Fractale (Winter 2011 NoitaminA Series)

[Xard]

I think the perception was that people seem to remember only Nessa's antics and the main theme did not strike as clear to some watchers. I see points from both side -- quite a lot of things did happen but perhaps more could have happened, and I do see an attempt to give Nessa as much screen time as possible for us to "moe" over her character..

Well, personally speaking I was expecting this whole ep was to be spent introducing Nessa and establishing her as member of the cast and the world. So I was very surprised by the way they managed to fit in many other key developments. And yeah, one point of this episode was to sell Nessa's character to viewers. But honestly speaking I don't see how anyone could possibly resist her cuteness

I think the way anime tempered/made more subtle certain reactions in comparison to manga is important. I already mentioned changed depiction of Clain in the scene with his parents but it also affected Nessa too. In manga Nessa has something of a small scale breakdown after Clain leaves her. Now the same feelings and all present in anime too but they're shown much more subtly and if one misses the cues I guess one might see Nessa as nothing but cheerfullness during the whole episode.

Under the bubblyness Nessa is pure mystery. It most certainly was no coincidence she returned the moment Clain changed his mind, her abilities are weird and Moran obviously called her "key to the world" no less!

Not all Japanese are moe-addicts you know :) Japanese have a much higher tolerance (or demand) for moe, yes, but that does not mean that they want moe at every turn. I think the way Yamakan raised expectation that he is trying a new approach to the genre further shaped the fans' expectation and demand for moe. So when moe did show up, and in such energetic form, some actually felt the urge to reject it.

Ahh, I can see (and understand) that. Then again, supergenki characters have existed always.

Yes, Moran is voiced by Shimamoto Sumi, who voiced Nausicaa 26 years ago. That's why I gave the hint "Hear Hear" in my description As for 100% intentional -- this is exactly what the Japanese fans are saying. They think Yamakan is aiming too close to be like Ghibli. Some joked that whether he made this as an entry exam project for a post in Ghibli

I think there are two possibilities here:

- Yamakan is simply paying tribute to and homaging a huge source of inspiration

- allusion to Nausicaa is in some way crucial hint to Moran's character too.

Both options are very much intentional. Interesting...

and well, Ghibli has been in dire need for younger directors always so I'm sure they wouldn't mind

[toe mash]

Fractale is a pretty cool guy, eh fights the system and doesnt afraid of doppels.

Nessa was cute, but I'm really glad she didn't completely stuff the episode and instead not only did we get plot; but she was actually a nice device showing us Claine's changing his state of mind.
I wonder where they will go from here and how long it'll take till Phryne shows up again.

Also I was SURE they would mention something about his parents finding him basically browsing the internet for details about sex dolls. pffft

[Xard]

Also I was SURE they would mention something about his parents finding him basically browsing the internet for details about sex dolls. pffft

Don't go projecting your own experiences on anime you watch, toe mash

symbv, do you happen to know where I can access next ep previews? I didn't find them from official site

[toe mash]

I...uh...well...errr..umm....

By the way, maybe it's for the best that FUNi stopped streaming Fractale as watching this show in 360p should be considered a major crime of stupidity.

[symbv]

symbv, do you happen to know where I can access next ep previews? I didn't find them from official site

There is no next ep preview anywhere. Not shown on TV, not on the website. Seems Yamakan minds a lot about leaking information too soon
-- not sure if it is similar thinking that affects the streaming deal with Funimation....

By the way, maybe it's for the best that FUNi stopped streaming Fractale as watching this show in 360p should be considered a major crime of stupidity.

Actually I wonder what usually is the resolution for fansub anime? 360p? In TV all broadcast is now 1080p (yes, including crap variety shows and boring shows few people watch) but I wonder how it is like outside Japan.

[gwern]

Actually I wonder what usually is the resolution for fansub anime? 360p? In TV all broadcast is now 1080p (yes, including crap variety shows and boring shows few people watch) but I wonder how it is like outside Japan.

I can hardly speak for all fansubs or anything, but over the last 2 years or so, I've noticed that most new anime seems to be available in both 720p and 1080p torrents, with followup BluRay torrents in whatever.

