How to participate in the liveblog chat:
Option 1: Whenever you watch the episode, comment on this post as you watch with whatever responses you feel like posting!
Option 2: Go to http://webchat.freenode.net/. Enter a nickname, then for the Channels field enter ##rabbitcube, and finally fill in the Captcha and hit Connect! We'll be watching Vision of Escaflowne and commenting there starting at 2:00 p.m. EST
Chatlog below the cut!
[09:04] <Froborr> I like how she's all "Was it real? Or just a vision?" when the series title says it's a vision.
[09:05] <Froborr> Is she holding shoes or bread?
[09:06] <Froborr> "Objet d'drool?" Bravo (I'm guessing fan-) subbers.
[09:07] <Froborr> Oh look, a mystical pendant. Yep, it's the 90s all right.
[09:08] <Froborr> Man, I hate when I'm trying to run and there're ghost swordsmen and giant mecha on the track.
[09:08] <Froborr> (I'm kidding of course. I never run.)
[09:10] <Froborr> Hrm, video technical difficulties just as Hitomi wakes up.
[09:17] <Froborr> OK, think I got it working.
[09:19] <Froborr> ~Mysterious pendant~ inherited from her mother, AND it breaks the laws of physics.
[09:19] <Froborr> *grandmother
[09:20] <Froborr> Okay, so Hitomi's friend TOTALLY just cockblocked her, and now Hitomi owes her an apology for some reason?
[09:21] <Froborr> Whoa, big house.
[09:22] <Froborr> Ace of... serpents? You've got a weird Tarot deck, lady.
[09:23] <Froborr> Or you could just kiss, without the weird elaborate games..?
[09:24] <Froborr> And here comes ghost swordsman to cockblock her.
[09:24] <Froborr> It's like the entire universe is trying to keep her from getting her mack on.
[09:25] <Froborr> Running into an armored guy at top speed seems like it would hurt.
[09:26] <Froborr> Interesting how Hitomi's affected. Is she making this happen somehow?
[09:26] <Froborr> Oh, that dragon's WEIRDLY animated. Can't place what it is, but it's a cool effect.
01[09:27] <Froborr> Really makes it feel otherworldly.
[09:27] <Froborr> Really makes it feel otherworldly.
[09:28] <Froborr> Okay, dude just coughed up blood, that's pretty screwed for just the first episode.
[09:29] <Froborr> Okay, I like it's sort of kite-like configuration, and the organ that glows when it breathes fire. This is a REALLY cool creature design.
[09:30] <Froborr> So she can straight-up see the future soemtimes. Of course.
[09:31] <Froborr> And it just evaporates? Convenient. Weird, but conventient.
[09:31] <Froborr> And of course sword dude is a jerkface. *sigh* The show probably wants me to ship them.
[09:32] <Froborr> On the one hand, it's pretty reasonable that Hitomi would start crying, becvause she's had one hell of a day. On the other... well, if she and sword dude had their genders swapped, I highly doubt Hito-dude would cry?
[09:33] <Froborr> And dragon-chunk just zapped them into, presumably, sword-dude's world.
[09:33] <Froborr> Wait, what!?
[09:33] <Froborr> They're on an invisible second moon?
[09:34] <Froborr> And now werewolves.
[09:34] <Froborr> Okay, so far I'm tentatively into this. The music is great...
[09:34] <Froborr> ...he says, just as the embarassingly 90s end credits start.
[09:36] <Froborr> Okay, that aside, the music is great, the animation is good, althoguh I'm going to take a while to get past the giant Pinnochio noses, and it's too early to judge anything else.
Is there a copy-paste error here? There's apology for being "a day later" same as last week, but no mention of Sunday as there was then.
ReplyDeleteYes, I managed to fix it. The chat is today. Unfortunately the Internet connection where I am is FUBAR, so I won't be participating. Someone please leve a chatlog I'm the comments and I'll do my own to tonight.
Delete[11:05] <@Sylocat> Click
ReplyDelete[11:05] <@Sylocat> Ah, that iconic opening
[11:05] <mere_oblivion> Click.
[11:05] <@Sylocat> I have it memorized
[11:05] <@Sylocat> "The Tower" represents separation, IIRC
[11:05] <mere_oblivion> And those monk voices!
[11:05] <@Sylocat> (yes, I finally looked up what those cards mean)
[11:06] <@Sylocat> The monk voices only play over the opening in the first episode... I remember that
[11:06] <@Sylocat> Ah yes... Hitomi was an unconventional protagonist in the times when this anime was first made...
