Anime Thigh Thread II

[Epuration]

Just got robbed at gun point, now police are doing an investigation and arresting people, gotta go to court later, scary first experience was shaking and my gf had the gun pointed to her head.

chicago? and is the court even related to the robbing? or is it DUI or something?

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do you still have custody of the turtle?

[Hellravager]

chicago? and is the court even related to the robbing? or is it DUI or something?

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do you still have custody of the turtle?

Nope, and no gary, court for the hearing where we point him out and they arrest him

[Epuration]

court for the hearing where we point him out and they arrest him

you should see if you can meet them before and see who isnt willing to pay to stay out of jail.

[Hellravager]

you should see if you can meet them before and see who isnt willing to pay to stay out of jail.

lol i would just get shot, he locked it and loaded it when he pointed it at me, according to the police he was recently in jail for breaking in and beating someone with a AK47

[Epuration]

lol i would just get shot, beating someone with a AK47

Nah, looks like you would just get pistol whipped.

also it's pretty nice of america to let a guy who already did an assault with a rifle to get a new weapon

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so... was this in a back alley or something? how the fuck did you even run into this situation?

[Sj]

Just got robbed at gun point, now police are doing an investigation and arresting people, gotta go to court later, scary first experience was shaking and my gf had the gun pointed to her head.

Damn that sucks. I got robbed at gunpoint once back in 2002 working at a Chinese takeout and again in 2015 at an ATM in broad daylight.

Nope, and no gary, court for the hearing where we point him out and they arrest him

I have family in Gary. That place is a shithole.

Unrelated
Is Crunchyroll down?

[bals]

https://i.imgur.com/cKYXwnZ.gifv

faito faito

Wonder if Hajime No Ippo will ever continue its anime adaptation

I hope so. I know the VAs said it was but that was years ago now.

Unrelated
Is Crunchyroll down?

post on reddit saying a couple people having issues

[Hellravager]

Nah, looks like you would just get pistol whipped.

also it's pretty nice of america to let a guy who already did an assault with a rifle to get a new weapon

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so... was this in a back alley or something? how the fuck did you even run into this situation?

Nah infront of a house, and my gf wanted a phone, shes scared to even go to work now

[Pendulous]

Sorry dude. People suck. They really do.

I've been obsessed with this song lately, it's catchy as fuck and upbeat, maybe it'll help https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WcCCvf13vY

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Just got robbed at gun point, now police are doing an investigation and arresting people, gotta go to court later, scary first experience was shaking and my gf had the gun pointed to her head.

Yikes, I hope you two stay safe!

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Thoughts on Kara no Kyoukai




My first foreway into the Nasuverse was through Fate/Zero, which I binged over the course of a weekend. I loved it so much, that I rewatched the week after. I consider F/Zero to be a masterpiece, and one of the handful of anime I have ever attributed a 10/10 to. Each and every character's motivations are clearly explained (including the evil characters and antagonists); and the show did something that few stories have ever been able to do: get me to care. I not only cared about all of the characters, but was invested in their dreams and ambitions. The themes of the story - the "needs of the many", varying types of leadership and their effects, and the consequences of pursuing self-satisfaction - are thoroughly explored. Most stories can't even explain the theme of their story without being heavy handed or self-contradictory.

Fate Stay/Night: Unlimited Blade Works was treated by Ufotable as a sequel to Fate/Zero (just look at how the two anime adaptations are structured: F/Zero's ending is structured in such a way as to not explicitly give away one of the VN's plot twists, while the UBW adaptation directly continues the story of F/Z, whereas in the VN it was only background reference). F/Z, through it's narrative as a tragedy, set the stakes and themes for UBW, to which UBW benefits tremendously. F/Z poses a question; UBW provides an answer. I personally thought UBW was a fantastic conclusion to the story begun in F/Z, though the anime and Type-Moon community somehow considered it a disappointment.

