Deca-Dence: Ceci n'est pas une Pipe

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Pipe
	Good boy(?)
	Better boy(?)
	Best boy(?)

Xelkelvos: Dec 19, 2012

Mokinokaro posted:

They also implied that the loss of a Gear body is a big loss to its user even if it's not fatal.

Also was this episode implying that Natsume couldn't become a soldier just because she is a non-entity in the system?

I'm guessing some higher up humans know her deal and kept her application from even showing up to avoid red flags.

It's a big loss to a user like how losing progress in an MMO is a big loss is how it seemed to be implied. Natsume's application not getting accepted, I think seems to be because she's missing in the system such that she cannot be accepted to become an NPC. I assume The Power is special in how it accepts humans compared to the other occupations as it's the one that's the most Gears facing.

# ? Jul 16, 2020 17:16

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# ? Apr 19, 2024 14:18

Mirage: Oct 27, 2000; All is for the best, in this, the best of all possible worlds

It makes me wonder if the rank-and-file Gear even realizes that humans are intelligent beings living on an Earth ruined by the Gadoll/Gear invasion. Or even if they think about it that closely. It's all fun and games to them.

I betcha the green goo is some sort of life force which the Gadoll naturally extracts from the planet, and the Gear are harvesting for their own continued existence.

# ? Jul 16, 2020 17:44

Hargrimm: Sep 22, 2011; W A R R E N

Mokinokaro posted:

Also was this episode implying that Natsume couldn't become a soldier just because she is a non-entity in the system?

I'm guessing some higher up humans know her deal and kept her application from even showing up to avoid red flags.

The first episode made a point of specifically saying that her application wasn't rejected, the school just didn't get a response either way from The Power. So either someone intercepted it or the application-processing routine saw one submitted for a deceased user and just discarded it out of hand.

# ? Jul 16, 2020 19:20

Darth Walrus: Feb 13, 2012

Mirage posted:

It makes me wonder if the rank-and-file Gear even realizes that humans are intelligent beings living on an Earth ruined by the Gadoll/Gear invasion. Or even if they think about it that closely. It's all fun and games to them.

I betcha the green goo is some sort of life force which the Gadoll naturally extracts from the planet, and the Gear are harvesting for their own continued existence.

I reckon a few of them get it, and a few of them don't. They're in a very similar boat to the humans, after all.

# ? Jul 16, 2020 19:28

MonsterEnvy: Feb 4, 2012; Shocked I tell you

Xelkelvos posted:

It's a big loss to a user like how losing progress in an MMO is a big loss is how it seemed to be implied. Natsume's application not getting accepted, I think seems to be because she's missing in the system such that she cannot be accepted to become an NPC. I assume The Power is special in how it accepts humans compared to the other occupations as it's the one that's the most Gears facing.

Yeah they seem to consider it to be like a Roguelike. If the Gear body dies, then they have to make a new one and start over.

# ? Jul 16, 2020 22:08

Mokinokaro: Sep 11, 2001; At the end of everything, hold onto anything; Fun Shoe

Xelkelvos posted:

It's a big loss to a user like how losing progress in an MMO is a big loss is how it seemed to be implied.

I meant more that the MMO itself seems really heavily tied to the lives of the AI folks. Falling behind in the game seems to carry some huge social weight.

And cheating appears to be a death sentence.

# ? Jul 16, 2020 23:03

Droyer: Oct 9, 2012

I'm looking forward to the final episode where the deca-dence and all the other mobile fortresses combine into a humongous robot.

# ? Jul 17, 2020 03:05

Vincent Van Goatse: Nov 8, 2006; Enjoy every sandwich.; Smellrose

Came for the funny girl living in a giant mecha city thing that fists kaiju, stayed for the batshit plot reveal.

I'm glad I started watching as soon as I did, I would've hated to have that spoiled for me.

