Forum - View topicBen-to (TV).
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 24563 |
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I was mega-turned off by this episode. This is the second episode where Satou starts off in his underwear. I didn't find it all that amusing the first time. I don't like how they beat gags into the earth. Also didn't like the fact none of Satou's "friends" lifted a finger to help him. I didn't get the impression Beauty and Ice Witch didn't help out of fear - they had both already gotten their bentos and wolf "honour" dictates that after that you are no longer allowed to be attacked and presumably are not allowed to attack. The whole thing just had a weird tone. This is primarily a comedy show, so I don't appreciate when it veers into something incongruously serious. It would be like if Baka and Test suddenly switched gears. It never works.
Here's hoping next episode gets back on track. |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15596 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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But Asebi was cute, that is some pretty powerful spoiler[bad luck, at least she is not aware of it,] the vending machine part was good and I look forward to more.
Yeah we are suposed to belive that they had to fit to wolve's code, but that was far too pointless violence than saving a few dollars off food. Did not mind the standing joke though. |
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Yttrbio
 Posts: 3715 |
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I dunno if calling it a comedy series really captures the genre. I think it fits more into the comedy-heavy shonen genre. It's closer to shows like Beelzebub and Mightiest Disciple than with BakaTest.
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The King of Harts
 Posts: 6712 Location: Mount Crawford, Virginia |
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Episode 6
The Monarch arc seems to have ended now since Pack kicked his ass. There was less funny this episode, but I don't see that as a bad thing because...
I see it this way as well. At first I thought it'd be a straight comedy with a crazy premise, but the more I watched the more I started thinking it was very shonen-like because the Bento Brawls aren't a joke, despite how ridiculous it sounds to us in the real world. The fights have their rules and the characters follow a food chain, this is for real. While, yes, I laugh at the comedy bits it presents and get a chuckle out of seeing people go at it over food, I can also appreciate the serious moments like the last two episodes. I thinks that's a testament to the writers of this show since they can start off with a laugh-a-second comedy, but the turn the script around and take it in a more serious direction, but not lose me for a second. That's much like School Rumble where the first season is gut busting comedy, but the second is a pretty drama heavy, yet I still love both. I do understand, though, where some wouldn't like it. Heck, my biggest criticism of Ouran is how it flipped between comedy and drama and how the drama was awful. I have similar thoughts on Desert Punk as well. However, every once and a while you run into a Full Metal Panic, School Rumble, Kore wa Zombie desu ka?, and now Ben-to, where they can flip script while still being enjoyable. I say bravo to the writers for being able to take the comedy we love, add some "srs bzns", and still keep me (us) captivated. All that said, I do believe the comedy is the strong point of this show, and I'm looking forward to them getting back to that. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15596 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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My favorite part of the episode was when they were having that big meeting with the others, and one guy yelled spoiler[about the dog doing a wiz.]Then they had to explain that it represents him, and the other said something about it meaning spoiler[he likes peeing in public naked.] That whole goofy half serious style is why I like this show. Like the Muscle Cop review at the begining.
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Gina Szanboti
 Posts: 11715 |
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My guess is something like Kariinu (an alternate reading of 猟犬) Kendo Klub (クラブ). We'll probably never know.
I'm liking this series much more than I expected to. 6 was the best yet. |
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dirkusbirkus
 Posts: 699 Location: Manchester, UK |
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Episode 6 was just a really cool episode, wasn't it? Great conclusion to the arc.
This one's been a pleasant surprise this season. Everything I'd like to say has been covered in the last few posts above me, but I hadn't originally planned on enjoying this as much as I am doing. TkoH has it on the nose, the writing is awesome to be able to handle both drama and comedy simultaneously and not drop the ball with either. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24563 |
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Hmm, opinions differ, of course, and I'm finding the quality of the writing on this show several cuts below "awesome." I found Monarch's motivation pretty weak: wait, you're pissed because some dude barely beat your heroine and now you want revenge on ... not the dude, but the chick who supposedly inherited the mantle of leader from that dude? Awesome writing, indeed.
