Earth Girl Arjuna - Episode 1

[timepiececlock]

This is my favorite first 2 minutes of any anime. I'm still working out how much I like the other 21 minutes, but those first minutes are absolutely fascinating. Sad, and pensive, and lovely.

I don't know where this series is going to go or how much I'm going to get into it, but it wins hands down for the most attention-getting opening. And I'm not talking about the credits-- there were none for the first episode. Just... this.

A girl aims a bow and arrow at a target in an archery range, reciting a mantra to focus her mind. A flash of a motorcycle, a hospital room. The archery range. A deathbed.

And eerie, but lovely music that makes you want to find someone to hug.

Comments

[bronwenstx.livejournal.com]

^^ I love that part too, the most creepiest thing I've ever watch. Anyways, it gets creepier. Episode 8 (I think it was episode 8) was just extremely disturbing in a way that it sorta opens your mind to alot of possibilities. How was the rest of the first episode?

Re:

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I liked it. It was a bit fast, but not in a bad way, just in a way that I didn't expect. I really liked the dialogue, though. Good dialogue is the hardest thing to find in anime--- there's been more than one anime with great a story that was ruined by lame dialogue. This feels like it will be able to surpass that handicap, like shows like CB did.

What was interesting was that for all the weird magical stuff, the whole thing had a very realistic, grounded feel and look to it. Like the scenes with Juna and Tokio, and the landscapes. It seemed to be making an effort toward realism... I guess maybe it's something in the way they designed the settings/prop objects to look, or the camera angle perspectives they used, or something about the way they animated the motion of objects and characters. It's very difficult to explain.

I liked her friend, Tokio. He seems realistic too... like a normal boy instead of the token hottie or token geek or whatever.

I'm going to watch the next episode now. Fun, fun!

I bet this would be really good for Adult Swim on Cartoon Network.

Re:

[bronwenstx.livejournal.com]

Heh, Tokio has some sort of obsession with 'becoming one with Juna'...*shakes head* and boy he does.

I'm glad you enjoyed it though, it does get interesting and teaches you alot of things...*coughs* you're getting education in a much better way - through anime! ^_^

By the way, what kind of anime do you usually prefer? (as in type, fantasy? supernatural? etc.etc.)

Re:

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Well, theses are my favorite anime series, in a roughorder:

Trigun
The Vision of Escaflowne
Cowboy Bebop
Naruto
Gundam Wing
Macross Plus
Fushigi Yuugi
Inu Yasha
Ranma 1/2
Blue Seed
Witch Hunter Robin
Blue Submarine No. 6
Hellsing
Neon Gen. Eva.
Earth Girl Arjuna (down lower cause I'm still in early episodes)

Movies:

Spirited Away
Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro
Princess Mononoke


I've watched others, but those are my favorites so far.

I like dramatic series, would be the most general answer. I love a good romance, but I also like some shows where romance isn't the main draw...Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, etc. I like anime shows to have at least some kind of supernatural or scifi/fantasy genre element. For CB it's the space setting, for Trigun it's the scifi, for Escaflowne it's the fantasy. But it doesn't have to be a big part of the show--- for CB it's just a backdrop, for instance, and non of the characters have supernatural powers. Well, except Cowboy Andy, maybe. ::giggle:: The supernatural power of perfect obliviousness.

I don't like series that have that set up of one geeky boy surrounded by impossible women... Tench Muyo, Chobits, Oh My Goddess, etc.

Ranma sort of falls under that category, but there's so many male characters that it doesn't count, and besides Ranma is primarily a fighting anime.

Fighting anime series are not usually in my top groups. I get bored most of the time and they hold little interest. For that reason most video-game related movies have not impressed me. However, Ranma 1/2 rises above that for it's silliness, and it's always been close to my heart. And Naruto rises above that because it's just so fricking awesome that I don't think of it as a "fighting show"... I just think of it as as a"show I adore and am madly addicted to."

I like shows with strong characters, good dialogue, good music, good art, good plotline. I could sacrifice some of those for others, since not every anime is an Escaflowne and gives you everything you ever wanted in perfect condition. So I like shows like Ranma for the characters, not the animation. And I like stuff like Fushigi Yuugi for the story, but have to forgive them for the sometimes wavery dialogue.

shows with great dialogue: Castle of Cagliostro, Spirited Away, Escaflowne, CB, Naruto

I like an anime that shows restraint... it is fun to watch something like Ranma 1/2 or Inu Yasha or Fushigi Yuugi and enjoy the exuberance and wackiness that is a trademark of anime/manga. But I find that a series where they don't shove everything at you can be just as good, and often seem even better for it, probably because they're so hard to find and thus stand out. CB, Esca, WHR, Evangelion.

