×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
The Summer 2020 Preview Guide


Goto page Previous    Next

Note: this is the discussion thread for this article

Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
HMS Foxhound



Joined: 31 Jan 2020
Posts: 10
PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 1:13 pm Reply with quote
"But the overpowered protagonist has a good REASON for being overpowered and having all the women fall for him!" is not, in fact, a compelling defense.

Like, who cares that theres an explanation for Tatsuya's powers? Thats not the point! Same thing here. The problem is not the way the powers are explained.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ThatGuyWhoLikesThings



Joined: 04 Jul 2013
Posts: 1015
PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 1:54 pm Reply with quote
HMS Foxhound wrote:
"But the overpowered protagonist has a good REASON for being overpowered and having all the women fall for him!" is not, in fact, a compelling defense.

Like, who cares that theres an explanation for Tatsuya's powers? Thats not the point! Same thing here. The problem is not the way the powers are explained.


I don't really care that Tatsuya's overpowered. What matters is that he manages to be intensely unenjoyable and massively unlikable. Anos is neither of those things imo.

It's the same reason why so many people like Alucard from Hellsing. He stomps on every opponent with absurd ease but no one watching the show cares because he manages to make each encounter memorable because he always has a blast tearing his victims to shreds.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Zerreth



Joined: 16 Mar 2006
Posts: 208
Location: E6
PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 1:55 pm Reply with quote
A bit off topic, but I have a bone to pick with Key's mention of "demon king daimao" particularly because the localized name just sounds like garbage and is missing all the nuance from just a simple translation of "The Demon King/Overlord in the Far Back." It peeves me to see people get paid for their work for disregarding source material. (To clarify, I'm referring to the licensing staff)

Rant aside, I'm curious to see where Misfit of Demon Academy goes. I admittedly have no knowledge of the source material and went through it blind. I personally have a soft spot for Lawful Evil type characters and got a good chuckle out of Anos's stupid jokes falling flat leaving him to reflect on the culture shock.

I'm not a super big fan of Misha's kuudere trope but ultimately prefer it over the modern tsundere types who always have some rant or monologue prepared for every tiny thing. I don't expect this show to be at the top of any list but I think the presentation so far works well enough for the premise. Outside of the cartoony antagonists and the parents (which I think is justified to add flavor), nothing is too exaggerated so far and I think that's a good sign.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
HMS Foxhound



Joined: 31 Jan 2020
Posts: 10
PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:06 pm Reply with quote
ThatGuyWhoLikesThings wrote:

I don't really care that Tatsuya's overpowered. What matters is that he manages to be intensely unenjoyable and massively unlikable. Anos is neither of those things imo.

It's the same reason why so many people like Alucard from Hellsing. He stomps on every opponent with absurd ease but no one watching the show cares because he manages to make each encounter memorable because he always has a blast tearing his victims to shreds.


I'm not about to watch the show to find out if this is true, but I will go on record as having always found Hellsing *incredibly* overrated.

(and, just to head anything off, I've held this opinion since Hellsing's original DVD release in the US)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Sisyphusson66



Joined: 04 Dec 2018
Posts: 96
PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:08 pm Reply with quote
I was disappointed by the first episode of Monster Girl Doctor. It isn't bad or offensive, it just comes off as very, very bland. The stiffness and awkwardness of its characters and art make for a show that seems to try to be that mix of Monster Musume and Interview with Monster Girls, but ultimately a master of none. For example, in this episode, there is a scene between the doctor and the Lamia, where the music suggests that what is happening should be sultry and sensual. However, the scene and characters just lack the movement and emotion to pull it off and match the score.

It lacks the movement and bombastic nature of the art, fan service, and characters in Monster Musume, and it lacks the rich, fun characters, passion and introspection of Interview with Monster Girls.

Also, is it just me, or do the designs (mostly for the clothing) seem way too busy?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ThatGuyWhoLikesThings



Joined: 04 Jul 2013
Posts: 1015
PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:24 pm Reply with quote
HMS Foxhound wrote:
ThatGuyWhoLikesThings wrote:

I don't really care that Tatsuya's overpowered. What matters is that he manages to be intensely unenjoyable and massively unlikable. Anos is neither of those things imo.

