2012-10-28, 09:51 | Link #286 |
Last Engage
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Florida
|
I could see the opening punchline of the first sketch coming before it showed up, but that didn't make it any less funny. You'd think Kigu would have more friends with her (exterior) cuteness, but through varying flashbacks and such, it looks like all these girls have are each other. The idea for a specialized swimsuit for each school is genius, yet stupid. All the school swimsuit talk just made me think of this week's (delays happen) Hidamari, and how Yoshinoya exploited the fetish in high resolution. The closing gag with the soap bubbles was inspired - very Looney Toons, and very fluidly animated, too.
I was wondering what was up with the second segment. Musashi-Sakai didn't seem nearly as vibrant as the other locales they've visited, even if they got a lot of mileage out of the restaurant name. Juvenile humor, but it works. Then it became clear - JC Staff's offices. A bit of a KyoAni-ish thing to do, but every studio can play the self-referential game, it just depends on if the material supports it. The Christmas segment was just inspired. From Marii the red-nosed reindeer to the extra-huge Christmas tree turning into a warzone, it's basically exactly as one would expect a Joshiraku Christmas segment to be like. That it was combined with a commentary on Amazon just made it all the sweeter, if a bit of an unexpected twist. There's very few holidays they haven't skewered by this point. |
2012-10-29, 09:46 | Link #290 |
Last Engage
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Florida
|
We have to go deeper! So deep that the building blocks of life itself are before us! Apparently if one goes deep enough, the foundation of the universe is a Sentai series. I had always kind of suspected so. Again, kudos to Saori Goto for making Kukuru sound convincingly crazy. Everything was up to her going mad, and she went right into madness and made a comfortable home there. The discussion on English grammar, wacky facial expressions and almost unnoticeable background gag of a sheep flying into the window also made for something pretty entertaining.
The Roppongi segment was a little more wistful and nostalgic than these trip segments have been. Though I've never been there, it actually hit pretty close to home for me. A land filled with modern art and big business and an exciting nightlife, now not quite what it used to be because of changing economic circumstances? Sounds a lot like Miami, especially the modern art thing. Knowing that TV Asahi is located here is a nice bit of trivia, too. In-universe, Gan's knowledge of Japan's various districts is pretty impressive. Out of universe, since these segments are anime original, it's clear the writers for them did their work - while keeping the show's sense of humor intact, too. Ninja -> Scary stories -> Blue. Makes sense. The Cool Biz uniforms looked cute on them, but they weren't going to stay that way for long. The part where they were looking at strange lights in the photos reminded me of Slenderman for a second, though it quickly turned into something else. The Marii butt jokes had been tuned down for a while, but making it the final punchline worked great here. Marii just blue herself. I'm going to miss this show, but there's still one more episode left. Plus the OVA in February. Last edited by Midonin; 2012-10-29 at 10:00. |
2012-10-29, 18:08 | Link #292 |
絶対領域に嵌り過ぎた。
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Trendy Backwater
Age: 38
|
There are just so many things I love about this anime. This episode in particular is favourite of mine especially because of the last sketch. For some reason I loved more than all the last sketches. This particular episode has made me like Teto more because she seems for some reason willing to help out a friend in need or general friendliness case in point episode 5.
As for Saori Goto doing her best manic impression, nothing beats one particular episode in Steins Gate. In here, her character is sort of pitiful and quiet while quite creepy, didn't really lose her cuteness.
__________________
|
2012-10-29, 19:13 | Link #293 |
Mmmm....
Join Date: Sep 2006
|
I was surprised to see 'Maman', the artwork by Louise Bourgeois, appear as I'd seen that five years ago outside the Tate Modern in London.
spider bridge by Antony J Shepherd, on Flickr And yes, eggs. Spider! by Antony J Shepherd, on Flickr Marvellous episodes, glad to see them out at last. |
2012-11-06, 00:39 | Link #298 |
Last Engage
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Florida
|
Most shows in this new season are already a third done, and Joshiraku just now finishes. I can understand why. Kumeta's material is tough to render in a way that's both understandable and funny for English audiences, so, no matter what misgivings I may have had about them in the past, my many kudos to gg.
Of all the shows that aired last season, Joshiraku remains at the apex. It has everything I love. Social commentary, metahumor and butt jokes. Kumeta can be compared to Parker and Stone, especially in that they both make me laugh. Marii, with her fiery personality and ability to play boke and tsukkomi with ease, is my favorite, but she required the energy of the entire rest of the cast to make this work. While I do wonder how different the series would've been if it kept the Drama CD cast (Kana Hanazawa as Gankyou... she did play Ichiko, but I can't really see it), but the anime cast delivered and then some. On with the actual episode! I would love to call Uzannu "normal", but she's about as far from normal as one can get. About the only character whose shtick she didn't steal was Tetora's, and that's because Teto's all about being nice and anchored down - neither of which applies to her. The gradient hair was very Potemayo-ish, but the "things that only need to be experienced once" went right for the jugular. The "American remakes" bit in particular. (Still one of Dennis Hopper's more entertaining roles.) Leave it to the show to quickly break the wistful mood. Glad to see Maeda again, too. Akihabara. Nerd mecca! A place where pain is power and fandom lives and breathes in every street corner! ...is not what the segment focused on. It's a side of Akiba that I've never really considered, and, for a final episode, deals with the transitive nature of fads in that town. Satirizing the surface elements is for other series. Joshiraku aims for something that a foreigner like myself wouldn't automatically think of. It was educational as much as it was entertaining. Well played, show. You baited and switched me, but I think I enjoyed the end result even more. For the (not-really) final segment, I liked what they were going for. A reprise of the show's beginnings, turning on the show itself. Knowing how Zetsubou Sensei (the anime) ended, I should've expected something like this. I both agree and don't agree with the points they brought up. The little something extras are something I like - they expand the original material and give it more dimensions. So in a way, I suppose I support their "view things as themselves" platforms, though as Gan pointed out, it can run several levels deep. I wonder if the war going on has anything to do with the exploding sheep from a few episodes ago. All this talk of finales seems kind of moot when there's going to be an OVA in a few months... but I expect they'll comment on that, too, when the time comes. Maybe it's not Shaft that made Zetsubou so self-referential (though it did make them more text heavy), but Kumeta. Because JC Staff caught it and started taking potshots at themselves in this final episode. Which I'm sure some people will appreciate, but I just found highly amusing. I stand by every word I've said. Joshiraku is highbrow, lowbrow and excellent. Here's to a second season! |
2012-11-06, 17:56 | Link #300 |
Mmmm....
Join Date: Sep 2006
|
So that's that, and I loved the way that everything went full circle by the end.
I shall miss this show, there's nothing really this barking this season. I have to admit that I did actually wonder whether JC Staff would do a Kumeta comedy justice. After all, with three seasons of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, plus the OVAs, plus the Katte ni Kaizou OVAs, I really couldn't imagine anyone BUT SHAFT/Shinbo doing this. My fears were soon relieved though, and I loved this series to bits. While I'm not exactly holding my breath for a second season (and I have no idea whether the manga is long enough anyway) I'd love to see one some day. And by the way, did anyone else spot the Nodame Cantabile reference here? Well played, JC Staff, well played! PS: Kimpleng, The only thing I could think of squinting at the mosaic from across the room was Jar Jar Binks! |
Tags |
comedy, shounen |
|
|