A tale of melty-cheese.
I have to admit, there is only one series that must come on without fail as soon as possible after it finishes downloading. That is this one. It’s also the one series that turns me instantly into a massive cheeseball ready to whip out the stupidest pseudo-writerly nonsense my fingers can manage to type. I stare, riveted, allowing ef’s now tried-and-true methods to work on me: red herrings, surprise appearance of the OP, stained-glass visuals, and extreme melodrama that even Key can’t front on.
Random-ish thoughts
- Australia, lols.
- Nagi seems to have given up easily. While Kei took until the climax to admit that she wasn’t The One, Nagi really seemed to let it go. Is that because she’s just a bridge between series (as Hiro’s sister) or because she’s not really done yet? Would be a shame if the show came and went with her just being “Hiro’s naked sister.”
- Am I missing something? Did I not stare riveted enough? Who did all that raping and beating on Yuuko — was it Amamiya? She did call him her “brother,” didn’t she? What a monster scene, though.
- Mizuki-chan kinda sucks. She’s just a flighty little girl who’s as easily swayed toward crushing on Kei as she is “falling in love” with Kuze. Is this why Kuze sent her away? Or does he really believe that one or both of them will be irreparably damaged by his little about-to-die scenario?
- Blacking out of faces seems to be used for different purposes. When Yuuko is all black, I thought it was because her true self was hidden from Himura.
I think this is a big reason why I love ef. I can come up with this list (or a much bigger one; see TheBigN’s MAL blog) and have a discussion with people or even just a mental exercise with myself. Like a good novel or piece of experimental music, ef requires a little active participation.
If I’m obligated to say something critical, I have to mention that it’s almost too similar to the previous series. But ef: memories didn’t get by on whack-tastic visual effects alone; there was a gripping story there. The Anno-esque (thanks Martin) phone card scene would not have worked without a character like Miyako there to support it. Now that we’re fully embroiled in the current storylines — what a wild, guilt-filled ride last episode — I totally expect the impossibly tight drama to unfold. And hopefully ef delivers a second time.
And regardless of what I said about active participation, that doesn’t quite extend to predictions for me. I don’t like to speculate on where ef will go. I’d much rather soak it in. Because regardless of the story’s twists and turns, it’s about execution and characters for me. Watching the characters, enjoying the pretentious dialog, taking in the visuals and wondering whether this or that is symbolic or red herring. That’s the fun.
Few figures in animation are more divisive than Wackiyuki Akiyuki Shinbo, studio head and famously iconoclastic director at SHAFT animation studio. Some love his visually bizarre work, others loathe it for its apparent pretentiousness. Very few people tend to be in the middle. Plenty across the internet have weighed in already – and they tend to do so again every season that one of his series airs.
