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Kodomo no Jikan.


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Johnny_Astro



Joined: 17 Aug 2009
Posts: 34
Location: California
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 2:35 am Reply with quote
I recently bought the DVD set for Kodomo no Jikan and I'm loving it! The moment I'm writing this I'm only half-way through the show but I don't wanna rush it Smile.

I made this thread to kinda usher anyone who has seen this show, or if not, to recommend them to watch this show. It's funny, cutesy, but can turn the drama lever on to keep things interesting and emotionally engaging.

I'm not sure if much peeps have seen this show since there is a theme worthy of controversy here: lolicon. But this isn't the kinda show where the lolis get criminally mistreated like that. But, there are some light, lolicon fanservice, but it's still a great show even if you watch it with the censors (like I said, there are NO violation scenes).

Just to compare, I think this show is kinda like Lucky Star, just a little bit more risque.
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:04 am Reply with quote
Hmm, the fact that it has any Lolicon in it makes people (myself included) very wary of watching it. Plus there were events in the Manga (one in particular which occurred in the third volume) that caused Seven Seas to drop the Manga for the North American market. I'm wondering, have you read this column and the ensuing thread? (Note, the part in the column you want is just before the "Flake of the Week" segment). Might be quite illuminating as to why people round here tend to avoid mentioning the series whenever possible. As for the "Lolicon wars" that Zac mentions, it happened just before I started lurking, so I really don't know all that much about it.

Anyway, it's all a great read, if only to understand the overall psyche of the community around here.
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pparker



Joined: 13 Oct 2007
Posts: 1185
Location: Florida
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 6:28 am Reply with quote
I'll second both the sentiments here before the thread lock. This show has been argued to death elsewhere. One, it is a good dramatic comedy show that does not promote pedophilia. Second, most will never get past the lolicon aspect to find that out. And frankly, it's not like if Casablanca had been done naked--so that you had to watch it regardless. It's just that unfortunately a decent show is effectively harpooned by the apparent, some would say obvious, squicky sexual aspects.
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Wooga



Joined: 22 Jun 2007
Posts: 916
Location: Tucson
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 6:40 am Reply with quote
Johnny_Astro wrote:
I recently bought the DVD set for Kodomo no Jikan and I'm loving it!


I really wanted to prevent myself from giving some sort of knee-jerk reaction to this. So I walked away, had dinner, tried to form the thoughts in my head. OK...

Here is MY opinion. There is nothing wrong, I guess, with lolicon. Whatever floats you boat I guess. However, that's not the real problem with this show, in my opinion.

Johnny_Astro wrote:
It's funny, cutesy, but can turn the drama lever on to keep things interesting and emotionally engaging.

This is where the show is disingenuous. You're lying to yourself it you think this is anything more than fan-service. "You don't understand, mom! It's a psychological drama!"

No. The characters are flat, the drama is mawkish and manipulative. Take away the fanservice, and there would literally be nothing.
This is not like Lucky Star, but more risque. They are in what, third grade, which is before most children do not have sexual identities. They don't..act like that. And the humor of Lucky Star is not there either.

I'm not trying to moralize here, I'm just saying I wouldn't recommend this to everyone, regardless of whether they like loli or not, because that is its selling point.

Sorry for wall of text.
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 7:10 am Reply with quote
Wooga wrote:
Sorry for wall of text.


No, I actually thought that was a very good post you made.

Expecting seven-to-nine-year-old girls to have sexual identities isn't just morally repugnant (well, to me at least), it is - very hopefully - not an accurate portrayal of real life. Although Johnny_Astro didn't mention psychology specifically, I've heard from plenty of other people that they thought it was something akin to "deep". Just because you dared to venture into territory that few others fear to tread - that is, making your sexually-aware prepubescent-looking girls actually prepubescent - does not automatically give your story a layer of depth. Kodomo no Jikan is simply about cute girls doing cute things; oh, and one of them is trying to seduce her teacher. Sure, she might be messed up inside. Or she might be pandering to a particular fanbase. Occam's Razor suggests the latter.
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pparker



Joined: 13 Oct 2007
Posts: 1185
Location: Florida
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 7:37 am Reply with quote
dtm42 wrote:
Kodomo no Jikan is simply about cute girls doing cute things; oh, and one of them is trying to seduce her teacher.

I swore I wouldn't post here again... but this is not true. I have to assume this comes from someone who didn't watch the show. Not defending it, or recommending it. Just, fact is that is not a valid description of the story.
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15596
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 8:53 am Reply with quote
I was warry of this show because it's theme aswell how people might view someone who watched it. I actualy found it quite good, and I will say this straight out, it was not anything to do with the fanservice/lolicon, though I did find the censors kind of funny.

