Every now and again, something really special will come down the pike. Roughly a year ago, I mentioned a manga entitled Kase-san And..., recommended it highly, then told you to go to Midnite Tease for a good post about it. Since then, all of the manga has come out and it was still just as lovely as it had been.
And then an OVA was announced. I squeeeee'd. It came out a few days ago, and I squeeee'd again. And then I actually watched it.
Oh yes, yes indeed.
I find myself, however, in an odd position... I'm not entirely sure I can recommend it to my readers. In a lot of ways, the OVA is for those who have read the manga. It skips around a lot, not touching some of the more important story arcs, including a couple of the more important ones (school sports day, anybody?). If you've read the series, this isn't a problem... you know how Yamada and Kase got to where they are... but I imagine it might be less fulfilling to one who has no idea "what came before." Or during, come to think of it.
Was it good? Oh heavens yes. Is it worth watching? I think so, as long as you're okay with some yuri in your life. But it's not even your normal yuri show... these two honestly, truly, have a thing for each other, in a way you don't see very often in anime. But if you haven't read the manga, there are layers that I think you'll miss out on. So take that as a head's up.
1
So this one's very much "for the fans." That's not a bad thing, they knew what they could budget for and did it that way.
I got started on the manga but wandered off for entirely external reasons. I'll have to give it another go.
Posted by: GreyDuck at June 21, 2018 07:04 AM (rKFiU)
2
A non-reader will watch it and not miss anything, not really. But they'll be seeing the forest while the person who knows the manga will be seeing the moss growing on the mighty trees.
.
Or something like that.
.
I really do recommend both the manga and the ova. Little angst, lovable characters, a charming storyline... what's not to like?
Posted by: Wonderduck at June 21, 2018 07:33 AM (POEh5)
3
That's my impression as well. The OVA is very much for the fans, but you can watch it as a sort of "in media res" take on the story. It's actually very much in line with the new Yamada to Kasa-san manga, which is revisiting a lot of the Kase-san and... stories and adding content.
This season's best series marches on relaxedly, heading for the Great Camping Finale. Fortunately for all of us, there's still another four or five episodes to come. I'll be quite melancholy once it's over... it's just that sort of show. A bit of Comfy Camp before bed is what my entire Thursday is geared towards.
I actually had very high hopes for the show to give us a Ducks In Anime entry, what with all the hot springs we've seen and all. Turns out my reasoning was 100% sound, the duck just had nothing to do with camping whatsoever. Well, that's perfectly fine too. Ducks Is Ducks, and Comfy Camp is way too comfy.
Ducks In Anime: The Things I Watch For This Category...
-Orenchi no Furo Jijou, Ep01
So a guy is walking around and finds a shirtless guy seemingly near death, calling for help. He picks him up and carries him home. Only then does he notice that his visitor is a merman. Oh, and that mer-folk need to stay in water or they die.
Oh, and the local river is polluted so can he please stay here? Cue wacky bathtub hijinks. Oh, and later a octopus-man joins the party. There are lots of longing looks thrown around, and only the rubber duck who acts as the narrator is sane.
Thankfully, each episode is less than three minutes in length. Even that feels too long, however. It's absolutely not the sort of show I'd watch, except there's a duck. See what I do for my readers?
I'm really enjoying Is The Order A Rabbit?, but... what the hell, Japan? It's rubber ducks, not rubber rabbits. Jimmy Carter notwithstanding, rabbits don't swim. This actually bothers me much more than anything Hellsing Ultimate did, and that show is batsh*t insane.
So is Rize, but in a good way. She's keeping this show from going completely into Saccharin City, and I thank her for it. It's been a while since I've laughed out loud at an anime, but she's managed to make me do it a couple of times in the space of three episodes.
Just... go watch it. It won't be everybody's cup of... um... coffee... but it's good!
