2014-02-18, 05:52
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Link #3462 |
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Seishu's Ace
 Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kobe, Japan
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I'm halfway through my own rewatch of CG (I believe it's my third). It certainly ages like a fine wine.
As for Mix, I agree Adachi doesn't need to top himself to be great. I enjoy it a lot (I'm blogging it) but it hasn't revealed its MacGuffin yet - unless you count the fact that it's a Touch sequel to be the MacGuffin, which I don't. Monthly manga are quite different from weekly in many ways, and I'm of the opinion that monthly isn't the best fit for Adachi's leisurely narrative style, but the series itself is certainly unmistakably his.
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2014-03-20, 22:12
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Link #3463 | |
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Join Date: Mar 2014
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As for 'Mix', if all the expected chaos arrives next month as hinted (only this year has been confirmed so far), no one will care about anything but survival, so it's nice to revisit the world of Adachi in CG, his best IMO... outside of a couple of his one-shots like the one that time slipped into a tea shop to revisit his painful college experiences with a girl who played him, leaving his sketchbook behind. That one was nice. So far, not a whole lot out of Mix but setup, but in a few weeks, it most likely won't matter. I've seen CG probably 5 times, just finished it again a couple of weeks ago when I was checking a site and no new posts at the site I posted a comment or two on... similar to what the posters here mentioned early on... interesting, but given the state of our global culture based in remaining 'asleep', it isn't very surprising. No one gets shot and killed, tortured etc in this story, so not very fitting for the NWO/GPS.... Oops, was that political? Isn't everything?  I found it wonderful that the overlords of this forum attempted to maintain silence from the manga readers to prevent spoilage of the anime viewers experience of the unfolding drama. It's very interesting to read the play by play of the weekly episodes, which is hard for me to imagine after seeing it a few times. Hard to remember what not knowing was like, so reading these posts do remind me of that. For one, I agree that when they were kids, 'love' didn't come into the picture for Kou and Aoba, just for the seemingly precocious Waka-chan... love those little endearments in the language, have to say, something definitely lost here in the States. IMO, Kou first started to come to any consideration of this 'love' from Waka when he was in that bathtub remembering her kiss that day, and thus as the rose looked set to begin blooming, the mangaka rips it away. Yes, I saw the anime first, and never heard of Adachi, not being a anime fan, or a 'fan', ie fanatic of anything, but I did go through most of his stuff afterwards similarly as I did for Ms Austen, which is interesting in how readable it is for a 'modern' audience, not like Dickens at all, though her 'scars' where a little different, and women express themselves within much more than men who like Kou after Waka's death, spent his anger and frustration on that wall throwing that ball, and probably didn't stop until the end of the semester and the end of seeing that vase of flowers on the desk everyday. That's one of the scenes from the manga that definitely should have been given more airtime, all the anime did was give it a little flashback near the end and earlier a little comment by Akashi to Yuehei at the elementary school, can't remember if that was in the manga or not, but it was a nice scene of recognition by Akashi that he never really knew his 'crush', Wakaba... not like Kou or even Nakanishi who were in her class. And as another poster said, the old man and wife who saw it was left out, which i understand, but i could imagine a whole little side story for didn't yell at the crying kid throwing that ball against their wall every day... Oh well. Thankfully, there wasn't much left out, and I did like the Aoba scenes added in to give her character depth and give the audience a real reason for why she did what she did. IMO, if Wakaba lived, she'd have helped Aoba find the best school for girls baseball and encouraged her to acheive her dream as best she could given the limitations. That said, by staying, Aoba is learning coaching and the rest of the game. Like other posters, the Senda and Risa episodes, IMO should have been kept in the background like their characters, and not shoved out front for their own special, it did feel like filler, especially the Risa part, as Senda IMO, needed one extra scene before or after talking to Kou at the end when he says to Kou as well as himself, that if they win, they are really going to the Koushin, as if the reality of it is just dawning on him. An extra scene of Nakanishi wanting to lose more weight, and get in better shape would have been nice and could have been used with his girlfriend slapping him to 'help out'  Wasn't a fan of Touch, I thought the anime needed a serious edit, but perhaps that's a sign of the times it was produced in? I kept saying 'edit, edit, edit' to myself throughout almost the entire series, and that dog that makes a return visit in Mix now?  