April 23rd, 2018
Minami Kun's MMO Junkie
I started watching these two shows at the same time,
Recovery of a MMO Junkie and Minami Kun lover,
and randomly decided to do a episode by episode review on them to see how it pans out.
Episode 1:
The 1st episode is the set up, who they are, where they are and the kind of neighborhood, and what kind of chemistry between the characters. It's good but feels kind of generic, kind of wish they would hurry up and get to the tiny part already. It wasn't till the "BIG" argument between the two leads dose it get interesting.
******************************************
I felt I was thrown into it, no build up or anything and there relationship happen to rapidly. Hell I felt like some of the characters appeaed random out of nowhere, no introduction at all just a small clip. Which doesn't tell me much. I felt it's a time constraint thing, where they have limited episode they can make and try to fit as much of it as possible to get to the juicy part. Which I understand but it is still ashame since it is hard for me to get invested in the characters or this anime at this point. Makes me feel like I should have chosen a better anime to watch.
Episode 2
Not much to talk about, more distracted on the idea that you can tell she is on green screen. There was also good punch line when the neighborhood gather together discussing on her missing. Everything else is a blur
†*************************************
Not much different, everything is a blur nothing particularly stands out except the expansion of the two main characters relationship relates and reflects in the relife. Can't wait till they figure out who they are in real life. Maybe it will improve her real life.
Episode 3
HiI was still a bit distracted but I was more interested in how far they go to make you believe she really is small in that environment. It is also when I actually got invested in the story again. The reason she turned small hope that everything will turn out better for them.
*********************************
Ok so freaking cute, the development of the MMO relationship is getting steamy while the real world is picking up. As lily proposed, hayashi accepted, and Sakura tried asked her out!!! 😚😚🤣🤣sadly she lacks confinemence. It really shows in the character's design, the way she acts, and how the the coworker talks abouy her. Isense a love triangle, that and there is literally an episode with that in the title. The anime is finally picking up and I am getting excited!!! Also find it how the MMO world reflects like the real world although it most likely doesn't look like that even in animated fiction world.
Episode 4
This was roll coster for my, sometimes there is a connection and once in a while it was dry. I figured out why in the scene after the kendo competition. Both girls quitly looked after him As he got angry for losing. I felt like rooting on the competing girl (ms. Horemones) rather than the heroin because there was more of an emotional connection. I realized the reason being he have to act like she is there and vice versa. So the emotional connection is a bit off. Hopefully it gets better.
****************************†‡†***************
I think it's cute how forceful Kowai is, just to help set him up. I am also really curious why Sakurai douts, himself, her online identity. Or afraid to ruin their online relationship. Honestly I feel like yelling"RUIN IT, THE REAL LIFE IS MUCH BETTER!!!!!"SHE WILL GET OVER IT!"
Episode 5
It's getting better!! I loved Minami kun's reaction to her being left alone while supposed "theifs" were roaming around the house. I felt like he does have feelings for, kinda made me less bad when he ditched Ms. horemones who is still trying so hard to get close to him only to be interrupted. On the other hand I still don't feel any developments with chiyomi emotional wise. But it brought a greater development, the mom did not file the divorce papers!!!😮😲😲😲
†************†******************************
It is funny watching Moriko getting flustered. 1st for not knowing how to dress (which honestly I can relate to, just lot less exaggerated) and 2nd for her real life identity being found out by one of the players she actually knows. Which turns out to be helpful in the end when she tries to ask Lily for advice who is actually a guy. But honestly it's for this reasons that people should be honest with their real gender at least! Then when he search for her on the streets and she was getting ready to leave in my head I yelled " Go after her" and HE DID!!! When he got her attention then I yelled "Go now get her to go out with you USE PERSUASIVE FORCE she doesn't respond to anything else!!"
