Shuffle v10: eps 19/20 -- why Shuffle rulz! [Archive]

View Full Version : Shuffle v10: eps 19/20 -- why Shuffle rulz!

treatment

08-06-2006, 09:21 PM

Yeah. I finished the dvd-version right now.

These pair of episodes were the most memorable and most talked-about during Shuffle's broadcast-run. Ep-19 was where Shuffle broke away from the standard harem-anime and established itself as series to be reckon with and compared against.

I remember when everybody following the series was totally shocked on how ep-19 and ep-20 went. No one expected Shuffle to be that intense and stuff. You'll remember surprising phrases being posted such as

Shuffle pulls a KimiNozo!

OMFG! Kaede went SEED mode!

Orange vs Green. FIGHT!

etc, etc, etc...

Shuffle's fanbase quickly increased significantly and it was the talk of the circuit for weeks to come. Alot of them couldn't even wait for the various translations. The color-camps were quickly established and the fan-rivalries were intense and extreme.

It was that awesome. It raised the bar on harem-anime. Every other high-profile bishoujo/harem/romance anime ever since tried to copy or emulate these episodes from Shuffle, but most (if not all) of them failed to ignite such impact. Them other series weren't even close.

Watching it again now since it's broadcast-run from months ago, it still hasn't lost it's great impact. Not to me, at least. It was just so well-done and so well-executed. Personally, I still think Rin's gay for reacting the way he did. It would've been a better dilemma and an even better storyline to pursue and conclude had he just gone manly on ep20. /images/graemlins/relief.gif

Yeah. These particular episodes (19/20) were the primary reason why Shuffle's a great series and alot of us are highly-anticipating the R1-version with high expectations for the english-version.

Shiroi Hane

08-07-2006, 06:27 AM

Wow, it's like buses... no Shuffle threads for agse then two turn up at once.

The Great Bear

08-07-2006, 08:26 AM

I have the disk but haven't had the chance to watch it just yet. Now, I'll have to make the time.

relentlessflame

08-07-2006, 09:18 AM

[ QUOTE ]
treatment said:
Yeah. These particular episodes (19/20) were the primary reason why Shuffle's a great series and alot of us are highly-anticipating the R1-version with high expectations for the english-version.

[/ QUOTE ]
In fact, although I liked Shuffle, I'm one of the few people who quite detested what they did with these two episodes. /images/graemlins/sweat200.gif This is where the show totally diverged from its game roots - many say it "exceeded its genre" by doing so, but the transition to "suspense thriller" just didn't sit well with me. And, in fact, I felt that it's a high that took away from the show's actual climax. It seemed to me like a blatant ploy/gimmick to attract more attention to itself (one that worked like a charm, I might add). So, although I liked Shuffle (enough to buy all the R2s, no less), I approach DVD 10 with some measure of dread, despite the fact that I know that 99%+ of other fans felt this was the show's best part. I'll certainly grant that, as standalone episodes, they're quite entertaining.

Anyway... don't mean to start a debate over it (heaven knows there were enough debates on the subject at the time), but just another point of view. Still glad to have Shuffle on my shelf, in spite of it all.

treatment

08-07-2006, 01:32 PM

[ QUOTE ]
The Great Bear said:
I have the disk but haven't had the chance to watch it just yet. Now, I'll have to make the time.

[/ QUOTE ]

oh, you haven't seen it the eps, yet?

all i can say is....ehehehe. /images/graemlins/devil.gif

post back to what you think of it.

The Great Bear

08-08-2006, 12:53 PM

[ QUOTE ]
treatment said:
oh, you haven't seen it the eps, yet?

all i can say is....ehehehe. /images/graemlins/devil.gif

post back to what you think of it.

[/ QUOTE ]

OOooooooooooooooooo...Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. O_o

(EDIT: added some spoiler tags, just in case).

Granted, I don't watch fansubs, and my knowledge of Japanese is non-existent beyond some basic phrases and common words, so I don't know 100% what is going on, but I do know the basics by reading summaries in anime blogs (I rely on Random Curiosity for SHUFFLE).

Wow. Kaede is quite the little psycho, isn't she? The box cutter scene really hammers that home.

Actually, I have to admit that I guessed that Kaede was going to throw herself at Rin, though doing it while fully naked right out of the bath was not how I thought it was going to happen.

And it does look like Kaede is headed back toward psycho-land, especially judging by her pupils in the last scene, when Rin tells her that he's going to leave home.

So, an Asa ending (actually, I already knew this before from reading the blogs, but I purposely try to forget it while watching each "new" episode), but they still need to wrap up Kaede's storyline. 

On a complete tangent, do you think that Ama Shigure is meant to fit the "catgirl" slot on the show? Those bandana/handkerchief hats she wears, while I see them all the time in both live action and anime, seem to look deliberately like cat ears on her (not to mention that the one she wears in the flashbacks to Asa's childhood is, I think, shaped like a cat and has a tail). After all, we have other standard "fetishes" on display: the childhood friend, the loli, the "elf" ears, girls with unnaturally large breasts (Nerine especially), as well as recently now a split personality and a psycho, so I figure all they really needed to add was a catgirl.

On another side note, there was more Kureha. Always happy to have more Kureha.

treatment

08-08-2006, 05:26 PM

[ QUOTE ]
The Great Bear said:

On a complete tangent, do you think that Ama Shigure is meant to fit the "catgirl" slot on the show? Those bandana/handkerchief hats she wears, while I see them all the time in both live action and anime, seem to look deliberately like cat ears on her (not to mention that the one she wears in the flashbacks to Asa's childhood is, I think, shaped like a cat and has a tail). After all, we have other standard "fetishes" on display: the childhood friend, the loli, the "elf" ears, girls with unnaturally large breasts (Nerine especially), as well as recently now a split personality and a psycho, so I figure all they really needed to add was a catgirl.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh, you'll see a bonafide catgirl in Shuffle soon. And she's damn cute as a catgirl, too. neko primula

[ QUOTE ]
On another side note, there was more Kureha. Always happy to have more Kureha.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like Kareha, too. She's like eternally dazed and confused or something. Nothing fazes her at all. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

pianocello

08-08-2006, 07:41 PM

So does the DVD expand on the nude scenes with extra animation?

The Great Bear

08-08-2006, 07:48 PM

[ QUOTE ]
piano_cello_conducting said:
So does the DVD expand on the nude scenes with extra animation?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think someone else who's seen the "broadcast" version can answer this better, but I did notice one scene in the DVD version where it looked like things have been deliberately lightened Kaede in Rin's bed. It looks like shadows had been deliberately lightened, since there is kind of what looks like a circle of somewhat lighter skin tone on her than the surrounding area. 

Whether they changed the animation or not, I can't tell you.

treatment

08-08-2006, 08:19 PM

[ QUOTE ]
The Great Bear said:
[ QUOTE ]
piano_cello_conducting said:
So does the DVD expand on the nude scenes with extra animation?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think someone else who's seen the "broadcast" version can answer this better, but I did notice one scene in the DVD version where it looked like things have been deliberately lightened Kaede in Rin's bed. It looks like shadows had been deliberately lightened, since there is kind of what looks like a circle of somewhat lighter skin tone on her than the surrounding area. 

Whether they changed the animation or not, I can't tell you.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't have the broadcast-version anymore to take comparison-shots. Besides, I won't be able to post 'em, anyway.