CriticalOtaku

Started collecting and reading what're the Viz translations of Steel Ball Run bcos the anime is coming

It's peak

I trust Fujimoto. Part 3 incoming.

I went into this a bit elsewhere in the thread, but I think the point is that this is a setting where the innate human desire to empathize, to form bonds with others, can be a weakness.

Ok, but what does this have to do with the core theme of the fleeting beauty of impermanent life? If the author is trying to emphasize the beauty of empathy and bonds, why introduce a Talking Points USA counterpoint that empathy is a weakness, that we have to be selective in our empathy and only empathize with the right people? Why is it ok to empathize with Elves or Dwarves or Humans, but not Demons? Why is it only this specific race of people who will take advantage of your empathy, and not, y'know some human bandits or something? How does this serve the narrative, or what narrative could it be pushing intentionally or otherwise?

I think it's there just to enhance the immersion in the challenge the characters are facing.

Ok, but why does it have to be a little girl demon specifically tho. Why can't the challenge be a dragon or a magic plant. Why does the moral of the story have to be "You can't empathize with everything"? Why is Frieren killing a little girl demon framed as heroic? Isn't that kinda fucked up? What purpose does that serve in the larger narrative?

They literally do not know the meanings of the words they say, or have any concept of the empathy which those words exploit. They are no more civilized or more sentient than the mimics or the ghost-mimics or the wolves or the giant plant. They just evolved into the niche of looking like they are, because that makes people easier to hunt.

Ok, but... if they're just supposed to be monsters, why go out of the way to present them as people. Like, if you need a thinking opponent why invent an entire race biologically so neurodivergent they're predisposed towards evil and not just like, make Frieren fight other mages taking an exam or something idk.

Where is the connection?

So, sometimes, what fascists do is they write stories where the lies they tell in real life are completely justified in the fictional world they create. They do this in order to spread their lies, because people who just take things at face value uncritically will knowingly or not internalize their ideas.

Yes, you laid out the diegetic argument for why the demons aren't people, which is true according to the story's logic. That's a Thermian Argument.

I'm asking why the story is written that way in the first place. I'm criticizing it because it didn't need to have been written this way at all.

Of course I know that Demons and Palestinians are two different things. Why can I make the comparison between what you wrote and IDF propaganda in the first place though? Other shows don't leave the wiggle room for that kind of comparison.

Why does the story about celebrating the fleeting impermanence of life need an antagonistic race of people that are somehow biologically in-universe what right wingers accuse people from the global south of being, and must be exterminated on sight? Who is this story for?

You're saying with so many words that I have no media literacy. Maybe that's true. But please tell me then-

Why is framing the antagonists in this way necessary?

What themes or aspects of the story does this explore, that is integral to the core theme of exploring the beauty of the fleeting nature of life?

What does the story gain from including a scene where our heroic protagonist implores her party to... kill a little girl demon? And then why does the story go out of its way to justify the protagonist's point of view as ultimately the only correct one?

(Hell, just straight up- why is the "monster" a little girl? Like, why did the author choose to portray the monster as a little girl? What was the purpose of this entire detour in the story? Was it really necessary to draw "nits make lice" comparisons, intentional or not?)

In all your other examples, the monsters are unthinking magical beasts, and no one is going to quibble about the ethics of self-defense in a wild animal attack. The demons on the other hand are presented as a civilized race capable of higher thought, except that they are biologically predisposed towards lying and magic fascism, so the only rational action on encountering one is to exterminate it.

If they're just monsters, why does the author have to go out of their way to present them as civilized sentient beings? Can't they just be monsters? What narrative purpose does this serve? Why did the author choose to write the antagonists like this?

Show: This is a monster that pretends to be a harmless stranger. It's ok to kill it because it's trying to kill you.

Comrade, do you not see the similarities with what you wrote here to what Israeli's say about Palestinians?

There's a refreshing fantasy story about the fleeting impermanence of life that's marred by the author's intentional-or-otherwise take that because some sentient fantasy races are just born evil due to biology they must be exterminated. That's not subtext, just the plain text.

There are cool/good parts of the show I like and there are parts that I don't like and take issue with. It's weird that you've just straight up invented a guy to strawman and squash all the nuance here.

Why is it that every time someone's even a little bit critical of the treats here no one has the humility to say "Huh, I didn't think of it like that, maybe I'll consider your point of view?" instead of "Quit showing off your media literacy degree you wokescold!" It's exhausting.

I thought UlyssesT ended Treatlerism single-handedly when he went at it with the Game of Thrones fans on Hexbear all those years ago but guess not. Permanent Cultural Revolution! No Treat is Above Criticism!

Edit: Hell, I'm not even opposed to Frieren emojis or anything. Do what y'all want, even if I won't use them

No one knows yet. The trailer makes it seem like a sequel tho

Oh my God.

Snoopy is a Char clone.

Edit: Oh wait no he fights the Red Baron sorry Snoopy is an Amuro clone

Idk arena fighters just don’t do it for me.

