(L) C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control (w/Kenji Nakamura)

[SquirrelLuvsPnut]

Oooooookay.... how bout this. to the user who posted these scans:

Spoiler for pics:

Did you get these from a magazine and if so which one's?

[viperdk1]

Originally Posted by SquirrelLuvsPnut

Soooooo..... no one is curious about the actual episode count?

Mahou Showtime has it down at 11 episodes - and from what I can tell, they're usually pretty accurate (seeing as how they only seem to give series length when it's confirmed).

http://www.mahou.org/Showtime?o=ET


Shame really - this premise could do with more time. Think about it - we're already over 1/3 of the way through and everything (in terms of the main plot and why Mikuni is portrayed as the 'villain' in the OP) is still as mysterious and confusing as it was at the start.

[DragoZERO]

Whoa... don't lose. Bottom line right there. I still don't know where this is all going.

[Mercurius.H]

Interesting episode.

The financial terms used as spells are, surprisingly, at least contextually and/or allegorically comparable to their real-world counterparts.

It's good to see an anime using terms like Pac-Man defense, White Knight, etc. in a logically consistent manner rather than throwing out of nowhere.

[serenade_beta]

Originally Posted by viperdk1

Mahou Showtime has it down at 11 episodes - and from what I can tell, they're usually pretty accurate (seeing as how they only seem to give series length when it's confirmed).

http://www.mahou.org/Showtime?o=ET


Shame really - this premise could do with more time. Think about it - we're already over 1/3 of the way through and everything (in terms of the main plot and why Mikuni is portrayed as the 'villain' in the OP) is still as mysterious and confusing as it was at the start.

We still have 2/3 of the series left to go though, so it probably is enough.
If it was 2 cour, it would no doubt result in pointless, stupid episodes like Hanasaku Iroha had.

[Malkuth]

For the number of episodes, it's 11 (99%)

Originally Posted by SquirrelLuvsPnut

Oooooookay.... how bout this. to the user who posted these scans:

Spoiler for pics:

Did you get these from a magazine and if so which one's?

First one is obviously fan-art, very good though; while the second is from a magazine, you can see from the shadow separating pages not properly scanned (in between ruining the magazine in the proper process).

Anyway, to the show itself; I find the whole concept and story quite ridiculous, but on the other hand art and animation are very good, so I'll stick around, 'till budget or episodes run out

[Haak]

I still find the fights a little ridiculous but the characters are still very interesting. It was a good episode overall.

[Malkuth]

^^About characters, that professor was just weird, first he was pissed losing a family he should never had, but because the MC had no real collateral, and than pretty much supports him while nothing really changed after a long-winded expositiony discussion.

Also that concept of collateral just not works as mentioned (probably mistranslation, or cultural gap, can not really judge which), but you're supposed to lose your future when going bankrupt, but the only thing you lose is only what you gained from the loan, and not your future... at least as seen by MC's father and prof's cases.

[Haak]

^ I have pretty much no concept of economics so although the way the guy lost his future did appear strange, I have no idea just how impossibly absurd such a thing is

[Quarkboy]

Originally Posted by Malkuth

First one is obviously fan-art, very good though; while the second is from a magazine, you can see from the shadow separating pages not properly scanned (in between ruining the magazine in the proper process).

The first one is official art, not fan art.

I have a printout of it I got from Fuji 2 weeks before the show started airing.

[White Manju Bun]

Whoa. I didnt think Id like this epi when it started since I didnt get all the stock talk and it seemed like we kinda got dumped into the epi even tho we knew he was fighting the teacher. But man after the teacher lost, that was weird!! Espc the flashes of the kids in the house. Creepy.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Haak

I still find the fights a little ridiculous but the characters are still very interesting. It was a good episode overall.

The fights were actually pretty cool in this episode, at least visually. It's a shame the anime is only grazing the surface of the battle system though. Maybe they'll explore the strategic side a bit more later on.

