Comments on: Welcome to the NHK, Vol. 2-3: Divergence http://animediet.net/manga-reviews/welcome-to-the-nhk-vol-2-3-divergence Eating it right about anime since 2006! Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:37:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Anime Diet » Welcome to the NHK! Vols. 5 & 6–Lying To Yourself http://animediet.net/manga-reviews/welcome-to-the-nhk-vol-2-3-divergence/comment-page-1#comment-14034 Anime Diet » Welcome to the NHK! Vols. 5 & 6–Lying To Yourself Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:04:15 +0000 http://animediet.net/?p=5139#comment-14034 [...] Over a year ago, I reviewed volume 1, volumes 2 and 3, and volume 4 of the NHK manga. Even longer ago, I reviewed the light novel where it all began. [...] [...] Over a year ago, I reviewed volume 1, volumes 2 and 3, and volume 4 of the NHK manga. Even longer ago, I reviewed the light novel where it all began. [...]

]]> By: somewhatnifty http://animediet.net/manga-reviews/welcome-to-the-nhk-vol-2-3-divergence/comment-page-1#comment-6205 somewhatnifty Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:59:47 +0000 http://animediet.net/?p=5139#comment-6205 "It’s worth remembering too that realism does not always a good story make. But in this case, I think NHK succeeds when it balances empathy and critique of the characters’ bad lifestyles." Yes, I do not believe it to be a universal thing, but if it has a story without any magic, talking animals, the living dead, aliens, or robots in contemporary Japan, I expect it to be like contemporary Japan. “It’s worth remembering too that realism does not always a good story make. But in this case, I think NHK succeeds when it balances empathy and critique of the characters’ bad lifestyles.”

Yes, I do not believe it to be a universal thing, but if it has a story without any magic, talking animals, the living dead, aliens, or robots in contemporary Japan, I expect it to be like contemporary Japan.

]]> By: Mike http://animediet.net/manga-reviews/welcome-to-the-nhk-vol-2-3-divergence/comment-page-1#comment-6184 Mike Sat, 13 Sep 2008 07:24:48 +0000 http://animediet.net/?p=5139#comment-6184 @somewhatnifty: Hmm. Very interesting thoughts. What I think the constant cynicism and insanity might do if extended too much in the manga is give a sense that these people aren't truly <I>vulnerable</i>--something the anime excelled at showing. Vulnerability is a huge part of character likability. I think that's what you mean by "realistic." Alas, in reality, lots of people have become very good at hiding their vulnerability to the point where they might just be that pathological and psychotic as shown in the manga... It's worth remembering too that realism does not always a good story make. But in this case, I think NHK succeeds when it balances empathy and critique of the characters' bad lifestyles. @somewhatnifty: Hmm. Very interesting thoughts. What I think the constant cynicism and insanity might do if extended too much in the manga is give a sense that these people aren’t truly vulnerable–something the anime excelled at showing. Vulnerability is a huge part of character likability. I think that’s what you mean by “realistic.” Alas, in reality, lots of people have become very good at hiding their vulnerability to the point where they might just be that pathological and psychotic as shown in the manga…

It’s worth remembering too that realism does not always a good story make. But in this case, I think NHK succeeds when it balances empathy and critique of the characters’ bad lifestyles.

]]> By: somewhatnifty http://animediet.net/manga-reviews/welcome-to-the-nhk-vol-2-3-divergence/comment-page-1#comment-6182 somewhatnifty Fri, 12 Sep 2008 07:40:58 +0000 http://animediet.net/?p=5139#comment-6182 "I was aware that this was something of a dilution of the story’s real darkness in favor of something more audience-pleasing. The usual assumption is that the darker version must be the braver, more artistically honest choice, but I don’t think that’s always true. Sometimes cynicism is a shield and an escape of its own from real human feelings too, which even in real life can be, yes, earnest and sincere." How do you get these things so early on in the manga? Spot-on. I agree completely. Reading the manga gave me the impression that the anime was lacking in a sense, but I absolutely could not sympathize with the characters in the manga. They felt fake, "phony" if you will. Despite Misaki's much more fleshed out past (this was a large portion of the "lacking" the anime seemed to have upon finishing the manga), I felt much more for her when I hardly knew anything about her. I know not too many people say this, but I thought gonzo did a really good job on this. It was a good idea to keep Satou as a more central character, it was a good idea to change the suicide scene, it was a good idea to cut out Yamazaki's girlfriend (Oh, god. Bad memories), it was a damn good idea to shift the focus from the general insanity of the characters to a more realistic view of (pathetic) people that could actually exist on Earth. The anime depicts the characters as extremely pitiful people placing all their efforts into escaping reality, whereas the manga is basically filled with a bunch of crazy sons of bitches. The manga only gets worse from that point on, Mike. Your title (Divergence) is the most fitting thing I have seen in a long time. “I was aware that this was something of a dilution of the story’s real darkness in favor of something more audience-pleasing. The usual assumption is that the darker version must be the braver, more artistically honest choice, but I don’t think that’s always true. Sometimes cynicism is a shield and an escape of its own from real human feelings too, which even in real life can be, yes, earnest and sincere.”

