Forum - View topicBest First Episode Tournament: Post-Mortem
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Tris8
 Posts: 2114 Location: Where the rain is. |
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  I'm gullible, so I make an easy target of myself
not to mention I suck at recognizing sarcasm |
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The Naked Beast
 Posts: 1028 Location: A Blue Planet |
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These past couple of weeks have completely destroyed my bracket. None of my choices are in the finals and championship. Regardless, I still vote every week.
Group A Final Eden of the East vs. Time of Eve The start to this series involves nudity which is a first. Being naked in front of the White House is also another first. The conspiracy theme kicks in when "Akira" goes to the operations base. There are a lot of questions at that point. Then again, the attack on Tokyo kicks the series in full gear. My vote goes to: Eden of the East. Group B Final Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo vs. Hanasaku Iroha When I first saw images of Hanasaku Iroha, the character designs immediately drew my attention. Being set in a traditional Japanese hot springs inn gives an insight of the daily operations. Hearing about Ohana's trials made it more interesting. From what I have read, I drew a comparison to Tohru Honda of Fruits Basket. Both are on their own but still put up a bright smile. Of course, Ohana does not have to deal with people who transform into animals. She just has to deal with a very demanding grandmother who has no qualms about resorting to some physical discipline. The fact that she can still put up a bright face earns her some points here. My vote goes to: Hanasaku Iroha. Group C Final Le Chevalier d’Eon vs. Haibane Renmei Both series have a supernatural and mystical element to them. I prefer the lighthearted series which hides a greater truth to it. This, however, can be very bitter in the end. Rakka's "rebirth", the Haibane, and the quaint little town where they live brings a lot of discussion to the table. My vote goes to: Haibane Renmei. Group D Final Death Note vs. Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit Having a great lead with amazing scenery and animation helps Moribito a lot. Feudal court politics and everyday life is explored gives a realistic feel to the series. It also starts off with a bit of the mystical element to it when Balsa saves Chagum. My vote goes to: Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit. |
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Olliff
 Posts: 550 |
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Group A Final
Eden of the East vs. Time of Eve Both are great first episodes, but in terms of hooking the viewer quicker with a more gripping plot Eden of the East wins out. Boasting more memorable and likable characters it has the energy and charisma that Time of Eve lacks. Voting for: Eden of the East Group B Final Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo vs. Hanasaku Iroha Ohana us a great series with a heart warming first episode, but compared to the high stakes action of Gankutsuo it pales in comparison. Human lives are gambled off by chance, and the title character has incomparable presence and can only be described as hauntingly enchanting while equally endearing and charming. The unique strength of the main character edges out the nice start of a coming of age story of tough love and responsibility. Voting for: Count of Monte Cristo: Gankutsuo Group C Final Le Chevalier d’Eon vs. Haibane Renmei Haibane Renmei unloads the viewer with so many countless possibilities and an unbounded setting brimming with life and detail. The first episode is also loaded with symbolism and greater meaning. Idealism is matched with the shocking and the concept of purgatory. with the casual pace of the episode. Finally it leaves one curious, is t Voting for: Haibane Renmei Group D Final Death Note vs. Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit Moribito has everything going for it -- elegance, a strong likable female lead, a promising plot, maturity and excellent writing matched with near perfect pacing. Death Note only matches it with melodrama and an unlikable lead. It falls flat while Moribito is one of the strongest contenders in my mind. Voting for: Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit Last edited by Olliff on Mon Jul 09, 2012 11:03 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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marie-antoinette
 Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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I have to admit, I don't actually remember who is left in my bracket, except I'm pretty sure I had Haibane as the eventual winner. At this point though, I don't think that's going to happen 
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Spastic Minnow
 Bargain HunterExempt from Grammar Rules  Posts: 4630 Location: Gainesville, FL |
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And thank you Oliff! Haibane and d'Eon deserved to be close but I really didn't want to see another tie (which I believe they were at until your vote).
And sorry Tris, I really was trying to figure out how to make that situation one in which I was the only embarrassed person. Last edited by Spastic Minnow on Mon Jul 09, 2012 11:07 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Olliff
Posts: 550 |
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I swear I had my votes in on time; I really need to break the cycle of last minuteness. It doesn't suit me, and I am a mess at composing my thoughts at the last second. I have been swamped with an infinitely busy schedule and for the first time in forever I have not watched this thread like a hawk. Hopefully, that will change soon as many of my favorites are still around.
And Spastic Minnow, that was quite the memorable exchange; I must remember to watch these threads closer for not only the solid arguments but conversations and derailments like this one. And you're welcome; I apologize for not breaking the ties in the past. I feel I have let down this thread a bit since I have established an obligation to a certain degree based on my history. Last edited by Olliff on Mon Jul 09, 2012 11:13 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Dorcas_Aurelia
 Posts: 5344 Location: Philly |
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Close, you actually had Excel Saga.
