The pacing was better than episode 1 to say the least, and Kinzo's talk with Natsuhi was well done. The only things that irk me are how they cut out the reason Natsuhi was sad when Jessica talked to her, and the timing of goldenslaughterer. It just felt...odd. Or maybe it's because I had a horrible quality raw. Will write more when the subs come out, so I can finally understand what they're saying.
....I love Jessica....seriously...did I mention that? Don't you just want to give her a hug? But why did want to go into the shed that badly anyway?
But ehm... the episode was...pretty much way to fast. And I started to laugh at unfunny things, like Eva and Hideyoshi entering the palor in the morning or Kanon leaving was hilarious. He shrunk in a very strange way.
Lets list
Pro
-You could see the sparkling background and hearts flying around when George and Shannon stood in that hallway..well you could see that as a con (I started laughing)
-Voice acting is really good
-I liked the Kinzo and Natsuhi scene
-Kyrie explaining how to turn the chessboard around (No, Battler you don't just push over the whole table)
-I also liked Jessica's facial expressions in the shed-scene, I liked her overall the most....not because she is my favorite...she seems to be good animated and her character was best portrayed till now, in my opinion. But that's most likey because her "important" scenes come later
-Maria reading the letter was good, as long as you focus on her voice sometimes the perspective seemed messed up and Rosa and Eva looked really bored two times or so.
-The BGM's of the game (come on they are just awesome)
-The scene with Shannon walking around the mansion alone, was really good
-Some subtle hints of future events
-That the director tried to get some focus on George on the whole
-I love Sayo/Shannon as well, she sounds so hugable~ and cute~ and in the proposing scene she was just so cute..
Cons
-Kanon....oh the pain...he looks so...ew~ his face is okay but his body seems odly shaped sometimes, he has more waist then some of the girls I know. His voice is still so girly..I mean..he sounds like an emo!Setsuna...gosh I'm waiting that Konoka pops out every moment and cuddles him to his death. I will start beating my head on the table if ever says "Ojou-sama" it'll kill me
-Some really awkward animation...yup a major con. It annoys me, it makes me laugh so badly but actually it isn't even funny
-I don't think first time viewers will understand why George suddenly calls Shannon Sayo
-Way to rushed, god I felt like getting dragged forcefully thorugh the whole thing
-The scene were Genji, Natushi and Eva stood in the hallway and Genji informed them about the shed....I've got the feeling that eva was trying to forcefully break the 4th wall with staring at the viewer
-again annoyingly awkward animation
-Nanjo, god that men and his VN side are totally different beings, Nanjo in the Vn was a calm, good natured man, in the anime he seems a bit emotionless
-Boobs! Boobs Q.Q They are huge and they are scary.... aren'T they a bit heavy for ehm especially Natsuhi
-Proposing in the whole...it seemed way out of the blue, no wonder she was utterly confused and suprised.
"Let's go the rose garden"
"Yes"
"Marry me!"
"@.@"
*cough*
First impression I think I'll review it a bit more in detail when I come back from my vacation in Italy (which starts tomorow)
My review (yes, my sig says I left, but I felt like coming back for this~)
Spoiler for Review:
All in all, I'd say it was actually a good episode. Now, I know what people are going to say "They cut out too much!!!"... yeah, and? If we hadn't read the novel, we wouldn't have known what they cut, and otherwise would be enjoying it.
Spoiler for Spoiler in a spoiler rant!:
We should be watching it for what it is, not for what it isn't. I don't think we can "con" it too much for scenes cut out, since we don't know how they're going to handle things in the future. They haven't said that Kyrie is Battler's step mom, or about his family situation yet, but that doesn't mean they won't when the time is right. They'll bring it up in Battler's grief or something next episode, probably.
With movies/shows and all that, it's more like meeting a person for the first time, more so then being a person. If we were to meet Battler, I'm sure the first things out of his mouth wouldn't be a detailed monologue on his family life. Those kinds of things come out in details more than just being blatantly shouted out.
They can't include every last detail of everything from the novel, since then it'd stretch out too long and be boring. Everything's getting built up slowly and surely, instead of having everything given a long and tedious floor right at the beginning.
