A Case of Poor Writing?

Dec 15, 2011 7:29 AM

Offline

Nov 2009

3741

Well here I am...10 episodes in to what for all intents and purposes should be one of my top 3 anime of the year...Is it?

To summarize...no.

I watched the last two seasons of Shana and enjoyed them, albeit the first season more than the second. But I watched this and I just dont get the same feel from it. Sure it's the same characters in the same locale for the most part but it just feels so flawed and lacking in the feeling of the last two seasons.

Personally myself, I watched the first two seasons and was firmly behind the Flame Hazes and their mission to destroy the Tomogara threatening humans. However this entire season I have felt nothing at all for the cause of the Flame Hazes and I've swayed more to the side of Bal Masque. Their characters despite being monsters for the most part, seem to have far more personality to them in relation to the bland "good guys" of this series.

I'm with many on the regard that Yuji being possessed may be a case of poor plot progression but I don't mind his character at all and for the most part, he feels like one of the more relatable characters in the whole story. Especially with his goal to change the world to save everyone from the fighting and the fate of Flame Hazes. I feel it's very noble of him to still be thinking of everyone even after all that has happened to him and people he knows in the last 2 seasons.

I don't know if it's a case of the writing staff not being bothered at all or they are just trying to pump out material as fast as possible for the cash cow this series clearly is for JC Staff but I feel that the majority of characters feel very plain and one dimensional...even characters we have been familiar with through over 50 episodes already with. The way they have chose to cover their apparent lack of plot seems to be by adding several characters of whom I dont remember the names. Yes they are just that memorable. I've mentioned it before that whenever this series wants to explain something, there is always a reference to some long dead person with a really long title and it's tiring to see it played over and over.

I know I'm bound to have alot of the Shana fanboys who think this series is a true testament to the prior seasons flaming me for this but I know there are several other people out there who have had similar views on this and it's something we SHOULDN'T have. This should be unarguably the best show of the year considering how long we have all waited on it.

Simply put, it just doesnt feel like Shana but it's exceptionally hard to put a finger on the source.

What does everyone else think?

Dec 15, 2011 11:42 AM

Leon-Gun

Offline

Dec 2007

4845

Riptos said:
Well here I am...10 episodes in to what for all intents and purposes should be one of my top 3 anime of the year...Is it?

To summarize...no.

I watched the last two seasons of Shana and enjoyed them, albeit the first season more than the second. But I watched this and I just dont get the same feel from it. Sure it's the same characters in the same locale for the most part but it just feels so flawed and lacking in the feeling of the last two seasons.

Personally myself, I watched the first two seasons and was firmly behind the Flame Hazes and their mission to destroy the Tomogara threatening humans. However this entire season I have felt nothing at all for the cause of the Flame Hazes and I've swayed more to the side of Bal Masque. Their characters despite being monsters for the most part, seem to have far more personality to them in relation to the bland "good guys" of this series.

I'm with many on the regard that Yuji being possessed may be a case of poor plot progression but I don't mind his character at all and for the most part, he feels like one of the more relatable characters in the whole story. Especially with his goal to change the world to save everyone from the fighting and the fate of Flame Hazes. I feel it's very noble of him to still be thinking of everyone even after all that has happened to him and people he knows in the last 2 seasons.

I don't know if it's a case of the writing staff not being bothered at all or they are just trying to pump out material as fast as possible for the cash cow this series clearly is for JC Staff but I feel that the majority of characters feel very plain and one dimensional...even characters we have been familiar with through over 50 episodes already with. The way they have chose to cover their apparent lack of plot seems to be by adding several characters of whom I dont remember the names. Yes they are just that memorable. I've mentioned it before that whenever this series wants to explain something, there is always a reference to some long dead person with a really long title and it's tiring to see it played over and over.

I know I'm bound to have alot of the Shana fanboys who think this series is a true testament to the prior seasons flaming me for this but I know there are several other people out there who have had similar views on this and it's something we SHOULDN'T have. This should be unarguably the best show of the year considering how long we have all waited on it.

Simply put, it just doesnt feel like Shana but it's exceptionally hard to put a finger on the source.

What does everyone else think?

Not a case of poor writing, it's a case of poor planning on JC's case during the last two seasons and an impossibility to adapt everything properly in one season without losing a lot of details.

Dec 18, 2011 3:18 PM

Riptos

Offline

Nov 2009

3741

So no one has any thoughts at all on this? You would have to wonder considering how much discussion there has been on this from Episode 11.

Dec 18, 2011 8:33 PM

InfiniteDestiny

Offline

Dec 2010

2675

Each has their own opinion but i feel that this season simply takes a step back which is why it lacks the feel you are mentioning. to describe what i mean is that instead of it being Shana,Shana, Yuji, and more Shana they take the eagle eye view of what is now a war and thus it loses feel because it simply has to many new characters to cover; and even with that the main characters are still given priority so like we saw from Margery last episode I'm sure we will see of Shana and Yuji and such in the coming episodes.

Also i may be wrong but to call Yuji being possessed i feel is off, i feel more like the merge or share a body since he can control his own actions; possession is usually one side dominating another; this is co existence. I do agree on feeling more for Bal Masque as I'm in that boat also but its mainly because i don't like the Flame Haze's in this season (that nun can die a horrible death for all i care); with the exception of the short haired one i don't feel for them at all. And those Flame Haze's who were already present like Wilhelmina (who i never really liked) Margery (not shown enough) and the others have either regressed or stayed the same.

I believe Shana has actually regressed the most because she isn't open minded at all which is probably my only complaint; its like she is some brain washed tool which makes me understand why Yuji would want to take away her reason for fighting, its like she doesn't even have a personality outside of "must beat Yuji", it also appears that her pride is another reason for it since she got owned when he wasn't even trying. Well for me i'll just see how it plays out because seasons can always get better or worse so i won't judge it till its all over and done.

Dec 19, 2011 9:28 AM