After watching UBW, I was eager to indulge in TYPE-MOON's other works. However, this is incredibly difficult (and in some cases, impossible) to do as a Westerner. The Fate/Stay Night VN (and it's sequel) never recieved a proper western localization, so I cannot read it without having to search for a virus-free download and meticulously apply a fan-translation, of which I have heard is quite spotty. I am not interested in the spinoffs of the Fate series. As for Type-Moon's other works, they simply aren't accessible as a Westerner; Melty Blood is Japan only, Tsukhime has an anime adaptation which the Type-Moon community has blasted, and Mahou Tsukai no Yoru doesn't even have a finished fan translation. This leaves Kara no Kyoukai, which started out as a series of light novels (which are incredibly difficult to obtain as a western), leaving it's anime adaptation... which for many years was only available on Ebay and Amazon as several hundred dollar discs. Until this week, when Amazon put Kara no Kyoukai up on Amazon Prime Video for all subscribers to watch (it was actually up on their Anime Strike service for a year, but nobody was going to pay a double pay way to watch their meager library). I was stoked for the series; after all, the Type-Moon community had been hyping it up as the best thing to have come out of the company, followed by their oh-so praised visual novel.

I binged Kara no Kyoukai over the course of a weekend, and my feelings are... mixed, to say the least. It had gripping, emotional moments. It had cool characters. It had fight scenes that kept me on the edge of my seat. It had abstract dialogue scenes that lasted far, FAR too longer and nonsensical than they had any right to. It had characters who were doing things for... reasons. It told it's story in a convoluted manner...

I took to Reddit and the MAL forums to find answers to the various plot points of Kara no Kyoukai, and not once was I able to find a consistent answer as to what exactly happened at various points. For example...

Spoiler: 

• Where is this series taking place? In Japan obviously, but is it a fictional city like Fuyuki?

• Who were the other ghost girls with Kirie? They can't be Kyrie's victims, as there were eight ghost girls before Kirie had even killed the eight.

• Shiki has multiple personality disorder, with SHIKI being her murderous side, and Shiki being her nice, feminine side. She gets hit by the truck and SHIKI supposedly dies... leaving feminine Shiki behind... except Shiki never again exhibits her feminine side again, and remains quite vicious towards her enemies. She hunts people because... what?

• What kind of business does Touko run? Is she running a supernatural detective agency? Then why is she selling dolls? If she builds and sells dolls, why does she spend all of her time in her messy office as opposed to her workshop, where she makes dollls to order? Does she trade magical artifacts like the Ouji board?

• What was Fujino's motivation? I know she was in pain, but the movie contradicts itself several times. I was under the impression that she was trying to seek revenge, but then the narrative says that she's doing it because she's a serial killer. Later on, they say it was because it was her destiny. Well, which is it?

• Why did Touko use Souren Araya's business card/identification to get into the hospital as Shiki's counselor? Was Souren Araya a conselour himself? Later on, it seems like he's just been running around in the shadows rather than working any jobs, so where did the cards come from? Is she just using his name as an allias?

• Why was Souren perpetuating serial killers? How does that help him find the Root?

• WHy did Alba want to kill Touko? Out of envy for her accompolishments?

• What was Souren Araya trying to accompolish? If he's trying to find meaning in meaninglessness? Is he trying to gain wisedom? Or his trying to find the root? What drove him to do this?

• What exactly IS Souren's tower/condo complex? Is it another dimension? Was it simply a condo he enchanted with magic like Kayneth did with his hotel floor? If Shiki had already been absorbed into the alternate dimmension, how was she able to "cut" her way out without a physical form in the first place?

• How exactly does one's origin manifest itself as physical abilities? Kiritsugu's cut reconfigure magic circuits. Shiki had "nothingness" as her origin, which translates into what exactly? How does Souren Araya's origin give him immortality? If Souren Araya was immortal, then why'd he die at the end of the movie? Was his immortality connected to the tower? If so, then why say his origin was the source of his immortality?

• How exactly did Touko "die"? I know she had created an identical puppet of herself, but it is unclear if said puppet is actually just an empty vessel, or a clone of her with it's own thoughts. Did the first Touko die, which cause the clone Touko to activate? Does that mean that the original Touko is actually dead? Or is Touko capable of magic which can transfer her soul from body to body?

