Forum - View topicOshi no Ko (TV) (w/ index).
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11408 Location: Frisco, TX |
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[Episode 11 - Pending]
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ACｘS
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S2, 1:
And we're back. There's a ton to unload right from the get-go, so I gonna need a minute. It's been a year since the first season, and frankly, one year is a sweet spot that balances a good break and not taking too long to resume the story (yes, I'm looking at you, Monogatari Series). We got a small refresher at the beginning, with important focus on the main two female leads: - Arima, a prodigy who started her career too overbearing and now tries to elevate the actors to elevate her own presence - Kurosawa, a method actor who analyzes her character and immerses herself to become the character itself Each style has its pros and cons, as illustrated in the previous season. Arima's performance depends on the people around her; if they suck, she will be sucked into it too. For Tokyo Blade, it's a boon: the actors around her are really good, so she's thriving. Kurosawa's method acting is great if she can agree with her role. If she doesn't like it, she will struggle, and she also runs the risk of being too emotionally invested in it. There are two big differences between seasons one and two in terms of premise. One, while season one focuses mostly on acting on TV, season two will be on the theater, a massively different beast altogether. Two, Tokyo Blade is a manga but this will be an adapted 2.5 theatrical play (keyword: adapted). Any adaptation is bound to deviate from the original source, and the spectrum is wide, ranging from minor compensations to pure bastardization. From how things look right now, it's probably somewhere in the middle. The way things are now, Kurosawa is at a disadvantage mostly because of extenuating circumstances. The show basically spelled out the circumstances, so if there's anyone who can change everything, it's the original creator of Tokyo Blade itself (Abiko), and that's exactly what's happening next. If it's going to be a major overhaul, is it going to be a remake altogether? More importantly, is it going to be a change of fortune between Arima and Kurosawa? Either way... fun times ahead! We must remember, this play is a subset of Aqua's subplot of avenging Ai. At the end of the day, it is a vehicle for Aqua to learn more about the theatre company director (frankly, I don't think he's the killer). There's still Ruby's subplot, but seeing how this Tokyo Blade is going to take centre stage, her subplot might be playing a secondary role. I don't know, maybe. I waited a year for the second season, and it's finally here. Let's go! |
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Animegomaniac
Posts: 4137 |
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There's only been one episode of season 2 and I already like it more than the first season. I think there are two things this show can't do well and that's anything involving Idols and anything involving Ai.
It's always a problem when a show that criticizes stardom not only puts a posthumous character on a pedestal but her entire industry as well. I wished that Ruby was an actor during the opening just so she'll be involved in something interesting or rather be part of the season. But OK, idols are off the table because you should never bite the hand that feeds you but who can we eviscerate this year? Actors, theater directors, hack screenwriters who think writing is too much work and, gasp, manga authors. Socially awkward manga writers who get informed from another writer how much power they can wield over a work already in production.... or she's saving her work from a bad writer who'd prefer to destroy her characters if it makes his plotting better. Manga author on manga authors snark always seems little too easy to me but I'll hold my tongue for now. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 952 |
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2:
Oh boy. If My Deer Friend Nokotan is the Lighthearted Anime, then this is the antithesis of it. I knew from the first episode that there's a lot to unload in this show, but now it's clear: there's a lot to unload in every other episode. If anyone has watched Shirobako, this episode will strike as awfully familiar territory. Development hells are complex because of how people are involved; the more people there are, the more chance of chaos there can be. Add a creator who's demanding and socially inept, and a scriptwriter who's quite the opposite, and you get a recipe for disaster. More like, you will know who will be at the losing end of the stick. I do wonder: does a creator really have all the authority in a production adaptation? I remember in Bakuman that the editor and the publishing company have quite authority in the creative process. Is it because Tokyo Blade is so damn famous that the editor has to obey the creator's wishes? Not sure if that can be the case. You can argue that Abiko simply loves her creation and doesn't want to be bastardized, and her lashing out is justified since her frustrations were built over time. But let's face it: she is being childish for saying she will pay for the breach of contract (clearly she wouldn't have the capacity for it), and she's pinning all the blame on one guy, the scriptwriter, even when she knows there are lots of intermediaries between her (pretty confident she would know this). I know this is an extreme example of development hell (in the context of theater plays), and although I imagine there are disagreements between the creator and the scriptwriter (coined "creative differences"), I don't think it's always extreme. Abiko is an exceptional case, and GOA is the perfect type of counterpart for a compelling narrative on Oshi no Ko's part. But hey, after getting worked up over how her work was ruined through the whole creative process, she simply said "so if I see the actual play? Well I guess it's okay, then"? Really? Seems awfully convenient. P.S. the clock rewinding scene threw me off at first. I thought it meant that everything that happened in the first episode took place in a span of just half a day. Clearly that's not possible. |
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Animegomaniac
Posts: 4137 |
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AC x S, are you taking sides or are you trying to be neutral? Because you seem to be happy to ignore where screenwriter GAO said,"it's ok if it's not good as long as it's entertaining".
