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CrownKlown
Joined: 05 May 2011
Posts: 1762
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 1:09 am
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Melanchthon wrote: |
Quote: | As such, I have to disagree with Bamboo's assertion that Maria-sama is “slice of life,” and I'd like to conjecture that it is, in fact, high fantasy. |
I've never thought about it that way, but I have to agree. Maria-sama is high fantasy. I also have the problem that it is not true yuri, that is to say it remains platonic love to the very end. The romantic love is there, bubbling under the surface, but it never really escapes, and to the show is sadly lacking due to it. I agree, the first two seasons are the weakest, and have not found the series shelf worthy either. It's definably a pantheon show, but there just isn't much value in it for me.
And it's not just all-girls school shows that flirt with the forbidden love. All-boys schools tend to swing that way too. Hell, there's even that same kind of 'elegant escapism' in the all-male Princess Princess!
...Moving on...
It's go to see Brother, Dear Brother get some love. I finished that show only a few months ago, and it was really powerful. I'd highly recommend it to everyone, and it's good to it found a streaming home. Plus, the art work is amazing.
Quote: | Meanwile, the Right Stuf sent me Martian Successor Nadesico, which I have never watched, but I've heard is some of the best of the 90's, so I'm looking forward to it. |
Nadesico is a quality show, but I found it to be a tad too angsty to be one of the best ( Captain Tylor is far superior to it as well, it both comedy and space battles). But Nadesico has one of the best kisses in anime, by far, in the final episode. In fact that whole final episode is a piece of art. Plus, Ruri is moetastic. |
Tylor was fantastic until he inexplicable pulled the first girl and picked Yuriko who had acted like a b***h to him the entire series over Azayln who actually liked him from the get go and was fairly nice to him considering they were sworn enemies. At least the manga ends up with this pairing or so I hear as I have never been able to find it.
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pachy_boy
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 1323
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 7:10 am
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Quote: | Maria-sama practically spawned its own sub-genre of slightly-yuri elegant girls school series like Strawberry Panic!, ... |
Slightly yuri? Strawberry Panic was pure direct yuri romance the whole way through. This may not be true, but I get the sense that Strawberry Panic was made for the kind of audience who thought Maria Watches Over Us was too much of a deceptive, subtle tease (like Melanchthon said, it's all platonic anyway and the girls move on to have married lives after graduation).
Quote: | it is, in fact, high fantasy |
The author of Maria Watches Over Us herself did mention it being a fantasy, made first evident by the fact that none of the girls use cell phones.
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fuuma_monou
Joined: 26 Dec 2005
Posts: 1817
Location: Quezon City, Philippines
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 7:19 am
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pachy_boy wrote: |
Quote: | it is, in fact, high fantasy |
The author of Maria Watches Over Us herself did mention it being a fantasy, made first evident by the fact that none of the girls use cell phones. |
Well it could've just meant the series is set before cell phones were common place.
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thenix
Joined: 18 Apr 2012
Posts: 265
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 8:30 am
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I have so many 80's anime VHSs sitting on my shelves right now... I should watch some tonight.
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zensunni
Joined: 05 Mar 2010
Posts: 1294
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 8:31 am
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fuuma_monou wrote: |
pachy_boy wrote: |
Quote: | it is, in fact, high fantasy |
The author of Maria Watches Over Us herself did mention it being a fantasy, made first evident by the fact that none of the girls use cell phones. |
Well it could've just meant the series is set before cell phones were common place. |
No, she specifically said that it takes place in her own little fantasy world where cell phones do not exist. I assume it was more of a desire to not deal with them as a plot complication. Mysterious Girlfriend X also avoids them, even though there are other indications that it is set in modern times, such as purchasing DVDs of idol concerts and things like that.
I really enjoyed the first season of Maria Watches Over Us and have watched about half of the second. I don't think I would bother purchasing it though, so rental shelf is a good bet.
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The Human Spider
Joined: 19 Jan 2007
Posts: 334
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 9:16 am
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It's nice to see HIMAWARI get some positive comments; I've always thought it was an under-rated show. When I first saw it I liked the random humor of the first season and was somewhat bored when the show got into the main story in the second season, but when I re-watched them on DVD my feelings got reversed. This show had the most fart gags I've seen in any anime. MARIA WATCHES... is one of those shows where even if you've never seen it you can always tell when you're watching a parody of it. Very impressive collection pics this week.