[Mr. Tines]

Actually I wonder what usually is the resolution for fansub anime? 360p? In TV all broadcast is now 1080p

The low-res for streams is to keep bandwidth requirements down to a reasonable value; the raws used for fansubs are whatever is captured from the broadcast, with, on occasion, some gratuitous upscaling by the initial group. Downstream of that are the re-encoders who take the initial fansubbed video and make SD or thereabouts versions (with much smaller file sizes).

[symbv]

The manga of FRACTALE came out today. As seen the hair color of Phryne and Nessa is PURPLE


One of the authors is credited "Mandelbrot Engine". Not sure if there is actually a group/person with this pen name, or they are crediting some fractal image generation software......

And I bought a copy of FRAnken fran manga sitting next to it

[Defectron]

Watched the first ep, better then I was expecting, Certainly the best anime of the year so far. The first episode reminded me a lot nadia.

[Sachi]

I just watched the second episode and now I'm completely engrossed into this world. It's light-hearted, adventurous, and to this point well-done. I can't wait to see more.

[cyharding]

And now Funi's stream is back up. That was quick.

[symbv]

YAMAKAN JUST ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENTfrom the blogsphere

Since many people here do not read Japanese, I put the /a/ thread here

[Oz]

Oh you, symbv. You have already mastered the art of minor trolling.

[MotionBlue]

I enjoy Fractale too, the episodes so far have exuded a very Ghibli-like sense of impending venture.

[child of Lilith]

And now Funi's stream is back up. That was quick.

Nice to see commonsense prevail every once in awhile.

[symbv]

FRACTALE EP.3

Just finished watching Fractale Ep.3. A lot happened (well, Nessa and Clain were taken to Enri's base after all) but somehow I got a feeling that not much happened -- perhaps quite a lot were what I had expected? Hmm.... taste of soup... Nessa do not eat... (but can sleep it seems)...

BUT THEN.... WHAT... This is Yamakan's answer to Shinbo's Peulla Magi Madoka Magika Ep.3 ??!!

[EvaCub]

FRACTALE EP.3

BUT THEN.... WHAT... This is Yamakan's answer to Shinbo's Peulla Magi Madoka Magika Ep.3 ??!!

haha what do you mean?

[symbv]

haha what do you mean?

SPOILER: Show

I mean same as Shinbo in Puella Magi Madoka Magika, Yamakan introduced slaughter and death in Episode 3. Showing blood spilt and characters dying quickly and suddenly at such early stage should terminate earlier talk about Fractale being a copy of Laputa or Nadia. It caught me a bit by surprise. I think this is Yamakan's idea of "doing something new" but I was a bit underwhelmed, whereas PMMM I felt shock and awe and fear. Perhaps my experience with PMMM clouded my judgement, but somehow the fight scene does not feel right. I don't mind the fight scene does not have much flair or intensity -- Fractale is not supposed to provide this. But I don't feel much when a minor character was blown away a couple of old women (whom I am supposed to think of as "bad guys" manipulating people), and a few "innocent bystanders" were shot down. Actually with the guerilla ill-thought assault, I would be surprised to see only a dozen people seemed to be killed in the crossfire (yes I counted). Anyway, even though they said it was a Big and Important Ceremony, not that many had gathered, perhaps that explains the low casualty? And given the history of terrorist attacks by Granites and their ilks I would expect a stronger defense by the temple. Anyway, I am still not yet convinced the Temple and the Fractale system is all bad, and it seems to me the Granites look more like a bunch of rash ill-conceived Luddite anarchists. Putting taste of bean soup as an advantage of living a "antique" lifestyle in the screenplay is an easy thing to do... Yamakan tried to be audacious but it did not give me the push I was hoping for. It is still entertaining enough to watch though, if only for Nessa and the beautiful background art...

And how I hated Phyrne's seiyuu voice. Her prayer just gave me shivers in my ears...

Some interesting things though -- I came into thinking Nessa is Doppel of Phyrne, but wow there is actually a real Nessa !! And besides the question of who can touch a Doppel there is also a question of why Nessa's Doppel seems to so different from the actual person's personality (the real one seems a quiet and introverted type). And there is a question of why ability to see a Doppel is connected to having a Fractale Terminal...

[Merridian]

BUT THEN.... WHAT... This is Yamakan's answer to Shinbo's Peulla Magi Madoka Magika Ep.3 ??!!

No. Or, it's highly highly unlikely.

