(CR) White Album 2

[Lyase]

Also include ps3/vita of the game?

[Guardian Enzo]

Nope, just anime BDs.

[Mazryonh]

Can anyone tell me which version of "After All" is this?

Also, what about the orchestral version of "After All" that is in Ep. 13? Is it on the official soundtrack? Did they add vocals to it on the soundtrack?

[Nachtwandler]

Last version of VN got a big boost thanks to anime so hope is still there.

[Meltyred]

It's the 2013 version, for which the soundtrack has yet to released, as to my current knowledge.

[Hiroi Sekai]

I just marathoned this entirely from start to finish yesterday after hearing the suggestions, and I'm glad I did.

It's been forever since I watched White Album, so this was a really really sweet return. The nature of the plot lead to a bitter end, but the experience overall was really heartfelt. Very much enjoyed it.

[Mazryonh]

Originally Posted by Meltyred

It's the 2013 version, for which the soundtrack has yet to released, as to my current knowledge.

Actually, the version I first posted is different from the "official" version that was used in the ending of Episode 12. Start listening around 3:14 here:

For one thing the orchestral elements (heard in the non-vocal version of After All during the dramatic climax in Ep. 13) aren't in the "official" version, but are in the first version I posted. I do hope a complete version of the orchestral version will be made available in the anime soundtrack (it abruptly cut off in the anime version), along with a vocal version that has the vocals added back in.

[AngryDango]

the first version you posted is a version that combines After All 綴る想い '13 with its original game version in order to complete the song(we never hear After All 綴る想い '13 from start to end, just some segments)
the song in ep 13 is After All 綴る想い '13 Instrumental

By the way the anime OST comes out January 29 http://whitealbum2.jp/goods/index.html
and this are the tracks it includes http://fixrecords.com/kiga21-22/
no White Album piano and guitar version or After All 綴る想い '13 apparently
but in March 26 we get TVアニメ「WHITE ALBUM2」VOCAL COLLECTION
this most likely has After All 綴る想い '13, I hope we get White Album piano and guitar version too, or I'll just figure out how to rip it from the damn game

[Free]

Spoiler for Snippets from BD Vol.1 audio commentary.:

Staff members' names were in the class name list.
The adjacent university can be seen through the window in the background in one of the scenes.
Various regrets about some of the awkwardly portrayed scenes, such as standing in a train when there are seats all around, running without setting the guitar down, etc.
The train lady was, of course, mentioned.

[Mazryonh]

Originally Posted by AngryDango

the first version you posted is a version that combines After All 綴る想い '13 with its original game version in order to complete the song(we never hear After All 綴る想い '13 from start to end, just some segments)
the song in ep 13 is After All 綴る想い '13 Instrumental

Thanks a lot for the explanation. I like this "blended" version better than the official versions, actually; the added instrumental bits improve it quite a bit, except for the conflicting piano phrases near the end.

Originally Posted by AngryDango

By the way the anime OST comes out January 29 http://whitealbum2.jp/goods/index.html
and this are the tracks it includes http://fixrecords.com/kiga21-22/
no White Album piano and guitar version or After All 綴る想い '13 apparently
but in March 26 we get TVアニメ「WHITE ALBUM2」VOCAL COLLECTION
this most likely has After All 綴る想い '13, I hope we get White Album piano and guitar version too, or I'll just figure out how to rip it from the damn game

Damn, I hope the OST developers listen to the fans and include After All '13, vocal and instrumental, perhaps even with a "blended" version.

[AngryDango]

Aanime OST is out, and also the tracks for the new album coming in March
http://www.amazon.co.jp/TVアニメ-WHITE-.../dp/B00HYHTU8A

[Hiroi Sekai]

Do they have plans to release the acoustic version of WHITE ALBUM that they performed in the first episode? It's not on the OST, and as far as I can see, it's not on that vocal collection set for March either.

