Eden of the East is not a great anime. Almost every review I’ve read of the first episode has paraded it as the second coming of anime Jesus. I can’t say that many things have filled me with more rage. The same people who will insult more deserving, excellent shows turn around and treat this shit like a diamond. I can’t comprehend why. I don’t understand the appeal. Eden of the East is horrible.
But I will give it some credit. First of all, the opening and ending themes are both amazing, mostly in video, though the songs are nice too. (Oasis?!)
Next, the animation quality is way up there, but what the hell, it’s Production I.G., anything less and it’d be a massive failure on their parts. The character designs from the Honey and Clover manga-ka are nice, but their noses bug the hell out of me. The music has not been anything I’ve noticed yet. Voice acting is good enough, but also not really standout. The girl sounds a little awkward. Anyway, leaving behind the technical shit, lets dive in. I shall make a numbered list of the bullshit.
1. The main character girl is so f-cking stupid that she thought she could just walk up to the white house and try to throw a coin into the fountain. Leaving aside her failure in it being too far away, you simply must be f-cking kidding me. Did she really think that was just okay?!
2. This
What bothers me is not the naked man holding a gun and a phone outside the White House. What bothers me is that he wasn’t immediately pumped full of 37 rounds. Security is evidently so lax they can just easily be duped, and they don’t even leave someone behind to monitor the suspicious girl, who doubtlessly would have been thought a co-conspirator with the nude man and both of them immediately taken down and apprehended. And then the two manage to stand around and chitchat for several minutes right there at the crime scene.
3. When the girl realizes that she has left her passport in her coat that she gave away, she starts trying to run and trips over her luggage. So she says f-ck it and just leaves her f-cking luggage in the middle of the road. What the f-ck? Do you really care that little about what’s in your bag? Yeah, her passport is important, but I’m sure she didn’t need to think it’d gotten that far away that she couldn’t take time to find a way to easier manage her luggage.
4. “Oh hey, I’m only on my way to work, but go ahead and take my f-cking pants, stranger.”
5. The police woman believed that the man was a differnt person becuase his penis was larger up close than it had been in the picture. Yeah. Even though he looks the exact same and is acting suspicious and the girl with him was also seen at the scene.
6. Do girls really fall in love with random strange men who may or may not be a terrorist?
7. A missile hits Japan, and while the people are a bit scared, there’s no major turmoil. We learn that this happened a year before, too, miraculously killing no one. And I guess people just ignored it. Uh huh. But this time people died. So….. yeah, whatever.
8. So, we hear from the girl that she doesn’t have a job yet and she’s living with her sister and sister’s husband who paid her through her university stay. She feels really bad about leeching off of them. SO WHERE DID SHE GET THE MONEY TO FLY TO F-CKING AMERICA?!?!
That’s about it for the outright bullshit. Anything else is more along the lines of ‘mystery’ and questions that will probably be answered later, though it’s kind of aggravating how this show has absolutely no direction to it. It’s very ‘shit happening’ so far with no real foundation of formula. I assume this is only to get the ball rolling and more will come to light later, but for now it’s a journey with no destination on a road paved with bullshit. I want to be interested in the doubtlessly unique and zany plot, but for now I’m just stuck on the bullshit and generally not impressed.
Also, I want to note that this post was censored because I am tired of Anime Nano skipping my posts. Call me a sellout, but I am not getting enough f-cking hits. I made a porn gallery, that should be a gold mine, but it got skipped for some reason. RAGE.
My Sword Is Unbelievably Dull 
I find the quality to be below Seirei no Moribito. The CG somewhat bothers me, the noses are fine, the voices are fine though Saki sounds a bit like Noto Mamiko.
Security around the White House perimeter is actually pretty lax. Not sure if you’ve been there before.
Only #3, #4, #5 from your list bothers me.
It’s anime dude. I’m sure someone can make a bullshit list of some show you like.
Ep 2 wasn’t that bad, sure had less wtf moments than ep 1.
That’s my whole point. I’m saying, why do people accept this show’s bullshit but not other shows? that’s what pisses me off.
And number 8 is the one that bothers me most.
