Damn, I’m cold. It might snow tonight. Can you believe that?
Speaking of which, I finally bit the bullet this evening and watched the most recent episodes of Strawberry Panic. The snow was a nice touch. Although, I can’t help but notice that the animation director still hasn’t mastered the concept of four seasons. When trees change color in Autumn, they tend to drop their leaves… they don’t sprout new foliage just in time for Winter. Oh, and when it’s snowing outside, it tends to be cold. Would it be too much trouble to provide these girls some stylish winter threads? To hell with Amane’s amnesia… she’ll just have to withdrawal from the Etoile showdown anyway when Hikari dies from freakin’ hypothermia.
That’s the problem with Strawberry Panic, though. It’s too damn lazy. The show has had some great moments, no doubt, but when the going gets tough, it just throws up its hands, reaches in the big bag o’ cliches, and pulls out the first smelly thing it can find. It did it again and again. Delight, followed by disgust, followed by delight, followed by disgust. What a frustrating show.
And, with only one episode remaining, it annoys me how so many story threads have been left unexplored. Even despite the fact the show went careening off into soap opera territory in its second half, it continually bounced from one story to another, a little taste here, a little taste there… but never enough to satisfy.
I demand satisfaction!
Maybe keeping my expectations low has helped. I haven’t become truly frustrated at any point in the series; I just sort of sigh and roll my eyes occasionally…
Yes, when one doesn’t expect anything Strawberry panic is good series. Otherwise it’s not possible to watch it without being disappointed.
So what you are essentially saying is that I made the right decision when essentially dropping the series after that detestable stormy-night-in-costal-villa -episode? :p.
I didn’t expect SP to be a good series, but I did expect it to be vaguely entertaining fluff. It somewhat succeeded at that, but the writing and baiting seriously starts to wear on you after a while.
As for the cast, I’d wish Amane would go the way of the Dodo and that Hikari after much angst would hook up with Yaya, who clearly is someone who’d deserve some more love in the seires :/
Also, Tamao needs to seriously serve the RAPESTICK to Nagisa for the greater good and justice for all. Unf?
Did you make the right decision? Maybe. It seems like the story kind of lost its focus following the “It was a dark and stormy night…” episode. A lot has happened since then, but it hasn’t amounted to much, really. Much ado about nothing, basically.
All things considered, I kind of like the show. That’s why I’m critical of it, though. The premise showed a lot of potential, the characters were fun, and the story had some meat… yet… well, like I said: much ado about nothing. It especially bugs me that so many characters went to waste (Tsubomi and Chiyo come readily to mind). It also bugs me that any storyline unrelated to Shizuma x Nagisa - with the exception of Amane x Hikari, of course - got shoved aside in the second half of the series. I kept waiting for Tamao x Nagisa to amount to something, for example. Never really did. That’s a shame, because it could have introduced a new dynamic to the boring Shizuma x Nagisa storyline.
That could be my problem, though… I just don’t care much about Shizuma x Nagisa. Unfortunately, it’s kind of the point of the show.
I guess I just wish Strawberry Panic had made better use of its time and assets. It’s an enjoyable enough show as is, but it could have been a lot better had it just put forth a little more effort. Perhaps the manga/novels are the answer?
Hey guys. Been looking at this site for while, there is always cool stuff and updates on shows. Thought I’d put in my two cents for SP.
Im going to have to agree with most that I never really had high expections for Strawberry Panic, not becuase it wasnt going to be good, I enjoy it very much. But because I knew what kind a show it could end up being and how the plot could be streched to the minimal amount of value that you get back from watching it.
But IMO thats ok, because SP does what it is supose to and that is provide lots of drama between characters and with the stroy development, which is why we watch it. For the drama. Its a soap opera. And a good one IMO.
I don’t know, I kind of like that it’s gone back to the over-the-top melodrama. Maybe it’s because I totally don’t care for Shizuma, but I found myself enjoying the recent episodes a whole lot more than the four or so that culminated in that horrible villa episode.
In my opinion the show’s doing exactly what it set out to do. It’s not going to ever be on a level with, say, Marimite or Oniisama E, because it’s pretty much in homage to titles like that. The cliches and conventions are what they hope make it appealing in the first place.
