(L) Medaka Box [1st & 2nd anime seasons]

[Clarste]

Same reason they would mention any other random background information. Does it really matter how good Shiranui's eyesight is? Yet they mention it in her character introduction. Likewise, knowing that she's the granddaughter of the principal doesn't necessarily matter and just adds a bit of flavor to her character.

[Westlo]

Originally Posted by Valid

One thing that bugs me is that on the characters section on the Medaka box anime website they mention certain stuff that only appear in the flask plan arc, why would they mention it if they are only animating towards the enforcer arc.

Because it's more than likely getting a split cour release? 12 Episodes now and another 12 in Fall 2012 or maybe Winter 2013? I mean it's not like this is an uncommon practice or anything... some recent examples.

Fate/Zero
Rin-ne no Lagrange
Jormungand
The World Only God Knows
Horizon

The original rumors also mention split cour... and considering those rumors got the animation studio right months before they were announced... I don't know why a website listing 45 without a source is something brought up so often... it's a late night show and it's by Gainax... Gainax haven't done a show longer than one cour in 5 years, and what was the last late night show to run longer than 2 cour? Death Note? Which adapted everything as well as being a way more successful manga than Medaka Box.

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by Westlo

Because it's more than likely getting a split cour release? 12 Episodes now and another 12 in Fall 2012 or maybe Winter 2013? I mean it's not like this is an uncommon practice or anything... some recent examples.

Fate/Zero
Rin-ne no Lagrange
Jormungand
The World Only God Knows
Horizon

The original rumors also mention split cour... and considering those rumors got the animation studio right months before they were announced... I don't know why a website listing 45 without a source is something brought up so often... it's a late night show and it's by Gainax... Gainax haven't done a show longer than one cour in 5 years, and what was the last late night show to run longer than 2 cour? Death Note? Which adapted everything as well as being a way more successful manga than Medaka Box.

Hum? Death Note? Wasn't that by Madhouse?

[Westlo]

Originally Posted by Dextro

Hum? Death Note? Wasn't that by Madhouse?

Yes, I was talking about late night shows @ that point. To restate... Noway Medaka Box by Gainax is 45 episodes because...

1) Gainax haven't done a show longer than 1 cour since Gurren Lagann which aired in 2007. The only time they've done a show longer than 2 cours was Nadia back in 1990....
2) Late night anime rarely goes longer than 2 cour, Death Note being an exception and that aired in 2006... long running shows air in prime time slots.

[Clarste]

If we're talking about stuff they've never done, they've never done a Shounen Jump adaptation either. Clearly this means that they're not animating Medaka Box, right?

We can talk about likelihoods until the cows come home, but the fact is that every production has its own unique circumstances. You acknowledge Death Note as an exception, so why can't this also be an exception? It's probably not, in the simple sense that most things aren't exceptions, but it's not a hard rule either.

[Westlo]

Because it got solicited for 12 episodes? Why are we still talking about 45 episodes from a website with no source after the fact? Not to mention that producing an anime from a different company is entirely different to the production capabilities of a studio as well as the time slots available for late night anime shows...

[Anh_Minh]

Looking at the OP and ED, won't it end at chapter 21? With maybe some padding.

[Westlo]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

Looking at the OP and ED, won't it end at chapter 21? With maybe some padding.

Most likely.

Second set of 12 will do 22-54 probably.

[Valid]

Originally Posted by Clarste

Same reason they would mention any other random background information. Does it really matter how good Shiranui's eyesight is? Yet they mention it in her character introduction. Likewise, knowing that she's the granddaughter of the principal doesn't necessarily matter and just adds a bit of flavor to her character.

But mentioning what you said was mentioned early on in the manga but mentioning Zenkichi's fighting style and Mogana's style which was not mentioned early on is another matter.

So far they are doing two chapters per episode so episode 12 should be adapting chapter 22 and 23 which would leave it for an open ending for the next season to continue.

[novalysis]

Originally Posted by Westlo

Most likely.

Second set of 12 will do 22-54 probably.

If the Second Cour get's greenlighted, that is. Personally, I'm quite pessimistic here, because there's very good odds that the First Season might just barely pass the point where the manga almost got cancelled. Though perhaps it's a little too early to start digging a grave for this adaptation at this stage.

And is a little absurd, IMO, that the earlier chapters occupy more episodes than the later chapters, even if narrative wise, it'd might make sense. Now, if the series was rushing through the first few arcs, the prognosis is better, since that's when Medaka really goes full blown Shounen.

Right now, the prognosis IMO, is NOT Good.

You know, with 12 episodes, it might have been far wiser to simply skip the first two arcs

Spoiler for Spoilers for First Two Arcs:

(or tightly compress it, with one member joining per episode)

, and start at the third arc. Which would give good indication to the true nature of the show itself, and probably might have been a more honest sales pitch for the continuation of the anime. Part of the problem is the Three Episode Rule many viewers use to judge an anime. Medaka Box will DEFINITELY not pass it in quite alot of viewers estimation, with their pace and the point at which they have started. In the case of stories like Medaka Box, a Three Arc rule might actually be a better gauge, but very few Anime only viewers have that kind of patience, alas (even if they'd accept it when told in a manga or novel format.)

But, that is of course my opinion. It's a shame that Shounen that do sell have to come out with their premises blazing, instead of gradually morphing into it, but such is the way of the Mass Market (as opposed to a small niche of viewers). And that's something I hope that eventually, one studio or another catches on when animating Action-Shounens of the type that Medaka Box and Negima are prime representatives of. Else, studios are better off not trying at all, unless they are prepared to give it the Guilty Crown treatment (In terms of Production values I mean, not writing, plotting or characterization of course).

