There's a massive amount of ecchi in both seasons, but the second was better in every way. How they overlook other things when it comes to gore and ecchi is completely true.
Its not like I haven't desired to see another manga chapter, though. Its just reading a manga with a chapter a week isn't nearly enough for me. I'd rather read something else while I wait a couple months for multiple volumes and chapters to be released. Of course, I don't know anyone I can talk about manga with, so socially I'm not obligated to follow manga chapters by-the-week like a lot of people are. The difference with anime is that I get something substantial each week. Any way I look at it, 20 minutes a week ends up more tempting as an immediate watch than 2-4 minutes.
Warning: Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai gets worse. Episode 12 is a complete mess. Episodes 10 and 11 were OK, though.
If you don't feel like reading the next two paragraphs, I ranted about how ecchi can add to a show sometimes but it has to have something else to it.
I see your point. Up to a certain point, I find ecchi to be a positive thing. Avoiding ecchi entirely can make a show awkward the same way adding too much ecchi to a show would. If a show goes out of the way to avoid a panty shot when there really shouldn't be any reason to avoid it (Like a camera angle that suddenly moves to avoid one), then it can be detrimental to the show. Like you said, though, its often overused as part of the show. If the ecchi has meaning to it, I don't mind, but if it becomes completely unnecessary, I simply reach a point of indifference. I can't fault it for using ecchi to make sales; as long as the content lying underneath is decent, the show can be decent. Focusing or wasting time to look really hard at exposed undergarments every twenty seconds is what it is; a waste of time.
Queen's Blade would be a good example, even if you haven't seen it. The first season was clearly an attempt to be as borderline hentai as possible. It had no substance to the series; characters were shallow, plotlines were near-nonexistant, story was extremely lacking; the ecchi was the only selling point to it. Season two, however, managed decent plotlines, a good story and well-developed characters despite having used an equal amount of time towards making the series as perverted as possible. Both series will inevitably be blamed for the ecchi, but I can't overemphasize how much season two outshined season one by being something besides a gimmick.
For me, gore serves a similar purpose as a gimmick. It's fun to watch a series with it if you haven't seen one recently, but a show doesn't become better when more gore is in it. I mean, if Code Geass had panty shots everywhere, I wouldn't have lost interest with it, but its score would go down tremendously on this site simply because the ecchi was there. If Elfen Lied had no gore in it, I can almost guarantee its score would drop like a rock. They're all just neat little gimmicks added to series that were overused and overdone.
I wait for pending manga chapters to reach critical levels before watching all of the chapters in a single group. I'm not always up to date with manga by doing it, but I enjoy it more.
Noblesse IS awesome, I agree. I haven't read enough manga to verify your favorites, so I can't complement you back. I have read Ares, and all I can say is it just wasn't my cup of tea. I can see why people like it though.
I'm that guy who has a really specific taste for manga. I end up trying to talk about anime instead, since I like a lot of anime. Enough to say I love ALL of your favorites. They all scored 9-10 on my list. One thing I will say about Elfen Lied is it really depends on whether the gore takes you in. People who like the gorey aspect of it will swear up and down that the characters/plot/story were great. I claim all three fell short of decent, and I was indifferent about the gore. What's your take on ecchi btw?
Guess you're right on Bebop, while I didn't enjoy it I'll conceide that while the plot of the individual episodes are clichés, the characters aren't anime clichés.
As far as Elfen Lied goes, they wanted to shock the audience in the first episode so they went all out just to make sure everyone would talk about it. The story is really good in my opinion but if you don't like the moe type characters then you probably won't like it further in either. Guess Elfen Lied is a hit or miss with people since the reaction is usually "really like it" or "really hate it".
Your review on Elfen Lied was harsh for just the first episode. I don't mind when people really bash on a show they don't like but 1 episode! I don't even review something unless I've seen all of it.
To be honest I'm surprised you critisized Elfen Lied on the fact that, to quote you "...then segues into one giant plot device riddled with cliches." yet you enjoyed Cowboy Bebop so much, a show which took Hollywood clichés and made them into episodes of their own.
I'm not trying to be insulting here, I'm just puzzled by all of it.
Hehe, you should really consider watching the rest of Elfen Lied.
Don’t get me wrong, I fully accept the fact that people don’t enjoy gore and nudity (I’ll never understand why, though; but hey, that’s just me). But, judging and rating something after 20 minutes is really dangerous in my opinion; you might miss something you really would enjoy in the end.
Just judging by your lists, you seem to enjoy stuff that is somewhat psychological and emotional and I’m just saying; Elfen Lied might not seem like it from the first episode, but I personally believe it take some really pleasant twists and turns during the story that should sooth you (if the previously named themes are to your liking).
But everyone can’t enjoy everything, I fully understand that; but try looking at the esthetic side of things as well. I know, personal-liking goes first, but judging something out of esthetic values is something very important as well (and it opens one’s mind if one does, in my opinion, at least) ^^
Anyway, sorry for taking up your time!
Cheers man!
Best EL review ever. That anime is a TOTAL CRAP and finally some1 point that out.
Dont complete the anime, cause if the first eps which I liked the most before knowing the crappy story didnt amuse u then the rest will be a disaster to u.