Back to the episode itself:
I have no major complaints for how this episode was done really. They kept the boob jokes to a minimum, they kept the boring Shannon x George scene short (I always thought their relationship was dull and uninteresting), the ingot scene was short and "pow" like it should be (to a anime viewer, they'll just go "Oh crap, the Gold is real!", and short of that, does it really matter about how he got it? Smart people should realize he doesn't have it all, since he only has a piece), and the shed scene was pretty bloody. I also liked seeing how big the circle was on the shed... in the novel, we never knew how big it was, and it could have been the size of a basketball for all we knew. And the ring at the end, very powerful imagery.
The only thing that I would pick on is when Genji comes in to get Nanjo. He should have been more flustered than that.
I think they did an OK job, but I'm second everybody else, it still felt too rushed, and they skipped too much. But I think that it was a better episode than last week's.
Spoiler:
Also, Golden Slaughterer had a lot more impact on the VN, I don't know why.
7/10 for me, because I still believe that they didn't slow down the pace that much because they wanted to get to "the scene" quickly, to attract more viewers. After all, they still have three episodes left for Ep1.
The scene when they discovered the first twilight victims wasn't as memorable to me.
Spoiler:
It bothered me how Eva and Natsuhi basically did nothing to stop the kids from viewing the bodies (I forget how the scene went in the VN, but I remember that it was a little more of a struggle). In one scene, Eva was just standing there behind George...
But seeing as I don't know Japanese and I have only watched a poor quality unsubbed version of it, I find myself unable to really rate it. So far, I'd like to give it a 7 or 8 though. The pacing was fast, but after the first anime episode, I pretty much knew what to expect in terms of it.
... I'm quite satisfied with this episode.. you can't expect them to do a perfect adaptation of the VN.. The show would become boring for first timers..
I guess they rushed to the first twilight to get the attention of ppl new to the story.. Things will probably get slower and more detailed from now on ..
My review (yes, my sig says I left, but I felt like coming back for this~)
Spoiler for Review:
All in all, I'd say it was actually a good episode. Now, I know what people are going to say "They cut out too much!!!"... yeah, and? If we hadn't read the novel, we wouldn't have known what they cut, and otherwise would be enjoying it.
Spoiler for Spoiler in a spoiler rant!:
We should be watching it for what it is, not for what it isn't. I don't think we can "con" it too much for scenes cut out, since we don't know how they're going to handle things in the future. They haven't said that Kyrie is Battler's step mom, or about his family situation yet, but that doesn't mean they won't when the time is right. They'll bring it up in Battler's grief or something next episode, probably.
With movies/shows and all that, it's more like meeting a person for the first time, more so then being a person. If we were to meet Battler, I'm sure the first things out of his mouth wouldn't be a detailed monologue on his family life. Those kinds of things come out in details more than just being blatantly shouted out.
They can't include every last detail of everything from the novel, since then it'd stretch out too long and be boring. Everything's getting built up slowly and surely, instead of having everything given a long and tedious floor right at the beginning.
Back to the episode itself:
I have no major complaints for how this episode was done really. They kept the boob jokes to a minimum, they kept the boring Shannon x George scene short (I always thought their relationship was dull and uninteresting), the ingot scene was short and "pow" like it should be (to a anime viewer, they'll just go "Oh crap, the Gold is real!", and short of that, does it really matter about how he got it? Smart people should realize he doesn't have it all, since he only has a piece), and the shed scene was pretty bloody. I also liked seeing how big the circle was on the shed... in the novel, we never knew how big it was, and it could have been the size of a basketball for all we knew. And the ring at the end, very powerful imagery.
The only thing that I would pick on is when Genji comes in to get Nanjo. He should have been more flustered than that.
While I understand where you are coming from, I absolutely cannot agree with the simple "they are different, deal with it": there is no need for a series to be an adaptation if it mauls down the material that much.
There is no way an adaptation can be flawless in term of content or pace, but adapting a story requires decision that should KEEP the essence of the said material to the best degree they can. Umineko isn't solely based on Ushiromiya people being slaughtered like this: it is also a tale of money, and several personal stories that are not only important in order to feel empathy towards the characters but also a mean to figure a possible motive for a culprit.
And unfortunately, they simply screwed a lot of stuff except for Maria. Failing to portray characters is not only a problem in regard to one's enjoyment but it would also make the whole thing as a side dish for what it is.
Claiming the usual "ignorance is bliss" argument doesn't work at all here: the lack of information and the like is always a factor that you cannot brushes off in this kind of story. Furthermore, anime watchers won't have any idea of more possibilities in regard of the characters and their own agenda. And finally, how can someone enjoy a show if they don't feel anything for the biggest chunk of the characters?
