P.A. Works: Studio discussion, speculation, and whatnot

[Akito Kinomoto]

Surely Glasslip can't be that bad. It looks so harmless, what could've possibly gone wrong? Or is ignorance bliss?

Like, even the MAL kids hate it I noticed.

[Archon_Wing]

Well the main problem is that the show just doesn't know what to aim for and ends up pretty pointless. Plus it's on the cheap end when it comes to production value so a lot of people felt like wasted their time.

According to the list I made above, I would put it above Another in the lol tier, since I did find parts of it humorous even if it was unintentional. It's not good, but at least it's not some shit that I feel insults my intelligence like Oreimo, Guilty Crown, or SAO. Or truly bottom feeder trash that makes the aforementioned shows look like masterpieces by comparison-- I feel a lot of people have not seen enough bad anime, though I guess that's a good thing?

As a side note, i have no idea how Shirobako can be 2 cours. Of all the PAW shows I've seen, they seem to sport massive consistency issues, and the only 2 cour I've seen-- Hana Saku Iroha-- was quite a roller coaster ride in terms of enjoyment.

Finally, more Eufonious and Choucho, and less of... that.

Wait did they really vocalize Noe's theme song, because lol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN_FQ0VF2g4 (2nd half of the clip has it)

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by Soliloquy

Perhaps its genuine approach towards the drama without the heavy-handed or manipulative storytelling, Tari Tari managed to be better than sum of its parts. For this, I keep watching the director to see where he goes next. True, his work Soul Eater Not was disappointing but that was just an adaptation, so I feel the director deserves the praise for how he handled the anime. Normally, I don't even like musicals but it sure was entertaining.

I agree wholeheartedly with you (and like you I keep looking into what the director is up to next), I was just wondering what changed Pocari_Sweat opinion between posts

Originally Posted by Akito Kinomoto

Surely Glasslip can't be that bad. It looks so harmless, what could've possibly gone wrong? Or is ignorance bliss?

Like, even the MAL kids hate it I noticed.

Personally I feel like Glasslip was a bet that failed. They wanted to do something different and take on a new way to tell a story and it just plain didn't work. They kind of drop us in a the middle of a group of characters like we're supposed to already know and care for them and end up not resolving anything at the end of the show. It was... strange to say the least. Visuals also weren't top notch for what we're used from P.A. and the soundtrack apparently didn't work for everyone.

The ending was also performed by nano.RIPE. I had no idea that something could top the mood whiplash Clannad: After Story had with Torch but dear lord did they completely blow the scale with this one. I don't think I ever reached for the mute button quite as quickly as I did with the Glasslip ending song. So awful! So incredibly awful!

Strangely I didn't drop the show so it had to have something going for it right? I'm not that insane am I?

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Akito Kinomoto

Surely Glasslip can't be that bad. It looks so harmless, what could've possibly gone wrong? Or is ignorance bliss?

Oh, it is harmless. Utterly harmless. But mainly due to a very odd mix of aimless, esoteric, and subtle.

Glasslip makes you think you're going to some great wondrous place, and then you find out its generic lighthearted SoL teenage romance. With 100% more ambiguity!

That being said, it's not without it's charms. You might end up liking it. But I can easily see why many people didn't.

[Pocari_Sweat]

Originally Posted by Dextro

I agree wholeheartedly with you (and like you I keep looking into what the director is up to next), I was just wondering what changed Pocari_Sweat opinion between posts

It was the best recentish unpretenious genuine feel-good series I've seen in the past few years. Also the had the type of moe I like in spades (Wakana in particular), and I'm not usually the most positive about cute girl premises, but this one had a lot of heart. Sometimes heart wins over head and this was an example. The only thing it lacked was ambition as it was a premise that safe and generic but execution was so good I didn't care. Oh and cheapo character designs (Hanasaku Iroha rejects FTL). It was also just the right length and didn't overstay its welcome so it didn't have the problem of say something like Hanasaku Iroha did, albeit that show probably had better highs (but also had worse and more frequent lows). I forgot the number of times I've rewatched it because I've been "lacking" a good "moe" series for a few years now so I need my dose somewhere. Unfortunately series like Kirino Mosaic, GochiUsa, Non Non Biyori, Hanayamata fall into the "too overly and tryhard cute it gives me diabetes" so they are out of the question for me :/

The ending was also performed by nano.RIPE. I had no idea that something could top the mood whiplash Clannad: After Story had with Torch but dear lord did they completely blow the scale with this one. I don't think I ever reached for the mute button quite as quickly as I did with the Glasslip ending song. So awful! So incredibly awful!