Yeah, I had a lot of similar qualms too. There’s definitely some interesting pieces to the show, but maybe the most important one – the Saki x Akira pairing – really falls flat to me, because of how unbelievable their setup was.
On another note, ANano censors? Maybe I just haven’t noticed, but don’t all of Sanaku’s posts get posted?
I’m not sure people were equating this to a religious experience, and if they were you’re probably taking it way too seriously. Like, you rage at #4, but I found it randomly hilarious. Most of your complaints are about people doing dumb stuff or supposed authority figures being complete incompetents, which is what happens in 99% of all anime, good or bad. I’m interested because it’s set up a plot unlike 99% of all other anime. Novel curiosity compels me to continue.
RP: Yeah, I don’t knwo what the deal is. Apparently it’s because i was posting porn to be used as porn….. or something. no idea.
kaidan: But see, people itch about the bullshit in other anime, but let this one off the hook. That’s what I’m talking about here. I don’t get why this show gets special treatment, other than that it is apparently a mystery. And I hate mysteries.
It’s all about suspense of disbelief. Every show has some points that don’t make any sense at all, but if it’s got enough other stuff to make up for it then the viewers aren’t going to notice, and mystery isn’t a genre you’re into, you’re easier to notice these flaws for Eden of the East. Also, which shows were you talking about that get bashed by everyone? Sengoku Basara? That’s one example of a show that’s easy to dislike due to all of the seamingly pointless fighting it starts out with.
digitalboy: People don’t like other anime as much as they want to like this one. It gets special treatment and things are swept under the rug because other people want to focus on the nice things. The whole root of this discussion can be summarized as you not liking this particular show and not understanding how others enjoy it so much. It’d be one thing if you said were being cautious and kept your expectations in check because you see flaws here and there, but I’m getting the impression that you just can’t believe people don’t have the exact same opinion as you (or hold a diametrically opposed one).
Like, I enjoyed this post for satirizing the numerous flaws presented in 2 episodes, but being hyper-reactionary to everyone on the internet doesn’t accomplish anything.
What I really want to know is what are these “more deserving, excellent shows” everyone is getting down on? Maybe I’m missing out on something good.
Yeah, “willing suspension of disbelief”. What psgels said.
In your apparent rage, I think you may have stopped paying attention, because only 2 of your gripes were not addressed, one of them having just occured at the end not having time to be.
I’m talking about how we get posts with people saying things like ‘K-On sucks, nothing happens in this show!’ when it’s obvious the show isn’t meant for them. In the same way, Eden of the East isn’t meant for me. People like to treat their opinions as absolutes, acting like a show like K-on ‘sucks’ because it isn’t what they want out of a show, while pronouncing something like this great because it is. I’m trying to be the opposing force for this show. I want to say ‘this show isn’t better than those ones, you just like it more’ and making this statement true in the fac tthat I do not like the show, but do like others. You get what I’m saying?
I’m not going to disagree with your post (or entirely agree with it either). All I’m going to say is that originality goes into play here. Eden of the East feels more original because all the things the show has shown so far haven’t been done a million times before. That is enough to overlook the flaws that are there. I agree with Kadian up there.
“people itch about the bullshit in other anime, but let this one off the hook. That’s what I’m talking about here. I don’t get why this show gets special treatment”
I can’t speak for anyone else, but for me it’s all about how the show sets itself up in the first place. I’ve lambasted some shows for ridiculous plot points when they’ve seemingly set themselves up to be relatively realistic in some way, shape or form, while other series get a free pass because they’re clearly based on nothing resembling reality whatsoever. It’s for the reason that I ripped the piss out of Allison to Lillia every week, but you wouldn’t see me complaining about Gurren Lagann because there are no such thing as Ganmen.
Eden of the East is an interesting one to place on that scale though, because it clearly aims for a realistic near-future, *but* it sets out its stall for being pretty unrealistic right from the off – This first episode isn’t there to compile a list of “things that are wrong” from in my opinion, it’s there to adjust your suspension of belief for the series in question to its appropriate level. It does that and it does it pretty well, which makes it an enjoyable show and stops you from sweating the small stuff. That isn’t to say that you have to like it of course, that’s just my take on the matter.
i totally agree with most of your points. Besides the productions values that comes with I.G. and the good openings and endings nothing really stands out. Nothing exciting or enticing happens for the most part and all are taken within a kind of a regular pace. Even though the stark naked guy is supposedly a terrorist is taken out of context and interest. I find this show quite overrated for the first couple episodes. On MAL its already rated at 8.40 which is absolutely insane. Although its only the start there are still more episodes to come so im still looking forward to seeing how this series finishes out.