Episode 6
I was confused, at 1st I thought he kinda liked Ms. Horemones, then it showed some of his nightmares of her being suductive. BUT he is afraid. What????!! Honestly at this point I blame the guy for being wishy washy but her to on be impulsive and pushing herself onto him rather than give him time. I also felt that Chiyomi and Minami Kun were meant to be friends, but I guess she actually likes him too, i still find it hard to get their emotions across to the audience. *Not to self when shooting different things that has to be put into one, becareful of the lighting! It can be the biggest throw off of an illusion when it is supposed to feel real. Moment RUINED.
****†**********†********†*********************
I'm soooo happy to see them interacting in the real world. More so because Morioka reminds me of me. When I was a kid and some what know. I don't MMO can't do it, I'll get board and not big gamer, plus I like real interactions. Go all in or nothing. Where she does remind me is her secluding herself from the real world and lack of self confidence. I felt like for a moment she broken her shell which is like me breaking mine. But then she withdraws right back into it. Honestly the biggest development is that Sakurai 100% now confirm she is hiyoshi and she has no Idea. This open a whole bunch of opportunities.
Episode 7
There are perks to being tiny. She saved/repair her parents relationship. Just from overhearing her mother's true feelings for her father, and what she thinks he feels about her. This was the most emotional episode, this is the 1st episode to make me feel gitty. Also really falling for Minami Kun, his loyalty and support to Chiyomi makes me wonder if it's because he feels responsible or something more. I am finally excited to see the next episode!!!
*********************************************
I don't wither to laugh out loud or pity for the rediculousness. He feels guilty for knowing her real identity but still keeps it hidden; on top of that he avoids the game for a period of time, afraid, but still wants to talk to her in both real life and in the game. Gosh a big part of me wants to tell him "Man up and do what you need to do". Which is why I was soooo happy when the friend invaded their favorite world. It's no longer private and lot easier to blur the lines. Especially with this character. So on to the next one!!
Episode 8
Really need to work on the lighting, most obvious point that shows she is not really there. That aside.
Minami looks much cuter now that he is smiling more. Big part has to do with Chiyomi being there. Honestly they are more concerned with there relationship and hiding her rather than actually making plans to get her back. Which is fine, except they only have two more episodes to wrap things up. Instead they concentrate on the sub plot of reconnecting a mother and daughter relationship. Seriously, there is so many different routes they could take to make Minami Kun realize his true feelings. (Let's take a minute to talk about that) Chiyomi gets kidnapped by a little girl, Minami kun starts to worry and looks for her all night. He had a dream about her going away, seriously this dream gave them the most chemistry that I started seeing it some what in the rest of the show. And the real sub plot also ends.... Ok, is the mother handed the ex-husband the divorce papers and Minami kun gets to say all, or at least most, of what he wanted to say to him. Including keeping the grandmother with him. Soooo sweet.
*********************★********†**********†****
This is a big steping stone episode of how they will move forward, not exactly the forward part yet. Still some needs to know. How they knew each other in the past, and to test that theory Sakurai made a MMO similar to the one he made in the past. I love how they animated the guilt eating at him. Now he force himself to say it, I'm glad they didn't drag it out although they could have; it would have probably make it more dramatic. BUT everything is condensed to only 12 episodes!!!! So when need to move them to figure out the next step of there relationship is and how will this effect them emotionally and mentally. Will they grow better how much and how so. Also I said this earlier but really loving how they make the MMO world look real although I don't believe that most of those perspective and filters are actually there. Then again maybe it is.
Episode 9
There's a part where the two guys are fighting it out in Minami kun room for Chiyomi. The scene played out cheesy and comical. At 1st I thought it was because it was slightly over acted. But when the music stop playing the scene got more dramatic and real. The played the music on and off after that but it reminded really dramatic till the music took over then ot just drowned in cheesyness. Also Riku expression at the out of nowhere confession to Chiyomi and discovering her tiny hight took most of the drama out of the scene.
Now the dirty laundry has been cleaned and cleared out (the finally admitted their feelings to each other). Time to change back!!!! But 1st road trip. They went to this cape in hopes that it will change her back. I thought it was hilarious how fast the inn keepers daughter feel for him and got her heart broken in a matter of hours. Just as equally funny, the atmosphere between the two when it is time for been. She is TINY, what much and he do to her?! It just gets funnier from there! Shouldn't the sun been raise with all that light around them.