I knew that was going to be his excuse, just as I knew Akibo would say that he could do whatever he wanted with the plot, as long as he kept the characters correct... and the actors were already mumbling about his botched characters so I was already against him. I just wanted to see how far he'd dig his own grave and he went pretty deep with it. Do I have to mention a certain show about a Throne and a Game or can we just agree there are writers out there who are way out of their depth when it comes to adaptation? And that's what it comes down to, respect of the original work. You don't just have to read it, you have to take careful notes, maybe even create a character bible with all the specific characteristics you're dealing with... THEN make it entertaining. GAO never considered he wasn't making a name for himself because perhaps his writing was only coasting on goodwill those original works had with fans. There'll probably be a last minute save plot which I'll hate... good news, nothing was learned... Why was GAO having his intended plot define the characters rather than have the characters define the plot? That is so weird... Actor: "What is my motivation?" Director: "To make the story move from act 2, the battlefield to act 3, enemy dungeon." |
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ACｘS
Posts: 952 |
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I just make observations, that's all. Perhaps I am trying to be neutral. I will admit that it is tempting to paint Abiko as the bad one and GAO as the victim, but that's how the show paints it or that's the narrative the show wants to go with. Abiko has legitimate reasons to be mad, even if she seemed uncompromising (her frustrations were made from the get-go, after all). GAO isn't completely faultless with how things have turned out either, even when (I believe) he earnestly tries to make things work the best way he can (he is a fan he did read up the original source and tried to understand it as much as possible). I still have to point out that for this whole adaptation, it's not just Abiko vs GAO. With the way discussions went down the chain, many things could have influenced how GAO interprets the characters. GAO also originally thought that fewer lines would be better storytelling, but believed that Abiko wanted otherwise. GAO admittedly made decisions he didn't like, but the theatre director supported his decisions, knowing it was in the play's best interests. Perhaps that's the main point of the episode: not about Abiko vs GAO, but the shit that happens in adaptations. In another world, a scriptwriter could have been the obvious reason an adaptation is doomed for failure à la Thrones and a Game, or something like that. I just think in this case, it's not so simple. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 952 |
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3:
You know, I was so glad the show pivoted to Ruby's story for a while. So imagine my disappointment when that turned out to be just a tease. Silly me.
Guess my hunch was right. In Bakuman, Mashiro had to rely on Hattori's editing wisdom to make his manga work. Had Mashiro gotten runaway success, then he would have the bargaining power over Hattori. That's clearly what happened to Abiko. From first glance, it would seem to people who don't know her that Abiko is over-demanding. That's where Yoriko, the one who intimately understands Abiko, comes into play. I will say, it was a delight to see Yoriko and Abiko just hash it out and get everything out of their system. Abiko's feelings were genuine, especially stemming from what happened with Sweet Today's botched adaptation. Man, Melt ruined everything. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 952 |
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3:
That whole thing between Abiko and GOA? Predictable. Convenient, actually. Notice how I tend to use "convenient" quite often to describe this show? Because it is. Every time the story gets into a bind, there seems to be a simple solution for it. Too simple, in fact. GOA rewrote everything about Tokyo Blade. Abiko hates it. Wants to rewrite everything herself and lay off GOA. "This is a common problem of creative differences between authors and scriptwriters." "In fact, there's no easy solution to this—" "Wait, what if we just make them sit down and discuss it between themselves!? PROBLEM SOLVED, DISASTER AVERTED! Wait... really? Look, I get it: the show wants to make a social commentary, but also wants to get it over with and not drag the issue for too long. I enjoyed the commentary, but you know you shot yourself in the foot if you want to abruptly stop the very thing you started. The plot is now falling into place: the play now hinges on the actors' acting chops. Everyone can act, except for Aqua, the archetypal cerebral character who is good at copying others and not creating something for himself. He knows that, and he knows he can't just wing it. But HEY, he will still wing it. Why? Because CONVENIENCE! The show brought back Akane's imagination. I mentioned before that I have never been a fan of this blatant plot device. It's the whole "Akane's imagination is Aqua's ticket to finding his mom/idol's killer-killer". That was a stretch. It is still a stretch. And the show's gonna use it again one way or another. |