[Guardian Enzo]

This continues to be very interesting but not all that emotionally involving for me. Though, the Sensei's story was more dramatic than anything so far, in a pleasantly understated way - now we know what that "future as collateral" thing really means, and why this is such high-stakes gambling. Mikuni and Masakaki seem quite chummy, but I'd think his plans are directly in conflict with the interests of those running the F.D. - I'd bet the real profit for them comes when they collect on those futures.

Part of the problem is that Ash Kimimaro isn't really engaging as a lead character. Nice kid, but so indecisive and so far, he hasn't even defended himself using his own wits. Maybe that will change now that he's agreed to join Mikuni's cause.

Gotta catch 'em all!

[orion]

Originally Posted by White Manju Bun

Whoa. I didnt think Id like this epi when it started since I didnt get all the stock talk and it seemed like we kinda got dumped into the epi even tho we knew he was fighting the teacher. But man after the teacher lost, that was weird!! Espc the flashes of the kids in the house. Creepy.

The house also didn't have much furniture so he lost more than the just the 3 kids. He was prob lucky that he had the house before he met Masakaki.

So then MC was prob safe when his dad lost in the game.

[Deconstructor]

Excellent. More and more plot elements are being introduced at a very manageable rate: stocks, investing, and the effect of the Financial District on the real world. And it has some basis within our current economic situation: As one rich person bankrupts another in the competition of capitalism, the economy suffers adversely. However, if someone is as powerful as Mikuni, they can support the entire economy by controlling the outcome, so no one loses or wins. Looking up the terms, I see "white knight" refers to a company trying to help another. Nice touch.

At the same time, we have the philosophical-economical side of things with Yoga's professor and Mikuni. What is a future, really? Can it even be defined in material terms and taken as collateral? In Yoga's professor's case, his future is his children. He should consider himself lucky: In most other cases, such as Kimimaro's father, a person's future is his life. Indeed, as investors partake in high-stake deals, they are putting their own futures on the line. But Mikuni is ready to accept those risks: He's trying to shoulder the burden of the Financial District all by himself; he is unwilling to put others at risk. I don't know if he will succeed in his goal, or if he's plotting something else behind his finely attired clothes. And then we have Kimimaro... he doesn't quite fit in the Financial District, the only entrepreneur with seemingly no purpose. What motivates our main character? In future episodes, I hope Kimimaro finds his drive to make money.

Topping episode 4 off are two fights loaded with special effects and laser swords. I never thought I would see a "Pac-Man Defense" animated. Although I was confused at the end of Mikuni's fight - I was unsure how Mikuni knew to attack the hovering mirror, the "core" of the old man's asset. Perhaps he did some prior scouting before making a deal... clever man.

Ultimately, I'm ready to invest in C as the most profitable anime of Spring 2011.

Episode 4 Rating: 9/10

[Mercurius.H]

Originally Posted by Malkuth

^^About characters, that professor was just weird, first he was pissed losing a family he should never had, but because the MC had no real collateral, and than pretty much supports him while nothing really changed after a long-winded expositiony discussion.

Also that concept of collateral just not works as mentioned (probably mistranslation, or cultural gap, can not really judge which), but you're supposed to lose your future when going bankrupt, but the only thing you lose is only what you gained from the loan, and not your future... at least as seen by MC's father and prof's cases.

You‘ve got it.

"Future as loan" is the imo one of the fundamental concepts of this anime, as well as one in real-world economics. Various economic activities, including investment, stock option, futures, credit consumption, subprime mortgage crisis, are more or less based on this concept.

[FlareKnight]

Originally Posted by Deconstructor

Excellent. More and more plot elements are being introduced at a very manageable rate: stocks, investing, and the effect of the Financial District on the real world. And it has some basis within our current economic situation: As one rich person bankrupts another in the competition of capitalism, the economy suffers adversely. However, if someone is as powerful as Mikuni, they can support the entire economy by controlling the outcome, so no one loses or wins. Looking up the terms, I see "white knight" refers to a company trying to help another. Nice touch.