Despite my advancing years, my eye can still be distracted by cute representatives of the opposite sex, even to the point of watching an anime series solely because of a character design. Oh, it doesn't happen often... I usually require something more than that, like a storyline or grand concept that is appealing... but upon occasion everything will line up just right. As I wasn't really paying attention to anything this season... I still intend to finish up Girls Last Tour... I said "what the hell," and began watching Aquarion Logos.
This was not the best idea I ever had. I acknowledge that giant robot shows can in theory be interesting and enjoyable. Having acknowledged that, I need to state that Aquarion Logos does nothing to prove that theory correct. Lots of combining small ships to make a big one, lots of yelled attack moves, flat-out awful animation levels, a stupid stupid plot... really, the only worthwhile thing in it is the Tagonist, Maia (above). Yes, tagonist. She's not on the side of Right And Good, so she can't be the protagonist, but she's not on the side of Darkness and Evil anymore either, so she's no antagonist. So she's a Tagonist.* Oh, and the cafe that's a front for the Good Guys' Giant Robot Hangar has a row of rubber duckies, as seen up top there. Sadly, even the combination of cut-off jeans shorts and rubber duckies cannot save this series.
* Yes, I know I'm not using protagonist and antagonist correctly. Just roll with it.
Posted by: Ben at November 16, 2017 06:42 AM (4E68E)
2
I still think Yoko was Will's favorite thing about Gurren Lagann. I wasn't really paying attention to the show, but every time I saw her on screen, she had a very large gun very strategically placed, and Will kept denying it was intentional. Not sure if he was trying to fool me or himself.
Actually, I feel bad, because he used to re-watch Gurren Lagann every year, but he hasn't watched it since I made fun of it seven years ago. Will! You can totally watch it this year! I promise I won't say anything *and* I'll wait until your back is turned to roll my eyes!
Posted by: Mrs. Will at November 16, 2017 06:51 AM (JPRju)
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I've made two stabs at Gurren Lagann and just can't get past the first half dozen or so episodes. I'm assured that it's actually brilliant and moving and such. Eventually.
To the more cogent point, though: I like that the artist didn't simply copy-pasta one duck repeatedly to make that line-up.
Posted by: GreyDuck at November 16, 2017 08:36 AM (rKFiU)
4
"I promise I won't say anything *and* I'll wait until your back is turned to roll my eyes!"
There you have it, that's true love right there, people!
Posted by: Rick C at November 16, 2017 09:12 AM (ECH2/)
Posted by: Wonderduck at November 16, 2017 06:50 PM (EVb8m)
6
What Greyduck said. I want to like Gurren Lagann sooooo bad...and I just can't make it past the first several episodes.
And yet, I own...I'm not entirely sure how many figures of Yoko Littner. It's a fleet. And there are *at least* three I don't have, that I will obtain at some point. The Real-Image, the Alter, and the Bunshitsu.
Posted by: Ben at November 16, 2017 07:01 PM (4E68E)
7
I must be more exhausted than I thought to have posted my email. Crap.
Posted by: cxt217 at November 17, 2017 07:46 PM (kS3Mo)
Not only did I love Flying Witch because of how good it made me feel ("Max Comfy!"), but it also had the cutest darn duckie ever to grace this category. Remember, the mother is a children's book illustrator... this is a page from a piece she's working on.
Ducks In Anime: UberLyft
As I often do on Saturday nights, I was online chatting with Brickmuppet (which says a lot about my life, doesn't it?). He was sending me various and sundry pictures of a somewhat questionable nature, as is the usual wont, but one of them was different. It was a picture of a tiny fairy-like being riding a duck. I recognized it immediately, because c'mon, it's an anime duck... and I realized that I had never actually used that particular show before! The time has come to rectify that mistake. -Binchou-Tan, Ep01
The entire series has been put on yootoob and I warn you, you will immediately develop both cavities and diabetes from watching it. But it's really kinda worth it... it's just a lovely little piece of fluff where every character is the living embodiment of types of charcoal.
