^That's a nice list. I don't think I could come up with 10 of the "best" anime. I just have my favorites, which are sometimes pretty niche:
Eureka Seven
Beck
Time of Eve
Suzuka
Genshiken
Fullmetal Alchemist
Welcome to the NHK
R.O.D The TV
Death Note
Sora no Manimani*
*not sure on that one either since I've only seen like half of it. I really only have a top 9 I guess, heh. There's still a lot I need to watch. Especially been wanting to watch: Kurau, Gurren Lagann (even though it's spoiled for me. the anime club. that place is a joke), and FMA: Brotherhood.
Azumanga's popularity still amazes me, considering it was originally aired in like 5 minute episodes. Hard to believe how it blew up like it did. To me, Azumanga is like the Radiohead or Modest Mouse of anime (both of whom I like, but not as much as the amount of credit that they're given by critics and their hardcore fanbase). Maybe it takes repeated watches/listens to "get it" all the way. :lol:
Still though, that episode 16 was priceless; Chiyo-chan is the best. Okay, fine, you win--Azumanga is awesome... XD
[quote name='PrarieD0G']Azumanga's popularity still amazes me, considering it was originally aired in like 5 minute episodes.[/QUOTE]
Err... no it didn't. Each episode has little "chapters" so that it plays out more like the manga it was based on (in 4-koma style), but it aired in half-hour episodes just like other shows.
Oh nevermind then. Don't know where I got that from.
EDIT: Oh wait, here it was:
[quote name='"ANN"']Azumanga Daioh was originally aired in 4-minute segments every weekday on TV Tokyo's satellite channel. Each week's daily segments were then shown as a single 24 minute episode every Saturday. The episodes on Saturday had additional footage, an extended opening and ending sequence, preview of the next episode and in some cases a short prologue or epilogue. This explains the slightly longer runtime of the Saturday compliation.[/quote]
So I wasn't completely off. But yeah, I guess it was its own full show too. I kind of like the idea of watching it every day for 4 minutes though, haha.
I've been on a break with anime for awhile now, because:
1) Shitload of games to play
2) Not a lot of time in college in general
3) I've watched a lot of shitty shows in a row
Okay, here are some of my favorites:
Air
Baccano!
Basilisk
Berserk
Black Lagoon
Elfen Lied
Eureka Seven
FMA
Fruits Basket
Great Teacher Onizuka
Gungrave
Hellsing
Jyu Oh Sei
Mai HiME
Mai Otome
School Rumble
Suzuka
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Based on that, i want you to tell me a show that i should definitely watch, a show that isn't sub-par or just decent, but very, very good. Some options:
Code Geass (2/3 of the first season only, would rather wait until i have it all)
Full Metal Panic (Season 1 only)
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
Gilgamesh
Gun X Sword
KURAU Phantom Memory
Last Exile
Mushi-shi
Red Garden
Requiem from the Darkness
R.O.D. TV (uh oh)
Serial Experiments Lain
Shuffle!
Solty Rei
Texhnolyze
Trigun
Welcome to the NHK!
X TV
xxxHOLiC
Those i all own, but i'd even consider buying a series if it's really that good. I watched one or a few episodes of Bleach, FLAG, Pumpkin Scissors, & Romeo x Juliet, all in a row, and found myself wishing that i had a really great series to watch. Something that was so good, i kept watching. Like Death Note, FMA, E7, pretty much everything i listed above. Help me
PS: Also still have my Crunchyroll membership for 3 months
[quote name='the_punisher']You win, i'll try it. Series, then OVA, right?[/QUOTE]
D'uh. Isn't it like that for pretty much any series ever made?! Sheesh, use your head man.
Oh wait, no it's not. Because the creators of R.O.D used the OVA as a prequel/backstory. And then decided not tell you that the TV series was the direct sequel, (or for that matter, give you any type of hint that there was anything before the TV series in the first few episodes). So unless you knew about it from reading online beforehand (which you generally shouldn't do unless you're looking for spoilers), or knew about the connecting storylines simply because you are an anime industry buff, you'll be a little bit confused in the later episodes of the show. Hmm, yeah. Screw you, casual viewer! Good call R.O.D. Good call.
(yeah, I know you were joking when you asked that too, hehe)
Yeah, it's still a great series though, as I'm sure you've read multiple times on this thread already. And other than that, on your list... Welcome to the NHK is pretty dang good, although strange. I haven't seen a lot of the others either, though.
[quote name='Kirin Lemon']This [R.O.D. the TV], damnit. Gankutsuou and Mushi-shi are also way up there. Kurau, NHK, and xxxHOLiC would be after that, I guess.[/QUOTE]
These are all great choices, but you have to watch the Read or Die OVA first, since it is chronologically first. Oh, and if you have a Crunchyroll membership, then you better be watching Erin The Beast Player.
Oh, and I wanted to add a purchasing disclaimer because I usually get ed over a lot. Don't buy My Otome Zwei, When They Cry Volume 4, or When They Cry Volume 5.
