Anime Discussion Thread - Page 553

As I mentioned previously, the dread ramped up pretty quickly from the outset. We are painted pictures of the characters rapidly as well. Some grow, some do not, some aren't allowed to. The art is solid. It isn't my favorite style, but it's presented well enough to be convincing and enthralling. The scoring blends in very well, and dictates energy, suspense, complacency with a subtle hand.

Suspense really is the source of momentum for most of the beginning of the show. We follow the heroes' realizations and reactions, we learn their mettle, and we confront the shock of death repeatedly with them until we too are inured to it. The vague dread of nameless misfortune transforms into the more palpable dread of wholesale death without resistance. We go from lamenting the weakness of individual lives to fearing the fragility of entire communities, seeing that they can be crushed entirely without even realizing it.

I felt that the middle of the series felt a bit slow to be honest. As I mentioned, at some point (maybe only for myself, watching this continuously, sleeplessly) we become inured to the shock of death and treat the village's destruction as part of a slow, quiet revolution. We realize we are simply seeing the shiki build order unfold, and any scouts have been blinded by optic flare, mind controlled, or shot down entirely.

I was excited when Ozaki sensei dissected his undead wife because I knew it would lead up to the screenshot Thratur posted as a teaser. We witness here the dichotomy between Ozaki and Muroi's essential natures. Ozaki sees the shiki as an affront to life, his duty, his people. He observes, experiments, and goes on to purge the shiki like a disease. Muroi sees the shiki as animate representations of philosophical problems he's wrestled with in his writing. He speaks, listens, teaches, learns, and goes on only to save his one teacher and student.

The trap Ozaki and Natsuno sprung to declare open warfare with their own first blood was both satisfying and pitiful, to whatever extent the show established Chizuru, and shiki themselves, to be pitiable. I personally feel that soldiers, whatever they may be accorded, should not be pitied for being slain in war. Of course, soldiers can harbor specific emotions to sympathize with, but as Sunako said, "tokubetsu ni hidoi shi wa nai."

The events of the war itself were mostly expected, and at this point all the characters had grown and shown as much as they ever would. Some satisfying growth: Touru helping Ritsuko and himself depart nobly, Sunako resigning to the burden of being abandoned, and Muroi learning the freedom of the same.

Finally my one criticism. Of course every man is home to a font of complaints to be issued endlessly on any topic, but this is the one I'll write here. We are presented characters. We are presented situations. We are taught via their behaviors and their reactions to calamities, personal and overarching, what these characters are as people and concepts. And to me it seemed that they stayed that way. Most of the cast did not change. For example, the entire array of Megumi's feelings and core motivations were revealed at the outset. We develop a deeper understanding of what she represents as she journeys on, but she never surprises us. She never synthesizes these ridiculous challenges into some new understanding.

That's fine of course. In every story, some characters are not meant to evolve or unfold as different. The ones that did in Shiki (Ozaki, Muroi, Kaori, Natsuno, Chizuru, Sunako, Touru imo) were very satisfying to watch. I'm only complaining because I would've loved to see characters like Tatsumi or Megumi surprise me. Even among the changing characters, some changes I felt were a bit jarring. Kaori's snapping was abrupt, as we never see the situation actually gnawing at her until she's alone. Natsuno's motivations as a jinrou also felt like they were written from air, instead of having a natural genesis from his motivations before death (dreams of escape, coexistence.)

Overall I'm very satisfied with the show. I actually want to watch more horror or suspense now because it was such a good watch.

I thought that Annerose went to the palace to be a maid or something, not a concubine. But, I feel so bad for Susanne. She went from being the Kaiser's girl to being the old wife that gets abandoned for the young girl. I don't blame her for being upset.

Fuck this Commodore Fork guy. He's gonna get the Alliance destroyed. I have a feeling that with Iserlohn cut off, the Empire will try to attack through Phezzan. I wonder how that would work out.

It was nice to see the High Council meeting, and see just how the top of the Alliance government works. Nice abuse of power too. "We're stuck in a traffic jam. Call in a helicopter!"

And why does everyone hate Reinhard? Ignoring social status, he's the best fucking admiral in the entire Empire.

They also have a good inkling of his intentions (regarding them) and know that he's a huge threat to everything about them. I mean, they're "useless" but they're not idiots. They know what's going on in his mind regarding the power structure of the empire. It's a bit like, hmm, Julius Caesar.

Reinhard: My favorite from the show, since he was essentially the main character. Following him for 110 episodes was a real treat. Space Napoleon was so deep as a character, he was like the perfect combination between ambition, perfection, and human. Reinhard really did personify the Imperial-side characters in this show, with his power and badassness. When he was escaping from that assassination attempt early in the last season, and rose up and made those would-be assassins shit their pants was so great.

Yang: His death at the end of season 3 really surprised me. He was Reinhard's equal and opposite in so many ways. Tactically, no one was superior in this show. Just as how Reinhard represented the Imperial-side characters, Yang represented the Alliance side. Very idealistic, very likable, he was like an every-day person who rose up to the challenge when history demanded.

Kircheis: It seems like it was forever ago when he died. His death was the first time in the show I really knew I cared for these characters. He was just so nice, and so good at the things he was doing. I felt that he and Reinhard would stay together for the entire show... And then he died. It was one of the saddest parts of the anime, if not THE saddest.

Julian: I actually got to watch Julian grow up into a Mini-Yang in this show. I didn't expect that when I first met him. I thought that I wouldn't like the kid when he first showed up, but before I knew it, he was a fighter pilot, and then he was killing people with axes, and ordering fleets around.

Mittermeyer: My favorite non-Reinhard character. His battle against Reuenthal was easily his high point. He was strong willed, talented in combat, loyal to his friends and family, and you could really feel his pain when he fought against his best friend. I first knew I would like him during the battle of Amlitzer.

Reuenthal: Another badass character. He was a very tragic person. He was essentially forced into rebellion when he had been loyal, and was forced to fight against his best friend. Not to mention all the stuff with his childhood.

Schenkopp: The most badass character on the alliance side. Made sense though, since he was originally from the empire. He slaughtered many people with a battle axe, and when he was doing that, was simply an enjoyable character to watch. RIP you died a good death.

Bittenfeld: Unlike all the other Imperial admirals, he was all like RAWR CHARGE. He punched out Oberstein. I like.

Kesler: The guy didn't get too much time to shine, but when he got to do stuff, he was great at it. Him saving Hilda and Annarosa at the end was great. He also seemed like the most human of all of Reinhard's admirals, with that early part in season 1 where he had to take the supplies off the planets predeeding the Alliance's advance.

Lutz: I don't know when I started to like him, but I knew I did when he died in glory.

Muller: Muller another extremely likable guy. He started out as a noob, but he really shined at the Battle of Vermillion. Its only too bad that after the battle, Reinhard used him mostly as a rear guard, for better or worse.

Eisenach: ...

Poplan: The guy was very funny, I'm glad he survived.

Wahlen: Him and his fake arm were badass. I liked him.

Karin: Hottest girl in the show.