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The Flowers of Evil
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Jun 17, 2013 11:18 AM

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Apr 2011
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I enjoyed this episode, although I wish more was shown of what happened at the police station and with Nakamura(why she was so determined to get away from the police). I really thought the dream sequence was well done, I'm surprised there's still people watching who can't handle a few minutes of silence. I know a lot of people don't like this show, but doesn't it seem like the hates returned more in this discussion then the last few weeks? I still think it's funny there's people who come here just to vote it a 1 every week lol.
Jun 17, 2013 11:40 AM
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Mar 2011
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okanagan said:
Please don't put spoilers in your posts that tell us things from the manga that go
beyond the present episode of the anime.


i assume youre being sarcastic.

i re-read the post between your two most recent posts and i dont think anyone posted any spoilers. Or are you talking about when i said
if it spoiled you, my bad
amginexJun 17, 2013 11:53 AM
"....i am the villain in this story"
Jun 17, 2013 11:48 AM

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Jan 2013
471
amginex said:
i assume youre being sarcastic.

i re-read the post between your two most recent posts and i dont think anyone posted any spoilers. Or are you talking about when i said
i didnt think that would be much of a spoiler, i didnt say anything specific. if it spoiled you, my bad

Maybe it doesn't seem like a spoiler to you, but for lot of us it is. Those who didn't read the manga probably have no idea where the whole thing will take. Just mentioning something upcoming without any detail can be a spoiler, it doesn't have to be specific. So I'd appreciate the spoiler tags as well.
Jun 17, 2013 11:52 AM
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Aclos said:
amginex said:
i assume youre being sarcastic.

i re-read the post between your two most recent posts and i dont think anyone posted any spoilers. Or are you talking about when i said
i didnt think that would be much of a spoiler, i didnt say anything specific. if it spoiled you, my bad

Maybe it doesn't seem like a spoiler to you, but for lot of us it is. Those who didn't read the manga probably have no idea where the whole thing will take. Just mentioning something upcoming without any detail can be a spoiler, it doesn't have to be specific. So I'd appreciate the spoiler tags as well.


again, my bad, genuinely offering my apologies. i'll edit my posts
"....i am the villain in this story"
Jun 17, 2013 12:29 PM
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Jun 2010
39
Aside from seeing how Kasuga is desperately trying to claw back from the hole he fell into when he stole the gym clothes, only to dig himself deeper, I think the "walk scenes" are highlights of the show.

Atmosphere during those scenes is totally superb. The visuals are really powerful, the scene turning red and the flowers appearing... awesome. The OST is great and fits the visuals and the mood perfectly. It's kind of hypnotizing, I lost track of time while watching. The scenes are calming and sorrowful, desperate and moody, maybe inquisitive or curious... shadow looming over the future.

Then there was the classroom vandalization scene... I watched it close to ten times when the episode came out. Can't remember when I last saw such a powerful scene, in any visual media.

As for the story, haven't read the manga and it doesn't seem That special to me. Still, even if the plot isn't so unique in itself, the slow pace makes it all hit much harder, you can really feel the mood. You can empathize and try to understand the characters and their motives.

Had they done this in "normal" anime style I think it would have lost a lot of what makes it intriguing now. Again, I haven't read the source, so maybe some of the elements mentioned above were present in the original too?
Jun 17, 2013 12:48 PM
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Feb 2012
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the dreaded "walking scenes" are top notch man!

Not sure why they fuel some sort of endless burning rage in some of you people.. just fast forward if its that tedious; but for me and many others it helps to set atmosphere; adds character to the show; and allows you to experience the characters and the world the show creates in a much different way then most anime, which would never consider putting in an 8 minute scene of silent walking around town.

I also don't get why people are saying it does nothing to advance the plot; I'd say it does quite a bit, remarkably so!; for a scene with no dialogue.. In this episode it showcased Kasuga finally giving up; understanding a new part of himself and moving forward. In the last walk scene, it did a wonderful job of giving us a feel for the "calm before the storm", as another user put it.

