Forum - View topicSmile Down the Runway (TV).
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Stark700
 Posts: 11762 Location: Earth |
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Smile Down the Runway (TV) Genres: Slice of Life, Drama, School, Shounen Themes: Fashion Plot Summary:
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15574 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 1
Would not normally think that an anime about fashion modeling, the design in the model herself, would be up my ally, but I enjoyed the first episode. |
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ACｘS
 Posts: 960 |
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1:
Awwwww, I'm smitten. It's the exact same feeling I had for the first season of Chihayafuru. It has heart. Lots of it. So much of it that I have to like it. It's trite to see someone not giving up when the circumstances are against her. In the case of Chiyuki, it's admirable to see her being so determined to become a hypermodel even when our inner cynic thinks she shouldn't hold her breath. In a show that's about determination, it's about proving how determined the protagonist is; it's the stuff of shounen/shoujo anime like Chihayafuru and My Hero Academia. What impresses me a lot about the first episode is the doses of reality. On one hand, you have an inspirational story. So far so good. On the other, you have the things that make such feel-good stories not so good. Growth spurt says no, is obstacle one. The harsher obstacle? You start to internalize what you've being told, and become the thing you hate. Chiyuki realized that firsthand by (almost?) telling Ikuto the same thing she's being told by Shizuku. And then there's circumstances. Ikuto being practical with his life choices because of his family's situation hits it right in the feels for me (he reminds me of Kuroneko from OreImo, based on his predicament). How many of us choose the pragmatic route in life instead of the ideal one? Too many. And then there's this thing called luck. It's that one thing that successful people don't want to admit, but the one element that makes or breaks their success in the first place. A Youtuber who became wildly successful because he was the first of his kind. A man who became a billionaire because he met someone who changed his life. As in Chiyuki's / Mille Neige's case, getting a huge break when a successful model shares the post on her IG. In the world of self-help that offers constant lip service about not giving up, ways to stand out, and understand your weaknesses, it habitually eschews the role of luck (because well, it doesn't gel with their gospel). I love it. My inner cynic might be crying out for some nastiness in the modelling industry (and a Tyra Banks for delish drama), but I'm shutting him up. I want more episodes. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 960 |
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2:
Oh boy. Let's be clear: I like a number of things about this show. I like the nasty people of the fashion industry. I like the Silicon Valley-like cult of personality theme at hand, as shown by Hazime. I like the Hell's Kitchen-like environment of the fashion runway's backstage. I like the mutually respectable (platonic?) relationship between Chiyuki and Ikuto. But there's one thing I don't like about this show: lucky breaks. Success gurus don't like it, but luck is that one factor that makes or breaks someone's success. I mentioned that in my last post. Chiyuki and Ikuto got their lucky break when that model's IG post went viral. That's lucky break #1. And then: Chiyuki's dad introduces Ikuto to a talented contact, Gordon 'Hazime' Ramsey. Just so happens, Tokyo Fashion Week (the biggest fashion in Japan) starts the day after Ikuto's meeting with Hazime. Model doesn't turn up at a critical time, and the replacement is (drum roll) Chiyuki. The assistant collapses, paving the way for Ikuto to prove himself (at the most significant event in Japan, no less). See, no. I can't take this as lucky breaks anymore; this is way too convenient. I like how resolute Chiyuki and Ikuto may be (as predictable as it is), but when you get this many lucky breaks, you know there's not going to be any surprises in store for us. I'm not sure how long this series is, but if it's just one cour, I won't be surprised. With this many successive breaks, Chiyuki and Ikuto will be flying to Paris in no time. I get how such shows (and shounen series, in general) rely on lucky breaks to get things rolling, but they should not go crazy. I like this show; I just hate this part. P.S. It's a bit disturbing to see Chiyuki being nude. I get how hasty and chaotic the runway backstage is, but bear in mind: she's a third-year high school kid. She's borderline legal (if she's really 18; Ikuto's only 17). |
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Alestal
 Posts: 605 Location: Dallas, Texas |
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The first episode was decent... but very predictable. I'm hoping they start to develop the characters a bit more instead of reiterating the sentiments/struggles over and over.
