Forum - View topicREVIEW: Fractale Episodes 1-11 Streaming
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Shay Guy
 Posts: 2337 |
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I'd been wondering how much of the show's problems was due to Yamamoto and how much was Okada, but it hadn't occurred to me that its disjointedness might be from the collision of all three creators and a failure to mesh. Might've been due to my only really being familiar with Haruhi and CANAAN among the first two's works. (Okada's got serious variety in her resume; is there really anything that could be identified as distinguishing traits of her writing?) So many good ideas...I still think this show was good, but it could've been great. Ah, well. Maybe someday a remake could live up to its potential. |
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unready
 Posts: 411 Location: Illinois, USA |
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I think the middle stretch is more meant to show that mankind can no longer live without Fractale. Everyone lives at a standard that can only otherwise be supported by an industrial base and an educated populace, except there is no industrial base or educated populace. There's only Fractale and its (unexplained) supply of quality-of-life-enhancing goods and technology. I agree that the series doesn't explain why Phryne and Nessa are required to reboot the system. It also doesn't explain why rebooting the system will stop it from collapsing. More to the point, at the very end, spoiler[it doesn't even explain how they rebooted the system.] I did find it wonderfully non-stereotypical when the guy who seemed like a conniving, power-hungry fanatic actually spoiler[was revealed as a messianic suicide bomber.] Good SF is hard to find, so most of the unexplained science in this SF could be forgiven, except it seems like they had no idea how to conclude the story, so they just magically turned everything into puppy dogs and rainbows. The End. |
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bluelans
Posts: 6 |
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I think the middle stretch is more meant to show that mankind can no longer live without Fractale. Everyone lives at a standard that can only otherwise be supported by an industrial base and an educated populace, except there is no industrial base or educated populace. There's only Fractale and its (unexplained) supply of quality-of-life-enhancing goods and technology.
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enurtsol
 Posts: 14893 |
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Another high expectations ending in disappointment....
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Nayu
Posts: 676 |
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I don't know. I kicked my expectations to the curb and on watching it without expecting anything amazing, I enjoyed the show.
I wonder how scathing the reviews of Last Exile and Escaflowne would be if they were done with the same preconceived notions as Fractale is being subjected to.... |
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pachy_boy
Posts: 1341 |
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Speaking solely for myself, I thought this series was cute, and the characters were charming enough for me to care about them the whole way through. And because it's cute, when the violence or sex-abuse revelations take place they are a real out-of-the-blue smack-in-the-face, waking one up if one's attention was wandering at all. I admit that it had some of its unresolved plot holes, but because I went in with minimal expectations except to just be entertained by the director of Kannagi (which I just finished rewatching last night), I at least was forgiving enough. I've seen/read sci-fi stories that were worse in that area. What amazed me most was, considering it's a Noitamina show, that it had its own full-circle conclusion at all, unlike Princess Jellyfish (as much as I love that show). And the opening and ending themes were indeed phenomenal, I purchased the single CD that contained both songs. I'm looking forward to Funimation's release of it next year.
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vashfanatic
 Posts: 3495 Location: Back stateside |
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I really like Escaflowne and think it (mostly) stands up, but Last Exile? I didn't like it much the first time, but I was in a bad place then so I recently re-watched it and... yeah, still didn't care about any of the characters, at all. Only a handful felt developed at all. It had a very bland, weak, passive "hero," and maybe it would have worked better with a different lead. Which you can actually say about Fractale as well, come to think of it. It doesn't really develop its world-system (which Last Exile at least managed to get right) and especially its characters, who are stick figures at best. And yeah, though there are highlights along the way, the plot meanders around everywhere. As I look at the current backdrop here, I can only hope C will be better, but Fractale was decidedly sub-part for a noitaminA show. |
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Big Hed
 Posts: 1607 Location: Melbourne, Australia |
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My expectations were up when I watched Fractale, and I enjoyed it anyway... just not as much as I thought I would. As Carl pointed out, the fact is that the show's direction borders on incoherent after the first few episodes, a problem which is individual (often very pleasing) elements can only do so much to remedy. I had never considered the problem in the context of clashing ideas between the core production staff, but looking back on Fractale's weaknesses now it seems like a sensible explanation.
Oh and yeah, Daidara was the best character of the show, after Nessa. A pragmatic ideologue if ever there was one. |
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here-and-faraway
 Posts: 1529 Location: Sunny California |
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This reminded me of Zach for some reason.... Nice writing! I haven't watched the series yet, but the review was interesting. |
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maaya
Posts: 976 |
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From reading both the Fractale novel (by Azuma) and the AnoHana novel (by Okada), I believe that Azuma is by far the better writer. The Fractale novel (eventhough it has only 3 or 4 chapters so far, so who knows what'll happen, same for AnoHana) is also much better than the anime, imho. It also has more detail on the Fractale system itself. So I dunno, maybe Azuma wasn't implicated enough in the creation of the anime, apart from creating the setting? Well it's useless to speculate, but for sure Fractale feels like a lot of "wasted potential" and a big mess >< I got the impression they just wanted an "alibi" deep setting, since it's on Noitamina and to get attention, but in the end just aimed at (or ended up) doing the typical comedy slice of life with cute girls (and the first Nessa figurines are already there) and a bit of superficial drama. For the people who don't think Nessa is cute, but simply annoying, there really isn't much to like T.T Btw, the novel is set after the anime storyline ("reloaded"), so in theory there is more stuff to animate. But since Fractale seems to have been a failure commercially as well, I wouldn't count on it. |
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Otaking09
 Posts: 637 |
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BIGGEST understatement you've ever said Carl. Seriously... ANN why're being so easy on these mediocre shows? First Kampfer now Fractale? These are sad, pitiable excuses of quality(comparing Kampfer to Fractale isn't fair. But both disappoint more than entertain). Carl, you didn't say the true shame of Fractale; that it has the label of "noitaminA". That alone will stain it forever... |
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sonickid101
Posts: 132 |
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because its anime, I'll quote Zac "does it have under aged girls feeding on the life force of men? no? okay I'll watch it" |
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asimpson2006
 Posts: 3151 Location: USA |
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The reviewers write the review based on what their reaction. If they feel something deserves a decent show even if it it may be a mediocre show (haven't seen Fractale so I can't provide an opinion on it) then so be it. If you don't agree with the reviews fine, there are times where I don't agree with ANN's reviews. However, I don't think ANN is being easy on their reviews, I think they are fair reviews even if I don't agree with them. |
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Shay Guy
Posts: 2337 |
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Before reading this post, the only thing I knew about Fractale/Reloaded was that it existed. I haven't found any translations or anything. (I'd like to, though; it was Azuma's involvement that made me want to see the show.) Still, Okada keeps getting work...
Huh? |
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Otaking09
Posts: 637 |
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Then the only thing that'll satisfy me is what it takes for them to rate something a "D". |
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