WHY is &#039;No Game No Life&#039; SO POPULAR?

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Oct 2012

6648

Forgetfulness said:
1. What about the part where Steph states out loud that she will shoot someone?
"When your love power is restored, wait till love power is almost out and shoot straight ahead"
I personally don't see how anybody could be stupid enough to hear this and just disregard it

1) Do you really think Steph is so stupid that she needs to read something out loud in order to understand it? That was done solely so we the viewers would know what happened.

Forgetfulness said:
2. No, Jibril was in on the ruse or at the very least had some idea that something was going to happen. When the flashbacks play and Steph reads the plans out loud, she is kneeling right in front of Jibril

See 1 above. Had Jibiriru known what Steph was going to do, then there was no reason to swipe Steph's mind. That the specifically mentioned the need to swipe it from Steph's memory would suggest that Jibiriru didn't read it (this also plays into Jibiriru's personality from episode 6). Also, Sora's order specified that she would do what Shiro WROTE, not what she said.

I will grant you that there is a little distortion in having Steph reading it aloud, but come on, this is a work of visual fiction, how else could they depict what Steph read if they didn't have her say it aloud?

Jul 6, 2014 7:45 PM

#254

mirailianil

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Dec 2011

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Forgetfulness said:

Takuan_Soho said:

1) There was nothing given to the warbeasts to make them think that Steph was anything more than what Sora said out loud. Where would you say that the "information" leads to a different conclusion. Steph had been helpless from the start.

2) Outside of Sora wouldn't have known whether that warbeasts were listening so your distinction is false, there is that lovely Japanese quote "in order to trick your enemies you first have to trick your friends". Blank didn't even let Jibiriru onto their ruse, which is why Sora thanked her for doing what he ordered. Her response implied that she didn't know WHAT the plan was, but would obey whatever they ordered with faith that they did have a point (which she learned in episode 7 and 10 and 12).

1. What about the part where Steph states out loud that she will shoot someone?
"When your love power is restored, wait till love power is almost out and shoot straight ahead"
I personally don't see how anybody could be stupid enough to hear this and just disregard it

2. No, Jibril was in on the ruse or at the very least had some idea that something was going to happen. When the flashbacks play and Steph reads the plans out loud, she is kneeling right in front of Jibril

1. See my earlier post
2. Knowing part of the plan doesnt mean knowing the whole plan Even in real life this is true. For example a group of soldier is tasked to create a distraction while a special force team infliltrate and hack the facility. Those group of soldiers wont be told how those special force infliltrate the facility.
Same thing here:
Shiro being tactician
Jibril the distraction
Sora tasked to figure out what Shiro plan is
Steph being Steph(oh and also executing plan Steph)

Jul 6, 2014 7:59 PM

#255

fst

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Mar 2013

20064

Holy shit, you guys are still going at it? and another person has joined the fray?

I'm legitimately intimidated by this.

Jul 6, 2014 9:23 PM

#256

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Oct 2012

6648

Forgetfulness said:
Apparently. Might end soon because this is my last argument and I'm fairly certain that is a legitimate contradiction in the anime.

Takuan_Soho has done a good job explaining the rest though :/

Went back and watched the scene. Jibiriru wasn't paying attention to Steph when she wrote what was on the ground, she had her back to Steph and didn't react in any way and Shiro was busy calculating something. So short of actually using subtitles, there was nothing in that scene to suggest that Steph "really" read this out loud.

Furthermore since Shiro was still calculating it shows that the difficult part of the equation wasn't in directing Steph, but in trying to figure out how to get Izutan to be in the proper location (in that the time and the location had already been figured out).

This explains Shiro's actions after she pretended to be shot. Her shooting around Sora guided him towards the proper place, in that Sora noticed that Shiro had block the shot meant for him, that was what he was trying to figure out and did figure out while he was fleeing.

Now again let me stress that I don't think anyone could have figured out what was going to happen before it did, however I really don't want that in my entertainment (I have said this elsewhere so it isn't an apology), I want the author to surprise me, but what I do want is the ability to, after the fact, go back and see that the author at least knew what they were doing before we got to that point.

This show does that in spades. I didn't get 25% of the Jibiriru game until I went back and picked out the pieces, and the more I picked the more I found. That is what I want in my fiction. (A good example is that someone pointed out that had Sora said "crust", then they couldn't use "lithosphere", this made me go back and I noticed that the Japanese word while sounding like crust (or at least what crust would sound like in Japanese) was written to mean "outer core", so this is the clearest indication that the writer wanted to purposely mislead people so they didn't know what was going to happen while giving them the information so when they went back they could so "oh, now I get it".

