hontou ni Stripey Insists Sisters Cry Oniichan Now

1. 

   Taiyaki
   January 27th, 2008 - 09:40

   Seems like next week’s episode will be another Hinata-centered one, so expect some more drama this time.

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2. 

   Kefit
   January 27th, 2008 - 13:37

   I found the trappiness in this episode incredibly amusing – the humor in this series has always worked pretty well with me. I can certainly understand the pacing frustrations though. Still, I like to think that the episode managed to cover several elements necessary for the genre but that would be difficult to work into the plot simply due to the inability to cordially stick all of the cast in one place. Now we’ve got Hamaji focus, a trip to the beach, and hot springs out of the way all in the span of one episode.

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3. 

   dsong
   January 27th, 2008 - 14:08

   They could’ve just cut this episode and dealt with the fallout from episode 3. Takuma really gained my respect in episodes 2 and 3, and lost it just as fast in 4. Hinata deserved a SLAP! after her stunts in episode 3 – at the very least, the pain of a decisive rejection (which would have been the natural continuation).

   The entire episode was one giant plot hole and could be erased with no real consequence. Why didn’t Takuma reject Hinata then and there? Why didn’t he drag her across the bridge and force her to talk to Hayami? Why didn’t we see more tension between Takuma, Hinata, and Yui at the beach – and why would he agree to go to the beach in the first place?

   Hoping this episode is an aberration and we swing back into the plot in episode 5. Hinata makes for a very nice villainess and it would be interesting to see how she redeems herself. As for Hayami, her icy exterior is already starting to melt away and we’ll get to see her true nature…

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4. 

   Icteridae
   January 27th, 2008 - 16:31

   I’m still sitting strongly in the True Tears camp after seeing ep 4 for both. I just don’t see many redeeming features about H2O. Then again, I’m usually not one for loli-centric animes so my opinion is probably biased in that sense. I like True Tears’s more serious tone and character development, that’s all.

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5. 

   Sherman, the Ramni
   January 27th, 2008 - 19:25

   Commented for GREAT JUSTICE. After Hinata’s forced kiss right at the end of ep 3, it was disappointing to see just a filler. At least they teased us with a confrontation at the end.
   And no, Tabata Yui is NOT hawt, no matter what she wears (or doesn’t wear).

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6. 

   dsong
   January 27th, 2008 - 21:10

   Icteridae:

   Funny how things change – I have switched to the True Tears camp as well, despite being squarely in H2O’s favor after episode 2. Sometimes first impressions can be misleading; episode 1 of True Tears made it seem like a “wannabe” show with glitzy production but no real redeeming value. Fortunately it improved with each subsequent episode. Meanwhile H2O was a highly entertaining up to episode 3, only to drop the ball with a dreadful episode 4.

   Hopefully both series will get things in gear and we will see two good shows in the Winter season.

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7. 

   Stripey
   January 28th, 2008 - 00:40

   Taiyaki: That’s be good news indeed What I’m afraid is the series doing rounds on the supporting cast that build little on the main plot. For example I believe I may be ok with a Yui-centric ep if it reveals why the hostility to Hayami. But a Maki ep may just be squandered like a Hamaji one.

   Kefit: ah that’s a interesting perspective. From a canonical harem must-have point of view, it’s is very efficient an ep indeed. Nice take!

   dsong: indeed, I consider an ep filler if it is taken out of the series and story/characters suffer no attenuation – This ep seems to have all those marks XD On Hinata, I see her more as a victim than villainess. She’s a borne of unjust social conditioning and it’s her grandfather we should despise.

   Icteridae: At this point, TT is surely superior to H2O and I suspect the latter will never rise about the former. Still, H2O has a lot of potential if they focused more on the main rivalry (or miscarriaged friendship). It’s meant to be enjoyed as another bishoujo drama even though TT seemed to have pwned it in all categories except maybe for ‘trap’ XD

   Sherman, the Ramni: Yui is probably my least fav of the cast. I just hope that she has good reasons for hating Hayami to redeem one of my favourite hair-em archetypes – twin-tails

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8. 

   dsong
   January 28th, 2008 - 02:50

   True Tears is the favorite at this point but it could easily change at the drop of a hat. I’m all but ready to jump ship if they go for the Hiromi ending – she’s so frustrating to watch compared to the bubbly Noe. Just look at how sad Shin looks while he’s around Hiromi, compared to his upbeat attitude towards Noe… He may feel sorry for Hiromi but it’s hardly a solid foundation for a long-lasting relationship.

   As for H2O, Hinata’s treachery really added another dimension to the show and it would be interesting to see the fallout. The writers decided to punt until the next episode, but they could easily redeem the situation by having Hinata become subtlely worse with each passing episode until a true yandere breaks out. Of course, Hinata will eventually defy her grandfather and the village and become Hayami’s best friend once more, but it would be quite alluring to see her get within one inch of disaster…

   Let’s also not forget that D.C. had more than its share of duds, but redeemed itself with solid drama by the end. ZEXCS has a good track record with these kind of shows (D.C. and Canvas 2), and so does the director (Rozen Maiden, sola). I’m hoping this episode was just a bump in the road, and we’ll see some highly amusing melodrama by the end.

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9. 

   Kefit
   January 28th, 2008 - 11:02

   I really doubt that there will be a Maki centric episode. She’s not in the group shot at the end of the OP, nor (as far as I know) is she even in the original game. I think that she is just eye candy to give someone for Hamaji to bounce off of.

   And True Tears should really work well for me – it’s an incredibly well put together show – but it doesn’t. I don’t like any of the characters, and the overall mood of the series just doesn’t sit well with me. My loss, I suppose.

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10. 

    Stripey
    January 28th, 2008 - 23:49

    dsong: Great reminder about Zexcs’ records. I’ll be frank that despite my zexcs fandom, I do recognise their series as a whole are much weaker than the powerful moments they conjure. As you mentioned, DC and Canvas2 had stronger showings for their 2nd cours. Kagihime only revved up its tempo in the latter half. I’m hoping that this fillerish ep 4 would be an anomaly and we’d be back onto drama-land next.

    Kefit: Heh, I’m hoping too there wouldn’t be a Maki ep unless it builds on the main plot. As for True Tears, maybe you’re just not in the mood for the series yet. Try again when the series ends. By then the blogsphere would also make necessary adjustments to the currently positive reviews. Hopefully upwards XD

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11. 

    Sherman, the Ramni
    January 29th, 2008 - 12:43

    dsong: D.C. had the luxury of 26 episodes. H2O doesn’t, so they better stop messing with the storyline

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