2012-09-29, 19:51 | Link #2281 | |
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Texas
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Last edited by ~kurayami~; 2012-09-29 at 20:56. |
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2012-09-29, 20:21 | Link #2282 |
Enjoying Snack Time!
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Spoiler for Saving Space:
You're probably going to disagree with me on this Guardian Enzo, but "sighs" here it goes. Ahem: I agree that certain aspects of this show feels lacking, but isn't the whole point of the way the series is going to to show off character development and sense of connection between the 5 main characters and the struggles they go through to not only connect with others, but to accept and learn about ones self? I'm no TV or show critic, or whatever, but I think the overall resolution of each arc sort of felt awkward and didn't really take much effort to overcome the issue. I truly agree with your take on Taichi. For me I was hoping this arc that Taichi's problems or personal issues that we haven't seen yet come into play here, but never was initiated because he sort of had to play the role of "observer" while the other were going through the whole experiment. I can't really find anything that feels like he developed as a character because the other 4 overcame and accepted some things while he remained the same.
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2012-09-29, 20:23 | Link #2283 | |
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Join Date: May 2004
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Until now her main concern has been her mother safety so she couldn't handle that matter. This should imply that she was doubting her feelings from the start, because she basically stepped back twice, during the second arc and accepting Inaban as a rival. But on the other hand it has been shown how she is quite smart, introspective and philosophic when her true self emerge. By the way IIRC she said a strange line, something like "don't mess up things this time", that now could be interpreted as a comment related to the fact that she thought her family issues were caused by her behavior, so she shouldn't have ruined even her relationship. But the overall feeling of that is far from being taken as romantic. Anyways, whatever the case will be I think that her questioning in any case increased the distance (if it were needed) between her and Inaban as possible "winner" girl.
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2012-09-29, 20:28 | Link #2284 | |
Seishu's Ace
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kobe, Japan
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I'm not necessarily disagreeing with your interpretation of what the "point" of the series is, but again - my problem isn't with intention, but execution. It may very well be that was intended to be the central theme - but in the end, I don't think it was successfully explored. The characters were never sufficiently developed and while the arcs did a nice job setting up scenarios to develop the themes you refer to, they invariably dropped the ball in actually building on the setup and bringing it to a conclusion.
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2012-09-29, 20:44 | Link #2285 | |
Enjoying Snack Time!
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You do make a great point, I think that the problems or drama present in each arc was somewhat more focused than on the strong development that could've been explored or present in certain instances. The arcs and premise for each of them ie. body swapping, desires, turning back time/reliving times etc. Were great set ups for character development and the whole "Heart's Connect" feel, but felt lacking in its resolution. I don't know whether I've hit the mark on this with you, but this is pretty much how I can relate to you on what you're feeling about this because I really do agree with you on the series execution and how it's not living up to certain expectations pretty well.
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2012-09-29, 21:14 | Link #2287 |
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I think that the point of the entire arc is that people tend to have regrets in their lives. If we carefully go over our pasts, I'm sure that most (if not all) of us can find moments that we feel we could have handled better in retrospect. Now, some of these moments are just small things, but other moments can be pretty big.
We can feel like the mistakes of our past lead to a failed romance, or a broken home, or failing to get that career we dreamed of, or of not doing better in school. And I think the point that this latest arc is making, with how Aoki moved on from a past love and how Iori rejected Heartseed's offer, is that the people we are now is due (in large part) to all of our past actions and choices - Both the good and the bad. Even if we could go back in time and fix all "the mistakes", would that not constitute denying who we are right now? And if we did fix all "the mistakes", is it possible we'd lose something in the here and now that we value? - If Iori made all the "right" decisions as a kid, would she still have grown as close to her friends as she did, for example? I think Iori's story in the latest KC episode is about living without regrets, or rather accepting the mistakes of the past as contributing to who we are today. Unlike Dawnstorm, I found this pretty compelling, and in fact it hit home with me. I certainly can think of things in my past that I'd like to do differently if I had a 2nd chance, but then what would I lose in the here and now by doing that? Would I even still be posting here on Anime Suki, for example? So I think the message of this latest arc is something of a self-actualizing one, and of one of not allowing past regrets to consume you.
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2012-09-29, 21:32 | Link #2288 |
We're Back
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Redgrave City
Age: 35
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As the name suggest, Kako Random is all about the past, even the gimmick this time around involves returning back to your childhood. At first I thought it was mainly used as a means for the characters to remember their past experiences and personalities to help them confront their current issues, but after reading RRR's above post, I wonder if it sort of meant to give them the chance to do things that they didn't or couldn't when they were at that age?
Though I think it's clear in this episode that Number Two isn't really using this as a 'teaching tool' like Heartseed, he was clearly punishing them by intentionally using it to get in their way of progress.
