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pachy_boy
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 1335
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:07 pm
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I initially appreciated Last Exile--Fam the Silver Wing for confirming that Dio was still alive from the first series, and I enjoyed it overall for being a fun series, a fun sequel to the first, even if it felt rather rushed in places and especially toward the end. Having just watched it for a second time on Blu-ray, I found myself genuinely loving this show. Yes it looks pretty, but I believe the characters and their stories are just as charming. I love the relationship dynamics and how they develop at the end of their journeys, even if it isn't "deep" per se. It's the right mix of everything that makes this show come together, and I get the impression it's kind of underrated. I also disagree about not having to have seen the original show, whether before or after Fam, for it definitely sheds light on the world and many of the characters of Fam and greater deepens the appreciation. There is that recap episode, but it's not really enough. For me at least, it's definitely Shelf Worthy!
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Ashen Phoenix
Joined: 21 Jun 2006
Posts: 2940
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:54 pm
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I definitely agree about Kokoro Connect. The premise of body swapping for more than just fanservice or cheap laughs was held a lot of potential to me, and I loved the times the story dipped into deeper waters.
Sadly, those times were just never long enough. You said it so well; things weren't explored as thoroughly, nor resolved in as satisfying a way as they could've been.
It's at times like this that I think having the potential for greatness and falling short of that is worse than being a mediocre show from start to finish. Having said that, I'm still tempted to check out the dub for those veteran VAs.
Last Exile is on my to-watch list so I'm glad to hear Fam is more approachable than I'd thought it would be.
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maximilianjenus
Joined: 29 Apr 2013
Posts: 2902
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 4:00 pm
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watching a kokoro connect story arc is wathing a driver who is winning during all the race, then in the last km ends up in the middle of the pack; the you watch another race an he is ahead again and you think he will win and he falls last again, and the third time you either stop watching him or get used to it because he will always finish the race last, but it's still exiting when he is winning.
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jymmy
Joined: 11 Nov 2011
Posts: 1244
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 4:11 pm
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Kokoro Connect had some good ideas and some stretches of good execution, but it always seemed aimless and kind of pointless to me. That last arc was so lousy it turned the series into unintentional comedy.
I agree totally about the lack of weight afforded to the OMG so serious issues, and would like to add that Iori's thing was just ridiculous.
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Animegomaniac
Joined: 16 Feb 2012
Posts: 4157
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 4:15 pm
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Quote: | When one of the characters finally gets the courage to confront her mother about her abusive boyfriend, it's solved with a simple, "Oh, you dislike him? Okay, I'll tell him to leave and never come back." It's lazy storytelling and lazy conflict resolution, almost to the point where it feels as though the issues in the series were pulled at random from pamphlets at the local college counseling center. |
In the Kokoro Connect I saw, the guy was her first stepfather and her mother already kicked him out previously. After more failed relationships on her part, he came back, claiming he'd be nice and both of them accepted him in for the other's sake but both knowing inside he's still the same old brute. Considering how ready her response was, it's the same way she first kicked him out of their life so....
Lazy viewing? I would have said that we ourselves are Heartseed in that we want this characters to go through hell for our entertainment and that the club situation is balanced and shallow because it's made for character drama, not "slice of life" reality. As such, it's very hard to imagine how this club formed and it's that way on purpose; "The Story that had already begun before anyone realized it."
Anything? I suppose if it was "once upon a time...", it would have been called cheeky?
Maybe it's me, maybe I'm too sensitive to stories that outright question fiction within the confines of their own setting, that scoff at coincidences {good thing Aoki ran into his old girlfriend so quickly, right? Not that he would have changed but because the story was stalling} and drive home the fact at how easy it is to point characters in new directions even if the Author doesn't always have full control of them.
Why not full control? It's boring. It's always an amazing thing when the character not only fulfills the Author's scenario but exceeds it, such as Inaba in episode 10.
That is all. Well, no but anymore, it'll become a dissertation on the nature of fiction...
And Fam the Silver Wing was pretty boring to me so I only managed to watch about 8 episodes. I'd ask how it ended but I forget how it began.
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CrownKlown
Joined: 05 May 2011
Posts: 1762
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 4:52 pm
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I ended up buying Fam on blu ray to complete my Last Exille connection.
But I honestly don't think its even as good as the review makes it out to be. Its been blatantly moeified and converted to an all female cast with yuri possibilities simply to cash in on this trend of moe all female yuri cast shows. And anybody who says otherwise is naive or has not seen the first show.
The first show had a great story, a very diverse cast, had plenty of strong female and male characters, great visuals, interesting villians and anti villians, etc. The ending was nice and closed, and Dio had already been confirmed a long time ago to be alive, so if that was the only thing you care about in this show it was not needed.
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TG72
Joined: 28 Jan 2011
Posts: 334
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 5:35 pm
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pachy_boy wrote: | it definitely sheds light on the world and many of the characters of Fam and greater deepens the appreciation. |
I'll second this; it does a decent job of world building. I think Sara is a memorable new character. I also agree with the reviewer about the show's visuals.
However, I'm still feeling cheated by a couple of things but have spoken about them enough in previous threads.
My grudge is weakening a little, though. I might be interested when Fam hits S.A.V.E.
I thought Kokoro Connect's first arc turned out pretty well. The second had a premise that was almost too painful for me. The third had a decent idea but a sloppy ending.
