Forum - View topicShelf Life - ACROSS the Universe
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doctordoom85
 Posts: 2094 |
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I thought Ga-Rei Zero was excellent, watching it and Evangelion 2.22 around the same time was actually overkill for me and it took a while before I could watch any new anime since these two were so stellar. I thought the structure of the show is partially what got me so invested: spoiler[Episode 1 confirms this is a show where ANYONE can die; 2 makes sure the viewer know that the events of 3+ will eventually lead to tragic darkness; and then 3 and onwards let us get to know these characters with the sad knowledge of the horrible fate that awaits them. Also, the characters are actually likable, a key difference between this and say the Star Wars prequels (in which we know horrible things will happen to them, but most of the cast is bland, so who cares?)] Definitely the best of FUNimation's recent "art box" show releases.
Also, the only characters I remember surviving a "fatal blow" were spoiler[the leader and her assistant, and to be fair at least the assistant seems to be suffering from some sort of amnesia at the end so it's not like they got away fully unharmed.] After seeing FUNimation's trailer for Excel Saga, I have very little interest in seeing it. Way too obnoxious-sounding. I dunno, maybe the trailer is misleading, but since it used a lot of dub clips, I doubt it. |
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Shenl742
Posts: 1525 |
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Ga-Rei-Zero was pretty servicable for a show which felt more or less like only "act 1" of a bigger story...
...episode 4 can die in a fire though. Gahhh. So much fail there. I almost always think of series as "complete sets" and rarely distinguish it by individual episodes except maybe for a finale or something, but 4 had so much bad stuff in it... |
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Surrender Artist
 Posts: 3264 Location: Pennsylvania, USA |
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I own the original ADV release of Excel Saga. It was the second series that I ever collected and the first that I'll admit to collecting (The real first was Saber Marionette J... I don't want to talk about it) I watched it over again a few months ago when I resumed my interest in anime. I was really nervous that I wouldn't like it anymore, especially after watching the whole Saber Marionette saga over again nearly made me want to jump in front of a bus, but I'm trapped in the suburbs right now and public transit service is terrible, so I watched Excel Saga instead. I was shocked by how well I enjoyed it. I actually had to restrain myself from watching too much in a day since. I know that it's obnoxious and doesn't quite always work, but I loved every preposterous moment. of it. I especially love the English version. Jessica Calvello's voice died on a cross so that I could have a great time and Larissa Wolcott slipped very easily into the role. And boy howdy did I ever love Brett Weaver as Nabeshin, the late David Kleinheiz as Kababpu and Monica Rial as Hyatt. It's a title that I just can't help but have rainbow-and-star gushers of fluffy pink stupid enthusiasm for. I'll even admit to secretly, nonsensically wishing that Nabeshin would have a chance to make a sequel; that's improbable as all Hell and lightning probably wouldn't strike twice, but the decade that has passed since the original has produced plenty that's ripe for parody.
Well, okay, I just want to see Excel smash some knock-offs of the cast of Kanon or something into bloody much wish a hammer, but is that so wrong? |
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victor viper
 Posts: 630 Location: The deep south |
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I thought the comments on Excel Saga were pretty spot-on. I too watched the show when it was first released, and now I find it to be just about unwatchable. I guess at the time Excel Saga's brand of hyperactive comedy was pretty novel, but over the last decade it has definitely not aged well. In fact, writing this I can barely remember more than four or five episodes of the show.
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NonoAsumy
Posts: 90 |
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I haven´t seen any of the Kanon/Clannad/Air installments but from what I know about them isn´t Hyatt coincidentally (or it could have been foresight) the perfect parody for all these ill and dying girls featured in there? Oh how I love Excel Saga. |
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here-and-faraway
 Posts: 1529 Location: Sunny California |
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I feel the same way. I had fun reading your column. Hope you have fun at the wedding(s). |
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Sailor S
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Excel Saga predates even the game release of Kanon, so it's certainly not parodying the sick dying girls in that, although Kanon certainly wasn't the first to feature that, and since it still happens, it wasn't the last. I can agree that Excel Saga isn't for everyone. Also, like most any comedy, at least to me, it shouldn't be marathoned. Comedy tends to stop being so funny to me after a few episodes, so just watching it a few eps at a time, or even just an ep per day, I find it quite funny. Ga-Rei: Zero sounds like something I should purchase though. The description leads me to believe that I'd enjoy watching it. I don't have a rental rating for anything, since I don't stream, Netflix, On Demand, or anything of the sort. So, it's buy or don't buy, even if I only watch something once. So, I'll add this to my wish list. |
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Fletcher1991
 Posts: 514 Location: Long Island, NY |
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I think its very exciting that Makoto Shinkai is attending Otakon, I hope that means his latest movie Hoshi o Ou Kodomo will get licensed. Anyways good article, thats kind of what I expected from Coffee Samurai / Hoshizora Kiseki. I agree with you on Place Promised, although 5 Centimeters Per Second is one of my favorite movies.
Last edited by Fletcher1991 on Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:20 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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ss-hikaru
 Posts: 269 Location: Western Australia |
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Wow the 'mysterious cat-eared stranger' has KIELI and Tena on S-string! I haven't come across any reviews of either of these titles, are they any good?
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fireaxe
 Posts: 503 Location: Trois-Rivieres, Canada |
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Wow Erin, I never disagreed with you more than this time with Ga-Rei Zero... My thoughts on the show were pretty much the exact opposite of everything you just said. >.<
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erinfinnegan
ANN Columnist
 Posts: 598 |
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Too funny! I could've sworn that stranger wore white cat ears!
It's a sequel or prequel to a game or something, right? I got more bang for my buck from Canaan (another game tie-in-transmedia title), but Ga-Rei-Zero was a lot more consistent throughout. |
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Spotlesseden
Posts: 3514 Location: earth |
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bad taste, Ga-Rei Zero is great.
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darkchibi07
 Posts: 5514 |
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It's a prequel of the Ga-rei manga, and...uhhh let's just say the quality between the anime and the original source is pretty extreme. |
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Shenl742
Posts: 1525 |
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[quote="erinfinnegan"]
It's the prequal to a manga which...from the few chapters I've read, is very differerent in tone to Zero. A lot lighter and fanservicey. Pretty disapointingly so in my opinion... Zero is almost like the origin story for spoiler[Yomi] who seems to come back in the first few chapters of the manga as spoiler[ a rather generic, cackling evil ghost monster-queen...thing]. Consider how well her "fall" was handled in Zero, I was really pissed when I saw that... |
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Unholy_Nny
 Posts: 622 |
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I've never liked Excel Saga as much as other people I know (my siblings, to be specific). I liked it, but I had been reading the manga for awhile before I saw it and I was like "...what?"
So, love the manga, iffy about the show. I can rewatch it but I have to be in a very specific mood to do so. |
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