12 Moments of Anime #5: Series of Disappointment

One of the disappointments (apparently) that I didn't watch myself.

Every now and then we get a highly-anticipated series that turns out to be a flop. It could be due to its studio, original work (for adaptations) and/or crew that we gave it so much attention, but when we finally got to the show itself, it's terrible. Shit happens, I know, but it seems like it happens way too often with 2011 titles. Titles like:

Series Review: What's Wrong with Fractale?

I'm gonna come out and say that Fractale isn't that bad... and all the hate people have for it is kinda unjustified. The problem is that the show didn't manage to become the kind of masterpiece Yamakan wanted it to be, and that failed promise put the show in a very negative light. At least he's a man of his word, and "retired for the time being". It's a pity if he actually goes away for good because I still think he's still someone with plenty of talent, and even some of that does show in the flop that is Fractale.

I've said this on more than one occasion, that I'd like to compare this series with Last Exile or Allison to Lillia, because I strongly feel that that is Yamakan's vision for Fractale. It isn't so much about the story, but it's about the fabulous combo of pre-industrial age technology meets young man's (or girl's) adventure. Series like these usually focus a lot more of the setting of the story, like the common people's way of life, community relationships, the environment, the history than most other shows do. This is probably Yamakan's take on the concept, with a little furturistic element to it. And I really like that. Fractale shows the fun in a frugal and simple way of living, clean and honest community life, its conflict with furturistic technology, and a young man's adventure in his role and approach towards this conflict.

Whereas the show fails hard on its execution and characters. First of all, there is too little revealed about the Fractale system itself, and we the audience are left with too many questions about practically everything that is going on. That won't be a problem if the characters are interesting enough to drive the show along, but they aren't. Clain is constantly being led by the nose by everyone around him, and his actions are always a result of how the story drives him, when it should be the other way around. Phyrne and Nessa are as mysterious as the Fractale system itself, and everyone else is there just to fill up the screen time. In the ending, there's wasn't a resolution or anything. It feels like it all happened as a matter of course. I'll keep this spoiler-free, but it's a happy, but really dumb ending.

Another thing that's sorely missing from Fractale is satisfying animation, which is something I'm expecting to see from an anime using this concept. I'm totally expecting spectacular backgrounds, detailed characters or equipment, or at least smooth animating, but Fractale delivered none. I can't explain how disappointed I was.

So in all, Fractale is okay. If you understand and love the concept of animes I was talking about, you'll enjoy Fractale to a certain extent. Otherwise, it probably isn't something for you.

Plot/Concept: Great
Story Style: Miserable
Audio/Visual: Fair
Value: 6

How every Winter 2010 shows I watch becomes shiiiitttttt

Two season ago, it was Otome Youkai Zakuro and Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru. That was 50% of the shows I was following that season. And these two shows isn't that bad, it's just that they got off a great start but didn't manage to carry on the momentum all the way to the end.

Last season, it was every damn show I watched. They got off a great start and had generally positive reviews over the span of the season, on the blogosphere and amongst the Japanese audience as well. To me, endings makes a lot of difference in the overall experience of the show, but somehow none of these show delivered what I wanted.

Ranked from bad to worst are:

5. Fractale

Two of the main characters are in the pic. What do you mean you can only see one?

Okay, unlike many people out there, I don't think Fractale is a total crap. But it's no doubt a disappointment and definitely doesn't deliver what it has promised, or what it could have achieved with the story settings. Too many questions had been left unanswered until the last episode, too much needless drama at the end, and the twists at the end feels like it's being pulled out of Yamakan's ass at the last moment. The writing wasn't there, too many pointless stuff happens and any build-up towards the finale didn't work with all these distractions. The animation could have been a LOT better to, seeing how much Yamakan gambled with this project. I wanted to see a Last Exile.  I got a Allison & Lillia.




4. Kore wa Zombie desu ka?

Best thing in the ending.

I'll touch my heart and say that despite the pretty awesome first episode, I'm expecting this series to suck anyway, because of the people involved (read: DEEN). When I first got into the show, I liked the way they do things, like giving a dead guy magical girl powers, and making a chainsaw their primary weapon. That was fun in being random. But they went overboard with it, to the point where things doesn't even make sense anymore. Their attempt at serious storytelling is a joke. Anti-demonic music out of nowhere? And how did Eu suddenly decide that it's ok to kill off the bad guy in the end after all? And, well, I love epilogue episodes like ep12, but it turns out to be a pain to sit through. The 15 minute of concert stuff was beyond randomness... it was bullshit. And the ability to drain Eu's magical powers become a giant plot hole if you think about it.




3. Infinite Stratos

Getting in touch with inner Ichika.