It's the same reason why so many people like Alucard from Hellsing. He stomps on every opponent with absurd ease but no one watching the show cares because he manages to make each encounter memorable because he always has a blast tearing his victims to shreds.


I'm not about to watch the show to find out if this is true, but I will go on record as having always found Hellsing *incredibly* overrated.

(and, just to head anything off, I've held this opinion since Hellsing's original DVD release in the US)


Hellsing the TV Series? Or Hellsing Ultimate? Because when I talk about Hellsing, I'm implicitly speaking of the latter and usually assume everyone else is as well.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Key
Moderator


Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18343
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:34 pm Reply with quote
ThatGuyWhoLikesThings wrote:
Hellsing the TV Series? Or Hellsing Ultimate? Because when I talk about Hellsing, I'm implicitly speaking of the latter and usually assume everyone else is as well.

Not necessarily a safe assumption. People seem to forget that the TV series was very, very high on the "cool" factor before Ultimate came along, and even though the latter is better-animated in general, I still prefer the way the former handled equivalent material. (The TV show also has a much better opener.)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Gray Lensman



Joined: 17 Mar 2019
Posts: 145
PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:53 pm Reply with quote
Key wrote:
ThatGuyWhoLikesThings wrote:
Hellsing the TV Series? Or Hellsing Ultimate? Because when I talk about Hellsing, I'm implicitly speaking of the latter and usually assume everyone else is as well.

Not necessarily a safe assumption. People seem to forget that the TV series was very, very high on the "cool" factor before Ultimate came along, and even though the latter is better-animated in general, I still prefer the way the former handled equivalent material. (The TV show also has a much better opener.)


I could tell something was off in the original Hellsing towards the final arc - but damn if that jazzy opener wasn't awesome.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
HMS Foxhound



Joined: 31 Jan 2020
Posts: 10
PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 4:35 pm Reply with quote
Key wrote:
ThatGuyWhoLikesThings wrote:
Hellsing the TV Series? Or Hellsing Ultimate? Because when I talk about Hellsing, I'm implicitly speaking of the latter and usually assume everyone else is as well.

Not necessarily a safe assumption. People seem to forget that the TV series was very, very high on the "cool" factor before Ultimate came along, and even though the latter is better-animated in general, I still prefer the way the former handled equivalent material. (The TV show also has a much better opener.)


My extremely minimal interest in Hellsing had long since faded by the time Hellsing Ultimate came around.

And yes, Back In The Day, Hellsing TV was *the* coolest shit to a lot of people
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Princess_Irene
ANN Reviewer


Joined: 16 Dec 2008
Posts: 2632
Location: The castle beyond the Goblin City
PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 5:48 pm Reply with quote
Sisyphusson66 wrote:

Also, is it just me, or do the designs (mostly for the clothing) seem way too busy?


Now that you mention it, yeah, they definitely are. I'd say the same for the hair on some of the characters, too - the main centaur woman's two buns stood out to me as odd-looking.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
kotomikun



Joined: 06 May 2013
Posts: 1205
PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 6:02 pm Reply with quote
Okay, seriously, what is it with anime and the "Re:" prefix? Re:Zero, Re:Creators, Princess Connect Re:Dive, many others I can't think of, and now Lapis Re:LiGHTs (which also throws in the "random capitalizations" meme). It's also the go-to thing for any sequel or spinoff. Sometimes they use it with a semicolon. Why do they want so many anime titles to look like a reply to an email?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
zrnzle500



Joined: 04 Oct 2014
Posts: 3768
PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 7:21 pm Reply with quote
James Beckett, in his review of The Misfit of Demon King Academy, wrote:
The Misfit of Demon King Academy understands a fundamental storytelling principle that I wish some of these low-effort light novel isekai anime would figure out eventually: If you're going to make your hero an all-powerful god king of incomparable badassery from minute one, at least let the guy be a bit of a bastard about it.


