On it's surface the plot is a basic anime revenge story but it's told in really mature way. The characters are some of the deepest most will developed characters I've ever seen in ( the first season) an anime. It's also probably the most feminist (action) anime I've watched. It deals heavily with the place of women in feudal Japan and the women navigating it are great complex characters. The other main character is a disabled guy who while funny isn't played for jokes and is incredibly resourceful.
My only complaint with the show is sometimes the art is a little weird and there's a couple of scenes where the plot armor is a little heavy. Seriously give it a watch.
I was too put off by that interview where one of the creators talks about how excited she was to have a white-looking baby
Lmao same. The persecution of blue eyed people plot point did not hit me right.
I didn't read it that way at all. I read it as her being suprised that she was happy her kid looked white, like she was realizing her own internalized white supremacy as fucked up.
No, she is surprised at being happy about the eyes, connected it to looking white, and then basically just said "this is fine"
My biggest complaint was plot teleportation. But overall I'm looking forward to the next season.
It's also probably the most feminist (action) anime I've watched
watch utena
(this isn't meant to knock the show or anything, i just think more people should watch utena and it's an action anime that's incredibly feminist and queer and has amazing characters and is just very good and people should watch it)
i probably won't watch it, i have so much i'm planning on watching already, but it's definitely something i'll consider!
This got me thinking about what makes this an "anime" in the English sense. I know in Japan this would be an "anime" but so would Rick and Morty or SpongeBob.
Is Anime as we know it like champagne in that it must be produced in a specific place? Is this show, produced in the West with a mostly Westoid crew simply "Sparkling Animation"? I can't think of any reason to call this an anime other than the subject matter and... Vibes?
A persons answer to this is a strong test as for what type of anime viewer they are tbh
My college anime club was filled with the “champagne” style purists and almost all of them walking stereotypes (anime club at a tech school is a horrifying combo).
Stuff like “grave of the fireflies” that ties deeply into a cultures experience of an event is uniquely Japanese, but that doesn’t mean anime has to be.
ISR was made and censored when it broadcast in Japan, so the otaku sorts all pirated the Thai airing because it wasn’t censored.
:hentai-free:
netflix calls it an anime, like they do with all their other animated 'mature' action shows
Can we cancel Netflix for cultural appropriation yet? Plz, I want it so bad.
Kinda interesting to compare it to Avatar, which people tend to insist is not anime due to its place of origin.
idk if they labeled scott pilgrim as one or not. they should have, just like mal should, it's literally an anime in every way one can imagine something being an anime. but that's an interesting counterpart to this sort of thing
I think there's an unresolved question about whether anime is an art style or a genre. Like you said, Scott Pilgrim feels like an anime but if you compare it to Graveyard of the Fireflies or something the two couldn't be more different. You can't say that they're the same genre, but you also can't say Graveyard isn't anime so... Idk. Seems to go back to vibes either way.
what makes this an “anime” in the English sense
I have not seen this program, but the definition used to include a Japanese influence. (At one point there was also an art style as well, but modern anime is rather diverse.)
As with everything, I think things have shifted.
Netflix has a Japanese animation studio so I think a lot of their stuff counts as anime even in a strict sense.
I'd love an umbrella term that included "Sparkling Animation". Couldn't give a fuck where a show is from but there isn't a reliable way to find stuff made outside Japan that isn't "Cartoons" or "Adult Animation". I know some people try to expand the definition of anime but try going on an anime discussion hub and talking about Primal.
I always thought of manga/anime as sort of the name of the set of specifics art styles and tropes. Does that make sense?
About midway through, when they get into the main character's backstory by cutting between her actual life and a shadow puppet play of an old Japanese parable, you really see the show's artistry shine. The show's core narrative is rock solid. The animation is superb. The characters are genuinely fun to root for and the twists in the plot keep you engaged. Heroes and villains and bystanders alike all have a compelling role to play.
If I could make one change, it would be to soften some of the more unbelievable stunts the main character manages to accomplish. There are definitely moments that stretch credulity, bleeding over into Shōnen anime. But its not out of line with your Cowboys Bebop or Samurais Afro or Champloo, so I'll bite my tongue.
Oh yeah the shadow puppet episode was great story telling. In general i did like the art, there were just a few frames every now and then where it looked like Borderlands.
I loved this show. I watched it on a whim because I thought the art style was cool, and ended up loving it.
I just watched all of it yesterday. It has issues but was worth watching.
I really enjoyed it. I have the same complaints as you, especially the plot armor. The scene with the claw guys where Mizu is being crushed by the door is pretty egregious.
It's definitely the best Netflix animated thing I've seen for a long time. I hope it gets another season.
