(L) Simoun

[Sibylla_Aaeruer]

hi...
i kinda found out about Simoun recently and i just finished watching it.
if anyone reads these forums, could someone tell me where i can get
more simoun things (i.e. drama CD) and how the game is?
and maybe where i can see or learn how to save the eyecatches without subtitles
so i can use it as wallpaper...?
i'll go read the insider stuff on their site now...
nvm... kuradashi simoun isnt working for me...
what should i do now?

[Simon]

Originally Posted by Sibylla_Aaeruer

if anyone reads these forums, could someone tell me where i can get
more simoun things (i.e. drama CD) and how the game is?

There's a merchandise list on Wikipedia that covers all the official releases, except for promotional stuff like posters and telephone cards. Everything's Japan-only except for the R1 DVDs, but there should be enough details on that page to search your favourite online retailers (e.g. the drama CD is available from CDJapan or Amazon).

I particularly recommend the OSTs. In answer to dauthik's question above I doubt they'll ever see a US release, but they're absolutely worth the Japanese prices IMO.

and maybe where i can see or learn how to save the eyecatches without subtitles
so i can use it as wallpaper...?

You can get all the eyecatches here (2.8MB zip archive, capped from the R2 DVDs). If you'd prefer something higher resolution then PinkuBentoBox has some very nice vector traces. Other than that, the only wallpapers I'm aware of are on the CD-ROM that came with the PS2 game limited edition.

EDIT: Some of the vector trace download links are broken, but they work if you take the "v2" out of the filename.

i'll go read the insider stuff on their site now...
nvm... kuradashi simoun isnt working for me...
what should i do now?

The link on the "Special" page is broken, but you can still find the articles here.


And while I'm posting, AOD gave a positve review of Volume 2:

Many times, when a show starts out strong, the anticipation for later episodes ends up hurting enjoyment of those episodes, but this disc keeps the strong pacing and storytelling from the previous volume. When a show continues to deliver on high expectations like this one, then it is definitely doing something right. Highly recommended.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Simoun's animation director/character designer, Nishida Asako, has a nice personal site, Berries. Check out the "gallery" (some pics quite unworksafe). She just posted a new drawing of Aaeru and Neviril, as "black lady and white imp" (click to enlarge):



Nishida-san also did Fate/Stay Night and Touka Gettan, and is doing the upcoming Vampire Knight, which starts next Monday. But all of those are game or manga adaptations. Simoun is her original work, and she clearly has more love for it than for the others.

By the way, note that my new avatar/sig is Yukana, who played Dominura in Simoun.

[kamo]

I tried drawing fanart of Aaeru. The hair is kind of green though. ^^;;

Spoiler for pic:

[Matrim]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

Simoun's animation director/character designer, Nishida Asako, has a nice personal site, Berries. Check out the "gallery" (some pics quite unworksafe). She just posted a new drawing of Aaeru and Neviril, as "black lady and white imp" (click to enlarge):

Aaeru looks so unusually girly. Nice picture.

[anselfir]

to preface this, i will say that before watching simoun, and some lesser shows that will remain nameless (go hiromi :3), i was pretty jaded with animu. the wholesale commercialisation, misplaced priorities, and utter disgusting values marks the death of the industry. the fantasy medium and unique cultural perspective are utterly wasted by nonsense.

however, OMFG. this show is godly. fucking godly. a redemption of animu. elite level show with high and broad vision, epic narrative skill, jesus level subtlety. oh my god it fucking owns.

really, the level of maturity and depth here is amazing, even giving common and typical flaws of the themes redemption by inviting the viewer to take a perspective years ahead of most shows. this is an example of substantial animu without pretention. brilliant and impressive.