It isn't all sweetness and light of course. Binchou-tan is a lonely orphan that lives in a small house deep in the woods and has to forage for food when she isn't working in the nearby town doing menial tasks. One of her friends is a miko that communes with the afterworld. Y'know, that sort of thing. There's some meat in the froth, though. Well worth the cost of time, dental work, and insulin. I will warn you that, unless you are completely heartless, there is a very chance you will be tearing up or flat-out crying during the last few episodes.
And it's got the best looking realistic ducks I've ever seen in anime. That counts for a lot too.
Posted by: GreyDuck at June 19, 2017 07:29 AM (rKFiU)
2
Not sure if your interest just goes to rubber ducks in anime or also includes duck like characters.. but I'll post this in case it includes the latter as well. I saw somebody offered a 1940's era anime on BakaBT called Ahiru Rikusentai. It features duck like characters drawn in a similar style to Disney and Warner Brothers of the time. The description was: The conflict between ducklings and frogs escalates into war. However, a
lightning strike makes the fighters realize the trivial nature of their
battle.
BakaBT has gone private, so I can't link to it there, but it's short and it looks like somebody posted it to youtube here.
Posted by: stargazera5 at June 19, 2017 02:50 PM (0oc59)
3
Yes, you will end up with cavities in your bones after watchign that series...but it is visually stunning and a lovely watch.
Posted by: Ed Hering at June 19, 2017 10:56 PM (kublq)
Should have been a slam-dunk for me... a laid-back, funny, CGDCT series seems right up my alley. Except there were a couple of minor problems... it wasn't laid-back or funny. It tries to be funny, it just... isn't. Not to me, in any case. Four of the five girls are annoying... like, fingernails on a blackboard annoying... and the one that isn't tends to be both quiet and spacey, a combination that just... doesn't... work. It only just barely worked with Azumanga Daioh's Osaka, and believe me, Kiniro Mosaic ain't no AzuDai. What I'm trying to tell you is "don't watch it."
Sorry, I'm heartless and cruel... trying to be sad and cute ain't gonna cut it with me, not now.
Ducks In Anime: Stand Alone Duckie -Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Ep26
A few months back, I stumbled upon GITS:SAC running on Cartoon Network at, like, 4am. I was struck by just how great the show looked, particularly since it was first broadcast in 2002. Oh, sure, there are moments when it looks... not so hot... but by and large, they're outnumbered by the drop-dead gorgeous visuals.
For a while there, Production IG was the company to go to if you wanted a show to look top-shelf. Sort of the way KyoAni is now, I suppose. I gather they were the first to really devote themselves to digital animation. Surprisingly, GITS:SAC avoids most of the oddness of early computer animation; only some cars look like they've been pasted into the scene. I find it hard to ding the series in any way, really. The storyline is a little clunky at times, but on the whole it all works. Hard not to recommend it.
...and the rubber duckie has a red sailor hat and kerchief on. Bonus points for that!
Ducks In Anime: The Grand Return
Did you realize that it's been over a year since the last Ducks In Anime entry that featured an actual rubber duck? It's time to fix that.
-Seiren, Ep01
Remember Amagami SS? Essentially the first show to do an omnibus format, with each girl getting four episodes, based on a PS2 dating sim? Back in 2010? No? Yes? Well, Seiren is essentially an indirect sequel to Amagami SS, taking place in the same world, in the same school as the older show. In fact, one of the secondary characters is the younger brother of one of the girls from Amagami. It looks like Seiren is going to be exactly the same type of series... and that's good, because Amagami was a secret jewel of a show. If it's anywhere as good as the older series, this one is going to be a great time.
And hey, first episode rubber duck. That counts for a LOT in my world.
1
I vaguely recall Amigami SS, and hey, since this season's looking a bit lean anyway I might give the kinda-sequel here a shot...
Also: DUCK!
Posted by: GreyDuck at January 07, 2017 08:27 PM (rKFiU)
2...since this season's looking a bit lean anyway...
