(L) Strawberry Panic!

[onna-chan]

omg yes! ShizumaxNagisa forever! But it would've been even nicer if they had a threesome with Tamao, ah well fanart and fanfics well be sure to do so.

[niwasatou]

That's so cruel.
I don't know, I can't help but be dissapointed. Although I knew this would come.
My favourite characters from StoPani are and will forever be Miyuki, Tamao, Yaya and Chikaru. I'll watch the episode anyway though, and if only to have seen the series completely.

I'm gonna read some Miyuki/Shizuma-FFs now.. and vote for Tamao.

[Cyz]

Mmm, not exactly the ending I want it to be. Sure I want Nagisa and Shizuma to be together...but the other part of it...

Spoiler:

I can't believe that Hikari and Amane won.

Oh well, another unexpected turn of events. I guess, "only two people whose hearts are one" can be an Etoile no?

[eggplant]

Being a casual viewer of StoPani, I haven't been inclined to make posts of the individual episodes (the late airing hours is definitely a factor), but now that it has completed its run, here are some of my thoughts about the series.

Spoiler for Episode 26:

First of all, for the final episode, Shizuma sure pulled a "The Graduate" on Nagisa! Poor Tamao-chan, I wonder if the ballots would have gone in favor of the Amane x Hikari pairing barring Shizuma's dramatic appearance.

Aside from that, the Shizuma x Nagisa closure was inevitable, building up ever since episode 1, and was handled in an appropriate manner.

The kindness shown by Tamao, Hikari, Chiyo, Tsubomi, Kagome (and Percival) was heartwarming.

I didn't have much interest in the outcome of the girl parings, and considered Strawberry Panic to be a title depicting the maturing of the protagonist (Nagisa) , and how she manages to reach in to a tormented soul (Shizuma).

In that respect, I think the staff did an exceptional job on conveying the emotional angst where it was easy for the audience to feel an empathy towards the girls, instead of having them throw in a random yuri fest.

What made StoPani stand out was not only the storyline, but the voice acting conducted by an all-star cast.

Nabatame Hitomi (Shizuma) is a versatile as ever (this seaon doing completey different types of characters, as seen in Muteki Kanban Musume (Miki), School Rumble Nigakki (Mikoto), Coyote Ragtime Show (April)), and her role as the Etoille of the campus felt just like her role as Kanade in Gokujou.

Nakahara Mai (Nagisa) is probably the best female seiyuu in the industry today, known both for her versatility (this season alone you get to hear her on Higurashi (Rena), Utawarerumono (Yuzuha), Tsuyokiss (Erika)) and her convincing acting.

Shimizu Ai (Tamao/Kizuna) did a great job of delivering a dual role. In fact, the Tamao role would never have been hers if not for a schedule conflict on the part of Sawashiro Miyuki (who did Tamao on the PS2 game). We probably would have seen a different ending song as well

I'll end the seiyuu accolades here before the post becomes longer than necessary, but literally having only females on the set certainly must of had positive effects on each other, and it was enjoying seeing their performance.

Considering how the Strawberry Panic! franchise started off as a reader poll-type gimmick, I'm quite surprised it has gained the popularity to warrant a two-season (26 episoder) anime, novels, and a game.

I'm sure the success of the anime series will furthermore complement the portfolio, and eagerly anticipate anything more that will emerge from this property.

[Cyz]

Ah I knew Nagisa's voice sounded familiar. So she was the same voice for Yuzuha and Rena hmm?

[Swann]

Originally Posted by niwasatou

That's so cruel.

How is that cruel? Tamao only existed in this anime to do that. I wasn't the only one who pointed it out. A shallow character who had one act to do and I guess she did it - good for her.

[warainagara]

Originally Posted by NeoSam

Sorry, but you don't know what you are talking about.

Yes there are seinen light novels, because there are seinen light novel magazines, so of course seinen light novels exist.

For example:
Dragon Magazine is a light novel magazine for young men, it serializes light novels for young men, meaning seinen(young men's) light novels.