Myself, I’m hoping for them to resolve the Etoile elections with the last two episodes, then make a second season at some stage next year. There’s still heaps of potential left.
Well i had never touched the snow but i guess it is a cool sensation and feeling though… I think thats the special thing about seasons and its hard to imitate in an anime like strawberry panic (which by the way looks awesome!!!)
^_^
http://fariaae.cjb.net
I did not expect SPanic to reach any heights of greatness and it certainly delivered on those expectations. I guess I’m in agreement with JeffL about the show being an ‘entertaining failure’ - even after it made clear it wasn’t going to explore any of its themes too deeply, or throw in some good character drama, I continued to watch it.
That’s even after the stormy-night-at-the-villa episode. Apparently it was meant to be the high point of the arc but looked like absolute cheesefest to me. I couldn’t but smile at the theatrics and melodrama all the way through. The show’s saving grace, I think, has been a bunch of mildly likeable characters - neiher Shizuma or Nagisa make the cut to this group - and it being much more openly *cough* yuri than say Maria-Sama Ga Miteru. The production values, which seem to be close to Higurashi, didn’t help either.
It is somewhat a pity, as I agree there’s potential in this show that has been left unused. Instead, they’ve been opting for cheap clichés and excessive melodramatics - stormy night, Amane’s fall. Unfortunately, if the production team remains the same, I don’t believe a second season would help this at all.
Funny… I haven’t even noticed this so much confusing ‘concept of four seasons’, maybe I was too busy actually following the twists of the plot and the sudden development of the characters, dunno… From the very begining it was obvious that animation isn’t going to be a decisive factor for the overall expression of SP. No, of course, it wasn’t ugly or anything, it was just on medium level - nothing magnificent nor ugly or angular. LOL about the hypothermia, come to think of it noone knows what happens to Hikari after the Etoile selection….
Personally I loved every ’smelly thing’ they put in it… Ok, I admit, the amnesia was just plaiyng dumb, it was quite annoying. Good thing it was only for 3 eps, but why in the last ones??? Don’t have an answer to that, they should’ve broken her legs or something, if you want drama that is… Obviuosly wanted to bring hardships, everything was going too smooth for Hikari&Amane, but that wasn’t the way. Barring all this, for me delight was followed by even greater delight followed by not so amusing ending which hopefuly will be followed by Strawberry Panic Season 2.
Hmm, GreyDuck, sounds like you were sighing and your eyes were rolling way too occasionally, huh? I’m not nagging, just trying to find out why you had to keep low your expactations…
‘Otherwise it’s not possible to watch it without being disappointed.’ Not true, I’m the proof - watched it 3 times, as you can see I’m trying hard and still can’t get disappointed, on contrary - need more…maybe it’s time to appoint a meeting with a psychiatrist :/
‘It’s not going to ever be on a level with, say, Marimite or Oniisama E, because it’s pretty much in homage to titles like that.’ Come on, comparing Marimite(can’t say anything about Oniisama E, because I haven’t watched it) with SP… Straight Win for SP, too bad I’m one of the few who think that way. Btw like many others I watched SP first, then Marimite, but I believe I’m the only one(my apologies if I’m forgeting someone, but seriously doubt it) who actually watched Maria-sama because of all the statements they were ‘the same’ with SP. Was hoping that these statements were actually true, something which didn’t happen. That’s why I still can’t see what everyone else sees - am I getting blind or are everyone else blindfolded? I, for myself, know the answer.
a very heart felt not too over top sweetness. felt anime. made me cry several times. but i agree some very frustrating scenes when u jsut thing god thats v unfair specially after shizuma etoile sama takes nagisa to the vacation home that annoyed me. made me cry still a good series dont get me wrong but cud ave done so much more with it n cud ave been alot better with no dissapointing scenes leaving nagisa hurt etc but all in all a very good anime deserves a 2nd season
forggot to mention the nagisa and shizuma scenes like i think i said are annoying could ave had more depth i could right sweeter stories covered with sugar on top n maple syrup. could ave been mroe heart felt . still made me cry but left out alot of which could ave been alot sweeter say if shizuma did kiss er a few times etc. anyways thats what i think…