@hanners: That’s a very nice point (the first I feel I’ve gotten). It was probably trying to let us know that the rest would be hard to believe. But when coupled with like the girl just ditching her luggage (which was plain stupid), it ends up becoming a mixed message of sorts.
@minnie: In response to something else, how does not liking the show nullify my point that she can’t write worth a damn? :p
Pffft. There are a lot of details and all of them are just beginning to be presented yet. This ‘analysis’ is too early in the game. However, your point is to attack fans who you consider stupid and this is post less about Eden of the East really than your sermon/pontification on how to like shows the right way (yours).
Yes there are flaws in the show but there are some heavy pros too though, it feels like a Bourne anime, and the production value is sky high. I could go into a tirade about why I think K-On pretty much sucks but it’s my opinion and as ghost says, this is mostly your rant against the fans.
Thanks for the post. We need at least someone who doesn’t like the show. However, I disagree with just about everything you wrote. For one thing, this show was not overhyped. it had just about no hype coming into the season. People fell in love with it only once they saw it.
You think Saki’s voice is “a bit awkward.” I understand where you’re coming from, but I regard it as the common animephile mistake of thinking that seiyuus are announcers rather than actors, and should have smooth perfect delivery rather than communicating a character. Hayami Saori is only 17, but I regard her as the next coming of Kawasumi Ayako. And as having the most beautiful voice in anime.
There are some things that seem unbelievable, but I think you misunderstand some things. (1) Saki was not stupid to think she could toss a coin in a fountain. Not everyone is up on the US security craze. (3) And Saki left her bag behind because it would prevent her catching up with Akira. In Japan, if you leave your bag on the street, it will still be there in three hours. Fact.
(4) The pants thing may be a joke reference to the various gay sex scandals among congressmen. (5) You’re right that the policewoman’s misidentification of Akira was illogical, but the director thought correctly that most viewers would be so charmed by the joke that they would overlook it.
(6) Yes, girls fall in love with random guys who might be terrorists. Saki is not stable, herself. She has a future mapped out, but she doesn’t seem to be committed to it. Anyway, Akira is not a random stranger, he’s a Japanese she meets when she’s on her own in America, even more uncertain than usual. And he does her a good turn. And he’s naked and good looking, as well as charming and interesting and shows no intention of harming or exploting her in any way.
(7) The people are behaving normally in relation to the missile attack. No-one was hurt. There is not obvious threat. Time has passed with no further problem. Where are they going to go, anyway? Is everyone going to live in the countryside, or stop going to work? How long did it take for people to go back to work in Lower Manhattan after 9/11, even?
(8) Flying to America is not that expensive, in Japanese terms, especially for a student flying with a group of students. She’s not poor, just dependent.
Anyway, thanks for making me think.
I don’t know why you should be butthurt over this, when clearly it’s not the show that has the problem here (it’s you). I see no special treatment either–people praise a show for its merits in spite of its flaws because they like it.
@hashi: Don’t make the assumption that I am the type who “think(s) that seiyuus are announcers rather than actors” – I don’t think a smooth, perfect delivery is necessary. I hate a lot of voice actors for their really unnatural feeling performances. I don’t think her voice is unrealistic, but I do find some real people to have awkward voices. It’s less the performer and more the character.
>>(4) The pants thing may be a joke reference to the various gay sex scandals among congressmen.
That doesn’t even remotely sound credible in any way.
>>(7)
You don’t think people might be a little more freaked? Maybe there’d be televised military action being taken, or words from the president, or something?
@schneider: Am I not allowed to bitch and whine on my own blog or something? Why do people only react like this when I say something negative?
the characters are incredibly dumb because the writers have a pre-arranged plot that they want to push through and they’re too lazy to figure out how to make the characters deal with it in a realistic manner. It’s like when you’re playing a cheap linear adventure game: you do what you’re told, basically.
the characters are incredibly dumb because the writers have a pre-arranged plot that they want to push through and they’re too lazy to figure out how to make the characters deal with it in a realistic manner. It’s like when you’re playing a cheap linear adventure game: you do what you’re told, basically.