# ? Jul 17, 2020 03:58

an actual dog: Nov 18, 2014

I was wondering why the fortress name sounded like decadence

# ? Jul 17, 2020 05:54

Futaba Anzu: May 6, 2011; GROSS BOY

alien world is so yuasa it hurts, this series is injecting me with all the things i love

# ? Jul 17, 2020 05:57

Phobophilia: Apr 26, 2008; by Hand Knit

Are they even aliens? Or posthumans that fully inhabit an upload universe contained within physical computing hardware that orbits the earth? What is their link with the Gadolls, were they responsible? Even more questions have been raised than answers.

And the thing I like about this, unlike Franxx, is that all the odd little details in the worldbuilding aren't just drivel and aborted attempts at metaphor, but actual meaning. Or at least it seems so right now.

# ? Jul 17, 2020 09:10

chiasaur11: Oct 22, 2012

Futaba Anzu posted:

alien world is so yuasa it hurts, this series is injecting me with all the things i love

It's Yuasa in terms of visual style, but not so much in terms of motion. The residents of the other world didn't feel as flexible as Yuasa characters tend to, even when his shows are just animating normal humans.

I'm not sure how I feel about the show yet. At minimum, the pacing feels a little... unbalanced? I mean, I get that you need to drop the big twist by episode 2. If you don't want people writing you off as an Attack on Titan wannabe, but dropping a main character's whole backstory like that kinda clunks. Further, moving away from Natusme for such a big stretch early on makes it harder for her to hold the narrative weight that the story seems to want for her. She's fun and energetic, but she's currently defined more by what her role is (the person the system thinks is dead) than anything she's done herself. What's more, her first couple of character beats in the latest episode felt a bit empty. Her threat didn't have the weight to feel like she'd go through with it, so her not doing that didn't have much kick. It's always possible to do more with it later, but at the moment, it feels like poor economy if it's not going to be revealed to have more significance later.

I'll keep going, and it's not like I've got much else going on this season, but right now... well, we'll see what we see.

# ? Jul 17, 2020 09:50

ninjewtsu: Oct 9, 2012

i really enjoy these characters and that twist was quite a mind gently caress. i'm completely down with this show and demand more be injected into my eyeballs right this instant

# ? Jul 17, 2020 10:47

Xelkelvos: Dec 19, 2012

Preview for episode 3 is up on the site

quote:

Natsume learns how to fight against the Gadolls under the tutelage of Kaburagi. Though the training by the former top-notch warrior is harsh, Natsume perseveres, and her fighting skills & physical abilities improve dramatically in a short time.

# ? Jul 17, 2020 14:16

Darth Walrus: Feb 13, 2012

Futaba Anzu posted:

alien world is so yuasa it hurts, this series is injecting me with all the things i love

The connection is Izumi Murakami, a veteran from Yuasa's stable of animators who's credited for 'visual concept' on this show (by all accounts, a deliberately vague and misleading job title for an important staff member).

# ? Jul 17, 2020 14:34

Electric Phantasm: Apr 7, 2011; YOSPOS

Xelkelvos posted:

Preview for episode 3 is up on the site

Pipe is too adorable :kimchi:

# ? Jul 17, 2020 23:33

Ranzear: Jul 25, 2013

There's a blink-and-you'll-miss it detail in the opening.

Natsume better say "Groovy" at some point.

# ? Jul 18, 2020 00:57

Electric Phantasm: Apr 7, 2011; YOSPOS

Ranzear posted:

There's a blink-and-you'll-miss it detail in the opening.

Natsume better say "Groovy" at some point.

What is it?

# ? Jul 18, 2020 01:07

Ranzear: Jul 25, 2013

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkgi-6GVR4o

Could also make yet another connection to Kabaneri.

# ? Jul 18, 2020 01:21

Vincent Van Goatse: Nov 8, 2006; Enjoy every sandwich.; Smellrose

Electric Phantasm posted:

What is it?

The Evil Dead films, I'm assuming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmI3pJHIT90
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtyU2PJCk7Y

Vincent Van Goatse fucked around with this message at 01:24 on Jul 18, 2020

# ? Jul 18, 2020 01:22

Sindai: Jan 24, 2007; i want to achieve immortality through not dying

I keep forgetting she lost an arm.