I just got my replacement for My Otome Zwei in the mail and it has the same ing problem as the first one I bought; it vibrates the DVD drives of DVD players—my PS3 makes chewing noises when it tries to play it. Oh, and Bandai still hasn't responded to the two emails I sent them, where I asked them for a replacement. I sent the second email two weeks ago, and I sent the first email one month ago. Assholes.
When They Cry Volume 4 and 5 are both ed up; the video skips at various points during playback. Also, I can't forget to mention that my brand new Whey They Cry Volume 4 was missing its paper insert.
[quote name='the_punisher']You win, i'll try it. Series, then OVA, right? I also started Gankutsuou, but it's....very strange...i'll try to get back into it.[/QUOTE]
OVA FIRST. Gankutsuou is fantastic, but a bit of the magic is lost if you're not familiar with the book it was based on. Still, it's one of the more sophisticated shows out there.
[quote name='PrarieD0G']D'uh. Isn't it like that for pretty much any series ever made?! Sheesh, use your head man.
Oh wait, no it's not. Because the creators of R.O.D used the OVA as a prequel/backstory. And then decided not tell you that the TV series was the direct sequel, (or for that matter, give you any type of hint that there was anything before the TV series in the first few episodes). So unless you knew about it from reading online beforehand (which you generally shouldn't do unless you're looking for spoilers), or knew about the connecting storylines simply because you are an anime industry buff, you'll be a little bit confused in the later episodes of the show. Hmm, yeah. Screw you, casual viewer! Good call R.O.D. Good call.[/QUOTE]
Oh please, nobody is to blame for your retarded mistake but yourself. The OVA debuted over two years before the TV series, and it's pretty easy to find that information with a cursory, spoiler-free glance. It has nothing to do with "screwing the viewer", and everything to do with you not knowing any better.
[quote name='Razzuel']These are all great choices, but you have to watch the Read or Die OVA first, since it is chronologically first. Oh, and if you have a Crunchyroll membership, then you better be watching Erin The Beast Player.
Oh, and I wanted to add a purchasing disclaimer because I usually get ed over a lot. Don't buy My Otome Zwei, When They Cry Volume 4, or When They Cry Volume 5.
I just got my replacement for My Otome Zwei in the mail and it has the same ing problem as the first one I bought; it vibrates the DVD drives of DVD players—my PS3 makes chewing noises when it tries to play it. Oh, and Bandai still hasn't responded to the two emails I sent them, where I asked them for a replacement. I sent the second email two weeks ago, and I sent the first email one month ago. Assholes.
[/QUOTE]
My Mai-Otome Zwei disc had the same issues, but i watched it anyway. It wasn't even very good.
Maybe i'll check out Erin too, although it looks a little....childish?
[quote name='Kirin Lemon']Oh please, nobody is to blame for your retarded mistake but yourself. The OVA debuted over two years before the TV series, and it's pretty easy to find that information with a cursory, spoiler-free glance. It has nothing to do with "screwing the viewer", and everything to do with you not knowing any better.[/QUOTE]
[quote name='the_punisher']My Mai-Otome Zwei disc had the same issues, but i watched it anyway. It wasn't even very good.[/QUOTE]
I would watch it, but the chewing noise is so loud that I can hear it while the show is playing; it's too much of a distraction and an annoyance for me to watch it in this condition.
[quote name='the_punisher']Maybe i'll check out Erin too, although it looks a little....childish?[/QUOTE]
Erin is not a children's show; it has a lot of mature moments, and it has plenty of moments that I would think would be scary for a child. If I had to categorize it, I would say that it's a show for all ages.
[quote name='Kirin Lemon']Oh please, nobody is to blame for your retarded mistake but yourself. The OVA debuted over two years before the TV series, and it's pretty easy to find that information with a cursory, spoiler-free glance. It has nothing to do with "screwing the viewer", and everything to do with you not knowing any better.[/QUOTE]
You're an ass. Anyone ever tell you that? , you really piss me off sometimes. Screw you, man... I'm getting tired just taking your shit all the time and just brushing it off. Not that you're always like that, but when you are... sheesh.
I was kind of kidding around anyway (being overly-dramatic). Although they should have had at least some kind of hint IMO, so that "retards" like me would know better. I'm sure I'm not the first to do that. I really don't think it's my fault that I didn't know any better.
Also WTF punisher, why are you taking his side? I thought we were friends... traitor.
[quote name='PrarieD0G']You're an ass. Anyone ever tell you that? , you really piss me off sometimes. Screw you, man... I'm getting tired just taking your shit all the time and just brushing it off.
I was kind of kidding around anyway (being overly-dramatic). Although they should have had at least some kind of hint IMO, so that "retards" like me would know better. I'm sure I'm not the first to do that. I really don't think it's my fault that I didn't know any better.
