks forward to having the 24th off.

I still can't get over the fact that with her sweet little voice, some of her interests are drinking, motorcycles and watching fighting sports.

[Devil Doll]

I had planned to post more in this thread after Suzuka has finished, but I won't be able to understand enough about the raw version, so if the discussions here will be based on these I'd be always a month behind and probably be spoiled about some later episodes already.
Having said that, I am optimistic about liking this series after watching three episodes. I can only take so much drama at a time, and although I am not a comedy fan Lamune seems to be a good alternative without getting overly silly or even ecchi. (Ajimu Kaigan Monogatari comes to my mind.) The pace seems slow to me so far but that's fine, the characters have to get more substance before the story can unfold.

As for Mai Hime, I watched the first half of if but somehow put the project on hold after that and didn't restart it so far (despite being informed about a forthcoming change of tone for this story that might be of my liking). The problem with this series is that the scenario requires a large number of character to play certain roles, thus making many of these not really important. I prefer a focus on a smaller and better developed cast, like Iriya no Sora, Suzuka, Ajimu or Kanon would provide it. So Lamune being focussed on two leads at the start, then introducing alternatives for the harem scenario, looks like a good bet for me.

[mangatron]

Well, I had originally thought I was prepared for an episode like this, but I have to admit, it's anime like this that re-surfaces my past...

Spoiler for episode 12, do not read if you want to watch for yourself:

...what a strange past it is, here I thought an anime really wouldn't make me feel so moved, so...touched. Now I'd like to point something out, before anyone compares this to KGNE, please, remember the first rule of thought: this is not KGNE, all right, this series doesn't even deserve to be compared to anything, because I feel as of this moment this series stands by itself, utterly un-comparable. Difference's being, Takayuki barely even knew Haruka, so it should make sense why he didn't end up with her. Namami and Kenji, on the other hand, have been together ever since they were very young, and they lived their lives together, they did the same things together, it was no wonder why they were usually reffered to as a couple already.

I was very moved by the way Nanami was so caring of Kenji, even putting school aside for Kenji. Another interesting note was, everyone seemed to have their lives still on track, although still thinking about Kenji at times. I believe mr Azreal, that Japanese teacher covered that in one of his editorials, he makes note of how Japanese people react to lost ones. Although, of course, Kenji isn't dead, but that's what made it interesting as well. Nanami would go to the hospital now and then to visit him as if it were her house. Nanami still wanted to do things with Kenji, even a date as well, and I gotta hand it to her, she handled the situation quite well....

I had a friend once, back when I was younger, and this man was a very nice man. Everytime my family would visit his house he would always offer food to eat, he would always offer us a ride home, he was very close friends with my parents, and yet, his own family didn't share the same respect we had for him. After retiring from the military, he split up with his family and went to the U.S., where he had to get treatment for drinking, which I was told an addiction he accumulated over the years due to his family. But before he left, the last words I remember from him, was his promise to take us to a particular Lake in the U.S., where he would show us his Radio controlled boat, and how cool and fun it would be. Of course, his family didn't share the same enthusiasim, but shortly after arriving in the U.S., drinking and smoking became too much of a habit for him, that....he died. He died, and it wasn't fair. His family didn't treat him right, his family didn't love him, except his youngest son, whom I was close friends with as well. But his youngest son was too late to show his support for his father, and in the end, when it was too late, he was the only family member he had that cared for him. It became more clearer when his youngest son, who was in Germany at the time, wanted to go to his funeral in the U.S. (he had served in the U.S. military.), but the Army did not grant his youngest son means to attend his funeral. The young man was furious, and his anger further showed that he truly cared for the father had so little time to spend with. In the end, when I was told of his death, it came as a immense shock to me. The man had promised me and my older two brothers that he was going to take us to that lake, and he was going to show us how cool his R/C boat would look on the water, he was going to show us how fast it is,...and when I heard that he had died, I felt as if I had all those promises taken away from me, everything, all the memories of him, gone...

And it's anime like Lamune, one of the very few anime, that can move me and make me remember those people that I have known, and have passed away. And everytime Namami cried, I knew how she felt, but that she was in a better position than I was, to her, Kenji is right there, she can see him, in my case, all I had were the words to go along with, and his funeral was thousands of miles away, and to think the last sight I remember of him, smoking, drinking, always smiling everytime he saw me and my family, always laughing and happy.

So I wanted to dedicate this episode 12 to him, to my parent's friend, and to the man who had held onto his promise until life said otherwise, to the man who had served in the Gulf War, I dedicate this episode, and one of my favorite anime of all time, to you. And I have made it one of my personal goals, to go to the lake he spoke of, and bring an R/C boat with me, and see, what he saw, to feel, how he felt, everytime he was there at the lake.

With that said, I hope I didn't bother any of you, it's just that this episode 12 made me remember how it is to lose someone you cared about, someone who was nice to you....And I thoroughly enjoyed this ep 12, in the end when Kenji woke up, that was a touching scene, very touching as Nanami cried like she hadn't done before, and it was very nice to see this in animated form, as opposed to the game.