# ? Jul 18, 2020 01:24

Electric Phantasm: Apr 7, 2011; YOSPOS

I didn't even think of making that connection and I know exactly which detail now.

# ? Jul 18, 2020 01:28

Ranzear: Jul 25, 2013

I made that joke a lot with Kabaneri. I did wonder why Ikoma never made a hand though, just lugged a cannon around full-time.

Recently I also described Raiden's progression in Metal Gear in parallel escalations with Evil Dead's tone and camp. Metal Gear Solid 2 is Evil Dead, MGS4 is Evil Dead 2, and Metal Gear Rising is Army Of Darkness. It's just been on my mind lately, lol.

# ? Jul 18, 2020 02:05

Futaba Anzu: May 6, 2011; GROSS BOY

Darth Walrus posted:

The connection is Izumi Murakami, a veteran from Yuasa's stable of animators who's credited for 'visual concept' on this show (by all accounts, a deliberately vague and misleading job title for an important staff member).

i don't think that job title is misleading or vague at all and has a p big pedigree behind it, but also yeah!

# ? Jul 18, 2020 04:54

Chas McGill: Oct 29, 2010; loves Fat Philippe

I'm loving this. I really liked the wall-like design of the all-bugs-must-die enforcer in episode 2.

# ? Jul 18, 2020 13:34

Starsnostars: Jan 17, 2009; The Master of Magnetism

I went in knowing that there was a twist in episode two but this wasn't the sort of twist I was expecting. I'm definitely curious as to where this goes.

# ? Jul 18, 2020 18:44

Waffleman_: Jan 20, 2011; I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna!!!

Someone at NUT is a Cartoon Network fan.

# ? Jul 18, 2020 18:49

IShallRiseAgain: Sep 12, 2008; Well ain't that precious?

Waffleman_ posted:

Someone at NUT is a Cartoon Network fan.

I noticed that too, but figured it also might have been a coincidence.

# ? Jul 18, 2020 19:11

Waffleman_: Jan 20, 2011; I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna!!!

I mean they're talking to a flower, even

# ? Jul 18, 2020 19:16

Julias: Jun 24, 2012; Strum in a harmonizing quartet
I want to cause a revolution

What can I do? My savage
nature is beyond wild

Interview: DECA-DENCE Director Yuzuru Tachikawa Talks Original Anime, Human Drama

quote:

How did the concept for�DECA-DENCE�come about?

Tachikawa:�The general idea for the project was something KADOKAWA producer Sho Tanaka, NUT producer Takuya Tsunoki, and I developed together over time. Once we reached a stage where the foundation had solidified to a certain extent, we had Hiroshi Seko, the head writer, come in.

What was unique about the process was that we had the scripts written all the way out to the end based on the series structure the four of us had composed, and then we returned to Episode 1 and fed the developments and foreshadowing of the latter half of the series back into the beginning half.

With original anime, sometimes things start feeling crammed in during the second half even though you�ve been creating it one episode at a time, so we tried a process where you circle back to the first half to make good use of the developments in the second half. It took much more time than the typical script meeting process.

Part of the allure of the show is the mobile fortress Deca-dence. Did you also have a desire within you to draw a giant structure?

Tachikawa:�Including mech shows, I had never tried my hand at expressing a gigantic object, so I did have a desire to direct something gigantic. I just didn�t expect it would be a Mt. Fuji-scale object on the order of 3,000 meters tall!

Even in�Attack on Titan, whose direction I participated in, a large Titan was about 15 meters, and even the Colossal Titan was about 60 meters. You don�t get to direct something this large very often, so it�s very fresh.

What was something you were careful about in the direction of�DECA-DENCE?

Tachikawa:�What I realized while making the show was that, when something is overly large, whether it�s 1,000 meters or 3,000 meters, it�s difficult to show small differences. There�s almost no difference when it�s on its own, so I tried to express scale, for instance by showing Deca-dence protruding above the clouds. I was quite careful about the positioning of trees and clouds and such that would serve as a point of reference.

When something is this large, isn�t the contrast with a human figure also a source of difficulty?