Also WTF punisher, why are you taking his side? I thought we were friends... traitor. [/QUOTE]
Kidding, don't take it out on me. He's always an ass .
Well, now that I'm annoyed, I'll tell you how I really feel about it.
The storyline is pretty much shit, especially towards the end. Very convoluted. The character interactions are what make it worth watching. Story isn't always that important; in this case, the story is just a device to keep things moving, to elicit different character responses and/or aid in character development. Also, some of it did seem a little too "mushy" for me in parts, but it doesn't go way over-the-top; most of the time, the characters' feelings seem genuine. One other thing to note is after the first 5 episodes, there is a severe drop in animation quality (different animation studios, I think). The soundtrack, however, is consistent throughout and one of the best of any anime I've seen, especially if you can appreciate jazz. In conclusion, R.O.D TV is nowhere near perfect, but very much worth watching, provided you have an open mind and can handle a little sentimentalism.
[quote name='PrarieD0G']You're an ass. Anyone ever tell you that? , you really piss me off sometimes. Screw you, man... I'm getting tired just taking your shit all the time and just brushing it off. Not that you're always like that, but when you are... sheesh.[/QUOTE]
Aw, I didn't mean for that to be taken so personally, sorry about that. Most of my faux-rage is hyperbolic in nature and should be taken with a grain of salt. Most importantly, I still love you, even though you can't seem to watch shows in the proper order.
Well, I guess the thing to know about me is that I take shit personally, whether its intended to be or not. (ie. "No offense"... that just makes me even more offended most of the time.) Also, I can never be sure when you're serious or not, heh. I guess I should've learned by now...
Also, for the record, ROD is the only show I've watched out of order.
[quote name='PrarieD0G']Well, now that I'm annoyed, I'll tell you how I really feel about it.
The storyline is pretty much shit, especially towards the end. Very convoluted. The character interactions are what make it worth watching. Story isn't always that important; in this case, the story is just a device to keep things moving, to elicit different character responses and/or aid in character development. Also, some of it did seem a little too "mushy" for me in parts, but it doesn't go way over-the-top; most of the time, the characters' feelings seem genuine. One other thing to note is after the first 5 episodes, there is a severe drop in animation quality (different animation studios, I think). The soundtrack, however, is consistent throughout and one of the best of any anime I've seen, especially if you can appreciate jazz. In conclusion, R.O.D TV is nowhere near perfect, but very much worth watching, provided you have an open mind and can handle a little sentimentalism.[/QUOTE]
Well, what would you recommend i watch?
[quote name='Chronis']I haven't even checked this thread in a couple of months but it seems like it's right where I left off.[/QUOTE]
You mean everyone yelling at each other? Did you expect anything less?
[quote name='the_punisher']Well, what would you recommend i watch?[/QUOTE]
Don't mind PrarieD0G. R.O.D. the TV is actually, really, really damn good; I think that his complaints that he just elicited are unfounded . If you don't have access to the OVA right now, then you should probably watch some of the other things we recommended, such as Kurau, Erin, Gankutsuou, Mushi-shi, or Welcome to the NHK.
[quote name='the_punisher']Well, what would you recommend i watch?[/QUOTE]
Nah, I still recommend R.O.D TV (did I really come off as not liking it in the review I posted?). As a whole, it's pretty dang good; I just said the story wasn't, and listed a few other nitpicks (which were not unfounded, btw ). Just saying, while very enjoyable, it's not perfect. The only other one on your list that I can recommend is NHK. Most of the others, I haven't seen. Looking at your list:
Shuffle is good if you want to see boobs (tons of fanservice) and don't mind that it's actually pretty bad (although it improve greatly towards the end. makes it worth watching). Lain is good if you want to suffer. *cough* I mean, if you have patience and are in a thinking mood. It wasn't the show for me, but who knows, you might like it. Probably not something you'd want to watch with finals going on right now, in any case. Listen to the opening song though... sooo good. Boa is an awesome band (not the Korean girl, the UK band).
Damn, why am I wasting my time talking about anime... haha...
hey since we're on the topic of recommendations can anyone give me a rec for a boy child. I'm trying to think of something I can acquire for my nephews. (10,12). Trying to avoid nudity, and gore, but not necessarily all violence. (The G.I. Joe Resolute was apparently a bit more for approval) ROD was ok until Nancy put her arm thru Nancy's heart. Ranma has nudity last I remembered. Haven't seen Trigun in a while so I forget how bad the violence gets towards the end if it's not to bad that would be ideal. I'm trying to find something non-epic (No DB,OP,Naruto).
I'd recommend Case Closed (aka Detective Conan). It's a good family show. **Minor spoilers to follow** It's about a high schooler who is an ace detective/prodigy. Except, in the first episode, he gets turned into a little kid after receiving a poison that was meant to kill him (given to him by mysterious criminals in a tough case he was working on). As a kid, he ends up living with his old girlfriend (who doesn't know who he is) and her dad, who is a detective. He ends up solving most of her dad's cases for him and making it look like he (the dad) solved them. Each episode is a new case.
