Forum - View topicShinigami no Ballad
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Zalis116
Moderator
 Posts: 6902 Location: Kazune City |
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So, I finished Shinigami no Ballad the other day, and thought I'd (for once) make a thread on here... did anyone else watch this one? It's only 6 episodes, and they're all separate stories, only connected by Momo, a sort of Gothic Lolita Shinigami. No, she doesn't turn girls into singers or wield a giant sword to kill Hollows; she just acts as a guide between the living world and the world beyond.
Anyway, I really liked it--for some reason, I found it really easy to sympathize with the characters in a short amount of time. All the episodes tell some sort of "touching"/melodramatic story about friends/love/family and how death affects those whoare about to die and those who are left behind. The visuals reflect the new anime style that shies away from bizarre hair colors and giant eyes in favor of more realistic characters, Momo excepted. Some of the backgrounds are stunning, like a swimming pool that reflects the stars of the night sky (Ep 2), and the music creates all the right somber moods for the series. So, to cut myself short, I'm just wondering if anyone else in ANN-land saw SnB, and what they think--I saw it as an excellent little gem, but it's probably not for everyone. It's slow-paced, and even the fansub group I downloaded from was calling it "boring" by the end. But, if you like sad/supernatural anime like Air & Kanon, or drama/romance/tragedy like Hantsuki & Rumbling Hearts, I very much recommend Shinigami no Ballad. |
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Stupidman007
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What you've just said about SHinigami no Ballad reminds me of Mushishi. It sound very interesting. Although I didn't like the ideas of AIR and Rumbling Hearts, I do think I'll like this one. Thanks for the info.
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d.yaro
Posts: 528 |
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Fancy that. Just finished watching episode 6 about half an hour ago and now I stumble across this thread. Interesting eh?
One peculiar thing that comes to my mind is that each of the episodes dwells on the subject of death in terms of how it affects young people. The focal point characters range in age from grade school children up to senior high school students. Oddly enough this observation led me to some insight as to what may have compelled someone to make the series and what made it interesting to watch. All the characters learn about an aspect of life after the loss of a loved one. The shows aren't overtly preachy in showing or demonstrating that growth in spite of the fact that they're focused on youngsters. They tell their lessons virtually entirely through the reactions and words of the affected characters. In a way I had hoped Momo, the Shinigami, would've had more to say on the subject of death but in the end I'm glad that wasn't the case. This is the quality of the series which made me watch all the episodes. It's about a difficult topic and what it has to say about it, it says it with respect for the characters it depicts and for its audience. One other thing: I'll admit that watching the show's opening credits sequence did send a small shiver down my spine. What can I say eh? It just touched the right nerve. |
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abunai
Old Regular
 Posts: 5463 Location: 露命 |
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Regardless of what they say in episode 4, I don't recommend adding vanilla essence to French toast. Only Japanese would do such a thing.
- abunai |
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GoodLuckSaturday
 Posts: 567 Location: Indiana |
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Really? It was "boring?" I loved it. It was directed by the same guy who directed Zettai Shonen, which I also loved, so that may be why, especially since I noticed a lot of similarities in pacing between the two. The last episode, especially, I thought was really great. It was the first thing I watched that day, and I was in a great mood the rest of the day. It's not too often I can watch something that warms the heart like that. 
Each episode had me guessing what the final outcome would be, since it obviously wasn't about someone dying directly, although I can take or leave the babysitting one, but all in all, I thought it was a great series, and it should be one of my favorites this year. |
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xuebaochai
 Posts: 85 Location: An unstable world |
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Hmmm... it's a bit of an acquired taste, granted, but I like it (I was introduced to the idea not by a crazy Japanese, but by a crazy Greek friend... so you can see that eccentrically-wired taste buds trascend all cultural barriers ).
Nutmeg is a better option, though. edit: ex-centric spelling edited out. Last edited by xuebaochai on Fri Apr 21, 2006 6:35 am; edited 1 time in total |
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abunai
Old Regular
Posts: 5463 Location: 露命 |
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Really? That's my favourite episode. I thought the weakest episode was the first one.
Indeed. For the truly eccentric tastebuds, try a smidgeon of pesto, or cumin. Either one leaves an indelible impression. - abunai |
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xuebaochai
Posts: 85 Location: An unstable world |
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Pesto? That's just crazy talk.
Cumin? Hmmmmm... |
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abunai
Old Regular
Posts: 5463 Location: 露命 |
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Certainly. I'm foaming at the mouth as I write this. You have no idea how difficult it is to use a keyboard when you're wearing a straitjacket. - abunai |
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xuebaochai
Posts: 85 Location: An unstable world |
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Wow. That's one mighty strong pesto. |
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Zalis116
Moderator
Posts: 6902 Location: Kazune City |
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Coincidentally, this same fansub group subbed Zettai Shounen, so they must have some tolerance for slow/"boring" anime  My favorite eps are probably 2 and 6. 2 had the cool visuals that I mentioned in the 1st post, and some powerful sad moments, like when spoiler[ the guy thought of telling his mom, "Sorry, mother, I'm going to die too" ("too" referring to his older sister who had already died)] Although 6 felt just a bit like a Kanon rip-off, it still had a wonderful lesson, just perfect for closing out the series. For me, SnB ep6 was a great way to close out the end of the night, but it would be good at any hour of the day.
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