April 14, 2015

Random Anime Picture #96: ... And Taxes


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-Hibiki!  Euphonium, Ep01

Why yes, yes I am eight years old, why do you ask?

So I did my taxes tonight, a duty that I've been dreading for... reasons that should be obvious if you've been reading The Pond for any length of time.  I'm happy to say that the disaster I was expecting didn't occur.  So yay for me.  Up until that time, however, I looked very much like the young woman up there as I attempted to muster up the courage to actually do them.  Just without the sound effects.  I never could manage those.

Oh, the show, right right!  Loved the first episode, it's not at all K-On! with brass instruments like most people were lazily expecting.  Friend Ben has an entertaining little writeup that I recommend you read, as he went in-depth into the episode, and I'm going to be vapid and vague. 

The first thing to point out is that, whether you've liked their recent shows or not, Kyoto Animation still makes everything look friggin' amazing.  Sure, I picked a shot of sakura snow to illustrate that, but I could just have easily used this picture:

...and the point would still remain true.  Even a random throwaway shot of some garbagecans in a hallway looks beautiful.  In fact, the show as a whole so far reminds me of the days before KyoAni did Lucky Star and decided afterwards that everything had to look like that.  That maybe they're getting away from that is a good thing in my book.

"...is that a camera?"
It's not just landscapes and backgrounds.  Everything in Euphonium looks great.  Even the story seems to be less cutesy than one might expect, though I don't expect it'll ever be considered "dark".  "Slightly cloudy on a summer's day", perhaps, but not dark.  If for no other reason than...

...her.  In a world where everybody is refreshingly normal, she's about as nutty as squirrel poop, but even that's handled in a goofy, yet realistic way.  My feelings mirror Ben's here: "If there was a girl like that in my school, I would have pledged to help her take over the world."  She's a wackadoodle, but she's a fun wackadoodle.

I'm not saying this is going to be a slam-dunk.  KyoAni's had a bad track record with me of late, but there are signs that this might be something special.  Keep your wingtips crossed.

Posted by: Wonderduck at 01:14 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 408 words, total size 3 kb.

1 I admit, I took one look at the promo art and series pitch blurb and thought, "Really, we're doing the K-On thing AGAIN??"

If the second episode holds up, I may have to get on board, though. Gods, I miss GOOD KyoAni work...

Posted by: GreyDuck at April 14, 2015 07:33 AM (AQ0bN)

2 If the second episode holds up, I may have to get on board, though. Gods, I miss GOOD KyoAni work...

All abooooooooard!  Hibiki! Euphonium is leaving Hype Station and is heading for Destination Good Show!

Posted by: Wonderduck at April 14, 2015 08:52 PM (jGQR+)

3

So far, Sound! Euphonium (Which is the English name that Pony Canyon has licensed the series for R1 release under.) has been an enjoyable show to watch, even after two episodes.  It is certainly the most enjoyable KyoAni series I can remember so far, at least since Haruhi...And bluntly, I thought Haruhi was entertaining, but not that good.  Aside from Asuka, you also have Hazuki, whose classic 'Hazuki moments' average one per episode.

A major factor in enjoying the series is the attention to detail that people who have experience playing instruments, in a band, will easily recognize.  Having played the trumpet and later the baritone horn from 3rd grade straight through high school, there are a LOT of details in Euphonium that bring back memories, and helps with the enjoyment factor.  Quite a few of the other posters at Fandom Post who like the series also have musical backgrounds, and it was interesting seeing the various backgrounds.

One big complaint I have seen is that the story is moving, and building up, too slowly.  As far as I can see, it is moving along nicely.

Posted by: cxt217 at April 14, 2015 10:22 PM (YlBUM)

4 I should mention that the biggest strike I have so far against the series - the main character talking to her cactus.

Posted by: cxt217 at April 14, 2015 10:23 PM (YlBUM)

5 I love fun wackadoodles! (Just for the record.)

Posted by: The Librarian at April 15, 2015 04:32 PM (N+dks)

6 OMG!

Posted by: Wonderduck at April 15, 2015 08:11 PM (jGQR+)

7 Best. Wackadoodle. Ever.

I'm only partly joking. Asuka IS wacky, but it never feels out of place or over-the-top. It's... weirdly refreshing, if that's not too odd a way to describe it.

Yeah, I'm on board.

Posted by: GreyDuck at April 16, 2015 07:24 AM (AQ0bN)

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