Last edited by TG72 on Wed Oct 23, 2013 8:00 am; edited 1 time in total
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heavyweather
Joined: 29 Aug 2008
Posts: 97
Location: Fargo, ND
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 6:01 pm
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I was very disappointed by Fam. The cast and story where not great, but the main reason why I didn't like it as much as the original was that it simply wasn't as fun. Last Exile was a blast, and Fam just felt really leaden in comparison.
The review of We Without Wings makes it sound very interesting. I might have to check it out on Crunchyroll some time.
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Kyogissun
Joined: 17 Aug 2007
Posts: 676
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 7:09 pm
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The problem is that We, Without Wings first couple of episodes were SO INCREDIBLY ALIENATING TO ME that I had NO desire to attempt to burn through however many episodes to get to the stuff I cared about, the coverage of the MPD.
By going with that obnoxiously polarizing first couple episodes, it results in a much more jarring experience that I think there MUST be a better way to do it. Navel apparently had one of the BEST stories in this title but... If you want to draw in a crowd, that was SO not the way to do it.
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DangerMouse
Joined: 25 Mar 2009
Posts: 3993
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 7:33 pm
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pachy_boy wrote: | I initially appreciated Last Exile--Fam the Silver Wing for confirming that Dio was still alive from the first series, and I enjoyed it overall for being a fun series, a fun sequel to the first, even if it felt rather rushed in places and especially toward the end. Having just watched it for a second time on Blu-ray, I found myself genuinely loving this show. Yes it looks pretty, but I believe the characters and their stories are just as charming. I love the relationship dynamics and how they develop at the end of their journeys, even if it isn't "deep" per se. It's the right mix of everything that makes this show come together, and I get the impression it's kind of underrated. I also disagree about not having to have seen the original show, whether before or after Fam, for it definitely sheds light on the world and many of the characters of Fam and greater deepens the appreciation. There is that recap episode, but it's not really enough. For me at least, it's definitely Shelf Worthy! |
Agree with this and also second the review's gushing over the gorgeous visuals, my blu-ray re-watch was worth it.
I enjoyed the show a lot too and thought the overall story and characters were quite good and enjoyed seeing the old ones, even if the story was rushed at parts.
Looking back, I think one thing that would have helped the show's story side be more appreciated by some viewers is that I loved Fam herself so one thing keeping it from its full potential for some I think was that Fam should have gotten a full growth arc over the 21 episodes like Millia did, rather than just her acknowledging her faults toward the end (which was unexpectedly nice), it would have helped toward elevating the show closer to classic level I think by making it more fulfilling for more of the detractors and smoothed out some of the story pacing issues/complaints, I'm still not sure why they didn't do it since she was really likeable and I would have enjoyed it.
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KLAC
Exempt from Grammar Rules
Joined: 22 Oct 2009
Posts: 1124
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:28 pm
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yet among those mention finish watch on both we without wings & kokoro connect yet both ok sorts to watch.
give in wings anime had f-service on it yet different stories on it yet worth a check.
kokoro on the other side well give sure like something as well give ways yet feel fine to watch.
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bglassbrook
Joined: 29 Aug 2006
Posts: 1243
Location: Gaithersburg, MD
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 9:20 pm
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Too bad half the shelves are double-stacked, so we cannot see what's back there. Looks like K-On on the lower shelf, I'm guessing more Inuyasha above that, and then Chobits on the middle shelf.
Quote: | The series is less about the “gotcha” than it is about the journey there. |
Is that why it went without even the slightest spoiler warning?
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Echo_City
Joined: 03 Apr 2011
Posts: 1236
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Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 12:21 am
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Quote: | Its been blatantly moeified and converted to an all female cast with yuri possibilities simply to cash in on this trend of moe all female yuri cast shows. And anybody who says otherwise is naive or has not seen the first show. |
I completely agree. Sexualized moeblobs just creep me out. I tried watching this for the (Carrie Savage) dub but I just couldn't finish it. I should have known that a show which opens with a girl sleepwalking out of a flying airship (while wearing only her underwear) wouldn't get any better in later episodes. I didn't much care for the first series but I was at least able to finish it.
Reading this thread I am glad that I skipped the section of this column pertaining to We Without Wings as I have yet to finish it and I don't want any spoilers. No "spoiler alert" sounds like a technical foul IMO.
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ethos711
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Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 1:13 am
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Since nobody has mentioned it yet, I'd like to add that the OVA for Kokoro Connect more than makes up for the lackluster ending that the series had. After a fantastic opening arc, I was pretty sad to see Kokoro Connect falter in the second and third arcs. The last bit added next to nothing and was pretty disappointing. But the OVA is as good, if not better than the best of tv series.
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Tanteikingdomkey
Joined: 03 Sep 2008
Posts: 2350
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Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 9:27 am
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Kyogissun wrote: | The problem is that We, Without Wings first couple of episodes were SO INCREDIBLY ALIENATING TO ME that I had NO desire to attempt to burn through however many episodes to get to the stuff I cared about, the coverage of the MPD.
By going with that obnoxiously polarizing first couple episodes, it results in a much more jarring experience that I think there MUST be a better way to do it. Navel apparently had one of the BEST stories in this title but... If you want to draw in a crowd, that was SO not the way to do it. |
yep it is called the original visual novel.
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