(L) Fractale (TV)

[TinyRedLeaf]

So, there's hope in this season for me after all. As many have already mentioned, there's something about this show that draws viewers in, even though not very much has yet been revealed. The atmosphere is just about right, with designs that clearly show their Ghibli inspirations.

Promising start, indeed. Hopefully, the rest of the story will live up to expectations.

[lightbringer]

Originally Posted by orion

I've watched 7 titles so far and this is the most boring of them. Maybe ep 2 will be better now that the redhead has arrived.

I guess there's no accounting for taste. To me this was the second most interesting first episode of the season, after Yumekui Merry.

Originally Posted by ars89

I feel like an idiot for not knowing this sooner. The animation in the OP makes perfect sense now.

Fractal - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractal

Yes, and leave it to the Japanese to sneak an extra E in there when transliterating it back into English.

[Narzia]

I have already read the first manga chapter or so before this came out. And here I was, thinking this season would be full of garbage, but I've already found several good ones, this probably being the best this season and maybe one of the better shows I've seen all time.

It's like watching a Ghibli movie, the whole thing is just so refreshing. Maybe not all hope is lost for the future of anime.

[klare]

haha the Ghibli-feel is strong with this one, if Level E is 90s retro, this one should be 80s

the people all seem so... pure? the trio from the air-balloon reminds me of the similar trio from Nadia: Secrets of Blue Water

looks like i will follow this series as well

[Guardian Enzo]

If you do a kind of "Six Degrees of Ghibli" with this one, then you'll surely find Last Exile in the middle of the chain - as that was another series clearly influenced by "Laputa" and "Nadia". As well, Dennou Coil is in there too - a series from the studio most often linked to Ghibli (Madhouse) that had Ghibli veterans on the production team. If this one turns out to be nearly as good as either of those shows - difficult, given the modern trend towards one-cour series that has swallowed this one up - I'll be very pleased.

[faythz]

ah i love this series kinda remind me of Star Driver , making the audience imagine many things

i think for fractale system is kinda like this.
Fractale System is a server that can register all data of Human (user). And after user register themself in Fractale They could make a dopple. Dopple could make User go to wherever country User want, but with using Avatar like the alien from eps 1, they could browse through the market with the help of Fractale and many other things maybe in the future

and other absurd hunch
Phryne is a bug from Fractale System. maybe she is AI who protect Fractale system from the first time. but that was just my absurd hunch

[Klashikari]

Part of the minority here I guess, but whereas level E and Hourou Musuko got my fancies, I was... not terribly excited by Fractale at all.

Sure, the ghibli amosphere was strong in this one but color me... not impressed or thrilled by the characters interactions. It just feels extremely flat in my books.
To begin with, I'm sort of ticked by yet another overracting helpless male lead (a tradition this season it seems), and being voiced by Kobayashi doesn't help at all (I think she should just stop voicing male at all).

The only saving grace in the first episode was of course Phryne, but even so, her quirks left me indifferent most of the time.
Meanwhile, we got a team rocket style "antagonists", which are really nothing close to harmful.

I really dunno... the mood and the scores are there, but the setup and the characters are utterly boring the hell out of me. it just lacks of something that actually can captivates me outside of the visual wrapping.

[DonQuigleone]

I can fairly confirm this is taking place in Ireland (as I live there :P), the scenery looks just like the west of Ireland, with those types of stone walls being exceedingly common there. Furthermore the houses out west also look very similiar to Clain's house. Likewise the church is a typical medieval Irish Church, and the tombstones match up as well. Likewise the cliffscapes are also pretty typical of the west, around mayo and the cliffs of Moher (seen in many tourist videos...). Likewise the pretty bare landscapes are also typical of the region.

All this might be kinda coincidental, but even the police seen at the very beginning are Irish, their Car is labeled Garda (Our police are called Garda), and their hats and uniforms also match up. The only thing that's out of place are the fact they carry guns (we have an unarmed police force), and the arm band, but I'd say that's pretty minor. Also the ED is an Irish Tune, though the Engrish somewhat impedes from pinning if it's just in the style, or an actual tune. I've heard something very similiar to it before.

Anyway, I've got an Anime taking place in my home country, I gotta watch it!

[jedinat]

The shining moment for me was Clain's scream when Phryne pulls off her robe. From that moment on I was struck that this just might turn out to be something great.

Originally Posted by lightbringer

I guess there's no accounting for taste. To me this was the second most interesting first episode of the season, after Yumekui Merry.

I guess there isn't. Yumekui Merry was by far the most boring to me(and the second episode even worse!), lol, and this perhaps the most interesting.

[Guardian Enzo]

One small authenticity I noticed was that Clain didn't take off his shoes when he entered his house. Seems obvious enough, but most anime - even those in "foreign" settings" - slip that small yet incredibly important Japanese custom into the mix.

[Master Assassin]

The episode went well, not much flaws from what I can think of, but that's where it worries me actually.

