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REVIEW: Beyond the Boundary Episodes 1-6 Streaming


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ikillchicken



Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Posts: 7272
Location: Vancouver
PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 9:43 pm Reply with quote
Redcrimson wrote:
Which I would totally accept if the show did a better job of establishing their relationship, or even the nature of Akihito's powers. It's a crisis that appears from basically nowhere and is resolved just as quickly.


But that's precisely why their relationship works! All along he's kinda tagging along with her. They get along decently well but she's obviously got this dark traumatic past and this dangerous power. And he seems like he's trying to be nice but really, its kinda just bullshit when he says he understands what it's like. And so she keeps pushing him away and trying to isolate herself. But as we realize during that pivotal fight, he totally does know what it's like. He's in a tremendously similar situation. And although it is sudden it makes perfect sense when you think about it. Aki being half Youmu is something that we knew but there was a conspicuous lack of elaboration on what that entailed. However, Mirai, and perhaps the audience themselves, fail to pick up on it because they're entirely focused on Mirai's problems. Mirai is so convinced that she's alone because she's entirely focused on her own situation. But she learns that she actually does have more in common with Aki than she thought.

Quote:
The show's weird dichotomy between silly comedy and weighty fantasy just doesn't work, either.


I disagree. I think it has handled the transition pretty well. They're smart about giving us room to breathe between the darker parts and the goofy parts. The two tend to be buffered nicely by some in-between scenes that more sombre but not quite as grim or violent.

Quote:
There was possibilty for an intricate and unique fantasy universe.


Come on. They're adapting a LN. There was very little chance of a unique fantasy universe and an overwhelming chance of the exact same modern day, high school set, secret fantasy world we see in practically every LN.

Quote:
All of that however, just gets brushed aside for whacky Light Novel hijinks


See, this is what perplexes me though. I agree that much of the humor is at least partially derived from LN tropes. (Although I've found it to be consistently clever or tongue in cheek enough to work). But, its weird to me this has caused such a backlash from what appears to me to be essentially the same audience that normally eats this stuff up.
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Fencedude5609



Joined: 09 Nov 2006
Posts: 5088
PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 9:55 pm Reply with quote
ikillchicken wrote:

Quote:
There was possibilty for an intricate and unique fantasy universe.


Come on. They're adapting a LN. There was very little chance of a unique fantasy universe and an overwhelming chance of the exact same modern day, high school set, secret fantasy world we see in practically every LN.


*ahem*

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CrownKlown



Joined: 05 May 2011
Posts: 1762
PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 9:57 pm Reply with quote
How come when PPM made their character to cutesy it was hailed as revolution because its dark and cute? Yet here a character is too cute for her dark background.

Not sure if serious or trolling.

I haven't seen the show yet, probably wait to pick it up on blu ray from sentai, because as someone pointed out this quality show was picked up for US release, and some of lesser quality shows like Free where not.
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Fencedude5609



Joined: 09 Nov 2006
Posts: 5088
PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:02 pm Reply with quote
CrownKlown wrote:
How come when PPM made their character to cutesy it was hailed as revolution because its dark and cute? Yet here a character is too cute for her dark background.

Not sure if serious or trolling.


I'm not sure what point you are trying to make?

PPM is...Madoka? I assume?

No one (worth listening to) hailed it for those reasons. It was hailed because it was well written and directed. The concept of "Dark + Cute" was not invented by Madoka, and its not like there haven't been darker magical girl shows since long before it. Hell, the man who directed Madoka also directed the show that really brought the "somewhat dark, Otaku-focused Magical Girl show" genre to the forefront, seven years before.

You may have heard of it. A little show called Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha.
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Megiddo



Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 8360
Location: IL
PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:03 pm Reply with quote
Yeah, the first five or so episodes of Nanoha were awful.
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Rederoin



Joined: 29 May 2013
Posts: 1427
Location: Europa
PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:03 pm Reply with quote
Fencedude5609 wrote:
ikillchicken wrote:

Quote:
There was possibilty for an intricate and unique fantasy universe.


Come on. They're adapting a LN. There was very little chance of a unique fantasy universe and an overwhelming chance of the exact same modern day, high school set, secret fantasy world we see in practically every LN.


*ahem*


Speaking of LN's without a generic fantasy setting..

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Fencedude5609



Joined: 09 Nov 2006
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:05 pm Reply with quote
Megiddo wrote:
Yeah, the first five or so episodes of Nanoha were awful.


Which has what to do with my point, precisely?
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ikillchicken



Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Posts: 7272
Location: Vancouver
PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:13 pm Reply with quote
Fencedude5609 wrote:
ikillchicken wrote:

Quote:
There was possibilty for an intricate and unique fantasy universe.


Come on. They're adapting a LN. There was very little chance of a unique fantasy universe and an overwhelming chance of the exact same modern day, high school set, secret fantasy world we see in practically every LN.


*ahem*

[PIC]


I don't know what this is but I guess I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that its a "unique fantasy universe". Still, if you're going to be pedantic, "*ahem* Here's a single exception to your generalization" guy you've gotta at least wait until someone actually makes an absolute statement. Otherwise, you just end up looking like you don't know what "very little" and "practically" mean.
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Fencedude5609



Joined: 09 Nov 2006
Posts: 5088
PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:15 pm Reply with quote
ikillchicken wrote:

I don't know what this is but I guess I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that its a "unique fantasy universe". Still, if you're going to be pedantic, "*ahem* Here's a single exception to your generalization" guy you've gotta at least wait until someone actually makes an absolute statement. Otherwise, you just end up looking like you don't know what "very little" and "practically" mean.


The fact that most light novels are shit does not excuse this particular light novel for being shit.