Sorry, should have mentioned good post! Waiting on your next post!
“@schneider: Am I not allowed to bitch and whine on my own blog or something? Why do people only react like this when I say something negative?”
If you’re going to bash a show, it’s obvious that some people who read it aren’t going to like it. Why should you care?
@psgels: no need to be a douche about it.
asdfdigitalboy: WTF is wrong with me if I like Eden and K-on!?
Seba – you’re a good person?
If you write a hate post you’re going to get hated on, no matter how credible your arguments are. It’s more about the way you’re saying it than what you’re saying. That said, pretty much completely right on all counts (for me at least).
Missing the point. As a resident of the Northern VA/DC area, I really enjoyed the scenery and little accurate details.
1. and 3. Ditsy girl archtype, deal with it. Tourist do stupid things. 2. Your failure to pay attention. Watch the episode again, as the mysterious man is talking in the phone the rearview mirror, Akira had his pants on but then took them off. We can assume he also had a shirt and still had his memory up into the call which triggered the memory wipe. Have you ever been at DC in the winter during the day? The place is pretty deserted.
The points of the pants and penis jokes is to establish Akira as a silly absurb protagonist who doesn’t approach matters lightheartly often creating quirky moments. It’s a humorous gag, don’t take it too seriously. Most of your points really don’t detract from the show. 7. If no one gets killed and it continually happens for weeks, people tend to get use to it. Everyone was freaked when the first suicide bombers in Iraq began but now it’s barely news. 8. You must never have gone on a class trip. Not that expensive if everyone chips in.
You are simply taking the show too seriously and reading too much in it when you should be enjoying it.
“Akira as a silly absurb protagonist who doesn’t approach matters lightheartly often creating quirky moments.”
Correction, remove “doesn’t.”
Pingback: Creativity and Laziness: Four Fags Who Run Anime Blogs « We Remember Love
Pingback: serious fucking business » What I ended following this spring
Here by trackback courtesy of koda.
Okay, several weeks after this post first appeared, we can safely say that it is overhyped, mostly by its studio credentials and the fact that it’s a high-production values mass-market-demographic show instead of one targeted at kids or fanboys.
And if there’s any otaku it might be pandering to, they’re probably fujoshi. It’s confirmed, this is totally a show for the ladies. (As if the naked mans action wasn’t obvious enough.)
1) Stupid tourists do stupid things. Amusingly, there’s incidents where tourists from other countries have done stupid things like this, too. Including in Japan.
2) Got nuthin’.
3) Well, she is a stupid tourist.
4) I think there’s a “Those Crazy Americans” joke in there somewhere.
5) Pretty sure that’s just a “Cold Willy” joke mixed in with perverted policewoman lols. And a chance for more reaction shots from the heroine.
6) Well he is cute. And helpful. And naked. Rather more interesting than the usual Meet Cute.
7) It’s mentioned pretty early on why the whole incident died down, and implied that it has something to do with the crazy conspiracy game that’s going on. But the level of silliness the game can get (There’s a lot of money flying about with little consequence) might cause RAGE in and of itself.
8) They mentioned it was a graduation trip. A group thing. She kind of left the group and was then in a bit of a pinch.
On RAGE: Well, can’t be helped. Hope it’s died down by now to a more steamy simmer.
(Mmm… simmer-reduced RAGE pansauce.)
Eh sorry you don’t like it, I like Production I.G and I like mysteries so it rather appealed to me.
Sure some of the situations are stupid, but I kind of enjoy the gentle humor in it.
I get your point though about how people can overlook stupid things in an anime just because they like it, but not in others because they don’t. I’ve probably been guilty of that myself.
Pingback: Fuzakenna! » Blog Archive » Everybody Gets One – Anime’s Personal Rage Machines
#5 was when I realized I was watching one of my favorite shows. Then again I like Katanagatari, Eva, Samurai Flamenco, and Ikuhara stuff – bullshit plots are the best plots.