Re: Kaiji 2: Chinchirorin Bogaloo
by Last Exile » Thu Apr 07, 2011 3:34 am
Overall, I'm glad to see Kaiji back. Its unique animation, Kaiji screwing up like only he can, despair being delicious without being guilty, the narrator's utterly delectable voice. And that ED theme's animation sequence was just hilarious!
But a couple of things are worrying me. I felt all episode something that was there in Season 1 was missing in Season 2. And then near the end of Episode 1, I realised what it was...where's the music?! Music was so critical to what made Season 1 so awesome. Season 1 had one of the most kick-arse OPs ever and a smooth ED. But its mood music throughout each episode in S1 was brilliant. Pieces like Despair, Chest, Wish - the list goes on. Not to mention that foreboding 'Next Episode' music. But for nearly all of Episode 1....there was no music! And things just didn't click into the gear I know they could. It was close, but the lack of music is something that is a letdown after Season 1 set the bar so high with the brilliant OST it used to great effect. Hopefully an OP and more in-episode music appears.
The other thing that I was a bit disappointed in was how they said 'zawa-zawa'. In Season 1, the way they said it was so utterly saturated with tension and could drill right through your skull. The ones in this episode were...almost flat? It just didn't have the effect it did before.
Overall, decent start. But some of the little things that make Kaiji S1 rank in the top echelon of anime I've watched are not there in S2. I hope that doesn't continue. It wouldn't prevent me from watching - no chance. But S2 would be a bit of a fall from the sheer brilliance S1 was if those finishing touches aren't there anymore.
And Hans, if they want to see that reverse moe thing in the ED, someone will have uploaded it to Youtube by now or very soon.
Episode 2 - That OP is vile. Why on earth did they pick crappy techno for it - even considering its source. Few decent in-episode pieces finally emerge, but they're nowhere near the S1 pieces. Acrion has arrived and is enticing. But really, seems like in that game, the one true enemy is oneself. But meh, it's Kaiji. It's part of the expected package.
Disgusting...