SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Oh man, I wouldn't even compare this to Bride Story, which does a better job in many ways and is on a much higher level of quality than Maoyuu currently, even as a manga. Granted, the ages don't really work well for a comparison. The hero and the Demon King are more the same age while Amir and Karluk are at a 6 year difference. XD But you bring up an excellent point! The interactions between the two characters in Maoyuu are, while cute, kind of blah-ish thus far (not really going anywhere, either good or bad), even for the awkward situation. The fanservice is probably the main cause of this, though. I can only hope it improves over time.Mouse2010 wrote:Goldenspines beat me to it. Yeah, my understanding from the first episode is that "Demon King" is a traditional title regardless of gender, apparently.
And, Goldenspines, in the abstract, I'd agree with you. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: It's basically an arranged marriage romance, and arranged marriages stories often do take time to resolve the romance. And yes, they're both young and kind of shy around each other, and if I think about it rationally, that's probably quite realistic. In fact, normally, I think I'd find this to be a sweet and realistic romance. (Compare Bride's Story). As I think about it, I am not sure what it is that irritates me about it. Maybe it is the way the sweet-blushing-romance gets juxtaposed with the Demon King's bouncing breasts? It's a jarring clash of innocent romance and entirely unnecessary fanservice. (Admittedly, the fanservice is not NEARLY as bad as it could be. It just feels out of place in this particular show to me.) Or maybe the dialogue between them just isn't strong enough to carry the romance for me. I am not sure what the problem is. Either way, I don't think it will stop me from watching the series.
Maybe I'll try to be less critical about it. As I said, normally I like stories that have a good romance.
Blessed be the LORD my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.
Neane wrote:I only saw one episode of Tamako Market and This is the definition of a soulless anime. Boring, cheesy, painful to watch. It has absolutely no value in anything it does, anything at all. Maybe only its animation techniques. But the character art is absolutely dreadful, and the backgrounds are generic real life photographs, photoshopped to look 2D (and if a few aren't, I don't care, they suck either way, clear picture doesn't mean anything tbh). You don't care for the plot, you don't care for the characters. Seriously, just looking on the screen, while this anime is playing, makes me feel bad for myself.
Whoever wants me to define what a soulless anime is:
"The characters don't seem to be interracting with the setting or each other, but putting on a show for the watchers."
And a low quality one, on the top of it.
I haven't seen Ocean Waves or read Nineteen, Twenty One, but all the other things you've mentioned are dramas. Silver Spoon, for instance, has day-to-day shenanigans with Life At Farm School but the whole thing is about Mikage and these other kids figuring out what they're going to do with their lives and their talents. Similarly, Time of Eve isn't about the daily life of the coffee shop so much as it is looking at robot sentience and what kind of rights they'd have, are they the same as a person, etc.MangaRocks! wrote:^ Actually, I think you're exactly right! In fact, I've never even really thought about that before-- it actually seemed kinda weird to me how I would really enjoy some slice-of-life-type-stuff and then some others not so much, because I don't mind in the least if the watch/read is 'slow,' as is the (IMO silly) complaint you often hear about that type of story (for example, Hyouka, Time Of Eve, Whisper Of The Heart, Ocean Waves, Natsume's Book Of Friends, Silver Spoon, Nineteen, Twenty One, Kimi to Boku., and etc. are all examples of slice-of-life-type-stuff that I've loved); but, now that you mention it, it does indeed appear that the slice-of-life stuff that I really enjoy all have *some* type of progression-- even if it's subtle-- with either plot, romance, or character development. (Not to say that I *dislike* Yotsuba&! or Tamako-- I do like them, actually -- it's just that I don't *love* them, and they don't engage me as much. But now I see why. Thanks, Hat! )
goldenspines wrote:Small note about Amnesia, because I forgot to make it here earlier. Crazy colored eyes whyyy, of course, but that aside, the story still remains interesting. I worry they're trying to complicate it too much though with SPOILER: Highlight text to read: not only time jumps, but alternate time lines as well? Still, it's kind of nice someone else besides her knows about her memory loss now and even try to help her out.
Mr. Hat'n'Clogs wrote:I haven't seen Ocean Waves or read Nineteen, Twenty One, but all the other things you've mentioned are dramas. Silver Spoon, for instance, has day-to-day shenanigans with Life At Farm School but the whole thing is about Mikage and these other kids figuring out what they're going to do with their lives and their talents. Similarly, Time of Eve isn't about the daily life of the coffee shop so much as it is looking at robot sentience and what kind of rights they'd have, are they the same as a person, etc.
Meanwhile, what makes Tamako Market (or for some other similar things, YKK, Yotsuba&!, or Aria) good is different from getting involved in the characters and their struggles but they're not really comedies the way something like Nichibros or Arakawa Under the Bridge are because their goal is not to have you suffocating from lack of breath. Instead, what they're primarily concerned with is getting you mixed up in the world they're set in. This is not to be confused with, say, Xam'd or Eureka Seven, where the setting makes an exotic feeling where the viewer is interested in the world because it's different. Rather, because they are set in a calm, peaceful location that is very similar to your own place, they get you swept up in the day-to-day lives of the people residing in the place and you feel relaxation and joy at the beauty of regular life. Usually, they have some sort of catalyst (Yotsuba's adorable innocence, Akari's profession as a gondolier) but the position is mostly there to help you explore the setting as you see the various things that make it beautiful.
Part of why KyoAni is so excellent at this is because they have such excellent animation that the characters we're watching feel real because the way they move reminds us more of human beings than the typical limited-animation we see in low-intensity TV anime. Similarly, the way the backgrounds are so fantastic really help make the background part of the show as we get swept into the magic of watching the events transpiring to this background. The next time you watch Tamako Market, try to pay attention to the way people move around and how much they move around. Rather than expecting to be lol'ing or being swept up in the characters, try to instead let the show transport yourself to the shopping district to feel like you're part of this wonderful place where everyone belongs and the nice crossdresser at the floral shop will give you a free flower if you're a shy new girl or the two old guys are going to argue over whether it's better to keep up with trends or to stick with tradition, but no one (including their children) actually pay them any mind.
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