2009-01-06, 05:41 | Link #81 |
1000 times better
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Surrounded by Mistery (cool isn't?)
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Ahhhhh, this OVA.
You know, Kotori. I just feel like, you know, nothing is impossible. Truly life is meaningful. We can forgive, we can forget. We can enjoy little things. The economic crisis will just go away. Hamas and Israel will get to understand each other. Kotori will find true happiness. Ah... yes, everything will be just like it is supposed to be. Spoiler:
Also I wonder if ~if could get a PC port. That would be cool. |
2009-01-06, 22:58 | Link #88 |
Somehow I found out
Join Date: Feb 2006
Age: 40
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My contention still remains that when Da Capo first came out, it embodied everything wrong with visual novel conversions at the time, and Da Capo Second Season just accentuated all the flaws and lopped off the few good things about the first season. Da Capo II, while uninspiring, was at least something refreshingly different for the franchise, but Da Capo II Second Season was just the same old fairytale crap again. This... well, I had two completely different (and surprising) reactions to this that can be basically split into half episodes.
First half of OVA 1 Three points: 1. OH GOD Nemu is dead! YES! 2. OH GOD Kotori deserves better than Jun'ichi. 3. OH GOD this is boring. Second half of OVA 1 Holy crap, that was about as close to genuinely dramatic as I think Da Capo has ever reached. I was completely surprised with myself, but I actually felt for these characters as they were, in essence, burying Nemu for a second time. Maybe it was the overwhelming emotions, but Da Capo's characters have never been compelling enough to work on just emotions by themselves. I guess it was because all the emotions were under the surface, but still displayed clearly enough that the audience had an idea what each character was thinking. Only Kotori was truly explicit with how she felt. It was a more subdued presentation of emotions and angst, which isn't typical for this franchise, since it tends to be so overwrought. It could be an aberration, and I suspect it is, because, as I said, I just don't think DC's characters are nearly compelling enough for truly absorbing and moving drama. They only have one more OVA to cram in some character development to turn it around, and, in the case of Jun'ichi particularly, they'd need to pull off something monumental to make him sympathetic before the end of the next OVA. Well see what happens.
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2009-01-06, 23:32 | Link #89 | |
~ You're dead ^__^* ~
Graphic Designer
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That would be hilarious
Come to think, the tree was looking a bit more than half dead Quote:
Though the sudden goodbye did make me think KimiNozu OVA...maybe the ending with the next episode will also
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2009-01-06, 23:37 | Link #90 |
Administrator
Join Date: Dec 2003
Age: 41
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You crack me up in that you continue to watch all the series and its permutations knowing full well that Da Capo is all about "fairytale crap". It's not Da Capo without the sakura tree's magic, and I'd be surprised if they don't bring that into the story in its second half (even if it's to explain some of the events leading to this point). It's a story about an island where a never-whithering sakura tree makes people's dreams come true (but sometimes at a price). That's the premise, and yet you count it a fault when they delve into it. But if they didn't delve into it, that's abandoning the whole premise. There's a very specific reason she went running to the sakura tree (but we'll let the anime explain that).
It's almost like you're saying "Da Capo would be great if they made it into a completely different type of show, because I hate the sort of show they make". And you say it with a straight face, every time. And it still surprises me, to this day. |
2009-01-07, 05:25 | Link #91 |
Somehow I found out
Join Date: Feb 2006
Age: 40
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It might be a premise, but it's also a deus ex machina. When the show is at its strongest when it's not resorting to the sakura tree both to generate and then solve the dilemmas raised in the story, I don't see why it's unfair to criticize it for its excessive role in the story.
Edit: And anyway, I don't think Da Capo would be great if it abandoned the sakura tree, because the characters just aren't compelling enough, but I do think it would be better. Every time they resort to the sakura tree to resolve a conflict, it just strikes me as the writers using an easy out.
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2009-01-07, 23:09 | Link #93 | |
Administrator
Join Date: Dec 2003
Age: 41
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Da Capo was never meant to be about "real human drama", despite your preference for that approach. That's why I find it funny that you keep on fishing for the "real human drama" (ignoring the magical undercurrents) in every incarnation, proclaiming that, the lesser part, to be the better part. This probably goes back to your philosophy of watching anything regardless of your predispositions, as opposed to only watching things you know you have a taste for. The net effect is simply that almost all your reviews (when the show does what it's famous for) read basically like "nope, I still don't like this genre". It's the old saying about someone who keeps doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. I guess you're a glutton for pain. Basically, you watch a "fairytale show", and complain about the "fairytale crap". It's not entirely dislike watching a mecha anime and complaining about the "mecha crap", or a sports anime and complaining about the "sports crap". Maybe it's not "unfair", but it at least has a certain degree of irony. You should (and do) know better by now. |
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2009-01-08, 00:26 | Link #94 | |
Cropduster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Nomadic Existence
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Quote:
Spoiler:
Last edited by passin'gass; 2009-01-08 at 00:49. Reason: a bit more explanation |
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2009-01-08, 02:49 | Link #95 | ||
Snape: "I hate Potter!"
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Australia
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Quote:
Also relentless that saying in fact was said by Einstein and the whole saying goes: Quote:
The whole theme of Da Capo revolves around the sakura tree and it's magical properties. It carries the lesson that magic is no substitute to hard work and that there is no easy way out of a problem.