*********†**************★****************†****
Noooooo!!!!!!! Not the friend zone! Not the friend zone!!!!! It is going somewhere and nowhere at the same time. And it's online games friends too! I don't know if that makes it worse or not I'm just guessing. But I like her genuine reaction to theut those to news and how understanding she is about it all. Granted they are way too apologetic of something that happened by coincidence. That and it is better to tell sooner than later.
I love koiwai, he is such a busybody but those two need someone like him. More importantly I love how they are on the same wavelength, just that she is extremely negative about herself. I'm getting more curious about her past and why she quit her job.
The male gaze in anime.
Episode 10
The 2nd plan doesn't work, no surprise there. But I love how it just jumps to break up, to hit by car, to discovered by mother, to coma, to "look magical solution found she is big again" in such a short amount of time. And there is still more time to go!! It seems rush but it flows in the drama. And the solution is the 1st option she mentioned at the beginning in the 2nd episode(although by joke), oh the irony. And the mothers' and grandmother's reaction to them making out priceless.
So what else to show? Weeell how about the dance competition!!!! Which I honestly forgot was a thing and made me go, seriously is this how we are finishing up. That is till the did a jump cut, still dancing, to a new location. I thought it was the competition but it was actually their wedding. Yeah a big jump. The fill you of what happened in the year with the father and the new son, the sister and her best friend and so on. It was a quick but nice sum. The real end is when she finally finished her story with a exaggeration of a real event. And it shows them, as she connects there past to present self. Could do without but makes a nice scenery.
*****************†*****†*******************
Lol Sakurai is a perv!!!! (Once in a while he says his true intentions 😏) And Morioka is nervous that she notices the apartment area quite late. They flinch at the slightest touch and are so awkward, it is too cute. My favorite part was at the end where she stepped forward but her MMO conter part went in another direction symbolising speration and moving forward. That is a good thing. Thought she should do it to boost herself confidence, and for someone else or for what people think. But then again she is doing it for herself to not feel embarrassed with him. What she needs to
change is how she thinks if herself.
But what really pull me out of.... THAT WAS THE ENDING. Yeah, real cliffhanger the moment the characters are finally showing progress...... Nope! Have to save it for a POSSIBLE 2nd season. Or you know read the manga. Damn them damn them all. The say a bad ending can ruin a story and that this did. Ot ruin the whole story it was slowly building up to be!!!!!
••••°••••••••°•••••••°••••••••°•••••••°••••••••°•••••••°•
Both had a slow start for me. The drama because of bad effects, and anime because of slow development character wise.
Let's talk about the effects for a minute, what counts as a bad effect? When it takes you out of the story. That is exactly what happened from episode 2-8. And the problem is more easier to fix than you know. The problem is the lighting which makes it obvious that Chiyomi didn't exist in the same environment. I don't know how much they had in the budget but they should have enough to make a few Chiyomi dolls. It's useful not only for the purpose of figuring out the lighting, then fix the lighting in effects (given the technology today it should be possible). But also something for the actors to act with; because for the most part it looks like nothing is there, and there isn't. A good and classic example (in my books) Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Now to the anime. Granted it was beautifully animated it fell short on the story for me, the opposite of the drama. It paced it self slow and I bearly get to see the characters develop. I know they have to fit a lot in 12 episodes and only had 30-40 minutes to do so but that is not a reason why they couldn't. I don't expect all the characters to show the characters changes and growth just the main two. The best example I can think of on a short notice is Devilman Crybaby. The stylistic animation may not be for everybody but the way they develop the characters from start to finish is perfect! And this doesn't just single out only the main characters either. Established personality in one no in a few minutes of the episode, their goals or who they wish to be or beat, the changes that happened from taking certain choices, and in the end where they stand and who they end up being. All wrapped up in 12 the source material. So I don't know how true or close to the source material it is; but more liberties should have been taken, different medium should mean different way of telling a story.
Anyways this is just my personal opinions and thoughts. And I just feel like much more can come from these two if done better.