My favirout parts were to do with the actual characters, such as why does Rin act the way she does to her teacher. And I think the answer may be in the flashback episode about her guardian, who is pretty messed up and her actions may be a reflection of searching for affection. Actualy after seeing the past of the strict teacher Sae Shirai, she became my favirout character, even though before that I disliked the character.

I am a bit sick of how myself and others get looked at for enjoying, even though I might have done the same thing before. Sure lots of people will say that it is too contriversial and you might think no one could like it for anything other then being a lolicon. But I think it is an anime that is undervalued, and just because they can't stand the idea that such young girls are affected by the over sexualisation that is present in many societies today.
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Veers



Joined: 31 Oct 2008
Posts: 1197
Location: Texas
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 11:27 am Reply with quote
Personally I could hardly make it through the first episode. I just didn't like the tone of the show. But, because I stopped watching it so early I can't say if the show had serious merit or not, as some would argue it does. The show very well might have genuine depth, but my life is not worse off for not giving KnJ another chance.
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Ktimene's Lover



Joined: 23 Apr 2005
Posts: 2242
Location: Glendale, AZ (Proudly living in the desert)
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 11:57 am Reply with quote
I find the series pushing the envelope towards hentai because there is so much lolicon. I actually am glad that it didn't get released as a manga because I think it is just too risque.
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happymoose



Joined: 16 Aug 2008
Posts: 62
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:54 pm Reply with quote
snip

Last edited by happymoose on Sat Aug 23, 2014 4:02 pm; edited 2 times in total
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ReiClone88



Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 187
Location: Inside a giant tank full of Tang
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:59 pm Reply with quote
So you imported the R2 DVDs?
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Ktimene's Lover



Joined: 23 Apr 2005
Posts: 2242
Location: Glendale, AZ (Proudly living in the desert)
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 2:50 pm Reply with quote
This series is one of those anime that is really an acquired taste. If the girl was a bit older, I would maybe have an interest in the series.
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David.Seth



Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 453
Location: near SF
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 7:44 pm Reply with quote
I watched it a few months ago due to all the "controversy" it has received here and elsewhere. While not THE worst show I've seen, it didn't have any redeeming qualities to speak of. Really, Wooga said it best:

Quote:
The characters are flat, the drama is mawkish and manipulative. Take away the fanservice, and there would literally be nothing.


I'd say it's best to stay away from this one... but that's just me.
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Dorcas_Aurelia



Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 5344
Location: Philly
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 10:59 pm Reply with quote
Wooga wrote:
No. The characters are flat, the drama is mawkish and manipulative. Take away the fanservice, and there would literally be nothing.

I can kind of understand what you're getting at, and I've backed away from trying to claim the drama is high quality, but maybe the point is that it's meant to be emotional, and if that's what readers want, is being manipulative about the means not acceptable? If I want drama that will make me cry (and episode 6 makes me cry, dammit!), how does one do that without being manipulative? I'm genuinely asking that. What is, to you, a good example of a dramatic show? I've seen similar accusations posited against a number of visual novel adaptations (the moe ones, especially), but I can't recall which series were praised for doing it the right way.

I'm aware that Rin is hardly a realistic character, but a child trying to act like an adult (not just by flirting with her teacher; she does at times try to bear more of an emotional burden as well) is a concept I like seeing.

Yes, Kuro and Mimi are rather lacking in real personality. I know it's a lame defense, but the manga does add more to their stories. Yes, Aoki is pretty generic. Shiroi is probably the best character, but she gets very little attention (even in the manga).

Quote:
This is not like Lucky Star, but more risque. They are in what, third grade, which is before most children do not have sexual identities. They don't..act like that. And the humor of Lucky Star is not there either.

Yeah, about the only comparison that can be made between this and Lucky Star is that they both have loli characters.

Also, I don't like the art of the anime as much as the manga. Too... block-ish, maybe?
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Johnny_Astro



Joined: 17 Aug 2009
Posts: 34
Location: California
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 11:34 pm Reply with quote
Hmm wasn't expecting this much reply. Well alright.

Yes I will agree with the person who said it before, that the Reiji and Konomoe's Mom episode was the best. In fact it was after watching that particular episode that inspired to start this topic.

That said, the characters in this show do go through the regular, anime "mean-girl" strife. And after watching the show further I've concluded that the writers really didn't have the cohones to develop, and evolve the characters beyond their anger tantrums.

But whatever, I kinda like the animation and style and the cutesy quality. Now I just wish the writers gave more depth to the characters. Watching an episode of this show is like watching a formula. Starts off with the cutesy girls, some fanservice, que in the awkward risque scene, then the girls go merely on their way and then teacher is like "wtf."
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