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Nemui_Nezumi
Joined: 08 Jan 2014
Posts: 343
Location: Europe
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 1:19 pm
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in my opinion the series is entertaining to watch but that's all, the show by itself is nothing really special
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Angel'sArcanum
Joined: 02 Sep 2010
Posts: 304
Location: Toronto, Ontario
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 1:23 pm
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Yeah the series can be a bit fun and quirky despite being rather dry. It's very digestible thankfully which is not something I can say for a lot of the weekly series I've been watching. It's easy to breeze through one episode of this than 2 minutes of Nagi no Asukara for one.
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Zhou-BR
Joined: 28 Feb 2008
Posts: 1463
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 1:34 pm
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I really wanted to like this because I'm a big fan of Kaburaki's work on Kimi ni Todoke and My Little Monster, but I could barely finish the first episode. Does it get better later on? I usually give shows more than one episode to hook me, but I'm watching so many this season that I had to be more ruthless when it comes to dropping them.
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thekingsdinner
Joined: 25 Sep 2010
Posts: 1105
Location: Geertruidenberg, Netherlands
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 1:47 pm
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It really just depends on the kind of humor one likes and dislikes. Some think Hozuki no Reitetsu is one of the most boring comedies, some get quite a lot of laughs from it.
Personally I love Hozuki no Reitetsu and is my probably my favorite anime of this season.
Last edited by thekingsdinner on Mon Mar 10, 2014 1:48 pm; edited 1 time in total
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gedata
Joined: 04 May 2013
Posts: 617
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 1:47 pm
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Zhou-BR wrote: | I really wanted to like this because I'm a big fan of Kaburaki's work on Kimi ni Todoke and My Little Monster, but I could barely finish the first episode. Does it get better later on? I usually give shows more than one episode to hook me, but I'm watching so many this season that I had to be more ruthless when it comes to dropping them. |
Nah comedies never get better. They either click with you or they don't and that goes doubly for this one.
This one is most definitely the surprise of the season for me. Was expecting to be bored out of my tears with all the references to Japanese stuff I've never heard of, but that really was far from the case. It has a lot to do with my preference for dry humor I suppose. My reaction to this was essentially the opposite of this reviewers. This one certainly lacks mainstream appeal doesn't it?
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TheTsunami
Joined: 19 Jul 2004
Posts: 147
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 2:06 pm
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Zhou-BR wrote: | I really wanted to like this because I'm a big fan of Kaburaki's work on Kimi ni Todoke and My Little Monster, but I could barely finish the first episode. Does it get better later on? I usually give shows more than one episode to hook me, but I'm watching so many this season that I had to be more ruthless when it comes to dropping them. |
The first episode was probably my least favorite one, so it wouldn't hurt to try another episode or two.
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rahzel rose
Subscriber
Joined: 19 Apr 2011
Posts: 834
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 2:08 pm
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HnR is one of my favorites this season, and it hits me in all the right places. Nice animation, great cast, interesting historical tidbits, dry humor, and it's different from anything else that's out there. I freaking love it.
Quote: | None of this would be quite as patience-trying if Hozuki was able to hold us in thrall, but again, no such luck. He's a logically consistent kind of character, but that just means he's consistently frosty, distant, and unfeeling. He is a singularly uninvolving lead. Not once do we root for him, feel for him, or identify with him. He's the motivating force behind the vignettes, but not a draw unto himself. |
This is pretty much the exact opposite of how I feel about Hozuki. He is the driving force, but I also definitely get more out of him than just that. I do think he has depth, and I like the tiny insights we get into his thoughts and daily private life. Maybe that's just my bias for dry and subtle characters talking, but I enjoy him quite a bit. /shrugs
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Agent355
Joined: 12 Dec 2008
Posts: 5113
Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready...
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 2:16 pm
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I really like the show, but all I can think of saying in response to this review is "Oh! That's why My Little Monster had a cameo!" I didn't realize the shows shared a director.
As for getting better: I actually do think the show gets better after the first episode. The first ep went over my head with the cultural references, which isn't as much of an issue in every episode. But there's also the rhythm and familiarity factor of comedy itself. I find that the more you know about a show's characters, the funnier situations can become. Hozoki no Retetsu takes some time to introduce new characters into the show and the character focused gags can be amusing.
I'm also quite fond of "Hell as the setting for an office comedy" concept. In the main thread I mentioned Adult Swim's Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell (which isn't that good, but the concept is funny), and I'm pretty sure it's been done in other places, too.