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darkchibi07
Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 5470
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:14 am
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pachy_boy wrote: |
Quote: | Maria-sama practically spawned its own sub-genre of slightly-yuri elegant girls school series like Strawberry Panic!, ... |
Slightly yuri? Strawberry Panic was pure direct yuri romance the whole way through. This may not be true, but I get the sense that Strawberry Panic was made for the kind of audience who thought Maria Watches Over Us was too much of a deceptive, subtle tease (like Melanchthon said, it's all platonic anyway and the girls move on to have married lives after graduation).
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Yeah, especially after episode 12 of Strawberry Panic which went from "slighty yuri" to "OMG YES FREAKIN' FINALLY" yuri.
I would kill for someone in the anime industry to green light a yuri series that has the same integrity and characterization like Marimite but have become confirmed lesbians. There's no way the otaku can stick to this platonic stuff forever, right?
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Chrno2
Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 6171
Location: USA
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:40 am
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Of course Cobra is shelf worthy. Funny, I'm in the process of processing both Cobra and Golgo 13 for circulation. I gotta pick up the rest of Maria Watches over us. And I still have to watch season 4.
For awhile now there hasn't been much flushable picks.
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NeoPhoenixTE
Joined: 21 Feb 2012
Posts: 13
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:15 pm
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Man, I wish someone would take one of those 360° cameras in to that room just to get an idea of what it's like to live in that room. It's like living in a pink shrine of anime. Holy mother of....wow.
And bonus points for being a UK otaku. That's a hard fight! Mad props!
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Meygaera
Joined: 28 Apr 2011
Posts: 324
Location: Maryland
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:20 pm
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That shelf really puts the "Shelf" in "Shelf Life"
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walw6pK4Alo
Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 9322
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 1:00 pm
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zensunni wrote: | No, she specifically said that it takes place in her own little fantasy world where cell phones do not exist. I assume it was more of a desire to not deal with them as a plot complication. Mysterious Girlfriend X also avoids them, even though there are other indications that it is set in modern times, such as purchasing DVDs of idol concerts and things like that.
I really enjoyed the first season of Maria Watches Over Us and have watched about half of the second. I don't think I would bother purchasing it though, so rental shelf is a good bet. |
It feels like writers do that specifically to make the convenience of having cellphones and instant communication to solve any issues an impossibility. You can't worry if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time for hours if you can just text the person you're waiting for – cellphones remove that kind of anxiety. Amagami and White Album are also set before cellphones became surgically grafted onto Japanese teenagers' palms, but they're not fantasy. They just don't want to make it easy for characters to reach each other for dramatic effect.
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Ortensia1980
Joined: 31 Aug 2011
Posts: 803
Location: some town near Amsterdam
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 1:03 pm
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Oh my god, those shelves. My reaction to seeing those pictures were pretty much identical to this gif...
That's my idea of heaven.
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bravetailor
Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 817
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 2:08 pm
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CrownKlown wrote: |
Tylor was fantastic until he inexplicable pulled the first girl and picked Yuriko who had acted like a b***h to him the entire series over Azayln who actually liked him from the get go and was fairly nice to him considering they were sworn enemies. At least the manga ends up with this pairing or so I hear as I have never been able to find it. |
He didn't really pick anyone in the end. It was Yuriko who warmed up to him.
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RapidEyeMovement
Joined: 11 May 2010
Posts: 106
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 6:23 pm
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The Human Spider wrote: | MARIA WATCHES... is one of those shows where even if you've never seen it you can always tell when you're watching a parody of it. |
Who else remembers the MariaMite parody in Cromartie High School? One of the funniest anime episodes I've ever seen.
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wonderwomanhero
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 9:17 pm
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I purchased the thinpack Nadesico boxset (the one released ehh....about.....2008?) and it doesn't have the movie. Am I missing out on something great if I don't buy this newly released collection? (I do not have the money for it sadly).
I am interested in Maria Watches Over Us. But in the review, when you say "lesbian-like relationships" do you mean like, in the way of Utena? (Like, vaguely hinted at?) Not that it's a problem, I'm just curious.
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