Something tells me that Amagami SS looks like a generic harem with ideal archetypes. On the other hand, after I watched this episode, I enjoyed it. Is this the “guilty pleasure” anime I was watching? It sure is since Amagami doesn’t have the greatest character development. It has the over the top situations where the male lead and/or the girl do silly things that make the show sound so funny and enjoyable. Even some people can’t admit that they enjoy the absurdity of the actions in Amagami. However, that is okay since it’s a guilty pleasure after all? Right?
In Chapter Three of Haruka’s arc, we are shown two outrageous scenes. They aren’t really ecchi in nature, but they are pretty outlandish. The first scene shows Tachibana taking Haruka to a shed not far away from school. In the shed, he kissed not on the lips, but on the back of Haruka’s legs like a puppy. The way that Tachibana kisses her leg is so absurd and silly that I couldn’t help but laugh. It looks so abnormal because most couples kiss on the lips, not in back of a leg or on the brow area. It seems that all the girls in this show just don’t like to kiss on the lips. This is what makes these girls strange.
The second scene shows Tachibana having a bowl of Ramen and Haruka eating it like a hostage. The reactions from the students in the cafeteria were rather funny. I would be shocked if I see someone feed them like that. After watching that scene, I found that the kidnapper roleplaying absurd, but funny. This scene pretty much gave the excitement that the series desperately need.
Lastly, I laughed at Haruka who tried to act like a cat girl. It’s no surprise since AIC also animated the rather mediocre Mayoi Neko Overrun.
Overall, I didn’t think Episode 3 was bad at all. The absurdity of the stuff Tachibana do to excite Haruka is the main reason why the show is enjoyable. I feel that the strength of the show is not the character’s archetypes, but in the plot since it pretty much drives the silly scenes in the show.
Unfortunately, Episode three of Amagami opens the Pandora’s box of the misguided hate of the show. Pete Zaitcev of Ani-Nouto pretty much sums up chaostangent’s misguided rant of Amagami SS rather nicely to the likes of the K-ON! misguided hate. There are others like Kurogane who defends the show. Lastly, there are some like loikitsune (aka Flak) that absolutely adores the show. I simply don’t get why some people hate Amagami SS like they do with K-ON. I suppose it’s alright to criticize or praise the show as long it’s done in a proper manner. Disliking the show does not make one a hater. However, mindless bashing and bashing of people who like the show is hating. This is pretty much why haters are going to hate and there is no stopping them, but it’s unfair to categorize people who don’t like the anime in the same group as haters. It’s simply not fair.
Do I like or dislike Amagami SS? I’m pretty neutral to it. I also think Amagami is a rather enjoyable show. There are some issues like the pacing of Haruka’s story and the iffy animation that could be a concern, but everything else, especially the comedy is what makes the show fun to watch. It may not be good as the well-known romance visual novel adaptations like true tears for example. On the other hand, I think this one has potential from what I had seen in the last two episodes. I hope they continue this trend as they move on to the next story that focuses on a different girl. If they do, I can be confident that Amagami SS will turn out to be a decent series to watch.
I’m just curious as to why chaostangent’s taking so much flak for disliking this show. I obviously haven’t seen it myself, but I’m really getting annoyed of people getting branded as haters when all they do is express distaste for any given anime series. Are his complaints legitimate? Are they way off? I mean, opinions are opinions after all. =P
It probably won’t help Amagami’s cause that I (until recently) had expectations of this show being at the caliber of Kimikiss, a show that I enjoyed very much. It’s certainly looking to fall really short of those expectations.
That is a good question. It really depends on the context of the opinion. The reason that could be since it’s so similar to the hating of K-ON. There are always going to be people who don’t bother watching the show and hate on it.
From my standpoint, chaostangent analysis of the series is way too negative that some people feel this way. It’s nothing really to go seriously about since it’s a show after all. It’s okay to not like the show and criticize the show for what it’s worth as long it’s fair and intelligent. However, mindless bashing we seen with K-ON is not acceptable.
In the end, opinions are opinions after all… There is no right or wrong answer… But which one offends the most? So yeah, I may have misstepped a little bit and it’s not meant to offend anyone.
Well, some people take movies seriously. Just ask most movie critics who write in major newspapers =p So there’s no reason why there can’t people who look at anime on that kind of level.
My big takeaway on what chaostangent wrote is that he really didn’t like the show and you can tell that from the way he emphatically worded his thoughts. That’s fine, he’s entitled to his opinion and if nothing else, he really seems to come from a well-informed standpoint: he’s seen a lot of anime, seen a wide variety of anime, does not hate the romance genre or have any implicit biases against it, and gave Amagami a fair shot. In other words, it’s not mindless bashing.
I mean, I group myself in with the people who really really dislike K-ON so I kinda feel the sting when people assume that my dislike of the show is mindless when I have (defensible) reasons for why I dislike it.
That seems about right and I don’t think he is a hater. Its pretty much like when I harshly criticized Mayoi Neko Overrun. Does that mean I am a hater? No.
I do criticism both positive and negative and I respect peoples opinions. If a person dislike the show, it doesn’t make them a hater unless they start bashing the fans who like or enjoy it. That is when it crosses the line.
On K-ON, I do enjoy the show, but I nor love or hate it. I just think there are better shows out there in the same category.
Oh yeah, I rewrote that section to make it a bit more clearer.
Because of purple prose and deletion of negative comments, meaning he’s not interested in discussion but only in pontification..
(Notes by chikorita157: In short, Chaostangent was deleting comments from people who don’t agree with him, thus ruining his creditability on his blog. Mentar mentions this in his comment at Kurogane’s Anime Blog.)
In response to “why are people having a cow about ct’s hate of Amagami”—I don’t think anyone’s actually opposed to his opinion, just his method. I for one approve greatly both of disliking things and of bashing them. ct however goes a bit too far into the pretentious lane, imho.
Which is great, because it electrifies people on both sides—”why do I like this allegedly crass shit?” or better yet, “how can someone hate this thing I love?” etc.
I’m loving the ‘shitfest’, if it can even be considered such, though it’s kinda lame insofar as most people seem to be more in the middling “errr, why do people care SO MUCH” camp. This is in large part why I want people to tag themselves as haters or lovers on Melative. 😉
Either way, Amagami has already become funny in the ‘sphere.
Mission Accomplished
Also, no amount of hate for K-ON! is unjustified or mindless or indefensible.
(This is coming from a K-ON! lover. The show sucks balls, and any love anyone has for it is in spite of its suckage.)
The story is never that strong in K-ON and it never would… The girls is what drives the show basically since it’s a character driven show after all… It’s mainly a show filled with slice of life comedy, nothing else.
If you compare K-ON! to Sora no Woto, it’s no doubt that Sora no Woto is better since it has better plot and content.
I think comparing SnW and K-ON! is pretty silly. The former tries to do two things and fails at at least one of them. The latter tries to do one thing and succeeds.
That said, obviously K-ON!’s flaws are not in its lack of story. Anyone who thinks that that’s where the criticism lies is dead wrong.
I mean, there’s an entire slice of life genre in anime… and it’s pretty popular (at least in Japan, what with Aria’s third season doing extremely well IIRC).
Even some people can’t admit that they enjoy the absurdity of the actions in Amagami. However, that is okay since it’s a guilty pleasure after all? Right?
fufufu, no need to justify it though.. It is what it is; a ridiculous setup, but lolz to be had 😀