calling this a yuri animu is a joke. please, no. this thing would put grad level gender studies classes to shame. trust me. contrary to 'alternative' animu being a wasteland of deformed sexual fantasies, simoun challenges conventions productively and really requires a healthy view of life and sex in order to be fully appreciated. it is utterly mature and above the filth, even to the degree of reservign the right of some indulgent service content. now, i am not shy in calling shit as shit, nor do i reserve some place for yuri just for the sake of it. but this is not properly a yuri animu, except if one elevates yuri to a high sense that is really properly a take on love from the yuri form. if you are turned off by the yuri theme, you really need to be more open.

fantasy, not really. this show manages to cling to reality, and uses the fantasy setting for productive effects. this show shows what eva and haruhi, and other lesser shows, what could be done in a fantasy medium.

anti-war theme is very uniquely presented. it does not bash you with the overt sentimentality, rather, the substantial bombs will be substantial.

Spoiler:

the impact of a death in war is not told to you, by way of crying chracters, or obligatory remarks of 'think about teh dead people!' rather, the characters are sympathetic enough that a brutal severing viscerally impacts the viewer like a ton of bricks. wowzors. fucking ace

war's brutality and demands on one's state of mind is brilliantly brought out by juxtaposing the viewer's familiar, sentimental expectation of the war theme (it'll feature horrid stuff, with lots of mourning and crying) to the oblivious and aristocratic aloofness of the girls, while also managing to make the latter genuine. the result is to highlight the traumas of the war experience and giving a fresh and absolutely dignified angle that calls into mockery all the dignified posturing that surrounds war and its participants.

every character is pretty good, no annoying ones, and no useless ones. every one adds some dimension to the show, or showcase substantive issues.

music, superb. visuals, pleasant, not glamorous, but well designed. the design decisions added what they can, and we are not presented with pretentious symbolism. every important detail is elegant.

Originally Posted by Veritas

I don't like the pairing, because I don't like Aaeru. Developed relationships are all well and good, but Aaeru never rang true to me as a character. She felt like a plot device.

and roasted beef is a side dish. yes, she is a plot device if you mean she moves the plot, but the movement is substantial, not reliant on flashy metaphysics and nonsensical crutches. what is meant as ornamental,

Spoiler:

such as the grandpa

stayed ornamental, and her character's unfolding is an illustration of a powerful ideal unfolding through a variety of situations. brilliant.



__________________
some ancillary

favorite character should be aelle (most elegant spelling of the name i could find). rooting for her is heroic. more gar than the fucking pussies and idiots that populate garbage. kicks ass

then it is yun, holy princess of virtue, rimone, cute cute. that red eyed woman.

there are some complaints about the opening and the ending, but look, the episodic format of animu placed this burden, that each episode is demanded to be interesting, but the overall work might actually benefit from a wide and sweeping opening, or a settling ending. the episodic flow is quite nice, but the writers are not constrained by the format, evident by the time jumps at the beginning of episodes. it is not the 'offer every move up on a platter to yer 13 year old audience' type of show, yet the transitions are not random. the viewer's natural understanding of how events progressed is demanded of quite often. again, pay attention to the substance here, which is quite a bit richer than anything before or after this. not to say, this is the deepest animu could ever go, but this is an elite level work in the confines of its own objectives. it is really pretty good, placed within the realm of all arts. good novel material.

[Yui from Okinawa]

This series takes place in a time roughly equivalent to the 1930s in our world. The world is divided into two cultures by a towering mountain range and huge river, and at the time of the story, the two cultures have been at war for hundreds of years. Allison, an air force pilot, and her childhood friend Will (pronounced Vill), who has a photographic memory, end up stealing an airplane and chasing some kidnappers across the river into the other country. Fortunately, they speak both languages...

"Allison & Lillia" is based on the light novels "Allison" and "Lillia and Treize", by Keiichi Sigsawa. The first cours will cover the "Allison" novels, while the second cours will cover the "Lillia and Treize" novels. "Lillia and Treize" occurs about 15 years after "Allison".

[Source: Wikipedia"Allison & Lillia" ]



Animesuki forum "Allison & Lillia"






Official anime site:
http://allison-web.net/

New sky-adventure show in JAPAN.