Jul 7, 2014 3:16 AM

#257

asejfh

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Dec 2013

9

people have bad taste, that's the reason.

Jul 7, 2014 6:34 AM

#258

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Nov 2013

22774

Man all those walls of text. Too lazy to read through them x_x

Jul 7, 2014 8:20 AM

#259

Brego1

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Apr 2012

482

When I sat the score I thought I was onto a special show. But to be honest it's nothing more than a NEET/otaku self fulfilment fantasy. Well made, yes, but ultimately hollow.

Brego1Jul 7, 2014 9:28 AM

Jul 7, 2014 1:56 PM

#260

PeacingOut

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Oct 2007

2932

I've pretty much figured out now that anything that is deemed "epic" and is just completely up in your face trying every which way to get peoples attention is massively popular with the MAL and Crunchyroll audiences regardless of execution and overall content. Its basically all about triggering the biggest possible spectacle and NGNL despite its tremendous short comings in character writing, pacing and basic logic is really good at that hence its wild popularity.

@fai: It is funny how far some people are willing to go to defend what is basically a fluff fan service show to the last letter of a post.

Jul 7, 2014 2:16 PM

#261

tsudecimo

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Dec 2012

24355

Kaioshin_Sama said:
I've pretty much figured out now that anything that is deemed "epic" and is just completely up in your face trying every which way to get peoples attention is massively popular with the MAL and Crunchyroll audiences regardless of execution and overall content. Its basically all about triggering the biggest possible spectacle and NGNL despite its tremendous short comings in character writing, pacing and basic logic is really good at that hence its wild popularity.

@fai: It is funny how far some people are willing to go to defend what is basically a fluff fan service show to the last letter of a post.

You are right as always.

Jul 7, 2014 3:02 PM

#262

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Jan 2014

540

I like the fact that some people talks about Steph's father, when the king was her grandfather.

To the topic well let's see. I will keep it short.
+ Beautiful girls.
+ Bright visuals. Thank you Madhouse.
+ Decent Soundtrack.

- Shiro and Sora.
- Not begining in medias res.
- Inconsistencies.
- Exhibisionist fanservice, they dressed Steph as a dog, and walked outside with her, was that suppossed to be sexy? No it wasn't even funny.
- Revealing that the warbeast, don't have mind reading powers, well no shit if they had that power, they wouldn't reveal it.
- Already beating Tet in episode 1.
- Making a cliffhanger ending of event that happens much later in the novels.
- Having no tension, because Blank never loses.
- Look at the post below this one.

Shock_YinJul 8, 2014 2:55 PM

Jul 8, 2014 1:49 AM

#263

removed-user

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Jul 2018

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Personally the visuals really hurt my eyes.

Jul 8, 2014 2:49 PM

#264

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Jan 2014

540

jfturku said:
Personally the visuals really hurt my eyes.

Well it's understandable, they're maybe a bit too bright. I can see that now, that you mention it.

Jul 8, 2014 2:51 PM

#265

Winter 2017 tl;dr Season Preview

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Shock, why is not beginning in medias res a bad thing?

Jul 8, 2014 3:08 PM

#266

fst

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Mar 2013

20064

Cupquake said:
Shock, why is not beginning in medias res a bad thing?

Because it doesn't capture the attention of people with short attention spans?

Jul 8, 2014 3:09 PM

#267

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Jan 2014

540

Cupquake said:
Shock, why is not beginning in medias res a bad thing?

Personally I would have loved seeing them play against Tet, the whole online part was to introduce Sora and Shiro as an unbeatable duo, but this series remind you of it again and again, so really that part could easily been cut out. But then again some scenes could have been cut out without destroying the pacing.

Jul 8, 2014 3:10 PM

#268

Novelaer

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Jun 2013

147

You have an overpowered hikikomori.
You have a cute loli.
You have a world where everything is decided by games.

Hello. Welcome to the dream of most people who like anime / games.

Jul 8, 2014 3:10 PM

#269

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Apr 2013

11408

fst said:

Cupquake said:
Shock, why is not beginning in medias res a bad thing?

Because it doesn't capture the attention of people with short attention spans?

I guess, but the series started with action right in the beginning. You have to have a really shitty attention span to get bored from that.

Jul 8, 2014 3:13 PM

#270

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Apr 2013

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Shock_Yin said:

Cupquake said:
Shock, why is not beginning in medias res a bad thing?

