Eden of the East generic discussion

[Rotary Knight]

I just watched the first episode and first thing that poped into my head......OH WTF.....ITS OASIS!!!!! LIKE, OMG!!!.

The animation and the way its drawn intrigues me......this will be on my watch list for a while it seems.

[Fevvers]

People talk of romance here as if it's set in stone. First of, Akira's and Saki's interactions as of episode 2 has hints of romance (from Saki's side), but it could also go either way. As for Saki's attraction towards Akira, I see it as merely that, attraction, not some form of TWU WUB (at the very least not yet, I doubt any of us can truly tell for now). Akira's confident, good looking, mysterious, and has a good sense of humor, it's not surprising that a young woman would be interested in some ways.

As for the whole terrorism and missile schtick, well, it's only been two episodes. I doubt Kamiyama would leave something like that hanging and unexplained.

Honestly though, the possible romance is just icing on the cake for me, the chemistry between those two, along with the tight script and direction are what I have been really looking forward more of.

[Scarlet Letter]

Spoiler for Johnny2:

Spoiler for Johnny3:

You'd think the by the 3rd time she's seen his Johnny she'd just stop reacting, you know?
I'll be turning any Johnny scenes into .gifs, so expect more. S: D

[drobertbaker]

What a wonderful discussion of romance vis-a-vis anime!

The most exciting, interesting, and just plain fun part of romance is the opening dance.
That's when you're too excited to sleep or eat.
That's when the whole world looks brighter and more beautiful.
That's when every day is so focused and so thrilling.
So much happens and every encounter with the object is a fabulous and exciting adventure.

That's why it makes the best story. Love stories end with 'they lived happily ever after' because after the official coming together happens, everything else is too boring to tell.

In all the classic anime cited (interesting girl, boring guy), another common feature is that the interesting girl shakes the boring guy out of his complacency (drives him crazy) and forces him to grow, to change, to take risks, to make decisions, to take responsibility; in short, to grow up and become a man.

I agree that we're seeing that here, in 'reverse' if you like. He's wacky and unpredictable, forcing her to take risks and commit to courses of action that are not sensible and safe (and boring).

She is growing and will continue to grow as he places her in more and more difficult situations. And she will come out of it a much more mature, confident, and capable human being. And she will have more FUN than she ever had in her whole miserable little life.

And that's romance and that's what makes a great story!

[typhonsentra]

I also like how in their conversation about things in New York they took the effort to have them talk about real things there. The only part that seemed kinda unnatural was the extra info he added about the Brooklyn Bridge.

[Clarste]

I think Akira's sufficiently charismatic for Saki to be curious about him. He's confident, competent, seems to know what he wants (even if he actually doesn't), etc etc. It may not be romance yet, but that has to start from somewhere. As for Akira himself, he's very weird. He's supposed to be weird. He's clearly not a normal person, and not just because he lost his memory. Presumably we'll see what makes him tick, and they've already started giving hints in episode 2 when he claims he's recovered a memory.

As for the story: yeah, it's weird. I think that's the point. This is not a normal reaction to a missile attack, but then again it's also not a normal missile attack. There was probably panic after the first one, but then it turned out no one died, and then it turned out that no one has any clue who did it... and then it happens again. And no one dies again, and no one can find out who did it... and then it happens again. And no one dies. Which, as several people have pointed out, is completely ridiculous. At this point it starts to look more like an Act of God than a terrorist attack, and people start reacting differently. I have no idea how they'd actually react, but within the context of the show it's reasonable for them to have what seem like completely unreasonable reactions. It's an unreasonable situation after all. I look forward to them explaining how it could possibly happen.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

...I just don't get where anyone could be watching EotE and find it romantic. I mean seriously - I can't imagine such a scenario. But human perception is a wonderfully variable thing.

Sure is. I consider this show very romantic -- even though I agree that there is a strong possibility the romance may never come to fruition. I mean, Saki's voice-over at the very beginning could sound as if Akira is gone. Or not.

And I don't think the romance is open yet. Saki is attracted and wants to spend more time with him -- but still appears to think he is not her "prince."