Promotion video (youtube)Pronmotion trailer

Opening"Tameiki no Hashi (溜め息の橋)"
Ending "Sayonara no Omajinai (サヨナラのおまじない)"
#1 Part 1 Subbed ("Allison and Will" 1/3)
#1 Part 2 Subbed ("Allison and Will" 2/3)
#1 Part 3 Subbed ("Allison and Will" 3/3)

#2 Part 1 RAW "To the enemy nation !" 1/3
#2 Part 2 RAW "To the enemy nation !" 2/3
#2 Part 3 RAW "To the enemy nation !" 2/3

[WanderingKnight]

I don't think being based on a similar setting is enough to make it a "successor" to Simoun. The latter had many qualities that set it apart from the rest of the shows--and the setting's common enough, anyways (Last Exile, anyone?).

From watching the first episode, I doubt quite a bit that Allison & Lillia is going to have the same impact Simoun had on me.

[FuzzyWuzzy]

Ugh can these women be more emo? I'm at episode 8 and all they do is be emo and emo and emo every dang episode. One emo person stopped being emo only to have another person be emo. Then they introduced more chars that are emo. Ugh!

[anselfir]

characters in simoun are not emo at all. they are pretty emotionally mature, as you will see later. emo is a quaint little word to use, you better put it in more explicit terms. emotional themes are legitimate.


btw, anyone know what the insert song in ep 21 is?

[FuzzyWuzzy]

Atleast that pink haired girl stops being emo at the end of episode 8. They are getting annoying. Now the blue hair girl is going to go emo. Atleast the two main chars seems to be in control now.
Resolve isn't cheap.... took them 9 episodes. Geeze.

Edit:

Those ships or simouns are haxxors.... totally unfair.

[anselfir]

lol mmk

[WanderingKnight]

Ugh can these women be more emo? I'm at episode 8 and all they do is be emo and emo and emo every dang episode. One emo person stopped being emo only to have another person be emo. Then they introduced more chars that are emo. Ugh!

Emo?

I don't see them trying to cut their wrists, or crying about how the world is unfair to them and how they aren't getting enough recognition. Perhaps the only part where the emo stereotype approaches the characters' attitudes is in the fact that, basically, Simoun tells the story of the struggle between childhood and adulthood. That's at least the theme for Aaeru, the main character--there are other issues at work in the rest of the cast.

[FuzzyWuzzy]

Originally Posted by WanderingKnight

Emo?

I don't see them trying to cut their wrists, or crying about how the world is unfair to them and how they aren't getting enough recognition. Perhaps the only part where the emo stereotype approaches the characters' attitudes is in the fact that, basically, Simoun tells the story of the struggle between childhood and adulthood. That's at least the theme for Aaeru, the main character--there are other issues at work in the rest of the cast.

Emo has a different meaning in anime community than the rest of the world.
It's like the word "twink". It has a different meaning in world of warcraft game when compared to the world.
Language is ever changing even if people do not accept that.
Emo is currently used in MTV to mean emotional to describe or ridicule shows and celebrities.

However just to prove it to you, emo is originally used as a way to describe a subculture that copies punk rock musicians with their own distinct style of clothes, music, fashion, tatoos, and etc just to say or make a statement to the world that they are unique. This is definition is definitely not your definition. Get the point?

[WanderingKnight]

Emo has a different meaning in anime community than the rest of the world.

Eh? I see how Shinji could be called an emo, however, I do not see how Aaeru, Morinas, Paraietta, Floe or Dominura could be called that.

It's like the word "twink". It has a different meaning in world of warcraft game when compared to the world.
Language is ever changing even if people do not accept that.

What? I think you just jumped the gun on a completely unrelated matter. I do acknowledge that language changes, though. I'm a translator, so I have a strong linguistic background to assert on language-related matters. I don't see what that has to do with characters in Simoun being emo, or at least, you haven't explained it in full. However, your own interpretation of a word does not a complete definition make, my young padawan, if it's not shared by a sizeable amount of people.

