Anime II: Back to Zero

[Ran]

Based on that, it sounds like a mostly-faithful remake that isn't shot-for-shot and maybe inserts some new material in any gaps.

[Toth]

Anyone else following Higurashi Sotsu or Magia Record right now?

In Higurashi Gou/Sotsu's 34th episode they went and had a bit of a meta escalation extremely reminiscent of Umineko. I seem to be in quite a minority with my take on things, but given how the internet hivemind bolstered by leaks and the like always turns out right, I'm somewhat confused.

Meanwhile Magia Record keeps massively improving upon the game's story, setting up in wide strides the events of the game's finale. And I pretty much love it! Damn, the writing is impressive and I'm still awed what the fuck happened in the gap between this second season and the painfully mediocre first season.

[A True Kaniggit]

Anyone else here watch Black Clover?

It may be a cliche' anime, but I enjoy it.

A really loud yelling protagonist beating the odds in order to do the right thing.... that's just good old entertainment right there. 

Edited August 31, 2021 by A True Kaniggit

[Budgie]

11 hours ago, A True Kaniggit said:

Anyone else here watch Black Clover?

It may be a cliche' anime, but I enjoy it.

A really loud yelling protagonist beating the odds in order to do the right thing.... that's just good old entertainment right there. 

I’ve watched it, took me a while to get into it due to the very loud protagonist but he does calm down a bit later on. 
 

I enjoyed it as well, good fun.

[Ran]

Reviews starting to come out for the live action Cowboy Bebop. Not looking great.

[karaddin]

The early comments I saw from a One Piece YouTuber who works in the film industry said it was a mixed bag, with the characters mostly being done justice but the decision to do more than 1 season results in them having to add new content that didn't always work.

I'd assumed they were just doing one and done and I'm confused why they'd pad it out and risk the reception when this is clearly their pitch to sell tv series live action adaptations of anime, and contrast that against the failures of adapting as movies. They're throwing serious money at One Piece and I feel like a success or failure of Cowboy Bebop has the potential to sway a lot of people on giving that a chance.

Speaking of One Piece, episode 1000 is coming up this weekend. The content isn't going to be as special as chapter 1000 was, but it's still a hell of a thing and worthy of celebration. The current story arc has been amazing for over a year solid in the manga and the anime is just entering that run now and I expect it to continue its higher than normal standard as a result. Had a couple of stand out episodes in the last few months with more experimental animation in one, and the other is by a young director Megumi Ishitani. She's only had two episodes of OP so far and they've both been phenomenal with much more dynamic lighting and movement - it's not just good for OP animation standards, it's excellent full stop. I expect we'll be seeing good things from her in the future, based on the two episodes she's had so far she'll probably/hopefully have the episode covering chapter 1000.

On the discussion from last year I love ATLA, but find Korra even more special and it's entirely down to the character of Korra and how much more intensely personal her struggles are. The premise of ATLA - that Aang is the survivor of a genocide which happened 100 years ago who has no one left - is the most tragic thing in both series, but due to his age and nature it's not something he dwells in. Rage slips out at times, but for the most part he's pretty happy. By contrast each of Korra's antagonists dismantle part of her psyche and confidence, and this arrogant brat is forced to undergo tremendous character growth and earn the audiences affection.

I've seen their circumstances contrasted in line with what Rip said as: Aang was absent from a world that needed him to save it, his conflict is about beating the threat that grew in his absence. Korra is present in a world that no longer needs THE Avatar in the way it needed Aang, it no longer has a place for someone above governments/nations. She's not remotely reluctant in the way Aang was, but she's constantly challenged with the question of who she is and what she would be if she couldn't be the avatar. Aang would have been a free spirited monk, that question would never have bothered him.

[A True Kaniggit]

On 11/15/2021 at 7:44 AM, karaddin said:

 

I suppose filler episodes are still episodes. 
 

Damn fox pirates. 

[sifth]

I just can't picture a One Piece tv show going over well. There's a very cartoony tone to the series, which make all of the more serious moments more interesting, because they contrast the tone very well.

[karaddin]

3 hours ago, A True Kaniggit said:

I suppose filler episodes are still episodes. 
 

Damn fox pirates. 

The Fox pirates aren't even filler lol, the davvy back fight is in the manga. Warship Island (after Loguetown and before Reverse Mountain) and the G-8 marine base (after Skypeia and immediately before Foxy) are the only outright filler arcs I can recall, and the latter is actually excellent.