[Clarste]

Originally Posted by Valid

But mentioning what you said was mentioned early on in the manga but mentioning Zenkichi's fighting style and Mogana's style which was not mentioned early on is another matter.

Not really. We already know that he fights from the first episode (and next episode should emphasize that a bit more too). And knowing his particular fighting style isn't much different from knowing his hobbies. Medaka tells us in the first episode that she dabbled in Kendo, for example.

So far they are doing two chapters per episode so episode 12 should be adapting chapter 22 and 23 which would leave it for an open ending for the next season to continue.

Assuming there is a next season. For the same reasons as novalysis, I'm quite skeptical of this ever continuing on beyond 12 episodes if it isn't already planned as a long runner.

[novalysis]

Originally Posted by Clarste

Assuming there is a next season. For the same reasons as novalysis, I'm quite skeptical of this ever continuing on beyond 12 episodes if it isn't already planned as a long runner.

I think that the One Cour syndrome has claimed another victim here, personally.

[Valid]

Tbh all we can do is wait and see what happens when it reaches episode 12, if it gets another season that is great, if it does not then oh well

[bumbayker]

I don't think its fair to assume that the series won't get past 1 cour. Just because the anime isn't very popular at the moment it doesn't mean the anime would end there. Granted that sales help with funding for production. But its also possible that the anime has been given funding for more than 1 cour beforehand. I haven't seen an anime adaptation of a long running manga from Shounen Jump that only lasted for 12 episodes. Take a look at the Bakuman anime. Its not that popular but its been scheduled to for more seasons even before BD sales were taken to account.

[Clarste]

Originally Posted by bumbayker

I don't think its fair to assume that the series won't get past 1 cour. Just because the anime isn't very popular at the moment it doesn't mean the anime would end there. Granted that sales help with funding for production. But its also possible that the anime has been given funding for more than 1 cour beforehand. I haven't seen an anime adaptation of long running manga from Shounen Jump that only lasted for 12 episodes. Take a look at the Bakuman anime. Its not that popular but its been scheduled to for more seasons even before BD sales were taken to account.

Well, that's precisely what we're discussing. We're wondering whether or not it's planned to be a long runner or not (ie: whether or not it's received funding for multiple cours beforehand). If yes, then it might survive. If not, it's definitely gonna die because the first 12 episodes simply aren't that good.

In terms of Bakuman, I believe Bakuman was given two separate 2 cour blocks? I think that situation would be ideal for Medaka Box, but quite frankly that involves producers being already invested in its success. Getting even 24 episodes is fairly rare nowadays.

[novalysis]

Originally Posted by Clarste

Well, that's precisely what we're discussing. We're wondering whether or not it's planned to be a long runner or not (ie: whether or not it's received funding for multiple cours beforehand). If yes, then it might survive. If not, it's definitely gonna die because the first 12 episodes simply aren't that good.

In terms of Bakuman, I believe Bakuman was given two separate 2 cour blocks? I think that situation would be ideal for Medaka Box, but quite frankly that involves producers being already invested in its success. Getting even 24 episodes is fairly rare nowadays.

It bodes quite ill actually for the future of long running mangas adapted into anime. Especially of the type Medaka Box belongs to, where the genre shift occurs way past the three episode rule.

Now, if Medaka Box already has three cours funded (if the 45 Episode rumor is true), then I'd say it'll be safe to say that it's quite likely that Medaka Box might well be adapted all the way till where it is now (and beyond). So long of course, they don't butcher the later arcs, or stray into anime original madness. If not, frankly, I think it's doomed. It'll join the ranks of TGWOK and Negima as Mangas which get's much better later on, but because of how long those kinds of mangas are, their anime adaptations fall flat, since One Cour is hardly enough to capture those kind of series with a 100% faithful adaptation.

When it comes to manga like this, there is NO room for error, or a botched up adaptation. A weak first three episodes will mean Sayonara to any chance of a full adaptation, ever, most of the time.

Since they are not going for an adaptation compression in the early chapters, Medaka's box prospect of survival as a One Cour anime is frankly grim. As a two or three cour anime, I'd say it'd fare well. As a Four Cour anime, I'd think it'll likely succeed so long as the adaptation is faithful. Really, the market that will appreciate Medaka Box best will be the demographic who are familiar with Shounen, but are slightly beyond that age group.

The other thing to note though, is that the cast of Medaka Box expands dramatically after the first two Arcs. VAs might well have to double roles, if the anime successfully becomes a Long Runner.

[Anime-fan10]

I didn't really like this episode; not much character development, even for a second episode, and the plot was of no interest to me. I hope the next one is better.

[novalysis]

Originally Posted by Anime-fan10

I didn't really like this episode; not much character development, even for a second episode, and the plot was of no interest to me. I hope the next one is better.

Unless they rush through, it's not going to happen. Medaka Box is one of those stories where the Three Episode Rule won't work that well as a test. Bear in mind we are only in the First Arc.

Yes. Story Arc. Medaka Box is not Slice of Life, nor Moe-blob, nor Harem nor Generic Echii Rom Com.

Personally, I think the VA for Medaka is about as suitable as the VA for Keima Katsuragi from TGWOK. And to me, that's the first sign that the producers have possibly not read the entire manga as it is so far before production.

[totoum]

Originally Posted by Clarste

In terms of Bakuman, I believe Bakuman was given two separate 2 cour blocks? I think that situation would be ideal for Medaka Box, but quite frankly that involves producers being already invested in its success. Getting even 24 episodes is fairly rare nowadays.

It's even got a third 2 cour season coming this fall.
Bakuman runs daytime on NHK,it's not there to sell DVDs,you can tell that by how they put something like 12 episodes on one DVD instead of 2 like you see with many other animes.

Medaka Box is airing on a late night slot so the business model is completely different.

[EroKing]

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