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[Neonivek]

I am still used to thinking of "Idols" as singers.

In spite of the fact that they still do have "singers" who are not Idols... at least I believe so.

The major difference from what I can gather is an Idol is basically a model actor singer made to sort of play a character for everyone. They almost literally are an "idol" as in an object you are supposed to idolize.

I just find it interesting if only because we don't really have similar here. Samurai are comparable to knights, Ninjas are just assassins with a lot of mythology written about them, and HECK Televangelists still kind of exist in a really weird (to western senses) way.

The closest are Rappers and Professional Wrestlers (SORT OF!) in the sense that they are essentially "always in character".

[Reelya]

Girl bands / boy bands are more like idols. Think of the Spice Girls.

I think the crafted personas in music are more prevalent than we realize. I mean look at the crap that Good Charlotte dress up as. They dress up as every possible music subgenre, each one has a fake style. And their music is absolutely nothing at all like the subgenres they're dressing up as.

It's just that the Japanese idol system is more up-front about that.

[Neonivek]

I guess so

I think the only difference is that with Popstars it is all optional (You don't HAVE to act, model (actually you really do), or have your own fashion line...)

With Idols it is kind of expected.

THAT and appearing on television as a popstar usually signifies your career is going downhill and doing it as an idol is a first step

So I guess you are right Reelya.

---

Whelp they ruined Cecil in Uta No Prince Sama

whose one trait that made him unique above ALL others in anime is that he is the least possessive 'potential' boyfriend EVER without being oblivious! and will push her towards other men if that is what she needs because he not only has confidence in their relationship but puts her feelings above all else and considers her happiness far greater then their relationship.

I guess... making him... another... Jealous... 'boyfriend'... when that is what all the other characters are... is an improvement... except not really!

Ohh anime you reward my investment like the great depression rewarded the stock market.

[i2amroy]

Oh man, the latest F/SN just continues to remind me of the crazy future we have to look forwards to as we get better and better at blending computer animation with hand drawn stuff. Half of the time I can't even tell what is what, and as the two draw closer together it amazes me when the hyper-detailed backgrounds and the more simplistic characters are drawn so close together that I can't point out any given point where we switch from one to the other. I mean seriously, half of the stuff they use looks like they literally just built a real copy somewhere and took pictures of it, and they are using them in throwaway 2-second shots.

Spoiler: No Spoilers, but seriously, look at this shot (ignore the watermark) (click to show/hide)

That shot? It was on screen for exactly 2.5 seconds. It was never shown in the show before that use, and it will probably never be shown again. (And you can't tell from the still, but those 2.5 seconds also included the river water rippling with realistic wave ripples in a non-duplicated random pattern.)

There is a new and awesome world of animation coming out there, and I can only imagine seeing more shows like this as technology makes makes things cheap enough for non-unlimited budget works shows to use as well.

[Stuebi]

Sword Art Online was...weird.

Season 1 was okay. When me and my buddy watched it we had some fun laughing at Kirito being laughably op all the time. The characters werent bad (But not great either) and I liked the basic concept.

It started really getting on my cowpatch when it turned Asuna into a helpless Kidnap-Victim and dipping into Tentacle theory (I mean, why?). I also didnt like the constant switch of game (Introducing guns for example. Especially since Kirito defaults back to a sword right away anyway) and the fact that every girl that get's introduced just falls for Kirito in the time span of maybe 1 Episode. I mean, crown the guy God-King of the Universe. I'm reasonably sure there's nothing he cant do and no woman he cant get.


I also tried watching Samurai Kings. But I just...cant...do it. I mean, the premise is so cool, they even took the historical Clan names and the Leaders even wear those fabolous headgear-armors. But then it get's to combat and it's just the final seasons of Dragonball, only with more weapons. I hate if the cop-out of animating actual combat by hiding everything behind smoke, light, dust or the ashes of sacrificed animaters. I want actual swordfights, dangit!

[Leafsnail]

I just find it interesting if only because we don't really have similar here. Samurai are comparable to knights, Ninjas are just assassins with a lot of mythology written about them, and HECK Televangelists still kind of exist in a really weird (to western senses) way.

They're called "celebrities"

[Neonivek]

I just find it interesting if only because we don't really have similar here. Samurai are comparable to knights, Ninjas are just assassins with a lot of mythology written about them, and HECK Televangelists still kind of exist in a really weird (to western senses) way.

They're called "celebrities"

A "celebrity" is just a term for someone famous.

Bill Gates is a celebrity for example. Steven Hawking is a celebrity.

[IronyOwl]

Nia, on the other hand, is a Mary Sue Damsel in Distress who I....actually find endearing for some reason. Seriously, I've seen her character archetype before and I've always loathed it but not in this case. Anyone know why?

Spoiler: Actual Spoilers (click to show/hide)

As a wild guess, maybe because she dies at the end? Both Mary Sue and Damsel in Distress tend to be bullshit in part because they're sort of held above reproach by the work. Being all important and super special but then dying short circuits that a bit.

If that's not it, can you remember the first time you thought positively of her?

Ohh anime you reward my investment like the great depression rewarded the stock market.