Granted, its gorgeously animated shit, but still, shit.

And hell, Yozakura Quartet is actually just as well animated, if not sometimes even better.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 24137
PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:31 pm Reply with quote
@ ikc - you have been articulating my own thoughts note for note. I am astonished at how disliked / judged mediocre this title is. When I see how much truly mediocre stuff doesn't even attract a tenth of the derision that this one does, I just shake my head. I'm usually not this out of synch with the herd.

I find the show hilarious and engaging. Far superior to, say, Outbreak Company's ultra-absorbing, "oh you're a cute maid" dynamic that seems to have everyone in a transport of ecstasy. Arpeggio of Blue Steel, which I'm enjoying for what it is, is basically just a massive "cute girl" fest where the mental models of navy warships are cute girls who generally are ga-ga over the male MC who we don't even really know that well yet. But that show isn't riding any kind of negative wave like Boundary.

Truly, truly bizarre.
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Fencedude5609



Joined: 09 Nov 2006
Posts: 5088
PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:42 pm Reply with quote
Blood- wrote:
Arpeggio of Blue Steel, which I'm enjoying for what it is, is basically just a massive "cute girl" fest where the mental models of navy warships are cute girls who generally are ga-ga over the male MC who we don't even really know that well yet.


Err...only Takao is interested in Gunzou. Well, Iona might be, but Takao's the only one who's interest is explicitly something that might be considered romantic of sexual in nature.

spoiler[Haruna] could quite literally give zero shits about him, since she's dedicated to spoiler[Makie]. Ditto spoiler[Hyuuga], except she's VERY interested in spoiler[Iona]. And spoiler[Kirishima] is...err...yeah. spoiler[Kirishima].
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ikillchicken



Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Posts: 7272
Location: Vancouver
PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:44 pm Reply with quote
Fencedude5609 wrote:
The fact that most light novels are shit does not excuse this particular light novel for being shit.


It would be helpful if you could pay attention to the context of the discussion instead of just jumping on random comments. Redcrimson's whole point was centered around people's dislike being due to high expectations and, in the specific line I was responding to, expecting a more unique fantasy world. So yeah, my point is perfectly valid in response.

Fencedude5609 wrote:
I'm not sure what point you are trying to make?


Yes, evidently. His point is not that being cute but also dark made Madoka good. Obviously that alone doesn't make something good. But rather, it is that this combination didn't make Madoka bad. He is responding to the criticisms raised in the review that the cute elements of this show somehow undermine it when it tries to get serious or dark. I'm not sure whether that comparison holds up or not but that's definitely what he is trying to say.

Fencedude5609 wrote:
Granted, its gorgeously animated shit, but still, shit.


Well obviously I can't hope to defeat you unflappable argument via the classic "appeal to excrement". So I guess I'll just bow out here.
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Megiddo



Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 8360
Location: IL
PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:50 pm Reply with quote
Actually I was trying to say that while Nanoha's first half was relatively awful (like seirously, I have no idea why Shinbo wasted all that time collecting Lost Logia or whatever) and far worse than Beyond the Boundary's first half, it still managed to pull itself together and come up with a compelling story in the last few episodes. It was just to remind Fence that even some good properties have awful starts.
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Fencedude5609



Joined: 09 Nov 2006
Posts: 5088
PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:51 pm Reply with quote
ikillchicken wrote:

Yes, evidently. His point is not that being cute but also dark made Madoka good. Obviously that alone doesn't make something good. But rather, it is that this combination didn't make Madoka bad. He is responding to the criticisms raised in the review that the cute elements of this show somehow undermine it when it tries to get serious or dark. I'm not sure whether that comparison holds up or not but that's definitely what he is trying to say.


But thats the same thing? Cute+Dark doesn't make something good or bad. It just makes it what it is. Its the execution thats going to matter.

This also goes back to Kyoukai's setting. While its setting isn't particularly amazing, it could have been perfectly serviceable. Unfortunately it suffers from all the worst Light Novel bullshit that makes it completely uninteresting and blech.

Madoka didn't do anything amazingly new in its general setting, it just executed it far better than most. The real disappoint with Kyoukai is that a lot of people legit expected better of KyoAni, considering their run thus far.

Quote:
Well obviously I can't hope to defeat you unflappable argument via the classic "appeal to excrement". So I guess I'll just bow out here.


Its pretty, but bland. Mirai and Akihito are both perfect examples of completely uninteresting Anime/Manga/LN archetypes, with the only mildly interesting part being that Mirai has a bit of the stuff you generally see in male leads. The secondary cast is better, but suffers from having to support our two potatoes masquerading as main characters.

The show is also kinda skeevy in a way that bothers me more than usual. Akihito and whatshisname at one point literally sat in a room with Mirai and had a gross, horridly objectifying discussion about her body, which we were supposed to find funny. Then there's the part where the lady who purchases Youmu has a side business taking gravure shots of teenage and younger girls and then selling them to people without their permission. And who likes to take nude photos of her ambiguously aged pseudo-daughter. Something that would send people screaming if she were a male character.

So yeah, I expected better of this show in general.
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Fencedude5609



Joined: 09 Nov 2006
Posts: 5088
PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:52 pm Reply with quote
Megiddo wrote:
Actually I was trying to say that while Nanoha's first half was relatively awful (like seirously, I have no idea why Shinbo wasted all that time collecting Lost Logia or whatever) and far worse than Beyond the Boundary's first half, it still managed to pull itself together and come up with a compelling story in the last few episodes. It was just to remind Fence that even some good properties have awful starts.


Ok yeah, though I will say that while the first five episodes dragged a bit, there were some pretty important bits in there for Nanoha's development. Her character arc suffers somewhat from having them excised for Movie 1st.
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