Interesting.
Nobody in Japan says Dragon Magazine is seien light novel magazine.
Also, there is no other light novel magazine than Cobalt, Dragon Magazine and a couple of others as far as I know, and they are basically aimed at shoujo and shounen.
If any, it wouldn't be different from common understanding that light novels are aimed and shoujo and shounen in general.

But I think the concentration on shounen in general light novels can be weaken according to the titles.
For example, Strawberry Panic seires seems to hang on both shounen (high school) and seinen, judging from its contents.

Also, the same standard is true of gender.
It is broadly aimed at both male and female yuri fans, which you would know if you yourself read its novels in Japanese and saw the advertisements in Yurihime, yuri magazine for girls.
But I also think that its core target is yuri fanboys.

[Mentar]

Originally Posted by Swann

How is that cruel? Tamao only existed in this anime to do that. I wasn't the only one who pointed it out. A shallow character who had one act to do and I guess she did it - good for her.

Now, now. Actually, Tamao was one of the few _multifaceted_ characters in the crew. Most of them were terribly linear, but Tamao was twisted in more than one way, and torn between her own interest in Nagisa and her genuine care for her well-being. That's not shallow at all in my book.

[Sinestra]

Originally Posted by Cyz

Mmm, not exactly the ending I want it to be. Sure I want Nagisa and Shizuma to be together...but the other part of it...

Spoiler:

I can't believe that Hikari and Amane won.

Oh well, another unexpected turn of events. I guess, "only two people whose hearts are one" can be an Etoile no?

I got the ending i wanted but man do i feel bitter about it. I have always made it clear that i was a NagisaXShizuma supporter but damn Tamao got shafted. Im not surprised about Amane and Hikari winning. If you think about not everything could go the way Shizuma wanted it was one or the other. I still think that they will make a bad Etolie. Think about it how many people does Amane interact with and Hikari has the personality of dead fish. The Etolie is not only a figuer head but someone in which the students can confied and look up to. They are only concerned about each other and have neglected others for quite sometime now. Hikari treated Yaya like shit because all she could think about was Amane. Oh well at least Shizuma got some happiness. I guess you can say its a victory but a bittersweet one at that. Ill have to wait for the sub before i give my final word on the series.

I find it funny that only 2 peoples hearts that are one can be Etolie when neither one seem to really know anything about each other. What does Hikari know about Amane the real Amane not the one everyone looks up to and vice versa Hikari getting her ass kicked in the polls proves my point

[Swann]

Originally Posted by Mentar

Now, now. Actually, Tamao was one of the few _multifaceted_ characters in the crew. Most of them were terribly linear, but Tamao was twisted in more than one way, and torn between her own interest in Nagisa and her genuine care for her well-being. That's not shallow at all in my book.

As I saw it, the only thought to ever enter her mind was Nagisa. Nagisa was her only facet. Nothing else existed in her brain. If Nagisa left the room, Tamao would disintegrate and magically regenerate when Nagi walked back in. This is why her being popular in that school was ludicrous. I liked her for what she was, the cardboard friend character Yuri seems to require. I know we all wish for caring slave from time to time but if a Tamao existed in real life she would be an unsufferable suffocating force that everyone would run from.

[Omniscient]

Final Episode Screencaps and Summary

Spoiler:

I loved the ending, especially those last six or so minutes once Shizuma bursts into the cathedral. Very well done, even if it does leave Tamao with the short end of the stick (can't help but feel really bad for her).

[NeoSam]

Originally Posted by warainagara

Interesting.
Nobody in Japan says Dragon Magazine is seien light novel magazine.
Also, there is no other light novel magazine than Cobalt, Dragon Magazine and a couple of others as far as I know, and they are basically aimed at shoujo and shounen.
If any, it wouldn't be different from common understanding that light novels are aimed and shoujo and shounen in general.

Since the day it started publication, the publisher said that Dragon Magazine is a seinen magazine.