[AngryDango]

no, they're no releasing that version.
You will have to make do with the LQ version from the game
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZNY_LxDBPc

[yellowscarves]

Finally got around to watching it, and what a ride it was. Like a few other people, the art and animation inconsistencies didn't take away from the experience. The music is top-notch, the characters are realistic, the developments are entirely believable, and nothing felt particularly cliche. There's not much more I can ask for from a romantic drama. It's 10/10 (and anime of 2013) for me, and if the summaries for CC+coda are anything to go by, Season 2 will be 11/10.

[Archon_Wing]

So I finished the anime, and I really have to ask; White Album 2; what am I going to do with you?

It was definitely something else to watch this year, and while I certainly don't regret watching it, it didn't really leave me feeling that much either. Definitely, I felt more engaged in the first half, and the series did do a very stellar job of making the three leads come to life. They're certainly all excellent characters. But I feel that the series overall was a bitter pill, and that can be useful at times. I've posted recently about many an anime just not being able to really provide a satisfying narrative or a mature outlook to romance. So by taking a more realistic approach, the anime might provide a cure for the more obnoxiously saccharine and ultimately fake romance that lies out there. But at the same time, there might not have just been enough taste left in the end.

But I would definitely say that; it certainly is a passionate and intense series.



I have to say, despite Setsuna's less that decisive motives for getting this started up her moments with Haruki were intense. It's that kind of passion that lacks in many a show. But at the same time, while there was a more "direct" scene with Kazusa, I just felt quite out there. It certainly does make more sense since the moments of passion with Kazusa are more rushed and they "feel" more wrong due to the way they got inserted with all that impulsiveness.

But is that what they really wanted me to feel? Ultimately,I just kept feeling poor Kazusa as the unfortunate third wheel. And that is where misery comes in.



I kept feeling that in the last few episodes.



Yea, well, really, it's nice we're all honest now, but sometimes you can't just backtrack like that . It's sort of like an avalanche. Unfortunately, I guess it doesn't matter, and oh crap....



It's a bit refreshing to see the mentality of these characters as they try their best to handle crisis. And it's something that was bound to collapse. But despite the twists and turns; it got sort of exhausting as the series decided to go for the multiview perspective tactics. I honestly thought it was sort of a bust; and just left me wondering when the series was going to end...


Yea, yea, well, fuck you! You idiot



White Album 2's remaining budget was spotted! Animated Setsuna's hands, and apparently those french fries!



Setsun's pretty damned awesome appearing from balconies. Fortunately, the series didn't do any retarded shit like have her fall off or something.


Yea I think it's time to hang up the hat.
Haruki...

Ah fuck man. >.>

So, are you going to just leave me hanging like this?

Whoosh!



As with all sad endings; we get this. It seemed so great, and one would wish it'll never end. But life sucks and sometimes if you don't treasure it, and you don't approach it with all your effort and bam! it's gone. All the characters had their own brand of half-assedness that caused this to happen. They're just not bad people and honestly these things can't even be considered flaws. But life decides to kick you in the balls because you take too long to realize it.

So in the end, I did indeed respect the series for making such complex and nuanced characters that had their strengths and flaws which set them up for this unfortunate fall. A certain someone I knew described this anime as the most "True Tears" anime since True Tears, and I have to admit it also contains everything I liked and didn't like about that show too. Ultimately, it ends up being more of a show I enjoy on paper; I don't regret watching this at all and had a unique experience and an interesting story, but at the same time if you're going to ask me if I'm going to come back to this series or quickly recommend it as the cream of the crop and I wouldn't say I'd be the most enthusiastic.

So I'm just left here and not really sure where to place the series in the grand scheme of things. But it might just be a pill that I really needed to swallow at this point. Maybe I just don't like romance anime. Time will have to tell. Oh, and I liked it being a music anime as well.

My tentative personal rating is a 7.5/10; I think it's worth a shot if you're into the genre.