Recovery of a MMO Junkie and Minami Kun lover,
and randomly decided to do a episode by episode review on them to see how it pans out.
Episode 1:
The 1st episode is the set up, who they are, where they are and the kind of neighborhood, and what kind of chemistry between the characters. It's good but feels kind of generic, kind of wish they would hurry up and get to the tiny part already. It wasn't till the "BIG" argument between the two leads dose it get interesting.
******************************************
I felt I was thrown into it, no build up or anything and there relationship happen to rapidly. Hell I felt like some of the characters appeaed random out of nowhere, no introduction at all just a small clip. Which doesn't tell me much. I felt it's a time constraint thing, where they have limited episode they can make and try to fit as much of it as possible to get to the juicy part. Which I understand but it is still ashame since it is hard for me to get invested in the characters or this anime at this point. Makes me feel like I should have chosen a better anime to watch.
Episode 2
Not much to talk about, more distracted on the idea that you can tell she is on green screen. There was also good punch line when the neighborhood gather together discussing on her missing. Everything else is a blur
†*************************************
Not much different, everything is a blur nothing particularly stands out except the expansion of the two main characters relationship relates and reflects in the relife. Can't wait till they figure out who they are in real life. Maybe it will improve her real life.
Episode 3
HiI was still a bit distracted but I was more interested in how far they go to make you believe she really is small in that environment. It is also when I actually got invested in the story again. The reason she turned small hope that everything will turn out better for them.
*********************************
Ok so freaking cute, the development of the MMO relationship is getting steamy while the real world is picking up. As lily proposed, hayashi accepted, and Sakura tried asked her out!!! 😚😚🤣🤣sadly she lacks confinemence. It really shows in the character's design, the way she acts, and how the the coworker talks abouy her. Isense a love triangle, that and there is literally an episode with that in the title. The anime is finally picking up and I am getting excited!!! Also find it how the MMO world reflects like the real world although it most likely doesn't look like that even in animated fiction world.
Episode 4
This was roll coster for my, sometimes there is a connection and once in a while it was dry. I figured out why in the scene after the kendo competition. Both girls quitly looked after him As he got angry for losing. I felt like rooting on the competing girl (ms. Horemones) rather than the heroin because there was more of an emotional connection. I realized the reason being he have to act like she is there and vice versa. So the emotional connection is a bit off. Hopefully it gets better.
****************************†‡†***************
I think it's cute how forceful Kowai is, just to help set him up. I am also really curious why Sakurai douts, himself, her online identity. Or afraid to ruin their online relationship. Honestly I feel like yelling"RUIN IT, THE REAL LIFE IS MUCH BETTER!!!!!"SHE WILL GET OVER IT!"
Episode 5
It's getting better!! I loved Minami kun's reaction to her being left alone while supposed "theifs" were roaming around the house. I felt like he does have feelings for, kinda made me less bad when he ditched Ms. horemones who is still trying so hard to get close to him only to be interrupted. On the other hand I still don't feel any developments with chiyomi emotional wise. But it brought a greater development, the mom did not file the divorce papers!!!😮😲😲😲
†************†******************************
It is funny watching Moriko getting flustered. 1st for not knowing how to dress (which honestly I can relate to, just lot less exaggerated) and 2nd for her real life identity being found out by one of the players she actually knows. Which turns out to be helpful in the end when she tries to ask Lily for advice who is actually a guy. But honestly it's for this reasons that people should be honest with their real gender at least! Then when he search for her on the streets and she was getting ready to leave in my head I yelled " Go after her" and HE DID!!! When he got her attention then I yelled "Go now get her to go out with you USE PERSUASIVE FORCE she doesn't respond to anything else!!"
Episode 6
I was confused, at 1st I thought he kinda liked Ms. Horemones, then it showed some of his nightmares of her being suductive. BUT he is afraid. What????!! Honestly at this point I blame the guy for being wishy washy but her to on be impulsive and pushing herself onto him rather than give him time. I also felt that Chiyomi and Minami Kun were meant to be friends, but I guess she actually likes him too, i still find it hard to get their emotions across to the audience. *Not to self when shooting different things that has to be put into one, becareful of the lighting! It can be the biggest throw off of an illusion when it is supposed to feel real. Moment RUINED.
