How to sucker Jason into taking an instant, completely unobjective liking to a new character?
- Submissive character that awakens Uiharu’s Onee-san instincts [Check!]
- An entire episode dedicated to her hanging out with the gang [Check!]
- Interaction dynamics that induces Saten-Uiharu flashbacks [Check!]
- Getting tangled up with Uiharu on yukata strap, requiring Saten-rescue [Bonus point Check!]
All these are undoubtedly great qualities for inducing my favor, but of course what really lets Haruue-san take the cake is…
- Voiced by Kana Hanazawa… [Woo hoo Check!]
- …doing what Noto Mamiko did with Kotomi! [Check nano!!]
:) Aaaaand it looks like we’re off to a good start for the final arc! I must admit that all those talk about this being anime original has gotten me on my toes, but I’m pleased to say that this was a great starting episode that I really enjoyed. Actually I almost always find myself enjoying this show whenever the focus is kept on the main four (okay I think I’d be happy to also include Haruue after this episode). Anyway hopefully the quality keeps up!
And man, now that I’m finally “anime-enabled” again, what a backlog have I mustered! Incredibly late as this post is, Railgun is currently my most ‘up-to-date’ seasonal show. Tough times nano :(
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Dustin
*Sigh* I guess this proves once and for all your more optimistic than I am. All I saw was stuff I didn’t like with Mikoto’s character and here you found a whole new character to dote on… So it goes.
Jason "moofang"
Actually there might be another interpretation – “have-read-the-manga syndrome” :) Personally from my perspective I have not found anything quite amiss with Mikoto’s character. While she isn’t exactly the most interesting character I’ve seen, I think the anime has been consistent enough with her portrayal that she feels believable. From what I gather from your comments though it seems like the anime has somewhat changed Mikoto’s character, probably for the worse, so maybe that’s the problem. It doesn’t really bother me as a fresh watcher though since I have no idea what Mikoto was like in the manga, nor do I see anything wrong with her just purely from watching the anime.
That probably also explains why I’m generally more giddy about her being Kuroko-attacked or her exuding her dual-image (dreamy ojou-sama in her dorm and easy-going Gekota-lover outside) than her getting getting all dere and dojikko over Touma…
Keiri
I must be the only one who felt like grabbing Haruue by the collar and telling her to straighten up and get a hold on herself. I like her passive and meek nature but she’s so…blur. Totally “out there” blur. XD
I’m not too enthusiastic about the character developments *yet* (because yes, I suffer from “have-read-the-manga” syndrome ;3), but I’m keeping a keen interest in the plot build-up. I’m one of those few who are bored yet excited at the same time about the magical/scientific expositions in Index/Railgun. Whilst some of them are downright snore-worthy, several actually have interesting concepts behind them. ^^
Dustin
You’re not alone Keiri, I’m sick of Haruue like characters myself (not that there’s anything wrong with you liking her Jason :P).
Hmm most of my response Keiri summed up in a response to you on her blog so copy/paste ftw.
You’ve been quoted Keiri!
Anyways I’m mainly agreeing with this. Mikoto was developed really well in the manga and was so much more than typical. I feel like JC Staff is constantly trying to force her into a more typical heroine (or a K-On esque development) instead of letting her be her. She obviously had the fanbase before the series so why pander to what you think the fans will like? I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you’re not wrong for liking the anime Mikoto, but if they had done a better adaptation you would be referencing her for many, MANY, years to come. She’s downright awesome and they’re only taking a small percentage of that in the adaptation while discarding (and downright degrading) the rest. Perhaps you won’t agree with me, but it’s the little things that really bother me and we all know by now that I’m hate to see my favorite characters victimized in any way by anime studios (I did write that whole 2D in 3D post on her. JC Staff missed the whole becoming 3D part).
Haha, as for the Touma vs. Kuroko I think that’s more of a preference thing. I actually love her Getoko moments, but they appear maybe too often in the anime. It’s a good gimmick, but all good gimmicks can be overused (even Touma X Misaka). I don’t mind the Kuroko antics, but when I feel like it’s overshadowing the actual character of Kuroko I do get a tad bit pissed. Though it was awfully fun making the Kuroko’s antics video.
Man, I’ve written more words about Mikoto and Kuroko’s characters on your’s and Keiri’s blogs. I probably should just write about the series, but I don’t like posting when I have more negative things to say than positive as I feel like that is a bad way blogs are used.
Jason "moofang"
I feel so alone~~~ ｡ﾟ(ﾟ´Д｀ﾟ)ﾟ｡ :P
Truthfully though I can absolutely see where you two are coming from about Haruue. If she was a real person or even a character in another setting I’d feel like shaking her by the collar too. I admit I was mostly enamored by Kana Hanazawa doing the Noto Mamiko-Kotomi impersonation. That and its kinda funny to see someone thrown in that’s even more out of it than Uiharu.
I do see what you mean. The anime portrayal of Mikoto does seem somewhat unremarkable, and I do find myself more interested in Saten-Uiharu half the time which probably isn’t supposed to happen in a franchise called “Railgun”. I’m just saying that the Mikoto portrayal isn’t in the bad band. It’s just a case of anime-Mikoto being in the ‘ok’ band when manga-Mikoto is in the ‘awesome’ band. So I can definitely see why you guys who are able to appreciate that step-down are displeased with the show. But since anime-Mikoto never quite hit the ‘awesome’ band from day 1, a pure anime watcher like myself would have developed an impression of the show oriented around other things than Mikoto, and what I’m saying is those other things are more or less keeping up. Which is why I’m still enjoying myself :)
Actually I think this is also due in part to the manga/anime thing. Okay, maybe this one also involves whether or not one has watched index. The thing about anime-Railgun is that very little time is spent on ToumaxMikoto interactions. It feels like the show presupposes a foreknowledge of the two’s relationship and then just gives you occasional references hoping you’d get it and feel good. The result is that non-manga, non-index people like myself (probably through our own faults :P ) end up without any real idea about what’s going on with ToumaxMikoto, which is probably pretty complex underneath, from what I have heard you say.
Imo Kuroko as a character was never really fleshed out in detail in the show either. None of them quite are, with the possible exception of Saten. Which is why I think character relationships end up standing out a lot more than the characters themselves in this show from a pure-anime perspective (I’ve blogged about this :) ). Which is also probably why the Kuroko antics grate less on me. They may degrade a character (that I don’t know too well anyway), but they also flavor and enhance a relationship dynamic that I readily appreciate.
Dustin
That’s true. I think you need to watch the sisters arc of Index (which starts at episode 10) and the Touma Misaka date episode which is episode 18.
Honestly though my favorite reason for Touma X Misaka is the railgun manga chapter where she first meets him and ends up chasing him around and fighting him all night.
Yep, I’m disappointed that JC Staff is actively making Mikoto into someone who is only good and not amazing, but most of that I already said so…
Ahh well, if you like it that’s fine, but let the rest of us be disappointed with the adaptation :).