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EP. REVIEW: The Perfect Insider


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CrowLia



Joined: 24 Feb 2012
Posts: 5530
Location: Mexico
PostPosted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 6:46 pm Reply with quote
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Two of these characters are alternately inscrutable or insufferable; the third is unfortunately smitten with the insufferable one.


Before reading the second part of the sentence, I thought Moe was the insufferable one. I honestly found her cheeky ojou-sama attitude quite annoying, much more so than Souhei's self-important philosophy, but that might me my own personal low bar of tolerance for that sort of character. He infatuation with Souhei and how pushy she is about it is annoying too.

I'm still not fully convinced by this show, I'm not entirely sure of what story it wants to tell. I'm moderately intrigued, but I don't really like the characters. Think I'll give it one more episode to decide
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Via_01



Joined: 24 Aug 2014
Posts: 551
PostPosted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 7:02 pm Reply with quote
I wouldn't describe Souhei as "That One Student (or teacher, in this case) Who Won't Shut Up". I don't know how other people feel, but I actually kind of like him. He speaks about his philosophical views, but only when other people engage with him in a conversation; he doesn't seem like the guy who'd willingly approach anyone to say "ACTUALLY, you're wrong because...". He simply doesn't care enough.

In fact, that's how I see his character at the moment: there's simply not a lot he cares about. To me, whenever he talks about those philosophical ideas, his expression makes sure to indicate that they don't really interest him that much. The only thing that makes his mood change is talking about Magata. Also, he's apparently considered the protagonist of the original work, so we'll hopefully see more of what made him what he is.

In any case, it appears that the murder mystery element is finally coming to light. I really want to see where the show goes with that.
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killjoy_the



Joined: 30 May 2015
Posts: 2490
PostPosted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 7:26 pm Reply with quote
Why did they just stand around while the P1 slooooooooowly made its way with "Magata"? Is the dark that scary?

Character-wise I see Souhei as pretty insufferable but I also don't really see the narrative/show being aware of it. The first episode specially, since it seemed like Moe was the audience surrogate for a while there and she keeps fawning over the guy. The second episode was much much better if only because that guy didn't talk as much. I'm also really interested in Magata's sister, less so in Magata herself.
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Nom De Plume De Fanboy
Exempt from Grammar Rules


Joined: 14 Jan 2011
Posts: 638
Location: inland US west, pretty rural
PostPosted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 8:40 pm Reply with quote
killjoy_the wrote:
Why did they just stand around while the P1 slooooooooowly made its way with "Magata"? Is the dark that scary?


I guess the writer needed 'em to do that. Atmosphere and all that. Though people do tend to get inhibited in groups and in a crisis. ( shrugs ).

I'm liking the show so far. It's a nice change of pace from slam-bang adventures.
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Doodleboy



Joined: 23 Dec 2013
Posts: 296
PostPosted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 8:57 pm Reply with quote
The first episode of this series was very... booky for lack of a better term. It felt like I was reading the first chapter of a novel rather then watching a show.

From Souhei's conversation with the butler he probably sees himself as more of an older brother figure, they did know each for a long period of time before Moe went to university (Souhei being a student of her father and all). Doesn't make their relationship less dysfunctional. Or Souhei less of a jerk.

But so far the show's a really enjoyable thriller, good atmosphere, characters are well sketched out albeit dysfunctional.

As a side-note watched some of the Perfect Insider J-drama adaptation to compare it. It's much more of an episodic mystery series (maybe because it's adapting more books than the anime), so the actual story doesn't start till the fifth episode. Sohei and Moe are much more.... normal and likeable.

They cut out all of Souhei's philosophizing and so he's less... well dickish, misantrophic, self-important and callous to put it mildly. Souhei being more of a bumbling professor and Moe less exaggeratedly spoiled. Most of Moe's jealous streak also seems to be cut out. The end result is Souhei being more of a mentor and the two of them having much more mutual respect for each other.

On another side note the character acting of Moe is pretty good.


Last edited by Doodleboy on Thu Oct 15, 2015 9:15 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Angel M Cazares



Joined: 23 Sep 2010
Posts: 5514
Location: Iscandar
PostPosted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 9:04 pm Reply with quote
I gave episode one 4.5 stars because it did a great job introducing the intrigue and mystery. I only gave the second episode 4 stars because it was kind of predictable. But I was very impressed with how that awkward car scene between the young girl and the much older man was executed.

I am still hooked and very interested on watching where this show is ultimately going.
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sunflower



Joined: 04 Sep 2005
Posts: 1080
PostPosted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 9:52 pm Reply with quote
I liked this episode a lot better than the last one. They're pretty obviously setting up for an isolated island murder mystery a la 10 Little Indians, and I love those kinds of things.
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chito895



Joined: 22 Jan 2015
Posts: 512
Location: Lima, Peru
PostPosted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 11:49 pm Reply with quote
Dude, that ending! I really was expecting spoiler[Shiki to kill someone at the moment she went out of the room. She was terrifying as fudge!]

I enjoyed the second episode more than the first one, basically because the direction got better this time, as the first episode, although it was funny to hear Sohei's crappy philosophy, was a bit boring.

Moe went from "really likeable person" to "obnoxious, spoiled little girl", though. I mean, it's enjoyable to watch her talk with Sohei and how she tries everything to be with him, but she is soooo spoiled!. If I had been there with her in that island, I'd have wanted to kick her for being so stupid!