Its a breath of fresh air, and personally I think its one of the highlights of this show, its a bold move, and it pays off immensely. If you didn't "get it" then I just feel sorry for you, you're missing out on a genuinely engaging aspect of this show!
Jun 17, 2013 1:21 PM

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Feb 2011
3695
To put it bluntly , it was shit.
Jun 17, 2013 1:25 PM

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Oct 2012
1917
Amginex, sorry, I think my tone was too harsh. Absolutely no sarcasm
was intended. Anyways, you already revised your post to insert the "spoiler"
tag. Looks good. So thanks.
Jun 17, 2013 1:25 PM

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Apr 2009
306
This really made me feel for the characters, the parents, Saeki, Nakamura, everything is so messed up for everyone. Nakamura did look very vulnerable in the dream and I'm really curious as to where this will go. I picked up the manga before the anime came out, but never finished, I have a feeling by the time this is over I'm going to want to go out and get all the volumes of the manga.
Jun 17, 2013 2:07 PM
The Shrike

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Nov 2009
11609
You gotta love Kasuga-kun. When the going get's tough, what is he going to do? "I'll write an essay!" I actually facepalmed on that one.

I actually didn't find the walking scene as bad. It convey better than dialogue would how Kasuga's world seems dazed and confusing. And how his feelings for Nakamura are changing.
"Perhaps there is a universal, absolute truth. Perhaps it justifies every question. But that's beyond the reach of these small hands." Mamoru Oshii

There is a cult of ignorance (...) nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov

Jun 17, 2013 2:11 PM

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Sep 2012
5064
OK episode. Don't know how it will end.
Jun 17, 2013 2:59 PM

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Jun 2013
4852
the long walk again! lol and i like Kasuga's father he's very cool he tries to understand his son problem he doesn't hit him or yells at him wish of more parents were like him but i do feel sad for his mother :(
Jun 17, 2013 5:32 PM

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May 2011
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That change in scenery on the walk was intensely creepy and said so much about his feelings of seperation from reality and people. I love how they did the scattering of flowers when he had that vision of her. By the end I was weirdly touched by his resolve. :O
Jun 17, 2013 6:35 PM

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Jul 2011
220
Kinda slow episode.

Jun 17, 2013 7:47 PM
Nirai Kanai

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Dec 2012
217
I enjoyed this episode.... liked it, no where near loving it. It was almost too slow and I'm back at a place where I want to punch Kasuga again but.... I want to get back to a place like episode 9 and 10.... I hope they do. I actually miss Nakamura being around more...

The World Suffused with Sound.
Jun 18, 2013 12:09 AM
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May 2011
51
pretty much every episode makes me think i know where all of this is going, but then i keep watching, it goes in some weird ass direction, that creepy ass ending music fades into the scene, and i'm stuck trying to figure out what just happened. omfg.
uwubyeJun 18, 2013 12:13 AM
Jun 18, 2013 1:29 AM

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Feb 2012
1263
I didn't really mind that this episode was pretty slow paced. I really liked Kasuga's dream, so trippy. This anime sometimes gives me a headache, but I'm hoping for a second season. Must be the most interesting piece I've seen.
The only thing you can rely on is that you can't rely on anything.
Jun 18, 2013 1:38 AM

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Jul 2011
3827
Lost a lot of time in certain parts but the last scenes were fantastic.
Jun 18, 2013 2:11 AM
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Jul 2018
564055
Woo, pretentious and boring

What a great show
Jun 18, 2013 2:58 AM

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Dec 2010
720
noctaf said:
I laugh at everyone who can't appreciate the awesome cinematography in that walking scene.

I'm amazed at the fact that some of you can't handle 6 minutes of walking, It's like you've never seen a Tarkovsky film in your life.


Imagine them watching Bergman or Bella Tarr. Priceless.

