(L) Katanagatari

[Blayne Barudorii]

Ok so for sure this is alternate history, so what did the guy who made all the blades do exactly to prevent the Tokugawa Shogunate from happening, and which invent was he trying to prevent? The Opening of Japan or WWII? Or some other event?

[ZeroForever]

pretty sure he made the blades in order to change who won the Sengoku period wars in hopes that it would make a stronger Japan but the resulting/changed winner followed the same actions that the Tokugawa did in isolationist peace.

Overall i think he wanted a strong Japan that wouldn't result in the events of the opening of Japan.

Overall i would give the series a 8.5/10, definitly some long winded eps and slow scenes that made me almost fall asleep but overall it was very well done series.

[Soviet]

Spent the whole day watching this and I liked it a lot. Probably my favourite show of the year even though that doesn't say much. I consider 2010 to be the worst year for anime....since I started watching anime.

There is an absurd amount of talking, the animation and fights kind of suck but at the end of the day...it's just a really good story and good stories are hard to come by. Seems to be a 'more than the sum of its parts'-thing.

edit: Hitei-Hime > Togame

[shichi-chan]

You saying Durarara wasn't a good series? D:

[Soviet]

I didn't say that, but it's true anyway. Durarara!!! was not good, even the black guy from that russian sushi-bar couldn't save it from mediocrity.

[Nilie]

Hum, hum, excuse me for not comenting on the series finale.


What I really wish to post about right now is...


WASN'T I PROMISED A GALLERY WITH ALL THE OFFICIAL ARTWORK ONE COULD PROVIDE???


T____________T I don't want to forget this series, and the best way for me to remember it is by having some of its nicest artwork hung up where I can stare at it in my room or in my folder at school!

[Kismet-chan]

Soviet's entitled to his opinion, of course, but I'd say this was a pretty good year for anime.

I dunno what last year's anime lineup was like, because I didn't really pay attention to anything that came out last year (I know Bakemonogatari did, but I've haven't seen it; despite it's raving reviews and being a large Nisio fan, it didn't interest me when I first heard of it, but I PROMISE that when I have the time I WILL sit down and watch it). But I'd say this year was a good one because it's the first time in a while I've actually watched more than one or two ENTIRE series of any anime in the same year.

Note: I'm not necessarily saying that the shows I have in mind themselves were fantastic or anything, but I'm saying that I felt there was a decent amount of series worth watching/worthy of praise or acknowledgment present this year. To me, anyway.

[shichi-chan]

Well I guess everyones opinion differs one way or the other. Like I am a huge Maniwa fan and others could take a shit about the Maniwa.

Haha, yeah ya should take the time to watch Bakemono, it is an amazing series. and true that I only just started to paying attention to the anime coming out each season, before I just watched random things I found interesting lol.

[Daniel Lind]

Nuh noh, do I like to be proven wrong.

Ending Themes Collection #1
Songs from episodes 1-6 and... two new character song for Togame and Nanami.

Talk about meh. Are they serious with this one. Not off-vocals, not extra BGM, character songs? For Katanagatari of all things?
And what will be on the second one? Hitei and... who? Honestly.

[omimon]

Originally Posted by Daniel Lind

Nuh noh, do I like to be proven wrong.

Ending Themes Collection #1
Songs from episodes 1-6 and... two new character song for Togame and Nanami.

Talk about meh. Are they serious with this one. Not off-vocals, not extra BGM, character songs? For Katanagatari of all things?
And what will be on the second one? Hitei and... who? Honestly.

All I know is I approve.

[canza]

This is probably my favorite anime of 2010. The ending was just awesome. The fighting scenes showed how cool Yasuri is. I didn't expect him to be alive, but I'm glad he was. And the Hitei and Yasuri ending was a surprise, but I actually liked it. Hitei is so cute in the end, and hopefully they can be together. I don't care if they didn't mention anything about them being together. They HAVE to have some kind of love interaction. Yasuri needs some loving after what he's been through.

Is it just me, or did anyone else wanted Yasuri to go back to see Hakuhei Sabi(The girl with the blade hair who lives in the Shogi place who teaches her style of sword fighting)? I wanted them to be together for some reason =(.

[Miyuki-ism]

Finally got around to watching the last three episodes.

Definitely my favourite anime of 2010. And the ending made my cry a bit. But it was a really good ending.

[Zip]

Odd. Shouldn't the OST be out by now?

[etothex]

Just finished the last episode. What can I say, what a wild ride. A few questionable moments, especially the narrator, but overall, great dialogue, and character antics. Only 1 great big HUGE failure was the epilogue. Shichika traveling, making a map; I'm okay with. HOWEVER, the fact that the map didn't say "areas I've successfully turned 'cheerio' into a popular catchphrase" is a total letdown. I AM DISAPPOINT. =P

especially gonna miss the maniwani though. CHEERIO

[Daniel Lind]

Odd. Shouldn't the OST be out by now?

Odd. I thought people would understand that no one is obligated to upload every commercical product of marginal interest to a niche audience straight on the release date.

