(L) Shangri-La

[Shiroth]

Spoiler for Episode 23:

That was a pretty heavy episode, especially in Karen's case. I hope she can recover from this in the last episode, though i don't see how it'll be done.

Great episode anyway. Good to see that the plot still moves at a decent speed, and can't wait to see how this one will end.

[James Kresnik]

Spoiler for Episode 22 :(:

Darn it. For all the good work up to episode 22, I hope the production staff will not settle for the cheap, melodramatic ending.

[DangerMouse]

With the scale of the show I think it will be an attempt at some sort of big thrilling ending with the way they've been building this thing up and the various excellent payoff moments throughout, so I expect something more exciting than that type of ending.

Episode 23 was really pretty, loved the character art and some of the color and shadow work was outright eye catching, if they pull off a gorgeous finale that one smaller episode that was slightly rushed that didn't need to be as lavish a few eps back will have been totally worth it especially when looking back on it there's really only been like two or three episodes like that.

I loved the way this episode came together, even the support characters had strong scenes like the Nagiko and Tarsian stuff. And man have they succeeded on making Ryouko an excellent villain, I hope her downfall is good Her surprised look when Kuniko arrived was nice heh.

And the music continues to be excellent, both the music itself and the use of it throughout the ep was great.

Totally excited for the surprises the finale is going to bring.

Spoiler:

Sayoko's certainly got the determination to crawl back from supposed death one more time to still try and save Mikuni from Ryouko's plans in addition to whatever wrench Kuniko throws into them.

[KiryuuKazumanosuke]

So somebody who's more in tune with this joke of a plot want to take a stab at answering something I've been wondering about?

Why did

Spoiler for Probably a plot hole?:

Ryoko bother tricking Karin into creating Medusa? Boredom?

[Zwei]

So, is Kuniko's mother/father really Momoko or she just said that because she loves her as she was her own?

[Alchemist007]

I only just saw 12-19. Real awesome developements, albeit I do have to add that the pacing per ep is rather "ARG." I'm glad I saved up and marathoned this. I'll probably do the last few eps at once too.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by Zwei

So, is Kuniko's mother/father really Momoko or she just said that because she loves her as she was her own?

She loves her as she was her own. That should be kinda obvious after the development that's been shown between the two.

[klare]

Spoiler for eps 23:

Sayako was as expected alive but fell again... not sure how she will survive this time

looking forward to how they will end the series

[Zu Ra]

Haven't posted to this thread in ages was always lagging behind due to principles . So coming up to speed finally, meanwhile I would like to share some images from Shangri La :]

[DangerMouse]

Thanks for some new images

[KiryuuKazumanosuke]

I was reading somewhere randomly on the net, and it said that Gonzo actually has no scheduled animes after this one. And that their online store is closing. And that while Saki sold below predicted, Shangri La's DVDs didn't even crack any of the weekly top 30s, which means that each sold below a thousand copies.

So it's looking quite likely that Shangri La killed Gonzo. Wow.

[TJR]

The lack of scheduled anime isn't much of an indicator since any Autumn series should've been in production before Shangri-La even aired. Bear in mind that the new management wanted to reduce the number of teams in half, while shifting the focus toward "casual anime". This probably means temporary halt in production until they've worked out the product strategy and signed on new projects.

And that while Saki sold below predicted, Shangri La's DVDs didn't even crack any of the weekly top 30s

Actually, Saki is doing great. Volume 2 nearly cracked 8000 copies, which is extraordinary these days for a low-key IP. Aside from the hot properties and crass service shows, few series sell that well.

At any rate, Gonzo doesn't earn money from Saki since they were never on the production committee (i.e. OTOH, Square Enix and the other partners are in the money....Gonzo just received the agreed-upon production fee with no rights and royalties).

[golthin]

Originally Posted by TJR

Actually, Saki is doing great. Volume 2 nearly cracked 8000 copies, which is extraordinary these days for a low-key IP
At any rate, Gonzo doesn't earn money from Saki since they were never on the production committee (i.e. OTOH, Square Enix and the other partners are in the money....Gonzo just received the agreed-upon production fee with no rights and royalties).