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2012-09-29, 22:54 | Link #2289 |
ゴリゴリ!
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Age: 32
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I'm confused, why is everyone acting as if the show just ended forever? I know the BD episodes are separate, but they obviously plan to continue on from where this leaves off.
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2012-09-29, 23:03 | Link #2290 |
Enjoying Snack Time!
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Spoiler for Saving Space... Just In Case:
I too can sympathize with this statement considering that dealing with the past is a complicated matter and overcoming/coming to terms with it can be a trial in itself. Iori is no exception. She was given the chance to redo a part of her and realized that even if she did, it would be her denying the person she is today because of the great friends that she's made. I talked about this previously regarding the conflictions with regarding her true sense of "self" because of the "masks" she wore to fit the role of the daughter that any parent could ask for. This resolution came as a denouement to show that her accepting the present as it is like accepting the current "her" she is now.
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2012-09-30, 00:42 | Link #2292 |
My posts are frivolous
Join Date: Nov 2008
Age: 35
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I for one thought that the characters were pretty realistic. Bear in mind that these five characters came together to form StuCS because they either had no other club to join or because they were kicked out from other clubs. In other words, they don't represent the majority of the people you would meet in school. They represent the minority who just don't really fit in with the crowd.
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2012-09-30, 02:24 | Link #2293 | |
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Hong Kong
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This setting is far too common...or even cliche in the anime world. I can recall tons of titles with this setting. |
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2012-09-30, 05:52 | Link #2294 |
a.k.a. Flammenkrieg
IT Support
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Down under...
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Once again, the ED song for the Kako Random arc is available over on the Japanese iTunes store:
Salvage - Team.ねこかん[猫]featuring.片霧烈火 Salvage - Team.Nekokan [Neko] featuring.Rekka Katakiri I definitely like Salvage and Kokoro no Kana- I'd put them on equal footing in my books. If I had to pick one, though, it'd probably be Salvage (due to my bias towards faster-paced songs ). I've enjoyed this series thus far, mostly since it tries to make one think: "What defines someone? Does it hinge on the things that are intangible, like one's personality?"; "Sometimes, we don't speak about what's on our minds, perhaps to avoid an argument or it goes against a social norm. What if we were forced to do so? Would society be better or worse if everyone was forced to speak out their personal truths about anything?"; "One's past defines the person of today. We all make mistakes and bad decisions, how should one deal with them? Should we try to sprint forward, or glance back?" (...at least, that's what came through my mind whilst watching. ) It does seem to a bit of a shame that out of the five, we haven't seen much of Taichi in terms of "growth". I can't help but feel that the series might have benefited from few more episodes to flesh out a few things (or perhaps they were issues in the original light novels as well?).
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2012-09-30, 06:15 | Link #2295 | |
<(゜∀。)
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Flying in the Air
Age: 36
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Spoiler for but chances are...:
And I agree the arc needed at least an extra episode. They've over simplified too many scenes that addresses the characters. We're missing out a ton of stuff. |
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2012-09-30, 06:30 | Link #2296 |
a.k.a. Flammenkrieg
IT Support
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Down under...
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...I had a feeling that was the case, in regards to Taichi. I assume that it's likely we won't see the later light novels animated due to poor BD/DVD sales (or did that incident put the nail in the coffin)?
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2012-09-30, 06:35 | Link #2297 | |
We're Back
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Redgrave City
Age: 35
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Same answer as every other adaptation this season; Very difficult, but not completely impossible.
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2012-09-30, 06:43 | Link #2298 | |
a.k.a. Flammenkrieg
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Down under...
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(You can also get it via mora, which is a music store run by Sony. Unfortunately, it's locked down tight in the case of country and DRM restrictions.) Though, if you're referring to the physical CD version, I'm 99.9% sure that it'll be bundled with the Kako Random BD volume... which I think is releasing on February 27 2013. Edit: Ah, I couldn't help but notice...
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Last edited by blaze0041; 2012-09-30 at 07:05. |
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2012-09-30, 11:45 | Link #2300 |
Mmmm....
Join Date: Sep 2006
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I've enjoyed this series much more than I'd ever expected to, and while the final analysis will have to wait until the last batch of episodes come through, and we see if overall the plot made sense, I thought it was one of the better shows of last season.
After the last few Shin Oonuma shows which I could not stick, this (to me) confirms my suspicion that he's a much better director when he stops trying to be Shinbo. Of course it could all fall down in the last four episodes. I think whether the ending actually makes sense or not (and I think we need to know Heartseed's rationale) will decide whether the series on the whole is good or just OK. |
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body swapping, comedy, drama, romance, shounen, slice of life |
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