It's insanely long (400+ episodes and counting), but it doesn't really follow a particular story. You could just get them the first season if you wanted (cheap at Right Stuf). One of my old-time favorites, heh; one of the first shows that got me into anime in the first place.
[quote name='Wolfkin'] a boy child[/QUOTE]
Sorry, but seriously? Doesn't the word "boy" imply child. It would've only been better if you had said "a human boy child".
If by "epic" you mean something dozens of episodes long then, I'd say a mecha (Gurren Lagann, Gundam, Big O) is good. Maybe Jubei-chan or Outlaw Star?
I've never noticed just how much of my anime is girly until now. Things like CCS and Marmalade Boy...
sometimes I like to be explicit. Heck the term nephew tends to imply child but still. I've started reading D. Conan a while back that show might be way too long for what i'm looking for, but I did forget about G.Wing. Have not finished Outlaw Star or Big-O yet should be perfect. Heck that reminds me I never finished Scryed either.
on a seperate note how IS Marmalade Boy? I've heard a lot of talk about it off the cuff but nothing about if it's good or decent or what?
[quote name='Wolfkin']
on a seperate note how IS Marmalade Boy? I've heard a lot of talk about it off the cuff but nothing about if it's good or decent or what?[/QUOTE]
One of the greatest stories of our time.
I'd say Case Closed could be a bit too gorey for 10-12 for some of the murders they show, though it could be okay if you can check it out first.
Maybe Azumangah Daioh could be a good show depending on the boys' ability to stand a show about girls even though it's a comedy. You could also go for Studio Ghibli movies for some good anime for pre-teens.
[quote name='Wolfkin']on a seperate note how IS Marmalade Boy? I've heard a lot of talk about it off the cuff but nothing about if it's good or decent or what?[/QUOTE]
I really like Marmalade Boy. I finally picked up the DVDs last year, after holding on to my fansubbed VHS tapes for the better part of a decade. Totally worth it.
[quote name='rickshankshaw']Anyone watching the Fairy Tail anime? How is it?[/QUOTE]
I think outside of the DB universe Conan is the longest running series I read. I don't think I even know many series that run that long. Not a complaint mind you because so far the 200 or so chapters I've read have been pretty entertaining but still that's long.
[quote name='Wolfkin']I think outside of the DB universe Conan is the longest running series I read. I don't think I even know many series that run that long. Not a complaint mind you because so far the 200 or so chapters I've read have been pretty entertaining but still that's long.[/QUOTE]
So, I finished watching Princess Tutu today. I loved the first half of the show, but I didn't enjoy the second half. Most of my problems with the second half stem from it feeling inconsistent. The reason some of it felt inconsistent is because I was getting the feeling that the second half was written without regard to what happened in the first half of the show. Another reason it felt inconsistent is because some of the events of the second half seemed to be contradictory to what I had learned earlier in the show.
Here's a more detailed explanation for my discontent. Warning, this contains spoilers for Princess Tutu:
The first thing I had a problem with was how Rue soaked the heart shard of Love in Raven's blood. If Rue did soak the heart shard in Raven's blood, then why didn't she act with that in mind when she was at the underground lake? When Rue was at the underground lake, she was going to have Mytho break the heart shard in two with his sword. Now, why would she do that if her father told her that Mytho needed to have the heart shard of Love put back into Mytho after it had been soaked in Raven's blood? At first she doesn't like when her father scolds her, so I think that she would have acted in a way to ensure that Mytho received the heart shard of Love.
Well, fortunately for Rue and Duck, Fakir stops Mytho by breaking Mytho's sword. Rue was surprised that Fakir was able to come back from being injured, but she was also surprised when Fakir broke Mytho's sword. Why would she act like that if she actually wanted the shard to be put back into Mytho?
Rue leaves the underground lake, ashamed that Duck out-danced her, and that Duck is now back with Mytho. Why would she act like this if everything is now going according to her father's plan? Another thing that baffles me is that Rue doesn't soak the first heart shard that she obtains in Raven's blood. It didn't seem like the heart shard of Love was soaked in blood because it was the emotion of love, but rather it was a way to get Raven's blood flowing through Mytho's veins. So, why didn't she soak the first heart shard in blood?
Another thing that bothered me is that Drosselmeyer's powers seemed inconsistent. During the first half of the show he only had the power to enter the story and talk to the characters, and he even says that he doesn't know how long he will be able to continue entering the story, since he says that the device that lets him enter the story is getting old. However, in the second half of the story there were times when he had absolute power. He was able to remove Tutu from the story and place her inside the clock world, and there was another time where Drosselmeyer controls Fakir's hand, so that Duck will have a tragic ending. If he has absolute power in these cases, then why didn't he have absolute power in some of the cases where he acted like he was powerless to how the story was progressing?
