definition: plot crystalization

October 23, 2008 at 2:53 am | In definition, plot crystalization | Leave a Comment

This came about because I just finished Yakushiji Ryoko’s Case Files, which is a great example of this. Card Captor Sakura is another.

Basically it refers to a series where the first several episodes are aggressively, even boringly, formulaic, then they hit you with the real plot.  CLAMP stories are perhaps the best examples of this – Card Captor Sakura, Tsubasa, XXXholic, Rayearth, etc., but it also seems to be a requirement for most magical girl shows like Pretty Cure. They lull you in, then wham.

I’m not sure if this is exactly good or bad – it’s certainly bad during the forumlaic setup where you’re thinking ‘yeah, yeah, yeah, she has to capture another card’, but in the case of something like Ryoko’s Case Files where the last third of the show suddenly turns into a sprawling epic where they bring in all sorts of bits from the early episodes that you’d thought were just throwaway, it’s actually kind of fulfilling.

This is felt much more strongly in shoujo anime, so I’m going to say this is linked to shoujo cliche – the first several eps are designed to lull the viewer into a sense of familiarity and security before they can get into the real plot.

Yakushiji Ryoko no Kaiki Jikenbo (Ryoko’s Case Files)

July 31, 2008 at 9:23 pm | In adventure, anime, grownup is not a panacea, plot crystalization, summer 2008 | Leave a Comment

Summary: Adult action office romance adventure with some supernatural. Yes, it’s (too?) busy.
Based on: 13 episodes
Series info: at Anime News Network (pic shamelessly lifted from there too)

This one’s a bit strange. It’s obviously written for adults, not teens or kids, which is a good start. Ryoko’s an apparently brilliant police investigor who spends all her time slacking off. Her assistant Junichiro is basically her babysitter. But when the weird stuff starts happening, she’s suddenly in the thick of things to fix it, which is apparently why they still keep her employed. You’ll sometimes hear this one referred to as Ryoko’s Supernatural Case Files, but it’s more Science Gone Mad thing than vengeful ghosts. The Kaiki just means bizarre/strange.

All the women in this show are strong and dominant and all the men are semi-closeted submissives, which is hardly unique in adult anime, but a nice change from the usual teen stuff.  Presumably this appeals to Japanese salarymen, but then they have to undermine it by constantly non-subtly hinting that Ryoko’s fallen for Junichiro, though she’d never admit it. So she’s allowed to be strong, but still weak enough she doesn’t totally emasculate the viewers. In fact, the 3rd episode is pretty much a total waste based on this ‘plot’.

Usually you’ll hear me bemoaning shows for too much action and not enough plot or character building, but honestly in this show the action is much more interesting than the relationship building, which I find fairly awkward and stunted.  But Ep 2 has giant man-eating snakes destroying buildings in downtown Tokyo and a very amusing interrogation scene. I thoroughly enjoyed the Doc Savage vibe in that one, so I’m going to keep watching for a while longer to see what comes up.

Update: I’ve watched it all now. I particularly like how the plot crystalized in the last 5 eps or so for a big dramatic finish that pulled in a bunch of seemingly throwaway plot points from early episodes.  The ending was a little facile, but respectable.

I don’t usually mention specific sub groups, but big thanks to AonE and AnY for following through one of the few respectable anime that’s actually for adults out to completion.

Blog at WordPress.com. | Theme: Pool by Borja Fernandez.
Entries and comments feeds.