My reason for muting wasn't mood whiplash but purely because I can't stand nano.ripe's vocalist. It takes whiny to the nth level. I pretty much stopped every episode as soon as the ending started playing. I don't think I've actually managed to finish the ending even once actually. Nano.ripe ftl. Next time they should just get Choucho to do both the OP and ED please.

I still think Clannad AS is a more severe example of mood whiplash since I actually cared about that series, unlike Glasslip.

[Archon_Wing]

In short, Tari Tari avoids the majority of pitfalls in PA Works shows, but also sacrifices some of the ambition and strength, so it doesn't seem to stand out but still remains solid. Meanwhile, Glasslip faceplants into most of PAW shows flaws and kinda just could never recover. Another was pure faceplant though, lol. I'd rather Nano.ripe than w/e Another's OP was.

[Pocari_Sweat]

Originally Posted by Archon_Wing

In short, Tari Tari avoids the majority of pitfalls in PA Works shows, but also sacrifices some of the ambition and strength, so it doesn't seem to stand out but still remains solid. Meanwhile, Glasslip faceplants into most of PAW shows flaws and kinda just could never recover. Another was pure faceplant though, lol. I'd rather Nano.ripe than w/e Another's OP was.

In other words, if PAW wants to do another one of their "trademark" shows it should in the style of Tari Tari but with a different theme maybe. Or Glasslip should have been that but replace music with glass.

[Triple_R]

It would be nice if PAW did a Tari Tari movie. The HSI movie was pretty good, and I think a Tari Tari movie could be even better.

There's also a very obvious idea for a Tari Tari movie that would work great...

Spoiler for Tari Tari spoilers:

The rest of the main cast visits Sawa in America. It's a vacation/group reunion movie.

[Pocari_Sweat]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Spoiler for Tari Tari spoilers:

The rest of the main cast visits Sawa in America. It's a vacation/group reunion movie.

Spoiler for Tari Tari Spoiler Response:

And Sawa is actually dating another guy which puts Taichi in heartbreak and *insertokadatypemelodrama here*

[Archon_Wing]

That's not cool at all.

You'd be turning Tari Tari, one of the rare PA anime untouched by Okada-ism and X love shapes, and drag it down to silly Teen drama level (Glasslip/Nagikara?)

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Archon_Wing

That's not cool at all.

You'd be turning Tari Tari, one of the rare PA anime untouched by Okada-ism and X love shapes, and drag it down to silly Teen drama level (Glasslip/Nagikara?)

It would be funny though. Pocari's idea certainly gave me a chuckle.

[Pocari_Sweat]

Originally Posted by Archon_Wing

That's not cool at all.

You'd be turning Tari Tari, one of the rare PA anime untouched by Okada-ism and X love shapes, and drag it down to silly Teen drama level (Glasslip/Nagikara?)

It's a joke, you don't have to take it seriously .

As bad as Glasslip was, I didn't think it went overboard with the teen drama element. The biggest problem was the lack of direction - it had no idea what it wanted to be and suffered greatly because of it. Also the random supernatural element was not needed whatsoever. Also visually looked pretty awful for PA works production.

NagiKara on the other hand is the epitome of Okada teen drama writing. There were some good bits to it, but there was far more unnecessary wangst, ship-fuelling, moe girls crying for attention and general pandering. There was a point in the middle and end of the 1st cour where it got actually quite interesting (was dealing with climate change and racial discrimination) but then fell back into Okada's old habits in the 2nd half. I put it in the same category as series like Sakurasou and Kokoro Connect which had moments of greatness but on the whole infuriating.

