#1: Valvrave The Liberator – 04: Just… wow. Don’t get me wrong, this episode was incredibly cheesy. But at the same time it was just florious with how much confidence it brought that plot twist of its. I guess this is what I meant by this series just going over the top: screw logic, and just focus on creating as much fun as possible. So far, this is what Guilty Crown should have been: the male lead is the only one with special powers, and he just uses them to screw everyone who is against him over. The big potential pitfall right now is the characters. These types of series also seem to think that you don’t need characters to remain entertaining, but the whole trick of making these series last is by keeping them interesting. Otherwise it’ll just get boring!
#2: Hunter X Hunter – 77: I still find the ant designs to look a bit silly (a minor detail perhaps, but it does screw a bit with your first impressions), but I like the idea behind the Chimera ants a lot. The way in which they continue to evolve. And again, it’s completely different from any other arc in Hunter X Hunter before and I really admire that for a shounen series. But do the villains have actual emotional depth? There’s one way to find out!
#3: Yahari Blahblah (I still refuse to use the whole title of this show until it gets actually really good) – 04: What I liked about this episode was the use of that one really popular guy. It was a bit of a narrow-minded episode, but it raised some good points for the characters. At the very least, I’m really glad to see that this didn’t turn out to be yet another one of those brainless school series, but that it actually tries to bring some substance in, even though it’s got a bunch of cliched and annoying characters.
Other Notes:
Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge – 04: Now I see! The thing with this series is that the story is crap, yet the characters and the atmosphere are charming. This may seem negative, but it is what keeps me watching. I couldn’t care less about those killing thingies or whatever plot there is supposed to be, but the creators gathered together an interesting cast that stands out. There are some weird things though. Like that girl who got stranded in this episode. I’m not sure what to think of her.
Yahari is amazing, you will see.
I love Crime Edge think the story is fine (minus a few logic/plot leaps) and really like Yahari in its entirety. I don’t see the issue but hey, we’ve all got our tastes and whatnot.
Valvrave is enough to make you puke by episode 5 though. Man. Ichirō Ōkouchi needs to get his shit together, because it almost feels like the guy is brilliant and ambitious but is too stupid to polish the gems that could be. Why I like him is obvious, but I’m beginning to think it was all he really had to offer.
Nah, he is doing a good job this time: Valvrave is intentionally being ridiculous (unlike Guilty Crown which took itself seriously). It is like he woke up and said: “They said Code Geass was ridiculous! They said Guilty Crown was ridiculous! I’LL SHOW YOU HOW RIDICULOUS I CAN BE WHEN I MEAN IT” >:D
Valvrave is much more enjoyable if you take it as seventy percent satire, 30 percent serious (though I expect it to get more serious later on when he butchers this little student nation and Haruto’s delusions).
Code Geass was awesome. Suspense disbelief was managed, and it was just ambitious enough. I don’t give a shit what anyone says, it was solid, earned a place in anime history and was successful. I will call it a one hit wonder though, because I doubt I’m ever going to get to see another successful anime like it.
The problem with Valvrave is that it recycles too many of his old ideas, and all of it’s potential isn’t fleshed out. I mean, it had a lot going for it, but right now it’s kinda teetering on the edge of unwatchable and enjoyable.
It’s a real shame, but I guess that’s just how it is.
Heh, I am with you on CG. Still, critics did criticize which is what my point was.
Be it as it may, it is obvious Valvrave is not taking itself seriously right now (when you see a Big Red Button, you know it is fooling around). However, it is a pre-planned series and I think the whole ridiculousness is just there for entertainment sake so that it would make a bigger impact once this whole charade collapses (and knowing Okuchi, it most certainly will). I expect it to get more serious after that and Haruto accepts L-elf’s contract.
Except that you’re missing the obvious here: Okouchi isn’t trying to make a Planetes or even a Gundam out of Valvrave. He’s not even trying to make Code Geass S1 either. It’s more about over-the-top entertainment than anything else.
Therefore, accusing him or anyone in the staff of “stupidity” is more like you’re missing the point here.
For that matter, I found episode 5 to be funny. Which was its purpose, in its own cheesy way. Puking would imply a level of seriousness and cynicism that isn’t supported by the actual content of the show nor by its directorial approach.
Well… if you say so. It’s not like I’m not enjoying it, but it really does nearly make my stomach churn, but hey hopefully it turns out to be enjoyable the whole way through.
Psgels, Yahari’s true brilliance shows in the next two episodes
As much as I want to dismiss it, Valvrave gets me cracked up more often than not. I can’t ever say I’m bored of it… wait, that’s not true. Well at least, usually I’m getting a kick out of it. And it all culminates in that ridiculous ED. If I had to sing “boku janai boku janai boku janai” like that, I’d probably commit seppuku.
I’m not so sure about brilliance for Oregairu (that abbreviation’s what the show’s site’s URL has) just yet, even up through the sixth episode. But it’s certainly ranking up a pretty high percentile in the school life / club / romcom genre, in my books.
I loved Dansai Bunri at the beginning, because of its over the top humor and quirky aestheticism.
However the last “zombies in sweaters” arc left me yawning and looking at the clock.
I hope Valvare won’t go into the direction Infinite Ryvius went. It wouldn’t be completely terrible if it did, but i rather to see something new.
On the other hand… I’m not sure what you are talking about, psgels when you say that there are no characters. The whole cast is a waking taking bunch of tropes (even their schoolyard nation is that). This whole show so far is build on tropes and it doesn’t even try to hide it.
Infinite Ryvius was a serious sci-fi/drama. It has absolutely nothing in common with Valvrave other than both of them having robots.
…and schoolyard nation with the same set of protagonists.
Regarding depth of the HxH villains, wait for a while and you will be surprised. Their lack of depth is understandable considering how long its been since they have had emotions
Valvrave comes across in some ways as a satire of the whole Gundam franchise in some respects (particularly Gundam Wing). The events at the end of the latest episode in particular reinforces some of that.
Or maybe I’m just reading into it too much. Valvrave doesn’t take itself as seriously as Geass seemed to though, which makes me think Ōkouchi is simply having a good time for once. 😛
Your reviews on HxH are a bit late, since we’re already at episode 80, and things are going up fast. But, dont worry: this is the arc with the more emotional depth in all HxH series. It’s absolutely suberb!