Aaand thiss is about the point where my patience with Denpa-Onna has run out. I’m going to drop this, but I do want to wrap up my thoughts about this show because it’s not like it started off without any potential. My bias against Shinbo would have dropped this immediately if it sucked completely.
The first three episodes of this show were actually very good. You didn’t know whether there really were aliens and the theories of that cousin were quite interesting to watch. This show was quite dynamic, had good themes, was unpredictable and seemed to have a lot of potential. After that though… this show jumped the shark and pretty much now it tries to stuff material for perhaps 3 or 4 episodes in its nine remaining episodes. The way in which it fills up its extra time is… really annoying.
My big problem here: there has been no good drama for the past four episodes. Instead we get that horny aunt, ditzy classmate and that girl whose only defining trait is that she dresses up in strange costumes. All of them are really annoying. And the main character wasn’t much better. The premise about aliens was nice. Right now however, this show’s themes are just moe pandering:
“Oh no. We have this really cute girl who is completely helpless and mentally challenged and yet everyone in town hates her. The main character is very unfortunate to have to take care of her.” This is nothing but the excuses that moe pandering shows always make, only even worse.
Also, the dialogue has the Bakemonogatari syndrome. It’s not as bad, but that possibly makes it even worse because that means that it stands out even less. There is a lot of dialogue in this series, but in the end, what do these characters really talk about? They just keep repeating themselves over and over again, and they. Just. Won’t. Shut. The hell. Up. This show majorly lacks inspiration to fill its time.
Compare that to Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru: its characters were annoying, but it always had something nice to discuss, the characters were always doing something interesting and it was always trying to be varied. It’s characters like these that were genuine and fun to watch. Denpa-Onna is just annoying, and I’m glad that Shaft is not going to output any new series for the upcoming summer season. Let them put some actual work in making one series, instead of a bunch of mediocre ones.
Rating: – (Disappointing)
bakemonogatari syndrome lol. shinbou is shinbou and has been himself way before bakemonogatari put shaft on center-stage. either you appreciate the “pointless” dialogue and simplicities of a shaft show or you don’t get it. it has always been hate it or love it.
to be fair, I totally agree with you that the amount of effort put into his shows has been less than desirable as of late. the start of the show seemingly had ‘drama’ and ‘plot’ (silly things that most anime fans seem to love), but after episode 4 he ditched that direction and went in a more generic shaft path. if you’re going to make a gag show, make something as great as paniponi, szs or arakawa. if you’re going to make a slice of life masterpiece, make hidamari. if you’re going to appeal to a larger crowd, make something as professional as bakemono. again I’m with you here; half-assing isn’t appreciated by shinbou fans either man.
I agree wholeheartedly, most of the dialogue is kind of repetitive and serves no real purpose. The only thing this anime’s got going for it is its strange allure. I just can’t stop watching Erio and Ryuuko do something weird for 30 minutes. It’s odd. 🙂
I agree that the last few episodes were really bad. I liked the fact that the show started great despite having moe elements, had that mystery feel, but recently, it was showing more of cute girls doing cute things and it’s just annoying to watch.
I don’t believe you, you are liar, liar!
I agree it’s been disappointing. I guess they wanted a moe show to call their own. I’ve heard that the next plot/story bit is supposed to be better than the first.
Frankly, though, I wasn’t as impressed with the first few episodes as you guys seem to have been. Arakawa took all my hope for Shaft doing an “alien mystery” well and threw it into the river.
It really is a shame that this work got adapted instead of the writers better work “Lying Mii-kun and Broken Maa-chan” but then again I would want Shaft and Shinbo behind an adaptation of that. They would ruin everything that’s good about it.
But seriously, I hope someone picks that up soon.(Madhouse) It deserves a good animated adaptation. Even if it’s just an OVA series. I want to see a tale about psychological unstable girl and boy told from the viewpoint of a compulsive lair.
Typo
*wouldn’t
“Let them put some actual work in making one series, instead of a bunch of mediocre ones.”
I hope you’re not including Madoka Magica in your generalisation, since there was nothing mediocre about it.
I actually likes this episode a lot. For me, it did away with a lot of the main tropes in high school moe animes, such as the harem setting.
Discounting the horny aunt, we only have one of the ‘harem’ actually pursuing the protagonist.
Costume girl really just seems interested in playing around (proven by the fact that she confidently walks out with horny aunty).
Futon girl is never seriously considered (and neither is horny aunty for that matter).
Only Ryuuko is seriously spending time thinking about this and acting upon it.
Even I am starting to get annoyed at this show, and my “bullshit in anime” tolerance is pretty high. What really got on my nerves during this episode was the main character acting like a little bitch – “oh noes, people who I don’t talk to to begin with will now start to hate me if they see me hang out with my cousin, whatever shall I do”. Ugh, What. Just no.
I dropped it 2 episodes ago.
Some spoiler sources told me that you should definitely stick around for the next few episodes. Drama will happen, it will be centered around characters you don’t expect, and it is supposed to be worthwhile.
>that girl whose only defining trait is that she dresses up in strange costumes
No, I think her defining trait is her intelligence, which often shines through her actions.
So… if you are dropping this one… any possibility we can hear your thoughts on the most recent God Only Knows episodes?
I’ve always thought the Chihiro arc would be your favorite, and it just finished.