Well made EP, but did not like the plot direction. So he wil ends with Nakamura. Dislke that.
Jun 18, 2013 3:31 AM

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Oct 2010
1289
those long scenes are really quite annoying, i just skipped most of it
TheMcShan said:
boring lol YOLOSWAG

this guy knows what they are talking about
Jun 18, 2013 5:59 AM

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Oct 2009
158
Ah my weekly dose of masochism

Now Kasuga, write in the Death Note: "Nakamura Sawa". Thats how the show will ends, thank you.
Jun 18, 2013 10:37 AM
The Shrike

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11609
noctaf said:
I laugh at everyone who can't appreciate the awesome cinematography in that walking scene.

I'm amazed at the fact that some of you can't handle 6 minutes of walking, It's like you've never seen a Tarkovsky film in your life.


To be fair, they probably haven't. It's a long way from One Piece and Clannad to Tarkovsky!
"Perhaps there is a universal, absolute truth. Perhaps it justifies every question. But that's beyond the reach of these small hands." Mamoru Oshii

There is a cult of ignorance (...) nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov

Jun 18, 2013 11:17 AM

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Oct 2012
1917
^ I am ashamed to admit that I had never heard of Tarkovsky and had to
Google him and read the Wikipedia article.

He didn't make many movies. He won some film festival awards. "Solaris" is
the famous SciFi classic that people here might know about. He was famous
for really, really long takes, up to eight minutes long. It seems that his movies
were more "art films" rather than things that most people wanted to watch.
Even in his native Russia, in the days of communism, his movies would only be
shown in an extremely small number of theatres. There were hardcore fans
who loved them. In order to be shown commercially in the United States, they
had to be edited down quite a lot. So I am guessing that a few of the long
takes would be made a bit less long. In conclusion, the work of Tarkovsky is
clearly brilliant but not useful from a business point of view.

You mentioned Clannad. Well, now that I think about it, Clannad: The After
Story did, in fact, have one scene that was, basically, one long take. It was
very, very well done. Clannad: The After Story is an anime series that a lot
of people like, and that scene is an excellent example of how a long take can
be great if the director has the insight to know when and how to use it.

If anybody here has watched Clannad: The After Story, please don't give
away hints or spoilers about that scene. But just to be specific, I am
talking about Episode 16, "White Darkness" "Shiroi Yami" (白い闇).

- - - - - - -

If you enjoy long, long takes in art films made by acclaimed genius
directors who consistently get awards at international films festivals such
as Cannes and Berlin, then you might enjoy this excerpt from a film by
Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien. Dialog in Mandarin. No subtitles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWuC9zvCRbk
okanaganJun 18, 2013 11:37 AM
Jun 18, 2013 11:19 AM
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Feb 2011
11
This show is really becoming a chore to watch. I don't even think there were 50 lines of dialogue in this episode. It seems like the story has already peaked but no one has developed or acts rationally as a result (except for Kasuga becoming even more lifeless)
Jun 18, 2013 11:50 AM

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Oct 2012
1917
This show is really becoming a chore to watch.

It would be horrible to watch it on live TV. Being able to fast forward makes
it tolerable.

It seems like the story has already peaked

Yeah. It kind of looks like all of the issues have been resolved, everybody
learned their lessons and misunderstandings have been cleared up. They are
all sadder but wiser. It would be a great place to end the series. But they
need some filler episodes to round out the 13-episode slot. So my guess is
that we will see (a) a festival episode where they wear yukatas, scoop fish
and watch fireworks and (b) a beach episode where the girls wear swimsuits,
the boys smash a watermelon open, and everybody yells, "It's the ocean!".

but no one has developed or acts rationally

This is good. These kids are all supposed to be in Grade 8.
Jun 18, 2013 4:12 PM

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Dec 2010
720
okanagan said:
^ I am ashamed to admit that I had never heard of Tarkovsky and had to
Google him and read the Wikipedia article.