However just to prove it to you, emo is originally used as a way to describe a subculture that copies punk rock musicians with their own distinct style of clothes, music, fashion, tatoos, and etc just to say or make a statement to the world that they are unique. This is definition is definitely not your definition. Get the point?

Perhaps if you would care about actually defining emo as you're using the word instead of acting condescendingly I would get your point.

[FuzzyWuzzy]

In anime, characters can be emotional. Most of us like it when there's emotional conflict in the anime. However, when the anime character comes to the point where his/her emotions prevent her from doing stuff and degrades her character to nothing but a stupid helpless useless character and if this helplessness, uselessness and stupidity occurs for a couple of episodes to the point where the viewers are just annoyed, that character becomes emo. It's even more annoying when the character makes a decision based on his/her emotions that will ultimately lead to disaster for obvious reasons.

So the pink haired girl is emo. Why? She doesn't want to go to the spring and she doesn't want to fly because of the incident. Ok! We get it, they don't have to keep repeating it every episode. It gets annoying especially when people are watching the anime from beginning to end. I don't want to keep seeing her useless crap every episode where she is dragging every character down.

The twin sister was also emo. WTF! Why did she have to go out of the simoun just to find her sister in the enemy ship? She could have just waited. Stupid and annoying! We all knew that was going to lead to disaster. All I could think about was stupid stupid stupid stupid... jump stupid jump.... wth, jump idiot.... then the enemy pointed a gun at them and I'm like ugh what an idiot. She still didn't jump because her sister was below. When they are back, I'm like, she almost died trying to find her sister, when she found her, she didn't want to be near her then at the simoun ship, she doesn't want to talk to her or do anything with her. WTH!?!

[WanderingKnight]

In anime, characters can be emotional. Most of us like it when there's emotional conflict in the anime. However, when the anime character comes to the point where his/her emotions prevent her from doing stuff and degrades her character to nothing but a stupid helpless useless character and if this helplessness, uselessness and stupidity occurs for a couple of episodes to the point where the viewers are just annoyed, that character becomes emo.

Hmm, so it really depends on the annoyance of the viewer. I sincerely can't help you there. I don't think characters acting based on their emotions or troubled by them are "emo", or deserve to be viewed in a negative light. I understand people complaining about Shinji crying all the time in NGE, but I believe they're ultimately missing the point, because, man, people act based on their emotions all the time (in the case of Shinji, people are also missing how important Shinji was for anime at the time, but that's another story). The same thing I think of you and your opinion of Simoun.

At any rate, you quoted two characters even though earlier you said that the whole cast was being emo--I don't see how Neviril and Kamui make it up for all of it.

As for the reason of Kamui being "emo"... You ought to find it in further episodes. That's like complaining because not everything is explained from the beginning.

[anselfir]

you getting annoyed by the pink blowup doll's emotional state merely illustrates your lack of grasp of the themes commanded by that character. first, you have to understand how her people in simoun have always lived, and why this sudden death of her lover in a thing called war can be shocking. imagine if you have always lived without any threats to your way of life and your entire world is made of interactions between similarly privileged and unconcerned people. it is precisely important to have pinky be overly emotional, because her being overemotional over this incident illustrates her previous state of mind. further, the privileged and airy life she has always lead is itself permissive of being emo. to get her out of the emo state it is necessary to not only change her own state of mind but to narrate a change in the whole culture itself. this takes some time to do.

realize the simoun universe is not only different politically and technically but also socially. the characters are emo precisely to portray an alternative social sensibility which is one of the major aims of the show.


i find simoun interesting precisely because of detailed constructions like this. it demands close viewing and rewards with a sweeping and elegant world.

[FuzzyWuzzy]

Maybe you should watch the anime again. They have always been at war. So that carefree life you are talking about doesn't exist. Pinky is the leader of the best choir which means she has killed a lot before episode 1 even started.

[anselfir]

no, you are wrong. watch ep1 again. one could say humans and say ants were always at war, but obviously the experience is different for each side.