How do you get these things so early on in the manga? Spot-on. I agree completely.

Reading the manga gave me the impression that the anime was lacking in a sense, but I absolutely could not sympathize with the characters in the manga. They felt fake, “phony” if you will. Despite Misaki’s much more fleshed out past (this was a large portion of the “lacking” the anime seemed to have upon finishing the manga), I felt much more for her when I hardly knew anything about her.

I know not too many people say this, but I thought gonzo did a really good job on this. It was a good idea to keep Satou as a more central character, it was a good idea to change the suicide scene, it was a good idea to cut out Yamazaki’s girlfriend (Oh, god. Bad memories), it was a damn good idea to shift the focus from the general insanity of the characters to a more realistic view of (pathetic) people that could actually exist on Earth.

The anime depicts the characters as extremely pitiful people placing all their efforts into escaping reality, whereas the manga is basically filled with a bunch of crazy sons of bitches.

The manga only gets worse from that point on, Mike. Your title (Divergence) is the most fitting thing I have seen in a long time.

]]> By: Mike http://animediet.net/manga-reviews/welcome-to-the-nhk-vol-2-3-divergence/comment-page-1#comment-6181 Mike Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:53:40 +0000 http://animediet.net/?p=5139#comment-6181 @dm: <a href="http://animediet.net/manga-reviews/review-welcome-to-the-nhk-novel" rel="nofollow">I've read the novel.</a> It didn't feel particularly "dark" to me, though I think some of my perception of it was colored by just how thin, skeletal even, it seemed compared to the anime (and the manga). It almost felt like a bare outline of the ideas that the later versions of the story fleshed out, and lots of subplots are missing. @dm: I’ve read the novel. It didn’t feel particularly “dark” to me, though I think some of my perception of it was colored by just how thin, skeletal even, it seemed compared to the anime (and the manga). It almost felt like a bare outline of the ideas that the later versions of the story fleshed out, and lots of subplots are missing.

]]> By: dm http://animediet.net/manga-reviews/welcome-to-the-nhk-vol-2-3-divergence/comment-page-1#comment-6179 dm Thu, 11 Sep 2008 23:23:24 +0000 http://animediet.net/?p=5139#comment-6179 I haven't read it yet, but I understand that the novel is darker still. I haven’t read it yet, but I understand that the novel is darker still.

]]> By: Mike http://animediet.net/manga-reviews/welcome-to-the-nhk-vol-2-3-divergence/comment-page-1#comment-6178 Mike Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:44:40 +0000 http://animediet.net/?p=5139#comment-6178 @Hinano: [whine] but <a href="http://animediet.net/manga-reviews/welcome-to-the-nhk-volume-1" rel="nofollow">I started it fiiiirst!</a>[/whine] But anyways I just saw your review of the whole shebang, and I'll look it at when I'm done reading the entire manga series--I just finished only up to volume 4 last night. I'm already starting to reconsider some of the things I wrote in this review; the manga is starting to head into uncharted territory and I'm loving it so far. @Hinano: [whine] but I started it fiiiirst![/whine] But anyways I just saw your review of the whole shebang, and I’ll look it at when I’m done reading the entire manga series–I just finished only up to volume 4 last night. I’m already starting to reconsider some of the things I wrote in this review; the manga is starting to head into uncharted territory and I’m loving it so far.

]]> By: Hinano http://animediet.net/manga-reviews/welcome-to-the-nhk-vol-2-3-divergence/comment-page-1#comment-6177 Hinano Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:25:49 +0000 http://animediet.net/?p=5139#comment-6177 Omg you copy cat D: Omg you copy cat D:

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