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dtm42
Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 2:22 pm
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Comedy and humour are subjective, and what one person may find funny another person might not. I know, I know; you don't need to tell me. But holding up Hozuki no Reitetsu to usual anime comedy standards when in terms of structure and tone it's not a usual anime comedy misses the point of the show by a whole continent. The show is not supposed to be laugh-out-loud funny where the audience cackles with delight (that said, I've laughed numerous times; there hasn't been a boring episode yet). Instead, it offers a more mature kind of entertainment where the character interactions, workings of hell and references make for a highly watchable cocktail of good humour, and absurdity and realism play off one another in bizarre yet fascinating ways.
Hozuki no Reitetsu has been one of the best shows of the season. I like that it is quirky but not in a disgusting way like other shows I could name. I like how it doesn't try to make us laugh every five seconds with a hyperactive tone and lame jokes like most comedy anime. I like that it has intelligence and assumes that its audience is intelligent too. And I like the interplay between the characters and scenarios, and the way both are simultaneously familiar and completely out there. Hozuki no Reitetsu is not a roller-coaster of Crazy Anime Hijinks!!!11! where we have to be entertained no matter what, and nor was it trying to be that kind of show. It's really like a pleasant picnic on a sunny day where there's no pressure to have fun yet everyone has fun anyway.
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DmonHiro
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 2:32 pm
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Odd, I though the best part was how Hoozuki has the exterior aspect of being perfectly in control of his emotions, when it reality, he's very angry inside. It's very easy to see that when you look at his actions.
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Kimiko_0
Joined: 31 Aug 2008
Posts: 1796
Location: Leiden, NL, EU
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 2:51 pm
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Is it just me, or would it have been better to give this review to someone else on the ANN staff? It's obviously not Carl's genre. Rebecca, Bamboo or Theron seem better matches.
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st_owly
Joined: 20 May 2008
Posts: 5234
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 2:56 pm
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Kimiko_0 wrote: | Is it just me, or would it have been better to give this review to someone else on the ANN staff? It's obviously not Carl's genre. Rebecca, Bamboo or Theron seem better matches. |
There's no point always giving people stuff to review that you know they'll enjoy. If you don't love a show, it's probably easier for you to be objective about it. Although a reviewer should try to be objective no matter what.
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tuxedocat
Joined: 14 Dec 2009
Posts: 2183
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 2:59 pm
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review wrote: | It's possible they'd be funnier if we were more familiar with their original myths, but the treatment of mythical figures we are familiar with argues against that. Satan is a cruelly unfunny parody of the blustering American and Beelzebub is equally devoid of laughs as a parody of European aristocrats. |
I think that familiarization of Japanese folklore enhances the experience. Though I think the parodies of the western characters is more subjective. I thought they were funny, and took no offence at all.
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sakuragtin
Joined: 18 Nov 2008
Posts: 222
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 3:24 pm
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This show had me at "This is Hell. Let's settle this with violence."
Hozuki's vindictive hateful nature is probably one of the funniest aspects of the show. But it's really whatever tickles your funny bone like with most comedy. Also the beginning theme song is so very addictive.
As for the review, Carl and me typically don't agree so I wasn't too surprised to see him feel less then stellar about it. But for me it's one of my favorites this season and I lucked out that Sentai licensed it.
Last edited by sakuragtin on Mon Mar 10, 2014 9:36 pm; edited 2 times in total
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CrowLia
Joined: 24 Feb 2012
Posts: 5530
Location: Mexico
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 4:00 pm
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I'm really surprised by this review. I don't think I'd read any ANN review before that made me keep scratching my head and wondering if the reviewer and I were watching the same show (granted, I don't frequently read ANN reviews).
I realize comedy is an extremely subjective genre, but every single thing Carl said was wrong with the show I found extremely funny. Not always in the "laughing out loud" way, but definitely in the way dtm42 describes. It's not the usual slapstick comedy anime uses, but more of a general hilarity through the course of every story. Being familiarized with Japanese folklore most definitely helps, and both the Beelzebub and Satan episodes were really good
And Hozuki is the star of the show and he's amazing. Not only because it's immensely funny to see how his non-plussed demeanor masks his intense ire, but because of his funny quirks like the goldfish plants, and because he's overall really witty and funny. There are a lot of parts about his interactions with other characters that are really hilarious like the rivalry with Hakutaku and his condescending attitude towards Enma. His mercilessness is also really funny, the Games of Hell episode was amazing. I really don't understand why is it a bad thing we don't empathize or root for Hozuki, when it clearly isn't the point of the series. Like dtm42 said, the show doesn't compare to other anime comedies because it has a completely different tone than most, and likewise, Hozuki does not stand on the same ground as most comedy protagonists.
All in all I think that Hozuki no Reitetsu is one of the best shows of the season and it's definitely a breath of fresh air, especially where comedy is concerned because it's so different to the SOL_anime_joke.vid and yet remains incredibly funny
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