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Un-Go (TV).


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Errinundra
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Joined: 14 Jun 2008
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Location: Melbourne, Oz
PostPosted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 8:45 pm Reply with quote
ANN encyclopaedia page



Streaming courtesy Siren Visual at ANN for Australia

Elsewhere Crunchyroll

Synopsis: With the help of his strange assistant Inga, Shinjūrō Yūki solves crimes in a near future Japan still suffering from the ravages of war. Problem is, the credit always ends up going to super detective Rinroku Kaishou.

***

Well, that was an entertaining and nicely constructed first episode, managing to introduce the main characters and provide a mystery to solve as well.

I really like the subtle wit of this anime. And what is Inga, really? I look forward to uncovering the mysteries.


Last edited by Errinundra on Fri Dec 23, 2011 9:41 am; edited 11 times in total
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swienke



Joined: 18 May 2009
Posts: 245
PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 12:50 am Reply with quote
I definitely enjoyed the first episode, but it has a number of issues that it probably needs to iron out if the series is going to be successful in the long run.

The Good:

- The character designs are strange, but they have an angular appeal that sets them apart from most other series and that I find very intriguing, even if they aren't traditionally "pretty".

- Inga strikes just the right balance between being funny, mysterious, and deliciously creepy, without being totally off-putting. I definitely am interested in figuring out just who Inga is and what they want with Shinjuro.

- The setting in a post-war Japan, and the connection between this episode's mystery and the war seems to suggest that the series is going to take a much more political approach than most other mystery series.

- The ED is incredibly stylish. Seriously, those are some SHAFT-level visuals right there.


The Bad:

- Although the basic idea behind the mystery was interesting, it's resolution was too rushed. There wasn't enough time for the viewers to reflect on the meaning of any of the clues before the detectives figured them out, and the murderer's motive - although interesting in an intellectual sense - wasn't as sympathetic as it could've been had there been more time devoted to exploring it. Honestly, this mystery should've taken up two episodes instead of being crammed into one.

- It's hard to really care much about most of the characters at this point. Both Rie and Rinroku seemed to just shove their way into the episode, and the police seem rather uninteresting at this point. Of course, that could very well change in the future, so it's not as though this is a deal breaker.
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Charred Knight



Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 3085
PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 1:06 am Reply with quote
swienke wrote:

- The setting in a post-war Japan, and the connection between this episode's mystery and the war seems to suggest that the series is going to take a much more political approach than most other mystery series.


I can't wait to see what crazy conspiracy Aikawa is going to put forth this time.
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rojse



Joined: 08 Sep 2010
Posts: 234
PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 8:32 am Reply with quote
After the first episode, I would have to say that "Un-Go" is a decent mystery show, and I loved the twist at the end spoiler[that the guilty party isn't going to be convicted of the crime, rather, the blame will be placed on someone else]). It's rather clever, and other detective-type shows could use such a twist more often.

That said, I don't think that I'll continue with this show. I find the central traits of all detective shows that I've watched so far to make for uninteresting viewing on my behalf - that the criminal always leaves evidence behind, that the detectives always manage to discover who the guilty party is, and that the suspect always confesses to the crime at the end. Not that I haven't watched detective shows that were brilliant for other reasons (like "Ghost in the Shell: SAC", for example). I get why these tropes are used, but I'd much prefer to see someone tackle a detective story and not end with those ideas.
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Eivion



Joined: 26 Dec 2008
Posts: 569
PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 10:04 am Reply with quote
The show is interesting enough, but the pacing feels rushed. Its hard to get a true feel on the characters and situation as result. Hopefully they pace themselves out a little better in future episodes.
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A Mystery



Joined: 10 Oct 2010
Posts: 1888
Location: Netherlands
PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 1:35 pm Reply with quote
My head was spinning while watching this episode... it wasn't very complicated, but the pacing was very fast. Found the spoiler['my man should die as a hero so let's KILL HIM MUHUHU' - reason] a bit weird too. But that might be just me.

Good points were the character designs, Inga and the beginning of the episode, before the opening tunes in. Drew my attention immediately.
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Unicorn_Blade



Joined: 18 Jul 2010
Posts: 1153
Location: UK
PostPosted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 3:22 am Reply with quote
Finally something I rather enjoyed. I agree the episode was a bit rushed, but I hope it is an exception and that they will spend more time on exposition of the problem later on, but I guess they needed to introduce the characters, which took some time out.
Inga looked a bit like Ed from Cowboy Bebop- the way she walked so reminded me of her!
In any case, so far so good.
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Errinundra
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 7:33 pm Reply with quote
With last episode's ground work out of the way the second episode is a significant step up. Developments move at a cracking pace, which is both good and bad.

On the good side, it makes for entertaining viewing. On the downside, the murder's exposition is no sooner finished than the culprit is revealed, much like happened in the first episode, although I liked the way it treated the repercussions of the crime, post solution, at more length than the solution itself. All the same, like the first episode, the motive for the crime wasn't convincing. I'm wondering: spoiler[can anyone think of a reason why Osada An would ask Shinjuro to investigate the murder? Of what benefit could have been to her?]

I coming to think that the "whodunnit" aspects of the series are secondary to the conspiracies going on behind the scenes. And to the relationship between Shinjuro and Inga. Inga's transformation and interrogation of the singer in the women's toilet was genuinely creepy. She is the major hook for me in the series.

I hope Un-Go can continue to improve.
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JaffaOrange



Joined: 01 Apr 2011
Posts: 254
PostPosted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 3:01 am Reply with quote
I know that's it's too early to say but spoiler[are all the culprits going to be family members of the victims?]
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Nosferatu21



Joined: 19 Jul 2010
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 5:09 am Reply with quote
JaffaOrange wrote:
I know that's it's too early to say but spoiler[are all the culprits going to be family members of the victims?]



Hadn't noticed that but it's true. My question was spoiler[is every killer going to avoid being arrested? Seriously, was I supposed to feel bad for that girl who killed her mom because she wanted to sing so badly? Didn't work. All I saw her as was a murderer who wasn't going to get arrested.]
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ikillchicken



Joined: 12 Feb 2007
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Location: Vancouver
PostPosted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 7:56 am Reply with quote
I don't have a membership this season so I'm a week behind the rest of you. Anyway, I'm fairly disappointed in the first episode. Pretty poorly executed. I don't really know how you fit a mystery into one single episode. The first half is just one big info dump to establish the players. Once the murder does finally happen there's next to no time to actually resolve it. Everything is extremely rushed. They jump wildly from one spot to another. One second they're standing over the murder victim, and the next they're standing over another dead body. Then, all of a sudden, they're in a different room and out of nowhere, this other lady who we haven't seen at all until now just appears out of nowhere. Apparently this is actually Inga (the character designs make it pretty clear). However, nobody really explains why he suddenly transformed into a different person or really, even asks about it. We don't see him change either. It's all pretty weird and nonsensical. Then she (he?) does this weird spooky ghost voice thing which apparently makes people confess. Somebody does just that and we get another big info dump where she explains how and why she did it. Apparently it has something do do with a recent war which we only actually find out about the moment she mentions it. It's all just a mess. At no point is it even slightly intriguing. Same goes for the characters. Shinjuro is utterly devoid of a personality. Inga is just annoying and nonsensical and the girl seems like nothing but an empty "fujoshi self insert" shell character. Yeah, definitely disappointed in this one.
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JaffaOrange



Joined: 01 Apr 2011
Posts: 254
PostPosted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 7:57 am Reply with quote
Nosferatu21 wrote:
JaffaOrange wrote:
I know that's it's too early to say but spoiler[are all the culprits going to be family members of the victims?]



Hadn't noticed that but it's true. My question was spoiler[is every killer going to avoid being arrested? Seriously, was I supposed to feel bad for that girl who killed her mom because she wanted to sing so badly? Didn't work. All I saw her as was a murderer who wasn't going to get arrested.]


Well, spoiler[It's not as the higher ups are letting her off because they feel sorry for her. If you notice in the last two episodes, the culprits have been let off because the truth would damage the government (an official becoming corrupt, evidence of a conspiracy to use a pop group to stir up anti-terrorist sentiment)]
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Eivion



Joined: 26 Dec 2008
Posts: 569
PostPosted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 10:00 am Reply with quote
errinundra wrote:
All the same, like the first episode, the motive for the crime wasn't convincing. I'm wondering: spoiler[can anyone think of a reason why Osada An would ask Shinjuro to investigate the murder? Of what benefit could have been to her?]

spoiler[Shinjuro is known as the Defeated Detective in the public. She didn't think he was good enough to actually find her out.] As for the motive, I'm not sure how it wasn't convincing.spoiler[ Her mother for all intents and purposes stole her dream and was going to make sure her daughter's music would never enter the public. The daughter probably hated her mother for it and thought killing her would remove the obsticle to her dream.] It was perfectly believable, hell, a lot more believable than the first episode.
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WhiteHairGirls



Joined: 27 Apr 2011
Posts: 4713
Location: New York City
PostPosted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 10:42 am Reply with quote
Eivion wrote:
errinundra wrote:
All the same, like the first episode, the motive for the crime wasn't convincing. I'm wondering: spoiler[can anyone think of a reason why Osada An would ask Shinjuro to investigate the murder? Of what benefit could have been to her?]

spoiler[Shinjuro is known as the Defeated Detective in the public. She didn't think he was good enough to actually find her out.] As for the motive, I'm not sure how it wasn't convincing.spoiler[ Her mother for all intents and purposes stole her dream and was going to make sure her daughter's music would never enter the public. The daughter probably hated her mother for it and thought killing her would remove the obsticle to her dream.] It was perfectly believable, hell, a lot more believable than the first episode.


Agreed I felt sympathetic towards her. Not only did the Mom spoiler[use her, she also prevented her from achieving her dream].
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Nosferatu21



Joined: 19 Jul 2010
Posts: 520
Location: Ohio
PostPosted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 7:02 pm Reply with quote
JaffaOrange wrote:
Nosferatu21 wrote:
JaffaOrange wrote:
I know that's it's too early to say but spoiler[are all the culprits going to be family members of the victims?]



Hadn't noticed that but it's true. My question was spoiler[is every killer going to avoid being arrested? Seriously, was I supposed to feel bad for that girl who killed her mom because she wanted to sing so badly? Didn't work. All I saw her as was a murderer who wasn't going to get arrested.]


Well, spoiler[It's not as the higher ups are letting her off because they feel sorry for her. If you notice in the last two episodes, the culprits have been let off because the truth would damage the government (an official becoming corrupt, evidence of a conspiracy to use a pop group to stir up anti-terrorist sentiment)]



Oh I totally understand that the government is spoiler[just protecting themselves. I'm just hoping at some point that the person who commits the crime will eventually have to pay for it and not get off the hook because the government can't look bad. At some point, our MC and Inga need to get on exposing the corruption or all the criminals lucking out of being arrested could become a fault of the show.] I'm not holding it against them right now because we're only 2 episodes in and it works with creating an interesting plot for the show. I just hope this isn't the same formula 7 weeks from now.
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