First Impression – Qualidea Code
Nowhere to go but up?
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A horse of a different color? It’s neither hot, nor cold? Slow and steady wins the race? Damn the torpedoes? I’m sure there’s some sort of truism that cover’s this premier… |
Some other beginning’s end…
We got us a disaffected main character….
The only real definitive thing I can really say about this episode is: according to my video player it lasts twenty-three minutes and thirty-eight seconds. After that it all get’s really dicey. I might be a bit heavy handed in reviewing this, so I’ll keep it short, but yeah, it’s a darn heavy handed program I’m looking at.
Who left the gas on?
First, the setting couldn’t be any more generic. It’s a very vague end of the world scenario being played. Bad things were bad, but people recovered in a fashion. So it’s a status quo that’s nearly enough like our status quo…cause reasons. Second, the characters couldn’t’ be any more predictable. That they get a their own signage as the show goes by is just a sign that the producers have given up on the idea of just letting the characters be themselves.
Yeah, guys, you be disaffected too…
Nope, we got important things for them to do and get heavily involved in. There is a dire end of the world vague enemy of vagueness out there, and it has to be fought. It’s for the good of mankind! Or in this case, so that the characters can earn points? Like survival points or something? Third, who is this show for? Is there a LN style audience that want’s generic LN set up before a proper LN series is even out yet? Yeah, far as I can tell this is an original story. But I’m more than happy to be corrected on that score.
Hot and cold? Bet’s she’s a kuudere?
The show comes with a pretty impressive, veteran pedigree. That’s what makes the thing such a boondoggle of an opener. It’s clear they want to go for a high action show and with that talent they very well can, and even with a limited animation budget, things are looking proper in the big set pieces. But it really doesn’t have a hook. After The End and Now a New Beginning scenarios are a dime a dozen in any storytelling theater these days, especially in weekly, seasonal anime. This is because you can frame these massive scale encounters without having to worry about where the citizens of MegaTokyo are going to hide out when stuff starts crashing down. Or you can “hide” you’re moralizing somewhere in The Divergent Games: Hunting for the Perfect Teen Metaphor in Melodrama.
Maybe we can call the show Pari Hahtah?
But that just puts an onus to make the other hooks you are supposed find in stories that much more needful. So here, it comes down to characters. But they rather bungle that as well. To much of the narrative is matter of fact, “well as you know Icchan, if we don’t do x then y won’t happen”. Also TOO MANY OF THEM AT ONCE, and they go by in the blink of an eye with blustery character design after blustery character design. Who am I supposed to be watching in the scrum? Arsehole Superman? Not even close…His “sister”? Meh. The girl the wrecked the bridge? Well, OK. The LOLi? That’s more my speed. All of them? Sorry, can’t do that show, people need the one hook going in, then you expand.
Yeah, I’m on board with her…
Final Thoughts: If you’re busy, and you have to move heaven and earth to watch some anime this summer, Don’t let it be this one. Or at the very least, prioritize another show. I don’t think you’re missing that much. It has some potential, but I feel it’s limited at this point.
Extra Codes
It’s just like a video game! Bland!
Superman is an arsehole…
The place needs more character focus…
Follow the LOLi…
…or the Hime, whatever…
About skylion
All around nerd that enjoys just about any anime genre. I love history, politics, public policy, the sciences, literature, arts...pretty much anything can make me geeky...except sports. Follow me @theskylion
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
I think Icchan has already won the asshole of the season award.
Did anyone feel the least bit of tension or menace when the enemy attacked? Because I sure didn’t. They don’t even look threatening. How did they almost destroy the world–through sheer blandness?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Well, it’s a difficult bureaucratic bore – world destroying. You queue and you queue and queue, and finally they call your number and it’s your turn to raise hell, and it’s just not worth the wait is it?
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
But you’d think after sitting around and sitting around and getting bored and more bored when the call finally came for you to do some world destroying you’d want to really cut loose to try and put some meaning into all that sitting around.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
That’s the rub, right there. This group must have sat around, and stewed and stewed. Then they thought about all the things they could have been doing while in queue for so long. So by the time the number came up, their hearts weren’t in it, cause the didn’t finish the job. Now, there’s just this force of partial motivated Unknowns, and it’s just not working….