Humour for last episodes has been either kinda lame or pretty much non-existent. Oh, and my fave character, Violent Yuri Girl has been AWOL for two whole episodes. Shame on the writers for that one. Don't get me wrong, I find it a generally likeable and enjoyable show, but the last couple of eppies have been sort of a letdown for me. |
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dirkusbirkus
Posts: 699 Location: Manchester, UK |
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If we all shared the same opinions, the world would be a very boring place
I find the drama itself a big part of the humour. This past episode, as you've pointed out, had very little in the way of in-your-face humour (Oshiroi aside). But if you consider that there's violence and turf wars and codes of honour and conspiracies and people aspiring to emulate their predecessors all centred around half priced lunchboxes... That's the injoke for me. People being super serious over such a daft premise makes me giggle. I'm glad it's not just one string of gags after another, though the first slew of episodes probably hinted at that being par for the course. I think a lot of my appreciation for the show (and therefore the writing) comes from the fact they were able to surprise me and show a different angle as well. Next week it might get back to the silly, but this week was good storytelling. The story revolving around people beating crap out of each other for lunches 
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The King of Harts
Posts: 6712 Location: Mount Crawford, Virginia |
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No, he wanted to be the strongest Wolf, but, more importantly, he wanted an Eastern Wolf to have the title. Also, as the moving guy explained, he's the successor of Monarch Butterfly, Sen is the successor of Wizard and she's currently the best, so he wanted to recreate the previous fight (best of the East vs best of the West), but have the outcome be him on top as a way to avenge Matsy's loss to Wizard and to establish the East's position of best conference or whatever they call it. Monarch doesn't hold a personal grudge against Wizard as much as he hates that the best of the East lost to the best of the West, and I'm sure it stings a lot that he looked up Matsy. |
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Spastic Minnow
Bargain Hunter Exempt from Grammar Rules  Posts: 4640 Location: Gainesville, FL |
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This is how I feel about it. Somehow it keeps a tone that lets you in on the joke. It's not like Phi-Brain where puzzles really are life and death and some sort of mystical talisman helps a guy solve mind-teasers and battle a shadow organization and done completely straight-faced. No, the goal of this episode was Seasoned and Fried Duck. It really works for me. You get an excuse for some neat fights, you get a platform for your characters to interact and it ends up avoiding every extreme of chiched heroics and villainy, run of the mill school and harem hijinks, and gag comedy while touching on every aspect of them. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24563 |
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@TKoH - yeah, I got all that, but it still comes across as being convoluted and not particularly dynamic. Having one character have a beef against another character for things that aren't particular to the targeted character just comes across as weak to me. When writing is good, you don't think about things like that - you're simply caught up in the situation.
And yeah, the premise of the show is funny - a fighting subculture that revolves around competing for half-priced lunches is nice and absurd. But I don't giggle anew each time that premise is raised. I will give the show credit for keeping things interesting. After the first eppie, I was curious how they would keep the premise going and so far they've been able to do so. It'll be interesting to see if they can maintain to the end of the season. |
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Dolza
 Posts: 95 Location: Chicagoland |
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It looked to me like Ice Witch and Wizard are siblings. Which would also help explain the Monarch's grudge. |
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Megiddo
 Posts: 8360 Location: IL |
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I really don't get why they place so much emphasis of the "pride" of a wolf. Wolves don't really have pride. They'll hunt in a pack and do whatever it takes to get their meal. And in this episode, that Monarch dude was acting the most like a 'wolf'. Wolves who want to be the alpha male will fight for that sole reason and not for something as comparatively insignificant as that night's dinner. It's like the show thinks it's being cute and clever with its metaphors but actually fails on the most basic level.
I can enjoy this (somewhat) for the frequent stupid stuff that happens, but when it attempts to do something other than stupid stuff (like this Monarch side-story) it typically underwhelms. Hope it goes back to being stupid again and not attempt another failed metaphor. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24563 |
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@Megiddo - you are not wrong in your point that there is virtually no difference in behaviour between a pack of wolves or a pack of dogs, but in the context of Ben-to, I believe they are going for the "lone wolf" idea versus a dog pack. It is not a perfect analogy, but I think everybody gets the idea fairly easily.
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