AnimeSuki Forum - View Single Post

Archon_Wing · 2012-07-08, 17:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triple_R

A few points on HSI, which are probably general enough as to not require spoiler space.

I agree with Haak that Ko isn't that bad. But he never really seemed "cool" to me.

That's actually the biggest problem I have with Okada's male characters, particularly in HSI. They almost never get to be cool, or have "moments of awesome", shall we say. Now if the entire cast was like that, if they were all a collection of "lovable losers", then that would be one thing. But that's not not the case in HSI, as a lot of the female characters in it come across as "cool" to me. In other words, they come across as some combination of accomplished, talented, strong, effective, smooth, etc...

Even Minko, for all her flaws, is a serious-minded popular beauty (that's how she's perceived in-universe, at least) who looks to have a good future as a cook ahead of her.

Well, at the very least, they needed some kind of defining moment that allows us to take them seriously. Moments of awesome would certainly help their case, but any enlightening moment would do wonders. It could just be some kind of small character development. Sure, people progress and regress all the time, but we'd love to think we're trying to move forward despite setbacks. Okada's males tended to go down and never come back up.

For example, the Nako focus episode with mermaids was an excellent way of catching an otherwise boring character in the spotlight and making them defined. For a bad example, that would be the minkoface episode immediately before.

Even the banal Minko arc after accomplished something.

Quote:

I honestly loved Menma.

That was great at both a comedy level, and at a character development level.

I have nothing against cross-dressing males in fiction. It's just that Okada goes to the well too often on that, imo. I mean, I wouldn't want Hulk Hogan-esque macho-men in every Okada-wrote anime show either, as much as I often like those sorts of characters (and Hulk Hogan himself).

It's fine for a writer to have certain character types and designs that they like, and go back to sometimes. But with Okada, it's reached the level of unintentional self-parody, I think.

Yea, Anohana was a good comedy.

And yea, it was just well-defined. You really got the idea that he was sick in the head so that had purpose. Other times, Okada just does it because she can, and that is bad.

And why did you bring up Hulk Hogan?

In the hands of Okada, only one thing could happen!

Pro wrestling LOVES Okada-style antics and you may have some disturbing images in your head now.

EDIT: I feel that she tries to drive things home too much. Sometimes it makes it clear other times it's like

Spoiler: