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REVIEW: Love Live! Episodes 1-6 Streaming




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jymmy



Joined: 11 Nov 2011
Posts: 1244
PostPosted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 7:56 pm Reply with quote
Nice review. I enjoy Love Live! basically entirely on how good it is, rather than any attraction to the concept. It's not simple disposable "watch in order to enjoy yourself for twenty-two minutes" quality, either - I really find this show charming and well-written. Impressive execution.
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Fencedude5609



Joined: 09 Nov 2006
Posts: 5088
PostPosted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 11:11 pm Reply with quote
>not liking Nico's episode

You monsters.
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Stark700



Joined: 30 Jan 2012
Posts: 11762
Location: Earth
PostPosted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 11:14 pm Reply with quote
Nico is definitely my favorite from the series but otherwise, nice review.
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getchman
He started it



Joined: 07 Apr 2012
Posts: 9134
Location: New Hampshire
PostPosted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 11:25 pm Reply with quote
I like Nico, when she's not talking.
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 11:26 pm Reply with quote
Kimlinger is being a touch too hard on the show. Sure, it's about idols, but the execution is strong enough to make up for it. And it shouldn't be marked down just because other idol shows are so inferior; it should be judged on its own merits.

Love Live! is enjoyable. Inconsequential, hardly engrossing . . . but very enjoyable. It has that feel-good classic charm to it that makes it a light, easy half-hour of Anime each week.
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CCharmanderK



Joined: 08 Jul 2009
Posts: 218
PostPosted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 11:26 pm Reply with quote
"Enough with the idols already!"

I could kiss you for saying that.
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tcdelaney



Joined: 05 Oct 2011
Posts: 169
Location: Mittagong, NSW, Australia
PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 5:29 am Reply with quote
This is actually the first idol-centric show that I've liked. I don't particularly like the rotoscoped dance routines (doesn't fit with the rest of the animation and the movements look unnaturally smooth) but there's an earnestness to the show that I'm enjoying.

Sure - the characters are all one-note and the setup isn't particularly original, but the show has so far been fun. Whether it remains that way once the group is fully formed (I'm a couple of episodes behind) and they're into the big event is the question. The show could easily dive-bomb if they're not careful.


Last edited by tcdelaney on Wed Mar 06, 2013 2:41 pm; edited 1 time in total
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zensunni



Joined: 05 Mar 2010
Posts: 1294
PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:40 am Reply with quote
Not a bad review. My personal rating is a little higher, for both overall appreciation and story. Having looked into the history of the franchise, I find the way it was developed fascinating.

The project was started as a partnership between Sunrise, Lantis, and ASCII Media Works. For the past 3 years they have produced several PVs, CDs, short stories about the girls, and a Manga adaptation that started in January of 2012. The Anime is the latest in the line-up. They used fan polls in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki G's Magazine, where the short stories were published, to determine much of the content, from the name of the group to which girl would be "center" in each of the PVs. I love the way this development process has been mirrored in the anime, with the name of the group being decided by a suggestion box and the episode about "who will be the center" giving the mechanism to switch the girl in the focus depending on the song.

While the storyline is always predictable, it is also always enjoyable. The singing is very good, though I am not a big fan of the voice of the actress who plays Kotori. In general, the biggest compliment I can give the show is that, at the end of each episode, my cheeks hurt because I find that I have been smiling, non-stop, for the entire episode. (except for the spots that make me tear up a little...) It just makes me happy.

Now for a bit of technical nit-picking:
Quote:
And if those opponents weren't from UTX, the school that gave Honoka her idea in the first place.

Poorly done!! Minus 10 points. (Either make that part of the previous sentence, or finish your thought.)

Sorry, I work in the educational testing field... Smile
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Tanteikingdomkey



Joined: 03 Sep 2008
Posts: 2350
PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 12:32 pm Reply with quote
Fencedude5609 wrote:
>not liking Nico's episode

You monsters.

Actually have to agree how can you not Love nico she is the funniest character in the show.

I swear today is backwards I am agreeing with fence and DMT
yes I understand the idol crazy is over done, (I actually have been enjoying AKB0048) but it is not that fair to gauge it just because it has idols in it. trope and cliches around idols sure I understand. but actually love live made the show really really charming. at least for the first three episodes.