He didn't make many movies. He won some film festival awards. "Solaris" is
the famous SciFi classic that people here might know about. He was famous
for really, really long takes, up to eight minutes long. It seems that his movies
were more "art films" rather than things that most people wanted to watch.
Even in his native Russia, in the days of communism, his movies would only be
shown in an extremely small number of theatres. There were hardcore fans
who loved them. In order to be shown commercially in the United States, they
had to be edited down quite a lot. So I am guessing that a few of the long
takes would be made a bit less long. In conclusion, the work of Tarkovsky is
clearly brilliant but not useful from a business point of view.


Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien. Dialog in Mandarin. No subtitles.



Tarkovsky is critically acclaimed as one of the best directors in entire history of Cinema. He has notable positions in 1001 Movies You Should Seen Before You Die(and this book is quite popular) and many others list. To be fair he is more well known than Hou Hsiao-Hsien. But Hou Hsiao-Hsien is probably influenced by Tarkovsky.

I like them both. Some spectacular movies. But there are longer and slower movies.

I have no idea why anime fans can not tolerate anything slower than rampant action. Well it is only 20 minutes Episode... Give me a break.
Jun 18, 2013 5:01 PM
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Oct 2012
6648
tearofmankind said:
I have no idea why anime fans can not tolerate anything slower than rampant action. Well it is only 20 minutes Episode... Give me a break.


Well, perhaps because plenty of anime fans can handle shows slower than rampant action. The problem is that the story just really isn't that interesting. Kasuga is a boring protagonist, I have been rooting for the two girls to get together for some fun. This animation has succeeded in making decadence boring. Going to church camp for some wholesome fun would be more entertaining.

There is also the simple fact that this is the third or fourth time this series where we have had Kasuga walking around the city. Going to the same trope well too much is bound to spark a backlash. Not to mention that this show is approaching the 4 hour mark, patience has worn thin. Can't say that I have seen Tarkovsky (my Soviet Film experience is from the preceding generation), but I am quite sure that those "long shots" were not as repetitive, as late, and as meaningless as these have been.
Jun 18, 2013 6:32 PM
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Mar 2011
737
i find it funny that there are still people who dislike the show but still watches it. at least theyre sticking out to find out whats going to happen next.
"....i am the villain in this story"
Jun 18, 2013 6:50 PM

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Jun 2010
50
Marzan said:
You gotta love Kasuga-kun. When the going get's tough, what is he going to do? "I'll write an essay!" I actually facepalmed on that one.

lmao, this, precisely.

Even though I'm not a big enthusiast of the walking scenes I still find them relevant, especifically as a mean to make the viewer emphathize with our protagonist; at this point it feels like the whole pacing is meant to make you experience his same anxiety. (If you are a bit impatient, that is.) It's a resource often used in literature, to tell each action with excruciating detail so you end up feeling like the protagonist him/herself.

Also, it makes me kinda sad that this show most likely won't get a second season, but a good original ending will be ok for me.
Jun 18, 2013 10:04 PM
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Apr 2011
270
Suzie said:
Oh hey, ANOTHER walking episode.
It's gotten pretty funny how much "nothing" they can cram in every episode with barely any advancement to the plot. And of course, I mean that in the worst possible way.

We all know how scaaaaryyyy and thrilliiiiing walking for like 10 minutes is! Oh wait, it's not. I feel bad for people watching it on TV without a fast forward button.

pleb opinion
Jun 19, 2013 12:14 AM

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Jun 2012
3948
walking

Jun 19, 2013 12:18 AM

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Oct 2012
1917
Takuan_soho wrote:
Kasuga is a boring protagonist,


He is 14, in Grade 8. 14-year-olds are boring. Children up to age 12 are fun
to watch in stories. Young adults aged 16 and up are fun to watch. People
become boring again after they get too old and lose the energy needed to
do exciting things. i.e. 30+. Age 14 is the age of maximum boredom. On
the other hand, 14-year-olds are kind of emotionally messed-up, so they
might do something interesting such as stealing a girl's gym clothing. And
then the fun ensues.

