(L+CR) Kyoukai no Kanata (Beyond the Boundary)

[brocko]

That action sequence from 5-10sec was hype as hell in the trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnfeVrAAS2k
Then you see it in the episode and it's just. Boring. What a let down, it's like there's something lacking in the cinematography or screenplay or something. I mean for half that fight there wasn't even any bgm and the one that they did use hardly did anything to get you excited at all. It just felt really.... vanilla. The animation is impressive and top notch as expected, but that by itself can only take you so far. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. Damn trailer! Hyped up and oversold the action in the show to me lol

[Reincarnated]

Well....I love this series, even Mirai (because she is cool when it comes to fighting, other than that I don't really care) but honestly, I can't take the jokes either. No, some jokes are okay, but when it comes to Akihito (aka "forced" jokes) I can't bring myself to laugh. The story itself is okay, not as bad as the jokes. So if the jokes can get better in the next ep, it'll be my favourite anime of the season.

[rulfo]

Well to be fair. KyoAni has rarely even done action and rarely do they have any time to polish it.

KyoAni is to character animation(acting) as Bones is to balls to the walls action choreography.

If we look at their action scenes:

Munto was mostly effect animation. That carried over here and still done very well.
TSR had only 2 scenes I'd call well choreographed action.
Fumoffu/Lucky Star is almost the same as Nichijou's approach and leans towards gags.
Clannad After Story's fight scene is the only odd ball out of all the actions scenes they have done. It was a pleasant surprise.

To expect KyoAni to come into Bones territory or even come close to Gainax/Trigger approach would most likely be disappointed.

[blewin]

I questioned before how this series is defining itself. After watching episode 2, I think I quite like the series. It seems both characters have quite a tale to tell, and we do get to know more of their background. I wonder what youmu Akihito's dad is?

The only thing that's getting on my nerves is the jokes coming out of Mitsuki's mouth. Her jokes are too much... it's bordering on overtaking the main story line! Either she stops doing that or just disappear, else I think I'll find this series a bit hard to like entirely. She's like.... like an irrelevant sidekick that's constantly disrupting the flow of everything!

[Cloudenvy]

To echo what's already been said: the humor is kind of annoying and intrusive, while the fighting is oddly tame due to poor audio choices and dull as hell cinematography. It all feels really bland.

[Triple_R]

I guess it's just been so long since KyoAni has done a serious action scene that they've lost the sense of how to properly frame such a scene to come off as gripping and intense.

It's like coming to watch a war, but you get fireworks instead. Sure, the fireworks are pretty and all, but it doesn't engage quite like a great action scene.

[FlareKnight]

Yeah, the action scene all in all wasn't anything great. At least they've got solid animation to build on so just have to figure the rest out.

Feel like I'm going to have a hard time taking this girl's issue seriously after spending the first episode trying to disembowel the main character over and over again. Though yeah with her tendency to cut up everything in her path I'm not surprised she actually killed a person along the way. Though there is likely more to the story than that.

But yeah...that guy has one hell of a mother. I suppose having a mother like that and only coming out of it only being a bit of glasses fanatic is a pretty impressive thing.

[NinjaRealist]

I personally like how the choreography of the action scenes is kind of understated and moves in bursts of action rather than constantly flowing. It sort of reminds me of 90's Wire-Fu movies like Crouching Tiger and Romeo Must Die. I agree that the unnecessary comedy, such as that horrible wall joke, doesn't really do well in the action scenes but, in my opinion, the choreography and cinematography were both great. We have plenty of shows this season that are pursuing the manic, hyper-kinetic style of action scene (Kill la Kill, Kyousogiga, Yozakura Quartet) that I'm glad Kyoukai no Kanata isn't going that direction.

[Tranhieu]

Originally Posted by Reincarnated

Well....I love this series, even Mirai (because she is cool when it comes to fighting, other than that I don't really care) but honestly, I can't take the jokes either. No, some jokes are okay, but when it comes to Akihito (aka "forced" jokes) I can't bring myself to laugh. The story itself is okay, not as bad as the jokes. So if the jokes can get better in the next ep, it'll be my favourite anime of the season.

My thought exactly. I wish they'd drop that megane joke in the next episode but I know that's just some wishful thinking, it's become somewhat her punchline already. Once used a joke will lose it effect drastically yet I couldn't count with one hand how many times she comes up with different megane related jabs just 2 episodes in. Not to mention it didn't work at all in the first time.

To make it worse they even bring it to Akihito's birthday wishes on their website. Someone at KyoAni must love glasses a lot indeed.

[Articalys]

Originally Posted by Kakkou

Eh, Akihito's a glasses lover, so I may as well:

Those are hilarious, especially Mirai's. Thank you very much,

[Random Wanderer]

Originally Posted by Tranhieu

My thought exactly. I wish they'd drop that megane joke in the next episode but I know that's just some wishful thinking, it's become somewhat her punchline already. Once used a joke will lose it effect drastically yet I couldn't count with one hand how many times she comes up with different megane related jabs just 2 episodes in. Not to mention it didn't work at all in the first time.

To make it worse they even bring it to Akihito's birthday wishes on their website. Someone at KyoAni must love glasses a lot indeed.

From what little I read of the novel translations, Akihito was significantly worse with his megane fetish in it. He could hardly get two sentences into a conversation with Mirai without jumping into a non-sequitur about the "perfection" of glasses, or some such thing. The anime has actually toned him way down from the author's original design.

[0utf0xZer0]

I've liked most of the megane jokes. It's the dojikko and letter from mom jokes that had me going "seriously"?

[Reckoner]

Originally Posted by Sound of Azure

I see your hyperbole gland is still working strong. Careful not to strain yourself, though.