[yellowscarves]

Originally Posted by Archon_Wing

But despite the twists and turns; it got sort of exhausting as the series decided to go for the multiview perspective tactics. I honestly thought it was sort of a bust; and just left me wondering when the series was going to end...

I thought the part that focused on Touma was the most well-done aspect of the series. The perspective shift masterfully integrated all of those visual hints from earlier episodes. I love it when an anime does this, because watching everything fall into place at the end has to be one of the most satisfying things about entertainment mediums in general, and because it makes the series more re-watchable.

[Pocari_Sweat]

There were three moments of brilliance which left me amazed when it comes to this series. The first was the concert episode where through flashbacks Setsuna in a roundabout way declares war on Touma, a war she ultimately loses followed by the piano version of this song being played after the Sound of Destiny performance (2nd song). It was a glorious moment of bittersweet mono-no-aware which left me really moved.

The second was the two Touma flashback episodes. They were pretty much masterpieces in my eyes. They perfectly made everything fall into place and was without doubt convincing in the way in portraying how Touma fell in love. Hell, I think just about any girl would if they were in her shoes.

And lastly but not least was the ending. It was one of the most satisfying and artistically beautiful endings I have seen in the anime medium and I would certainly rank it within my top 10 anime endings of all time. Loved the way the series used lovemaking as a means to enhance the character's attraction and to depict how desperate they were without fetishizing it, loved the way the series had the balls to actually give a rather heartwrenching sad ending with also a glimmer of hope rather than ending it in an overly forced happy one. And best of all I loved how the title song omission back at the concert episode was intentional, and they played it as the last scene of this fantastic series.

I have no qualms about this series being a melodrama, which I have in the past been critical of. If melodramas and romances were all like White Album 2, then I wouldn't have a problem in the first place. Unfortunately, the reality is White Album 2 is the exception not the norm.

I can see myself growing more fond of this series as time passes, much like I did (and still am) with 2012's Hyouka, but the initial place for this series is a notch or two higher so it leaves it even more to age. Shin Sekai Yori may be the anime of 2013 for me right now, but I wouldn't be surprised in a few years time to come back and remember 2013 as the year that White Album 2 came out, the best TV seinen romance to come out in more than 5 years.

Now where's my season 2/Closing Chapter!

[Archon_Wing]

Originally Posted by yellowscarves

I thought the part that focused on Touma was the most well-done aspect of the series. The perspective shift masterfully integrated all of those visual hints from earlier episodes. I love it when an anime does this, because watching everything fall into place at the end has to be one of the most satisfying things about entertainment mediums in general, and because it makes the series more re-watchable.

I agree it did raise some interesting points about Touma herself and explained her behavior. I usually like this kind of soul searching stuff, but I don't know, maybe I am just not into such a harsh conclusion.

[quote]

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

There were three moments of brilliance which left me amazed when it comes to this series. The first was the concert episode where through flashbacks Setsuna in a roundabout way declares war on Touma, a war she ultimately loses followed by the piano version of this song being played after the Sound of Destiny performance (2nd song). It was a glorious moment of bittersweet mono-no-aware which left me really moved.

That's a pretty high up moment. My personal favorite is probably the Setsuna confession scene. In retrospect episode 7 was definitely the stand out one, and the show seems to be best when they're singing White Album it seems. Gogo balcony + sunsets?

[germanturkey]

we're retrospecting already? eps 10-12. Mindblowingly good. everything was done perfectly. White Album 2 is the perfect example of how to execute angst (without being angstey), drama (without being over the top) and romance (without being typically anime unrealistic).

it was a master stroke to arrange it in the way they did. all the subtle animation hints in the first half of the series fell into perfect place when you hit the latter eps.

[Ringil]

Personally I felt the first episode was by far the best. The execution and timing, especially of the end song, felt perfect. However, I agree 10-12 were also quite strong. Strong enough to drive me to finish reading CC. I felt the middle episodes didn't quite match up to the beginning and the end.