(L) Violet Evergarden (Winter 2018) Anticipation

[relentlessflame]

It's understandable that discussion of any new anime announcement will turn back to the studio that makes it, but -- as everyone knows by now -- don't bring the thread off-topic. Flamebait and off-topic tangents will be purged.

[IceHism]

I only hope that it's a step above all the other books entered into their contest and if so, that kyoani does not take its' liberties with the storytelling and plot. I won't be holding my breath yet even if kyoani animation is simply the best.

[AB079]

Originally Posted by IceHism

I only hope that it's a step above all the other books entered into their contest and if so, that kyoani does not take its' liberties with the storytelling and plot. I won't be holding my breath yet even if kyoani animation is simply the best.

That's not going to happen, taking in consideration how's the source material.

[Iron Maw]

I know nothing about this, but PV sure was pretty if nothing else. But visuals has never been Kyoani's problem, so yeah I'm gonna err on the side of caution too. For me Phantom World remind me why I'm so estranged from them.

[Marcus H.]

That's not going to happen, taking in consideration how's the source material.

No one aside from a few novel readers even know the details of the story.

[Klashikari]

I'm still baffled people still care that much about some trackrecord where the said series doesn't really have anything to do with the past duds.
KA isn't the only studio that goofed with their adaptations (or did brilliant adaptations, YMMV), and I honestly think it is about time to care more about the staff, the genre, and the original content. Hell even that kind of expectations can be betrayed to no end (Shirobako staff screwing around with Mayoiga for one).
If past series were really a sureway to determine the quality of future series, I think people would have expected some success for Tamako Market, or failure for Hyouka and so forth, depending where you put your reference point.

For now, the series PV did its job properly in my case, so I'm rather looking forwards to the first 3 episodes first.

[Marcus H.]

This thing about KyoAni is really hilarious.
Some people give shows involving staff members of a certain notoriety a chance and yet they become apprehensive the moment KyoAni's name shows up to animate a project.

[Tempester]

Originally Posted by Klashikari

I'm still baffled people still care that much about some trackrecord where the said series doesn't really have anything to do with the past duds.

It has plenty to do with those past duds because this is based on an in-house published LN. KyoAni's light novel division is made up of novels that were basically rejected by bigger publishers like Kadokawa. They are for the most part bottom-of-the-barrel garbage even by LN standards and given the significant changes that KyoAni has made to their stories when bringing them over to anime in an attempt to improve on them, it seems that KyoAni doesn't value their writing that well to begin with.

The fact that Violet Evergarden is the only novel to win a grand prize award (the rest of the adapted LNs being mere "honorable mentions") is definitely curious. It could either mean that KyoAni has finally found a truly great story to deserve a prize of that magnitude, or it could just mean that the grand prize was given to the least smelly turd in a pile of turds. I hope it's the former situation.

[MeoTwister5]

Well in fairness to KA I'm almost obligated to give any and all shows by them a 3 episode minimum because they did make 2 of my favorite series of all time.

[Klashikari]

Originally Posted by Tempester

It has plenty to do with those past duds because this is based on an in-house published LN. KyoAni's light novel division is made up of novels that were basically rejected by bigger publishers like Kadokawa. They are for the most part bottom-of-the-barrel garbage even by LN standards and given the significant changes that KyoAni has made to their stories when bringing them over to anime in an attempt to improve on them, it seems that KyoAni doesn't value their writing that well to begin with.

I would like the source of such statement. Also implying they are the worst garbage by LN standards is quite amusing as I doubt you can tell what's real garbage among LN considering what has been adapted and what has not been adapted (yet?). The number of questionable series are way more numerous than what have been adapted in anime medium.

Furthermore, publishers have -nothing- to do with the writing quality of said LN. Or what, are you telling me that Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon and Baccano are on the same level as Ladies VS Butlers just because they are all published by ASCII Media Works under the Dengeki Bunko label?

So really, expecting a dud because VE is a LN published under the same label as PW, Chuunibyou, and so forth is just beyond narrow minded. I could remotely understand if it was the same author, but it isn't. Hell, all of them have very different storytelling and genre to begin with, so correlating the quality of a future adaptation with old adaptations that do not share genre, authors or even anime staff is beyond me.

[AB079]

Originally Posted by Marcus H.

No one aside from a few novel readers even know the details of the story.

And maybe because I know the LN is why I'm saying that? think a bit further, is not going to hurt you.

Moving to the main subject of this discussion, why Evergarden has all the chances to be another Kyoani failure as most of the adaptations of their own LN's? (no spoilers obviously) Evergarden is a episodic LN where each chapter is a flashback, each chapter take place on a different timeline in the life of Violet Evergarden except for the last chapter.

The LN has the same dark details and scenes that Phantom World used to have in the source and I'm pretty sure Kyoani is going to get rid of all of that because they're going to focus on the SoL aspect, same as they did with Phantom World. Now I know someone can use the "don't judge using previous works!" card but this is a LN from Kyoani and most of their own material got the worst adaptations ever seen by Kyoani to the point that can be considered huge failures like Tamako market or Phantom World.