[11:06] <@Sylocat> I'd forgotten about the noses
[11:06] <@Sylocat> I hope that's not too jarring
[11:07] <mere_oblivion> Objet d'drool!!
[11:07] <@Sylocat> "Object d'drool?" I'd forgotten that
[11:07] <@Sylocat> Thankfully this love triangle was interrupted in the first episode
[11:07] <mere_oblivion> Well, at least the noses keep them from looking impossibly gorgeous.
[11:08] <@Sylocat> True enough
[11:08] <Arrlaari> The noses look okay in non-profile shots
[11:08] <@Sylocat> Though the male characters are SUPPOSED to look impossibly gorgeous, or at least Allen is
[11:08] <@Sylocat> IIRC, Revolutionary Girl Utena has similar honkers? It's been even longer since I saw that
[11:09] <@Sylocat> Ah yes, the premonitions...
[11:09] <Arrlaari> Nowadays they as often as not don't draw noses at all
[11:09] <@Sylocat> Well, not in chibi mode anyway
[11:09] <@Sylocat> Huh, I'd forgotten how much she sees before the action even starts
[11:09] <Arrlaari> btw, it wasn't clear that this is a premonition
[11:09] <Arrlaari> And th erules are real strict about spoilers around here
[11:10] <@Sylocat> Does it count as a spoiler? I mean, we're not supposed to doubt that her visions are "real"
[11:10] <Arrlaari> It's not a big deal to me but Froborr is gonna read this later
[11:10] <@Sylocat> Well, of course
[11:11] <@Sylocat> Huh, I forgot she started out with the pendant
[11:11] <@Sylocat> He's not even counting in time with the swings
[11:12] <mere_oblivion> Astonishingly, I remembered that's what it was. I'm surprised how well I remember all this--maybe we watched it again within the past decade.
[11:12] <@Sylocat> "It's not what it looks like!" Except it is
[11:12] <@Sylocat> She burns through calories quickly
[11:14] <@Sylocat> Heh... wasn't there a character named Hitomi in Madoka Magica, and she did exactly that to Sayaka?
[11:14] <@Sylocat> (and it came out even worse than in Madoka Magica)
[11:15] <@Sylocat> (er, it came out worse IN Madoka than in here, I meant)
[11:15] <@Sylocat> Heh... "First Kiss" is katakana-ized, I can hear it
[11:15] <Arrlaari> How long did it take to set up the blocks?
[11:16] <@Sylocat> I should re-watch Genshiken as well, see if it's katakana-ized there
[11:16] <@Sylocat> Good question... are the running blocks always there?
[11:16] <Arrlaari> Like, there's a cut and it goes from dusk-ish to totally night
[11:17] <Arrlaari> Lady, I think if you stop to avoid running into that, they'll let you have another shot
[11:17] <@Sylocat> She probably assumed it was just another vision and she'd run through him again
[11:18] <Arrlaari> Ban
[11:18] <@Sylocat> IIRC, he's speaking in a made-up language at first, that only Hitomi can understand
[11:18] <@Sylocat> that's why there were no subtitles on his first line
[11:18] <@Sylocat> (I read it was based on Portugese)
[11:19] <Arrlaari> How many digits on the hand?
[11:19] <@Sylocat> This CG was doubtlessly impressive in the mid-90s
[11:19] <@Sylocat> I know I was wowed by it in the early aughts
[11:19] <Arrlaari> "Is it dead" the eye is not a vital organ, dude
ReplyDelete[11:20] <@Sylocat> At least he asked whether it was dead, instead of just shouting, "Yatta!"
[11:20] <@Sylocat> Though he still got sucker-punched either way
[11:21] <@Sylocat> Ooh, is the dragon's vision based on movement, like T-Rex's?
[11:21] <@Sylocat> (that's why he goes after the targets who are moving faster?)
[11:21] <@Sylocat> Or is it just that Hitomi and the others don't have swords and crossbows?
[11:21] <mere_oblivion> I think we'll be safe up here. (Famous last words.)
[11:22] <@Sylocat> Ooh, like that one miniboss in Pacific Rim
[11:22] <@Sylocat> As Alan Rickman said, "I see you managed to get your shirt off." Or in this case, armor off
[11:23] <Arrlaari> And the evidence is destroyed
[11:23] <@Sylocat> Nice way to avoid leaving evidence
[11:23] <@Sylocat> Though the carcass probably would have disappeared anyway when the portal closes
[11:23] <Arrlaari> Proud man bullshit
[11:24] <mere_oblivion> Nice slap!