Tachikawa:�That�s right. Suppose you have a person standing next to Deca-dence. If you try to draw that realistically, the whole background becomes a metal plate. Since it�s a Fuji-scale object, no matter what angle you draw from, no matter how low the camera goes, all you see is a metal wall. Sometimes it caused artistic problems. In such cases, we fibbed a little by adding parts like pipes, so that we could prevent the image from being monotonous.

So then is the Deca-dence the biggest highlight of the show?

Tachikawa:�Of course Deca-dence is an important aspect of the setting and a major highlight of the show. However, the thing I most wanted to portray is the dramatic elements, so we took care to portray the relationship between Natsume, a girl who wants to live her life her own way, and Kaburagi, a man who has given up in a variety of ways.

In the show, there are roles: Gears, who handle the combat with the Gadoll, and Tankers, who support the Gears.

Even though Natsume is a Tanker, she dreams of becoming a Gear. What was something you considered important in portraying her?

Tachikawa:�Natsume is an up-front girl who proceeds straight down the path her feelings dictate. She doesn�t pay any mind to the things that would cause normal people to give up or hesitate. Looking at it another way, you could say she�s somewhat foolish (laughing), but that single-mindedness is also part of her charm. She�s a character who well-meaningly and progressively gets those around her involved and pulls the story forward. So we took care with her straightforwardness and her energy.

But the type of person who can work solidly toward their goals can become a target of admiration or jealousy for people who can�t. This strays from the topic, but you know how these days YouTubers have incredible motivation. Some of them even make their living uploading candid videos about their lives. It may look simple, but I believe it�s something you couldn�t do with ordinary willpower. Natsume also possesses such extraordinary willpower. In the current era, she might have been a YouTuber.

Natsume explained: a YouTuber!

Tachikawa:�I mean that strictly in the sense that she dives headlong into things that would make most people hesitate (laughing). Some people may feel that�s obnoxious, while others may admire it. That�s the kind of character Natsume is.

Is there an aspect of drawing her that you take particular care with?

Tachikawa:�She�s a character whose facial expression changes frequently because she shows her emotion in her face, so I take quite a bit of care deciding how far to go with her expression. Because her baseline is a sweet-looking girl, that makes facial expressions for negative emotions, like sadness or emotional pain, that much more difficult.

Let�s talk more about the other protagonist, Kaburagi. He�s basically the boss for the armor repairer job Natsume ends up in.

Tachikawa:�What�s appealing about him is that he seems to have given up on life from the moment he�s introduced in the story. There have been certain events in his past, and he is living his life holding doubts about himself. Of course at his core he still has passion and purpose, but he is unable to express them well.

In contrast, Natsume believes in herself, and she stays faithful to what she wants to do, so the two influence each other. I would like for the audience to pay attention to the relationship and contrast between them.

There�s this resigned expression to his design that makes an impression.

Tachikawa:�Kaburagi is another character whose facial expression poses difficulty. It�s quite difficult to express an air of resignation. His baseline is that he appears composed, but at unexpected times the sorrow and pain of what he�s shouldering comes through.

Is it a little different from just seeming worn out?

Tachikawa:�Yes. I�m sure some people would come to like him for seeming worn out, but I considered it important for him to be cool even as he gave off an air of resignation.

Tomori Kusunoki and Katsuyuki Konishi voice Natume and Kaburagi respectively. Could you tell us about the casting decision?

Tachikawa:�We cast them both through audition. Natsume was decided smoothly. The major factor in that was that Kusunoki-san solidly expressed Natsume�s charms: her power to pull others along and her cheerful and slightly clumsy personality.

Kaburagi was a tough decision to the very end. The problem was how to convey the air of resignation we discussed earlier. In the end, we offered the role to Konishi-san, who had emphasized a dark, sad-sounding mood.

Did you give any particular directions during recording?

Tachikawa:�Not only was this an original anime, but the setting and background are very detailed, so first I took some time to explain the world and the characters. But in terms of the voice acting, I haven�t made any particular demands. They had both been through the audition process, and they both had a firm grasp of the characters, so recording is going smoothly.

