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Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood (TV).




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Stark700



Joined: 30 Jan 2012
Posts: 11762
Location: Earth
PostPosted: Tue Mar 30, 2021 11:36 am Reply with quote


Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood (TV)

Genres: action, supernatural
Themes: historical

Plot Summary: In an alternate version of Japan in 1931, the Tokugawa shogunate was never abolished and the Meiji emperor never restored to power. "Nue" is an organization of shogunate executioners who enforce government rule.
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First episode is out now on Crunchyroll.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 24155
PostPosted: Tue Mar 30, 2021 6:22 pm Reply with quote
Liked it. Stylish looking with interesting characters and what seems like will be good story-telling. Bring it on!
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15576
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2021 2:41 am Reply with quote
The first episode did come across a bit of what I would say self indulgent, but I did like what was there, some of the style, action even, and curious over the characters. The skeletal like look on the jaw and heavy lines like a traditional painting. Also, a brothel?
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15576
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2021 1:34 am Reply with quote
Episode 3

I don't know if the reveal of Makoto having boobs was meant to be a surprise, my general thoughts of the character from introduction was that they were a trans man, or at least likely "biologically" female. Although, I was thinking that I might come as being weird for suspecting it. I believe the voice actor, Shouta Aoi has done a few characters that skirt gender, and he was also that random live action person in Pop Team Epic.

Other stuff is happening, but a little more probably could be done to keep interest.
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15576
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Wed Apr 28, 2021 1:17 am Reply with quote
Episode 5

Did the entire cast except for the little girl just die? Trans guy going to leave the country, got shot. Blonde women who was going to start a new life after finding out that she is pregnant, was killed along with new home burned down. And main character took willingly took a poison that was given to the little girl earlier, as to protect her and the episode look it it started with the grave being dug.
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15576
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 9:53 pm Reply with quote
Episode 12 (finale)

How many times does everyone have to die in this show? Like since episode 5 it revealed that they were not really dead, and then killed more characters including Asahi, who was killed by the trans man who was now insane and transformed into a big boobed harpy monster to get killed off for real. And then Asahi was not really dead after Sawa went on a suicidal binge, got better, decided to go out dying anyway, but was stopped by Jin who thought it too dangerous so he would do it himself, but the dude was just a frail old man easily killed, and then Sawa got killed anyway because she was killed by the assassin girl.

I have conflicting feelings about the whole thing, like maybe what meanings were. Such as Sawa thought she would die to make a better tomorrow, but had that stolen from her by the guy who probably could have done things a lot sooner, and then died anyway. And it is a little unclear if Asahi got away from the circle of violence, or was training Elena's daughter, since the aesthetic matches the previous generation.

My biggest conflicting thoughts in the show would generally be about Makoto, which I think is a very reasonable conclusion to reach that he was a trans man, even though they stopped short of saying so out loud. And it is kind of that stopping short of saying it out loud that I think is a problem, because it really leave wiggle room of leaving things ambiguous. It is hard to even get a read of what the series even thought, since I think there were times that subtitles had characters misgender him. And then there was his turn into a crazy villain that had to be the one to destroy the beautiful life that Sawa had gained. It isn't like a trans character can't be a villain, it just seems kind of suspect that it seems his villainous journey was I think implied on his wish of getting a body he would be comfortable with, and ended with him manically happy with a monstrous but not masculine body. Perhaps this is all looking too hard, and is the sort of thing where I could be told to stop forcing certain politics onto a Japanese thing, but is still a weird way for a character journey for someone who gives such a strong image of being a transgender. I don't think the show even really did otherwise topics of gender.

The show kind of started to just become sad, with lots of people dying, or people being forced to kill based on the archaic power structures. Kind of started to come across to me as needlessly harsh with its few spots of light to make it at least feel rather complex. At least it did not kill Asahi, even though it looked like it might at a time, but by then it kind of felt like it was just playing with emotions.

My rating for the show is going to be Decent (6/10), I did not really lose my time, it just kind of felt to me like it became less fun and pushed the emotional stuff a bit too much with character death fake outs.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 24155
PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 7:03 am Reply with quote
I was desperately hoping this show would not have a sad ending despite episode 11 being basically a big Sawa death flag. So I've watched a show about a woman who had a horrible life from the time her village was wiped out until her death except for a brief ray of sunshine (Asahi). Fun times. Well, look, the show emotionally engaged me and interested me so I'm giving it a Very Good rating. Just wish it could have had a bit more of an upbeat ending.
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