OMG! Whereas here in CG the cat... can't remember the name... Nemo?  not the fish, but something close with an N... oh well. In CG, the cat is used perfectly as a punctuation mark to some scenes... purrrrfect, and cats aren't needy like dogs who demand attention, and with a house full of women, maybe a cat works better, especially as it was a female as well, if I remember correctly... Hmmm.Being esoterically inclined, which is the only reason I came across anime (looking for visualization of the usual scifi or hyperdimensional aspects), I tend to veiw everything in that paradigm, or point of view, and it's interesting to see everyone giving their own point of view on CG as they experienced it... manga readers just having a wider pov perhaps, especially those with experience of the Mitsuruverse, or would that be the Adachiverse... another language issue to remember, which reminds me of a few posts in which certain words were shown to be different than some translations, most didn't seem a big deal, but a couple sure did, but then again, you have to know the culture, and Japan has had a problem or lack of desire in exporting their culture it seems since Western provocation a couple of centuries ago. An exposure thing? I for one, think they should have really pushed for professional dubbing, such as I found on Haruhi Suzumiya, that older woman VA is excellent. I tried the subs, but found her english version better, and that is rather rare don't you think? What makes anime so different is the cultural context expressed in the language if not the storytelling itself, but a good story, like a good storyteller, is the same everywhere, only the format changes, but I think the real money issue is found in this lack of dubbing for the international markets. It's a whole different experience watching an anime when you aren't spending half the time reading the subs below the ongoing action on screen. The problem is setting up the VA industry for professional level dubbing of their product, and from what I read/heard on DannyCho's site, it seems they just didn't think foreigners would be interested enough to their culture to pay for the costs involved. Ah well, what can you do so late in the game? A wee bit too late for a 'Hail Mary' at this time. I was thinking of actually watching CG yet again after I came across a different site with a different set of subs, VIZ actually, and was wondering which set of subs were the best to pick up the nuances of the language? when subbed that is. I would really like to watch it with a good dub though, and a dubbed soundtrack as well... the songs etc... not easy to do, thus the costs, which like special affects, became a lot cheaper after Star Wars when George Lucas setup his affects shop. He took the risk and the expense to gamble on its use for his own sequels and what he thought would be useful to other directors and their projects. This should have been the case in Japan and even France who complains about the American films destroying their culture so much... Create a dubbing industry and create some jobs for a change... Oops, is that political again? Oh yeah, I remember how the discussion turned to tropes etc and later on who was gonna hook up with who, but IMO, Adachi set up episode 2 with the protagonists on the train platform to start off his usual storyline, pointing out to us who the stars would be, and I had to laugh right off the top with the attitude thing... love that! That's a Taming of the Shrew trope, so K and A were the 'it' couple, I never had any doubts about that, and if you never saw the version of the film with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor then you should, and to get a heavy dramatic version of such a relationship that seems to have turned sour, check out their film of the play Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe... another classic, but not K and A for sure. IMO, Wakaba was a setup character to get the story of K and A going, sort of like how the cousin, Mizuki?, was used to a very small degree, only Waka-chan wasn't forgotten and left at home like Mizuki... had to agree with the poster who though Adachi tired of him and thought his character no longer needed, and in the manga, it seems that the background characters break the 4th wall at times to complain about this lack of attention.  There's so much in CG, it really has depth, not the shallow kind that is common in most popular entertainment since...? It's not like shallow action figures haven't always been around, just not celebrated so much as to drown out everything else, but then that is a sign of cultural decline and to be expected in these 'end-times'.  The feel of CG reminds me of Tamayura, which uses the usual girlfriend tropes, but has the same nostalgic intimacy of CG, and the songs seemed even more tailored to the storyline, especially the last ED for season 2. The girl and her fathers camera... with the flashbacks that only give us a fleeting glimpse of the father figure that was and is no more. These plotlines in anime are usually well loved characters, though the opposite would be interesting wouldn't it? That'd be different, and different is good.  Or like the baseball coach, perhaps most prefer to keep it simple? Simple is best?