[Sackett]

Originally Posted by Stretch

I admit that Katanagatari isn't 'retarded', it just isn't designed for the average viewer who is prepared to devote an average amount of attention and has an average attention span. Like I said, I have found that the amount of effort which I am prepared to devote to making sense of a show is directly proportional to the amount of enjoyment I get out of it. Episode four was spectacular, but otherwise the quality seemed to fall off after that and I lost a good deal of interest. I wasn't getting my money's worth, so to speak. So I didn't take notes, or rewatch episodes. But I think a really good show should make sense to most people without them having to do more than give it one solid watch. It should grab their attention and hold it right to the end. It should make them want to do whatever it takes to make sense of the plot. Katanagatari just didn't do that for me.

I still think that the final episode made mincemeat of the basic rules of storytelling even if there was a sort of logic to it after all. Likeable characters should come out OK, or, if they die, there should be a moving lesson to their deaths; I didn't feel that. Shichika became a villain, killing people left and right just so that he could die fighting; Togame died in a confusing and meaningless manner--it became meaningless when she admitted her plan to kill Shichika. Was she telling the truth or making it up so that he wouldn't be heartbroken by her death? There's no answer. And I'll never understand how the princess wound up as Shichika's new sidekick--I had thought that maybe he was attacking the castle to kill her as revenge for Togame. Togame never seemed a very hateful person to me, so the notion of her carrying out a meticulous plan to assasinate the Shogun never registered in my mind. And if Shichika really is superhuman, then that would mean that he was never really in much danger to begin with, so why should I get excited when he fights?

And if Houou was already dead, who was that talking bird that brought Shichika a message? Emonzaemon? Houou always wore a bird costume.

I guess I just took the absurdity of Katanagatari for granted, and assumed there would never be any explanation (like 'time travel') for the bizarre swords. Swords do such crazy things in anime (like moving faster than bullets, or knocking people off their feet without ever touching them) that this didn't seem all that odd. So, I wasn't looking for any rational explanation and didn't catch it when it came.

Emonzaemon clearly identifies himself as the talking bird.

You obviously just aren't paying attention, and then you miss stuff and are clalling it plot holes.

Your other complaint is basically that Katanagatari isn't an epic story of good an evil. You're right.

It's a classic Greek tragedy. The protagonist is defeated by her own flaws (hubris being a big one).

There is no right or wrong, only power.

Welcome to the Dark Side.

Sorry, but despite what you might have heard, we don't have cookies.

I understand if you don't like it. But that's a matter of taste, not quality. You probably don't care for Hamlet much either.

[Sackett]

Originally Posted by ZeroForever

pretty sure he made the blades in order to change who won the Sengoku period wars in hopes that it would make a stronger Japan but the resulting/changed winner followed the same actions that the Tokugawa did in isolationist peace.

Overall i think he wanted a strong Japan that wouldn't result in the events of the opening of Japan.

Overall i would give the series a 8.5/10, definitly some long winded eps and slow scenes that made me almost fall asleep but overall it was very well done series.

I think he wanted a Japan that modernized earlier then in the real time line. That way Japan could begin conquering East Asia in a time period when that was accepted, and before America would be strong enough (or involved in East Asia enough to want) to stop them.

In such an alternate history it is likely that Japan would be the dominate power in East Asia and would never have attacked America in WWII.

[Zip]

Originally Posted by Daniel Lind

Odd. I thought people would understand that no one is obligated to upload every commercical product of marginal interest to a niche audience straight on the release date.

The OST has been released since the 22nd. We already have the Panty and Stocking OST out (even BEFORE its release date on the 29th), and not seeing anyone have interest in uploading any part of this OST as of yet is very odd, considering how much more quickly the first OST was uploaded since its release date.

[Daniel Lind]

how much more quickly the first OST was uploaded since its release date.

Three weeks after the street date, actually.
PSG is an exception, but Japan does not show much interest in BGM albums.
And international delivery takes time, especially during the winter holidays.

[winkel]

Finished the series, and I am going to have to agree with the sentiment that the ending left me 'What? Seriously?'

-I understand Togame's speech. Long and convoluted it was, her point was that she believed she didn't deserve happiness, and to prevent Shichika from suffering, she lied and made him hate her so that he wouldn't feel as much pain from losing her.

-I understand why he went to attack the castle. He wanted to die, and that was where the strongest person who could kill him was. And once Enmonzaemon died, the swords destroyed, there was no one left strong enough to kill him, so his wish of coming to die was ruined, and he was forced to live. Thus he ended up living to complete his/Togame's dream.

-I understand why he killed the Shogunate over Princess Hitei, like he said, make an example and all. And it wasn't her fault Togame died, once everyone knew Togame was the daughter of the guy who led the rebellion, she would have been targeted sooner or later.

-I DO NOT understand why at the end Princess Hitei suddenly did a 180 personality change, and becomes Shichika's latest sidekick. The girl who sat in her room throughout the entire series, acting with calm and calculation (much like Togame's old self. Parallel!) suddenly becomes the Togame like partner, and also a flirtatious, energetic character?

I would have accepted him going off on his own to finish their dream, but having her fit in the picture unnecessarily ruined much of the ending for me.