And he was temporarily willing to abandon her, and may abandon her again, since he has a bigger thing to solve right at the moment -- like, who am I? But the way I interpret his running off and then coming back to find her in the washroom is that he realized he wanted to spend more time with her, too. The idea that he couldn't find his home was probably just an excuse: any cab driver could have taken him.

I only mentioned old romantic comedies because I thought this felt a bit like them, and because I wanted to say that the show was romantic and that it was easy to sympathize with the characters, as it is in those shows. (Yes, 30s-40s are probably better than 50s.) I don't see this as intentional emulation so much as simply good writing. I loved how we got lots of explanation in the monorail and on the bench, while at the same time advancing the story and the relationship in a natural way.

I think the normal shoujo romance is an average girl and an extraordinary guy. The average shounen romance is the opposite. This is shoujo, in that regard. As is Bokura ga Ita. Or Paradise Kiss. Or Skip Beat (sort of).

I like what Kimichi says about enjoying the atmosphere that makes you think. And what kafka says about the chemistry between them, and the tight script and direction. I'm not very good at analyzing such things, but when I have tried to watch a couple of eps of Hatsukoi Unlimited, they seem so slow and stupid. I feel as if this show is spoiling me.

Good discussion.

EDIT: Clarste, was there one ten-missile attack, or were there ten one-missile attacks? I was thinking it was the former, but I'm not sure.

[Clarste]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

EDIT: Clarste, was there one ten-missile attack, or were there ten one-missile attacks? I was thinking it was the former, but I'm not sure.

I don't know how many missiles there were in each attack, but I thought it was implied that it happened more than once. Enough for it to be associated with Mondays and for people to be shocked when people actually die from it. Maybe I'm misinterpreting it though.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Clarste

I don't know how many missiles there were in each attack, but I thought it was implied that it happened more than once. Enough for it to be associated with Mondays and for people to be shocked when people actually die from it. Maybe I'm misinterpreting it though.

In fact it was a ten-missile attack on Monday, November 22 (Careless Monday). 3 month later (when the series starts) there is a new attack, this time a one-missile attack.

[Clarste]

I guess I got it wrong then. Well, ignore me.

[drobertbaker]

Originally Posted by Serpit

Another connection we both seem to have overlooked is a line that goes from XII to III, which is the only time XII connects to anyone.

Right you are!

Spoiler for XII:

We're going to hear from XII in episode 4, so that looks bad for the predictor.

Don't these patterns suggest that I is the Supporter?

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Clarste

I guess I got it wrong then. Well, ignore me.

Well, your idea about people starting to react differently because no one died (even though there were so many missiles), is still a valid point, I think.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

Sure is. I consider this show very romantic -- even though I agree that there is a strong possibility the romance may never come to fruition. I mean, Saki's voice-over at the very beginning could sound as if Akira is gone. Or not.

And I have no emotional vesting in whether is comes to fruition or not - which is what makes the show totally unromantic for me. Fascinating. the romance is in the possibility, not the consummation. But I don't even really care if it's romantic or not - I don't need romance to enjoy a series by any means. I just want some emotional realism.

I think the normal shoujo romance is an average girl and an extraordinary guy. The average shounen romance is the opposite. This is shoujo, in that regard. As is Bokura ga Ita. Or Paradise Kiss. Or Skip Beat (sort of).

This is one of the most interesting components of the discussion for me. Where would you classify Sand Chronicles - one of the best romances out there, even if it's never been adapted into anime? It's a shoujo manga if you believe the spine and the back cover, but it doesn't really seem to fit either definition.

I think in the world of anime and manga we sometimes fall so in love with accepted convention that we feel a need to classify something even if it doesn't neatly accept classification. And I also think that some of the most romantic series are not romance at all, given the standard definition. I could go on a rant about why Noein may be the most romantic anime ever if you think about it, though I doubt anyone thinks of it as a romance anime instinctively.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

This is one of the most interesting components of the discussion for me. Where would you classify Sand Chronicles - one of the best romances out there, even if it's never been adapted into anime? It's a shoujo manga if you believe the spine and the back cover, but it doesn't really seem to fit either definition.