I know people are saying that, but I've got five (and maybe a sixth) shows on my platter this season. Seiren, of course. Interviews with Monster Girls, Little Witch Academia, KonoSuba2, and Kobayashi-san's Dragon Maid are the other four I've been anticipating. And last night, Avatar insisted that I must watch Youjo Senki.
I did one show last season: Hib!Euph2.
Posted by: Wonderduck at January 07, 2017 10:33 PM (UDOXQ)
3
WW1 meets Strike Witches, with pants. What's not to love?
I tried the first ep of Monster Girls today and quite liked it. Felt like Jitsu Wa with a bit less zany.
Tried Fuuka and Masamune-kun's Revenge, neither did much for me. Other than that, my list basically looks like Duck's, though I'll probably watch Fate/GO too.
Posted by: Avatar at January 08, 2017 05:42 AM (v29Tn)
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Man, I totally forgot to look at what's coming up this season. I'm so used to waiting for people to post links to the roundups. It's kind like those specials the networks used to run previewing their saturday morning cartoons.
Posted by: Mauser at January 08, 2017 01:21 PM (5Ktpu)
5
Av, I didn't count Fate Grand/Order since it's not a weekly thing. But I did watch the first installment... Mash is cute as a freakin' button.
I did watch the first episode of Youjo Senji last night, and you ask what's not to love. How about the main character? I'm going to keep watching, but at the moment it's in the hopes that she gets run over by a fully-loaded Ćberlandwagen.
Posted by: Wonderduck at January 08, 2017 09:48 PM (UDOXQ)
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It's not anime, but have you seen this church? Clearly architected by a duck fan.
Posted by: mikeski at January 09, 2017 02:15 AM (UzBQ4)
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I have a high tolerance for jerk characters. I mean, I work in legal support, it's mandatory!
Posted by: Avatar at January 09, 2017 04:50 AM (v29Tn)
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I got partway through Grand Order and bailed. Mash is cute, nearly everyone else is some level of creepy-and-or-annoying. And of course the lead is a K-drip. Also: as usual, it's another Fate-something installment where the gore factor's just a bit higher than I'm into. Sigh. I keep wanting to finish one of them to see how it turns out, but.
I'll keep my eyes peeled for folks saying, "Oh hey, turns out [XYZ show] is really good!" Then I'll catch up.
Posted by: GreyDuck at January 09, 2017 01:23 PM (rKFiU)
Ducks In Anime: Tanks For The Memories -Girls und Panzer der Film
What, you've never seen tanks camouflaged as rubber ducks before? It was a well-known technique during WWII, replacing the terribly ineffective zebra camouflage. Zebras, of course, are not native to Europe or the Pacific. Ducks, however, are ubiquitous.
Ducks In Motorsports #01
Some five years ago, the Rubbaduck named "Ducktona" joined The Flock.
While Ducktona was actually designed as a way to promote duck races, there's clearly some NASCAR-type stuff goin' on here, too. Now, I've joked once or twice about getting The Pond on a car somewhere (mainly the occasional Red Bull Faces For Charity event), but nothing serious. But Rubbaducks... well, they've got more resources than I do.
Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce The Xfinity Series #74 Dodge Challenger of Mark Harmon, who has just become duckdom's favorite driver! He's one of the small guys, racing on week-to-week sponsorships, and he's probably best known for surviving what is often considered the worst NASCAR accident of all time.
Rubber ducks in racing... once nothing but a dream, now a reality!
Ducks In Anime: The Lyrical Version -Servant x Service ED
Some people out there might call this cheating. Since I run this darn blog and I get to set the rules however I see fit, to those people I say "Pbpbppbpbbbbbbbbthhhtttthhhhhh."
Posted by: Pixy Misa at June 22, 2016 12:41 AM (2yngH)
2
We went bowling, my coworkers and I, last Friday as a "team building" shindig. After our time in the lanes was up, we went over to the arcade section. I won a couple o' cheap prizes' worth of "points" so what did I bring home?
