Post by pheonix03 on Feb 6, 2013 0:14:17 GMT -5
So, I finally got around to seeing this episode, and it was fantastic!
I'll get my one criticism out of the way now, and say that the animation continues to be a bit subpar, though there are times when the animation is quite good, such as in Asuka and Homura's fight scene.
Now, onto what I enjoyed:
- The art direction was great. The different visual styles of each of the Hebi girls' barriers was a superb touch from the animation team, and it was really effective in giving the Hebi girls a lot of character presence despite us only starting to get to know them in this episode.
- The character interaction was in full effect. The interaction between the characters is my favorite aspect of the Senran Kagura series, and while such interaction was missing in the early episodes, it finally showed up here. Hikage and Yomi having their "discussion" about bean sprouts, Homura and Mirai discussing important matters (thus showing Mirai has a mature and competent side), Hibari and Yagyuu's interactions that show that beneath its cute, almost cliched, exterior lies a powerful mutual love, and the beginning of Asuka and Homura's "good vs. evil" battle of mind and mettle. All here in one episode in full effect; great stuff.
- The pacing was spot on. Earlier episodes really felt like they dragged along and didn't really feel like they had much to them, but this episode didn't waste a single second. Every scene was utilized very well for either exposition, character interaction, or action.
- Character individuality. Katsuragi's backstory and reckless attitude, Hikage's laidback way of listening to Yomi, Yomi's hatred for the rich, Haruka's sadistic tendencies, Kiriya's devotion to his students, Hibari's weakness, Yagyuu's determination, Asuka's desire to make friends, and Homura's firm beliefs in the shinobi way; all of these unique characteristics came across very well in both visuals and writing. The anime has finally started to really paint a picture of who these characters are. Only Ikaruga feels left behind in all this.
- The right amount of fanservice. Letting the character designs do all the work for fanservice is my favorite type of fanservice, and that's all SK needs. No need for forced situations. I like that the anime has kept this approach going, well, for the most part. I also like how Kiriya is used as the butt of several fanservice jokes, which is both funny and helps keep the tone light.
- The anime finally feels unique. Senran Kagura exists in several forms: videogames, manga, drama CDs, and anime. Up until this episode, the anime never felt truly unique, or "its own beast" to put it another way, as it didn't feel like it offered much of a unique experience that one couldn't just get from the games or manga (a better experience at that), but with this new episode, the anime has shown that it offers unique visuals, music, and story pacing that is different from the games and manga, and actually makes it work well in execution.
Overall, as if it wasn't obvious, I really enjoyed this episode. It was truly what I wanted this anime to be like from the beginning, and I really hope that the anime keeps this quality from now until the end.
I'll get my one criticism out of the way now, and say that the animation continues to be a bit subpar, though there are times when the animation is quite good, such as in Asuka and Homura's fight scene.
Now, onto what I enjoyed:
- The art direction was great. The different visual styles of each of the Hebi girls' barriers was a superb touch from the animation team, and it was really effective in giving the Hebi girls a lot of character presence despite us only starting to get to know them in this episode.
- The character interaction was in full effect. The interaction between the characters is my favorite aspect of the Senran Kagura series, and while such interaction was missing in the early episodes, it finally showed up here. Hikage and Yomi having their "discussion" about bean sprouts, Homura and Mirai discussing important matters (thus showing Mirai has a mature and competent side), Hibari and Yagyuu's interactions that show that beneath its cute, almost cliched, exterior lies a powerful mutual love, and the beginning of Asuka and Homura's "good vs. evil" battle of mind and mettle. All here in one episode in full effect; great stuff.
- The pacing was spot on. Earlier episodes really felt like they dragged along and didn't really feel like they had much to them, but this episode didn't waste a single second. Every scene was utilized very well for either exposition, character interaction, or action.
- Character individuality. Katsuragi's backstory and reckless attitude, Hikage's laidback way of listening to Yomi, Yomi's hatred for the rich, Haruka's sadistic tendencies, Kiriya's devotion to his students, Hibari's weakness, Yagyuu's determination, Asuka's desire to make friends, and Homura's firm beliefs in the shinobi way; all of these unique characteristics came across very well in both visuals and writing. The anime has finally started to really paint a picture of who these characters are. Only Ikaruga feels left behind in all this.
- The right amount of fanservice. Letting the character designs do all the work for fanservice is my favorite type of fanservice, and that's all SK needs. No need for forced situations. I like that the anime has kept this approach going, well, for the most part. I also like how Kiriya is used as the butt of several fanservice jokes, which is both funny and helps keep the tone light.
- The anime finally feels unique. Senran Kagura exists in several forms: videogames, manga, drama CDs, and anime. Up until this episode, the anime never felt truly unique, or "its own beast" to put it another way, as it didn't feel like it offered much of a unique experience that one couldn't just get from the games or manga (a better experience at that), but with this new episode, the anime has shown that it offers unique visuals, music, and story pacing that is different from the games and manga, and actually makes it work well in execution.
Overall, as if it wasn't obvious, I really enjoyed this episode. It was truly what I wanted this anime to be like from the beginning, and I really hope that the anime keeps this quality from now until the end.