I could bet anything that the reason Saki is doing ok was because Gonzo didn't have much to do with the creative part of the show.

[KiryuuKazumanosuke]

It's quite possible.

Wiki says that the whole retarded "Karin buys Akihabara in an afternoon." subplot, as well as the Z4 (I was at ep 23 before I realized that Shion was a member of the Z4. I guess I just never bothered to count.) were added to the anime, and not part of the original. Who knows what other retarded ideas were added.

Anyway, now that it's over there's a lot of unanswered questions:

1.) Why would a dying studio do a risky vanity project like this?

2.) Whose retarded idea was it to add four mostly-identical guys to an already overburdened cast?

3.) What the hell were Takehiko and uh... the dude... who shot at Takehiko... doing on level 8 in the last ep?

[Midonin]

If I hadn't been overcome with "post-apocalyptic world" fever those many months ago and found the OP to be rather cool (the graphics, CGI as they were, did their job and May'n's singing was enjoyable), I never would've watched this series. While it started off rather slow and pulled out enough technobabble and plot twists and unanswered questions, as it neared the end (from about the point where Karin, Mikuni and Kuniko's subplots began to overlap) it actually became kind of exciting to watch every week.

The presentation of the final episode, with the old "OP as the ED" trick, the simple white-on-black credits scroll and the title drop at the very end made it seem like I just got done watching a movie. A 12-hour, very wild, unbalanced movie marinated in insanity and boomerangs. But if I stumbled onto it again, another day or another time, I'd watch it again. Something outside my usual comfort zone to expand my horizons is something I'm always up for.

[TJR]

Originally Posted by KiryuuKazumanosuke

1.) Why would a dying studio do a risky vanity project like this?

Why not? I'd guess that they knew their time was up (i.e. even if the company continued running, the core would move on since they can't make what they want), so they were intent on making the type of show that represents them best. Suffice it to say, Gonzo hadn't attempted anything like this since the ill-fated Mardock Scramble, so Shangri-La is in part a return to their roots.

Anyway, Plan B was simple. With GDH sold and reorganized, they left to start Lambda Film. And yeah, Lambda is the spiritual successor of "Gonzo before they became big". As before, they intend to innovate and challenge the worldwide market. They also intend to raise their own capital, which allows a studio to retain creative control and property rights.

Where Gonzo goes next is someone else's problem.

[KiryuuKazumanosuke]

Wow... reading that really makes you feel bad for everybody at the studio except the one or two dicks who greenlighted that.

"Have fun animating this! We know it's going to bomb and that the studio will die, costing you and all your co-workers your jobs, but we're going ahead with it anyway because I like the book. Don't worry, once the company's dead I'll be going on to a new company, so I'll be perfectly alright."

That's absolutely disgusting.

[Shiroth]

Spoiler for Episode 24:

That was a satisfying ending. I'm glad the show pretty much finished up everyone's part in the story, especially Miko and Takehiko. Very nicely done there with those two.

Overall i must say i was very pleased with this series. I never expected anything special going into it at the start, and now i'm satisfied with the whole experience. Easily the best part of the series was Jouji Nakata voicing a transsexual, and in second place would be the three old men. I'm glad they had the amount of screentime that they did.

No news on Gonzo's next show?

[mit2591]

Originally Posted by KiryuuKazumanosuke

Wow... reading that really makes you feel bad for everybody at the studio except the one or two dicks who greenlighted that.

"Have fun animating this! We know it's going to bomb and that the studio will die, costing you and all your co-workers your jobs, but we're going ahead with it anyway because I like the book. Don't worry, once the company's dead I'll be going on to a new company, so I'll be perfectly alright."

That's absolutely disgusting.

well that's how the corporate world moves .you are supposed to leave your conscience outside the door when you enter this world.

[golthin]

Spoiler for Sayako:

Sayako has to go in history the most death defying women in anime.