Are there any characters besides Natsume and Kaburagi that you�d like the audience to take note of?

Tachikawa:�I�d say Kurenai, the woman Natsume looks up to. At first glance she�s a cool character with an older sister vibe, but there�s actually more of a personality gap than you might expect. She has a dependable side, and a funny side�she has a variety of expressions, so it�s a relief whenever she shows up.

And finally, for our readers who are looking forward to�DECA-DENCE�airing, could you sum up what you�d like them to look for?

Tachikawa:�I�d like them to look forward to animation brimming with a sense of weight and lively movements, such as the gigantic fortress�s presence and the Gears� action scenes. But most of all what I�d like them to watch is the drama between Natsume and Kaburagi.

I hope they�ll pay attention to how the relationship between the two evolves.

# ? Jul 18, 2020 20:25

Ranzear: Jul 25, 2013

Chas McGill posted:

I'm loving this. I really liked the wall-like design of the all-bugs-must-die enforcer in episode 2.

I'm still trying to figure out the VA. I don't think we've gotten a name to be credited? I'd swear it was Antispiral but that could just be the generic apathy and digital effects.

# ? Jul 18, 2020 22:02

sinky: Feb 22, 2011; Slippery Tilde

There's info on the website. Wall guy is called Hugin, VA is Koyasu Takehito

# ? Jul 18, 2020 22:19

Spiritus Nox: Sep 2, 2011

He and the little drone guy, Munin had namecards in the episode, too - though they're easy to miss when you're paying attention to subtitles.

# ? Jul 18, 2020 22:29

Maxwell Adams: Oct 21, 2000; T E E F S

"Yuzuru Tachikawa"[/quote posted:

What was unique about the process was that we had the scripts written all the way out to the end based on the series structure the four of us had composed, and then we returned to Episode 1 and fed the developments and foreshadowing of the latter half of the series back into the beginning half.

With original anime, sometimes things start feeling crammed in during the second half even though you�ve been creating it one episode at a time, so we tried a process where you circle back to the first half to make good use of the developments in the second half. It took much more time than the typical script meeting process.

This is good news. I was worried that this was one of those projects where the lead writer put all his ideas into the first 5 episodes and then took his paycheck and went home, leaving it for someone else to finish.

# ? Jul 18, 2020 22:50

Hogama: Sep 3, 2011

sinky posted:

There's info on the website. Wall guy is called Hugin, VA is Koyasu Takehito

Maybe it's just because I've happened to listen to a lot of stuff with him in it back to back but yeah his voice was unmistakable to me.

# ? Jul 18, 2020 23:45

Ranzear: Jul 25, 2013

sinky posted:

There's info on the website. Wall guy is called Hugin, VA is Koyasu Takehito

"You expected Takaya Kamikawa, but it was me, DIO!"

# ? Jul 19, 2020 00:30

Sindai: Jan 24, 2007; i want to achieve immortality through not dying

Spiritus Nox posted:

He and the little drone guy, Munin had namecards in the episode, too - though they're easy to miss when you're paying attention to subtitles.

I wonder what their boss is going to be named. :v:

# ? Jul 19, 2020 04:04

Kaiser Mazoku: Mar 24, 2011; Didn't you see it!? Couldn't you see my "spirit"!?

sinky posted:

There's info on the website. Wall guy is called Hugin, VA is Koyasu Takehito

loving called it.

# ? Jul 19, 2020 04:15

Relin: Oct 6, 2002; You have been a most worthy adversary, but in every game, there are winners and there are losers. And as you know, in this game, losers get robotizicized!

can the ais run for 175 years without refueling? does time flow differently, it was 7 years real time since he fuelled up. or is 175 years his total lifespan?

# ? Jul 19, 2020 08:48

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# ? Apr 19, 2024 14:18

Forgall: Oct 16, 2012; by Azathoth

Relin posted:

can the ais run for 175 years without refueling? does time flow differently, it was 7 years real time since he fuelled up. or is 175 years his total lifespan?

I think it's his total lifespan, but he was trying to kill himself faster by not refueling.

# ? Jul 19, 2020 09:21

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