Forum - View topicSomething to think about - 23 an unlucky number?
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freezespell
Posts: 127 |
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I've been watching anime for quite some time now and I have noticed something in common with a few of them, mainly ones with 26 episodes. It's something I call "the episode 23 curse".
In these anime series I'm talking about, somebody dies in that episode, most of the time a major character. Some notable "victims" include: Trigun: spoiler[Nicholas D. Wolfwood] s-CRY-ed: spoiler[Scheris Adjani] Negima!: spoiler[Asuna Kagurazaka] Is this just a coincidence or is there something else to this that I'm just not getting? Is it just me or am I acting like Jim Carrey now? I'll let you people decide on what the explanation could be. [EDIT: Changed the title to a little more specific. -TK] |
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Kelly
Posts: 868 Location: New York City |
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Well maybe not ep. 23 all the time, but you do have a point about the early 20's in certain genres of anime.
I think the point is this. Often the main villain has killed the main hero's parent, sibling etc. before the series or within the first one or two episodes. Although we feel bad, we generally didn't know this person or these people well, and we don't always have a large investment in the villain's downfall yet. Enter a major supporting character, who's often been supporting the main hero throughout the story to some extent and who we've gotten to like alot. If the Big Bad offs a character like this near the end of the series, it becomes more personal, and we have a much bigger investment in seeing the villain go down in the last few episodes of the series. I'd add what I'll call the "spotlight of doom" to your theory. If a supporting character suddenly becomes the focus of an episode near the end of the series, it often means that they'll have a big death scene by the end of the episode. 
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abunai
Old Regular
 Posts: 5463 Location: 露命 |
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Hmmm.... It's not always the same episode number, but you're right. There is a certain tendency to kill off supporting cast (if appropriate to the anime -- relax, nobody dies in Hamtaro) at around the point where they have matured enough as characters in the minds of the audience that their death can be effective and shocking.
My son (who has a keen insight into my mind, the poor kid) has often remarked that whenever there is a dramatic or action-packed anime with a strong supporting character that I (me, personally) like more than the lead, that person is sure to die. "Dad, when you like a side character, it's like the kiss of death." - abunai Last edited by abunai on Sat Mar 17, 2007 1:46 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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one3rd
 Posts: 1818 Location: アメリカ |
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Even more shocking is Legend Of The Galactic Heroes where they kill off spoiler[an important supporting character and a main character] well before the end of the series. I don't know of any other series that would dare to do that. It still upsets me that they spoiler[killed off Wen-li. Especially like that. I would have liked to see him properly retire to a quiet life as a historian like he wanted.] But some things are not meant to be. [EDIT: Fixed your second set of spoiler tags. -TK] |
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Amethyst Alchemist
Former ANN Editor
 Posts: 312 Location: where it's always a good morning |
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Another anime which does this around the 20s is FMA. spoiler[Hughes, an important character, is killed in episode 25] I think it is essentially a dramatic device no matter where it is in the series. It also gives other main characters vendettas to carry out and makes us feel even sorrier for them so our empathy with the important characters increases.
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Ninja337
 Posts: 43 |
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Every good story has a exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and a resolution, with some twists thrown in to keep it interesting, including anime. By around episode 20 everything should be concluding, so throwing off a character makes a good twist before the second season ends.
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dambuilder
 Posts: 42 |
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........ too bad. 
(sicr ^^ 
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abunai
Old Regular
Posts: 5463 Location: 露命 |
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Point. I think everybody has one hamster or the other´(or all of them) on their "hit list". - abunai |
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LuckySleven
 Posts: 426 Location: Refer to page 2 |
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but w/e i don't really think that the curse of 23 has to do with anime very much because some of the anime i've been seeing are like 50+ long and something dramatic always happens in the beginning and some times it ends around the 20+ so yeh, you get the idea but really it's an interesting theory regarding the relation between the movie and anime. thanks for giving me something to think about.
[Edited to remove off-topic material. ~Zalis] |
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coffee
 Posts: 170 Location: Florida |
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In Chrono Crusade They off spoiler[Satella] in episode 23
and in episode 24 they kill off spoiler[Chrono and Rosette]. After I finished that last episode I couldn't stop bawling, I had grown so attached, and the way they handled it was just so beautiful I couldn't help myself. |
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Wolverine Princess
 Posts: 1100 |
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I actually had a crush on Cappy when I was in the first grade. I have absolutely no idea why, but it kind of disgusts me thinking about it now. (I also remember wanting to marry Barney when I was like three years old. What a strange child I was.  )
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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Its simple. Anime are usually 24 or 26 episodes.
Episode 23 is therefore either the second last episode (usually the first half of the climax) or the episode or 2 before the climax. Basic story structure, likely times to kill a major character: Right off the bat at the start of the series - the casue for the events in the story Mid series - often this chages the main characters view or oppinion as he deals with this death Just before the climax - often the cause for the escalation to the climax durring the climax - part of the climax/resolution |
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Mirrinus
 Posts: 230 Location: La Thiene Plateau |
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That's a very good point. Just like to add, in episode 23 of Last Exile, spoiler[Luciola is killed...]shame, I really liked that character too.
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Ichigo77
 Posts: 389 Location: California |
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These anime's don't have any death in episode 23 but there are some important things that happen.
Outlaw Star: spoiler[ this episode was mostly all fan service and only had 1 plot point in it. This episode wasn't important but was very different from the rest, not to mention it never aired on US TV.] Love Hina: spoiler[ Naru is dealing with Mitsumi being the girl from Keitaro's past and wondering if she should tell him or not.] Girls Bravo: spoiler[ Yukinari is having trouble dealing with Miharu gone and everyone else is triyng to think of a way to get back to seiren and save her.] |
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10円
Posts: 605 |
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That was perhaps the most amusing spoiler[death ever. No love lost for me; I was still laughing long after the scene was over. I think I might just have to fire up some Last Exile and re-live that comical death scene again and again.] Thanks for reminding me. Last edited by 10円 on Sun Mar 18, 2007 4:41 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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