2010-05-04, 17:51 | Link #101 |
Major Lurker
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: <clap> <clap> <clap> <clap> Deep in the Heart of Texas
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The character names seem very symbolic:
Watashi - me Ozu - fearful Akashi - verification Ozu certainly does seem demonic in more than just appearance. Intriguing idea that he may be just a projection of the self (Watashi); a personification of Watashi's paranoia. Akashi also? Was it really she who worked so hard on the big man's project and nobody talked to, or our boy, who again developed resentment at his perceived lack of acknowledgement and acceptance? The creator's file at the end showed part of the dance sequence from Mind Game.
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2010-05-04, 18:04 | Link #102 | |
In the Tatami Galaxy ↓
Join Date: Feb 2006
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It is also telling to note that we are seeing the perspective of an unreliable narrator. As yet it is still quite difficult to tell most of the reality from fiction, although as Kaoru Chujo said there are some instances where Watashi's impressions are grossly different from the realities that surround him.
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2010-05-05, 19:22 | Link #103 | |
Senior Member
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I think the presentation is not that much different. The first and third club are anime original constructs, but the events he goes through are the same as in the novel, they just don't go into that much details so far. Spoiler for novel:
The only thing really different is what the fortune teller tells him, or to be more precise, the hint she gives him about overcoming his slump. I wonder if the 'colloseum' will be brought in at a later episode. I still wonder if they plan to pull through with the 1 episode approach...it fit the stories so far, but the first half of the 1st episode was the beginning of chapter 1, episode 2 was basically the middle...so I wonder if the 3rd will tell the end. Spoiler:
And just wondering, how did you translate the 師匠 after that? Because it is actually used to hide certain connections from Watashi and therefore from the reader, too. Spoiler for novel:
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2010-05-05, 22:31 | Link #104 | |
Translator, Producer
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Age: 44
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Teacher and student would be a bit off, and the "Master" usage has a sort of eastern flavor to it but is sufficiently vague so I think it's the best choice.
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2010-05-06, 11:07 | Link #105 |
In the Tatami Galaxy ↓
Join Date: Feb 2006
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I've been re-watching the first two episodes for the third time, and there's a specific time when he goes back in time. It's 2020, or 8:20 in the evening. Look at the clocks.
As Quarkboy duly noted, there is a subtle change in Watashi's character as a reaction of the previous episode. I didn't notice it, but yeah, he does change. Very subtly.
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2010-05-06, 23:07 | Link #107 | |
Gregory House
IT Support
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I haven't watched episode 3 yet, but this is superb. In every sense, there's so much to this anime, so many layers--it's saying a lot of things while merely hinting them. This is what good direction should be like. The small detail of Watashi's perception of Jougeki as mounted on a palanquin, to give a really minor example--and of course, what we can only suspect is the very nature of Ozu and, maybe, Akashi herself.
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Hats off to the staff, it's only been two episodes and I think they can't screw it up no matter what direction they take from now. PS: And I have to say the depiction of Kyoto is beautifully done, even with the simplistic style--I've only been there a day yet I'm constantly reminded of it.
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2010-05-07, 05:06 | Link #108 |
a regular van veen
Join Date: Feb 2007
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Didn't think it was possible but episode 3 is better from the previous ones (which says a lot for me because I have been in love with the series from the getgo). Especially loved the low-key conversation between Akashi-san and Watashi, which I think tells a lot about Akashi-san's character in a very unsentimental and subtle way.
The animation here was also eye-catching, especially the one in the end with Akashi pedaling towards Watashi in the plane. Really, really kinetic and vivid. |
2010-05-07, 05:55 | Link #109 |
Beautiful fighter.
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: England, UK
Age: 37
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Personally i found the second episode the strongest out of the three, though i do have quite the attachment to directing, plus i adored Akashi's role in that episode. This weeks episode was still damn good. Even if it was obvious who Ozu was going to end up being.
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2010-05-07, 17:05 | Link #111 |
Kana Hanazawa ♥
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: France
Age: 37
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I agree that Watashi was more sympathetic in episode 3 than in the two previous iteration. This time, he didn't end up dragged along in Ozu's shady activities, save for the very end of the episode. Interesting to note that this time, Ozu appeared once again out of nowhere when Watashi was losing his motivation, and he did so in a very supernatural fashion, though it might just be Yuasa's crazy directing. The big difference with the two previous episodes is that Watashi rejected him at first. His biggest mistake was to eventually accept Ozu's proposition at the end and thus joining "the dark side", which is what once again lead him to his demise. He was so close to escaping his fate.
However, if my theory (and I see I'm not the only one thinking that) of Ozu being just a creation of Watashi's mind is true, this puts things into an entirely different perspective. It would basically mean that Watashi was the head of the Cycle cleanup corps the whole time. Hmmm. Let's see how the next episode goes...
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2010-05-07, 17:23 | Link #112 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
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2010-05-07, 18:31 | Link #113 | |
In the Tatami Galaxy ↓
Join Date: Feb 2006
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Your idea possesses credence and nothing's ever unexpected with Mr. Yuasa only that it's quite absurd for him to toil for two years only to steal his bike from himself and sell it to Higuchi. It is also notable that at the end of the episode Akashi does not lose her faith in Watashi: had it been really him, would you think she still would have chased after him and aided him despite her conclusions?