What are you talking about? Dragon Magazine and a couple of others thats all the light novel magazines

Male oriented light novel magazines: (not all are mentioned here)

Dengeki hp
The Sneaker
Dragon Magazine
2D Dream Magazine
Fantasia Battle-Royal
Novel JAPAN

Female oriented light novel magazines: (not all are mentioned here)

The Beans
Cobalt
Shousetsu Wings
Charade (BL light novels and manga)
Shousetsu Hanamaru (BL light novels)
Shousetsu Aqua (BL light novels)
Shousetsu Dear+ (BL light novels)
Shousetsu Chara (BL light novels)
Shousetsu b-boy (BL light novels)

And what exactly is this about light novels being shoujo and shounen

2D Dream Magazine serializes adult light novels for adult men, yes, among the scenes that you might see in this magazine are women getting tentacle raped by some type of monster/s, or are you going to call those light novels shounen light novels

Not to mention the hardcore yaoi light novels that are targeted at women, do you call these light novels shoujo too

There might not be that many but there are light novels for men, and there are light novels for women.

And unless Dengeki G's Magazine becomes a shounen magazine, any manga and light novel serialized in it, is a seinen manga/light novel.

[Mentar]

Originally Posted by Swann

As I saw it, the only thought to ever enter her mind was Nagisa. Nagisa was her only facet. Nothing else existed in her brain. If Nagisa left the room, Tamao would disintegrate and magically regenerate when Nagi walked back in. This is why her being popular in that school was ludicrous.

That's what I call "channeled perception". As in coming to a conclusion early on and then trying to organize everything in this direction, no matter whether or not it's true.

Just as a simple counter-example, keep in mind that Tamao was a member of the literature club, and obviously held in high esteem there for her poems. Long before Nagisa even appeared.

I liked her for what she was, the cardboard friend character Yuri seems to require.

Oh really? Care to give a few more "cardboard" characters from Yuri series, which have a Tamao-like friend character, who is primarily a good support but no romantic interest? According to you, there got to be lots of those.

I know we all wish for caring slave from time to time but if a Tamao existed in real life she would be an unsufferable suffocating force that everyone would run from.

For a simple "caring slave" Tamao-chan has been way too teasing in regards to Nagisa. Sure, she was pretty manic about her, but other than that, she has been among the smartest and most reasonable characters around. Unlike most others, she was able to properly assess situations and give reasonable advice. She also correctly figured out what risks Miyuki's final plan carried, and she tried her best to protect Nagisa throughout everything. In the end, she yielded her own wishes to see Nagisa happy. All of this are proof for a fairly smart, complex and independent character. Just blowing alot of big hot air around with cusswords like "cardboard character" or "slave" and stuff is very unconvincing to me. Sorry.

[Cyz]

Originally Posted by Sinestra

I got the ending i wanted but man do i feel bitter about it. I have always made it clear that i was a NagisaXShizuma supporter but damn Tamao got shafted. Im not surprised about Amane and Hikari winning. If you think about not everything could go the way Shizuma wanted it was one or the other. I still think that they will make a bad Etolie. Think about it how many people does Amane interact with and Hikari has the personality of dead fish. The Etolie is not only a figuer head but someone in which the students can confied and look up to. They are only concerned about each other and have neglected others for quite sometime now. Hikari treated Yaya like shit because all she could think about was Amane. Oh well at least Shizuma got some happiness. I guess you can say its a victory but a bittersweet one at that. Ill have to wait for the sub before i give my final word on the series.

I find it funny that only 2 peoples hearts that are one can be Etolie when neither one seem to really know anything about each other. What does Hikari know about Amane the real Amane not the one everyone looks up to and vice versa Hikari getting her ass kicked in the polls proves my point

Mmm, I suppose. At least, the fans got the Shizuma x Nagisa pairing too Poor Tamao-chan seriously, I feel sorry for her. At least Chiyo is still there no?

[Kuro]

We all knew it was going to happen, you know?

I was right about Shizuma waiting till the actual ceremony, though!

Aside from Tamao-chan getting gypped in the ending, I'm really disappointed that Hikari and Amane won the election (supposedly). That's like, probably the worst thing they could've done.

Oh well. Did everybody have fun? ^_^ I did particularly, giving you all such a hard time. Haha. Just kidding.

That all said and done, I think it's time for me to check out NHK.