They were, and breaking the tie makes things more convenient for me (even if I would have preferred Chevalier winning). Although, even if Olliff's vote had missed, that wouldn't have affected the scores this round, as no one has Chevalier winning at this point anyway. |
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Tris8
Posts: 2114 Location: Where the rain is. |
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And dang, Gankutsuou really is the dark horse of this tournament for me. I think I had it in the minigame to lose in the 1st round . Basilisk was the big dark horse for me last tournament. There's always that one unpredictable title.
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Errinundra
Moderator
 Posts: 6584 Location: Melbourne, Oz |
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By rights, the Group B final should have been a four way tussle with Usagi Drop and Paranoia Agent. I wonder how it would have gone? I suspect Hanasaku Iroha would have kept most of its vote but Gankutsuou would leak some to the others, though I could be wrong. And, btw, Balsa was the dark horse in the last but one tournament. I think Moribito is slowly sinking into people's consciousness. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18454 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Group 4: Group Finals is now closed.
Technically Olliff's vote was a minute late (with editing later than that), but accepting it prevents a tie going into the Final Four, so I will continue my general policy of accepting such votes even though I would really, really prefer not to in this case. With 15 votes in, the results: Group A: Eden of the East does the apple number on Time of Eve, 11-4. Group B: Hanasaku Iroha eliminates Gankutsuou, 9-6. Group C: Haibane Renmei slips by Le Chevalier d'Eon, 8-7. Group D: Moribito does its own "death note" on Death Note, 11-4. Boy, if you had told me at the beginning of this round that one match would go down to the final vote, no way would I have guessed that it would be Group C, as I had thought HR's victory was a foregone conclusion. Le Chevalier rattled off a 6-1 run in the middle of the voting process to actually take the lead at one point, however, requiring HR to get all three of the final three votes to continue advancing. In other matches, Groups A and D were never competitive, and Group B finished a lot closer than it was for most of the round; Gankutsuou knocked off a 5-1 run at the end, but HI simply had too big a lead to overcome. Anyway, for those who are interested, here's how the Final Four stack up. "TOS" stands for "Total Opponent Strength," a measure of the total nomination scores of defeated opponents. Eden of the East - Modern-day techno-thriller. Power Ranking: 77.8 (49/63 votes) TOS: 34. Comments: Never seriously challenged. Hanasaku Iroha - Slice-of-life comedy/drama. Power Ranking: 58.7 (37/63 votes) TOS: 36 Comments: It's the only series in the Final Four from outside of the top three scores in the Nominations phase, the only series to defeat four straight opponents with a score of 8 or higher, and the only one to be a significant or substantial underdog in all of them based on Nominations scores. (In fact, HI was technically on the cut line, while all of her opponents were in the top half.) In other words, it's one of the biggest - if not the biggest - "dark horse" we've ever had in these tournaments. Haibane Renmei - Supernatural drama Power Ranking: 77.4 (48/62 votes) TOS: 32 Comments: The #1 scorer by a significant margin in the Nominations phase. Was not seriously challenged in three easy match-ups prior to this last one (and has the only Flawless Victory of the tournament so far), but Le Chevalier d'Eon was also the highest-ranked opponent that any of these four have defeated. Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit - Fantasy Power Ranking: 83.6 (51/61 votes) TOS: 39 Comments: The #2 score by a significant margin in the Nominations phase, has not had a close match yet despite defeating two straight opponents with Nomination scores of 11+ (the only one of these four to do so). So who do you like going into the Final Four? The power factors all seem to be in Moribito's favor, but still. . . Anyway, new round should be up soon. |
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Key
Moderator
Posts: 18454 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Round 5: Tournament Semifinals is now closed.
Results can be found here. The penultimate round! The first match features the #3 overall seed against an opponent who barely squeaked in, while the second match features the tournament's top two overall seeds - in other words, 3/4 top seeds for each Group made it this far. (Which was the one that didn't? A hypothetical cookie to the first one who guesses correctly.) Of these competitors, three of them are well-noted for their technical and artistic merits all four are well-noted for their quality writing, and all four are noted for distinctive and compelling leads; I doubt it's a coincidence that high-end art, animation, and writing, coupled with strong leads, consistently go together here. They're also all entirely different types of series even though all four have primarily dramatic focuses. But which two will make the finals? Group A/B Semifinal Eden of the East vs. Hanasaku Iroha Group C/D Semifinal Haibane Renmei vs. Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit Last edited by Key on Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:23 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Errinundra
Moderator
Posts: 6584 Location: Melbourne, Oz |
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FLCL? Virtual cookie for me?
