(L) Asobi ni Ikuyo!/Cat Planet Cuties

[mangatron]

Originally Posted by Nukerjsr

You have not seen enough bad anime, my friend.

I don't think one needs to see enough bad anime to know how much missed potential Asobi has...

Perhaps I wanted to see more of Dog-chan's other side of life instead of her Team rocket style episodic attack-and-fail methods.

Oh look I'm actually alive

[Spectacular_Insanity]

Yeah, I agree with mangatron. While Asobi isn't the worst I've seen, it's quality in terms of storytelling has been going down ever since episode 6 or so.

Fanservice is good, but it can't carry a series. Hell even Queen's Blade made at least an attempt at a real storyline. I just don't get the impression that the writers fully thought out the story before they started writing the script.

Overall, I don't think I could give this series a rating better than 6/10. Animation (the girls were pretty hot) and the physical accuracy of the firearms (the guns looked just like they do in real life) were impressive, but those two things are not enough to carry a series with a crappy, half-assed plot. The series started out great, but slid into patheticly disappointing mediocrity.

[Saturn Beaver]

Originally Posted by mangatron

I don't think one needs to see enough bad anime to know how much missed potential Asobi has...

Perhaps I wanted to see more of Dog-chan's other side of life instead of her Team rocket style episodic attack-and-fail methods.

Oh look I'm actually alive

Yeah, Asobi has the potential to be so much more...I forgot which episode (I think the one where Ichika is first introduced?), but at the end of the episode we saw Jens (the bitch dog-lady commander) on a beach, with a guy and a dog playing Frisbee or something. Back then, most of us thinks that it's a preview for next episode, but unfortunately it isn't. Maybe it's because I'm a dog person, but I want to see at least more Jens in situations like that...

Wow, you're alive!

[mangatron]

Originally Posted by Saturn Beaver

Yeah, Asobi has the potential to be so much more...I forgot which episode (I think the one where Ichika is first introduced?), but at the end of the episode we saw Jens (the bitch dog-lady commander) on a beach, with a guy and a dog playing Frisbee or something. Back then, most of us thinks that it's a preview for next episode, but unfortunately it isn't. Maybe it's because I'm a dog person, but I want to see at least more Jens in situations like that...

Wow, you're alive!

Jens! That's her name. I knew they mentioned it before. I admit I shamefully forgot (maybe because they didn't show enough of her ).

By the way, what's the story behind Ichika, besides her being an aspiring sculptor. I know I didn't miss an episode, but her appearance and involvement seems sudden and with little explanation. Or am I just plain getting too tired lately...

[Waven]

Originally Posted by mangatron

Jens! That's her name. I knew they mentioned it before. I admit I shamefully forgot (maybe because they didn't show enough of her ).

By the way, what's the story behind Ichika, besides her being an aspiring sculptor. I know I didn't miss an episode, but her appearance and involvement seems sudden and with little explanation. Or am I just plain getting too tired lately...

No you're not, well, at least not regarding the plot . When she was introduced (read: appeared out of nowhere) it was like: She has powerful artifacts, yet unknown motivations, let's unrestrictedly trust her anyway.
Since that there's neither further information about her nor development of her character (at least in the anime)

[Francismeunier]

Ok so I heard based on this (NSFW)=>
http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2010/1...icnic-on-this/
that the second volume is arriving and so will be seeing the true potential of the uncensors but who dares to use what it comes with in the special edition? Dare I think for me to have my family or any girls I know think of me about this.

[Mairsile]

The only thing great, artistically, about that picnic sheet is how Eris is drawn. Aoi was too skinny in the series - no curves at all - and Manami's lower body is asymmetrical to her toned upper body. Given their background and professions, both of these girls ought to have athletic physiques, but unfortunately, most artists do not draw fit girls any differently than inactive ones. Some of the few exceptions are Queen's Blade and Ikkitousen. If I ever bought this, a friend and I would sit on Aoi and Manami while leaving Eris "exposed."

[Skyfall]

While an entertaining and generally likable ride, i would say Asobi started out much stronger than it ended. My biggest gripe would be the characters themselves - the cast itself is quite fine and likable (Manami aside, whom i found to be a constantly annoying busybody who kept going on like a broken record) and Eris was quite likable and fresh, combining several aspects of what one would normally expect in an airhead without being one, and Kio seemed pretty decent of a lead at first with his head on straight.