• Why does Touko hate being called a dirty red? I can't remember ANYTHING about this in KnK. Is this a reference to another Nasuverse story?

• Misaya wanted to burn the students because she viewed them as responsible for Kaori's suicide because they didn't try to help her with... what? Help Kaori with her seeming mental breakdown?

• How did Hayama die? At first it seems that he tries to assault Kaori and she kills him in self defense, but then the narrative turns around and says that he was a druggie who overdosed. Why did Kaori commit suicide then?

• Why did the fairies turn on Misaya if they answered to her?

• Why did Souren call in Kurogiri? Why is Kurogiri hanging around after his boss was killed? He was killing time while he waited for... what?

Don't even get me started on the nonsense that was the epilogue...

This isn't just a problem with Kara no Kyoukai, but with Type-Moon's work in general. Many a time in F/Z and UBW, plot points are so confusing, that viewers had to go online and ask fans as to what happened or what a character's motivations were. Unfortunately, the Nasuverse's fanbase isn't particularly friendly, nor all that knowledgable of the series they worship themselves. Half the time, fanboys simply blast the confused viewer as having "not payed attention to the layered narrative", and leave without ever actually answering the viewer's questions, let alone inform them where the answer is that they supposedly missed. The rest of the time, questions are met with contradictory answers. It says alot about the quality of the Nasuverse's story presentation, that fans consistently give contradictory answers, or outright conjure headcanon to fill plotholes. I've spent several hours on MAL, Reddit, Youtube, TV tropes, and the TYPE-MOON wiki researching these questions, and I still can't find a consistent answer. I felt like I was watching Beyond the Boundary, except somehow managed to become even more convoluted.

The movies not being in chronological order feels like a gimmick set up just to further complicate an already incoherent story. It is particularly ergregious with the fifth movie, where the story made very little sense during the first hour of the film (so much so that I had to read a synopsis to understand the sequence of events). The two minute long denounment at the end where Touko laughs at Souren, the images flash by, and Shiki materializes in the elevator does not feel earned. At all. I'd say it could very well be the worst movie in the entire series, and yet the fanboys call it a masterpiece.

The abstract monologues of the series are so vague, with so many leaps from idea to idea, that I legitmately had no idea what the author was trying to say half the time. KnK makes Fate/Zero's and UBW's monologues look genius by comparison, and that says ALOT. Then again, Nasu had much more experience by the time he got around to those.

All of that being said, I did at least ENJOY the series. I wouldn't have spent twenty hours binging and trying to figure out Kara no Kyoukai unless I had fun with it. That said, I can't say I particularly like it, and I could not recommend it unless you are already into the Nasuverse. I may return someday and rewatch the series, at which point I would hope I derive a complete understanding from the series, but for now the series sits between a 5/10 (movies #4 and #5) and a 9/10 (movies #3 and #6). The third and sixth movies were by far, the best to me.

TL;DR: Your mileage may vary on this one. The few times it was great, it was superb. Sometimes, it was obnoxiously pretentious and incoherent. The rest of the time, it was okay. You will need a guidebook to understand this series, a guidebook that currently does not exist. Go in as a Nasuverse expert or be prepared to go scratching your head in utter confusion for a while.

[Asetotti]

Thoughts on Kara no Kyoukai

Spoiler: 

• Where is this series taking place? In Japan obviously, but is it a fictional city like Fuyuki?

• Who were the other ghost girls with Kirie? They can't be Kyrie's victims, as there were eight ghost girls before Kirie had even killed the eight.

• Shiki has multiple personality disorder, with SHIKI being her murderous side, and Shiki being her nice, feminine side. She gets hit by the truck and SHIKI supposedly dies... leaving feminine Shiki behind... except Shiki never again exhibits her feminine side again, and remains quite vicious towards her enemies. She hunts people because... what?

• What kind of business does Touko run? Is she running a supernatural detective agency? Then why is she selling dolls? If she builds and sells dolls, why does she spend all of her time in her messy office as opposed to her workshop, where she makes dollls to order? Does she trade magical artifacts like the Ouji board?

