Comments on: 2007 in 12 day 2: Bokurano http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/12/15/2007-in-12-day-2/ Watch, listen and think for yourself Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:31:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Bateszi Anime Blog » Blog Archive » On the context of dropping anime http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/12/15/2007-in-12-day-2/#comment-45348 Bateszi Anime Blog » Blog Archive » On the context of dropping anime Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:02:17 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/12/15/2007-in-12-day-2/#comment-45348 [...] an interesting premise. My thoughts immediately turned to Bokurano; the way I dropped it, the way my fellow bloggers really loved it and most of all, the way it’s such a fascinating idea for an anime [...] [...] an interesting premise. My thoughts immediately turned to Bokurano; the way I dropped it, the way my fellow bloggers really loved it and most of all, the way it’s such a fascinating idea for an anime [...]

]]> By: Owen S http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/12/15/2007-in-12-day-2/#comment-34543 Owen S Mon, 17 Dec 2007 01:09:03 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/12/15/2007-in-12-day-2/#comment-34543 Eh, I didn't notice the so-called detestable additions that were in the anime, but that's just me. You see what you want to see, I guess, and towards the end of Bokurano I thought that it didn't go wrong anywhere, and was as good as could have been; the children's history was presumably toned down for ease of adaptation (getting a young girl's gang rape by paedophiles to air would be a tough feat, one would assume). I had tears in my eyes as Jun left his sister for the final battle. The way in which it swung between "Hey, you might be saved after all!" and "You're still going to die" kept me in suspense, and as an ending, it worked. Eh, I didn’t notice the so-called detestable additions that were in the anime, but that’s just me. You see what you want to see, I guess, and towards the end of Bokurano I thought that it didn’t go wrong anywhere, and was as good as could have been; the children’s history was presumably toned down for ease of adaptation (getting a young girl’s gang rape by paedophiles to air would be a tough feat, one would assume).

I had tears in my eyes as Jun left his sister for the final battle. The way in which it swung between “Hey, you might be saved after all!” and “You’re still going to die” kept me in suspense, and as an ending, it worked.

]]> By: ConcreteBadger http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/12/15/2007-in-12-day-2/#comment-34520 ConcreteBadger Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:07:51 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/12/15/2007-in-12-day-2/#comment-34520 *sigh* I knew this would happen. Yes, I don't think working on a story you hate is a good idea and yes there were a number of details that deserved exploring more fully. The trap everyone still falls into is that of how it's an inferior adaptation - the differences between the two were intentional! I can't say I agree with every change that was made (Brian's idea would have worked very well I think) but as Crayola rightly pointed out, viewers were given fair warning that it wouldn't be the same - the quality of the changes is a separate issue. Not that this warning stopped people complaining regardless...we anime fans seem to enjoy a good old whinge! *sigh* I knew this would happen. Yes, I don’t think working on a story you hate is a good idea and yes there were a number of details that deserved exploring more fully. The trap everyone still falls into is that of how it’s an inferior adaptation - the differences between the two were intentional! I can’t say I agree with every change that was made (Brian’s idea would have worked very well I think) but as Crayola rightly pointed out, viewers were given fair warning that it wouldn’t be the same - the quality of the changes is a separate issue.

Not that this warning stopped people complaining regardless…we anime fans seem to enjoy a good old whinge!

]]> By: Peter S http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/12/15/2007-in-12-day-2/#comment-34488 Peter S Sun, 16 Dec 2007 05:21:53 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/12/15/2007-in-12-day-2/#comment-34488 For those of you who have read the manga (I haven't) where did the deviations really start to affect the story? For my part I found the early eps devastating as the full horror of the situation was revealed, but midway through it began to meander and with a couple of exceptions, seemed to soften up. The final ep almost made up for it, but I finished it thinking it had not lived up to its potential. What about the manga? For those of you who have read the manga (I haven’t) where did the deviations really start to affect the story? For my part I found the early eps devastating as the full horror of the situation was revealed, but midway through it began to meander and with a couple of exceptions, seemed to soften up. The final ep almost made up for it, but I finished it thinking it had not lived up to its potential. What about the manga?