I didn't like how Autor entered the story as a major player either. At first he was just the guy in the library who would yell at Duck to be quiet, but all of a sudden he enters the story as a main character, and he has all of this knowledge of Drosselmeyer that he has been researching. It was just too sudden and jarring for me. Also, I didn't like how pompous he acted.
Something that felt sloppy to me was how Drosselmeyer's story was revealed during the second half of the show. During the first half of the show, the only thing that we know about Drosselmeyer is that he wrote the Prinz und Rabe, but he was unable to finish the story because he died. However, during the second half of the story we find out that Drosselmeyer actually wrote stories, and every story that he wrote came true; he was stopped by a group of townspeople called the Book Men. The Book Men cut off Drosselmeyer's hands, but he continued to write stories with his blood. It felt like they rewrote the fiction that they laid down during the first half of the show. Drosselmeyer's origin story from the second half sounds silly and contradictory to me. It seemed like the creators never had any of the second half's events in mind when they wrote the first half of the show.
I did not understand why The Raven needed a sacrificial heart. I re-watched the part where Rue's father tells her to get a sacrificial heart, and I re-watched the part where Rue tells Fakir her plans, but the reason for obtaining this heart was not discussed in either situation. Was it ever revealed? I didn't understand why Rue wasn't helping Tutu return all of Mytho's heart shards. The Raven explains that he will be released when Mytho regains all of his heart shards. So why did they waste all of their time attempting to obtain a sacrificial heart? It seems like the more important matter would be releasing The Raven, but in the story they act like obtaining a sacrificial heart is more important than anything else in the world. Also, the sacrificial heart episodes were quite repetitive; they were too similar to Tutu retrieving Mytho's heart shards. Plus, that Femio character was not funny; he was annoying.
I thought it was weird how Mytho never aged while Fakir and Rue clearly aged. I also thought it was weird that no one in the show ever brought this up. I know that Gold Crown Town is fantastical, so seeing animals walking around is normal, but this just felt too fantastical. Another thing that felt too fantastical for Gold Crown was when Fakir turned into a tree.
Some other things that I thought were inconsistent were The Raven and Rue being raised by The Raven. It felt like The Raven came out of nowhere; also, where was The Raven at? I mean where did Rue go to meet with her father? Then, there's Rue being raised by The Raven; why was it that she never even knew that she was Kraehe, nor did she know of The Raven? I know that she said she sealed all of those memories away, but it just didn't feel like a believable explanation. When I was watching the first half of the show, I thought that Kraehe was the reincarnation of the Raven, such as Fakir is the reincarnation of the Knight.
I just remembered something. If the lake where Duck came from is outside of Gold Crown Town, then why was the town surrounded by a wall that throws you back into Gold Crown Town. Tutu tries to go outside the town's walls in search of the Mytho's remaining heart shards, but she vanished into a giant wall that surrounds Gold Crown and comes out not too far from where she entered, back into Gold Crown. What happened to leaving Gold Crown to go to the lake? Duck even goes out into the lake because Drosselmeyer forces Fakir to write a story that will lead Duck to a tragic ending. Fakir gets to that lake without a problem and saves Duck. What's with this inconsistency? Tutu acts like the gates never open and can never be opened. I'm so confused.
One last thing: I did not like how Uzura always ended her sentences with "zura." I don't have a problem with character quips or catch phrases, but "zura" means less than nothing in the English dub. I will make a comparision: in Erin The Beast Player there is a character who always ends his dialog in what sounds like "da mon." There is nothing wrong with that; I actually like it. The great thing is that they never write "da mon" in the subtitles, which is because it means nothing. However, in Princess Tutu, Uzura says "zura" in the English dub. It's too jarring and strange in English since "zura" is not an English word. I would have rather had Uzura not say "zura" or they should have found some way to localize it.
There is something that I want to stress. The second half of the show is great if you don't regard the first half of the show, but as a continuation of the first half, I did not enjoy it.
Alright, now I am going to talk about why I loved the first half—and why I loved some other stuff from the show overall. I didn't want to end my post with a tone of displeasure.
The characters are amazing. I love Duck's clumsiness and Tutu's firm regard, and I love how they are basically foils of each other. Luci Christian did a fantastic job as both characters; I think it's probably her best performance that I have heard. Fakir is amazing too; I love how my opinion of him changed. Fakir is the second anime character that I initially hated, but ending up loving after his character progressed. Also, Duck and Fakir's interactions together were priceless. I love the scene in the well where Fakir learns that Duck is actually a duck.
Other characters that are amazing are Pike and Lilie. I love their joyous sadism; it brought a smile or a laugh to my face when they got Duck in trouble. Mr. Cat is one of my favorite characters. I love the fact that he is a cat, so he does all of these actions that cats would do. Plus he is just hilarious because of how absurd he acts; but then there are times when he is completely serious and actually influential, which is quite novel, but hilarious in its own way. Also, the English voice actor for Mr. Cat is absolutely phenomenal; he totally brings Mr. Cat to life. Mr. Cat spoiler:
he totally got married at the end of the show! Hahahaha! Yes!