• What was Fujino's motivation? I know she was in pain, but the movie contradicts itself several times. I was under the impression that she was trying to seek revenge, but then the narrative says that she's doing it because she's a serial killer. Later on, they say it was because it was her destiny. Well, which is it?

• Why did Touko use Souren Araya's business card/identification to get into the hospital as Shiki's counselor? Was Souren Araya a conselour himself? Later on, it seems like he's just been running around in the shadows rather than working any jobs, so where did the cards come from? Is she just using his name as an allias?

• Why was Souren perpetuating serial killers? How does that help him find the Root?

• WHy did Alba want to kill Touko? Out of envy for her accompolishments?

• What was Souren Araya trying to accompolish? If he's trying to find meaning in meaninglessness? Is he trying to gain wisedom? Or his trying to find the root? What drove him to do this?

• What exactly IS Souren's tower/condo complex? Is it another dimension? Was it simply a condo he enchanted with magic like Kayneth did with his hotel floor? If Shiki had already been absorbed into the alternate dimmension, how was she able to "cut" her way out without a physical form in the first place?

• How exactly does one's origin manifest itself as physical abilities? Kiritsugu's cut reconfigure magic circuits. Shiki had "nothingness" as her origin, which translates into what exactly? How does Souren Araya's origin give him immortality? If Souren Araya was immortal, then why'd he die at the end of the movie? Was his immortality connected to the tower? If so, then why say his origin was the source of his immortality?

• How exactly did Touko "die"? I know she had created an identical puppet of herself, but it is unclear if said puppet is actually just an empty vessel, or a clone of her with it's own thoughts. Did the first Touko die, which cause the clone Touko to activate? Does that mean that the original Touko is actually dead? Or is Touko capable of magic which can transfer her soul from body to body?

• Why does Touko hate being called a dirty red? I can't remember ANYTHING about this in KnK. Is this a reference to another Nasuverse story?

• Misaya wanted to burn the students because she viewed them as responsible for Kaori's suicide because they didn't try to help her with... what? Help Kaori with her seeming mental breakdown?

• How did Hayama die? At first it seems that he tries to assault Kaori and she kills him in self defense, but then the narrative turns around and says that he was a druggie who overdosed. Why did Kaori commit suicide then?

• Why did the fairies turn on Misaya if they answered to her?

• Why did Souren call in Kurogiri? Why is Kurogiri hanging around after his boss was killed? He was killing time while he waited for... what?

I'll answer some of these, the ones I can remember an answer for. It's been a while since I watched KnK so I can't remember an answer to all of your questions. Some other typemoonfag can help me out probably.

Spoiler: 

• Shiki has multiple personality disorder, with SHIKI being her murderous side, and Shiki being her nice, feminine side. She gets hit by the truck and SHIKI supposedly dies... leaving feminine Shiki behind... except Shiki never again exhibits her feminine side again, and remains quite vicious towards her enemies. She hunts people because... what?

When SHIKI died, traits of that personality influenced Shiki. IIRC it was also SHIKI who took care of the urges Shiki too had.

• What kind of business does Touko run? Is she running a supernatural detective agency? Then why is she selling dolls? If she builds and sells dolls, why does she spend all of her time in her messy office as opposed to her workshop, where she makes dollls to order? Does she trade magical artifacts like the Ouji board?

Direct quote from a wiki page:
"In the 90's, she runs Garan no Dou, a contract-based production company. She engages in cases with supernatural or abnormal elements. The jobs she takes mainly involve puppet-making, but she will accept all kinds of jobs, including the production of anime, if she is interested."

• What was Fujino's motivation? I know she was in pain, but the movie contradicts itself several times. I was under the impression that she was trying to seek revenge, but then the narrative says that she's doing it because she's a serial killer. Later on, they say it was because it was her destiny. Well, which is it?

I thought Souren awakened her origin.

• Why was Souren perpetuating serial killers? How does that help him find the Root?

I believe he wished to find people who live by their instinct which is why he's so interested in serial killers. After finding out about Shiki, he became obsessed with her because of Shiki's direct connection to the root.