Two little camo duckies, of course.
Relevant to this post: I'm 2/3 of the way through SxS and it's far, far more engaging than I expected. I'll probably push through to the end this weekend.
Posted by: GreyDuck at June 22, 2016 07:28 AM (rKFiU)
Ducks In Anime: In The Sticks -Non Non Biyori, Ep01 ED
Over at some place or another, a conversation took place concerning "shows that were like ARIA." The general consensus was that, other than YKK, there really aren't any shows like ARIA. That led to me trotting out my theory that the two shows take place in the same universe, but that's not the point of this little missive right now. One series that got a lot of support as feeling like ARIA without being anything like it was Non Non Biyori. I'll be honest, I knew absolutely nothing about the series other than the name, so what the heck, let's give it a shot. After watching the first two episodes, I've come to some general conclusions.
First, that's one darn handsome duck. Second, neh, it's closer in feel to Sketchbook than to ARIA, which is no bad thing in my opinion. Short version of story: Fifth-grader from Tokyo moves to tiny village out in the boonies, joins school that has four other students: 1st, 7th, 8th, and 9th graders. They're all in the same classroom. Hijinks occur languidly.
Third, come for Renge-chan playing the recorder, stay for the scenery porn. Everywhere you look, scenery porn. Languid scenery porn, to be sure, but there nonetheless. Should you watch it? Heck, I dunno... I've only seen two episodes and it's kinda been hit-and-miss for me. Languid scenery porn is nice and all, but something approximating a story would be useful once in a while.
Still... rubber duck in the credits. A+ for effort.
Ducks In Anime: Disapproval -Shokugeki no Soma, Ep07
Over the years, I have encountered many rubber ducks in episodes of anime, and this is good. I approve of this trend wholeheartedly. One thing that I do not countenance, however, is the use of rubber duckies as projectiles. Bath toys of any sort should never be thrown at others... it could hurt the duckie!
This occurred in Rio: Rainbow Gate! and Kanon '06 as well... no more! No more, I say!
Darn humans, always messing it up for the rest of us.
Ducks In Anime: One Punch Duck -One Punch Man, Ep01
I've never been happier for green water ever. The hype was ridiculous over OPM leading up to this season, and every ounce of me wanted to just ignore it. After all, fighting anime ain't my gig except for Ikkitousen, and the fighting isn't the reason I watch that franchise. However, I saw too many reviews suggesting that there was more to the show than just stupid over-the-top fighting, so I gave it a watch. Good thing, too... it's funny as all get-out. The main character has Superman's Dilemma... no, not how does he have sex... but what happens when you're so strong that nothing at all can threaten you, and you can defeat anything literally with one punch? If you're like our hero, you get bored. You fight mostly because you're annoyed by the beings that ruin the roof of your apartment instead of using the door, or because they destroyed the grocery store that's most convenient for you. You literally dream of a challenge that will cause you to actually have to work for a victory.
Instead, to you everything is a mook. And you are empty inside.
But your rubber duckie loves you. Because that's how rubber duckies do.
Ducks In Anime: Seeing The World
-Shokugeki no Soma, Ep10
I'm still only here for the duck, but there was an amusing joke involving it this episode. You'll want to click "more" to see what it is, as some might consider the scene NSFW. more...
1
Is this the one where right away in the first episode a girl does a taste test and it has a... profound and meaningful physical effect on her, ahem? I couldn't get through the first episode of that one...
Also, I'm disappointed that your first link doesn't include the super-pause portion of that famous sign-off: "...and now you know... the rest... of the story. This is Paul Harvey... ... ... ... Good day!"
Posted by: GreyDuck at May 20, 2015 10:44 PM (/zxpg)
2
(Lest I come off as entirely grouchy, which was not my intent: That is a unique duck. I want one!)
Posted by: GreyDuck at May 20, 2015 10:45 PM (/zxpg)
3
GD, the MC is a very good cook indeed, good enough to give a shriveled old harridan memories of a youthful time with a meal made from tinned fish and scraps of veggies. So, um... maybe?