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2014-05-31, 08:20
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Link #3464 |
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Seishu's Ace
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kobe, Japan
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Another rewatch of CG done and dusted. I still wish it'd had another episode at the end to really give things a proper coda and I wish the event at the end of episode 49 had been staged differently, but on balance it's hard to complain - it's a beautiful experience. And Kitamura Kou remains quite possibly the best MC in modern anime history.
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2014-06-04, 22:37
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Link #3465 |
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
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Actually, given its the Adachiverse, this seems to be the norm. It is assumed they win the Koshien, given the team they just beat won a few months ago at the Spring Invite... unless you are talking about the personal relationship issue? As for the end of Ep 49, not remembering it exactly, are your referring to Kou up at the plate? I thought more memory events could have been used and perhaps feeding into the 'lost in the moment' of reflection but already used. I think in the manga, Kou gave the coin to the ump first...
I think different versions of past childhood events could've/should've been used throughout the story, instead of the same ones repeatedly... but yea, "on balance it's hard to complain". I like the way it wraps up after that at bat... with the very limited Kou narration, which helps tie it in with the very limited bit Kou does at the beg/end about the clover... there are a few bits in the manga I would've liked to see in the anime, like the old guy and his wife when Kou was throwing the ball against his perimeter wall... but then I would like to see those missing 4 years more than anything else, as that is the key for all that follows. I would like to see life after high school, but not many do that given the targeted audience on a Sat 10am start time... if they start in school, they end in school or at graduation... or the story stops like Haruhi, and most Adachi stories are HS (competition)... outside of those oneshots, which is what the first anime episode reminds me of, but it's only used as a means to setup the rest. Yes, you could say that Kou went through the coping experience much faster than Aoba, thus that plotline up to the end... wrapped in a pretty bow with the wedding and narration, just like the first episode... I get the manga and anime confused at times... they're essentially the same, only missing a few scenes, which I wonder if they would've been in if not for the fact that the project was started before the manga ended... aka Harry Potter problems in translation. Hard to say... but that first episode/book really kicked the usual Adachi story into a higher gear. One other point I would've liked to have seen is some hint of a backstory on the mother, as her loss for the eldest daughter is similar to the loss of Wakaba for Momoji... etc. Not that it was all taken advantage of, but there is just alot more in this story than most of his others... the main thing being given up front in the first episode, instead of hinting till the end, so that what becomes important isn't WHAT happened, but what happens NEXT... thus by the end, you what to see the next Next.  There is life after high school, but then that changes everything, and nothing at the same time.  It's interesting to pick up little things missed from previous viewings when watching it again, which isn't something I can say very often, usually things others have mentioned here like Aoba getting a box of chocolates for Kou... only to claim otherwise when the Waka-lookalike shows up. Missed that, but then I'm stucked reading the subtitles, so it's to be expected, and these little things can only be found when you know the story well enough not to care about reading every line. I'm not a fan of subtitles.  I much prefer dubbed, but only if it's done right, as so much of the little mannerisms are lost in translation... those 'little' things.
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2014-11-11, 01:52
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Link #3466 |
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I’m sorry, Kamijou-san!!
Join Date: May 2013
Location: California
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That was the best ending I've seen in a very long time. That made me very happy.