Sadly, the series never did anything with these characters, and they ended the series exactly the same as they started. It felt like they introduced the characters and after establishing the concepts of what makes them tick stopped doing anything with them. Eris manages to come off as more refreshing because she can occasionally elaborate on some new Catian oddity, but both Aoi and Manami existed in a vacuum. Aoi's theme was "Yes ...i am an assassin that doesn't deserve to love ..." and Manami's was "It is already too late for me " , and after establishing these concepts they were simply rehashed ad infinitum, without any attempt of exploring them, character growth, or solving them. The cast basically existed in a limbo.

Worst off here is Kio himself. While it is appealing to say cosmic density is his defining character trait, i would say it is lazy writing instead. This was the only conclusion that seemed possible when the girls basically discussed the issue in front of him and all he managed to come up with was "huh?". And that is my issue with Kio - he is like a barely interactive NPC who doesn't respond unless it is immediately related to advancing the plot, which doesn't cover character relationships. You could replace him with a block of wood with a nametag "Kio - The Plot Device" attached to it, haul him around for plot reasons, and i am not all too convinced you would be losing much on the character interaction front. Writing circular character interactions that don't develop requires notably less effort than dynamic ones that build up on previous interactions, and here the effort was not made.

Plot wise i don't have major qualms with it (the silliness of the final episode aside) and the whole concept was suitably entertaining and fresh. Some stuff was more silly than other, but overall quite enjoyable. It's a shame the characters, who did quite well in utilizing the setting, were completely stagnant on interpersonal front, with Kio himself being the flag bearer.

[sikvod00]

^ I agree with everything you said. In addition, my other gripe is with how the Catians and Dogians that were introduced weren't properly fleshed out due to lack of screen time. The chief was so adorable, I really wanted more of her.

[Mairsile]

Originally Posted by Skyfall

Sadly, the series never did anything with these characters, and they ended the series exactly the same as they started. The cast basically existed in a limbo.

Yep, that's why in my first post in this thread I stated one of Asobi's major flaws was a lack of character development. Aoi and Manami turning emo was a huge turnoff, especially for loving a pathetically bland character like Kio. It got old quick and had to be tolerated all the way to the final episode. I would have loved to learn more about the Dogisians (Jens in particular), Ichika, and Janis (JACK).

Originally Posted by Skyfall

Worst off here is Kio himself - he is like a barely interactive NPC who doesn't respond unless it is immediately related to advancing the plot, which doesn't cover character relationships.

I like the "barely interactive NPC" comparison because that's exactly what he was. Story-wise, Kio really didn't offer much and didn't grow as a character. In terms of development, he didn't go that far. Aside from asking Aoi and Manami to help briefly train him, and his involvement in creating the rocket, he remained the same Kio.

[OkamiNoKaze]

This was a pretty good episode, Tekkaman Blade was a favorite series of mine waaaaay back when, so the homage to it this episode was an unexpected surprise. Harem end seems to suit this story well. Overall I rather liked this series, though I would have liked more interaction with Eris's crew then what we got.

[Nukerjsr]

Originally Posted by sikvod00

^ I agree with everything you said. In addition, my other gripe is with how the Catians and Dogians that were introduced weren't properly fleshed out due to lack of screen time. The chief was so adorable, I really wanted more of her.

I also agreed with everything that Skyfall said. While I'm probably one of the few who believed the ending half was way better than the beginning, I still felt like it fell through a few annoying tropes. Kio being underwritten and Manami being a pushy-stereotype. And I can honestly say that Kio never angered me with his denseness or lack of romantic interest compared to other characters. I often felt like he looked more at the big picture and looked more into platonic relationships than romantic ones. But then again, that could be from the low standards I have for protagonists like Kio, who can be so downright pathetic and sex-hating that it's unreal.

Even with the flaws, I still think it's a great romantic comedy series overall. It still had great action even if it was silly. And other than the first and perhaps sixth episodes, I never felt like the fanservice got in the way too much. It still had a very fun dynamic, and did stuff you don't normally see in harem shows. I loved how Aoi in particular, would point out Manami's lies at the end. And I also loved how Eris's love for other people, won in the end. Her personality is almost infectious just in the way how she's so life-loving and sweet. She would almost border on being "too perfect", but she rubbed off her traits well on other characters.

I feel like, I almost want this to have a sequel because you have so much more things you could explain with alien races, the CIA, the cat worshipers, and how the world is dealing with the issue as a whole. But on the other hand...usually when you combine a fanservice show with a sequel...it's all tits and no substance. ^^;

[Spectacular_Insanity]

Originally Posted by sikvod00

^ I agree with everything you said. In addition, my other gripe is with how the Catians and Dogians that were introduced weren't properly fleshed out due to lack of screen time. The chief was so adorable, I really wanted more of her.