Personally I would have loved seeing them play against Tet, the whole online part was to introduce Sora and Shiro as an unbeatable duo, but this series remind you of it again and again, so really that part could easily been cut out. But then again some scenes could have been cut out without destroying the pacing.

It'd probably be better if the series had not constantly reminded us that 'Blank never loses,' but they should have cut out that stuff in the later episodes, not the earlier ones.

I see what you're saying though.

Jul 8, 2014 3:16 PM

#271

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Jan 2014

540

Cupquake said:

Shock_Yin said:

Personally I would have loved seeing them play against Tet, the whole online part was to introduce Sora and Shiro as an unbeatable duo, but this series remind you of it again and again, so really that part could easily been cut out. But then again some scenes could have been cut out without destroying the pacing.

It'd probably be better if the series had not constantly reminded us that 'Blank never loses,' but they should have cut out that stuff in the later episodes, not the earlier ones.

I see what you're saying though.

Thank you. And yes you're right about the later episodes.

Jul 8, 2014 3:27 PM

#272

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Jan 2014

540

Novelaer said:
You have an overpowered hikikomori.
You have a cute loli.
You have a world where everything is decided by games.

Hello. Welcome to the dream of most people who like anime / games.

Well you said "a cute loli" which indicate one I can just see someone lashing out on you, or there will start a flame war about who's cuter between child Steph, Izuna and Shiro.

Either that or there will be made a new thread about it.

Jul 8, 2014 4:07 PM

#273

GonzyChan

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MEanimaniac1 said:
Because Jibril Steph-chan

Fixed. :)

Jul 8, 2014 4:07 PM

#274

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Apr 2013

11408

Gonzo-nyan said:

MEanimaniac1 said:
Because Jibril Steph-chan

Fixed. :)

Steph is gross. Shiro is best

Jul 8, 2014 4:09 PM

#275

GonzyChan

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Cupquake said:

Gonzo-nyan said:

Fixed. :)

Steph is gross. Shiro is best

Steph-chan barks like a dog in a sexy outfit and Yoko Hikasa voices her.

Automatically best girl.

Jul 8, 2014 4:11 PM

#276

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Apr 2013

11408

Gonzo-nyan said:

Cupquake said:

Steph is gross. Shiro is best

Steph-chan barks like a dog in a sexy outfit and Yoko Hikasa voices her.

Automatically best girl.

You want a dog as a girlfriend?

Jul 8, 2014 4:11 PM

#277

T3hSource

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May 2014

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Cupquake said:

Gonzo-nyan said:

Steph-chan barks like a dog in a sexy outfit and Yoko Hikasa voices her.

Automatically best girl.

You want a dog bitch as a girlfriend?

Everyone has a fetish and that's his.

Jul 8, 2014 4:14 PM

#278

GonzyChan

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Cupquake said:

Gonzo-nyan said:

Steph-chan barks like a dog in a sexy outfit and Yoko Hikasa voices her.

Automatically best girl.

You want a dog as a girlfriend?

Yes. So I can make her my little slave pet. :)

Jul 8, 2014 5:12 PM

#279

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Oct 2012

6648

Forgetfulness said:
For the most part, this is true but I still don't believe you have given me a solid reason why Sora would logically say "bringing Steph was a mistake" considering the fact that Steph read their plan out loud

Don't forget the timing, Sora was waiting for Shiro to come up with a replacement plan since their first plan had failed (sniping Izutan when she was in midair), and at the exact second he said that Steph showed up being, well a Steph, and he vented a little frustration.

Also, Japanese has a lot of subtlety that doesn't translate well to English. Sora ended that sentence with "kana", which translates "I wonder", so he didn't say it was a mistake, but he wondered to himself (Kana is used in monologs) if it was a mistake to bring her. (as for it being a "monolog" word, I looked it up in the Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar, just to be sure).

Since writing above there were two thoughts that I had, one a clarification, the other a realization.
1) Before they started the game Blank did not know what form of cheating it would be, as such they had prepared Steph to read instructions in case it proved that the Warbeasts were cheating that way (they weren't, as they discovered). So whether or not Steph read it aloud or Jibiriru heard was irrelevant at that point, though I still believe (similar to Sora's monolog) that Steph merely read it aloud for the sake of making it easier for the viewer to get it.
2) Blank ALWAYS pretends that they knew from the start what they were going to do, but that is them bluffing after they win, not a "truth". Kurumi mentioned this when she had Sora's memories, that their victories were pretty iffy stuff, so Sora knew that they were (as well as the writer), he just never lets on that he (and Shiro as well) knows this. Pretending to be invincible is a valuable weapon.