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2010-05-08, 06:52 | Link #114 |
Komrades of Kitamura Kou
Join Date: Jul 2004
Age: 39
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Well 3 episodes in it's almost getting pretty obvious that Ozu is, indeed, merely a construct of his mind. His initial appearance seems to be triggered by the first manifestations on Watashi's despair. However unlike an imaginary entity that directly dragged him down that road, his Ozu channeled what focus he can muster in the midst of his despair into something corrupted so to speak. Even if he isn't being pulled down into deeper despair, the energy to improve his situation that he doesn't realize he has gets pushed into useless endeavors. What a waste IMO when he shows flashes of brilliance and effort when he is pressured to, it just gets pointed in the wrong direction.
You could probably say that Ozu is another part of his personality, his "failure" self that causes his focus and intentions to go haywire rather than letting him find the better path. He finds more failure in this and gets pressured on down this path. A vicious cycle of sorts for Watashi. What is most intriguing actually is that Akashi is in contrast to Ozu, to say perhaps that as an entity that influences Watashi, Akashi is Ozu's polar opposite. Whereas Ozu seems to have Watashi dwell on his failures and directs him elsewhere, Akashi has a persona that doesn't let failure, or the approaches of other people, afect her. In previous episodes Ozu had Watashi focus his impotent rage on less than noble things while Akashi in episode 3 helps him find focus as the "birdman" (WTF). The best analogy I can think of is the shoulder demon and the shoulder angel. Naturally, Ozu is the demon and Akashi the angel. And what a nice angel she is. Of course I refuse to acknowledge any possibility that Akashi is a figment of his mind. Considering that in all these resets they have always gravitated towards each other in one way or another and have affected each other in more ways than one, there is clearly something there that pushes them together, as if to blatantly foreshadow that that any possible escape of Watashi from his predicament may as well be centered in Akashi. Red String of Fate perhaps? |
2010-05-08, 09:54 | Link #115 |
In the Tatami Galaxy ↓
Join Date: Feb 2006
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I disagree with you on that, primarily because I don't think that lowly of Watashi. Would he ambush himself and hide the bike he's worked so hard for two years and give it to Higuchi? Would you, after sacrificing nearly everything for something you've dedicated your life for, just throw it away? Ozu is an existence that is discrete from Watashi's. Touting him as a mere figment of imagination is just disrespecting Watashi's efforts in episode three, and removing the focus of the episode which was on misdirected effort. I know Watashi is sad, but he's not that sad.
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2010-05-08, 10:27 | Link #116 | |||
Kana Hanazawa ♥
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: France
Age: 37
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2010-05-08, 10:46 | Link #117 | |
In the Tatami Galaxy ↓
Join Date: Feb 2006
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That's my point. While he did capitulate to Ozu, it was more of the ultimate resignation, an epiphany of his inexorable failure than sheer wickedness on his part, something that was much different than the first few episodes.
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2010-05-08, 11:07 | Link #118 |
Komrades of Kitamura Kou
Join Date: Jul 2004
Age: 39
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The first issue I have with Ozu is that Watashi seems to be the only person who acknowledges him. Unless I'm missing something, no other real person seems to notice him aside from Watashi, and he conveniently seems to disappear from the scene with Watashi whenever someone else takes Watashi's attention. Case in point is the restaurant scene where Ozu conveniently leaves when Akashi comes to eat the food. The fact that big-chin god/person/whatever gets the bike, gets presented on national TV, that Ozu is the head of the bike snatching gang for vague reasons and conveniently decides to let Watashi take the fall knowing Akashi would see it is too much of a coincidence to me.
Ozu comes out as the negative personality which hounds a susceptible person when near success. While not a separate personality outright ala Dissociative Identity Disorder, but something perhaps akin to Fight Club. I forget what series or what TV show it was used, but in psychology the idea of a person so used to failure and so unused to success has a reactive mechanism of preserving the status quo of failure due to it being... routine or comforting. For "fear of success" or some such. There's a term for this but I forget, but my point being is that on an unconscious level there exists the possibility that a person unconsciously sabotages himself due to some deep-seated mental and emotional issues related with success and failure. As someone who's dealt with similar issues and has actual seen therapy I can relate to this idea. It's not that Watashi consciously sabotages his chances at a rose-colored college life, but some part of him holds him back and manages to manifest and overpower his desire for success. It becomes a tug-of-war of sorts inside his mind, with wicked temptation in the form of Ozu pushing him towards the darker side of life. |
2010-05-08, 11:27 | Link #119 | |
In the Tatami Galaxy ↓
Join Date: Feb 2006
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Also, in the first episode, Higuchi-san ponders whether to pair Akashi with Ozu or Watashi. (03:15) There are too many people that recognize Ozu's existence for it to merely be a product of his own mind and delusions. During the bridge scene at the 20:50 mark, Jougasaki along with a currently unknown character recognize Ozu and his misdeeds. Finally, there are more people in the bridge damning Ozu. Your argument simply disintegrates under the facts of the series, unless you would admit that Higuchi, Jougasaki, and Akashi are mere mental constructs of a mentally unstable Watashi. And I disagree. I think he's a very pathetic character, and very sad, but he's not that sad or crazy. With that, I think you need to rethink your side.
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