I saw this because of Guardian Enzo's Avatar, and it sure as heck worked because I loved this show and it is now one of my favorite shows of all time. I started this a few days ago, and even though I can never hope to experience what others had felt from watching and waiting for episodes every week, I have to say that this was an amazing series with a lot of insightful content and comments. Those small subtleties, and those hints lining up until the very end. Some of my favorite aspects of this series include the idea that Aoba achieved the dream of pitching at Koshien through Kou. I really liked that idea. Another favorite part of this series was that the characters had so much depth and character development, except perhaps Sendoa. I really appreciate Aoba's character. Because of how she was portrayed for the longest time, I couldn't see it. It didn't dawn on me until the final episode, at the moment where Kou didn't let go of her hand. Their best trait is their ability to lie... when she started that monologue to herself about how Kou saw through all of her lies, in that moment it dawned on me. That was one of the best scenes I have ever seen in a show.Not to mention the baseball which made me deeply interested in and appreciative of baseball, because it made me understand what feelings could go into that sport. This show has many strengths and as others have said the part of this show that I liked the most is probably the aspect of the show that the other people who love this show really love it for: This show is what it is because of many small moments and interactions that eventually build up into something extremely meaningful. The show has a playful attitude while retaining its insightful vision into the reality of how to live after losing a loved one, and the guilt of trying to move on, and whether it is right to do that. This show didn't need anything amazing. It just needed something simple and perfected that simplicity. I will admit that this show is the type of show that is very hard to sell. However, I suppose that I'll also spread the word to try to help out and make it more recognized. Kitamura Kou is one of the best main protagonists I have ever seen. He isn't my favorite..., but he has a lot of depth. I've seen 3 protagonists with (what I perceive to be) more depth than Kitamura Kou. However, he is still probably #4 on my list of top ten fictional characters. On the other hand, Aoba Tsukishima is on my top list of female fictional characters, and for lack of better characters as of right now... she is my #1 on that list... ABOVE Misaka Mikoto... *sigh*  Edit: I love Tsundere characters... Aoba is an example of a good Tsundere. She isn't a flanderized tsundere. She is a Tsundere because of her backstory and because of who she is, and that makes me find her character especially compelling. It just feels more worth it, if characters end up falling in love because they dig deep on both sides and discover something that neither previously realized was there.
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Last edited by dniv; 2014-11-11 at 02:04. |
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2014-11-12, 07:50
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Link #3468 | |
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A blast from the past
Artist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Fortaleza-CE, Brazil
Age: 46
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2014-11-17, 15:52
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Link #3473 |
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¡Gracias Totales!
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Entre caníbales...
Age: 31
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Just finished ep.50... There not much to say, maybe that this show is an example of wonderful writing, capable of making me wait 50 chapters for a pay-off that could be seen from the very start and making me care about said paid off... Maybe feeling that some moves could have been executed better (Akane, oh god, Akane, it would have been nice if she were a little less perfect in order for me not to be so torn about it), but overall one of the best things to ever grace my TV screen.
Also, Azuma best bro, perfect wingman
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2014-11-17, 20:55
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Link #3474 |
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Seishu's Ace
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kobe, Japan
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Akane is quite literally a plot device, but the fact that she's so effective is testament to Adachi's genius.
This is how good Adachi is, in fact - even when he relies on plot devices, tsunderes and lolimoutos, they're good characters.
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2014-11-17, 21:32
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Link #3475 |
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¡Gracias Totales!
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Entre caníbales...
Age: 31
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^
Yeah, arquetypes aren't bad when they are handled as nicely as the writer did, I was even able to not think into how contrived the whole Akane affair was and instead focus on how nice of a character she was Also, since yours was one of your recommendations that got me to watch this, I'll trust your signature and give Hikaru no Go a try
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2014-11-17, 22:34
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Link #3476 | |
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Seishu's Ace
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kobe, Japan
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Quote:
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2014-11-26, 14:42
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Link #3477 |
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
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Well, archetypes are the foundation of everything so that isn't surprising. Every medium has its collection of them, some just utilize them better than others, which seems to be a question of how well the authors understand them and their characters, and let's face it, Adachi sure is getting some serious 'mileage' out of his set, from one series to the next.
