I have a question about the movie, since I didn't see it. Was it really so bad that the series needed an overhaul to this extent?
A/N: Part of Organization Anti-Social Geniuses' Fall Evaluation
I haven't read the manga, so it's possible that I could be completely wrong and this is the real
Hayate, but I was under the impression that
Hayate was about zaniness and lightning-fast references. The characters are all incredibly likable, don't get me wrong (although your tolerance for Nagi will depend on how much you feel about her stereotype and Rie Kugimiya), but I don't think doing something plot and character oriented was the best move for this series, since I'm already conditioned to not take it seriously. However, it feels like this new rendition wants to have it both ways (the comedy and the drama) and it falls flat on each.
The show still tries to be funny, but it's in a completely different way than in past seasons. What happened to parodying popular anime and
Norio Wakamoto narrating? Instead, this episode uses jokes and sight gags that you can see coming from a mile away, and are therefore not funny. Oh look, Nagi bought a spicy drink...that is spicy! And then earlier there's a shot where it's a close up on a painting making a funny face and it's funny because that's how Nagi is reacting and then they zoom out to show you how similar it is and
is Manglobe even trying anymore?! In between the not-funny moments is some drama that's probably going to take up the season involving Area 51 and Nagi's dad and somehow her sister (who's never showed up before), but like I said above, previous seasons have conditioned me to watch for the laughs, not for the paper-thin plot. And the plot in this episode doesn't really deviate from what we've already seen tons of times before; Nagi gets kidnapped, Hayate saves her. The end.
The animation is largely hit and miss, especially towards the beginning of the episode. Hands get mushy, Hayate pulls some derp faces, and there's a shot of Nagi looking wall-eyed that's held for a few seconds. Maria has also been visually aged up, but that didn't bother me as much. There are also these weird bits with this idol character holding apples and talking about knights and princesses, and it feels like it was beamed in from a completely different show. And, to be fair, if this was a completely different show I wouldn't be as critical of it. If this was done under a different name with different looking characters, I'd say, "Hey, this setup is kinda like
Hayate, but without the comedy bent," and I'd give it a shot. But since this is supposed to be
Hayate (even with a script written by the original mangaka!), this first episode doesn't inspire confidence. I'm not a huge fan of the series, but this isn't the
Hayate I remember. Maybe instead of trying to give the fans what they think they want, Manglobe should just let it go.
Images from Crunchyroll.com.
>I haven't read the manga, so it's possible that I could be completely wrong and this is the real Hayate, but I was under the impression that Hayate was about zaniness and lightning-fast references.
ReplyDeleteGah! Buy from Viz, ASAP! Seriously, not enough fans are buying the manga, so they've slowed down releases to a craw.
Also, the manga is very funny, but there's a lot of story there, more so that it seems on the surface. When I finally realized how much story there was, thanks to a very lengthy flashback of Hayate's past, I reread the manga and could see all kinds of clues scattered subtlety here and there in the manga story. That's something the first anime series flushed completely, though Hata-sensei did make the administrator and her butler canon by giving them cameos in the manga recently (I think she was name-dropped earlier in the manga).
>And the plot in this episode doesn't really deviate from what we've
already seen tons of times before; Nagi gets kidnapped, Hayate saves
her. The end.
I think that was done as an introduction for people new to the franchise. If you notice, the production team makes fun of the moment through the unconcerned, bored Nagi, who suggests buckling up. Personally, I liked it.
The idol character is Ruka, whom is involved in a storyline in the current manga in Japan. She's been around for quite some time in the manga, making her first anime appearance in the movie.
Anyway, as someone current with the manga, after seeing two episodes, I really think this anime series is designed to officially take place 2-months from where the manga is currently (it is July 20 in the manga while it is late September in the anime). The series is basically going to assume that Japanese fans are the ones watching it, and that they are current with the manga. Otherwise, there are lots of characters non-manga readers will not know, such as Ruka.
This explains a lot! Thanks for leaving this comment.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if this was reflective of a storyline in the manga, but what I've always heard is that it's a good balance between humor and story and the anime adaptations have always been one or the other. This convinces me even more to give the manga a try, since the anime just isn't cutting it for me. ;^^
And I did find Nagi's bored attitude at being kidnapped funny, the problem was that I felt bored as well. I know that was for the new people, but very little else happened in the episode, so that was a letdown for me.
So is it safe to assume that this is being targeted more specifically at fans of the manga instead of people who have only seen, since it's assuming that the viewer is familiar with the manga storyline?