None of the alien races were even given the chance to be fleshed out.

I mean, hell, even Birdy the Mighty did a better job of fleshing out alien races in its first series than Asobi did. The anime really didn't do much to actually convince us the Catians and other races had any interaction or real organization as an intergalactic body. That tiny reference to the Orsonians doesn't really count for all that much.

[Dralha]

Originally Posted by Skyfall

...Eris was quite likable and fresh, combining several aspects of what one would normally expect in an airhead without being one...

This is one of the most impressive things about Eris: she's an alien girlfriend that's quite clever.

[Saturn Beaver]

Originally Posted by Dralha

This is one of the most impressive things about Eris: she's an alien girlfriend that's quite clever.

Yeah, unlike many of her types that is usually so clumsy and naive they're bordering on being outright dumb, Eris is both clever and competent. Her mistakes are mostly due to cultural clash, what's with being a more technologically advanced alien and all, and considering how much cultural faux pas we ourselves can make by just being in another continent, Eris is really not bad especially in the end when she got more used to Earth. She can even hold her own in battle, but is responsible enough to know that it could cause interplanetary incident and tried the diplomatic approach first when facing the Beautiful Contact people in the beginning.

She's not bad in the interpersonal department either, unlike the other two girls she's quite honest and upfront about her feelings for Kio (admittedly being in heat does contribute to it but even without it she's still better than those two). And she even picked up that Kio (who is too dense to notice) is someone special for both Aoi and Manami, and can even come up with a solution that, at least for the time being, quelled the conflict and makes everyone happy.

Truly, along with Aoi and the Assistroids she's one of the character I'm always looking for with each new episode. It's really too bad that the show decided to focus more on Manami and Aoi's relationship drama with Kio that it cuts her screentime, subsequently giving less attention to the Cattians and the possibility of other Alien races. While I've said before that I want to see less "Kio" in future anime, I'd gladly like to see more "Eris".

[Hypernova]

Originally Posted by Saturn Beaver

Yeah, unlike many of her types that is usually so clumsy and naive they're bordering on being outright dumb, Eris is both clever and competent. Her mistakes are mostly due to cultural clash, what's with being a more technologically advanced alien and all, and considering how much cultural faux pas we ourselves can make by just being in another continent, Eris is really not bad especially in the end when she got more used to Earth. She can even hold her own in battle, but is responsible enough to know that it could cause interplanetary incident and tried the diplomatic approach first when facing the Beautiful Contact people in the beginning.

She's not bad in the interpersonal department either, unlike the other two girls she's quite honest and upfront about her feelings for Kio (admittedly being in heat does contribute to it but even without it she's still better than those two). And she even picked up that Kio (who is too dense to notice) is someone special for both Aoi and Manami, and can even come up with a solution that, at least for the time being, quelled the conflict and makes everyone happy.

Truly, along with Aoi and the Assistroids she's one of the character I'm always looking for with each new episode. It's really too bad that the show decided to focus more on Manami and Aoi's relationship drama with Kio that it cuts her screentime, subsequently giving less attention to the Cattians and the possibility of other Alien races. While I've said before that I want to see less "Kio" in future anime, I'd gladly like to see more "Eris".

Well she already a shiyakaijin with a job. So she's much more mature.

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by Hypernova

Well she already a shiyakaijin with a job. So she's much more mature.

That's my view too. The reason Eris is the kind of person she is, is that she was selected as a scout for an alien planet for a reason. Part of that is that she needs to have a good disposition and be diplomatic. Though as the Captain mentioned, Eris is a borderline workaholic sometimes...

[ZeKeR]

Originally Posted by Vallen Chaos Valiant

That's my view too. The reason Eris is the kind of person she is, is that she was selected as a scout for an alien planet for a reason. Part of that is that she needs to have a good disposition and be diplomatic. Though as the Captain mentioned, Eris is a borderline workaholic sometimes...

but scouting a planet with her current mentality is easy.. just head to the planet, see what it looks like and then report back to mothership.

only risk is that she'll be destroyed if any tho

[mangatron]

Originally Posted by Waven

No you're not, well, at least not regarding the plot . When she was introduced (read: appeared out of nowhere) it was like: She has powerful artifacts, yet unknown motivations, let's unrestrictedly trust her anyway.
Since that there's neither further information about her nor development of her character (at least in the anime)

Oh thanks, for a moment there I thought I was losing my mind. Guess I'm still sane after all

I gotta stop popping up every now and then. The new season is upon me

[Crisis]

The plot fell flat like everyone has said and the anime was made to slowly go towards the last episode.

Artwork was vrery good though!