Detective's Profile Retired Moderator

Yeah man I definitely recommend you re-watch it. For the most part, the story line for me was handled well in a 4, 30-minute episode length. It also makes a very good opening impression and managed to stay consistent. The action/fight scenes/and gore in it was phenomenal, if you're into that kind of stuff. I just didn't mind much negative aspects about the show. I guess the only time the story slows down is the third episode I believe, but the final one makes up for it with that plot twist.

Thankyou.

Thankyou, for tearing Koe no Katachi a new asshole. It's a tough job where people will despise you around every corner. But I salute you on a job well done.

Yup.

Why'd you give Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal a 6? What didn't you like about it, if I may ask?

The way Nishimiya's character was portrayed always bothered me for some reason, and I only realized why after I read your review
You perfectly put it into words, thank you.

I was reticent to comment, since I'm doing so to critique one of your reviews, but I feel your review of Koe no Katachi is not representative of the movie. It doesn't seem like you read the manga (I recommend it, it took me only one day), and it may be that the film maker's abbreviated portrayal in the move is to blame, but the central message of the story is not about disability or deafness, but bullying.

The fact that Nishiyama is deaf is incidental to the story. The point isn't that she's deaf, it's that she's different. The movie explores the various effects that bullying has on people, and those around them.

Nishiyama feels she has no value because she's been bullied her whole life.

Ishida, who used to be a carefree happy person, can't look anyone in the face for years after his class turns on him.

Nishiyama's sister Yuzuru devotes the majority of her time trying to forestall her sister's suicidal thoughts.

Sahara, an otherwise kind person, can't help but run away from confronting the people being mean to her friend.

Naoka is stuck in the past and has only grown more resentful over time, blaming Nishimura for ruining her circle of friends.

Kawai has decided to pretend like the bullying never happened, and reacts alarmingly when it is brought up.

The primary arc of the story is about how redemption for past misdeeds is not cheap or easy, and is not guaranteed to work even if you try. It's hard, and without the constant effort of Ishida to genuinely try to make amends, the continuous struggle of Nishimura to allow herself to open up to the possibility, and the support of those around them to let it happen, it will end in failure.

In fact, it does end in failure. Nishimura, unable to reconcile the feelings she has for Ishida vs. her own lack of self value, ends in her suicide attempt, only prevented at the last moment by sheer luck.

That's my take on it at least. I was just a bit bothered that your review seemed to latch on to a particular detail of the story and exclude all the rest, because there aren't many (any? there must be some) stories that address the long term effects of bullying.

(SPOILERS) Your review of Koe no katachi is shocking. And frankly an insult to the message that is there, and that you ignored to go off on a rant about the portrayal of an illness that's so simple, it'd be more insulting to know nothing about it. The effect it has on the lives of people is subjective, and mostly up to the people that surround you and how they react to it. The story devolved into Nishimiya being nothing more than a prop because you let it do so, by refuses to acknowledge her character as anything more than a deaf person and how you think the story should treat her. Her disability was not designed to elicit sympathy, they could have just given her cancer like every other movie. The actions taken against her because of her disability are what elicit a sympathetic response. Building up to a climax where she eventually makes peace with herself and lets go of all the pain she's built up and been allowed to let go of by being so close to Ishida.

If you want to apply your logic to the whole movie, then is it not exploitative of depression and suicide? "Using" these illnesses as nothing more to drive the plot and make you feel bad for the people who have it in the movie. Ishida's character being devolved into nothing more than "I was a bully, I got bullied back, I feel bad, now I will make it right". That's literally what happened, but also a disgusting oversimplification of his character, arc, and emotions. He's as much of an object by your logic as nishimiya. But of course he's meant to be hollow because he's designed to be a "self-instert", repealing yourself of any need to explore his character because that would take away from your idea that this movie is using women as objects. Which would be strange seeing as it's a story written by a woman, and then directed by one. And then made alongside furthermore, before being aired and appreciated by even more. Meaning there are a lot of women clearly okay with doing that.

As for her being a mary sue? I don't think a depressed character, that struggles with self image, bullying, death, and looks onward to suicide as a way out. Is a Mary sue. Neither is she a damsel in distress. The point of the movie is that you can only let go with the support of those around and work from yourself. Contrary to what you want the movie to do, you don't get through depression on your own. Nor do you need anyone to get you through it. The movie explains deafness relatively well, she can't hear, or speak, so she has to communicate either through a notepad, interpreter, or sign language. The more important part is that it makes you understand she's a person too. Fully deserving of the respect you'd give to anyone else, and who struggles just the same as everyone else. What it sure sounds like you're calling for, is for her to not be represented as a person, because deafness makes her exceptional among other people.

I struggled a lot with bullying and depression in my younger life, for a short time, I was also basically a bully. Much like Nishimiya, I ended up leaving when it became too much, though not to another school. I struggled for a while living alone, but I managed to reconnect with people I used to know, and with people who used to bully me. I'd done a lot of self reflection while I was alone, and I'd let go of by previous views of myself and others. And I'd made it a goal to stop caring so much about how others view me and how what I do affects them. And I've felt amazing since then, and feel like I've got people I can genuinely call friends again.

So this movie meant something to me. By being such great insight into the world of someone who struggles with self-image, depression, anxiety etc. And I find it pretty damn insulting that you misconstrued and puppeted it to suit your own message. I'll hold off in assuming you've never dealt with any of the above issues, but it sure as hell seems like it.

le anime connoisseur

You are actually cool.(Unironically)

Thank you so much for your review of Koe no Katachi. I just watched it and was, frankly, disturbed by it--and by the almost total love for it I've seen in the anime community--for precisely the reasons you cited. Nishimiya's character seemed to exist solely as a "lesson" for Ishida. I am NOT here for disabled women being used as nothing but props in the stories of boys who seek redemption for the cruelty of their youths.

"Exploitative" was the word you used--and it was a good one. I just wanted to reach out and say thank you again. I'm so glad not to be alone in my feelings on this movie.

Cream yellow on a white background, it offends me. But it also makes it exciting because you have to literally hover over it with your mouse to make out which score you gave it. That's next level, I'm impressed.

Also, I think it takes a few more episodes to get Darling in the Franxx's real quality, but I still think it's a pile of shit. It looks awesome and the animations (especially for the gestures and character acting) make me wanna go frame-by-frame, but writing-wise it's a fuckin mess. Someone wanted to mix anohana with neon genesis and thought it'd be a good idea for some reason but all it does is confuse the hell out of me.

I know that panty and stocking is getting to be a decade old, but do you still agree with that review you made about it? It has a lot of toilet humor, I get it, but it really was innovative in the way it portrayed the characters visually. The animation was fantastic, the character designs were iconic, the aggressive directing style fit really well, and it even had a few episodes that were collaborations with American cartoonists. Plus, a lot of the things you said made it bad were actually really interesting. Like, what if heavily censored and made-for-kids styled American cartoons had super mature humor that teens and young adults could enjoy? Believe it or not, that's why people from both countries enjoy it. Especially the dub, cause that was really cleverly written. Anyway, that review could really only amount to thinking you're above the jokes and it really *grinded my gears*. But it was also 2010, so I kind of get if that was the initial reaction at the time. I just thought it was interesting.

looking back, I now realize just how right you where back then. Also The Tatami Galaxy in your top ten, you sir just gained +10 sympathies from me. :D

>our happy hour is pretentious and cheesy
>likes oyasumi punpun

ohohohoho