(L) Hai to Gensou to Grimmgal

[ccesarano]

Originally Posted by Sagitta Luminis

I'm a little disappointed as I feel Haruhiro's battle against Dead Spot went against the themes of the rest of the anime, namely the importance of teamwork and the difficulty of fighting monsters.

I'd have to largely agree. One of the things I loved about this series was that Haruhio was largely not "The One". He was just as terrible as the rest of 'em at the start, and developed alongside of them. He had his role in combat, but his skills were largely nothing special compared to that of everyone else. It helped ground the show and allowed Haruhiro's struggle to be a good leader to really shine.

Taking down Death Spots solo in such a manner gives me worry that he'll end up being "The Chosen One" in some fashion. I'm largely fine with them concluding things in the manner that they did, as they had been leading up on the Crit-Trail enough throughout the season. However, even though it's an ability others share, he gets it more often than others (at least, based on the conversation with his teacher). Seeing the critical weakpoint in a blade is also rather convenient, though at least it provides a logical means of defeat: force Death Spots to literally fall upon his own sword.

If there are future seasons I will definitely be watching, but now I'll be afraid that Haruhiro will become the typical shounen protagonist of being especially special because he's special.

In regards to the whole, however, this is probably my favorite of the "trapped in a game" anime, at the very least that I've seen to (current) completion (only watched the first episode of Konosuba and need to start Overlord). I'm hoping for another season, but that last episode was definitely troubled. I haven't seen a mistake like Ranta having his helmet in one shot and missing it in the next in a long time.

[kgrodriguez]

Originally Posted by ccesarano

I'd have to largely agree. One of the things I loved about this series was that Haruhio was largely not "The One". He was just as terrible as the rest of 'em at the start, and developed alongside of them. He had his role in combat, but his skills were largely nothing special compared to that of everyone else. It helped ground the show and allowed Haruhiro's struggle to be a good leader to really shine.

Taking down Death Spots solo in such a manner gives me worry that he'll end up being "The Chosen One" in some fashion. I'm largely fine with them concluding things in the manner that they did, as they had been leading up on the Crit-Trail enough throughout the season. However, even though it's an ability others share, he gets it more often than others (at least, based on the conversation with his teacher). Seeing the critical weakpoint in a blade is also rather convenient, though at least it provides a logical means of defeat: force Death Spots to literally fall upon his own sword.

If there are future seasons I will definitely be watching, but now I'll be afraid that Haruhiro will become the typical shounen protagonist of being especially special because he's special.

In regards to the whole, however, this is probably my favorite of the "trapped in a game" anime, at the very least that I've seen to (current) completion (only watched the first episode of Konosuba and need to start Overlord). I'm hoping for another season, but that last episode was definitely troubled. I haven't seen a mistake like Ranta having his helmet in one shot and missing it in the next in a long time.

Personally, I never saw it as Haru taking on Death Spots on his own, but more of him dealing the final blow.

Their whole team all through out those two episodes contributed in weakening death spots.

I think the conversation afterwards was key however. When even all of his teammates are implying that he brought down Death Spots on his own, then the audiences would also get the same impression. But if Haru said something to the effect that he was only able to do that only because Death Spots was already weakened by the whole team earlier, then it would still somehow feel that it was the whole team that took down Death Spots.

[Tenzen12]

But Deathspot wasn't weakened at all. It was said it became stronger and fiercer more hurt he get, so team just made fight more difficult for Haru.

[DemonneoPT]

Originally Posted by Tenzen12

But Deathspot wasn't weakened at all. It was said it became stronger and fiercer more hurt he get, so team just made fight more difficult for Haru.

But he had less HP right? It's the perfect target for a thief/assassin in any game

[Tenzen12]

It doesn't matter how much HP one have left if he get knife stabbed into brain in next second.

[ccesarano]

Originally Posted by Tenzen12

But Deathspot wasn't weakened at all. It was said it became stronger and fiercer more hurt he get, so team just made fight more difficult for Haru.

I do think, interpreted to video game terms, that him "getting stronger" would more mean that the less HP he has, the greater his Strength, Agility, and Defense stats boost. That sort of thing happens quite a bit in games (and I believe is even recreated in Log Horizon at some point).

I think the conversation afterwards was key however. When even all of his teammates are implying that he brought down Death Spots on his own, then the audiences would also get the same impression. But if Haru said something to the effect that he was only able to do that only because Death Spots was already weakened by the whole team earlier, then it would still somehow feel that it was the whole team that took down Death Spots.