I think you need to stop taking stupid shit so personally in mediums you know to be infested with stupid shit. Right now I'm getting the mental image of a guy who regularly watches action movies while complaining about the physics in each one as though it was something new.

I also tried watching Samurai Kings. But I just...cant...do it. I mean, the premise is so cool, they even took the historical Clan names and the Leaders even wear those fabolous headgear-armors. But then it get's to combat and it's just the final seasons of Dragonball, only with more weapons. I hate if the cop-out of animating actual combat by hiding everything behind smoke, light, dust or the ashes of sacrificed animaters. I want actual swordfights, dangit!

Hah, I kind of know what you mean. I want to like it because it's just so hilarious and over the top, but I never bothered to get past a handful of episodes. It's an awesome concept, but there's just nothing that drew me in about the execution.

I mean, don't get me wrong- exhaust pipes and handlebars on a horse is a thing of beauty. But it's one of those series that I suspect you could get as much out of from character art and a handful of clips as you could by watching the whole thing.

[Neonivek]

I think you need to stop taking stupid shit so personally in mediums you know to be infested with stupid shit. Right now I'm getting the mental image of a guy who regularly watches action movies while complaining about the physics in each one as though it was something new.

Yes damn me for getting invested

Bad Neonivek! bad!

Getting invested is the entire point silly if I don't take it personally it means I didn't care at all.

[Reelya]

I'm reasonably sure there's nothing he cant do and no woman he cant get.

This. This is the kind of thing that Mahouka has SAO beat hands down.

In SAO, Kirito does mad OP shit and the girls swoon. In Mahouka he does mad OP shit and the girls swoon too. But they also swoon like crazy when he does boring inane shit. Which is most of the time. Typing? His sheer manly typing speed causes multiple orgasms in all women in the vicinty. And he was just filling out a enrolment form for school classes. BTW it's not a comedy, you're meant to take this dialogue completely seriously.  One time he gets assigned to stand in the sun with a clipboard and check names off people getting on a bus. Suddenly, standing in one spot with a clipboard is that maddest shit that any man ever did, and all the girls can't help but discuss how awesome his mad "standing still" skills were. After all, it was sunny, and "not everyone could do that".

So, Mahouka has definitely redefined "the girls all swoon for OP Gary Stu" for me. If the guy farted (which of course he would never do), 16 girls would be clustered around his asshole to get a good whiff and all commenting on how his farts smell better than the flowers other guys buy for them.

This show ... it makes you long for Louise out of Zero no Tsikaima to come along and belt him in the face. Nothing ever gives this guy a hard time in any way. All villains are weak and beaten within 12 seconds. It makes you understand why normal series have the lame shit they have. Because not having it is even lamer.

[Neonivek]

So, Mahouka has definitely redefined "the girls all swoon for OP Gary Stu" for me. If the guy farted (which of course he would never do), 16 girls would be clustered around his asshole to get a good whiff and all commenting on how his farts smell better than the flowers other guys buy for them.

Thank you for this. No irony I found it hilarious.

This show ... it makes you long for Louise out of Zero no Tsikaima to come along and belt him in the face. Nothing ever gives this guy a hard time in any way. All villains are weak and beaten within 12 seconds. It makes you understand why normal series have the lame shit they have. Because not having it is even lamer.

Damn Reelya you need to get yourself to a lake because your on fire!

---

Yeah Mahouka is best described by me as: The greatest parody of a Gary Stu anime ever created... If it wasn't a parody.

Err wait... is Mahouka the anime about the guy with terrible magical powers which translates into super magical powers yet it still treats him like he had terrible magical powers anyway?

I might be mixing up Gary Stu Animes... which is rather easy to do.

[Reelya]

Yeah, it's the guy with god-like powers (flying, telekinesis, sees through walls, disintegration beam eyes, can make a 1000 megaton nuke out of literally a drop of water, literally can regen any lost limb in 1.667 seconds, and can raise the dead. and all the skills are "at will" and at long distances) who's hard done by, because he can't levitate a piece of wood along a floor and that one single thing just happens to be the magic school exam.

And he never faces off against people with comparable powers, I guess because the author thought that would make him less special. So it's literally superman clobbering mooks the whole time. You end up siding with the mooks because they're clearly the underdogs vs immortal mr-no-emotions.

Oh btw, in the end it turns out they put a limiter in him as a kid because he was too awesome. That was why he couldn't do that one thing with levitating the wood. The limiter comes off later and he goes even more insanely powered.

[Leafsnail]

A "celebrity" is just a term for someone famous.

Bill Gates is a celebrity for example. Steven Hawking is a celebrity.

That's one definition, but there are also people who appear in gossip magazines and effectively make a living off their public persona.

[Neonivek]

No no no, your forgetting Reelya... HE is the underdog. Remember? He has very low magical power.

(A big reason why I call it the greatest parody of a gary stu... if it wasn't a parody)

[UXLZ]

I thought Mahouka sounded familiar. It seems pretty popular, if the links on Batoto are to be trusted it has THREE sequels (I think this was originally an LN, though?)