Everything was going alright until they're done with the character introductions and started getting an actual plot at ep10. Ichika suddenly becames retarded and reduced himself way below a typical harem lead stereotype. The dialogue was so bad I feel like I'm watching a high-school orientation skit. Ichika's dream sequence and Gundam-styled nekkid talk was so hilariously bad, I feel that they weren't trying anymore. With the amount of CG and suit designs they had, the fight was nowhere was awesome as it could have been. And where did that rogue IS come from? Was Tabane behind everything after all? I could hire my niece to write something better. I expected it to be the next Macross Frontier, but all I got is a good harem.




2. Yumekui Merry

CHECK OUT MY HAX TRUMPET SKILLZ

I ranted in the recent post so I won't be explaining it here. But when I got the feeling that the other series are going down south, I expected this to be the most enjoyable show this season. I was wrong.




1. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Homerun traveled one and a half month into the future, bringing the last two episodes with her.

Well, it wasn't the show that sucked, it was the viewing experience. What's more, I can only blame mother nature to put a one-month break right before the (supposedly) epic ending of the greatest show for a long long time. I'm not even anticipating the last two episode airing this Thursday anymore, I'm just dreading that I might forget critical parts of the show.

Fractale Ep8: Unlimited Nessa Works

Or as the series reveals, Unlimited Phryne Works

What... no love for Fractale? All I've seen on the blogosphere this weekend are about Madoka episode 10, and even though I've not watch it yet, I've been spoiled enough to know that that would be the best episode ever, in the series and (some say) in the industry. But let's not forget! In Fractale as well, we finally learn a lot more about what's going on in the series and have a clearer picture of what will happen next. The many things revealed and the action in this episode made it one of the best episodes yet in the series too (similar to Madoka Ep10, from what I've read). The previous episode was also pretty awesome, but I didn't really want to write about that... because half of the awe comes from the visuals in the futuristic city.

I really like this pic of how Phryne is intensively worried about Clain. Phryne is never one to show much emotion, but this hazy image of her while Clain is sub-conscious shows how much Phryne actually cares about him.

Another shocker this week; apparently Phryne's function as a "key" is linked to her VIRGINITY (or more specifically her hymen?) as she is subject to the kind of virginity inspection process we saw in Dance in the Vampire Bund.

Anyway, Nessa's superhuman powers in a computerised environment, combined with her ethereal body that can fly and pass through walls, makes her so awesome, on top of her and childish character. I loved the HERO face she gave when she saved Phryne from her "examination".

So this is what we've learned so far:

Confirmed:

- Phryne is the "key" that can save or destroy the Fractale system, but she is a "flawed" or "failed" key. Despite that, she is the original key and her "father" needs her because of that.

- Phryne's "father" is part of an group that clones Phryne in a bid to create a perfect or working key.

- Nessa is how Phryne looks like when she was younger.

- The underground facility stores hundreds or thousands of Phryne clones. Since they are all pretty young, they all looked like Nessa but they're all called "Phryne".

- The "other Nessa" in episode 3 is one of those clones.

- The clones are destroyed if they are deem "failed" or ineffective.

Unconfirmed:

- The "Nessa" that has been following Clain around for the past episode should be the perfect key they've created.

Unknown:

- If Nessa is a doppel or not, since she can appeared in areas not inside the Fractale system. If I had to guess, she would be the very manifestation of the powers of a "key".

Fractale Ep6: Clain of a thousand faces

Obligatory Nessa screencap.

If I had just one comment for this episode, it will be that the direction of the characters is all over the place. Half of Clain's lines in this episodes seemed to be "ooh"s and "ahh"s and "ehh??"s. The entire episode is dependent on Clain's reaction and response to everything that is going on; all the other characters are as dead as NPC zombies.

This takes place in only a couple of minutes:

Disbelieve/Angry

Worried

Confused/Sad

Delight/Surprise

Serious/Melancholic

You see, what bothers me is how quick Clain's expression changes to the next event and he's the only one with all the response. It makes it feel disconnected and weird somehow.

Anyway, I bet that one photo in the corner would be the nekkid Phryne.

Fractale Ep5: but I'm starting to get bored with it

I find this scene incredibly adorable... you know?

Maybe it's because of the one week hiatus, I'm expecting a lot from the new episode but as expected (and sadly) there's hardly any new development for the story. Episode 5 is somewhat a "transition" episode where Clain finally integrates with the rest of the crew of Gekko State and in a way helped Phryne fits in as well. From this point on it's highly likely that the duo will stick with the crew for most of the series and we'll see them work together to achieve whatever the crew's objectives is and what Renton Clain decides to fight for in the end, after he (and we) finally have a good idea what the two girls and the Fractale system actually is.