I don't recall the conversation after well enough to say what was communicated one way or the other. So you could be right, though I still feel like it's a cheap trick to implement.

On the whole, though, it's a minor complaint, and one only born from concern that Haru will end up turning into Kirito from Sword Art Online or What's-The-Guy from Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon (and I do think the fight between Haruhiro and Death Spots is a great contrast against the fight between What's-The-Guy and Super-Monster in a cave in Dungeon, where he was just miraculously awesome and everyone on the sideline was around to stand in awe. Grimgar works so much more dramatically satisfying).

[Tenzen12]

Exactly, that's why saying rest of party "weakened" it doesn't make sense

[DemonneoPT]

Originally Posted by Tenzen12

It doesn't matter how much HP one have left if he get knife stabbed into brain in next second.

That's not how games work. Assuming Grimgar has the same or similar rules as a game, Haru was only able to kill the boss because Death Spot had few HP left. I was also under the impression that those "lines" Haru sees, allows him to gain 100% precision and critically strike his enemy for a big chunk of HP. It's a common skill for the assassin/thief class where they gain bonus damage vs low health opponents. It's a trait like the one Death Spot possess where the less HP he has, the greater his Strength, Agility and Defense stats, just like @ccesarano said. Well, it's just my interpretation. I may be wrong tho xD

[Tenzen12]

Yeah that's not how game works, that's how real life does. It doesn't matter how much HP one have one stab into kidney or hearth is enough do job. Haru landed accurate hit on vitals that's why Deathspot died. Or are you saying that without cumulated damage it would fine with knife in it's head?

Even if we pretend that it's transported into game stuff, there is nothing game like i n a way either monsters or named characters dies.

[DemonneoPT]

I'm saying that striking the boss in his vital/weak spots would only do extra damage and not actually kill him immediately unless his health is already at low levels.

[Harbinger]

I was under the impression that our MC went for Death Spot's remaining eye. It doesn't matter how strong you are, if you are denied vision, you will fall (unless you got some super powers or something like that).

With its vision denied, it would be kind of easy to finish him off.

Our MC had a broken hand for falling off. It wouldn't be impossible that Death Spot had a few broken bones or even crippling injuries as well, considering its size.

[DemonneoPT]

That also makes sense. Against a blind target, Haru would not be in danger and could just stab him until he finaly dies. But if the anime follows the game rules, for game balance sake, the blindness had to be temporary and i really doubt our MC would be able to kill him in such short period of time if the Boss was not already injured from the previous fight.

[ccesarano]

I was basically translating into video game terms, but I do feel the anime is contextualizing video game logic into a more grounded format. So instead of just saying "CRITICAL HIT!", Haru's ability leads him to a spot that would become a critical hit. Also, the actual killing blow was Death Spots falling on the broken sword, a move made more possible by blinding him.

Even so, the game basically declared that striking him "only made him stronger", a contextualization of a gameplay trope. Hell, the cry of the lone Goblin, their first kill, could be viewed as a similar "Berserk" effect.

But in the end, these game terms are being recontextualized, and instead of just magical death-by-1000-cuts conclusion, Haruhiro kills Death Spots in a way that we could believe: by falling on his own busted and big-ass sword.

This is definitely a "trapped in a game" anime, but I do love how it contextualizes mechanics through a realism (HA!) filter rather than buying into it like, say, Log Horizon (which I also clearly love). I think that's where Grimgar gets much of its charm, and why I'm able to forgive the potential "Haru is Neo" bullshit of him taking out Death Spots since it was handled so well.

[Myssa Rei]

So apparently a marathon of Grimgar episodes 1-8 will be held on Niconico on 5/21, and what's more it's marketed as the "fixed" version. Hmm, will it be like Twintails, where whole scenes were redrawn and recut?

No word on the finale, which according to production staff was aired essentially unfinished..

[felix]

Originally Posted by Myssa Rei

No word on the finale, which according to production staff was aired essentially unfinished..

Define unfinished.

Missing one or two scenes in the final episode or literally missing an entire episode or two?

[Twi]

I regret that I only found this earlier this month. It's an amazing anime that carries itself well about living in a fantasy world and working from the bottom to the point where you can live without worrying about your next meal. I think there are like 8 LNs out, so I hope they make a sequel.

[Tormenk]

Episode 2.5 was short but so enjoyable. Wouldn't be Grimgar without the theme of the episode being 'alive', just with a light-hearted and funny take to it in this OVA.