****†**********†********†*********************
I'm soooo happy to see them interacting in the real world. More so because Morioka reminds me of me. When I was a kid and some what know. I don't MMO can't do it, I'll get board and not big gamer, plus I like real interactions. Go all in or nothing. Where she does remind me is her secluding herself from the real world and lack of self confidence. I felt like for a moment she broken her shell which is like me breaking mine. But then she withdraws right back into it. Honestly the biggest development is that Sakurai 100% now confirm she is hiyoshi and she has no Idea. This open a whole bunch of opportunities.
Episode 7
There are perks to being tiny. She saved/repair her parents relationship. Just from overhearing her mother's true feelings for her father, and what she thinks he feels about her. This was the most emotional episode, this is the 1st episode to make me feel gitty. Also really falling for Minami Kun, his loyalty and support to Chiyomi makes me wonder if it's because he feels responsible or something more. I am finally excited to see the next episode!!!
*********************************************
I don't wither to laugh out loud or pity for the rediculousness. He feels guilty for knowing her real identity but still keeps it hidden; on top of that he avoids the game for a period of time, afraid, but still wants to talk to her in both real life and in the game. Gosh a big part of me wants to tell him "Man up and do what you need to do". Which is why I was soooo happy when the friend invaded their favorite world. It's no longer private and lot easier to blur the lines. Especially with this character. So on to the next one!!
Episode 8
Really need to work on the lighting, most obvious point that shows she is not really there. That aside.
Minami looks much cuter now that he is smiling more. Big part has to do with Chiyomi being there. Honestly they are more concerned with there relationship and hiding her rather than actually making plans to get her back. Which is fine, except they only have two more episodes to wrap things up. Instead they concentrate on the sub plot of reconnecting a mother and daughter relationship. Seriously, there is so many different routes they could take to make Minami Kun realize his true feelings. (Let's take a minute to talk about that) Chiyomi gets kidnapped by a little girl, Minami kun starts to worry and looks for her all night. He had a dream about her going away, seriously this dream gave them the most chemistry that I started seeing it some what in the rest of the show. And the real sub plot also ends.... Ok, is the mother handed the ex-husband the divorce papers and Minami kun gets to say all, or at least most, of what he wanted to say to him. Including keeping the grandmother with him. Soooo sweet.
*********************★********†**********†****
This is a big steping stone episode of how they will move forward, not exactly the forward part yet. Still some needs to know. How they knew each other in the past, and to test that theory Sakurai made a MMO similar to the one he made in the past. I love how they animated the guilt eating at him. Now he force himself to say it, I'm glad they didn't drag it out although they could have; it would have probably make it more dramatic. BUT everything is condensed to only 12 episodes!!!! So when need to move them to figure out the next step of there relationship is and how will this effect them emotionally and mentally. Will they grow better how much and how so. Also I said this earlier but really loving how they make the MMO world look real although I don't believe that most of those perspective and filters are actually there. Then again maybe it is.
Episode 9
There's a part where the two guys are fighting it out in Minami kun room for Chiyomi. The scene played out cheesy and comical. At 1st I thought it was because it was slightly over acted. But when the music stop playing the scene got more dramatic and real. The played the music on and off after that but it reminded really dramatic till the music took over then ot just drowned in cheesyness. Also Riku expression at the out of nowhere confession to Chiyomi and discovering her tiny hight took most of the drama out of the scene.
Now the dirty laundry has been cleaned and cleared out (the finally admitted their feelings to each other). Time to change back!!!! But 1st road trip. They went to this cape in hopes that it will change her back. I thought it was hilarious how fast the inn keepers daughter feel for him and got her heart broken in a matter of hours. Just as equally funny, the atmosphere between the two when it is time for been. She is TINY, what much and he do to her?! It just gets funnier from there! Shouldn't the sun been raise with all that light around them.