At the same time, we have the philosophical-economical side of things with Yoga's professor and Mikuni. What is a future, really? Can it even be defined in material terms and taken as collateral? In Yoga's professor's case, his future is his children. He should consider himself lucky: In most other cases, such as Kimimaro's father, a person's future is his life. Indeed, as investors partake in high-stake deals, they are putting their own futures on the line. But Mikuni is ready to accept those risks: He's trying to shoulder the burden of the Financial District all by himself; he is unwilling to put others at risk. I don't know if he will succeed in his goal, or if he's plotting something else behind his finely attired clothes. And then we have Kimimaro... he doesn't quite fit in the Financial District, the only entrepreneur with seemingly no purpose. What motivates our main character? In future episodes, I hope Kimimaro finds his drive to make money.

Topping episode 4 off are two fights loaded with special effects and laser swords. I never thought I would see a "Pac-Man Defense" animated. Although I was confused at the end of Mikuni's fight - I was unsure how Mikuni knew to attack the hovering mirror, the "core" of the old man's asset. Perhaps he did some prior scouting before making a deal... clever man.

Ultimately, I'm ready to invest in C as the most profitable anime of Spring 2011.

Episode 4 Rating: 9/10

Well for one I'm not sure the Professor can really count himself as lucky. Losing 2 children you spent a lot of time with and a child not even born would be devastating. Should be plenty of people out there preferring for themselves to go down rather than to have their kids be erased from existence. Plus Kimimaro's father probably didn't die because he lost, likely chose to commit suicide because of what he lost. That's why it's such a prevalent result. You lose something incredibly precious because you lost and can't take it.

[TheGeekHuntress]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

Well for one I'm not sure the Professor can really count himself as lucky. Losing 2 children you spent a lot of time with and a child not even born would be devastating. Should be plenty of people out there preferring for themselves to go down rather than to have their kids be erased from existence. Plus Kimimaro's father probably didn't die because he lost, likely chose to commit suicide because of what he lost. That's why it's such a prevalent result. You lose something incredibly precious because you lost and can't take it.

Yes, I agree. Not only did he lose those children and the future child, NO ONE else knew that they even existed so it was almost as if none of it were real. Yet, he has all these feelings and memories that he cannot share. Not to mention, I don't believe he can ever have children. That is a big loss...although he didn't want them to begin with but it seems once he got them, he appreciated them.

[j0x]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

Well for one I'm not sure the Professor can really count himself as lucky. Losing 2 children you spent a lot of time with and a child not even born would be devastating. Should be plenty of people out there preferring for themselves to go down rather than to have their kids be erased from existence.

they can also adopt a child if they really want to have a child

[Eater of All]

Wow, C is really getting good. I was not entirely impressed with the first two episodes, but eps 3 and 4 did a great job in fleshing out the financial district while touching upon some interesting concepts. Especially Mikuni's "you should be able to control whether you win or lose"... now that's power and possibility control.

Me starting to get use to the weird CGI helps a bit too (but they're still jarring as heck).

Originally Posted by Malkuth

^^About characters, that professor was just weird, first he was pissed losing a family he should never had, but because the MC had no real collateral, and than pretty much supports him while nothing really changed after a long-winded expositiony discussion.

Also that concept of collateral just not works as mentioned (probably mistranslation, or cultural gap, can not really judge which), but you're supposed to lose your future when going bankrupt, but the only thing you lose is only what you gained from the loan, and not your future... at least as seen by MC's father and prof's cases.

I wonder if "future" for the entrepreneurs is defined as "what they earn money for". It makes sense that for people who are selfish, they would spend the most money for themselves, and hence when they go bankrupt they are ordained to commit suicide and lose their life (ouch, free will down the sink). In the teacher's case, since he makes money for his children, it makes sense that his children will be the objects taken as collateral for his defeat in the financial district. "Future" can therefore vary for each individual, but it is still the most valuable asset that anyone can have.

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

...but I'd think his plans are directly in conflict with the interests of those running the F.D. - I'd bet the real profit for them comes when they collect on those futures.

Wait, this sounds like-

I KNEW IT, THE ONE BEHIND ALL THIS IS THAT WHITE FURRY CREATURE AGAIN.