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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Oh Key. Three are known for their quality writing and just two are noted for their distinctive and compelling leads (Rakka is compelling? Get outta town). |
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Errinundra
Moderator
Posts: 6584 Location: Melbourne, Oz |
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Having re-watched each candidate this afternoon and having eaten dinner, I can now make myself comfortable and pontificate on the final four. But, first, I’d like to respond to some of Key’s comments.
As I recall Full Metal Alchemist’s nomination votes equalled Moribito’s, with both behind Haibane Renmei. Accordingly, East of Eden was, at best, the #4 seed.
I guess you’re leaving out Haibane Renmei in this assertion. It's animation is certainly inferior. However, while it can be argued that, by relying on hand painted rather than computer generated backgrounds, it has inferior technical merits (in the same way that I argued for Angel Beats! against Read or Die) I think that, in artistic terms, a good case can be made that, visually, it is the best of the finalists. The other three episodes employ the shiny photo-realistic style that has been fashionable for a while now. While pretty to look at the style lacks the expressionism that Yoshitoshi ABe is renowned for and, with it, the capacity to provide a sort of visual commentary on what is taking place. I suppose it comes down to what a person believes "artistic" encompasses.
On the basis of the first episode alone and compared with the first episodes of the other three titles, Saki and Akira don’t make for distinctive or compelling leads. They do, however, manage to be so over the course of the following episodes. Group A/B Semifinal Eden of the East vs. Hanasaku Iroha As I mentioned in an earlier round, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (I’d like to use its common moniker – the ABC – but that would mislead many here) has been streaming Eden of the East on its website. I have so far watched all seven episodes that have been aired. It’s a superb series. You could say I’m seeing it with fresh eyes, although I did watch the first episode a couple of years ago. The first episode is quirky, the visuals are Kenji Kamiyama functional yet pleasing to the eye, there are hints of bigger things to come – especially when it reveals the giant hole in Tokyo in the last seconds of the episode, and the American setting is a refreshing change. Having said all that, it is, in my estimation, a comparatively weak episode. The characters of Saki and Akira come across as bland, if somewhat whimsical. For sure, in subsequent episodes they will reveal themselves to be much, much more, but that doesn’t count in this tournament. Nor does the episode provide much forward momentum. The image of the missile attack on Tokyo in the last few seconds seems a belated attempt to bring the viewer back for more. It didn’t work for me two years ago. Thanks to the show’s reputation, this tournament and the ABC, I’m glad I gave it another chance. Really, the first episode doesn’t do the series justice. Hanasaku Iroha doesn’t share these problems. The heroine, Ohana, is beautifully realised from the get go; the visual style, while similar, is superior; and the incentive to watch episode two was, for me, much stronger. Voting for: Hanasaku Iroha. (I'd just like to add that the visuals in the ED of Eden of the East are about the cleverest I’ve ever seen.) Group C/D Semifinal Haibane Renmei vs. Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit This is the hardest match-up for me in the entire tournament. It should have been the final pairing. I’m not going to spend a lot of time arguing one way or the other because either could win and I’d be happy. What’s more, I think the winner of this bracket will win the tournament. To me it comes down to this: while Haibane Renmei has two compelling lead characters - Rakka and (especially) Reki - Balsa is incomparable. The other qualities the two episode possess tend to cancel each other out: Haibane Renmei’s emotional pull – beautifully supported by Kou Outani’s soundrack, expressionistic approach and its little moments that I’ve mentioned previously are matched by Moribito’s visual slendour, epic scope and quality animation. Voting for: Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit. ~ ~ ~ Some tidbits. - If Eden of the East and Moribito get up it'll be an all Kenji Kamiyama final. - If Hanasaku Iroha and Moribito get up the final will be between two of my nominations (but please don't let that put you off voting for them). - All four stories are told through the point of view of a woman. It's great to see these characters given their due. Last edited by Errinundra on Tue Jul 10, 2012 9:56 am; edited 1 time in total |
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marie-antoinette
Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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Oh yeah. Oops. I'm pretty sure I had Haibane making it as far as it has. Not sure about the other 3 (except I'm positive I wouldn't have thought Hanasaku Iroha would go far but pretty sure I had Eden of the East doing well). Edit: I can vote early this time to make up for last round's lateness. Group A/B Semifinal Voting for: Eden of the East Yeah, I think everyone should see this one coming. I don't think I've ever voted for Hanasaku Iroha. As I've said before, I don't think it's a bad series but it just didn't do enough for me to convince me to watch more than the first 3-4 episodes. Eden of the East, comparatively, had me interested from the get go and eventually became one of my favourite series. Group C/D Semifinal Voting for: Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit There is a chance I might change this vote if I can manage to get to see Haibane Renmei with subs I can actually understand. But I have a feeling even if I did that I will still go with Moribito. While I still personally feel like it shouldn't have made it past the last round, it definitely is a memorable show and one that I feel I will remember years down the line with a bit more clarity than my memories of seeing it's competition years ago. |
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