So far, they really focalised a lot on Battler, Maria and to some extent, Jessica and George. The execution of George scenes was underwhelming and prevent actually to actually feel for the characters: we were presented with "blam, marriage proposal!" then... what?
What makes Umineko unique from the usual "locked island" story is not only its structure but the characters, their backstory, their problems, etc. If you remove them, you only have a tale of murders that hardly attract any emotion compared to its original material.
DEEN proved they "could" convey the spirit of a series, Higurashi for example, even with butchering the story by a big mile and still causing attachment and the like. And this is not the case with Umineko. Cutting for sake of having a sizeable story for an anime adaptation is one thing, but omitting the development that could give a cohesion between the characters is something totally different.
In all honesty, if I hadn't read Umineko beforehand, I would be just shocked and have a "too bad George" feeling, that's that. I wouldn't care much about any of the adults even Natsuhi (despite she won me a lot of points with her original development) because: I just don't know them and the story doesn't make me care about them. It is a plain textbook without much emotions dwelling in it. Of course this is only my opinion and if various watchers do enjoy and feel empathy towards certain non major characters, that's the best for them, they wouldn't feel my plight which is better this way.
Again: the whole issue is not that the anime isn't adapting flawlessly (there is no VN that is adapted flawlessly), the problems are THESE flaws. Not the cut themselves, the lack of filling the cuts.
It's like watching a digest of the original scenario... Even though I don't know the original scenario...
Everything went by so fast, nothing was emotionally anything... (-_-)
Kind of got sad near the end at the deaths... until Hideyoshi and Battler reacted in a way that reminded me of watching a stage act... Which made me laugh. And then the ED gave me even more laughs...
I'm sure it will be a lot more interesting if they just slowed down a bit... To think it is only the 2nd episode and this. Introduce them, kill them. No emotional investment possible...
6/10, I guess. It wasn't that boring...
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Bah. This episode is the reason why I'm surprised that Chiaki Kon still has a job. These characters aren't characters, they're caricatures. There's just no emotional resonance to anything.
I was actually laughing at the first twilight because the movements were just so exaggerated and there really wasn't any reason to care about any of the victims or the survivors. Someone should inform Studio DEEN that they shouldn't be following their Higurashi format of adapting material.
I wonder when they'll finally bring up the fact that Kyrie is not actually Battler's mother, since we should've already known this by now.
Watched the raw.
As a visual novel reader, I must say it was a great episode. Saddening to see people are still complaining about the pace, but whatever, I like the anime at least.
Though I do agree that they could have shown a liiiittle bit more about Natsuhi's reaction to the gold, but that's my only real complaint.
Great episode. I thought the pacing is great for an anime adaptation. To be honest, I always thought the visual novel was really slow and *gasp* boring in this part anyway. Other people's preferences will probably vary.
The complaints I had against the first episode was that it looked generic and didn't have a mood. This second episode was so much better in this respect. The scene where Shannon walks through the mansion is a good example, especially combined with the game music.
They *have* to bring up Kyrie's relations to Battler sometimes, the question is when. If the revelation can be used to create some suspicions or dramatic effects, even if its not in the VN, that's fine by me, actually.
I'll leave the extended reviews to others and just put some thoughts here.
1. Can't say the episode was done well. Again, moving quickly will only haunt them later on. I realize that they have to move quick for episode counts or to quickly hook people (just like Higurashi had hachet in ep1 and usoda in ep2), but again it made some important scene less important.
2. Ingot. I know they left in a good chunk of the adult talk in Episode 1, but without the whole "proving there's no Beatrice's gold" by the other adults earlier, there's no suprise when the ingot shows up. Adding the glass/clock effect to that, the way they tried to make that surpising becomes a cheap attempt. I really just felt that "oh there is an ingot lying around" instead of when I was reading the VN, "What!? the gold is real!?"
3. Battler & Hideyoshi @ shed. The scene was building up great and all, with goldenslaughter playing in the background. All of a sudden hideyoshi has that line (work of the devil) and Battler suddenly drops his umbrella, two hands on his head, "that's too cruel". I couldn't help but laugh at the over acting they have put in place. Are they trying to make the viewers point fingers at him early on?