I would believe this more if Shield Hero and Arifureta were beloved by critics. It's true that the protagonists of the best shows in the genre have more personality than the more milquetoast audience insert type characters, but that doesn't necessarily manifest as being a a bit of a bastard. There are some of that type, like the eponymous Tanya or Konosuba's Kazuma*, but there are different ways to go about these sorts of characters, like the magnanimity and sympathy of Slime's Rimuru or Eru of Knight's & Magic's passion for mecha**. One might argue that Overlord's Ainz could fit the mold, but the contrast between the imperious villain he plays to other characters and his more mild-mannered actual personality is an appeal of the show, most starkly in the later events of the third season. I don't think Re:Zero's Subaru fits that mold either, but he is a flawed character, whose character arc is a big draw for the series. Looking forward, for By the Grace of the Gods, which premiered at Funimationcon, having the character be a bit of a bastard would clash with the more slice of life, iyashikei like tone of the show, but we'll have to wait till fall to see how that ends up turning out. The protagonists of Restaurant to Another World and Isekai Izakaya certainly aren't bastards, but those shows are trying for something very different, so we'll set them aside.

Even for those that do follow your advice to some extent or another, their being a bastard is a sticking point for a number of people, both for some of the shows above and also those like Cautious Hero or Kemono Michi, or even Demon King Academy itself. So I can perhaps be forgiven for being skeptical of it being a fundamental story telling principle, or even the best way to approach those kinds of characters.

*Though Kazuma is arguably a different sort of bastard and isn't really OP
**Perhaps that example is only a personal favorite of mine, but nonetheless

----------

I do think the comparisons between the isekai and the Magic High School genres is interesting, especially in considering why the former has persisted longer than the latter, despite being contemporaries only a few years ago. As much as one might find the choice of RPG like fantasy worlds as not creative enough in terms of setting, it has generally meant less exposition and inscrutable Proper Nouns. Few need orcs or dragons or RPG style magic explained to them, the latter especially in a RPG fantasy world, so they don't need to waste our time or attention doing so.

But I think the biggest difference is how varied the genre is, despite how some try to paint it with a single brush, in tone, themes, genre, and other ways. You can see the breadth of the genre in the examples I listed above, as well as with stuff like Grimgar or Bookworm, and this is becoming even more true with shows like Villainess joining the ranks. Isekai is just a bigger genre than the Magic High School, to the point the term "genre" doesn't quite fit. There are only so many ways to put a guy into a high school with magic and surround him with adoring, attractive women, but isekai has many more possibilities, even if a number haven't explored those possibilities enough. That's why there are still so many in the works, while Magic High School only have the rare anime adaption anymore, like the aforementioned or Mahouka's upcoming sequel (No one tell Nick Creamer Wink )
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
TexZero



Joined: 25 Oct 2017
Posts: 586
PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 9:33 pm Reply with quote
Demon King Academy is the right proper kind of trash. It's the take no victims, hold no hostages and apologize for absolutely no bad dad jokes. Im down for this as it seems to understand exactly what it is and wants to be and makes no bones about that. To me it's refereshing for a power trip anime to do this as they often don't or they get the tones wrong.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Meongantuk



Joined: 03 Jun 2016
Posts: 358
PostPosted: Mon Jul 06, 2020 6:23 am Reply with quote
kotomikun wrote:
Okay, seriously, what is it with anime and the "Re:" prefix? Re:Zero, Re:Creators, Princess Connect Re:Dive, many others I can't think of, and now Lapis Re:LiGHTs (which also throws in the "random capitalizations" meme). It's also the go-to thing for any sequel or spinoff. Sometimes they use it with a semicolon. Why do they want so many anime titles to look like a reply to an email?

dictionary.com wrote:
Re is a prefix, occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, used with the meaning “again” or “again and again” to indicate repetition, or with the meaning “back” or “backward” to indicate withdrawal or backward motion: regenerate; refurbish; retype; retrace; revert.


In Re:Zero it refer to Subaru's looping power, while in Princess Connect Re:Dive it refer to the fact that Re:Dive (the game) is the sequel to now defunct the original Princess Connect game,
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 23999
PostPosted: Mon Jul 06, 2020 7:09 am Reply with quote
Zerreth wrote:
A bit off topic, but I have a bone to pick with Key's mention of "demon king daimao" particularly because the localized name just sounds like garbage and is missing all the nuance from just a simple translation of "The Demon King/Overlord in the Far Back." It peeves me to see people get paid for their work for disregarding source material. (To clarify, I'm referring to the licensing staff)


English titles are frequently mandated by the Japanese rights holder, not the localization staff. If the localizer had more power we'd probably be getting more titles like Attack of the Titans instead of Attack on Titan.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page Previous    Next
Page 3 of 11

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group