I have been rooting for the two girls to get together for some fun.

This sounds like a wonderful suggestion for an OVA. Please send a tweet to
the anime director to let him know. Their official Twitter account is here:
https://twitter.com/akunohana_anime

my Soviet Film experience is from the preceding generation

Battleship Potemkin (Броненосец «Потёмкин») (1925) was named the
greatest film of all time and it is only 75 minutes long. Not too many longish
takes, I am guessing.

- - - - - - -

Also, while I am mentioning tweeting:

You can tweet Saeki's rotoscope actress ( 三品優里子) here:
https://twitter.com/yrk_msn
Ai is Saeki's best friend. You can tweet her voice actress (上村彩子) here:
https://twitter.com/uemura_ayako
You can tweet the voice actress for Nakamura (伊瀬茉莉也) here:
https://twitter.com/Ma_ri_ya_i
The rotoscope actress for Kasuga's mom (冴月里実):
https://twitter.com/Satomi_SayuZuki
Voice actor for Kasuga's other friend Kojima (浜添伸也):
https://twitter.com/voice_hama
okanaganJun 19, 2013 12:53 AM
Jun 19, 2013 1:29 AM

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Apr 2009
8099
Starting to wonder again, what was the point of rotoscoping all this into anime. This could have done fine as a live-action show, and indeed whenever I watch this I never lose the feeling that I'm watching what is practically a live-action show. I doubt they did this just so they could give roles to the voice actors, who otherwise would not be voicing the characters instead of the actual actors in a live-action setup.

Here we go again with the very long walking scenes. As if they haven't wasted enough time already. They sure love to overdo this, and while it's supposed to show what Takao's feeling now or what's going on through his head - the duration is just too much.

I have to hand it to Takao's seiyuu for doing a good job at making him sound like a total wuss, though. Truth be told I'm only sticking with the anime because I've already read far into the manga scans and I'm curious with the adaptation's take on the events in the story.
Jun 19, 2013 7:57 AM
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Oct 2012
6648
okanagan said:
He is 14, in Grade 8. 14-year-olds are boring. On the other hand, 14-year-olds are kind of emotionally messed-up, so they might do something interesting such as stealing a girl's gym clothing. And then the fun ensues.


Ah, if only the fun did ensure :-) I know self-absorbed, Holden Caulfield is self-absorbed, but at least he wasn't a null for a protagonist. Kasuga is a null. He is nothing. He wants to be treated as a worm because that is all he is: a worm. The could be interesting, or even unsettling (in that many people deep down are worms), but in this animation it isn't. Kasuga has no insight, no interest, no reflection, he wanders around town in silence because he has nothing to say, we don't even get any lines from Baudelaire's poetry, because Kasuga really doesn't understand it. He is merely a worm, and if I was really that interested in seeing a worm I would start a worm farm (speaking of which I probably should to promote composting).

okanagan said:
This sounds like a wonderful suggestion for an OVA. Please send a tweet to the anime director to let him know.

I did, and he responded by saying that they were working on a rotoscoped version. The problem was that in addition to the facial features not showing up, other more essential body parts went missing, so it ended up looking more like two white amorphous blobs grappling with one another. I replied sending his a link to the old Ken Russell film "Liar of the White Worm" for inspiration, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095488/, and he thanked me.

okanagan said:
Battleship Potemkin (Броненосец «Потёмкин») (1925) was named the greatest film of all time and it is only 75 minutes long. Not too many longish takes, I am guessing.