Still, since it's a "transition" episode after all, it almost never reveal anything anything about the questions the audience have. What we do know, is that Nessa has a more significant importance to the temple people than Phryne, and both of them are referred to as "daughters". If this is how much we know from five episodes in an eleven-episode series, I'm guessing the climax would be when the series answers our many questions, and the fate of the world, the girls, etc. Before what I'm expecting to be an epic battle, of course, and although I can't see how Clain will play an important part in that battle I figured we're bound to see that happen.

It's all speculations though. But I'm afraid my interest in the series will wane if they keep piling on the questions and keep too many things a mystery, so in the next episode I hope we will see some answers.

Or maybe this episode has too little Nessa =P

Hide and seek

An overview of Winter 2011 (and rankings)

A summary of what I've came to watch, what I've dropped and what I might catch in the near future.

The Keepers

1. Puella Magi Madoka Magica (5 episodes)
It's the most searched and most discussed topic on the blogosphere for  a while now so I do not think I have to discuss this much further, so I will just say this: Puella Magi Madoka Magica totally changed the way one would look at the Magical Girl genre that includes big names like Nanoha, PreCure, Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor, etc because beyond its cute and fluffy appearance and designs, there is the very real element of death, trauma and tragedy affecting the main characters, that was non-existent in this genre until now. Combined with great writing and story direction, you can tell they weren't kidding then they said this anime would be a breakthrough.

Outlook: Awesome!

2. Fractale (4 episodes)
Despite Yamakan's ramblings, Fractale is a pretty decent piece of work. I do not know why everyone keeps talking about the adventure that did not happen, but I think they are making headway now that all the main cast is gathered... well except Nessa, but I guess her exact location is not an issue.

I must admit Nessa's the core reason I came to really enjoy Fractale, because her unlimited energy and cheerful character with a mysterious tinge makes her extremely likable. Besides Nessa's overwhelming cuteness, the other thing that really draws me in is the setting the story of Fractale is set in. It is not the most original and it might feel too Ghibli for it's own good, but I am waiting to see how the Fractale system allows the series as a whole to stand out.
Outlook: Fantastic!

3. Infinite Stratos (5 episodes)
From the looks of it, I guess I was wrong after all (and everyone else is right). It does seems like it would turn out to be a pretty mindless harem. But that doesn't mean I cannot enjoy the anime, I just need to adjust my expectations a little. The little rooftop lunch thing in episode five was pretty cliche, but I cannot wipe away the stupid smile on my face, which usually only happens with stuff like K-ON. I do not quite appreciate how fast they tried to squeeze in the last two supporting characters into the story, and how they seem to dumb down Rin's presence (RAGE!!), but if it's done to push forward the story I think its better to at least inject the series with more substance than carry on with more of the character relationship development. While I think that the core of the story will have to be the relationship among the key figures of the battle (Macross Frontier) rather than a chimerical battle (Strike Witches? Gundam?), I do not think many will appreciate it unless it has the kind of potential Macross Frontier has.

Outlook: Very Good

4. Kore wa Zombie desu ka? (4 episodes)
The series is pushing the boundaries of being random and extreme, using absurd combos that you do not people dared to use: A magical girl that is actually a guy? And a zombie at the same time? That uses chainsaw as its main weapon? A ninja that is also a vampire? A flying whale wearing a school uniform? It's like a harem version of Cromatie High School, plus fighting scenes.

But what makes Kore wa Zombie desu ka really shines beyond its comedic elements... is the unexpected touching scenes in episode four. Eu's own back story changes the way you look at this series, but not in a bad way; you will see it more than just a comedy action series. I may be expecting a lot, but I am hoping that the series might outshine something like Seto no Hanayome.
Outlook: Very Good

5. Yumekui Merry (5 episodes)
Yumekui Merry never did impress me as much as it did for others, because putting it bluntly, I just do not see much beyond a girl from another dimension fighting fantasy monsters. The animation in the dream world does make it pretty unique, but not enough to make it stand out. Still, it was watchable enough and I hoped the story would take a more drastic turn to spice things up a little... Luckily for me, the latest episode (5) did just that. With the revealment of a difficult truth for Merry and the critical injury of Yumeji, it looks like we will see a lot progress in the storyline and character development of Merry for the coming episodes.

Outlook: It feels like things are getting a lot more interesting.






Dropped

6. GOSICK (2 episodes)
The main selling point (and only one for me) of the series is Victorica and not detective work that is going on in the story. And the show seems to want to keep it that way. I find it hard to follow the series when a seemingly simple plot can only be solved chibi girl who would otherwise only make snide remarks. It would have been more realistic if she is been drugged by APTX 4869, which might have explained why would such a young girl possesses the kind of knowledge needed to solve "complex" crimes. Despite some of the good stuff I heard about the series, I cannot see how GOSICK would sell without the Victorica moe and I should not consider giving it another chance... though pics like that above makes a lot of room for consideration =P

Another chance?: If any other part of the series besides Victorica receives enough praises and can convince me that it's worth it.