Now that said, Sora and Shiro have complete faith that they will win because they always have and they have faith in each other, so there is probably a bit of a loop going on there, but the writer has shown that they do "wing it" and adjust on the fly. However they also do think about things ahead and position themselves as much as possible. As Steph said this episode there are two ways to play a game. Blank ultimately forces the others to play to their strategy.

Jul 8, 2014 5:23 PM

#280

Minagatachi

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1563

Because it's epic.

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Jul 8, 2014 6:30 PM

#281

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Oct 2012

6648

Forgetfulness said:
Well played, you've won

Do I get a virtual prize :-)

Will just leave and say, most of what I said was specifically stated (as opposed to implied) in various episodes, so all I have done was to put the pieces together the author (and adapters) provided.

It's one of the things I liked most about this series, the explanations are there, one just has to be a willing to arrange them a bit, unlike many shows that don't even try.

Jul 8, 2014 6:34 PM

#282

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Oct 2012

6648

Forgetfulness said:

Takuan_Soho said:

Do I get a virtual prize :-)

You can have a virtual cookie

Ummmmm, cookie.....drool.

Thanks for caring enough to argue over it, always like people who force me to think about things! Best type of critic out there.

Jul 10, 2014 9:05 AM

#283

zaj

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Mar 2008

150

this show doesn't deserve the hype it gets. its mediocre all the way... first few eps were good but then it kept getting worse and turned into the 1453646463464646646th harem for 16year old virgins with a funny moment here and there and a shitty generic story.

fuck this K-on moeblob generation.

back in the the 90's and early 2000's we had stuff like GTO wich atleast was funny.

Jul 10, 2014 9:11 AM

#284

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Nov 2013

22774

zaj said:
this show doesn't deserve the hype it gets. its mediocre all the way... first few eps were good but then it kept getting worse and turned into the 1453646463464646646th harem for 16year old virgins with a funny moment here and there and a shitty generic story.

fuck this K-on moeblob generation.

back in the the 90's and early 2000's we had stuff like GTO wich atleast was funny.

Bla bla bla bla generic bla bla shit bla bla back in the day bla bla
Stop watching anime then.

Jul 10, 2014 9:14 AM

#285

zaj

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Mar 2008

150

Botato said:

zaj said:
this show doesn't deserve the hype it gets. its mediocre all the way... first few eps were good but then it kept getting worse and turned into the 1453646463464646646th harem for 16year old virgins with a funny moment here and there and a shitty generic story.

fuck this K-on moeblob generation.

back in the the 90's and early 2000's we had stuff like GTO wich atleast was funny.

Bla bla bla bla generic bla bla shit bla bla back in the day bla bla
Stop watching anime then.

because 90% of the stuff now is crap i can't watch the other 10%? damn u are dumb.

best airing shows now( hunter x hunter and jojo) are both manga from the 90's ......

hope you realize this whole industry is living off the success of 1990's stuff. the day one piece ends and noone comes to replace it the whole manga industry is fucked. WSJ avoids bankruptcy only because of one piece

Jul 10, 2014 9:18 AM

#286

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Nov 2013

22774

zaj said:
because 90% of the stuff now is crap

Not true.

zaj said:
i can't watch the other 10%?

No, but don't watch the "90% crap" when you know that they're "crap" and then complain.

Jul 10, 2014 9:21 AM

#287

zaj

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Mar 2008

150

Botato said:

zaj said:
because 90% of the stuff now is crap

Not true.

zaj said:
i can't watch the other 10%?

No, but don't watch the "90% crap" when you know that they're "crap" and then complain.

i watched it because it is highly rated (#15 at the time). and stuff that is highly rated , ussualy deserves it rating but this show doesnt even come close to a 9 let alone an 8,5. but hey its dropping in rating so it will end up where it belongs.

honestly if this belongs in someone's top 10 he/she has serious problems.

Jul 10, 2014 9:26 AM

#288

T3hSource

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May 2014

1387

@zaj
You should know better than to trust MAL ratings, you know people rate based on their enjoyment and nothing else for the most part, which means they aren't indicative of quality, just public reception.

Jul 10, 2014 9:28 AM

#289

flashboi

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Jan 2013

50

... because it's fun, looks good enough and is what many MANY nerds fantasize about.

Jul 10, 2014 9:30 AM

#290