Forum - View topicREVIEW: Blood Blockade Battlefront & Beyond BD+DVD
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MarshalBanana
 Posts: 5500 |
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Season 2 is good, the story is a bit better than season ones and the animation quality is high, but I did miss Rie Matsumotos distinctive directional style, which suited a very stylised show like BBB.
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meiam
Posts: 3447 |
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Yeah a bit of a mix bag, I think S2 was definitely improved by removing the anime original story of S1, which I though was decent for most of the run time but capped of an otherwise energetic and original anime with a generic and slow ending which left a bit of a boring taste. But at the same time the actual episode direction felt weaker and a bit more mundane in S2 compared to S1.
I was also hoping that the anime would move away from the boring main character, he's really just an audience stand in to dumb exposition. So with season 2 setting being better establish by now his use is almost zero. But if anything the opposite happen, he felt more present than ever, still completely boring but just tagging along because... I don't know, he has to be there? But it's still a very fun show with a unique setting, when it really let loose and just indulge in it's flashy character and setting you get great episode. |
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Scalfin
Posts: 249 |
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I do feel like S2 came off as less cohesive or focused than S1 due to its lack of a USA-show-endcap-plot like the Black-and-White plot, something that gave S1 a more established timeline and internal connection (the main character's learning curve also helped this).
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Neromon
Posts: 18 |
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I actually enjoyed this quite a bit more than S1, despite the downgrade in direction.
The first season was a mess, the anime-original storyline didn't blend in well with the episodic adventures and mostly felt like it belongs to a completely different show. Getting rid of that tonal dissonance made S2 much more engaging and allowed Nightow's material to really shine. |
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Merxamers
 Posts: 720 |
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While i greatly enjoyed the greater exploration of the cast members in this season, which the first sorely lacked, i admit i wish there was another season-spanning narrative like in the first, even if it had to be anime original. If i was to have a small complaint about the second season, it did feel unfocused from a plot perspective, and i'm guessing that's because the manga itself is episodic.
That aside, i adore both this season and the first. KK's episode in particular is fantastic for all the reasons Nick said, and i also loved Gilbert's episode, and the 2-part finale (spoiler[there is some great tension with that enemy that only Leonardo can see, and the beautiful, frenetic final fight is an awesome mirror-reverse of what Leo sees as his greatest failure]) If we ever get a season 3, I earnestly hope there can be a balance between character-driven stories and an overall narrative; that's not too much to ask for, right? |
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Angel M Cazares
 Posts: 5499 Location: Iscandar |
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If we get more anime, something tells me that it would be a movie. I do agree on the balance though. |
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steelmirror
 Posts: 342 |
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I guess I'm one of the few who enjoyed the White/Black plotline. I thought the ending of that plot was okay, but the little bits of it interspersed throughout the season were really great. I mean, they had a reference to the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Twins! And it was actually kind of touching! How can you not love that? For me, season 1 was all-time great status, with season 2 being one of the better shows of the year, but not in my favorites-ever list.
I actually like the fragmented nature of the show, throwing out whatever crazy crap is on its mind at the moment at a million miles a minute, and trusting the audience to either keep up or at least be entertained by all the weirdness racing around on screen. I'm not saying that having a season-long coherent arc would be bad, per se, it's just that the show hasn't needed it so far, and I feel that's actually been a strength. The world of Hellsalem's Lot is just so stuffed full of interesting facets that it feels sort of appropriate that we explore it through a dizzying series of vignettes, each with their own preoccupations, strengths, and main characters which may or may not mesh gracefully with other parts of the same show. Anyway, love the show, love to see other people give it some love. I'll add my voice to those hoping for a season 3, and I might even consider buying some discs to support the past ones. |
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DangerMouse
Posts: 3993 |
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Agree with all of this. Also Rie's direction was perfect for how million miles a minute the show and amazingly stuffed setting is and how naturally timed it seemed like tons of western and western movie references flew by (no doubt thanks to Nightow's source too of course). I really liked the White/Black story too. I actually agree the end of it was a bit flawed but I really enjoyed it, like you, whenever it was sprinkled around. So many feels from all of the great scenes with Leo and White especially. Not to take anything away from S2 either. Season 2 was still fantastic and I loved diving into even more of these characters and their adventures. I love these characters so much and both of these seasons had glorious dubs. An extremely dub friendly show and they really turned out a great one, really capturing it perfectly.
Oh, do you mean we've caught up too much now after season 2? In that case I'd certainly enjoy getting to see this get a movie. |
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Angel M Cazares
Posts: 5499 Location: Iscandar |
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I am not sure how much source material is still available, but a movie (especially if Matsumoto directed it) seems like a fitting way to end the anime. I don't have any evidence to conclude that a movie rather than a third season could be made; it is mostly a gut feeling. Also, anime movies seem to be making a lot of money these days. And I agree with steelmirror's post. The first season is a superb anime; I also really liked the White and Black stuff. Season 2 was not as good, but it was still fun and enjoyable; the last two episodes were particularity good and poignant but hopeful. |
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Brack
 Posts: 291 Location: UK |
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There's next to nothing left to adapt from original manga. BUT, there is a continuation series, Blood Blockade Battlefront BACK 2 BACK. So presumably if there's third anime season, that's what'll be used as the title. |
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Gurren Rodan
 Posts: 266 |
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^..And from what I've heard, some of the bits in season 2 were already drawing from the sequel manga.
Blood Blockade Battlefront, in both of its seasons, is one of my all-time favorite shows. Each season has some of its own weaknesses, but the overall energy and aesthetic of the show really clicks with me. If you ask me for a "cool" anime, this is the show I would mention first. I was delighted that we got a second season at all, and even more delighted that it turned out well despite Matsumoto's absence. I can only hope another sequel can see the light of day in the future.[/i] |
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musouka
Posts: 718 |
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I'm not a Nightow fan, so the second season sans Matsumoto was...well, not unwatchable, but unenjoyable? .
I appreciate that I'm in the minority on this one, but once I finished it, I was left feeling as that not a single member of the extended cast had been improved by increased focus upon them. It was as though Matsumoto had plucked every single bit worthwhile from the series for her version, and this second season was just the picked over carcass. |
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Gurren Rodan
Posts: 266 |
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For me, seeing each of the characters get more focus made them more like actual main/secondary characters, rather than background figures who just showed up a lot. Their personalities and lifestyles were much better fleshed out. While I like Leo as a protagonist a lot, there really wasn't much time in the first season to look at just who thes other people really were.
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