*********†**************★****************†****
Noooooo!!!!!!! Not the friend zone! Not the friend zone!!!!! It is going somewhere and nowhere at the same time. And it's online games friends too! I don't know if that makes it worse or not I'm just guessing. But I like her genuine reaction to theut those to news and how understanding she is about it all. Granted they are way too apologetic of something that happened by coincidence. That and it is better to tell sooner than later.
I love koiwai, he is such a busybody but those two need someone like him. More importantly I love how they are on the same wavelength, just that she is extremely negative about herself. I'm getting more curious about her past and why she quit her job.
The male gaze in anime.
Episode 10
The 2nd plan doesn't work, no surprise there. But I love how it just jumps to break up, to hit by car, to discovered by mother, to coma, to "look magical solution found she is big again" in such a short amount of time. And there is still more time to go!! It seems rush but it flows in the drama. And the solution is the 1st option she mentioned at the beginning in the 2nd episode(although by joke), oh the irony. And the mothers' and grandmother's reaction to them making out priceless.
So what else to show? Weeell how about the dance competition!!!! Which I honestly forgot was a thing and made me go, seriously is this how we are finishing up. That is till the did a jump cut, still dancing, to a new location. I thought it was the competition but it was actually their wedding. Yeah a big jump. The fill you of what happened in the year with the father and the new son, the sister and her best friend and so on. It was a quick but nice sum. The real end is when she finally finished her story with a exaggeration of a real event. And it shows them, as she connects there past to present self. Could do without but makes a nice scenery.
*****************†*****†*******************
Lol Sakurai is a perv!!!! (Once in a while he says his true intentions 😏) And Morioka is nervous that she notices the apartment area quite late. They flinch at the slightest touch and are so awkward, it is too cute. My favorite part was at the end where she stepped forward but her MMO conter part went in another direction symbolising speration and moving forward. That is a good thing. Thought she should do it to boost herself confidence, and for someone else or for what people think. But then again she is doing it for herself to not feel embarrassed with him. What she needs to
change is how she thinks if herself.
But what really pull me out of.... THAT WAS THE ENDING. Yeah, real cliffhanger the moment the characters are finally showing progress...... Nope! Have to save it for a POSSIBLE 2nd season. Or you know read the manga. Damn them damn them all. The say a bad ending can ruin a story and that this did. Ot ruin the whole story it was slowly building up to be!!!!!
••••°••••••••°•••••••°••••••••°•••••••°••••••••°•••••••°•
Both had a slow start for me. The drama because of bad effects, and anime because of slow development character wise.
Let's talk about the effects for a minute, what counts as a bad effect? When it takes you out of the story. That is exactly what happened from episode 2-8. And the problem is more easier to fix than you know. The problem is the lighting which makes it obvious that Chiyomi didn't exist in the same environment. I don't know how much they had in the budget but they should have enough to make a few Chiyomi dolls. It's useful not only for the purpose of figuring out the lighting, then fix the lighting in effects (given the technology today it should be possible). But also something for the actors to act with; because for the most part it looks like nothing is there, and there isn't. A good and classic example (in my books) Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Now to the anime. Granted it was beautifully animated it fell short on the story for me, the opposite of the drama. It paced it self slow and I bearly get to see the characters develop. I know they have to fit a lot in 12 episodes and only had 30-40 minutes to do so but that is not a reason why they couldn't. I don't expect all the characters to show the characters changes and growth just the main two. The best example I can think of on a short notice is Devilman Crybaby. The stylistic animation may not be for everybody but the way they develop the characters from start to finish is perfect! And this doesn't just single out only the main characters either. Established personality in one no in a few minutes of the episode, their goals or who they wish to be or beat, the changes that happened from taking certain choices, and in the end where they stand and who they end up being. All wrapped up in 12 the source material. So I don't know how true or close to the source material it is; but more liberties should have been taken, different medium should mean different way of telling a story.
Anyways this is just my personal opinions and thoughts. And I just feel like much more can come from these two if done better.
Posted by GabbyHeart1 | Apr 23, 2018 11:07 AM | 0 comments