Short Synopsis: Yumemi’s friends aren’t going to let Yumemi disappear that easily.
Episode Rating: 7/10 (only one more episode left!?)
So obviously, I am not happy with this series after finding out that it’s only going to last for nine episodes. I’m going to take back some of the original praises I made for this series; seriously, if I had known this beforehand I wouldn’t have attempted to blog this series. Warning: big rant coming up.
I really have to wonder: what was the whole point of this ‘remake’. Why couldn’t the creators just have made a third OVA? They could have saved up on the broadcasting fees in order to spice up the animation of the original material. In the end, Sora wo Miageru Shoujo isn’t a remake, it’s just a recap with about an hour of new material pasted at the end. Seriously, I really expected better from Kyoani.
Take a look at some of the other series which were intended as remakes as well: the eighties version of Glass Mask was terrible, and yet the version of 2005, even though its first half followed the exact same plot managed to rewrite it so that it became something amazing. Towards the Terra turned a reportedly average movie into a full fledged TV-series that excellently made use of its extended time-frame. THAT was exactly what I was hoping that this series would do as well, but in the end the ones who planned out this series never understood what was wrong with it in the first place. Sure, the lack of conclusion is one thing, but it’s definitely not the biggest flaw.
So in the end, this still remains wasted potential: there are so many interesting parts in this world that are never going to get explored. This series simply lacks proper build-up, and time to flesh out the different characters. At this point, one episode before the end I still can’t say that I know any of the characters. Yumemi’s friends probably come closest to that.
I can’t believe that I originally praised Kyoani from finally doing something out of their comfort zone. There was nothing experimental at all about this TV-series whatsoever, it’s just another one of their plans to milk out one of their franchises. That’s the thing I really hate about Kyoto Animation: they only go with series that they know will sell; they hardly take any risks whatsoever. Ever since Haruhi, their only original work has been Lucky Star, and that one still was about a bunch of overly cute girls that you can see in every single one of their series (and I didn’t like that one at all as well). Full Metal Panic as well: it was a continuation of a series that they already knew would work, and the same goes for the Key adaptations: it was Toei who pioneered them, not themselves.
What’s more, it’s probably going to take bloody ages before they’re going to be able to come with another new series: they obviously have to animate the next Key visual novel, Haruhi 2 also needs to come and I’m going to eat my hat if there isn’t some sort of Lucky Star Second Season coming some time. It’s especially aggravating since these guys have so many potential to make great series. PLEASE, Kyoani: make your next series about a pig dentist who practices curling at night. Sure, it might not make any sense, but at least it’s original.
Umm, KyoAni has NO ORIGINAL works except MUNTO. Haruhi and Lucky Star are still adaptations. KyoAni sucks.
Pretty sure an animation company can produce only adaptions and still not suck…
. . .So, what did you thunk about the actual episode?
And Munto really is the only series Kyoani has done by themselves, huh? Outside of VNs, FMP, Haruhi and Lucky Star were all adaptations, and even Kiddy Grade, which they helped with, was more Gonzo’s. But in terms of new series, they do have K-ON this spring, though cutesy girls with guitars doesn’t have incredible potential. At least they have normal hair colors.
Oops, almost forgot: nearly everything Madhouse has done have been adaptations, but they’re awesome at it, so a studio doesn’t need a plethora of original works to not suck.
Full Metal Panic Fummoffu – Light Novel Adaption
Munto OVA – Original Work
Air – Key VN Adaption
Munto OVA 2 – Original Work
Full Metal Panic TSR – Light Novel Adaption
Haruhi – Light Novel Adaption
Kanon – Key VN Adaption
Lucky Star – Based on a 4 koma
Clannad – Light Novel Adaption
Clannad After Story – Light Novel Adaption
Munto TV – Original Work.
People have been saying KyoAni need to produce something original that is good for years, Munto clearly isn’t it.