[11:24] <@Sylocat> And she calls him out on it instantly
[11:24] <Arrlaari> No, you really shouldn't have let the dragon kill the only person prepraed to stop the dragon from eating all three of you
[11:24] <Arrlaari> But you totally should have slapped him like you did
[11:24] <Arrlaari> That was the appropriate rebuke
[11:25] <Arrlaari> Proportional responce!
[11:25] <@Sylocat> Convenient that she was able to grab the pendant like that... or maybe it was Fate
[11:25] <Arrlaari> Well, the magic grabbed it like it was grabbing her
[11:25] <@Sylocat> Only after Amano, like an idiot, ran right into the pillar of light... but like I said, Fate
[11:26] <Arrlaari> It wasn't especially odd of him to do that
[11:26] <@Sylocat> The "Ace of Serpents" was more literal and on-the-nose than tarot cards usually are
[11:26] <@Sylocat> Ah yes, these bizarre closing credits
[11:28] <@Sylocat> Wow...
ReplyDelete[11:28] <@Sylocat> That brings back memories
[11:28] <mere_oblivion> Excellent! What a blast 2B watching it again.
[11:29] <@Sylocat> I should check if Matthew wants to join us, come to think of it
[11:29] <mere_oblivion> Good idea. Thanks for getting me in on it right from the start.
[11:30] <@Sylocat> So, Arrlaari, whatcha think so far?
[11:30] <Arrlaari> Well, one thing I recognize from some other shows is dropping the premise on us with no explanation
[11:31] <Arrlaari> In this case, as in some others, the protagonist also has no idea what the fuck. The beginning of Bleach is another example
[11:31] <@Sylocat> Indeed...
[11:31] <Arrlaari> I kind of like that, because later once some things have been explained, the rewatch is a distinct experience from the first time
[11:32] <@Sylocat> Ohhhhhhh yeah. You've got a great Easter Egg hunt to look forward to if you rewatch this series after it's done
[11:32] <mere_oblivion> Yes, that struck me as daring the first time too. No time wasted on accounting for it all.
[11:33] <@Sylocat> Yeah... no technobabble or magibabble, no wasted time on exposition.
[11:33] <Arrlaari> Bleach is a show that I watched for a long time. I basically gave up on hoping for it to live up to its potential, but the first couple arcs I think were good
[11:33] <Arrlaari> And one of my favorite moments is "You guys *name* every single one of these things?"
[11:33] <@Sylocat> IIRC, it's at least partially due to the fact that this series was originally supposed to be 32 episodes and they had to cut it down to 26, thus cramming more story into fewer episodes
[11:34] <@Sylocat> As a result, this show has no filler or wasted time
[11:35] <@Sylocat> (I'm firmly of the "great art (often) comes from constraints" school of thought, and this series is a prime example)
[11:35] <mere_oblivion> Exactly!
[11:36] <mere_oblivion> Well, I'm going back to work on the Mystery To Me newsletter. Thanks for the invite!
[11:37] <@Sylocat> So... final thoughts before I copy-paste this?
[11:37] <Arrlaari> I've already copy-pasted parts of the log
[11:37] <@Sylocat> Oh! Thanks!
[11:38] <mere_oblivion> So far I'm struck by how well it has stood the test of time.
Delete[11:38] <@Sylocat> Yeah... I notice all sorts of production value issues with the animation, but I think that's just in comparison to what they're doing now with the advent of digital art, rather than a flaw in the series itself
[11:39] <mere_oblivion> Yeah, I was thinking of the narrative and dialog more than the visuals, but then I would do that.
[11:40] <@Sylocat> Oh, so was I
[11:40] <@Sylocat> I only noticed the CG clash because I took a couple years of animation courses
[11:40] <mere_oblivion> Indeed.
[11:41] <@Sylocat> Yeah... from what I've seen so far, it holds up. But we'll need a little more time to confirm that (which fortunately we'll have)
[11:42] <mere_oblivion> So we'll get to do the whole series before MLP starts up again?
[11:42] <@Sylocat> Probably not the whole thing... it's 26 episodes, which is 6 months
[11:43] <@Sylocat> Unless we start doing 2 eps on the days when we're not doing Sailor Moon Crystal
[11:43] <@Sylocat> I'll talk to Froborr about that