/brokenrecordmachine

[Sphire]

I was wondering why this thread was bouncing up, but of course, Glasslip ended. I never did pick the show back up, and from what I'm hearing, that's not a bad thing.

For now, I still look forward to PA Works stuff, so Shirobako is on my watch list. At least it doesn't sound like much romance is involved.

[Akito Kinomoto]

Well, so far Glasslip isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but it's a few fragments short of average. There's a noticeable lack of build up to its more crucial moments and it just comes across as really incompetent, while the non-dramatic portions range from passable to something out of a Tommy Wiseau film. Rather than bored or annoyed, I'm actually amused at how much this show just doesn't get it. Who can forget the iconic scene of everyone meeting Kakeru for the first time? What about his and Touko's non-relationship that feels even emptier than Twilight's main coupling?

I fully disagree with any notion Glasslip has an identity crisis. It fully knows it wants to be a teen drama with a slight hint of supernatural elements. It's focused. So focused, it just decides to go through the motions without bothering to consider all the minor things that play a major role in drama-fantasy works. So focused, it is magnificently tunnel visioned to where it doesn't noticed it has people watching. It's almost like I'm Touko, seeing another world but only in kakeru fragments.

At least it has Sachi. Om nom nom nom nom.

[Archon_Wing]

Yea, Tommy Wiseau is an adequate comparison to some of the dialogue. It really is that bizarre.

I think it's on our best interests to forget about Glasslip though. It just doesn't do anything right even though it tries and succeeds on a rare occasion. In the end, all i can really say is that it isn't Another.

Oh and the character designs were nice. Too bad Shirobako went all sameface on us.

[Guardian Enzo]

I'll never understand the widespread distaste for Another. For about 10 episodes it was a great suspense anime, and a real stretch for PA Works.

[Reckoner]

I disagree. I felt Another fell apart long before that. The teacher scene in the classroom was the moment it completely jumped the shark. However, I think its obsession with spectacular death scenes was pretty ridiculous from the very beginning. Like the umbrella scene? C'mon now.

It is by far the worst show PA works has made in my opinion. Unless you interpret it as a comedy, it certainly made me laugh a lot.

[Pocari_Sweat]

Another is a pretty polarizing series, though at least from an anime fandom point of the view in the west it is pretty popular. It's mostly criticized by the more "critical" bloggers and reviewers but it seems to be liked more by the more 'casual' viewer.

I myself also fall into the "great for 10 episodes train-wrecked in the last 2" camp.

It is by far the worst show PA works has made in my opinion.

Someone has not seen Glasshit

[Akito Kinomoto]

I felt that horror show was Another failure the moment the MC met his classmates. Something about the way they acted felt so look mom, I'm making a scary show! Then it became a riot with the deaths, and unintentional comedy is never a good thing.

While we're at it though, I found Angel Beats! solid. It's basically KEY doing comedy and random things and it knew it. It had tough act to follow considering what finished a year before.

[Archon_Wing]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

I'll never understand the widespread distaste for Another. For about 10 episodes it was a great suspense anime, and a real stretch for PA Works.

Let's see

Crappy animation, so-so soundtrack (it's not bad but it sounds like reject music from Shakugan no Shana), laughable plot twists, unintresting characters that served little more than props to be victims of violence, and just silly over the top violence. Honestly, to me, it does absolutely nothing.

I did manage to amuse myself by laughing at it, but not sure if that counts as merit.

Originally Posted by Reckoner

I disagree. I felt Another fell apart long before that. The teacher scene in the classroom was the moment it completely jumped the shark. However, I think its obsession with spectacular death scenes was pretty ridiculous from the very beginning. Like the umbrella scene? C'mon now.

It is by far the worst show PA works has made in my opinion. Unless you interpret it as a comedy, it certainly made me laugh a lot.

To be fair, I treat every PA Works show like a comedy.