NEW CARTOONS FOR A NEW DECADE: PART II
Round 2. FIGHT!
Dance in the Vampire Bund
Before you read my thoughts on this show, I implore you to watch the actual episode beforehand, especially if you know nothing about it. The surprise was kind of spoiled for me, and as a result my experience was ruined somewhat.
Before I got around to watching the first episode of Dance in the Vampire Bund, I read that it opens with a parody on Japanese TV shows. I simply assumed that the first five minutes would be focused on this gag, and after that the show would be all about rubbing oil on a naked lolita vampire.
However, once the episode made it to the 10-minute mark, I knew they were going all the way. While initially put off by this stunt, I now find that it’s absolutely brilliant. Looking back on it, there’s no better way to open the show and get people acquainted with its world. People with no experience with bad Japanese television probably won’t appreciate this parody, but SHAFT nailed the dynamics of those kinds of shows perfectly.
That said, I am looking forward to when it makes a shift towards the serious. Nice opener, though.
Durarara!!
While not as well packaged, interesting, or downright confusing as the first episode of Baccano!, the first episode of Durarara!! catches one’s interest almost as well. It balances its hip Tokyo highschooler antics well with some crazier and darker elements that will no doubt become more important as the show progresses.
The show presents itself very well, boasting some slick character designs, a stylish soundtrack and sharp direction. However, one thing to note is that at this point, the storytelling is very linear. Unlike Baccano’s first epsiode that jumped around a lot, Durarara!!’s stays in one place (namely Ikebukuro). The show is fine as of this first episode, but I hope it finds some way to recapture the same kind of charm Baccano had.
I have faith that it’ll be good, though. The first episode was already above average, even if most of the awesome parts were in the opening.
Hidamari Sketch ☆☆☆
Just the same as the rest, really. Like with most additions to ongoing franchises that SHAFT does, there’s an attempt to refine and try out new techniques. This episode boasts a lot of the same directorial quirks found in Bakemonogatari, and are used fairly effectively. The designs have also been changed a bit to match Aoki Ume’s art a bit more than in previous outings with the material.
I used that screencap because I’d like to assume Hiro is actually wondering about what happened to the opening and ending sequences. The opening they have right now is only 1/4th done and the ending is non-existent. I guess this is what happens when one of your outsourcing studios dies.
Natsu no Arashi 2 and Dance in the Vampire Bund didn’t really have much in the ways of openings and endings either. A shame, since SHAFT is so good at both of those.
Bund’s opener was counter-productive for those of us who wanted a reason to watch a show about a loli vampire queen.. none of those things remotely interest me, and neither do Japanese game show parodies that have nothing to do with the premise of the show.
If this was a short promo episode, I would have probably loved it. But as a full-length opener episode it bored me to tears and seemed 99% irrelevant: I already knew this was a show about vampires, so why rub my face in it repeatedly? Now they’ll have to work twice as hard to win me over, much like Haruhi did years ago (and I doubt they have Haruhi’s luck).
ゆっくりしていってね！！！
I agree about the Hidamari OP and ED. Still, I take the bad the good cause damn it, Hidamari Sketch is one of the best shows of its type.
P.S. As far as other SHAFT shows go, I have the PPD boxset (ADV’s release) and downloaded everything SZS to give those a try.
Dance in the Vampire Bund worked a little too well for me. I hate bad Japanese television so much that the first episode turned me off by association. The only way it could have been worse is if they threw in a segment where the celebrity guests are eating tasty food at some expensive place and saying “oishii!” to everything.
But the end, that was promising. I’ll keep watching.
Hidasketch is the best show of its type, period :p.
And I like the Haruhi/Vampire Bund first episode comparison. They are both brilliant, and both off-putting to unsophisticated viewers (yay elitism!
Does being able to appreciate a spot-on parody on trashy Japanese TV really make us “sophisticated”? :V
Nothing says “sophistication” like cartoons for man-children.
I was impressed by the first episode of Vampire Bund too. And I think I might be one of the few people who’s watching Durarara!! but never saw Baccano.
What about Ladies VS Butlers! wah?
@Yumeka i watched durarara and i haven’t watched baccano.
it’s alright, but i’m not hooked yet. motorcycle cat batman doesn’t have the same appeal as chinese electric batman.
and for dance in the vampire bund: http://i.imgur.com/NXQ3f.jpg
i went through the episode with very high hopes of immediate loli vampire action but ended up with what wah summarized, which was neither good nor bad. but i’m sure it’s a turn-off to a lot of other people who are giving this series a go with the first episode.