Still with Japan being down the financial drain for years it makes business sense to keep doing what they are doing. Any CEO who knocks back doing Clannad After Story for a series about a pig dentist who practices curling at night would be fired once the dvd sales are in.
Also you can also argue that it’s KyoAni making some of these series popular and not the angle you’re implying. Fummofu outsold the first full metal panic easily, Kanon 2006 did the same agaisnt Toei’s clannad.
And really who cares who did what first, KyoAni did it better, Fummofu and TSR were far better than Gonzo’s FMP effort, likewise with the Toei versions for Key stuff.. though stuffing 40 hours of VN into a movie isn’t the best idea…
Also you really overate originality, execution > originality any day of the week and most of the things you think are original are more than likely not.
Did I say KyoAni sucks BECAUSE they do mostly adaptations? No, I simply said they suck.
@grunty: We’re all bitching at psgels, not you. I am, anyway. Sorry for the confusion.
I can’t say I’m all that surprised that in the end Kyoani ultimately chose to stick with what they are comfortable with. I always sort of suspected that there would be some catch with what there were doing for Munto TV.
It all makes sense from a business point of view, but I still can’t help but find it a mostly wasted effort. What exactly was accomplished with Munto TV that couldn’t have been accomplished by releasing another OVA besides an avenue to make more of a profit?
Why yes, my rants do suck.
The main point I tried to make wasn’t how Kyoani never does anything original (what is original these days anyway?), but that they should stop ripping off their own franchises. Somewhere along the way, that message got lost a bit, I guess. Ever since 2006, their only series that didn’t do so were Haruhi and Lucky Star, with the rest being either Key Adaptations or continuations/spin-offs (Haruhi-chan, etc)/this thing. I’m glad to see though that they’re going with something that they didn’t do before in the coming spring-season (which I didn’t know anything about since I’ve been avoiding all the spring previews).
As for the episode, it was a solid one although it didn’t really stand out. It pretty much was your standard build-up before a finale, although I liked the parts with Yumemi’s friends.
Lol, this is what you get for not blogging Ippo or To Aru Majutsu no Index, both of which are underrated and need more bloggers. xD
> I’m glad to see though that they’re going with something that they didn’t do before in the coming spring-season (which I didn’t know anything about since I’ve been avoiding all the spring previews).
You honestly think K-on! is going to be an original move by them? Sure this might change with the actual show, but ATM I’d say it’s the most obvious “comfort zone” pick – Hello to Haruhi concert episode sequel.
Houlgrave: hehe, yeah. Next season I’m going to have to be a bit more careful on chosing which shows to blog. ^^;
grunty: crap; well there goes that hope. Still, at least it’s not a direct rip-off of one of their franchises.
It had potential, but I think this Munto “remake” was made to pay the bills.
They make great animation, but their shows are so similar I am losing interest in them.
I’m just as disappointed. I loved the two ovas, when i heard there would be a TV series i was so excited since I’d been waiting for the third ova. And now its just a remake of the first two ovas, and a waste of good story and characters. They should have just stuck with making a third ova.
@PSGels: None of those shows are really their own franchises though, and a lot of the time I get the feeling that they just do what they are told by more high profile sponsors.
And yeah Grunty beat me to the punch, K-On really isn’t Kyoani branching out at all. It’s got that Lucky Star look about it and carries the vibe of cute girls playing instruments. It looks almost guaranteed to rot brains brain with moe by the end of the first episodes, but I guess we’ll all have to wait and see. I personally don’t expect to much out of it, but then again it doesn’t appeal to me at all to begin with.
there’s only 9 episodes!?!?!?
that fact had just… ruined the reputation of this show
Only NINE episodes? What the fuck? And they were doing so well!
This was way on track to being one of my favourite series so far, but suddenly, DENIED.
KyoAni and everything related to it, Kadokawa Press, KEY, its franchises, and especially its fans = Utter Garbage. I hate them all.