(L+CR) Hanebado!

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by blakstealth

I think we get it; you're not the biggest fan of the adaptation lol.

Originally Posted by germanturkey

you don't need to point it out every week..

Personally, I'm glad that Kazu-kun is pointing out these differences. And I say that as an anime-only viewer.

Speaking as an anime-only viewer, some aspects of this show I like, and some I dislike. And Kazu-kun is touching on some of the things I dislike.

Connie's nastiness towards Ayano seems really over the top to me. And because of this, I felt extreme whiplash twice in Episode 5 - Once when the episode shifted briefly into happy-lighthearted-fun-time between Connie and her team-mates, and then when it shifted back into heavy drama focused on Connie continuing to be nasty to Ayano.

If Connie is indeed less nasty in the source material, as Kazu-kun seems to be saying, then I don't get why the anime chose to make her nastier in the anime. You can have good sports rivalries without taking things to this extreme. I tend to view this as the difference between good solid drama and melodrama.

Also, I'm starting to feel tired of feeling sorry for Ayano. For a supposed great prodigy, she's not exactly kicking a lot of butt, at least not on-screen (which is what stands out the most). Most of what I've seen so far of Ayano against named opponents is her losing, and this latest loss is honestly kind of embarrassing. I mean, she lost a match, in two straight sets, that was 90% or so a handicap match... and her side had the big handicap advantage.

I guess if nothing else Ayano has nowhere to go but up from here... or so I would think except this show seems to like just crushing her emotionally, honestly in a way that would make even Gen Urobuchi blush.


There's things I like about this show. The audiovisuals are very good. The character designs are nice. The seiyu work is very solid. The protagonists are likable and diverse. I see potential for this to be a very fun and exciting sports anime. Well, it's still exciting as is, but I just don't find it fun to watch the MC be down in the dumps so consistently, for one reason or another. It's generally good for a MC to struggle, but I also want to cheer a MC (especially in a sports show of all things), and this anime just hasn't given me much reason to cheer.

So after Episode 5, I'm probably going to stall this. I'll probably wait to hear about the antagonists getting their comeuppance, since that's the main thing I'd want to see after these first five episodes.

[Panzercracker]

Originally Posted by devilo96

Btw the manga is weekly or monthly?

The manga is montly.

[inisipis]

I like the changes they did to the Anime. It greatly improved on the substance of the story and the characters, I like how they give Sora some personality here instead of just set decoration in the manga.
I'm also like how they keep Connie's antagonist attitude here in the Anime, even though she won here unlike in the manga where she just forfeit. The usual rivals now then friends later cliche' can be quite tiring. "... like, ha ha ... see you in the next match, but next time I won't lose!" Clasps hands.

It's great how they are slowly building up the characterization of each of these fractured characters. showing a few puzzles at a time slowly. Makes this show like a page turner instead of an easy read.

[James Rye]

Man, I wish Connie lost. Sure, that "victory" made her feel worse the way it happened. But I rather would have seen her lose one match so that she needed Hana to win the 3rd one. Like this it felt like cheating, the 2nd player who never hit anything in the 2nd match suddenly coming forward and hitting a point because nobody was expecting it. <.<

[bakato]

Originally Posted by James Rye

Man, I wish Connie lost. Sure, that "victory" made her feel worse the way it happened. But I rather would have seen her lose one match so that she needed Hana to win the 3rd one. Like this it felt like cheating, the 2nd player who never hit anything in the 2nd match suddenly coming forward and hitting a point because nobody was expecting it. <.<

It's common wisdom for participants in a battle to receive that outcome they have the most to gain from. A victory here would only have served to deepen Ayano's toxic motivations for playing. Connie won the match but lost the moral victory, which allowed her to appreciate her teammates more.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by bakato

It's common wisdom for participants in a battle to receive that outcome they have the most to gain from. A victory here would only have served to deepen Ayano's toxic motivations for playing.

What toxic motivations? Ayano was already embracing the team concept, and was starting to really enjoy good camaraderie with the rest of her team. And it seemed pretty clear to me that a major motivating factor for Ayano in this match is that she didn't want to let her team down.

And what did Ayano gain from this loss other than going right back into a pit of depression?

This was in fact a good opportunity to give Ayano a small victory while taking absolutely nothing away from a key rival. Even if Connie had lost, it would still mean that she almost won a match with a big handicap against her. It would still be a highly impressive showing for Connie.

[bakato]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

What toxic motivations? Ayano was already embracing the team concept, and was starting to really enjoy good camaraderie with the rest of her team. And it seemed pretty clear to me that a major motivating factor for Ayano in this match is that she didn't want to let her team down.

And what did Ayano gain from this loss other than going right back into a pit of depression?

This was in fact a good opportunity to give Ayano a small victory while taking absolutely nothing away from a key rival. Even if Connie had lost, it would still mean that she almost won a match with a big handicap against her. It would still be a highly impressive showing for Connie.

Did you just ignore the part where Ayano was starting to fall back into her old pattern again? The team had become her new mom and she began to think she needed to win to get their acceptance. When she lost, it was the same crisis with her mom all over again, but her team proved that they would always accept her regardless of whether she won or not.

Losing the match going solo isn't the same as narrowly winning thanks to her partner. Only the latter leaves no doubt that teammates make a difference.

[Kazu-kun]

I've been thinking hard about all this. It's hard to understand why they changed everything so much. In the manga, Ayano wins, and she and Connie get closer and agree to face each other in the Inter High in good terms. Manga Connie truly sees Ayano as a sister and cares about her.

So why change all that? What's the purpose? I'm totally speculating here but I think the anime staff want to develop Ayano in a negative way. This is how I personally refers to character development that instead of pushing the characters towards personal improvement, it pushes them closer to insanity. Basically, character regression so to speak. A very clear example is what happens with Homura in the Rebellion movie.