I'm only here for the duck.
Posted by: Wonderduck at May 20, 2015 10:58 PM (jGQR+)
4
I gave it four episodes and then dropped it. It's a one-trick pony, and they do the trick every episode. I got bored.
5
Funny enough, the last couple of episodes were pretty good. Less "achieve orgasmic pleasure through the power of mah cooking!" and more "I'm such a good cook that I will beat your supreme ingredients with stuff I pick up half off at the cheap supermarket". Show's definitely at its best when it's pushing the diner cook versus haute cuisine theme.
Posted by: Avatar at May 21, 2015 09:50 AM (aWC9A)
Ducks In Anime: Lyrical -Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha ViVid, Ep02
It's not grabbing me the way A's or StrikerS did, but at least so far ViVid has been harmless. I was exchanging e-mails with Ben after last week's episode, and he thought it strange that there weren't a lot of fansub choices available for the series.
I think it's because the Nanoha franchise is kinda old nowadays. The last non-movie installment, StrikerS, came out eight years ago to quite a bit of disdain amongst fans (though it's my favorite), and that's really a long time in the anime business. People who are anime fans now like as not have never experienced the Nanoha thingy. The two movies are graphically upgraded retellings of the first two seasons, which is great, but... y'know? There just isn't the excitement behind the franchise anymore.
But it's got a duck, and that makes it okay with me.
1
They'd have to pay me a lot more than six bucks a minute to come out of retirement for it...
I'm liking it well enough, mostly as a kind of "oh, hey, haven't seen you in a while, how are the kids" sense.
Posted by: Avatar at April 13, 2015 02:40 AM (zTHWs)
2
Considering the dreck CR has licensed this season, even without having seen StrikerS I might have been watching this just for something less-annoying to put in my queue.
Posted by: GreyDuck at April 13, 2015 07:27 AM (AQ0bN)
3
I thought the first episode was mostly harmless, but the second was pretty good. It's got me looking forward to the rest of the series.
4
GD, a really good BD release of StrikerS just hit the intarwebbz. A's is the best installment in the series, but StrikerS is the one I enjoy the most.
Av, roughly $2000 for a 12ep show? Hm... I'm not sure if that's really good or really awful.
Ben, I hated what they did to Soobs and Tea, my two favorite characters from the entire series. Almost unrecognizable.
Posted by: Wonderduck at April 13, 2015 10:12 AM (jGQR+)
5
It's really awful. I basically did it for half rate because a) Pioneer was busily going out of business at the time and so was pretty short on cash, b) the day job at that point was working at Wal-Mart and so it wasn't too hard to beat that out, and c) I really, really like Nanoha.
Apparently Crunchy routinely pays something in that range for both timing -and- translation. At that, it's a miracle we get anything legible at all. It really ain't enough money to do it for a living.
I don't terribly mind the design changes - the old design for Tea was cuter but eh, they were late-teens before and it's been a few years. It's normal to change a little in there. (And Elio turned into a pretty nice catch for Caro...)
Posted by: Avatar at April 13, 2015 03:37 PM (zJsIy)
6
It looks like the last time Subaru went in for a rebuild, that they increased her chest size. (Or maybe I'm just imagining it.)
7
Everybody got a bit more generically fan-servicey, but I had made pretty significant allowances for people looking different. However, Subaru and Tea have both calmed down quite a bit. Subaru was extremely emotional in StrikerS, while Tea was strung pretty tight. Both of them seem to be on Demerol now.
8
You'd expect that too, no? They're both decorated veterans at this point. Subaru's been playing surrogate mom/big sister to a whole pack for years, Tea's doing good at her dream job as opposed to frantic that she won't make the cut. And this ain't exactly a stress situation - nobody's flying an invincible battleship to attack the capital or invading with super-powerful clones or anything. They're dealin' with a slightly odd girl who's fond of punching things, their own punch-happy little sister gave as good as she got AND used her brain... it's a happy situation all around.
