summercomfort (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
summercomfort) wrote2007-02-09 10:18 pm
summercomfort) wrote2007-02-09 10:18 pm
Yakitate!
So, I've been sick with the stomach flu for the last few days and not really making it to STEP. (I *have* managed to make it to school, though, so as not to mess up the pacing of the class. Plus I don't want to leave my kids to someone else just yet). I think the most miserable thing about the stomach flu is that, well, it attacks your stomach, so you can't eat anything really worth eating. It's been congee and bananas for the last few days, but today I feel slightly better, and so had some more complex foods. Yay food!
On the other hand, I took the opportunity of lying sick in bed to watch some of that Yakitate! Japan stuff. So I watched to the end of the newcomers' battle, and then jumped to the end and watched eps 64-69.
Overall reaction.... meh.
1) It may just be my short attention span, but the reaction schtick gets really old by ep.20 or so. So when one hits an episode-long reaction in ep 68, it's like... wtf enough already.
2) Same with the puns. Or rather, the fact that all the reactions become about puns, and not really about the bread itself.
3) The flattening of characters. As the show progressed, it became more and more about Azuma. Kawachi, and then Kanrei just fell by the wayside. Everyone just became spectators to the Azuma show, which was really sad. It was around the time of Kawachi's 'fro that he turned into an utter clown, with little ambition or personality of his own. :(. Tsukino, who is supposed to be the girl whose kindness inspires Azuma to win (very much the lady for the knight, untouchable and pristine), seems to transition from french-bread-baking, bakery-owner schoolgirl to wibbly character on the sidelines. wtf, man.
4) One of the redeeming qualities is when the focus returns to bread-making. Seriously, shounen series work much better when they stop trying to do character (un)development and focus on the passion of the show, be it bread, go, or tennis.
A basic Yakitate dual-episode (eps 2-3 is one bread, eps 4-5 is another) starts with "OMG Azuma can't possibly win b/c his opponent is the best at this category. >insert 15 minute exposition and setup<" Then it's "OMG Azuma is doing something weird again. Let's doubt his ability to win" And then it's "OMG Azuma might possibly win!" Followed by "OMG TEH REACTION" followed by "OMG Azuma did the impossible again!! >insert bread explanation<" Bah, I say, bah.
In other news, lots of grading and catchup work this weekend. :(
On the other hand, I took the opportunity of lying sick in bed to watch some of that Yakitate! Japan stuff. So I watched to the end of the newcomers' battle, and then jumped to the end and watched eps 64-69.
Overall reaction.... meh.
1) It may just be my short attention span, but the reaction schtick gets really old by ep.20 or so. So when one hits an episode-long reaction in ep 68, it's like... wtf enough already.
2) Same with the puns. Or rather, the fact that all the reactions become about puns, and not really about the bread itself.
3) The flattening of characters. As the show progressed, it became more and more about Azuma. Kawachi, and then Kanrei just fell by the wayside. Everyone just became spectators to the Azuma show, which was really sad. It was around the time of Kawachi's 'fro that he turned into an utter clown, with little ambition or personality of his own. :(. Tsukino, who is supposed to be the girl whose kindness inspires Azuma to win (very much the lady for the knight, untouchable and pristine), seems to transition from french-bread-baking, bakery-owner schoolgirl to wibbly character on the sidelines. wtf, man.
4) One of the redeeming qualities is when the focus returns to bread-making. Seriously, shounen series work much better when they stop trying to do character (un)development and focus on the passion of the show, be it bread, go, or tennis.
A basic Yakitate dual-episode (eps 2-3 is one bread, eps 4-5 is another) starts with "OMG Azuma can't possibly win b/c his opponent is the best at this category. >insert 15 minute exposition and setup<" Then it's "OMG Azuma is doing something weird again. Let's doubt his ability to win" And then it's "OMG Azuma might possibly win!" Followed by "OMG TEH REACTION" followed by "OMG Azuma did the impossible again!! >insert bread explanation<" Bah, I say, bah.
In other news, lots of grading and catchup work this weekend. :(
no subject
I hope you feel better soon! I'm glad you've progressed beyond congee and bananas. Maybe to banana congee? Or banana-not-banana congee?