I loved the ballet aspect of the show. The dancing and dance battles were magical. Also, the dancing combined with the classical music (and sometimes original music) is magnificent. There are a lot of scenes that are absolutely beautiful. Another thing that is beautiful is the opening of the show; I can just get lost in the opening's music and imagery.
Another great thing was the narrator. The English voice actor for the narrator totally nailed what I would call a story-book-type voice. I love those narrated openings because the visual style felt like it was ripped from a story book, and I loved how it foreshadowed what was going to happen in the episode.
There were also some moments during the show that got made me teary-eyed. Those moments dealt with some of the things that happened with Fakir.
Another thing that I should mention is that this show is reminiscent of German fairy tales. This makes the show quite unique, and fairy tales are awesome!
Overall, Princess Tutu is good. I definitely recommend it.
So, I finished watching Princess Tutu today. I loved the first half of the show, but I didn't enjoy the second half. Most of my problems with the second half stem from it feeling inconsistent. The reason some of it felt inconsistent is because I was getting the feeling that the second half was written without regard to what happened in the first half of the show. Another reason it felt inconsistent is because some of the events of the second half seemed to be contradictory to what I had learned earlier in the show.
Here's a more detailed explanation for my discontent. Warning, this contains spoilers for Princess Tutu:
The first thing I had a problem with was how Rue soaked the heart shard of Love in Raven's blood. If Rue did soak the heart shard in Raven's blood, then why didn't she act with that in mind when she was at the underground lake? When Rue was at the underground lake, she was going to have Mytho break the heart shard in two with his sword. Now, why would she do that if her father told her that Mytho needed to have the heart shard of Love put back into Mytho after it had been soaked in Raven's blood? At first she doesn't like when her father scolds her, so I think that she would have acted in a way to ensure that Mytho received the heart shard of Love.
Well, fortunately for Rue and Duck, Fakir stops Mytho by breaking Mytho's sword. Rue was surprised that Fakir was able to come back from being injured, but she was also surprised when Fakir broke Mytho's sword. Why would she act like that if she actually wanted the shard to be put back into Mytho?
Rue leaves the underground lake, ashamed that Duck out-danced her, and that Duck is now back with Mytho. Why would she act like this if everything is now going according to her father's plan? Another thing that baffles me is that Rue doesn't soak the first heart shard that she obtains in Raven's blood. It didn't seem like the heart shard of Love was soaked in blood because it was the emotion of love, but rather it was a way to get Raven's blood flowing through Mytho's veins. So, why didn't she soak the first heart shard in blood?
Another thing that bothered me is that Drosselmeyer's powers seemed inconsistent. During the first half of the show he only had the power to enter the story and talk to the characters, and he even says that he doesn't know how long he will be able to continue entering the story, since he says that the device that lets him enter the story is getting old. However, in the second half of the story there were times when he had absolute power. He was able to remove Tutu from the story and place her inside the clock world, and there was another time where Drosselmeyer controls Fakir's hand, so that Duck will have a tragic ending. If he has absolute power in these cases, then why didn't he have absolute power in some of the cases where he acted like he was powerless to how the story was progressing?
I didn't like how Autor entered the story as a major player either. At first he was just the guy in the library who would yell at Duck to be quiet, but all of a sudden he enters the story as a main character, and he has all of this knowledge of Drosselmeyer that he has been researching. It was just too sudden and jarring for me. Also, I didn't like how pompous he acted.
Something that felt sloppy to me was how Drosselmeyer's story was revealed during the second half of the show. During the first half of the show, the only thing that we know about Drosselmeyer is that he wrote the Prinz und Rabe, but he was unable to finish the story because he died. However, during the second half of the story we find out that Drosselmeyer actually wrote stories, and every story that he wrote came true; he was stopped by a group of townspeople called the Book Men. The Book Men cut off Drosselmeyer's hands, but he continued to write stories with his blood. It felt like they rewrote the fiction that they laid down during the first half of the show. Drosselmeyer's origin story from the second half sounds silly and contradictory to me. It seemed like the creators never had any of the second half's events in mind when they wrote the first half of the show.
I did not understand why The Raven needed a sacrificial heart. I re-watched the part where Rue's father tells her to get a sacrificial heart, and I re-watched the part where Rue tells Fakir her plans, but the reason for obtaining this heart was not discussed in either situation. Was it ever revealed? I didn't understand why Rue wasn't helping Tutu return all of Mytho's heart shards. The Raven explains that he will be released when Mytho regains all of his heart shards. So why did they waste all of their time attempting to obtain a sacrificial heart? It seems like the more important matter would be releasing The Raven, but in the story they act like obtaining a sacrificial heart is more important than anything else in the world. Also, the sacrificial heart episodes were quite repetitive; they were too similar to Tutu retrieving Mytho's heart shards. Plus, that Femio character was not funny; he was annoying.