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
You may be right. Plus sitting around so long their world destroying skills undoubtedly atrophied.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
That goes without saying.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
/joins the LOLi faction.
Looks like what Hari Pottah should have been. And I mean the paper version.
It’s on Bespin.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
::kicks you out of faction:: sorry, no room!
Anime/Manga Harry Potter?
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
I meant the story as a whole. Let’s say the ending was pathetically disappointing.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…that was nearly ten years and a the middle of a mortgage ago….I’ve moved on to middle aged grumpy concerns….Like why is my arse, an object that never had much to do with my skinny frame since freaking Jimmy Carter was President suddenly makes an appearance only to pay more mind to gravity than many other forces I would prefer.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Actually go read Frog-kun’s stuff…I missed like 90% of the information available…so much for motivation, eh?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
A Certain Magical Index LN artist
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Is there a LN style audience that wants a generic LN set up before a proper LN series is even out yet?
There are LNs that serve as character-building prequels to the anime, each written by the 3 writers working on the Qualidea franchise.
Follow Skylion’s link above to Frog-kun’s post for further details.
I’m surprised Sagara Sou wrote Itsuki that way, considering he sounds more like a character Wataru Watari would write.
PS. Unfortunately it seems Oregairu will be on hiatus, given how busy Wataru is with this franchise (and other commissions).
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
As far as writing in other people’s style, I would think that would be part of each other’s way of “challenging” each other. I’ve seen some LN style guides and it’s a formulaic to the point of auto-pilot for the writers.
So yeah….”you write a character I would normally do and see how that works out….”
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
The only thing that particularly stood out to me in this first episode was the sequence where Ichiya was helping the forgetful Canaria after her shower. Hopefully this suggest that he’s not a complete asshole…
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Yeah, that buys him a few points. Remember he tossed her off a building. He caught her, but she still didn’t like it…
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
He’s such a jerk I’m not giving him any points until he does something majorly nice.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
It wasn’t shown, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was peeping on her. Or what’s maybe worse in an anime by not peeping on her implying she’s not attractive enough to peep on.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
It sounds like I enjoyed this show a lot more than the rest of you did. The movie/Independence Day intro was sorta neat. And I liked the school city factions. Personally I found this more interesting that more than half the shows this season.
Surprisingly, a lot of the shows this season I ended up dropping, so I guess that means I can catch up on the others (Girls und Panzer movie soon!!!)
To be honest, I actually like arrogant-type characters,. The non-committal spineless main characters annoy me the most. But I’m in the minority there, people like their fairy-tale type characters.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Characterizations by themselves don’t bug me, they’re storytelling tools, so how they get used is what interests me. Here the arrogant type was used in an uninspiring way, in the same type of background, for a result that was all that compelling.
Oh goodness, the burden of being alone in your dislike is…so….yeah….
But, you need to see the GuP film, like now! It’s AWESOME!
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I meant liking arrogant characters. Or rooting for the top dawg. People tend to like the everyone’s hero or underdogs a lot more.
Like I’m a huge fan or LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo, mostly for their skill but also their attitude. But I know many people who respect their skill but hate them as human beings.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
People who ‘hate’ folks like CR7 only ‘hate’ them as long as they’re on the other team. They’re not really like someone like Luis Suarez, who is willing to attempt to injure another player in a fit of pique, and thus is someone truly worthy of contempt.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Soccer is an interesting sport. As someone who’s not European, I can’t understand the fiery passion they have towards the teams and the game. And they’re diehard team supporters to the grave. I’d say it’s just a sport but they’d probably lynch me in a mob.
I lost all respect for Luis Suarez years ago. But he plays well so I guess Europeans have forgiven him (WRRRRRYYYYYYY щ(゜ロ゜щ)). But really, biting?
Although I think that’s a failing of society, to place athletes on this higher untouchable pedestal because they are good at sports.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
That’s no different to how movie stars are revered. The good ones, at least.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
True, but in sports it spreads way beyond just the pros, to college and high school. At least with movie stars it’s more isolated. You don’t see the same with B-list stars, let alone fledgling artists.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I want to!!! But I need to block off 2+ hours so I can watch the movie and OVA in one sitting. I refuse to watch it in pieces.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
So watch the OVA one time, and then watch the movie whenever. You’re just hurting yourself by not watching it.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I thought the OVA was a sequel to the movie?
