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Originally Posted by cyth
So, what do you think about my observation that there's much incentive to let magicians such as Kirihara off the hook for improper behavior? Do you think that's inconsistent with Mahouka's world? Please don't refute it with such bullshit as "the author didn't specify."  |
Hm? What's there to refute, I think you are perfectly right with this line? The story has explained directly that the 10 Master clans yield considerable power in the Mahoukaverse, and Juumonji/Mayumi have pointed out that they preferred the Kirihara issue to be resolved without real punishment.
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The thing is, as easy it is to throw around descriptors like "bad writing", it's the same for throwing around insults like "armchair critic". Which is worse? A personal opinion that sounds like it's stated as a fact, or an actual insult?
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Does this mean you consider yourself an armchair critic?
I wasn't even aware that this was considered an "insult", though I wouldn't mind it being taken as such. I was using the term particularly to underline the difference between authors that have managed to write stories which have been sold a few million times and armchair critics that in most cases have no literary accomplishments of their own under their belt, but feel qualified to denigrate the professional author's works. And in most cases not just one work (it might warrant criticism after all), but literally dozens. To these experts of quality writing, clearly the vast majority of anime/manga/LN creators are incompetent idiots.
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What about your insults of labeling critics as hopeless individuals that nitpick for the sake of nitpicking?
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SOME critics, not all of them. Do you seriously want to assert that cesspool blogs don't exist, which regularly flame 90% of all anime shows, and whose authors obviously get a kick out of doing so? With a dittohead fanbase who love reading and reinforcing these flames?
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Has the possibility that some of us get bored and need stuff to watch, on top of liking a good discussion, never occured to you? Don't see any value in raising a controversial point?
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Just the opposite, I like a good discussion over controversial issues a lot. What I'm missing in many cases is
1) A clean distinction between personal opinion ("I don't like this because...") and objective assertion ("This is wrong because...")
2) A minimum level of respect dealing with the works of others. The discussions on AS are usually relatively enjoyable because the Moderaters weed out most of the pure haters, but some tenacious people remain whose point in life seems to be the denigration of animes/mangas/LNs.
In other words, maybe it's simply an issue of what people feel to be proper manners, but you (and me) ARE only armchair critics. A bit more self-restraint towards the work of others would go a long way.
And nothing that I said above is limited to Mahouka. This is something which has annoyed me the last 1-2 YEARS, over the course of DOZENS of shows. Too many people with no literary skills are lying on their couches, watching anime and reading mangas/LNs all too often without even paying a single penny, but with a strong conviction that they are entitled to diss what they consume, and taking some perverse pride in doing so. If I was in some way involved in the creation and production of the works so arrogantly p*ssed on, I would feel very unhappy, to say the least. In my own personal feeling of proper manners, it rubs me very much the wrong way.
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Originally Posted by itisjustme
Tbh most of the arrogant posts are from Mahouka's defenders. Yours kinda topped it right there by a far margin.
The argument that it is fictional hence we should take everything at face value and accept that it's perfectly rational just because the fiction tells us so is silly. That's not how the human mind works. The more suspension of disbelief the show asks of us the stronger its internal logic needs to be.
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You didn't get my point at all, it seems.
Assume you're watching Clavell's "Shogun". Early in the story, there is a scene where Daimyo Yabu orders a captured sailor to be cooked to death in a kettle of boiling water. Does this mean that the story is promoting torture and cruelty? Would you say that this is unlogical and completely unrealistic, because this is forbidden? Obviously not, because in these times, Daimyo had the power and the right to do so. This isn't "bad writing", but normal IN THE CONTEXT OF THE FICTIONAL STORY. In the case of "Shogun", this is fairly obvious.
Mahouka's story is closer to "nowadays", so the distinction is harder to make. Yes, in our nowadays highschools, a student would most likely be severely punished and expelled if he slashed another kendoka with a sharpened blade. In the Mahoukaverse, with its special settings (influence of master clans), things are different to "our" world, and this should be taken into account before the "bad writing" hammer is drawn.
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To say it's arrogant to call someone's else work's bad is silly; by that logic you couldn't call anything bad.
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See above, Mr. armchair critic. A bit self-restraint and respect towards the works of others would be deeply appreciated. And if you really feel the urge to go the objective "this is bad" route, better be sure to have your criticism hold up scrutiny back.
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It's the show's role to make itself entertaining and it's the viewer's prerogative to find it bad. There's nothing that says we even have to supply reasons, sometimes it's just a feeling and we can't put our finger or it or simply don't want to make huge ass rants. Often when something disturbs me the feeling comes first, and the reasoning and putting things in words comes second. What results is that the things I put my fingers on might not be at the core of my instinctive dislike.
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Then grow up and
mark your dislike as subjective, then you can rant all you want. I'm already annoyed by your "it is the show's role to entertain me" attitude, but I can positively assure you that not everything that you don't enjoy is
"bad".
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This is a public forum, not Mahouka's fans society, we can express our opinion if we like.
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Yes, you can. Just as I can express my displeasure of arrogant armchair critics.
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To call it a poisonous atmosphere simply comes down to a fan's expectation of basking with like-minded fans and the inability to cope with widespread criticism when Mahouka is thrown to the general anime public, creating increasing defensiveness and frustration.
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Naah... I have no problem with criticism of the show in general (I have several qualms of my own concerning the conversion). Nobody demands that everyone should sing halleluja. What I do is trying to remind people that we are getting treated to the works of others - for free - and that in my most humble opinion we should be a bit more respectful and constructive dealing with it. Too many don't even pass the most basic "manners" tests.
, the one that is stealing the show is Erika (you know why, right? 
), Mari is second, while Miyuki is.....bottom of the list OR top of the "hate list" 
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