Most of the one piece filler is baked into the canon episodes with poor pacing, excessive reaction shots, excessive recaps and clashes which make no sense from a physics point of view as two blows push back and forth against each other before the victors then continues like it's momentum wasn't lost lol. Which makes it difficult to skip. There's an odd filler episode here and there though.

And yeah it's challenging to adapt, they'll have to find a tone that works for it and it can't just be the same as the manga or anime because that won't work in live action. The actors cast so far have the essence of the characters though which is the most important starting point.

[A True Kaniggit]

19 hours ago, karaddin said:

The Fox pirates aren't even filler lol, the davvy back fight is in the manga. Warship Island (after Loguetown and before Reverse Mountain) and the G-8 marine base (after Skypeia and immediately before Foxy) are the only outright filler arcs I can recall, and the latter is actually excellent.

Most of the one piece filler is baked into the canon episodes with poor pacing, excessive reaction shots, excessive recaps and clashes which make no sense from a physics point of view as two blows push back and forth against each other before the victors then continues like it's momentum wasn't lost lol. Which makes it difficult to skip. There's an odd filler episode here and there though.

And yeah it's challenging to adapt, they'll have to find a tone that works for it and it can't just be the same as the manga or anime because that won't work in live action. The actors cast so far have the essence of the characters though which is the most important starting point.

Hmmmm. 
 

The specific episodes I was thinking of are listed as  “anime canon”. 
 

I give my memory a C- .  
 

Edit: Episodes 213-216. 

Edited November 21, 2021 by A True Kaniggit

[Rippounet]

So after almost 25 years and 1044 manga chapters, we finally have a clearer idea of what the main story of One piece is.
And it's amazing.
I have mad respect for Oda right now. To craft such an ambitious story, and manage to bring so many elements together in a way that is so coherent that it feels natural and even -with hindsight- obvious, is genius.
It will take many more years for the story to be told in full, but we can now appreciate it in all its dimensions, as an aesthetic and narrative project that has the potential to bury -at the very least- all other shônens. Has there been many such attempts to tell a story over more than thirty years? And it remains a story for kids too, that is fun and moving, and, though I couldn't quite see it before, that will offer surprising levels of depth and meaning for the readers.

Edited March 29, 2022 by Rippounet

[Proudfeet]

Eh, putting the depth and longevity of the story aside, I'm not overly impressed by the length. 

Plot wise, I don't think there really is that much going on, on average per chapter, between the large panels, short chapter lengths and individual match ups across the crew. The panel's are usually incredibly detailed unlike Kubo's literal waste of ink late Bleach, but it doesn't help to progress the story.

[sifth]

To be honest, I worry One Piece jumped the shark with it's most recent chapter. I'll keep reading for now, but I sort of feel it fell into one of the big traps Naruto, Bleach and many other series fell into.

Edited March 29, 2022 by sifth

[Rippounet]

22 minutes ago, sifth said:

To be honest, I worry One Piece jumped the shark with it's most recent chapter. I'll keep reading for now, but I sort of feel it fell into one of the big traps Naruto, Bleach and many other series fell into.

I feel the very opposite: that unlike Bleach (or Naruto, to a lesser extent), One Piece will have a story that's far more coherent, because there was far better foreshadowing.
I'd have to re-read everything to make the case though, and I really don't have the time right now, but I did re-read chapter 1 to check, and sure enough, there are some key elements in there that only truly make sense after reading the latest chapter.
I know one could argue the same for Naruto, but imho the key difference is the aesthetic dimension of the One Piece project.
Also, tbh, Naruto had shit foreshadowing (the final villain was completely unexpected).

Since you have read the latest chapter, I can put it here to be clear (warning: MAJOR spoiler):

Spoiler

Luffy's actual power is "cartooning": he can use his imagination to acquire cartoon-like powers, à-la Popeye or Bugs Bunny. It's limitless because cartoons aren't limited by "normal" rules. And it makes people smile.
And it's the "Hito hito" fruit because only humans can materialise their imagination. On some level, the story is 100% meta as Luffy's imagination is really Oda's. I wouldn't rule out Luffy breaking the 4th wall in the end.
I don't think Oda planned it all from the start, but the main elements were there in chapter 1, and clues were regularly added throughout the years.