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Ahh, I didn’t know about the one after the movie. But again, split them up. You’re just hurting yourself.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
The OVA is a side story more or less…it fills in the Anzio backstory they kinda skipped over in episode seven. It will help you appreciate the Anzio school girls more, but you learn to appreciate them fast and furious in the movie, so same difference….
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Alright, I’ll make sure to watch them tomorrow!
I want to get through the last one of my initial watch list. I still need to watch Ange Vierge for first impressions, that’s the last of this season’s list.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
No, there’s apparently another OVA that came with the movie that has more about Alice.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Well this is good to know…
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
Highway is correct. There’s the Anzio OVA and the Alice OVA, which takes place after the movie.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Well the movie was as fun and good as I was expecting! The animation was excellent as well. The Alice OVA was cute, and listening to DreamRiser again was a bonus. It was amusing listening to the teams practice how they would greet her, esp. the Morals committee.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I’ve watched the film in full twice, and in bits and pieces a few times. I love “Hey, isn’t it stupid to drive straight” when they are fleeing the Ferris wheel.
But the OVA is disappoint. Not nearly enough Alice in Boku Sleepwear cuteness…needs moar…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
There’s a level of acceptance to how arrogant a character can be and Ichiya has crossed it by miles in a single episode. That’s not a good sign.
A character who grows confident because of an increase in strength but still keeps in mind they have limitations can pass. But those who develop a god complex after a few incidents or influenced by something as insipid as rankings, flaunting their “superiority”, thinking they can do any and everything when it’s clearly not possible, are pushing it. The end result is making the backlash they get all the more deserving.
Much like Subaru‘s cringe-worthy attitude in Re: Zero so far, which is dragging the series down fast for me.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
I managed to stick out the first season of Re: Zero despite Subaru’s attitude, but his not changing in the second season has finally killed the show for me. You’d have thought by now he’d a learned a few lessons, but nope.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Curious, what about his attitude bothers you? I didn’t think it was bad, just different.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
::tsun tsunn:: It’s not like I made a post for the show or anything!!!! Baaaaaaaka
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
gomen! I haven’t been caught up so I haven’t been following the posts to avoid spoiling myself.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Like I mentioned before, it’s a god complex he’s developing. Subaru’s putting himself on far too big a pedestal. It’s noble to want to help people but he’s let the advantages of his reviving ability and the rewarded praise go to his head.
Now he’s bringing delusions onto himself about being invaluable, that only he can make differences and is owed by all around, even when they’re unaware of the time and space alterations. It’s a loop that keeps feeding his ego, worsening it, ruining his impression and rendering it intolerable. Doing as he pleases under the belief he won’t be reproached because of the excuse that it’s “for Emilia’s sake” when it’s actually just pride that’s driving him. The guy thinks himself capable of anything but couldn’t hold his own against Julius.
I had nothing major to say about him in the first 12 episodes but he really became a thorn in the side on episode 13 after embarrassing Emilia in front of a crowd when it was a very important occasion for her.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Well the prerequisite for having a god-complex is actually having a skill that’s approaching useful, or abilities with same…Barusu, has diddly squat in those terms, and as we’ve seen his special ability has made his feelings toward Emila worse and now it looks like Puck might know more about it than he does.
But yeah, all that is going to his head.
I don’t think he could hold his own against the little girl he and Emilia helped find waaaaay long ago.
But damn, this is still a unique, unquiet characterization.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
It was his breaking his promise to Emilia and barging in when she’d specifically told him not to come and making a fool of himself and by extension a fool of her that was the final straw for me. He thinks he can do whatever he wants without regard to what others want or respect for their wishes or feelings.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Hmm, now I’m tempted to binge watch just so I can see that. Or do I not want to see that scene and hold to my hope that there are better days coming?
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
A standard save the world from an unknown enemy scenario with a twist melding science and magic together as far as I can see. As an opener, it would’ve passed for average but didn’t thanks to the arrogant asshole of a lead that quickly got under my skin. With that “I’m all we need” bit, he’s in desperate need of a reality check in the form of a severe ass kicking.
Hopefully the brat doesn’t stay like that because though this show doesn’t give the impression it will soar, it can at least be interesting and entertaining.