-Nanami cut her hair a bit. I'll admit I really liked long hair Nanami, but in the end, she was destined for Kenji, so I have nothing against her.
-Mr Tomosaka, Mrs,....what's her name...they seemed to have become intimately close of late, at one point MR Tomosaka blushing....hm....
-I do find it funny that Hikari is quite a small girl. Heh, beauty in a small, carry-able package...
-Lastly I would really like to commend Yuuko-san on a great, wonderful job she has doen with Nanami's character, well, any other character she has done as well. I tell you, I cannot fathom any other voice for Nanami other than Yuuko-san's. Again, a job well done, and congrats to Nekoneko soft for a wonderful project, Lamune.

I'd also like to note, for those of you who didn't have much of a past, or those of you who don't feel for life situations as a hardend person as myself, I would like to say, this series is not for you. Seriously, if you have not had a situation in your life that one of Lamune's 12 episodes portrayed, then you cannot come to realize how much I am moved by this series. This was a series where I could sit down, relax, and laugh and smile at the perfect couple that Nanami and Kenji were. This anime will now grace my list of favorites, and yes, it is alone on the top list of "anime that moved me most".

Again, I want to thank nekoneko soft for creating Lamune, the girls of Lamune, and for creating a male character that obviously stands out among the crowd of game to anime male characters. Again, thank you Nekoneko soft, and, I look forward to the day when Yuuko-san and Nekoneko soft work together again, on a girl that I can only dream about.

[monir]

Agree with Mangatron.

It's a show that didn't try to sell or pretend to have a plot, so there was no false expectation. The series just happened episode by episode. Episode 12 is a delightfully fitting end to this series. Also, after Kaede/Nanami performance I think it is safe to say I have become a fan of the Seiyuu. Hopefully, she will be voicing more of my soon to be favorite female characters.

[mangatron]

Originally Posted by monir

Agree with Mangatron.

It's a show that didn't try to sell or pretend to have a plot, so there was no false expectation. The series just happened episode by episode. Episode 12 is a delightfully fitting end to this series.

You know, your right. When I first watched this series, I noticed something the moment it began: it started with a scene of the main characters in their younger years. Mizuiro 2003 started like that, and at that moment, I knew I would love this series. You see, Mizuiro 2003 was only 2 episodes, I wanted more, yeah, but it got me thinking, and I thought I know this isn't going to be the last time I enjoy something from NekoNeko soft. It's no wonder why I love Lamune; I wasn't expecting anything from it. I wasn't expecting hardcore stories of each of the characters backgrounds, I wasn't expecting some action of all things , I set out to do the most important thing I do when I watch anime: I don't expect anything, and I enjoy what I see.

Lamune flowed well to my opinion, the fact that it didn't slow down at times and the fact that only the end was a to be continued, that proves that it was a surprise the next episode again and again. Now this all makes me want to line up all NekoNeko soft games and see what's next

[Srin Tuar]

Spoiler for and so it ends:

Well, the ending was sortof slow paced for me.
I'm sure it was an agonizingly long coma for nanami,
but it wasnt really all that interesting to watch. (you kindof knew
he was eventually going to wake up, so it felt like watching how
long the writers planned to torture nanami more than any sense of suspense)

I did get the feeling at the end that whatever closeness they had before must
be incredibly amplified now- Nanami gave up all her usual school friends,
cut her hair as in mourning, and basically separated herself from the rest
of the world by 6 months of timespace. There must be such a huge chasm
between them and the rest of the world now they basically live on their
own planet. An appropriate place to end the show.

But I really wanted more of the romantic moments from eps 10 and 11 though.

[rooboy]

Loved it. It was so touching in so many ways. I think this might end up being my favorite anime series out of this season (though I still have to see how Canvas2 and Shakugan no Shana end I suppose to say so). I know a lot of people thought it was too slow and nothing happened, but I thought it was wonderfully put together. Light on plot, heavy on character and theme (just the way I like things), and never felt too rushed (which is my most common complaint with anime series, too slow in the first half, too fast in the second). Lamune stuck to it's strengths and I have to admit I'm also looking forward to whatever Nekoneko soft game gets adapted next.

[nite0]

Originally Posted by Srin Tuar

Spoiler for and so it ends:

Well, the ending was sortof slow paced for me.
I'm sure it was an agonizingly long coma for nanami,
but it wasnt really all that interesting to watch. (you kindof knew
he was eventually going to wake up, so it felt like watching how
long the writers planned to torture nanami more than any sense of suspense)

I did get the feeling at the end that whatever closeness they had before must
be incredibly amplified now- Nanami gave up all her usual school friends,
cut her hair as in mourning, and basically separated herself from the rest
of the world by 6 months of timespace. There must be such a huge chasm
between them and the rest of the world now they basically live on their
own planet. An appropriate place to end the show.

But I really wanted more of the romantic moments from eps 10 and 11 though.

Summed up my thoughts exactly.

[Wandering_Youth]

I enjoy watching Lamune so far since it has the same slow pace like To Heart had and I really liked that. I thought straight off that Nanami was going to be another clutzy girl but in fact she's not. The scenes where it show Kenji and Nanami talking to each other when they were kids were entertaining and adorable. I look forward to see the rest of the anime.

[giu_2]

onley 12 episodes *crying* ^^

[Abbott]

Here's hoping for a lovey dovey filled OVA

[bigae]

..............