We're generalizing here, so of course there's bound to be exceptions. However, that doesn't invalidate the point.

EDIT: and thanks for pointing out this Sand Chronicles manga. I'll take a look at it.

[Guardian Enzo]

Read it - fantastic manga. But don't spoil the ending for me - it's not totally translated yet!

Fuji 4-ever...

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

...This is one of the most interesting components of the discussion for me. Where would you classify Sand Chronicles - one of the best romances out there, even if it's never been adapted into anime? It's a shoujo manga if you believe the spine and the back cover, but it doesn't really seem to fit either definition.

I think in the world of anime and manga we sometimes fall so in love with accepted convention that we feel a need to classify something even if it doesn't neatly accept classification. And I also think that some of the most romantic series are not romance at all, given the standard definition. I could go on a rant about why Noein may be the most romantic anime ever if you think about it, though I doubt anyone thinks of it as a romance anime instinctively.

Thanks for mentioning Sand Chronicles (Sunadokei). I've read a bit and have to read more. I've read a lot of shoujo manga, and I was just saying what the "normal" plot is. Doesn't apply in all cases.

You're right about it not being necessary to classify everything. Can easily limit the breadth of our view. But it can also sometimes help us see what is happening, specifically which audience is being addressed.

I also agree that Noein is romantic. That's part of why I liked it so much. But so is Eden, for me, lol. Standard shoujo romance plot: girl dissatisfied with her life meets remarkable guy. She is at first repelled in some way (nakedness, the gun?), but they get to know each other and she begins to feel attraction to him. Does he feel attraction to her? That's as far as we've got in this show, so far. And the show has a whole other dimension in this strange game (shounen meme) and international intrigue and violence (shounen meme). So as the earlier article from MAL said, the show is trying to be both shoujo and shounen. Or maybe to break down the distinction and simply appeal to a wider audience.

Anyway, I've watched both episodes multiple times, which is something I only do when the characters, story and/or overall quality really get to me. I must admit I also rewatch just to listen to the voices, particularly Hayami Saori's. The most beautiful voice in anime for me, right now.

[Guardian Enzo]

I don't disagree that classifying can help to clarify what we're seeing, sometimes. It's human nature and certainly natural in our endeavors around here. I do it myself - "Natsu no Arashi feels like a Gainax anime" etc. But sometimes the piece doesn't fit in the puzzle. Some great shoujo romances (Fruits Basket, for example) fit the standard definition of what a shoujo romance is. Some (Kare Kano) don't. And thus it is in every genre.

[SkoolRumble4Ya]

I wonder what organziation is Akira is working for they seem very powerful.

[Kaioshin Sama]

Originally Posted by Vexx

My reaction so far: ... ... ... say what?

Wonderful character design and animation, but the story events????? Um, yeah..... o.O
I suppose we're supposed to think, "isn't this amazing and mysterious????" :P

Probably not a keeper for the season.

Hey it beats the hell out of not even trying to create intrigue. For all that people are saying K-On is somehow refreshing I would sooner put that label to this show.

Me thinks you've been watching to much moe and slice of life anime Vexx. It's made you passive. Gotta get back that killer instinct and find the will to match this series at it's current intellectual/philosophical pretense...for better or worse, because it's not often a show like this comes along nowadays and it's the only way you know for sure if it faltered.

[physics223]

The show had an impressive first episode. The OP by Oasis oozed with style. The ED was highly creative, and the episode was astounding. I was smiling throughout the entire episode: for me, it was that good. I'm hoping it doesn't disappoint or have pacing issues. That was what happened for a recent anime I quite liked as well.

There were some things of note: was that other taxi driver Japanese? Why did he understand Saki and Akira?

The language should have been more consistent. I really don't think a black man understands Japanese - in Washington, DC. But hey - just some minor nitpicks for an excellent and intriguing first episode. What matters a lot more now is how they explicate and expound upon the story, as well as hopefully keep the pace taut yet not rushed.