2023-07-14, 12:03 | Link #42 |
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Join Date: Aug 2013
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Nanao looks good in her school uniform...though Oliver can't help but remember seeing her naked backside from their prior encounter. And could you blame him ?
The OP is pretty epic and atmospheric, showcasing the gang trying to survive at Kimberly from the various things trying to kill them, and ending on an Oliver and Nanao tag-team ! Magic sword-fighting with Luther (Yuki Ono?)! So a mage gets defeated by a guy with a sword once and then it became common for mages to carry a wand for spells and long-range attacks, but also an Athame for short-range combat and spells. Perfect excuse for swordfights . So Richard is the Malfoy of the show? An elitist prick out to mock or embarrass those he sees as beneath him? Not that Oliver and Chela are going to let him get away with trying to mess with Nanao or make fun of Pete...I'm only disappointed we didn't get to see Chela school him . Nothing more "light novel" than the male and female lead holding a duel against each other in front of an audience. Oliver thought it would be a simple bout but instead it turns into a real fight because Nanao is a warrior with numerous kills beneath her blade, forcing Oliver to get serious. Which is exactly what Nanao craved as she finds a worthy opponent to lock blades with, bringing her to the point of tears and giving the two a moment...that's ended with them lunging for the kill before the class ended. And Oliver realizes he let himself get to into it, making things awkward with him and Nanao . I love how the class they had right after basically calls out the class they had before for focusing on athames instead of wands. I'm betting the teachers don't like each other . Oh hey, Megumi Toyoguchi as the biology teacher! Complete with fangs, red hair, and a...sunny disposition and devil-may-care attitude towards her students . It's nice to see Chela and Oliver supporting the students struggling (and leaving Guy for last, because of course they would). Poor Katie was so dedicated to saving all of those worms but one mistake ends up causing a fuss for her, Oliver, and Chela. But Oliver acknowledges and respects her kind and loving heart in such a cynical world (and even makes her blush!) and it's great how supportive the friend group is . Don't forget your spellbooks or be caught wandering the halls too late or you'll get trapped in the labyrinth the school is built over . Oh snap, it's Ai Kayano as a sexy fourth-year who bewitches and bedivels any male students who wander her way with her magic pheromones! I wish it were me ! I guess the gang can't count on help from their Senpai as Ophelia wants to have some fun and has another older student backing her up and barring the way for Oliver and co. Although they look so much older it's hard to believe they're still students . The ED is a pretty serene, pleasant, theme focused on Oliver's backstory (I think?). I'm curious about the blonde witch girl .
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2023-07-14, 15:41 | Link #44 | |
sleepyhead
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: event horizon
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Spoiler for Ep2:
Overall the show feels like it has solid visuals, character designs and world setting with a story and pacing somehow managing to be so bad that its succeeeding in dragging it though the mud even with all the care and attention put into everything else. I also noticed that, as sad as it is, the show is a bit more intresting when the two lead characters are not involved in the scene.
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2023-07-14, 15:54 | Link #45 |
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Join Date: Apr 2016
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I thought 2nd episode was great imo. Its better showcase of the group dynamics than ep 1 and I don't see how any of it generic. There several magical academy shows in last coupe of years none have had balance cast with grounded personalities like this, no harem, no OP protagonist who can beat anybody, toss out the rules, no random fanservice etc.
Like Chela for example, you would expect to be a typical ojou-sama who is all haughty & picks fights with lead female because she is the best, or sheltered princess archetype who is too kind to hurt a single thing. Instead she comes across more nuanced well rounded person who while quite clearly proud of her heritage but doesn't put on airs about it. She's quite also competitive without being obnoxious and has formed a informal parental team with similar mature Oliver to look for 4 members of their little group. Its rare to find LN story about an actual group of friends then a thin veil vehicle for harem shenanigans. That not even getting into other stuff like school turning into a dungeon at night and what means for mages curriculum there. Calling wishfulliment sounds like someone cynicall trying hard to find something dislike about it without saying anything really meaningful. Yes there 6 characters our protagonists in the narrative they are special by default because of that. Nobody is getting any point for pointing that out meta-narrative. Yea the show isn't perfect or anything but just feels like Spellblades is getting falk being set in a magical academy more than anything itself is actually doing. Last edited by Applehell; 2023-07-14 at 16:39. |
2023-07-14, 17:54 | Link #47 | |
Speedy Sea Cucumber
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Philadelphia
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I might give it another week though since there's not much else on Fridays, I'll see. |
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2023-07-14, 22:08 | Link #48 |
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: USA
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Besides Harry Potter, this also reminds me of Final Fantasy XIV. You've got the Lakshimi girl near the end of this ep, Nanao is like a "good" Zenos yae Galvus, and the science class was basically a class that could've taken place in the unsundered world.
They were talking about her magic, she only has talent with the sword but if someone used both in a duel with her...
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Last edited by Alchemist007; 2023-07-14 at 22:18. |
2023-07-14, 23:03 | Link #49 | |
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Join Date: Apr 2016
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Like I just outlined how Michela has surprising degree nuance in medium full for rich assholes or naive spoiled girl. Hell how about Nanao's warped values that stood as contrast to her usual behavior uptil now? Yet your sidestepping mainly just hate at the show randomly in a way don't understand. Like if you say Oliver sucks for being levelhead, would as say he sucks if he was angsty or shouty shounen protag becasue all those personality traits are also common. This not anyone could possible please you in. Yep, there is reason why after that incident which birth the field of Sword Arts no nonmagical warrior has ever defeated a mage again as far as anime implies. Nanao's pure swordsmanship is great but she won't go far with just it. Hell even that is back up by magic (Innocent Color), but as it is, its just an uncontrolled buff. Last edited by Applehell; 2023-07-14 at 23:20. |
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2023-07-15, 01:29 | Link #50 | |
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Join Date: Mar 2014
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So Sword Arts came about because a mage got salty he lost to a warrior?
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2023-07-15, 23:43 | Link #54 |
simp for Lyria
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Two episodes in, and I find this just "okay". It doesn't do anything too bad, but doesn't feel like anything special either. The element that makes me invested in it is the mystery of the MC; who he really is, and what is his actual intentions at the school are. My current theory is that he has been reincarnated with memories, but with such little info, its more just a guess. Anyway, I'll stick with it for now. I just hope the MC's story pays off for the wait.
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2023-07-16, 05:51 | Link #55 |
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Join Date: Jul 2012
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It's not masterpiece, but calling it generic comes with caveats. It feels much more closer to western magical school adventures like HP then anime ones that basically always come eith harems and power flexing and I think that's enough to feel fresh
I also don't have issue with getting together so soon. From my high school memories that's exactly how it happens unless you are introvert in which case it sometimes take time before someone adopt you.
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2023-07-16, 10:29 | Link #56 |
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Join Date: Sep 2011
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Yeah, this. After this dude died, they studied and concluded that there's a certain range where a skilled swordsman will be able to kill any mage before they can get the spell out. Once they determined that, they started remedying that by teaching swordsmanship for when they are in close range. They use one-handed swords to keep the other free for their wand, in contrast to Nanao who uses a two-handed weapon because prior to coming to the school she was fighting in a war as a Samurai. Her Innocent Color is basically a genetic buffing ability but she's primarily a swordsman.
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2023-07-16, 12:41 | Link #57 | |
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2023-07-16, 16:00 | Link #59 | |
Speedy Sea Cucumber
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Philadelphia
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If you like the show that's your prerogative but to me it feels like Iceblade Sorceror with better visual design. I might give it another week, we'll see. |
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2023-07-16, 16:13 | Link #60 | |
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