The biggest surprise from the first episode was how damn ugly some of the clothes were. Especially the "looks" that were supposed to be impressive. I totally understand that they may have been aiming for "high fashion" aesthetics, but those clothes were not it! |
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ACｘS
Posts: 960 |
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3:
And it's still relying on lucky breaks: that broken heel was a blessing in disguise, like every other roadblocks before it. It's yet another opportunity to prove Chiyuki and Ikuto's worth, but it's still a fluke and the show is so dependent on such a thing. Still, despite all the predictability, I like the mutual encouragement and support between the two; it's genuine. I don't understand the fine nuances of fashion (let alone high fashion) but at least the show is obvious with conventions and breaking them: dress before model (and dress complements model). That goes for the facial expression part too, I guess. *is Niinuma a clone of OreImo's Manami? |
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ACｘS
Posts: 960 |
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4:
Ikuto's senior colleague bailing out and Ikuto taking over her responsibilities? Wow, it's like he's being promoted automatically overnight. What LUCK! I like this episode. At first I thought Ayano's going to be Ikuto's colleague-rival (because you know, what better way for Ikuto to improve than to have a rival by his side, right). But no, he has a motive of his own. A textbook of talent spotting in a competitive industry like fashion; once you see one, better grab it. I just hope Kokoro isn't just the flower pot of the show. She's a model who aspires to become a model; that's an interesting premise to work on, right? |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15574 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 12 (finale)
Perhaps there was only so much a show about fashion and modeling could appeal to myself, who have little interest in such things. My interest kind of waned as it went on, that when we got to the final episode where a lot of the characters so invested in what they want out of winning the fashion show, that I could not think much other than wanting characters to be happy. I am still confused by elements like when Ikuto's mother had some health thing and Ikuto was put in the know. It felt like it was already decided his mother was on death's door, or was going to die soon, but then she seems perfectly fine in the fashion show that was in the last couple of episodes. I am not sure what was going on there where Ikuto had been considering sacrificing his dreams for his younger, along with how he should be included in the protected by his mother's wishes. That it looked like their mother was keeping her health problems a secret, maybe because she does not want them to worry, but effectively also that if anything did happen it would probably be a surprise and devastating, something she would personally never have to deal with. I feel like there should be a whole bunch that I could go into, but while I could say that it was a pleasant enough watch, I just kind of bored with it. The subject matter was not for me, and although that did not matter at first, it just became an issue as it went on. My rating would be So-so (5/10), it just didn't really catch my attention. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 960 |
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Final Episode:
6/10. I don't get fashion. Never have, probably never will. But I'm not going to fault this show just because I don't get *it*. The show itself is pretty fine, sans two main criticisms: one, it's relying way too much on lucky breaks. I know (and acknowledge) the fact that luck does make or break one's career but if this show was about proving your worth, it's not getting the point out. Two, it's clichéd. You know how sports or shounen anime always feel the same? Here too: it feels like a typical J-drama but animated (maybe that's way I don't watch J-drama). The ending is predictable. The show isn't going to gut the finalists even when so much is at stake for all of them; it's not the kind that's cruel enough to do it. It's the only realistic (and diplomatic) thing to happen: Ikuto got 11th place but demonstrated so much potential. Well, what do you expect from a 16-year old? Kizaki got 7th because her design's more original. Toh backed out because him winning would be a cop-out his goal wasn't to win the contest in the first place. It almost feels like Kokoro's win is decided by default; in fact I don't feel like she won hands down. If anything, it's Chiyuki who won (this *is* her show, after all). But look, I get it. We've seen it in real life many times: a contest doesn't say anything about success. Kokoro wins a contest but that doesn't mean she will be an amazing designer eventually (just look at Toh and his 52 cards). The show went with the route that's done to death: "it's a journey, not a destination". Long story short, I don't dislike this show. It's pretty okay... maybe not my thing, that's all. |
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