(L) Shangri-La

[Eisdrache]

I still feel sad for that cute girl to be thrown in that ...lake and being transformed into that screaming kid (whose name I cant recall)

[npal]

Originally Posted by Eisdrache

I still feel sad for that cute girl to be thrown in that ...lake and being transformed into that screaming kid (whose name I cant recall)

The girl had no name, which sucks cause she was rather cute ^^ . The other thing (the screaming kid but I call it thing :P) is Lord Hiruko or something. Creepy >_>

[wandering-dreamer]

I'm really curious to see how all some of these supernatural powers are going to fit into the story. Kuniko's travel in the computer world (with the carbon market, not the other time), Mikuni's mental powers, Lord Hiruko's possessions, swords that all start vibrating at the same time (and seem to change the weather) that all feels a lot more like fantasy than science fiction.

[Alchemist007]

I suddenly got the feeling that Momoko is Ryouko's sibling.

[kero]

I think the word you're looking for is unusual, and not abnormal

Originally Posted by KiryuuKazumanosuke

Oddly enough, it's not actually a light novel. It's "serious literature", at least in theory. And the author has a bit of a thing with putting in abnormal characters; I've got another novel by him that features a half-black, half-japanese "Amerasian" girl named "Dennis."

[KiryuuKazumanosuke]

I think the word you're looking for is unusual, and not abnormal

Nope, I meant abnormal. If the kimono-wearing transsexual babysitter sumo wrestler doesn't qualify as abnormal, we should probably just pack up the English language and go home.

I'm really curious to see how all some of these supernatural powers are going to fit into the story. Kuniko's travel in the computer world (with the carbon market, not the other time), Mikuni's mental powers, Lord Hiruko's possessions, swords that all start vibrating at the same time (and seem to change the weather) that all feels a lot more like fantasy than science fiction.

I had assumed that the images we saw of the black dragon etc. were kind of a zen thing, rather than actual magic.

[wandering-dreamer]

Originally Posted by KiryuuKazumanosuke

Nope, I meant abnormal. If the kimono-wearing transsexual babysitter sumo wrestler doesn't qualify as abnormal, we should probably just pack up the English language and go home.



I had assumed that the images we saw of the black dragon etc. were kind of a zen thing, rather than actual magic.

No, I think unusual is the word. Abnormal is a bit too strong, abnormal is what I would call that little girl with the medusa.
Hmm, when did black dragon(s?) pop up? I don't remember seeing those, and I doubt that Hiroku's possession thing is Zen, that looked more supernatural (and I thought Zen was supposed to be calm and peaceful as well, that wasn't either of them).

[KiryuuKazumanosuke]

Hmm, when did black dragon(s?) pop up?

The black dragon/snake thingie was a piece of CGI crap that popped up on the screen during the carbon markets nonsense in episode 6/7, it showed up where a better anime would've put expository diagrams.

As an aside, Zen really doesn't have much to do with calm and beauty anymore than as a means to an end; that end is to see the true nature of things and realize that you are one with the universe. I meant it in the sense of "gaining insight into the nature of things", where Kuniko realizes the nature of the Serpent program as a black dragon slithering through the carbon markets, destroying all in its path. It's not an actual dragon; it's a piece of computer code sitting on a server somewhere.

[wandering-dreamer]

Originally Posted by KiryuuKazumanosuke

The black dragon/snake thingie was a piece of CGI crap that popped up on the screen during the carbon markets nonsense in episode 6/7, it showed up where a better anime would've put expository diagrams.

As an aside, Zen really doesn't have much to do with calm and beauty anymore than as a means to an end; that end is to see the true nature of things and realize that you are one with the universe. I meant it in the sense of "gaining insight into the nature of things", where Kuniko realizes the nature of the Serpent program as a black dragon slithering through the carbon markets, destroying all in its path. It's not an actual dragon; it's a piece of computer code sitting on a server somewhere.

Oh okay, now I remember and that all makes sense. I guess the animators (or maybe the original author) thought that it would be easier to show serpent as an actual serpent than as a series of graphs. And graphs probably would have been more confusing, then we would have been debating what in the world they meant and everyone here is already divided on the idea of how this carbon market works.

[KiryuuKazumanosuke]

Well I meant graphs and explanatory notes, charts. Maybe with chibi versions of the characters. You know, the things real animes do when they have a complicated concept to explain to their viewers that's plot critical.


My own private theory is that they know the whole carbon market thing is laughable bullcrap, and they couldn't put up a pretense of being a serious work if they tried to explain it.

[wandering-dreamer]

Well the carbon market could exist in the near future in the US (I know I posted an article about it just a page or two back...) so the basic concept of it is sound. People have to buy carbon credits in order to pollute, this creates demand. Other people have extra carbon credits they wish to see, that's supply.
But as for the numbers in the anime yeah, I don't get where they are getting those from or heck, who gives out the carbon credits in the first place? Do countries get some every year? Who determines how many they get?

[Alchemist007]

The carbon credit dealer of course!

[KiryuuKazumanosuke]

We have no idea. Is it a fair system? An unfair system? How much of it is neccessary, and how much of it is eco-lunacy?

[drobertbaker]

Originally Posted by kero

I think the word you're looking for is unusual, and not abnormal

The word I used was deviant.

Hikari to Kage has been doing some pretty funny blogs on Shangrila lately here.

He put it this way:

"That, along with some pretty weird and hilarious characters, like Joker (Lady Ryoko or something, meh), the sadists, the slaves, the lolis, the trannies, the grannies, makes this a pretty entertaining watch."

[KiryuuKazumanosuke]

Deviant.
Yeah, deviant works.

Not sure I agree with "entertaining" though.

[Used Can]

I think this one has been one seriously underrated anime. Certainly, it started quite slow, but I think the plot, as it is now, is being developed quite well. The whole deal with carbon credits is still a bit off (primarily because that's a task that you'd never leave in the hands of the private sector), but I think it's quite easy to bypass.

[wandering-dreamer]

Originally Posted by drobertbaker

The word I used was deviant.

Hikari to Kage has been doing some pretty funny blogs on Shangrila lately here.

He put it this way:

"That, along with some pretty weird and hilarious characters, like Joker (Lady Ryoko or something, meh), the sadists, the slaves, the lolis, the trannies, the grannies, makes this a pretty entertaining watch."

Wow, I loved that review. Think I'll start following that blogger now...

[Mistypearl]

I love Karin and all, but I think I missed the plot or whatever just happened in Ep. 11. Someone please inform me, I'm a tad confused on the matter~

[drobertbaker]

Great Karin episode 11!

Spoiler for episode 11:

Digma 0. Way Cool!

And he's dead, and he's Karin. Alright! Yeah, and the cat too!

Finally the last loli tied into the Digma experiment!

Talshin/MEDUSA takes out the stealth carrier using Atlas satellite Apollo! You'd think that would cut into Ryouko's budget, but she doesn't seem to care!

[Weils]

Spoiler for Spoilers for Ep 11::

Touching and sad episode. Topics ranging from loneliness to freedom. At least this episode stays away from the screaming Hiruko for a while.

If Mikuni/Digma 1 is the Moon, Kuniko/Digma 2 is the Sun, Kunihito/Digma 3 is the Earth, what was Canary/Digma 0's symbolism supposed to be? It seems that he's dead but he lives on as a spirit, including his cat. Oh, and I'm wondering what relationship he has with Karin. Is Karin his clone(?), child(?) or just random coincidence that he sought her out to persuade her outside?