It is highly well done, yet I can't help but feel that there's a hint of this series being a bit ambitious... Then again, it's A-1 and a noitaminA project, but still, I can't shake of that feeling.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by Klashikari

The only saving grace in the first episode was of course Phryne

Apart from the setting and score, Phryne was easily my favourite part of the first episode. I hope we see more of her soon.
Also this has been bothering me. Are they changing the hair colors of the two main girls from the manga on purpose?

[wandering-dreamer]

Originally Posted by faythz

ah i love this series kinda remind me of Star Driver , making the audience imagine many things

You mean the speculation? Psshh, I do that for everything I watch. XD And I agree with your speculation about how the Fractale system works, that was about what I was thinking.

Originally Posted by donquigleone

Also the ED is an Irish Tune, though the Engrish somewhat impedes from pinning if it's just in the style, or an actual tune. I've heard something very similiar to it before.

It's a Yeats poem "Down by the Sally Gardens," although the singer's accent is so thick it's a bit hard to make out the words.

Originally Posted by Shiroth

Also this has been bothering me. Are they changing the hair colors of the two main girls from the manga on purpose?

I think so, originally there were three characters with purple hair so it looks like they changed Nessa and Phyrne's hair (ironically enough, isn't the stereotype that all Irish have red/brow hair and green/blue eyes and what do these two have? XD ). I kinda liked the purple on Nessa though, it did make sense for a computer program to have purple hair too...

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Klashikari

Part of the minority here I guess, but whereas level E and Hourou Musuko got my fancies, I was... not terribly excited by Fractale at all.

Sure, the ghibli amosphere was strong in this one but color me... not impressed or thrilled by the characters interactions. It just feels extremely flat in my books.
To begin with, I'm sort of ticked by yet another overracting helpless male lead (a tradition this season it seems), and being voiced by Kobayashi doesn't help at all (I think she should just stop voicing male at all).

The only saving grace in the first episode was of course Phryne, but even so, her quirks left me indifferent most of the time.
Meanwhile, we got a team rocket style "antagonists", which are really nothing close to harmful.

I really dunno... the mood and the scores are there, but the setup and the characters are utterly boring the hell out of me. it just lacks of something that actually can captivates me outside of the visual wrapping.

Man... we're really in tune this season

Color me unimpressed for now. The overall package is very good. Great animation, Ghibli-esque atmosphere, very interesting setting... but the character interactions were nothing short of boring and utterly cliché. For a moment, I thought I was watching one of the other countless harem animes of this season.

As for the characters themselves, I've already stated my dislikes of male characters voiced by Kobayashi, and this one is no expection. I love Yuu, but she really should stop voicing male (traps are fine). I liked Phryne quite a bit, she has a fun personality. The team rocket was just... meh.

Am I the only one who find those doppelgangers a bit creepy? Why don't people project their true appearance instead of using these weird avatars? This is especially true for Clain's parents.

Originally Posted by Shiroth

Apart from the setting and score, Phryne was easily my favourite part of the first episode. I hope we see more of her soon.
Also this has been bothering me. Are they changing the hair colors of the two main girls from the manga on purpose?

They've changed the eye/hair colors of everyone but Clain. Original chara design: http://journal.mycom.co.jp/news/2010...002/index.html

[ars89]

Originally Posted by Kanon

They've changed the eye/hair colors of everyone but Clain. Original chara design: http://journal.mycom.co.jp/news/2010...002/index.html

Oh man i would have liked them to keep the purple hair, but i guess it would have been confusing for both girls to have the same hair color, but they should have at least kept one with the purple hair. Oh well i still enjoyed it regardless

[Shiroth]

That sucks. I much prefer both girls with purple hair. I wonder why the change.

[Asterisk]

Dang, it was the concept art of the characters which drew me in. Though that's the only thing disappointing to me.

The old-school Ghibli art is a nice touch to this show.

[orion]

Originally Posted by Klashikari

The only saving grace in the first episode was of course Phryne, but even so, her quirks left me indifferent most of the time.
Meanwhile, we got a team rocket style "antagonists", which are really nothing close to harmful.

I really dunno... the mood and the scores are there, but the setup and the characters are utterly boring the hell out of me. it just lacks of something that actually can captivates me outside of the visual wrapping.

I was having a problem with Phryne. Some of her actions just wasn't correlating with her position. She's a priestess. She shouldn't have started to undress with a guy in the room or approach him partially nude just to have salve put on her back. Then she passes out on his bed. It's like it was pandering to the male audience.

It seemed like she wasn't "connecting" well conversing with Clain. I guess that's what suppose to happen.

I thought that Clain's scream was overreacting. I wish that a male seiyuu had been chosen for the part.

[bigdeath]

Who says Phryne a priestess? Who says shes even a real girl and not some Holographic AI?

As for the artwork change, I prefer the animes hair color change, etc.

[jedinat]

Originally Posted by orion

She's a priestess. She shouldn't have started to undress with a guy in the room or approach him partially nude just to have salve put on her back.

Oh come on. You don't know anything about her, and being a "priestess" can't really suggest any sort of predictable behavior... especially considering we have no idea what kind of priestess she might be, lol. I'm inclined to guess that a priestess in this setting is some sort of network administrator? lol. Considering the one religious act we witnessed looked to be some sort of syncing practice with whatever system facilitates those avatars.