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Animegomaniac
Posts: 4137 |
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Episode 4
And GOA didn't learn anything. I knew he wouldn't but it's odd for "Oshi no Ko"'s author to say "it's a matter of communication", "it's a matter of medium conversion", to have Akibo say both at the start and after the collaboration that it was ok for GOA to change the plot as long as the characters were fine, and there were even more actors that came out to say they had problems with the old script after they saw the rewrite. No bases were left uncovered. And GOA wasn't working on a "bad to good" scale, he used a "boring to entertaining" one. Who cares if they're thinking about it next week as long as they're happy with it for now? But what surprised me was the producer Raida coming out and threatening Abiko. Everyone was telling her she couldn't do it that I think they were more afraid she could. I especially thought it was total BS that Raida took 2.5 plays off GOA's "entertaining" scale and just slipped it back on the "good" one to get Abiko in line. "If you don't work with me, we'll go ahead with your middling play over our own middling play!" And then plot happened which I have no interest in; it's even worse than shounen romances that stall until the end; We're not going to get anything until there's one plot reveal which could solve everything. And the "spirit reborn" part of the story is still the worst part. Now his past life in preventing Aqua from having a life of his own? How... selfish of himself? |
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ACｘS
Posts: 952 |
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5:
Ngl I wasn't expecting this show to skip straight to the actual showtime itself. Logically it makes sense. The last hurdle was Aqua needing to channel his emotions on the stage. Everything else was just about hyping up the play, especially the whole Akane VS Kana rivalry. Aqua VS Taiki seems to be just the "supporting rivalry", if that's a thing. But... Melt VS Sakuya? Where did this come from? What kind of rivalry is this supposed to be? The Battle of the "Players"? I'm supposed to accept that there's beef going between them, despite not knowing only until now? As part of the hype-up? Nah. If we are already at showtime now, and we're not even exactly at the halfway point yet, I wonder what else does this season has in store with the plot. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 952 |
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6:
The show's finally flexing with the production values. A little over-the-top, but I get it. This is essentially Melt's episode. Fair enough. Dude ruined everything for everyone, but he gets a big break to redeem himself, and he did. The classic tale of how a brat who had it easy in life then had to work—"earn"—his way to get back the crowd's favor. Sakuya, though... he was a dick, but now he's chummy with Melt? Puh-lease. I like the cinematography of the show, and the "in media res" scene that we finally return to. Never been to a 2.5D show before but seems interesting. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 952 |
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7:
An episode about Kana and Akane, actress and actress. Their philosophies on acting are pretty clear: Kana is talented, thrives off other people, and loves being in the limelight. Akane is diligent, embodies her character, and can bask in the limelight. I like the idea of two huge actresses clashing with each other, and more importantly, what happens when that happens. It's like a chemistry experiment where you mix two volatile chemicals and wonder what comes out of it. The key difference between them is how each of them views acting. Akane loves acting in and out, and literally breathes it. Kana, who has been acting longer than Akane,, is more jaded and cynical from her experiences as a child actor, and feels more obligated to concede "for the greater good", especially after her bad experiences of being a child diva. Perhaps the only part that didn't bode that well with me was the flashback. The conversation between young Kana and Akane felt scripted. I know what the conversation was meant for, but like, do kids their age talk like that? They practically talked the same way they would right now. Because the realism was lacking, it was missing the intended impact that I was hoping for. Well, let's see how Akane and Aqua plan to bring Kana out into the spotlight. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 952 |
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8:
A parent living vicariously through their child is one of the most clichéd tropes ever. |
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 24032 |
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Wow this season doesn't appear to be attracting a wide variety of chatter.
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ACｘS
Posts: 952 |
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I'm a bit surprised myself, especially after how much attention the first season got (and not just because of Yoasobi). Granted this season isn't as good as the first one, but it's still carrying itself pretty well. |
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