If they shut down the 2xko servers I’ll just go back to strive since I can’t stand street fighter’s shuffle dance footsies lol

I mean sure, but MvC3 with all the QoL stuff from the last few years of fighting games development sounds super appealing... to me.

Which is kinda the heart of the problem I'm trying to get at, just cause I'm not Saudi Arabia and I can't single-handedly fund rito games means that when through some miracle we do get something that only appeals to me and a handful of others nostalgic for the arcade days the execs are gonna pull the ripcord

Nah, I disagree. 2xko’s the only game that’s come out recently to even come close to capturing the magic of Marvel vs. Capcom. It’s got the sauce, mostly because the devs (who are getting sacked now) are og fgc old heads who know tag and anime fighters. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but we were probably 1 or 2 balance patches away from something really special, like just tone down the combo length and we’re g dawg.

Like Sajam said, why can’t we just make sick ass fighting games? Why we gotta cater to the taste’s of the lowest common denominator all the time? Just cause something made with love and care goes into a small niche and won’t make gang busters, we gotta kill it?

(Also to be clear, your ideas sound cool, but I don’t think not taking an even more experimental approach is the issue here when rito is pulling the plug cause their $$160 Arcane skin packs aren’t selling)

Cross Ange is the horniest straight man writing out all his fetishes and accidentally creating a bi-icon.

I have never been closer to

in my entire life

When my need to roleplay as a historian for a fictional narrative supersedes the enjoyment I derive from experiencing said fiction as its creators intended

Most Gundam series are great, the worst one was probably Seed (and it's sequel series Destiny) but that was by-and-large mostly just mid more than anything.

Just a heads up, Gundam is split into Alternate Universe series that are standalone and as such don't need any context to jump into (Gundam Wing, Gundam Witch from Mercury as examples); and the Universal Century timeline, which is one continuous series of stories taking place in the same universe. Part of this meme is that there's a loooooot of U.C. Gundam to get through, although I'll standby recommending the original Gundam as a timeless classic.

I’m pretty sure it’ll be on Netflix, I’m still kinda sad that either I missed the the theatrical release of the first movie or it didn’t come to my country because the sound design in the first movie was amazing and I would have loved to experience it in a theatre

Also lol Hathaway please we need you to lead the revolution against the corrupt Federation government please keep it in your pants please I’m begging you

Oh aye, but I thought that was a given lol

Ok, long story short-

CSM S1 is Ryu Nakayama's directorial debut. He decides on a more filmic/cinematic grounded style that goes over poorly with the Japanese audience. (To be fair there's some valid criticism here, I think most of the audience was expecting an adaptation much closer to Fujimoto's sketchy manga style like in the Reze arc or Look Back movies).

After the public backlash, some stuff goes down at MAPPA that we're not privy too, and Nakayama leaves to form his own anime studio. Which, well, sucks but ok.

What’s messed up is in the lead up to the Reze movie's release, MAPPA released a heavily edited compilation movie of S1 (like to the point where they re-did the voiceover work), but struck Nakayama from the credits.

thread if you want to get into it more Take some of the claims made in that thread with a grain of salt tho.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh the teaser is so peaaaaaaak

Finally getting

animated

I don't have nice things to say about Mappa after how JJK S2 went down production-wise and how they treated Chainsaw Man S1's director but I can feel my principles leaving my body over the trailer's runtime ahhhhhh why does capitalism suck so much...

CriticalOtaku [he/him]

@ CriticalOtaku @hexbear.net

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CriticalOtaku [he/him]

What have you been reading/watching recently? [Anime - March 2026]

Chainsaw Man Part 2 by Tatsuki Fujimoto will be ending with Chapter 232 on March 25th at Shonen Jump+ App.

haha

haha

haha

New Evangelion Series Announced

New Evangelion Series Announced

What's he writing?

Riot Games lays off roughly 80 employees from 2XKO team

Riot Games lays off roughly 80 employees from 2XKO team

From the new Helldivers 2 update promo.

Riot Games lays off roughly 80 employees from 2XKO team

Permanently Deleted

Hey, Fred! Give me a mecha story with...

4chan's Chris "Moot" Poole created /pol/ immediately after meeting Jeff Epstein

Chronological Order isn't great though

Chronological Order isn't great though

Chronological Order isn't great though

Opening Theme Song: Snooze by SZA | Special Trailer for “GUNDAM HATHAWAY The Sorcery of Nymph Circe”

Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia | Teaser PV

Chainsaw Man – Assassins Arc Official Teaser

Chainsaw Man – Assassins Arc Official Teaser

Chainsaw Man – Assassins Arc Official Teaser

CHAINSAW MAN – THE MOVIE: REZE ARC - Official Trailer

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Gets New 10-Episode Anime Series on Netflix

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 12 FINAL Discussion

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 10 Discussion

The Rose of Sharon- Wait a minute (GQuuuuuuX spoilers)

Chainsawman #182

Chainsawman #174

Satire Without Purpose Will Wander In Dark Places