[Cyz]

Shizuma's senses probably snap and she can't confine her feelings any longer. But I applaud on what she did, suddenly bursting at the Etoile ceremony all of a sudden and making a scene.

[warainagara]

Neosam,
The original target of light novels is shounen and shoujo,
and what you are trying to include into light novels are actually called adult novels and boys' love novels, which have existed as genres independent from light novels.
Of course, no one can define a light novel and adult novels seem to get more and more similar to light novels.(includes illustration like animation cuts)
What I'm refering to is not the definition but common understanding at the moment.

The following would let you know the magazines you mentioned as adults light megazines are not seen as "light novels" in general.

Spoiler for Japanese account for adult novels and boys love novels which takes form of light novels:

ライトノベルの様式を取る成人向け小説
アダルトゲームなどを原作にし、性描写を扱った成人向け小説や、美男子同士の性愛を描いたボーイズラブ小説 なども盛んに発売されている。さらにそれらの中で近年、男性向けのオリジナル成人向け小説が盛り上がってき ている。ただし、このジャンル自体の起源については昭和末期以降に富士見美少女文庫によりアダルトアニメの 「くりいむレモン」シリーズなどのノベライズが行われた事にまで遡ることが出来るものであり、決して目新し いものとは言えない。

成人向け書籍大手のフランス書院が2003年5月に美少女文庫というレーベルを新たに創刊して再参入、さら にマドンナ社が同社の官能小説レーベルであるマドンナメイト文庫から白を基調とした装丁でアニメ調のイラス トを起用した作品を発売した後、本格的に独立したレーベル二見ブルーベリーシリーズを刊行開始、さらには従 来より新書の形で発行してきたキルタイムコミュニケーションが、従来の新書版の二次元ドリームノベルズから 派生した二次元ドリーム文庫を立ち上げるなど盛んに動きがある。

これらにより新たに発行される文庫の男性向けオリジナル成人向け小説のうち、半数近くが、ライトノベルの様 式を踏襲したものになるなど広がりを見せている。ただし、ライトノベルレーベルと比較すると取り扱いの書店 が少なく、販売部数も少ないためヒット作に恵まれにくく、その上、アダルトゲームとの競合がある為にアニメ DVDなどへのメディアミックスへの期待も難しい事などから、ヒット作不足や書き手の不足のため比較的早期 にレーベル活動を終了したり、アダルトゲームとのメディアミックス作品に限定するなど規模を縮小する所も少 なくない。

Also, the main titles of Dragon Magazine such as Slayers and Full Metal Panic is known to be aimed at shounen.
Can you give me the link where the editor said it's for young men, please?
Since I remember you said that the editor of Yuri-hime announced the magazine is aimed at lesbians (actually, most of Japanese female yuri fans are not really lesbians but just accustomed to shimai (sisters) culture in girls' schools), I just want it to be confirmed.

[Cyz]

Originally Posted by Kuro

Did everybody have fun? ^_^

It was an ejoyable series. The best yuri anime I ever seen so far I hope there would be a second season or a continuation or maybe something similar

well, 3 favorite animes done....now what do i do? it's hard to let go a series that good

[guest]

I am just thrilled to see Shizuma and Nagisa together happily ever after. Tamao...she is young, smart and very nice. I am sure she will find someone special in no time. This kind of things happen in relationships a lot. You just have to keep telling yourself that. Now, what shall I do? drink until dawn to celebrate?

[Sunsh]

No need for missiles, armies! We Won!!
*TOAST*!! Come on guest, I'm ready for party
BANZAAAAAII for ShizNag ending!!! *grinning wildly*
And HUURRAAAYYY Amane/Hikari for Etoile!! *dancing happily*

Boy, oh boy, I can't stop smiling

Yaya's angst amused me again, LOL. She really can't let go of Hikari that easy. But she got a happy ending with Tsubomi, so I think it's okay

For Tamao... Well, I guess there must one person that sacrifice her feeling, after all. And that's the main point. Loving without possessing.. Ahh... Tamao, I raise my hat for you in this episode

Now.. off to go to school T_T

But still, I'm happy This made my day