We've already found this season's controversy! Is this a new record?
Let's get the elephant in the room out of the way first; yes, I agree that the rotoscoping animation is ugly and horrible to look at. I wish that their faces had shadows and that their eyes and mouths wouldn't pop in and out of existence depending on how far away they are from the camera. The result is a style that's closer to life than what most people think of as "anime," but far enough from realism that we end up right in the middle of uncanny valley. If this style makes it too strange to watch/too funny to take seriously (I've seen both of these reactions pop up), that's perfectly valid. However, the backlash against the anime for not being a 1-to-1 visual adaptation of the manga confuses me.
I'll probably write a longer post on this another day, but I don't have a problem with adaptation changes that bring something to the work. Before this aired, all I heard about the manga was how messed up and unsettling it was, and the rotoscoped animation did that job very well. The episode itself is basically "a day in the life," but the creepy animation and the somber music just kept building a sense of dread that I couldn't shake. The ED sounds like it should be in a horror movie.
I still don't know how far I'll be able to get through this, but the reaction to it is making it a show worth following if only to see if this descision pans out. There's a good post here that translates an interview that describes some of the thoughts behind this adaptation, as well as the mangaka's views on it. For those of you who had an immediate negative reaction, I'd like you to think a little bit more about why you felt that way. Was it because you were caught off-guard and unsettled like I was? Is it because you don't like the way elements in the story are being portrayed? (I've heard an argument that Nakamura was creepier when she was cuter because it was more unexpected, which is interesting to think about.) If your reason is "because it's not moe," it may be time to take a break from the Internet for a while.
Images from Crunchyroll.com.
>I've heard an argument that Nakamura was creepier when she was cuter because it was more unexpected
ReplyDeleteWow, a cogent argument against the semi-disturbing artstyle? Guess there's a first time for everything. I don't understand why people always insist on shouting their hatred from the rooftops, so it's nice to get some actual rationale.
To be honest, though, I doubt I'd find that reveal creepy just because she was cute. If everyone's cute in anime then it's hardly a surprise that a cute one will be the murderer. So if everyone's ugly, should it be any less surprising?
That's why I decided to highlight that argument, since it comes from the way someone perceived the manga, not just "IT'S DIFFERENT, I DON'T LIKE IT, IT'S HORRIBLE HERE ARE SOME OUT OF CONTEXT SCREENCAPS." Everyone needs to take a chill pill.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I can't speak to that since I haven't read the manga, but I do agree with what you said. Like, if you perceive every character as "cute," then is that the new baseline? How does it become "creepy"?
I don't know I think the anime has been set up to support the manga quite well. My biggest worry is that it took 2 whole episodes to get through 1 manga chapter. It would be nice to at least get to the time skip...>,>
ReplyDeleteThe manga is not just "creepy," it is actually a very interesting story with compelling characters. I got something out of it, so that was nice. I feel like there's more to it than to be "unsettling," cause really they could have made it more unsettling if that were the case. I mean there are some messed up parts, don't get me wrong, but it's twisted in a way to seem almost sweet at some points, sad and desperate at others. I was really surprised with some of the story's poignancy, actually.
Also I love how the anime is doing more to incorporate Beaudelaire's poems (we all know i butchered that but I'm too lazy to be thorough right now and look it up) since really they are supposed to mean so much to the protagonist.
Not sure how the rotoscoping is going to work for some of the...more extreme scenes coming up. Those poor actors...
For some reason I didn't get an alert for your comments, so sorry for the late response!
ReplyDeleteNow that I've had more time to settle into the show, I can see where your concerns were coming from, but I think the poignancy is coming through. So far, what I'm seeing is a story that's ultimately about puberty and all the stupid, weird, and uncomfortable emotions that go with it. I think we can all look back and think, "wow, I was an idiot, why did I care so much about that?" That point is exactly where the characters are now, and it's interesting to watch, even with the rotoscoping being distracting at times.
And if I'm guessing correctly what scene you're referring to... Yeah, my other thought was how the actors must have felt when they were told about that...
Ahh... One of the main reasons I read the manga was for the beautiful art... I've never tried rotoscoped animes before. Perhaps it's time for a change?
ReplyDeleteGive the first episode a shot and see how you feel about it! It'll probably be pretty jarring to watch at first though.
ReplyDelete