Humanity has Declined #04 — Page Turner

July 22nd, 2012

 

Why isn’t there more deathbread?

Impressions:

This wasn’t much better than last week’s episode, and I’m really kind of starting to dread episodes. This early that’s not a great sign, especially with multiple other Sunday shows. This may get not-so-quietly shuffled under the rug if I can’t think of anything interesting to say next week. Maybe it’s just the two rather dull self-referential episodes in a row. Spending entire episodes talking about how much you know about your own and/or related audiences is up there with amnesia and extended flashbacks in things I wish Japan would just stop doing forever.

Ahem, which brings us to the struggle to say anything interesting this week. This one was more about manga in general than the more doujin-industry, but with all the talking about what audiences like, how to manipulate them, and the references just thrown out without any actual joke attached to them… yeah. The whole formula of "Say what you’re about to do, explain it in theory, do it, explain it further" is not the fertile ground for comedy that this show all too often seems to believe that it is. It seems hellbent on taking fantasy and stripping everything that makes it fantasy out of it besides the character designs.

Posted in Anime | 6 Comments »

6 Shouts From the Peanut Gallery

  • Chen says:
    July 22, 2012 at 10:12 am

    But you’ve liked pandering shows like Macademi in the past.

    Not that I have any sort of attachment to this show, but self-referential humour can be funny if done right.

    • Aroduc says:
      July 22, 2012 at 10:48 am

      The few times they get it right are a small price to pay. Same with flashbacks and the rest. Macademy used it as the backdrop/premise, but not the substance of the humor. Similarly with 30 Rock, although both did/do get obnoxious when the audience winking and nudging gets too much. Besides which, George, Hapxiel, and the general insanity were far more amusing than the couple angel/gods that were obsessed with doujins were. Parody can work, but this was just referential, with explanations of the references, with additional audience fellation on top of it.
      It’s hardly an anime thing either, although Western shows tend to go to the old standby of “I hate when shows sell out… Have you tried the amazing new Snapple?” which has not once ever been remotely funny.

  • Adam says:
    July 22, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    I wish they had at least crammed it into a single episode…
    I wonder how much money they saved on this episode.

  • icymirage says:
    July 22, 2012 at 4:34 pm

    Ugh, the whole episode was narration, and nothing was fleshed out. Would have been more interesting if the fairies had drawn the backgrounds and props, and they had to figure out how to do something coherent with them. Each setting could have been a story and joke in itself. At this rate, they’ll be cancelled like their manga :(.

  • KLAC_OF_PERSONALITY says:
    July 23, 2012 at 5:34 am

    so let see this ep

    main & Y in room of white then some search a door & oh here main’s assiant.
    room getting darker so draw something it works.
    seeing in world of manga making so much idea for manga story to go all up.
    from battles to sports to food & etc oh door here fairy say goes light-out cue “bye”.
    see list of manga then Y going many ideas seem working.
    til slowly JUMP THE SHARKS of many even try expand it sinking.
    after running going to point to classic designs cue the “bye”.
    & oh everyone look ok give wonder was it real or dream or inception?

    onwards to next ep.