• What was Souren Araya trying to accompolish? If he's trying to find meaning in meaninglessness? Is he trying to gain wisedom? Or his trying to find the root? What drove him to do this?

The root is the end goal of all "real" magicians in nasuverse. This also includes Fate, with Tohsakas, Einzberns and Matous wanting nothing but reaching the root. The purpose of all magic is to be means to find a way to cheat ones way to the root.

• What exactly IS Souren's tower/condo complex? Is it another dimension? Was it simply a condo he enchanted with magic like Kayneth did with his hotel floor? If Shiki had already been absorbed into the alternate dimmension, how was she able to "cut" her way out without a physical form in the first place?

I'm sure you could find a more in-depth exposition for this but the purpose of the complex is to seal what is inside from the universe and the counterforce that will go after anyone to delves too close to the root.

• How exactly does one's origin manifest itself as physical abilities? Kiritsugu's cut reconfigure magic circuits. Shiki had "nothingness" as her origin, which translates into what exactly? How does Souren Araya's origin give him immortality? If Souren Araya was immortal, then why'd he die at the end of the movie? Was his immortality connected to the tower? If so, then why say his origin was the source of his immortality?

Shiki's origin was "kara". She also has a third personality that surfaced only couple of times during the movie in the form of a composed lady who didn't quite fit Shiki's character. That third personality is directly linked to the root. Shiki's origin manifests within that third personality. When her origin was awakaned, that third personality became able to see all the knowledge in the root and thus knows everything. Literally everything. During her coma she came to contact with this nothingness and her nothingness manifested itself as her eyes. Her eyes also answer to your question "How did Souren die". Shiki's eyes can see the end of all things. They are eyes that can even kill an immortal as even immortals would have an end where they would return to the root.

• Why does Touko hate being called a dirty red? I can't remember ANYTHING about this in KnK. Is this a reference to another Nasuverse story?

Each mage is given a "color" in the mage's association. Touko wished to be given the color blue but was given red instead. She's extremely bitter about this as her own name "Aozaki" already signifies the color blue (ao). Not only that but her own younger sister, Aoko, has the color blue both in her first name and as her color. To add some salt on the wounds, Aozaki family was inherited by Aoko instead of Touko, the elder sister.
In short, she holds a grudge.

I hope these help, at least a little.

[BloodyAngel12]

[Skizzit]

Well Yuru Camp was pretty much just what I was hoping for. Easy going, feel good kinda series. Plus, some really beautiful paintings of landscape.

Mitsuboshi Colors on the other hand was far funnier that I was expecting. Got some seriously strong Ichigo Mashimaro vibes. The three main girls are all great, but it was the two side characters, the cop and the old guy who runs the store, who really stood out. The cop in particular was amazing. His interactions with the girls were really funny. The whole rocket launcher stand off in particular had me rolling. Really great first episode that had just enough set up and jumped immediately into two "cases" for the girls to solve. I can already feel this will be one of my favorites of the season.

[Pendulous]

Enjoying Ah My Goddess, but only 12 episodes in, and there's so many. And Funimation just got the rest of Yamada-Kun and Mai-Hime. Definitely a comfy show. Everyone could use a Belldandy. Too much too watch, not enough time.

[Skizzit]

Oh man, Mai-Hime. I have not thought about that series is years.


P.S. Mai-Otome is better imo.

[Sj]

Watched first episode of Takagi and Citrus. Pretty much what I expected. Bueno.

Barnes and Noble is running a special in the US, buy 2 get 3rd free for manga with free shipping on orders over $25. Used it to pick up the second half of the Fruits Basket omnibuses.

[Deleted]

Mai-HiME > My-Otome. The final episode's really shit, tho. One of the worst finales I ever saw.

[Skizzit]

Mai-HiME > My-Otome. The final episode's really shit, tho. One of the worst finales I ever saw.

I honestly don't even remember a single thing about either, I just remember enjoying Otome more.

[Hellravager]

Is this the same GF that left you and your turtle?

Nah new one

[Epuration]

Nah new one

damn, you look way different from your avatar