]]> By: Crayola http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/12/15/2007-in-12-day-2/#comment-34472 Crayola Sat, 15 Dec 2007 23:25:56 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/12/15/2007-in-12-day-2/#comment-34472 Wow, Brian, thanks for the enlightening post. I'm a follower of the manga myself, so I wasn't aware of the differences between the comic and the anime. And yes, your twist idea would have been a neat way to justify the director's additions, and it would make a neat "alternate story." What was it with GONZO, anyway? Didn't they more or less tell the manga fans to eff off if they weren't happy with the changes in story? Wow, Brian, thanks for the enlightening post. I’m a follower of the manga myself, so I wasn’t aware of the differences between the comic and the anime. And yes, your twist idea would have been a neat way to justify the director’s additions, and it would make a neat “alternate story.”

What was it with GONZO, anyway? Didn’t they more or less tell the manga fans to eff off if they weren’t happy with the changes in story?

]]> By: Brian http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/12/15/2007-in-12-day-2/#comment-34471 Brian Sat, 15 Dec 2007 22:34:20 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/12/15/2007-in-12-day-2/#comment-34471 The director deserves every bit of scorn sent his way. [While I expect that anyone reading this has already watched the anime, please note that there are SPOILERS if you have not.] His deletions from the manga (largely making the horrific histories of the children slightly marginally less horrific) were mostly at least arguably justifiable, but his additions were detestable. I did not read the manga until after I finished watching the anime, so I began the anime with an open mind (indeed, an eager one, since I found the premise so interesting). I can handle evil megacorporations that have taken over the government. What I can't handle is evil megacorporations that are too stupid to live. If you're a huge megacorporation/government who knows that there exist a group of children who will (a) be given unbelievable military power that will allow them to destroy anything they wish during a short period of time, and (b) then the child will be in a no-holds-barred fight for the life of the entire planet, how should you treat that child? Well, in the manga, the answer was generally: with kid gloves, giving any aid you can in the fight, up to and including having soldiers sacrifice their lives. In the anime, the answer was: in the last day before the child has to fight, you attempt to destroy their family's life, send assassins after their family and even attempt to kill the prospective pilot. You interfere with the fight for your planet's survival, up to and including attempting to destroy the very mecha which you are aware is the only hope for your planet's survival. Up to the very last episode, I had hopes that the director was going to give us a brilliant twist--we weren't watching the same earth that the manga was based on, we were watching a parallel earth where the stupidity of the government/megacorporation ended up with the planet being destroyed. But no, no such luck. Instead, we're left with an incoherent mess. The director deserves every bit of scorn sent his way.

[While I expect that anyone reading this has already watched the anime, please note that there are SPOILERS if you have not.]

His deletions from the manga (largely making the horrific histories of the children slightly marginally less horrific) were mostly at least arguably justifiable, but his additions were detestable.

I did not read the manga until after I finished watching the anime, so I began the anime with an open mind (indeed, an eager one, since I found the premise so interesting).

I can handle evil megacorporations that have taken over the government. What I can’t handle is evil megacorporations that are too stupid to live.

If you’re a huge megacorporation/government who knows that there exist a group of children who will (a) be given unbelievable military power that will allow them to destroy anything they wish during a short period of time, and (b) then the child will be in a no-holds-barred fight for the life of the entire planet, how should you treat that child?

Well, in the manga, the answer was generally: with kid gloves, giving any aid you can in the fight, up to and including having soldiers sacrifice their lives.

In the anime, the answer was: in the last day before the child has to fight, you attempt to destroy their family’s life, send assassins after their family and even attempt to kill the prospective pilot. You interfere with the fight for your planet’s survival, up to and including attempting to destroy the very mecha which you are aware is the only hope for your planet’s survival.

Up to the very last episode, I had hopes that the director was going to give us a brilliant twist–we weren’t watching the same earth that the manga was based on, we were watching a parallel earth where the stupidity of the government/megacorporation ended up with the planet being destroyed.

But no, no such luck. Instead, we’re left with an incoherent mess.

]]> By: IKnight http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/12/15/2007-in-12-day-2/#comment-34470 IKnight Sat, 15 Dec 2007 22:04:05 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/12/15/2007-in-12-day-2/#comment-34470 That second screenshot makes this look like a comedy version of <em>NGE</em> but I'm prepared to believe there's more to it than that. That second screenshot makes this look like a comedy version of NGE but I’m prepared to believe there’s more to it than that.

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