Yes episode 4 is weak but they do gain 3 more members who have about as much character as the rest of them, which is not very much. episode 5 though is one of my favorites just because of how funny and even touching it can be when it does try (I was in a good mood due to excellent episodes at the time from other shows but nico is still hilarious in how fast her character can change and how different it is).
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 3:46 pm Reply with quote
I said before that the show wasn't engrossing . . . but I'll admit my heart dropped when the curtain was raised and spoiler[no-one was in the audience.] I wasn't expecting that sort of realism, and the whole scene (including the subsequent singing) did move me.
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Tanteikingdomkey



Joined: 03 Sep 2008
Posts: 2350
PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 1:23 am Reply with quote
dtm42 wrote:
I said before that the show wasn't engrossing . . . but I'll admit my heart dropped when the curtain was raised and spoiler[no-one was in the audience.] I wasn't expecting that sort of realism, and the whole scene (including the subsequent singing) did move me.

YES! and did you see the gundums stop motion version of that dance it was hilarious
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Bluenoser



Joined: 17 Jul 2012
Posts: 39
PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 4:33 am Reply with quote
dtm42 wrote:
Kimlinger is being a touch too hard on the show. Sure, it's about idols, but the execution is strong enough to make up for it. And it shouldn't be marked down just because other idol shows are so inferior; it should be judged on its own merits.

Love Live! is enjoyable. Inconsequential, hardly engrossing . . . but very enjoyable. It has that feel-good classic charm to it that makes it a light, easy half-hour of Anime each week.


I had passed on this to date as it is not a subject that I have much enjoyment for, but given your clear enjoyment of it I think I'll take a look after all. Having read as many of your comments on various anime as I have over these many moons now I am inclined to think that if you are finding it so clearly enjoyable then I might as well, judging on how similar I have noticed our tastes being on some of the anime we both have watched (mind you only I would know that since I've rarely commented on it, I think Tempest would be the only one that comes to mind off the top of my head). Thanks.
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Crisha
Moderator


Joined: 21 Apr 2010
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 1:14 pm Reply with quote
dtm42 wrote:
I said before that the show wasn't engrossing . . . but I'll admit my heart dropped when the curtain was raised and spoiler[no-one was in the audience.] I wasn't expecting that sort of realism, and the whole scene (including the subsequent singing) did move me.

I watched episodes 2-8 last night, and I agree with that particular scene. That was the best episode out of the lot. The show has become a bit 'meh' after that though. Given the opening sequence, I always knew it was going to become a 9-girl band, but having all of the character intro episodes for girls with sparkly-eyed dreams of becoming idols doesn't really interest me. I liked it more with the dynamics of just the three main girls and their amateur but warm-hearted efforts to save the school. I mean, clearly the desire and efforts to save the school haven't really changed, but all the gab about idols and whatnot is meh. And then the cast is becoming more spread out with more girls. Having nine girls in the band just makes it feel less... I don't know, special. Too many characters to focus on. Every song sequence since the best episode just hasn't been as good.

I'm of two minds with this series. On the one hand, I like the light-hearted nature of the show. The song and dance routines have been fun (despite the CG) and the girls' efforts to save the school and hard work to overcome the odds have been charming. And then the episode with their first stage performance and the turn-out was a pretty strong one.

On the other hand, I have moments where it feels like too much. Too much idol obsession. Two girls were introduced that had a background in the classical arts, and both were revealed to have an inner idol dream despite them both claiming at some point that such stuff was beneath their talents. I would have liked to have seen a snob who stays a snob but begrudgingly helps the girls in order to help save the school. Or perhaps adds a more "classical" twist to their music or dancing. Or who keeps her role as a supporter (whether it be choreographing or music composure) rather than having stage presence. Instead we get girls with starry-eyed pop idol dreams who adapt their talents to fit the medium, which isn't nearly as interesting for me.

I guess I just want more Izumi's from Princess Nine (she's the best dodgamn thing about that series).
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getchman
He started it



Joined: 07 Apr 2012
Posts: 9134
Location: New Hampshire
PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 1:26 pm Reply with quote
apparently the anime adaption has changed a few things, like the student council president. She's childhood friends with Honaka, Umi and Kotori in the manga and music videos, but now she is an antagonist, which doesn't make much sense considering the forgone conclusion of her being a member of muse
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Polycell



Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Posts: 4623
PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 1:48 pm Reply with quote
willag wrote:
Two girls were introduced that had a background in the classical arts, and both were revealed to have an inner idol dream despite them both claiming at some point that such stuff was beneath their talents. I would have liked to have seen a snob who stays a snob but begrudgingly helps the girls in order to help save the school. Or perhaps adds a more "classical" twist to their music or dancing. Or who keeps her role as a supporter (whether it be choreographing or music composure) rather than having stage presence. Instead we get girls with starry-eyed pop idol dreams who adapt their talents to fit the medium, which isn't nearly as interesting for me.
Well, spoiler[Maki] does only really get into begrudgingly and spoiler[Eri just seems like she wants to dance] and less concerned about being an idol specifically. Not that I don't understand where you're coming from.
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