Some shows like Trigun and Naruto do both-- in one moment they're very wacked and all-out and zany (Vash's humorous antics, Naruto's Sexy no Jutsuu), but in another moment they're very subtle and layered (Vash's relationship with his brother, Kakashi's under-the-surface ruthless/manipulative streak).

I like drama, and subtlety. I like zaniness when it's smartly done, and when it's balanced with restraint. I like humour and romance. I like in depth plots that don't treat the viewer like they are stupid, and I like romances both extravagant and subtle.

I generally don't like anime shows that are centered around school problems or living-situation antics... they're like sitcoms. I like romances and get all mushy for them, but I get bored if a love triangle is the only thing whatsoever that goes on--- I take my soap opera with outisde plot, please. Escaflowne, for example, is ultimately a story. But there's all that other stuff that the love story is built upon... I prefer it this way.


What kind of anime series do you like?

Re:

[bronwenstx.livejournal.com]

I'm a sucker for anything supernatural or magical (of course there are always exceptions - which is usually the case) I think what I look for the most are great character developments and their relationships. But when I think about it, I'm very much open to anything although I always prefer supernatural stuff.

So here are my favourites in respective order (I really haven't thought this through but the first three anime are definitely in the right order):

Full Moon w/o Sagashite
Chrno Crusade
Vision of Escaflowne
Gensomaden Saiyuki
Slayers
Inuyasha
Arjuna
Angel Sanctuary
Yami no Matsuei

That's all I could think of at the moment - I also like Spirited Away and the Cowboy Bebop one for movies. I just started watching Chrno Crusade but I've already have an obsession for it (I'm currently up to episode 8 and am getting the rest tomorrow). I finished Full Moon last week, (I started watching it three months ago, just recently finished the last 15 episodes) and I think you might like this as well as Chrno Crusade...but we'll see when/if you start watching it and I do recommend both of them. I like what I see in Chrno so far and I love Full Moon.

So yeah, heh, all of them are fantasy, sci-fic esque and I don't know why. (Any anime where they have demons, and wings I suppose or magic involved...) Like I said, I really haven't thought this through so I have others I want to add but can't seem to remember.

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[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Escaflowne is the best anime I've seen... but Trigun nudges just the barest smidgen above it as my fan favorite.

[bronwenstx.livejournal.com]

I'll give you a more revised version someday when I have the time to rack my brain for files stored away in a warehouse name 'anime'. Lol. ^_~ But yeah, the first three are currently my favourites. I like alot of anime but those that I listed are the ones that I like most.

Heh, Sailor Moon used to be my favourite...*coughs* but seeing as I've been exposed to other better ones...I still like it though cause it's cute and when you think about it, there are alot of uresolved cases that needs attacking. Eh...I was thinking about Gundam Wing...I used to like it too because it provoked alot of political philosophy that enthralled me to death. I'm not quite sure what to make of Cowboy Bebop or Trigun. I haven't started on Naruto yet but I'm sure it's going to be in my favourites.

Right now, like I mentioned, I started on Chrno Crusade, Fruits Basket and eventually (next week) Naruto.

Re:

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I wrote FM and CC down on my to-watch list for anime ((14 and counting ;;-_- ))

My love for Sailor Moon is the love of nostalgia. I can't help but love it a little bit because I used to love it so much. And it was my first anime, and my first fanfiction. Sure, it's not that great of anime at all, in fact in most ways it totally stinks, but...there's a lot of history there and fond memories. So yeah, I have love of SM.

Eh...I was thinking about Gundam Wing...I used to like it too because it provoked alot of political philosophy that enthralled me to death.

GW was my second anime obsession, and it still rates pretty high on my favorites list, even though I've since found better. I just can't let it go, and bear to criticize it. It's my show.

I'm not quite sure what to make of Cowboy Bebop or Trigun.

Have you seen them? If you already mentioned it then forgive me---I sometimes get confused when I'm talking about anime on LJ as to who told me that they had seen what.

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[bronwenstx.livejournal.com]

Yup I watched them, I haven't finished them though, I can't remember, I think I'm halfway.

My love for Sailor Moon is the love of nostalgia. I can't help but love it a little bit because I used to love it so much. And it was my first anime, and my first fanfiction. Sure, it's not that great of anime at all, in fact in most ways it totally stinks, but...there's a lot of history there and fond memories. So yeah, I have love of SM.

Lol, I have to agree with you. Sailor Moon like I said is also the first anime I've seen and there's just something about I can't hate despite what everyone said. ^^

Re:

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Yup I watched them, I haven't finished them though, I can't remember, I think I'm halfway.

Ah, you have to finish! Both of those shows have great endings, and everything comes together with the finish.

Sailor Moon like I said is also the first anime I've seen and there's just something about I can't hate despite what everyone said.

If for no other reason I'll always love SM and DBZ just a little bit, because they brought so many other Westerners their first anime experience.