Red Garden so far.
Nov. 10th, 2006 09:26 amRight, so five episodes into this strangely addictive horror musical. Impressions so far:
1. Why did the singing stop after two episodes? I miss it. I upped the cheese factor to delicious levels.
2. The Japanese idea of a "typical American high school" and "typical American high school students" continues to bring non-stop lulz. Don't these people know that in America it's the jocks and the cheerleaders who are the most popular kids in school, not the student council and the smart kids? Last time I checked, the proper stereotype for American high school student councils was nerds and geeks, not uber-elitist iron-fisted lesbians with fawning girls falling all over them.
3. Reference to Rose and Kate buying soup from The Soup Nazi FOR THE WIN. That's right, kids: Red Garden has now officially crossed over with Seinfeld.
4. Are New York City's Finest really this clueless in real life? They find a bunch of dead girls lying in the woods and assume that it's suicide?!?! SUICIDE is your first assumption when you find a dead teenage girl lying in the woods?!?! Christ on a cracker.
5. The horror aspect of the show continues to be stellar. The "monsters" may be a lot less scary-looking than most of what you'll find in oh, say, Silent Hill. But they way that the direction is done - the way that the viewer is forced to experience what these poor girls are experiencing in every grisly, terrifying detail - it's just plain disturbing through and through. These poor girls have literally been plunged into a non-stop living nightmare. Despite all of the singing and the silliness and the mood-breaking "duh that's not American" moments, Red Garden continues to be truly scary and disturbing. And that's why I keep watching it.
Finally, I really want to make a snide comment about racial representations here, but actually... Red Garden seems to be doing a surprisingly bang-up job in that respect. Neil is one of the best, non-stereotyped black characters I've ever seen in an anime. Neil's character design also avoids the pitfalls that typically plague black characters in anime - he does not have an afro, is not drawn with thick lips, and doesn't run around wearing a basketball jersey or rapping to himself (Eureka Seven, I'm looking at you). He's a smart, sharp detective. With impeccable taste in ties. Regarding other racial issues that could have popped up in the anime, I think they're being handled well. The thugs and uglies are a mixture of light-skinned and dark-skinned characters. The school that Kate et al attend is totally whitebread, but considering that it's a preppy elitist school that's to be expected. Read Shame of a Nation and its discussion of Roosevelt Island if you don't believe me.
1. Why did the singing stop after two episodes? I miss it. I upped the cheese factor to delicious levels.
2. The Japanese idea of a "typical American high school" and "typical American high school students" continues to bring non-stop lulz. Don't these people know that in America it's the jocks and the cheerleaders who are the most popular kids in school, not the student council and the smart kids? Last time I checked, the proper stereotype for American high school student councils was nerds and geeks, not uber-elitist iron-fisted lesbians with fawning girls falling all over them.
3. Reference to Rose and Kate buying soup from The Soup Nazi FOR THE WIN. That's right, kids: Red Garden has now officially crossed over with Seinfeld.
4. Are New York City's Finest really this clueless in real life? They find a bunch of dead girls lying in the woods and assume that it's suicide?!?! SUICIDE is your first assumption when you find a dead teenage girl lying in the woods?!?! Christ on a cracker.
5. The horror aspect of the show continues to be stellar. The "monsters" may be a lot less scary-looking than most of what you'll find in oh, say, Silent Hill. But they way that the direction is done - the way that the viewer is forced to experience what these poor girls are experiencing in every grisly, terrifying detail - it's just plain disturbing through and through. These poor girls have literally been plunged into a non-stop living nightmare. Despite all of the singing and the silliness and the mood-breaking "duh that's not American" moments, Red Garden continues to be truly scary and disturbing. And that's why I keep watching it.
Finally, I really want to make a snide comment about racial representations here, but actually... Red Garden seems to be doing a surprisingly bang-up job in that respect. Neil is one of the best, non-stereotyped black characters I've ever seen in an anime. Neil's character design also avoids the pitfalls that typically plague black characters in anime - he does not have an afro, is not drawn with thick lips, and doesn't run around wearing a basketball jersey or rapping to himself (Eureka Seven, I'm looking at you). He's a smart, sharp detective. With impeccable taste in ties. Regarding other racial issues that could have popped up in the anime, I think they're being handled well. The thugs and uglies are a mixture of light-skinned and dark-skinned characters. The school that Kate et al attend is totally whitebread, but considering that it's a preppy elitist school that's to be expected. Read Shame of a Nation and its discussion of Roosevelt Island if you don't believe me.