I thought it was weird how Mytho never aged while Fakir and Rue clearly aged. I also thought it was weird that no one in the show ever brought this up. I know that Gold Crown Town is fantastical, so seeing animals walking around is normal, but this just felt too fantastical. Another thing that felt too fantastical for Gold Crown was when Fakir turned into a tree.
Some other things that I thought were inconsistent were The Raven and Rue being raised by The Raven. It felt like The Raven came out of nowhere; also, where was The Raven at? I mean where did Rue go to meet with her father? Then, there's Rue being raised by The Raven; why was it that she never even knew that she was Kraehe, nor did she know of The Raven? I know that she said she sealed all of those memories away, but it just didn't feel like a believable explanation. When I was watching the first half of the show, I thought that Kraehe was the reincarnation of the Raven, such as Fakir is the reincarnation of the Knight.
I just remembered something. If the lake where Duck came from is outside of Gold Crown Town, then why was the town surrounded by a wall that throws you back into Gold Crown Town. Tutu tries to go outside the town's walls in search of the Mytho's remaining heart shards, but she vanished into a giant wall that surrounds Gold Crown and comes out not too far from where she entered, back into Gold Crown. What happened to leaving Gold Crown to go to the lake? Duck even goes out into the lake because Drosselmeyer forces Fakir to write a story that will lead Duck to a tragic ending. Fakir gets to that lake without a problem and saves Duck. What's with this inconsistency? Tutu acts like the gates never open and can never be opened. I'm so confused.
One last thing: I did not like how Uzura always ended her sentences with "zura." I don't have a problem with character quips or catch phrases, but "zura" means less than nothing in the English dub. I will make a comparision: in Erin The Beast Player there is a character who always ends his dialog in what sounds like "da mon." There is nothing wrong with that; I actually like it. The great thing is that they never write "da mon" in the subtitles, which is because it means nothing. However, in Princess Tutu, Uzura says "zura" in the English dub. It's too jarring and strange in English since "zura" is not an English word. I would have rather had Uzura not say "zura" or they should have found some way to localize it.
There is something that I want to stress. The second half of the show is great if you don't regard the first half of the show, but as a continuation of the first half, I did not enjoy it.
Alright, now I am going to talk about why I loved the first half—and why I loved some other stuff from the show overall. I didn't want to end my post with a tone of displeasure.
The characters are amazing. I love Duck's clumsiness and Tutu's firm regard, and I love how they are basically foils of each other. Luci Christian did a fantastic job as both characters; I think it's probably her best performance that I have heard. Fakir is amazing too; I love how my opinion of him changed. Fakir is the second anime character that I initially hated, but ending up loving after his character progressed. Also, Duck and Fakir's interactions together were priceless. I love the scene in the well where Fakir learns that Duck is actually a duck.
Other characters that are amazing are Pike and Lilie. I love their joyous sadism; it brought a smile or a laugh to my face when they got Duck in trouble. Mr. Cat is one of my favorite characters. I love the fact that he is a cat, so he does all of these actions that cats would do. Plus he is just hilarious because of how absurd he acts; but then there are times when he is completely serious and actually influential, which is quite novel, but hilarious in its own way. Also, the English voice actor for Mr. Cat is absolutely phenomenal; he totally brings Mr. Cat to life. Mr. Cat spoiler:
he totally got married at the end of the show! Hahahaha! Yes!
I loved the ballet aspect of the show. The dancing and dance battles were magical. Also, the dancing combined with the classical music (and sometimes original music) is magnificent. There are a lot of scenes that are absolutely beautiful. Another thing that is beautiful is the opening of the show; I can just get lost in the opening's music and imagery.
Another great thing was the narrator. The English voice actor for the narrator totally nailed what I would call a story-book-type voice. I love those narrated openings because the visual style felt like it was ripped from a story book, and I loved how it foreshadowed what was going to happen in the episode.
There were also some moments during the show that got made me teary-eyed. Those moments dealt with some of the things that happened with Fakir.
Another thing that I should mention is that this show is reminiscent of German fairy tales. This makes the show quite unique, and fairy tales are awesome!
Overall, Princess Tutu is good. I definitely recommend it.
Dragonball Z only clocked in at 250 episodes. Some modern shows like One piece have blown that out of the water, which clocks in at 420-odd and still running. But, yes, as KL mentioned Doraemon is ridiculous, it ran for 30 years amongst all of its incarnations.
[quote name='XxFuRy2Xx']Well, I just bought Kurau DVD 1-6 along with the artbox because it was in the bargain bin and the price was just too good. Happy Raz?[/QUOTE]
Woo hoo! Happy? I am ecstatic! Now, just be sure that you are going to actually watch it. I have had some other people buy it, but they haven't got around to watching it yet, which is quite disappointing. I am referring to PrarieD0G and Punisher.
[quote name='rickshankshaw']Anyone watching the Fairy Tail anime? How is it?[/QUOTE]
It's terrible. Don't waste your time with it. However, I think I am going to keep watching it; I don't like to leave things left unfinished.