I want to see more about Shiki and her relationship with that old dude that was with her in the car. I, however, was kind of confused. That scene in the car was supposed to be in the past, right?
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zztop



Joined: 28 Aug 2014
Posts: 650
PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 12:31 am Reply with quote
The source novel was author Mori Hiroshi's debut work, and is the 1st book in the S&M (Sohei & Moe) mystery series.
Other titles include Replaceable Summer (夏のレプリカ Natsu no replica), Jack the Poetical Private (私的詩的ジャック Shiteki shiteki Jack) and The Perfect Outsider (有限と微小のパン Yūgen to bishō no pan).
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Hameyadea



Joined: 23 Jun 2014
Posts: 3679
PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 5:41 am Reply with quote
Episode #2:

Nishinosono Moe's ojōsama behaviour this episode came left-field for me. One wouldn't expect a university student, especially a public one such as Nagoya. Never held a knive? Really? That's either stretching the suspense of disbelief thin, or she's playing it dumb. If the former, then a head-shake is in order. If the latter, then it can fit quite well with the rest of her persona exhibited thus far, thus making it more acceptable, IMO.

Another thing is the move towards the classic [locked in a castle] narrative, with no way to call for help via mobile devices, a ferry/helicopter that come only when requested (presumably via either satellite phone or an Internet connection), and the mysterious "glitches" of the A.I.

The initial two episodes are nice, slow-burn ones that don't feel dragged-out. I also liked aikawa Sōhei's weary tone, it helps giving the conversations some elements to them, and I like it.
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killjoy_the



Joined: 30 May 2015
Posts: 2490
PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 6:19 am Reply with quote
Hameyadea wrote:
Never held a knive? Really? That's either stretching the suspense of disbelief thin, or she's playing it dumb. If the former, then a head-shake is in order. If the latter, then it can fit quite well with the rest of her persona exhibited thus far, thus making it more acceptable, IMO.


I personally think it's the latter, she seems like the manipulative type what with all the Razz she's giving all the time. It does seem sort of possible that she actually didn't ever cook in her life and had everything handed to her (since she seems really really rich, has a butler and etc) too, though.
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Hameyadea



Joined: 23 Jun 2014
Posts: 3679
PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 6:26 am Reply with quote
killjoy_the wrote:
I personally think it's the latter, she seems like the manipulative type what with all the Razz she's giving all the time. It does seem sort of possible that she actually didn't ever cook in her life and had everything handed to her (since she seems really really rich, has a butler and etc) too, though.


Agreed. That theory also gains some additional credence if looked at from the episode's theme of not having to physically interact with people, and the outside world at large.
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RHorsman



Joined: 13 Aug 2003
Posts: 151
Location: Loch Loman
PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 9:28 am Reply with quote
I got a little chuckle out of the lab's equivalent of an Amazon Echo being treated as an amazing piece of advanced technology.
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WingKing



Joined: 27 Apr 2015
Posts: 617
PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 9:46 am Reply with quote
chito895 wrote:
I want to see more about Shiki and her relationship with that old dude that was with her in the car. I, however, was kind of confused. That scene in the car was supposed to be in the past, right?


I think that was supposed to be Shiki's little sister and the director of the lab (the one who left in the helicopter to go pick her up).

hamayadea wrote:
Nishinosono Moe's ojōsama behaviour this episode came left-field for me. One wouldn't expect a university student, especially a public one such as Nagoya. Never held a knive? Really? That's either stretching the suspense of disbelief thin, or she's playing it dumb. If the former, then a head-shake is in order. If the latter, then it can fit quite well with the rest of her persona exhibited thus far, thus making it more acceptable, IMO.


I'd venture to guess that typical Japanese dinners don't usually require a knife to eat. Obviously she's not going to cook anything, because the servants would be preparing her meals and (I assume) deciding the menu, and she'd go home to eat since she lives close to the college. We don't know exactly what her diet's like, but if the servants stick to meals that can be eaten with chopsticks and never prepare any western-style dinners, then it becomes more understandable.

That said, the scene was probably more important for establishing two things. One, it establishes how sheltered she is if she's never eaten a meal that requires western utensils (not to mention knowing nothing about store-bought sauces). And two, if somebody in this show gets knifed later, that little fact can be used to exonerate her from guilt - or give her a convenient alibi if she is lying.
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Merida



Joined: 21 Feb 2012
Posts: 1946
PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 1:02 pm Reply with quote
CrowLia wrote:
Quote:
Two of these characters are alternately inscrutable or insufferable; the third is unfortunately smitten with the insufferable one.


Before reading the second part of the sentence, I thought Moe was the insufferable one. I honestly found her cheeky ojou-sama attitude quite annoying, much more so than Souhei's self-important philosophy, but that might me my own personal low bar of tolerance for that sort of character. He infatuation with Souhei and how pushy she is about it is annoying too.

I'm still not fully convinced by this show, I'm not entirely sure of what story it wants to tell. I'm moderately intrigued, but I don't really like the characters. Think I'll give it one more episode to decide


I definitely agree about Moe. She's a spoilt little brat who's unhealthily obsessed with a guy. And that's pretty much all we know about her character so far, i don't get how anyone would call her "well-rounded" based on this. Not that Souhei's any more likable, just slightly less annoying.

That aside, i'm still curious about where this show is going, so i'll stick around for now.
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