And I don't see how this episode terminates any talk about Fractale owing to Ghiblesque adventure stories. In fact, I think this episode is one of the most Miyazaki-like episodes of the show so far. It's getting good & weird & dark. Although it wasn't fantastically handled, the massacre here did provide an ounce of levity in a series that still hasn't completely established its dynamic yet.

Actually with the guerilla ill-thought assault, I would be surprised to see only a dozen people seemed to be killed in the crossfire (yes I counted). Anyway, even though they said it was a Big and Important Ceremony, not that many had gathered, perhaps that explains the low casualty? And given the history of terrorist attacks by Granites and their ilks I would expect a stronger defense by the temple.

In the first episode, it's revealed that a lot of the "town" consists of doppels, and the second episode follows that up with a city filled with empty buildings & streets. If there are ceremonies like this in every "commune" or settlement, it's likely that these gatherings vary in size according to their locations. Rural Irelandish Place of the Future is just somewhat vacant. It isn't much of a leap to assume that there simply aren't many people hanging around, either.

Anyway, I am still not yet convinced the Temple and the Fractale system is all bad, and it seems to me the Granites look more like a bunch of rash ill-conceived Luddite anarchists. Putting taste of bean soup as an advantage of living a "antique" lifestyle in the screenplay is an easy thing to do... Yamakan tried to be audacious but it did not give me the push I was hoping for.

At only three episodes in, I can't make any judgment call like this. I'm hoping for some crazy moral dilemma presented at the end (a la Nausicaä, but not to same degree given concerns of relative length of Fractale), but I'm not sure Yamakan's gonna go that route. Something tells me it'll involve Nessa shutting down the Fractale system and sacrificing herself, but I'd like to see something less mundane and cliché than that...

And how I hated Phyrne's seiyuu voice. Her prayer just gave me shivers in my ears...

Given that look she has just prior to credits rolling, those shivers may have been intentional.

[symbv]

No. Or, it's highly highly unlikely

I used that phrase to dramatise my feeling :) Of course Yamakan would not have known what Shinbo had planned in PMMM but it is interesting to see that both said they wanted a new approach and both independently put slaughter and death in Ep.3 Obviously both think Ep.3 is the right timing to change direction to something darker and surprise the audience. However since the sequence of broadcast had PMMM came first it looks as if Yamakan is putting something like a reply :)

And I don't see how this episode terminates any talk about Fractale owing to Ghiblesque adventure stories. In fact, I think this episode is one of the most Miyazaki-like episodes of the show so far.

What I had in mind was talk about how it was like earlier works of Miyazaki like Conan or Laputa. Of course later Miyazaki's film like Mononoke had blood spilling etc, but in Laputa or Conan danger always lurks but you did not see people, much less a character with a name, got shot with blood spurting out right in front of you one quarter into the anime. And the fact that they showed (apparently) unarmed old women being slaughtered does not follow the usual way Laputa/Conan presented. Well, if Butcher turned out to be actually alive in the next episode, yeah, it may be (early) Miyazaki-like after all~~~~

In the first episode, it's revealed that a lot of the "town" consists of doppels, and the second episode follows that up with a city filled with empty buildings & streets. If there are ceremonies like this in every "commune" or settlement, it's likely that these gatherings vary in size according to their locations.

True, but they seem to be aiming for a key one, right? It is one which Phyrne and real Nessa attended. And from the reactions of those priestesses in the Temple when Phyrne gone missing, Phyrne should be an important figure to attend any ceremony. With her participation I would expect the security would have been even stronger, particularly given her earlier history of running away.

At only three episodes in, I can't make any judgment call like this.

The worry is (and I am sharing with some bloggers in Japan) that the pace may have to quicken A LOT in the late stage to make up for the leisurely moe time spent in the first 2.5 episodes.

Something tells me it'll involve Nessa shutting down the Fractale system and sacrificing herself, but I'd like to see something less mundane and cliché than that...

What makes you think it will be Nessa who sacrifices herself, not Phyrne? Because Phyrne is destined to be a couple with Clain?

What I hope for is some kind of conclusion like Mononoke -- meaning neither side is entirely right or entirely wrong. There are merits on both sides, and human cannot survive without taking something from both and learn how to take the balance. As I said I am still not convinced that Granites are on the right -- Sunda's passionate exclamation only made him and his cause look simple-minded.