The more times I watch it, the more the little things stick out, like the little sister's hair. I would think that most girls her age would try out something a little different over those 5 or so years, but overall, my real complaint is simple, money. This is why those Disney animations seem better, they are probably spending at least 10x more on the production than seems to be the case in the Japanese industry. It's alright for manga, but when you take those same images and convert them to motion, you need more frames per second, otherwise it looks a little stilted, choppy etc. The Akane character is perhaps suffering from this same 'lack', as it's one thing in manga, but when converted to motion, ''something's gotta give'', as in change, adapt and whatnot.I think that the real density of the storyline is that addition of the elementary storyline to what is Adachi's usual late Jr high to high school/Koshien storyline, which allows all the back story, flashbacks etc. It reminds me of his Adventure Boys collection... sort of, which then gives a nostalgic remembrance feeling to the relationships, and the Akane character could have been expanded out a little as she realizes the situation she finds herself in, but then that's a typical feeling for when you like a set of characters, you want more. Personally, I'd like those missing 4 years filled in, but then the storytelling wouldn't be an Adachi one, and most authors follow this sort of 'tease' of the audience with foreshadowing etc... hints to entice them to follow along. The entire story would take on a different feel if we saw those missing 4 years, in which Kou processed the experience and learned how to put on a mask, while Aoba didn't... which explains her comments at the close....[ which reminds me of that line in JKRowling's HP series... "I open at the close", which in this case would be Aoba opening].Lastly, more money would add a scene or two that dealt with the other MIA, the mother, which the little sister wouldn't remember at all. Momoji (just remembered her name) hardly remembers Wakaba, which must be the same as Aoba hardly remembers her mother. There's a lot of little things like that, which the anime could have expanded on, perhaps if money allowed, but then it is one problem with starting production before the manga ends, as it isn't like one of those endless storylines, Adachi has his own habits to maintain. The anime did do this with the Aoba- girls baseball addition, which I also felt was needed after reading the manga, though that could be thanks to the advertisers/sponsors and not the production company.... sort of how Ghibli got started as a tie in with the now classic- Graveyard of the Fireflies.... history in general is full of these situations, though most of that history is destroyed to hide these same facts... 'to the victors go the spoils'... and they don't want 'the sheep' to know how they achieved that victory... such as this week in the USA being 'Thanksgiving', yet how many know that what those early pilgrims were thankful for was a masacre on the local 'Indian' communities that they blamed for one of their guys death. This is why I'd like a change in the Adachi program and a filling in of those 4 years, sort of like Adventure Boys fills in the blanks from those early years.... it would change the storytelling, as it would make the audience more emotionally invovled, as yes, the baseball could be included.... Oh well.... life goes on, as his new version - MIX- demonstrates... though much, much slower and without any nostalgia it seems.... as it seems a step backwards... so far at least. Guess that after seeing the kid's version, I'd like an adult version of the storytelling, imagine if it wasn't on Saturday mornings, but nights instead... different targeted audience would really change things up. |
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2015-07-24, 16:44
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Link #3478 |
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AS Oji-kun
Join Date: Nov 2006
Age: 74
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If this kid played for Seishu, how long do you think it would take before Kou, Akaishi, and Azuma took him aside and suggested he might change his routine?
Senda would be secretly practicing those moves to attract the ladies.
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2015-09-05, 14:57
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Link #3480 |
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
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Saw that awhile ago as well, and thought it 'cute' or at least entertaining for the audience/fans in the stands if not on tv.... those pitches didn't look too fast, nor too fast during his routine... just pitch it a little faster once he starts his 'game' and he'll stop real fast as long as the pitch hits the strike zone. He's a character anyway, and maybe one Adachi can use in MIX?
That aside, the Little League was more entertaining. I wondered how far that little town in PA could go... especially after that first inning. but then the second inning spelled trouble for RedTown. It would be interesting to hear what this guy's teammates and the fans thought of his 'routine', as those with real 'game' usually don't play this game. |
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