That said, Kyoani do not deserve a single frop of faith, not even when they praise certain story based on certain award. Remember Hibike, all the people praising it and now look at how it ended being a yuri fest.

[Iron Maw]

Originally Posted by Marcus H.

No one aside from a few novel readers even know the details of the story.

I took his post to imply that he's read the source in some capacity.

Originally Posted by Marcus H.

This thing about KyoAni is really hilarious.
Some people give shows involving staff members of a certain notoriety a chance and yet they become apprehensive the moment KyoAni's name shows up to animate a project.

Speaking personally as someone who does research on production staff from time to time my skepticism or hype would be no different whether it was towards a particular studio or director depending on the record. Kyoani is more of a special case for me where it s easier to single them out on whole because the studio's shows have generally been misses with me and very little hit regardless of the staff involved for years now. So I don't feel like the apprehension isn't completely unwarranted if one lacking good will after repeated letdowns. That not say that track record is everything an bad director or studio will always produce duds or vice versa, but it is only natural that expectations would be affected. Really though Kyoani isn't the special snow who only gets that kind of stigma, remember DEEN, GONZO, GANIAX, and J.C Staff etc have gotten their fair share bashing for years of slip ups too.

Besides I'm not doing any extreme like throwing the show under bus since as far I know this could blow my mind, it's certainly got my attention enough to give a chance. But it's not first time I've been situation before with this studio so I'm merely tempering my excitement based on variety of factors, biggest being on my personal history with them.

[whitecloud]

Just see it.....well it sure is pretty, I could swore that is for movie instead of tv series...
to the point I sometimes wishing, if only some other show that I know have that level of quality...or maybe even hentai....which always have below average quality...

[pagan poor]

That PV was beautiful. But like everyone else, Kyoani has been more miss than hit with me the past few years.

[Kazu-kun]

I don't mind some changes this time. The novel is focused mostly on episodic protagonists. Violet herself only gets focus in the last chapter or so. That should be changed to some extent. Violet is the overall protagonist and her story should develop slowly since the beginning.

[Nachtwandler]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

I don't mind some changes this time. The novel is focused mostly on episodic protagonists. Violet herself only gets focus in the last chapter or so. That should be changed to some extent. Violet is the overall protagonist and her story should develop slowly since the beginning.

Like it's a bad thing. I don't get people who hate episodic stories or stories there MC is mainly serves as observer and not a central plot point.

[Marcus H.]

And maybe because I know the LN is why I'm saying that? think a bit further, is not going to hurt you.

I didn't mean to be judgmental. I just expect that the implication of "I know some stuff from the source" should follow with a summary or similarly substantial proof. The books that KyoAni use for their anime projects tend to be left behind in the fan translation scene, so some had to rely on people who have read the LNs to be informed about it, and those who actually know something tend to be mum... if they actually know something.

Really though Kyoani isn't the special snow who only gets that kind of stigma, remember DEEN, GONZO, GANIAX, and J.C Staff etc have gotten their fair share bashing for years of slip ups too.

Does GONZO and GAINAX still get the stigma? I thought what their getting are obituaries.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Nachtwandler

Like it's a bad thing. I don't get people who hate episodic stories or stories there MC is mainly serves as observer and not a central plot point.

I don't hate it. I just feel I can relate better (emotionally speaking) to a story if the MC gets some focus from the start instead of just being a POV.

[AB079]

Originally Posted by Marcus H.

I didn't mean to be judgmental. I just expect that the implication of "I know some stuff from the source" should follow with a summary or similarly substantial proof. The books that KyoAni use for their anime projects tend to be left behind in the fan translation scene, so some had to rely on people who have read the LNs to be informed about it, and those who actually know something tend to be mum... if they actually know something.

If you ask, I can provide a summary of the first volume so I can backup what I'm saying (and no, not a biased summary like the one posted by certain Kyoani fan on 4chan) the problem is, I can't do that here since this is the pseudo-anime thread and creating a LN thread for this is worthless just because the LN has only 1 volume out and the next one (final one) coming soon.

Just to be a bit more helpful, there are countless summaries of the first volume on japanese and Raws can be obtained too (is a bir hard tho).

@Nachtwandler It is a bad thing in this case, the story is literally going nowhere until the end of the first volume so anyone who watch a butchered or changed adaptation would never get the idea behind. Just look at Phantom World which was at some point of the first volume "episodic".

[CrowKenobi]

Originally Posted by AB079

If you ask, I can provide a summary of the first volume so I can backup what I'm saying (and no, not a biased summary like the one posted by certain Kyoani fan on 4chan) the problem is, I can't do that here since this is the pseudo-anime thread and creating a LN thread for this is worthless just because the LN has only 1 volume out and the next one (final one) coming soon.

On the contrary, it would not be worthless since it would give those who want to discuss only the novel a place to discuss it.