 

[Ran]

This came out on Netflix today, which I missed the trailer for a week ago. Thermae Romae Novae is based on a manga by Mari Yamazki, about Lucius, designer of Roman baths who ends up creating innovations from occasionally being transported to modern Japan and picking up ideas from modern toiletry and bath developments. (Yes, it's one of those really specific, hard-to-believe-it-exists sorts of manga!)

Just watched the first episode, slow start but the architectural detail was impressive, and at the end Ms. Yamazaki has a brief 3 minute segment that will accompany all the episodes, having her travel around Japan giving Westerners a look into Japanese onsen (hot spring bathhouses). The first segment is about a very specific tradition for cooling down the especially-hot spring waters at the Kustaso onsen. Really fascinating.

(I think awhile back someone posted a trailer from the live action adaption(s) of the same manga -- amazing.)

 

[Toth]

12 hours ago, Rippounet said:

So after almost 25 years and 1044 manga chapters, we finally have a clearer idea of what the main story of One piece is.

Have they found the fucking treasure yet?

[Rippounet]

1 hour ago, Ran said:

This came out on Netflix today, which I missed the trailer for a week ago. Thermae Romae Novae is based on a manga by Mari Yamazki, about Lucius, designer of Roman baths who ends up creating innovations from occasionally being transported to modern Japan and picking up ideas from modern toiletry and bath developments. (Yes, it's one of those really specific, hard-to-believe-it-exists sorts of manga!)

Ha, I actually read this manga. I have no idea why I read it, but it was oddly educational.

1 hour ago, Toth said:

Have they found the fucking treasure yet?

Let's put it this way: we can reasonably expect Luffy to find the One Piece before the collapse of human civilization.

[Toth]

34 minutes ago, Rippounet said:

Let's put it this way: we can reasonably expect Luffy to find the One Piece before the collapse of human civilization.

That doesn't sound very convincing. At all. I'm sorry, maybe it's because I'm in a sour mood, but I'm confused why the possibility of One Piece maybe not falling flat on its face at the finish line after decades of fillers and side adventures causes this much praise in you.

Then again, I ran out of patience with this story at season 3 of the Anime. I just hate forever stories where the author makes shit up as it goes because there is no ending planned.

[sifth]

5 hours ago, Toth said:

Have they found the fucking treasure yet?

To answer your question, No and they're not even close. Maybe in 2 or 3 years things might look different, but seeing as Oda takes every third week of the year off, not counting holidays, it's going to take a long while. Maybe I'd have more faith in the series ending soon, if Wano wasn't so insanely long. This has easily been the longest arc in the history of the series and sadly one of it's worst.

Edited March 29, 2022 by sifth

[sifth]

8 hours ago, Rippounet said:

I feel the very opposite: that unlike Bleach (or Naruto, to a lesser extent), One Piece will have a story that's far more coherent, because there was far better foreshadowing.
I'd have to re-read everything to make the case though, and I really don't have the time right now, but I did re-read chapter 1 to check, and sure enough, there are some key elements in there that only truly make sense after reading the latest chapter.
I know one could argue the same for Naruto, but imho the key difference is the aesthetic dimension of the One Piece project.
Also, tbh, Naruto had shit foreshadowing (the final villain was completely unexpected).

Since you have read the latest chapter, I can put it here to be clear (warning: MAJOR spoiler):

  Hide contents

Luffy's actual power is "cartooning": he can use his imagination to acquire cartoon-like powers, à-la Popeye or Bugs Bunny. It's limitless because cartoons aren't limited by "normal" rules. And it makes people smile.
And it's the "Hito hito" fruit because only humans can materialise their imagination. On some level, the story is 100% meta as Luffy's imagination is really Oda's. I wouldn't rule out Luffy breaking the 4th wall in the end.
I don't think Oda planned it all from the start, but the main elements were there in chapter 1, and clues were regularly added throughout the years.

 

Sorry, but I don't agree.

Spoiler

My take is, Oda wrote himself into a corner with Luffy having to face insanely powerful villains like Kiado and soon Teach and needed a random power up for Luffy, which is how we got to where we are now. I sort of hate stories where the main character becomes "the chosen one" and making Luffy Joy Boy, puts him exactly in that role. Now he's the most important man in the universe and the savior of the world and I personally hate when stories do that.