By having every rival be a psychotic turbo bitch, they're pushing Ayano into the darker part of her personality. This is shown clearly in the last scene in the episode where Ayano is starting to embrace the same psychopathy all her bitch rivals exhibit.

But there's a still the question, why do this? What's the purpose? Probably the reason is the staff don't see Ayano as a true protagonist. It looks more like they're developing a final boss than a protagonist.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by bakato

The team had become her new mom and she began to think she needed to win to get their acceptance.

Why would she think that? Ayano already lost a match without losing her team's acceptance. She lost to that other rival, back in Episode 3. In front of her team. Did they reject her for that loss?

We're now 5 episodes into this, and Ayano is almost getting defined by two things: Frequent depression/moping over one thing or another, and losing matches to named rivals. Is this really a good way to treat the MC of a sports anime?

If you're an Ayano fan, if you like her, then what has this show given you that's worth cheering about?

Winning and losing isn't everything, but it is important, especially in sports. After 5 episodes, I'd like the MC to have some actual sports victory worth cheering. There was the very first scene of Episode 1, but it doesn't have the same impact because it was shown more from Nagisa's perspective, and before the anime even fully introduces us to Ayano.

[Tong]

tfw you get cucked by your own mother

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

I've been thinking hard about all this. It's hard to understand why they changed everything so much. In the manga, Ayano wins, and she and Connie get closer and agree to face each other in the Inter High in good terms. Manga Connie truly sees Ayano as a sister and cares about her.

If the changes are this big, then yea, it's pretty odd...

[Liddo-kun]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

By having every rival be a psychotic turbo bitch, they're pushing Ayano into the darker part of her personality. This is shown clearly in the last scene in the episode where Ayano is starting to embrace the same psychopathy all her bitch rivals exhibit.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

We're now 5 episodes into this, and Ayano is almost getting defined by two things: Frequent depression/moping over one thing or another, and losing matches to named rivals. Is this really a good way to treat the MC of a sports anime?

So you noticed it too. The anime started out decent, but somehow turned out into something like this.

[devilo96]

Well because we only get 12 eps so i can predict...ayano will become the final boss and nagisa is gonna slay the final boss
Fuk..when i think we finally get sports manga with dark plot...but my felling tell me that nagisa help ayano to comeback from her mental disorder

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by devilo96

but my felling tell me that nagisa help ayano to comeback from her mental disorder

It doesn't have to be mutually exclusive. She'll help her by beating her.

[Panzercracker]

Well, Nagisa beat Ayano at the end of anime is typical motif. But I hope there will be twist that Darth Ayano keep winning and her metal become more unstable for her goal defeat Uchika.

Btw, I'm waiting for doujinshi Ayano x Uchika, lol.

[Archaeon]

Shitty adaptations. That's all I have to say.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Panzercracker

Well, Nagisa beat Ayano at the end of anime is typical motif.

It's not typical at all. How many times hove you seen a sports anime's MC lose the final match at the end? Losing early matches is common, but losing the final match is extremely rare.

It gives off the impression that it's typical because the show messed everything up to the point Nagisa feels more like an MC than Ayano, the actual MC.

[Tenzen12]

Hey what happened to Nagisa's single match? I don't care if Ayano is protagonist or whatever, but I would appreciate if show actually give more focus on her as she is much more intersting character.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Why would she think that? Ayano already lost a match without losing her team's acceptance. She lost to that other rival, back in Episode 3. In front of her team. Did they reject her for that loss?

We're now 5 episodes into this, and Ayano is almost getting defined by two things: Frequent depression/moping over one thing or another, and losing matches to named rivals. Is this really a good way to treat the MC of a sports anime?

If you're an Ayano fan, if you like her, then what has this show given you that's worth cheering about?

Winning and losing isn't everything, but it is important, especially in sports. After 5 episodes, I'd like the MC to have some actual sports victory worth cheering. There was the very first scene of Episode 1, but it doesn't have the same impact because it was shown more from Nagisa's perspective, and before the anime even fully introduces us to Ayano.

In episode 3 Ayano wasn't as part of team yet. Even in this one she really wasn't as far as she was concerned. Did you miss her reapeating "I have to win to be part of team" she chanted half of match as her personal mantra? It's exactly same issue as she had with her mother. What she needed learn is that her being part of team and her winning are two different issues.

Well, as far as I am concerned protagonist of this episode was Connie and her partner, which made Ayano defeat pretty satisying.

[Mr. DJ]

This episode annoyed me. I damn near yelled at my TV because of how stupid Connie's motivation is lol

I know it's anime but Connie would have been roasted trying to come at me with "She's my mama now and I have to prove my worth to her."

Like..."BITCH! My mom ABANDONED me because I lost a match when some other psycho bitch basically molested me and got me sick and the next time I see my mom it's years later in a magazine with you! Fuck you mean you gotta prove your worth!? She left me, her real daughter and trained you!"

[monir]

Originally Posted by Mr. DJ

Like..."BITCH! My mom ABANDONED me because I lost a match when some other psycho bitch basically molested me and got me sick and the next time I see my mom it's years later in a magazine with you! Fuck you mean you gotta prove your worth!? She left me, her real daughter and trained you!"

lol...

What DJ said! This series has some seriously weak female characters. To me the story would have done better if the focus was more on the sports of badminton rather than these shallow, vomit inducing dialogues.

[EroKing]

The MILF has arrived, would smash.

Jokes aside, nice to see hardly any drama and lots of badminton action this week. The animation was probably better than in episode 1 and the camera angles were nice too. Good job~