In the end, I'm not saying that they can't move quickly or cut out minor stuff, but they need to learn from Higurashi: pay attention to the cause and effect (can't just put emphasis on the effect without explaining/building up the cuase), and details to events. This isn't Higurashi where they can cut off the backstory; all pre-twilight events are just as important. Hopefully they will do better for the next 3 Epsiodes for ep1.
Bah. This episode is the reason why I'm surprised that Chiaki Kon still has a job. These characters aren't characters, they're caricatures. There's just no emotional resonance to anything.
I was actually laughing at the first twilight because the movements were just so exaggerated and there really wasn't any reason to care about any of the victims or the survivors. Someone should inform Studio DEEN that they shouldn't be following their Higurashi format of adapting material.
I wonder when they'll finally bring up the fact that Kyrie is not actually Battler's mother, since we should've already known this by now.
LOL yeah, because you were really attached to the characters at this point in the novel, right?
That's not true. When I was reading EP1 first twilight, I wasn't caring about the characters, not yet. I was shiting bricks. EP1 didn't have real character indepth even in the novel, aside Battler, Natsuhi and Maria. I think that they will pull of character developement when they need it. Shannon and George for example, EP2 is when they shine.
And the whole "movements are exaggerated" thing. Jeez, in the novel is exactly the same, re-read the scene please. You got the same Hideyoshi's "It's a devil, a devil!!" and Battler even screaming more than that. Ryuukishi's tales are always "over the top" in that stuff. I don't find it bad, it's supposed to be that way.
That's not true. When I was reading EP1 first twilight, I wasn't caring about the characters, not yet. I was shiting bricks. EP1 didn't even have real character indepth even in the novel, aside Battler, Natsuhi and Maria. I think that they will pull of character developement when they need it. Shannon and George for example, EP2 is when they shine.
I couldn't agree more. And I think the anime is doing a competent enough job with developing Battler, Natsuhi and Maria, who are the most relevant ones here.
WHAT A HORRIBLE BGM THEY PUT WHEN MARIA WAS READING THE LETTER i can't believe they cut the awesome bgm from the visual http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30kl0eCtbcU.
I like the episode but i think they ruin the first twilight, goldenslaugther was very badly used they cut the episode in the best part of the bgm, what a shame.
Ended pretty much like everyone (including me) thought it would.
I myself am pleased with I-II. While the pacing of I-I was just too much to bear (even when I knew that it had to be that way because let's be honest, all the introduction the VN had would've been really boring to first time viewers in an anime), this made up for it.
Spoiler for Tagging the rest, just in case.:
I loved the whole Episode, really.
The seiyuu are all doing a great job, especially in the end (damn, Inoue Marina can scream) and all the scenes are portrayed pretty well. I had fears that they'd screw this up with blatant censoring, but they did well.
I also liked the way they showed the magic circle. They always made a big fuss out of them in the VN, which I never understood... "It's just some red drawing on a door after all". THat might be because I always pictured it to be around the size of a soccer ball...
Ending with a shot on the ring was pure genius, I thought of a lot of cuts they might do, but this is better than all of them.
Judging from the pacing Episode I won't be longer than five Episodes. Since the whole series will be 26 Episodes long, I really hope they'll slow down a bit. They rushed Onikakushi for Higurashi, but they really shouldn't rush the whole first Episode of the Umineko VN :/
Even if they do, if they rush it like THIS, I think I might still be satisfied
Excuse my currently bad English, I haven't slept in 20 hours... going to bed now
EDIT:
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigemperor
WHAT A HORRIBLE BGM THEY PUT WHEN MARIA WAS READING THE LETTER i can't believe they cut the awesome bgm from the visual http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30kl0eCtbcU.
I like the episode but i think they ruin the first twilight, goldenslaugther was very badly used they cut the episode in the best part of the bgm, what a shame.
Actually, I never liked that BGM choice in the VN... The scene was rather creepy and this piece in the VN just didn't fit imho.
Well I felt like shit when Shannon went to the mansion after the proposing scene and saw the golden butterflies because it was glass clear that she's gonna die after that oh so sweet proposing scene. I felt like "Oh come on! That's not fair! Let her survive with him, please~ !" And then she saw that butterfly "Aw. Damn it!! No fair, no fair, no fair!! She was just proposed to! You can't kill her! that's just unfair!"
I had a slight attachment to her. she didn't had real depth yet. But she had more scenes in the VN and was sympathic. It's a shame that she died so early.
And yup I agree Kamion, Marina Inoue has an awesome scream, can't wait to hear her sob again. I really like her voice acting
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