As far as the boob fairy turning up for Subaru, when we saw her last, she was either in Midchilda's equivalent of basic (very physically demanding) or training Nanoha style (the same in spades with big casino and gone all-in!) That kind of lifestyle tends to hinder development of what are, after all, a couple of places to store fat. Now that she's a little less active, puberty has an opportunity to finish up. You see the same thing with gymnasts and swimmers too.
But that's the risk with these kinds of sequels, no? The old characters have overcome, they've faced their inner demons, they're enjoying the fruits of their well-deserved rewards for valor, and... suddenly they themselves just aren't as interesting anymore. Nanoha isn't exactly the same when the biggest challenge she has to overcome is making a tasty omelette rice. It's how the show treats them when they get into a stress situation that will show the quality of the writing.
Posted by: Avatar at April 13, 2015 09:04 PM (zJsIy)
As far as the boob fairy turning up for Subaru, when we saw her last,
she was either in Midchilda's equivalent of basic (very physically demanding) or
training Nanoha style (the same in spades with big casino and gone all-in!) That
kind of lifestyle tends to hinder development of what are, after all, a couple
of places to store fat. Now that she's a little less active, puberty has an
opportunity to finish up. You see the same thing with gymnasts and swimmers
too.
You forget what Subaru is. None of that applies to her.
The only
original equipment left is her brain; everything else is metal and
plastic.
(Wonderduck, please delete the misformatted version of this comment.)
11
Hm, I thought she was not quite that cyborg-y; we see her pretty bloody in Strikers. Though yeah, at that point normal development is right out the window...
But she's not purely what we'd call a cyborg, right? I mean, she did grow up from a little kid like that.
Posted by: Avatar at April 14, 2015 05:00 AM (zTHWs)
12
Subaru:
Ginga and Subaru had to go in every few months while they were "growing up" to have their frames remodeled, and increased in size. It simulated the normal growth pattern of people with flesh bodies. That process wasn't complete at the time of StrikerS; we see Subaru and Ginga both go in for their latest rebuild at one point in that series.
This didn't happen for the Numbers; Scagliatti didn't care. Each of them appeared in their full-sized form initially even though the personalities were those of kids.
But all of them are what Ghost-in-the-Shell refers to as "Full Replacement cyborgs".
13
Man, it's been long enough since I've watched Strikers that I'm rusty on that. Obviously time to fix that!
Posted by: Avatar at April 14, 2015 01:50 PM (zJsIy)
14
I just watched the first Nanoha movie, on the basis that it might make ViVid a bit easier to understand without having to watch all 13 episodes of the original. I'm not sure it worked, I might have to watch the rest of the series now.
Posted by: Riktol at April 19, 2015 04:35 PM (MQZN9)
15
Riktol, I haven't watched either movie, so those with more info please correct, but my understanding is that the movies are based on the first two series,
while Vivio and most of the Belkan stuff doesn't appear until the third series, StrikerS.
Ben, that's almost correct. Even so, the second movie (which introduces Hayate and the Wolkenritter) is a lot more helpful than the first one.
But the Numbers and Vivio (and Erio and Caro and Subaru and Teana) are all from StrikerS. And Nanoha and Fate and Hayate are all full grown beginning with StrikerS, whereas in both movies they're still kids.
17
Riktol, if nothing else, watching the movies will give you a good foothold in the Nanoha universe. I may be in a minority here, but I believe both movies to be superior to their respective series.
That's not a knock on the series... I think A's is as good a piece of anime as you're going to find, particularly in the MG genre... but the movies cut away a lot of stuff the stories don't really need, and you get a tighter experience as a result.
As mentioned though, StrikerS is the source of a lot of the characters and backstory for ViVid. I love StrikerS, but I'm in the minority. It's also 26 eps long.
Posted by: Wonderduck at April 19, 2015 08:39 PM (jGQR+)