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2009-01-08, 09:17 | Link #96 | |||
Somehow I found out
Join Date: Feb 2006
Age: 40
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Quote:
Spoiler for DCIISS:
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I have my preferences as far as genres are concerned. Everyone does. But I don't "hate" any single genre. I'm constantly grappling with the dilemma of figuring out just how much suspension of disbelief and tolerance for genre conventions one affords to a given title to be able see it with a "fair" eye. But, nonetheless, the less suspension of disbelief and the less tolerance for genre conventions I'm forced to concede, the more likely I am to be truly absorbed by the experience. At that point it's a matter of characters, storytelling and atmosphere (depending on the experience, since they're not always relevant). I mean, what's Da Capo's aim at its core? It's to deliver a moving and dramatic story. How does it go about it? Well, not too dissimilar to a lot of visual novel conversions based on renai game. So, why does a typical Da Capo anime end up uncompelling when something like Kanon or ef - a tale of memories (admittedly the latter isn't a completely fair comparison) ends up being moving and emotionally involving? That's the sort of question I mull over when I try to review these series. Part of the answer is inevitably "personal preferences", but that's definitely not the full answer, and, in all honesty, such a dismissive explanation is completely unsatisfactory to me. No one wants to read an opinion that has has its foundations in explicit "personal preferences" (in part because it comes off as an apologetic disclaimer), nor do I want to write opinions that attempt to reconcile everything I observe in terms of personal preferences. People read reviews to get a description and a recommendation; I write reviews to try to explain just why I reacted the way I did to a given anime, and not in terms of how I watched it (since I try to make a concerted effort to minimize just what influence "how I watch it" has on the experience, particularly expectations and genre biases, which I usually try to put to one side, except when an anime forces them to become an issue), since I've no interest in that, but in terms of what the anime itself presented, and what the anime makers have done. Quote:
I'm not a grumpy, joyless SOB that gets kicks out of giving your favourite anime bad reviews. I hate that image. I know a large portion of my recent reviews have leaned towards negativity, but, in all honesty, I didn't want it that way. I've wanted to write more positive reviews recently, but circumstances have prevented that. And, let's face it, it has been a pretty barren year for anime. Recently I counted the number of reviews I've written total, and it turned out that approx. 33% were positive (ie, 7+), ~25% were negative (ie, 4 or less) and the rest, ~42% were moderate/indifferent (5-6). I don't claim to be representative of the medium, but if someone were to breakdown these figures as approximations for the number of good, bad and average anime, I doubt people would be too objecting. If anything, people might cite Sturgeon's Law and point out only 10% of anime is any good.
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2009-01-08, 22:40 | Link #98 |
Syouke
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Canada/Montreal
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Oh great, this really bring back memories. People that are posting here, i'm still regnonizing them X)...that never change haha!
Well, to think they would make Da Capo alternative ending...for all the feelings that I had for Da capo and Da capo SS. Ugh...I don't know what to say. However, I'm quite happy that Kotori will be the main character even though...it reminds me the second season. It was quite fun and frustrating to watch at the same time. The introduction was a win, seeing other characters bring back memories. However, Kotori was right about to kiss with Asakura and they stopped because just a sound of a BOAT! OMG! WTH! (They sure like to tease us ) Then, Kotori is turning down Asakura...*sigh The drama is still pretty good as always though and animation is superb too.
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2009-01-09, 01:26 | Link #99 | |||
Administrator
Join Date: Dec 2003
Age: 41
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Also, objectively-stated subjectivity is still subjective. You're just couching your subjectivity behind logic that can be defended (perhaps because you believe your subjective opinion is logical; I personally believe my subjective opinion is both chaotic and logical). In other words, just because your reviews talk about the show, the characters, the plot, and so on (or just because you make statements like "Da Capo never had compelling characters"), doesn't mean that it isn't still actually about your opinion. Anyone who reads it knows that it's just "Sorrow-K's take", which is different than some other reviewer's take. The dangerous logical trap to fall into here would be a belief that "because I state my opinions in an objective manner, my opinions are objective" (always false), which gives way to the natural consequence "opinions that can't be expressed in an objective manner are necessarily less valid or reasonable" (also always false). Objective tone is simply a way of discussing opinions that deflects attention away from the one doing the talking; it is simply about style/form. Opinions are always fundamentally personal. Quote:
In the end, to state it simply, what you have to come to terms with is that other people rate highly shows that you rate poorly. If you mislead yourself into thinking that your personal opinions are objective, then you only have two main choices: either other people are less informed ("ignorant"), or they're less capable of forming an informed opinion ("stupid"). And because I imagine that you would never be so arrogant to assume either of those would be true, I think the only other sensible option is to accept that opinions are subjective (even when observing the same facts). You and I can both see the same show in two different ways, and neither of us is necessarily either right or wrong for it. |
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2009-01-09, 03:57 | Link #100 | |
Snape: "I hate Potter!"
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Australia
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To me it seems you prioritize your enjoyment for writing reviews over your enjoyment for watching anime from the fact that even when you dislike the anime, you'll continue watching through it for the sake of writing a review saying how horrible it is. This kind of contradicts what you said about "if you disliked something you'd simply stop doing it", so if you disliked that anime then you'd simply stop watching it or not do a review about it, instead you take the task upon yourself to watch a show you simply did not enjoy then write a review stating how much you disliked it. So from the tone of your review and the motives behind you writing it, I see not a hint of objectivity in it. There is nothing wrong with expressing one's own opinions, in fact what I'm writing now is my own opinion, but it's only when you write in such a way where the general tone of the review feels like they're telling the readers that their opinions are the only one that matters, that's when things get a little carried away. Unfortunately I feel that most reviews these days on anything lack the objectivity I use to feel from them, that or reviewers these days are having trouble hiding their subjectivity.
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drama, eroge, romance, seinen |
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