I don't disagree that Kyoani's moe aesthetic is deliberate, calculated even. I'm not seeing the cynicism though. I've seen Guardian Enzo make similar points about cynicism. What do you mean by this? Is this more hyperbole, or do you think the directors sit the board rooms twirling their moustaches about how otaku will "eat up this shit", and "we'll exploit them and rake in the yen, mwuahaha!" ? I realise this is the internet, but that seems a little much.

As much as I like the majority of Kyoani's products, I agree that it would be great to see them branch out more. This show isn't perfect, but it's caught my attention far more than Tamako Market. I'm hoping that it will show a little more nuance than the broad colours we've seen so far.

Not sure why you're comparing my view points to Enzo because he's a much more neutral viewer when it comes to Kyoani than I am, and much more neutral on this show as well. I don't think he has really used the same criticisms as I have. The only thing I think we both said is that Kyoani seems to have a sort of filter that all their series are put through. That's not judging whether that's a bad or good thing, that depends on how you feel about it. I just happen to not like it.

Also, I am not talking about mustache twirling evil producers or directors. Just simply the fact that the staff seems to constantly try to add in whatever cute/moe things they can into the show (like mirai's clumsiness which is a source of very bad comedy). That scene at the end of the episode is also very nauseating to me because after all the crap she has already put the main character through, they now use this "poor me" card to make the viewer feel bad for her. They just throw in the tragic, pity me card so you feel bad for Mirai, except I don't and wish she would just get off the screen.

[Birdway]

^Well, at least StB isn't trying to make us like a character trough the wrong methods...

I find sad how the studio tries(?) to be serious but they can't stop being themselves.

[Haak]

Whilst I am somewhat disappointed by the show, i don't think we can criticize the action yet. It was, after all, the first encounter and half the time they were playing it for comedy so it was a throw away fight really. The choreography itself, I thought, was very good.

[Sound of Azure]

Originally Posted by Reckoner

Not sure why you're comparing my view points to Enzo because he's a much more neutral viewer when it comes to Kyoani than I am, and much more neutral on this show as well. I don't think he has really used the same criticisms as I have.

It wasn't a comparison between the two of you, or a least wasn't intended as such. I agree he is much more neutrally worded, though my impression is that he felt that some Kyoani shows are very confected with regards to moe, and that he finds it appealing. I believe this was on his blog regarding Tamako Market, but I'm not certain. Perhaps it was a mistake to bring it up- I was of two minds about it.

Originally Posted by Reckoner

The only thing I think we both said is that Kyoani seems to have a sort of filter that all their series are put through. That's not judging whether that's a bad or good thing, that depends on how you feel about it. I just happen to not like it.

I actually agree that there is a filter, of sorts. I simply do not find it cynical. As you said, whether it's off-putting is a taste issue.

Originally Posted by Reckoner

Also, I am not talking about mustache twirling evil producers or directors. Just simply the fact that the staff seems to constantly try to add in whatever cute/moe things they can into the show (like mirai's clumsiness which is a source of very bad comedy). That scene at the end of the episode is also very nauseating to me because after all the crap she has already put the main character through, they now use this "poor me" card to make the viewer feel bad for her. They just throw in the tragic, pity me card so you feel bad for Mirai, except I don't and wish she would just get off the screen.

Thanks for explaining, I appreciate you taking the time to do so. After a number of strongly worded posts by a number of people, I wanted to query the reasons. I've noted a lot of... passion (?) behind your posts in general but you'll go into more detail if asked, so I thought you'd be a good candidate. You don't tend to be a fly-by-poster, except in the case of terribly flawed shows (not so surprising in such a case).

I guess the clumsy parts don't bother me enough yet to annoy me. Hopefully it won't continue throughout the entire show. Actually, the thing that is beginning to annoy me is Mirai's reluctance to engage the Youmu. I'm more or less neutral on the "poor me" part, though I'm starting to feel bad for the MC.

Thanks for not assuming I was picking a fight or having a go at you. Again, thanks for the response.

[Grey]

No complaints here. The action looked good, little bits of the world were further introduced, and it was generally entertaining.

Well, I guess Hiroomi was a bit disappointing? But other than that.

[Arturia Polaris]

Well I like the show. It's nice to see kyoani back doing something (Free spooked me off anime for the whole season, not to mention nothing interesting besides TWGOK in my list).

I'm more interested as to Light novels from relatively new years being made into anime like this (2012)

did anyone actually read the LN? (if you did, please PM me a spoiler as to Akihito and Mitsuki's obvious relationship, thanksss)

Anywho, relax and enjoy it the anime, and if you don't no one is holding a blood sword on your throat telling you to watch it. (Lol, blood sword. That would have been nice for the Red Wedding)

Cheers

[Triple_R]

Well, speaking personally, all I expected from this show was good standard quality KyoAni, except with the added bonus of nice action scenes. I expected this since, you know, everybody talks about how great KyoAni's animation is. Even KyoAni critics admit to this.

So, a cast on par with Chuunibyou's, but with the added bonus of action scenes at least as good as Madoka Magica's, and possibly as good as Fate/Zero's. That seems like a reasonable expectation to me.

Instead, we so far have an unusually weak female lead in Mirai, and action scenes that lack a good "Oomph!" to them. So yeah, I'm disappointed so far.

Anybody who expected Hyouka caliber, but with the added bonus of action scenes that would put Fate/Zero's to shame, were indeed probably expecting too much. But I don't think my more modest expectations are all that excessive.

[tsunade666]

I didn't expect anything so I didn't get disappointed. I didn't expect anything because I didn't know this was a kyoani work.

I didn't look too much on the coming fall season so I just watched what I download so I didn't know what I get.

But at least I was satisfied for the episode that I watched. Its a pretty solid first episode for me though it lacks explanation in some part but it get explain at some point.

Good start