[quote name='the_punisher']You like the sound of your own voice, don't you?[/QUOTE]
I was hoping for a more sincere response. I didn't spend an hour typing that so you could ridicule me for it. Oh well, I already knew this was going to happen, but I wanted to write out my thoughts regardless.
[quote name='Razzuel']I was hoping for a more sincere response. I didn't spend an hour typing that so you could ridicule me for it. Oh well, I already knew this was going to happen, but I wanted to write out my thoughts regardless.[/QUOTE]
Sorry, i was going to, but i had to make it quick since i was about to watch Black Hawk Down.
I don't remember perfectly every problem you have, but i feel like you're right. At the same time, i feel like you're looking for holes in the story. While a lot of what you said was true, i didn't actually notice them as i watched. It didn't make 100% sense to me, but i got most of the story and enjoyed the ride.
All the strengths you said are completely true. Mr Cat, Pike and Lilie, the whole cast is amazing.
"Fakir is the second anime character that I initially hated, but ending up loving after his character progressed."
"Another thing that I should mention is that this show is reminiscent of German fairy tales. This makes the show quite unique, and fairy tales are awesome!"
Agree 100%
The ballet was a little much at times, but for the most part very good, and yes the opening is "magical" as much as i hate to use that word, and i did watch it way more than i probably should have.
The English dub overall was very good, and so is the show. Despite a couple problems in the story, the overall picture was very positive for me, and while there were a couple episodes that i felt could be condensed, once again, overall i thought it was great.
(But seriously, when i saw how much you typed, i thought to myself:
[quote name='the_punisher']I don't remember perfectly every problem you have, but i feel like you're right. At the same time, i feel like you're looking for holes in the story. While a lot of what you said was true, i didn't actually notice them as i watched. It didn't make 100% sense to me, but i got most of the story and enjoyed the ride.[/QUOTE]
Tutu is an amazing and compelling fairy tale, first and foremost. I don't expect fairy tale logic to be as tight, so if there were any inconsistencies, I didn't notice or mind, I guess.
And to be fair, a great deal of anime logic is similarly flawed or left unexplained.
[quote name='the_punisher']There was a lot of text here.[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the response, Punisher. It's nice to see that you enjoyed Princess Tutu for some of the same reasons that I enjoyed it. Also, I agree that I wrote alot. I think it ended up being close to 2000 words. I'm not sure what it is, but I just felt compelled to write out all of my thoughts—and as you can see, I have a lot of thoughts on Princess Tutu.
[quote name='Kirin Lemon']Tutu is an amazing and compelling fairy tale, first and foremost. I don't expect fairy tale logic to be as tight, so if there were any inconsistencies, I didn't notice or mind, I guess.
And to be fair, a great deal of anime logic is similarly flawed or left unexplained.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I agree; it is a wonderful fairy tale. Usually I can ignore plot inconsistencies, but I was quite aware of all of the inconsistencies, and they left me disgruntled. There are probably some inconsistencies with the first half of the show, but the only one that comes to mind is how
no one ever notices that Princess Tutu is Duck and that Princess Kraehe is Rue.
However, I was able to ignore that one.
I think the root of my problem is that I really disliked how
the heart shard of Love was soaked in Raven's blood.
I think that part of the plot made me more sensitive to finding faults in the story, and as I found more faults I became more displeased. I think it's a personality trait of mine for my discontent to grow by feeding on itself. It's not particularly healthy.
Haha, if you guys are still here, then you can read my thoughts on Princess Tutu when I watch it again in a few years. Once I am distant enough I will watch it again; maybe I will have a different opinion.
[quote name='Gden']Dragonball Z only clocked in at 250 episodes. Some modern shows like One piece have blown that out of the water, which clocks in at 420-odd and still running. But, yes, as KL mentioned Doraemon is ridiculous, it ran for 30 years amongst all of its incarnations.[/QUOTE]only 250 ehh? guess it just felt longer with all the 10 episodes/round fights. when I referred to DB. I was including DB,DBZ,DBGT, and whatever the fourth one is called. One Piece.. ha one day if I ever get caught up on everything I will start One Piece.
[quote name='Wolfkin']only 250 ehh? guess it just felt longer with all the 10 episodes/round fights. when I referred to DB. I was including DB,DBZ,DBGT, and whatever the fourth one is called. One Piece.. ha one day if I ever get caught up on everything I will start One Piece.[/QUOTE]
Well, I guess with all 3 of them, the episode count is closer to 400. DB was 100-some, DBZ was 250-ish, and DBGT was around 60, right? And there is no 4th one. There is DB Kai, but that's just a condensed version of DBZ, basically.
They have Magical Shopping Arcade complete w/Tin and Cd for $24.99. really nice price. I thought it was a pretty cool show when I bought it a ouple of years ago.
the anime club. that place is a joke), and FMA: Brotherhood.
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