7. FREEZING (2 episodes)
I am sure a lot would like an all-girl shounen-style action series with plenty of fanservice, but aside from the crappy animation, the show has plenty of issues. First, the show suffers from the Queen's Blade disease; the clothing around the important parts always gets ripped off for no good reason, and the girls never seems to mind. Second, by following closely to the manga (which should deserve some praise), the series is battle after battle and that leaves little room for any story; which is also a problem for the manga. Thirdly, the story suffers from the typical shouen symdrome where the main character never loses. She just need to be wounded thoroughly and angry enough to hax her power level to 9001. There is a few other issues (i.e. the male lead is a pussy) but I will not go there...

Another chance?: If the characters actually develops more (which I don't think would).

8. Dragon Crisis (4 episodes)
I don't care how good Kugimiya Rie is supposed to be voicing underdeveloped flat-chested tsundere lolis, but Rose is the main reason why the series is as irritating as hell. And it's largely due to her limited vocabulary and devotion to main character Ryuji. Eriko and Hocchan allowed me to last as far as the 4th episode but even they could not soothe the pain in my ears that is Rose.

Another chance?: Only if the heterochromia girl becomes interesting enough, Eriko become irresistible or I become desperate for more Hocchan.

9. Onii-chan wa something something (half episode)
It did not occur to me that watching an incest comedy could be so... disturbing until the first minute of the first episode of this series. The manga was ok; but when it translates into the anime medium, I just cannot ignore the incest sexual innuendo that was implied so strongly throughout the series. I cannot ignore that fact that they are pretty much real siblings even if in fact they are not blood-related; they've been knowing and treating each other like so since young whether or not they actually share the same blood now doesn't really comes into question. Though I must say I am not giving this a fair review because I am not giving it a fair chance; it's just something that I just cannot find interesting.

Another chance?: Only if I'm stuck in a nuclear bunker for a week and this is the only form of entertainment I've got.




What I might catch in the near future

#1. Level E
Due to the sore lacking of females in this series I've never thought of giving this a chance, until psgels hailed it as the best show this season. It wasn't just him (or her), but a couple of bloggers at Random Curiosity also thought so. I wasn't ready for a character like Prince but... who knows? Maybe one day...

#2. Hourou Musuko
I've already expected it from the preview, but the super light colors used in the show stopped me from even seeing the first episode. Look at the picture up there; I've darken half the image, doesn't that make it a lot livelier? Sure, it might lose the feel of the show but cannot help but me bothered by their style of animation.

First Impression: Fractale

Where are my purple hair bishoujos?!
Although I'll like to say that one's perception of a series should not depend so much on visuals, much less hair colour of a character, I'm a very visual person and I must say that the brown and red hair doesn't quite make the series as unique as it could be.

On the other hand, I'm very satisfied with how the animation turns out. Based on the promo posters and videos I'm expecting the animation to be a lot like Allison to Lillia, but it turns out to be a lot like Kannagi... Yamakan's influence perhaps? In any case, I can stomach the moetastic animation better than most avant-garde.

It's funny how few bloggers there are that really continued to the second episode. While I agree that the feel of the first two episodes isn't gonna take us on a great journey anytime soon, I feel that it's a great introduction to the character's two main heroines and giving us a little clue of what exactly they are. My own speculation is that Phryne is one of the few person in the world of Fractale that can control the Fractale system, and Nessa is a avatar, or doppel of the system itself, suggesting that the system might be self-aware.



Speaking of Nessa, I'm a bit irked that they focused on a shot of her like this. Doesn't this shot makes her look rather old and lack of any of her genki-ness? Or maybe they're trying to tell something more with this shot?

Also, because of Nessa, I'm impressed with what you can do with Hanazawa Kana's voice. Having just finished seeing her performance in Asobi ni Iku yo!, it's nice to see the other side of the spectrum for the use of her voice. Genki Nessa aside, there's quiet Tenshi, shy Nadeko, irritating Sakura (KaichouMaid), sadistic Zange, innocent Kobato, mature Susukihotaru... she's quickly becoming on of my favourite seiyuus.

For now, Phryne's our mysterious heroines that will bring the plot twists I'm expecting the story to have, and Nessa's our native moeblob protagonist companion until near end of the series, where I'm expecting the both of them to be heavily involved in the outcome of the Fractale's (or world's) fate. And expecting lots of GAR from Clain.

I won't be disappointed if everything turns out like what I've predicted, because it's all up to the studio and director's style to make sure nothing feels overly cliché. I have faith in Yamakan's skills, and since it's his career on the line I feel that Fractale is going to turn out pretty good. From the feel of it, perhaps it will become something like Last Exile with a bit of Haibane Renmai and Shangri-La.

Outlook: Very Positive.