Actually it has one of the most famous long takes: "The Odessa Step" sequence. Of course it was also one of the most thrilling film moments of all time, which shows that long takes don't HAVE to be a dull as paint drying in August in Antarctica
Takuan_SohoJun 19, 2013 8:00 AM
Jun 19, 2013 11:48 AM
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Mar 2011
737
SayakaMagica said:
Starting to wonder again, what was the point of rotoscoping all this into anime. This could have done fine as a live-action show, and indeed whenever I watch this I never lose the feeling that I'm watching what is practically a live-action show.


the director actually refused to adapt this into anime and mentioned that its better off as a live-action drama. maybe the idea of rotoscoping "made him" adapt the manga
"....i am the villain in this story"
Jun 19, 2013 4:25 PM

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Oct 2011
9123
Kasuga's family and his friends no longer see him as him anymore. Saki broke up. I wonder what will happen to her now? Poor Nakamura. She looked helpless in Kasuga's dream.

Dat walking scene again. Breathless and symbolic. Creepy Flowers of Evil on the ground 0___0
Jun 20, 2013 6:13 AM

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Oct 2012
130
rotoscope vs real...includes some cool Nakamura scenes




and nice music video with several OPs and EDs?

Jun 20, 2013 6:19 AM

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Oct 2012
130
some more...



and this...

Jun 20, 2013 6:45 AM

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Jan 2012
1833
Lol it's funny seeing the live action. It is scary how accurate the cross dressing pigtails classmate is *_*
Jun 20, 2013 12:59 PM

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Jul 2009
4805
A lot of walking again...
Jun 20, 2013 7:22 PM

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Apr 2012
456
The reason most anime fans don't like the walking sequences is because they're all fatasses.
Jun 20, 2013 7:36 PM

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Dec 2012
3002
@Marko3

Now I see why the voice acting sounds so genuine and the art style is the way it is.
Jun 20, 2013 8:51 PM

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Jan 2013
1906
Durbikins said:
The reason most anime fans don't like the walking sequences is because they're all fatasses.
<3
Makomonogatari said:
lupadim said:
And the best part is that no one can prove it wrong
The best part is that you somehow actually exist.
Jun 20, 2013 8:53 PM
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Mar 2011
737
Durbikins said:
The reason most anime fans don't like the walking sequences is because they're all fatasses.



lmao, here take my like
"....i am the villain in this story"
Jun 22, 2013 4:01 AM

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Oct 2012
130
IntervisioN said:
@Marko3

Now I see why the voice acting sounds so genuine and the art style is the way it is.



yeah, would watch it even if it wasn't anime...the whole story is awesome....

rotoscoping just makes it better imo...

Jun 22, 2013 7:42 PM

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Oct 2012
1777
So I'm not sure that I like the insinuation that Nakamura needs Kasuga to be happy in life. I did enjoy the surrealism in this episode. And the emotional catharsis that comes from understanding what you should have done in a given situation when it's after the fact. Loved it. Kasuga knows now that Nakamura and him should be together. Or at least that he likes it when she calls him pervert. Whatever, point is is that I'm excited for the next two episodes.
Let this be our little secret, no needs to know we're feeling HIGHER AND HIGHER AND HIGHER!
Jun 23, 2013 1:08 AM

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Aug 2008
3777
Oh Kasuga, he's so pitiful I'm surprised he doesn't f*ck up breathing. I can't see anything good coming from his naive mindset. Then again, this should wouldn't even exist without dumb decisions.

Jun 26, 2013 3:40 PM

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Sep 2012
445
i find it intresting how girls who show no intrest in Kasuga make him want them, and when they finally show interest in him, he doesnt want to be bothered.

He is pretty much repeating the same thing he did in the beginning with Saeki , being an absolute creep.
wont be surprised if he steals her underwear.

I didn't believe Kasuga was a "Deviant" but he is one after watching this more and im sure it would be a Creeper or a Rapist.

better yet, a "Lady Killer"

over all, great episode, i wonder what Nakamuras Door said...
l
Jun 27, 2013 7:25 PM

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Dec 2012
2328
Marko3 said:
some more...

Oh my Jesus. Dat pigtailed classmate.
I am important. I have a girlfriend. Check out my podcast
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