First Impressions / Guilty Crown

「顕出 void-sampling」 (Kenshutsu)

It’s somewhat regrettable that I may have inadvertently hyped Guilty Crown too much — at least for our regular readers — because rather than impressing audiences with everything that the series does well, it’s now struggling to live up to everyone’s high expectations. I get the feeling that viewer reception would be a lot better if it had just slipped under the radar and got a chance to surprise everyone. There are people out there who like to intentionally bring down anything that’s popular, so it wouldn’t be too presumptuous to say they have Guilty Crown labeled now. I don’t intend to counter those “opinions” by showering this show with praise, especially when the previous episode already had me mulling over a couple of plot points, but I do intend to give the series the benefit of the doubt while weighing the good with the bad. Take this week for example. The switchover to the high school setting furthered the story in a meaningful way; however, there were some things that I found detracted from the endeavor.

For one, the artwork just didn’t look as consistent in a handful of scenes, particularly in the character proportions (i.e. big heads). While the quality was still very good overall, there was a bit of a drop-off compared to the first two episodes. The other thing was the progression, which I didn’t mind in terms of predictability — seeing as they wanted viewers to suspect Yahiro — but did bother me with the setup itself. Rather than hinting at how Gai was able to confidently plan around Daryl’s Kaleidoscope last time, the writers decided to simply spell it all out for us by having Shuu suspect that Gai can see the Void within people. Whether or not this was to address concerns of a potential plot hole I don’t know, but it did feel like this episode was devoted to making a point of that revelation by sending Shuu on a school-wide hunt for a Void Weapon. I question if that was really necessary, as it was pretty clear to me that Gai, having referred to Daryl as “Kaleidoscope”, knew about the weapon within him. What I found odd was how he rested the entire success of the operation on Shuu, whom I don’t see as someone he could have banked on.

If that was intended to show that Gai’s calculating enough to anticipate how people will react in a situation, fair enough. I can’t say that it came off that way though. And now, instead of addressing that, the writers are dispelling any “potential” concerns by just getting all the exposition out of the way in a school setting — with accidental breast-groping and all only a week after I said I like how Guilty Crown handles fan-service. (*facepalm*) The explanations extended to the requirements to use the Void Genome too, which they were quick to point out only works on those seventeen and younger for unknown reasons. There’s no need to question why, because they clearly covered their tails by saying it’s for unknown reasons. That’s ultimately my qualm with this episode — it came off as a lot of excessive hand-holding out of fear that viewers would be too dumb to pick up on subtle developments on their own. It might be justified in some cases considering the comments last time, but it still felt like it dumbed down the series a fair bit.

On the plus side, the subplot with Yahiro turned out much better than I expected after he betrayed Shuu by handing him over to the psychotic-looking Major Segai Waltz Makoto (Kanna Nobutoshi). I was glad that suspicions of Yahiro being the Norma Gene drug addict “Sugar” didn’t carry to the next episode since they made it so obvious, and just when it looked like things wrapped up on a good note, we were thrown this wrench to cause Shuu to start doubting everyone around him (as indicated in the preview). It may not seem like much at the moment, but I can see this experience changing Shuu’s apathetic attitude toward the state of Japan. I didn’t anticipate the Sephirah Genomics senior researcher alongside Shuuichirou to be his mother Haruka (Fujimura Chika), though I do like the prospect of that because it shows that Shuu isn’t completely detached from everything that’s going on. The more intertwined he is, the more meaningful his inclusion will become. As for Inori, she was mostly eye candy this episode, but I’m looking forward to seeing her emotionless exterior start to crumble as she spends more time with Shuu.

Other thoughts:

  • Kudos to Shuu for delaying his response when we all know he was thinking, “Hell yeah, you can stay with me forever!” Inori’s words were as good as a proposal.
  • If he ever needs a backup, we all know his middle school friend Menjou Hare (Shimamura Yuu) is ready and waiting. “Anytime” she said.
  • The one good thing about Shuu groping his class president Kusama Kanon is getting to hearing Kotobuki Minako flip out.
  • The goofy soundtrack with the “Yes!” makes for clever fan-service.
  • It’s funny how extracting a Void Weapon from Inori can be so sensual, but extracting one from Souta can be so wrong. Must be because he’s a screamer.
  • I have one full-length image, plus the end card.
  • The ending sequence changes a bit every episode, so I’ve included some screen captures of this week’s.

    •  

    ED Sequence

    ED: 「Departures 〜あなたにおくるアイの歌〜」 (Departures ~Anata ni Okuru Ai no Uta~) by EGOIST

    Preview

    Watch the Preview!: Streaming ▼

    End Card

    224 Comments

    3. Shu just straight up “uses” everyone, anyway apparently void doesnt have to be weapon and I was all excited when he was told to draw them out from everyone in school……I’m just too addicted to the designs. Can’t wait for next week ^^

      oliviaven
      Reply

    4. I thought this episode wasn’t that bad. A core concept that Shuu is trying to salvage is his so-called “normal” life. (Admit it, the moment Inori arrived at the end of episode 2, that was torpedoed.) This episode sets a good example of him trying to return to it, and slowly slipping off the slippery scope towards full involvement in Undertakers.

      At first, I really disliked Shuu as a main lead, especially compared to Lelouch who jumped at the chance to change his surroundings. A few moments so far peek out from the rest of the mediocrity to give me some hope. These are notably whenever he has to put his game face on when using the Void, and that little exchange with Yahiro. I look forward to see how much (or little) he will grow next time.

      Dreyakis
      Reply

      1. Yeah, just like Yahiro’s betrayal, I liked the developments seen in Shuu’s character. He resisted the main protagonist role given to him and still hasn’t joined Funeral Parlor. The only thing I didn’t like so much was the dumbed-down screenplay.

        Divine
        Reply

      2. I feel that Gai deliberately allowed Shuu to do this on his own, knowing full well that he would fail and be betrayed. All of this to give him a sense of the cruel reality around him, that the “peaceful life” he sought does not exist and he has no choice but to fight.

        Nothing like a lesson learn by pain.

        MasterDragonKnight
        Reply

      3. lololol Dreyakis, again with the comparing of Code Geass and Guilty Crown, what’s your logic? They may have “same” plot but accept that they are different shows, Shu wants his normal life while Lelouch wants to destroy his, so they are different, just deal with it!

        The Story You Don't Know
        Reply

    5. The accidental boob grab seriously made me facepalm. That and when Shuu brooded over being called a moron by his friend put a bug up my ass. I seriously haven’t seen a protagonist this wimpy since Shinji Ikari from Evangelion. Oh well, at least the episode ended with a good cliffhanger.

      LaughingMan
      Reply

    7. Inori is still Ms. Uninteresting Bland, so its nice that the she at least provides a small amount of fanservice to keep my attention. She’s still hot.

      As for the episode, it largely serves as an info dump, specifically about the void and how it works. They also hand waved Gai’s impossible planing. The whole subplot with Yahiro was lame though, especially since it was so damn obvious he was “Sugar” with all the screentime he got. I liked how he betrayed Shuu, maybe because I didn’t expect after all the drama.

      fragb85
      Reply

    9. “only works on those seventeen and younger for unknown reasons”

      I rolled my eyes here.

      I wonder if the void weapons will change a characters reach redefining moments in their lives.

      Fling
      Reply

    10. I thought this episode was quite good and I think the show has great potential to live up to the expectations I had for it. I could very well be giving it too much credit, but for the moment I remain hopeful. I suspect Gai’s whole reason for having Shuu go on this Void Weapon hunt is part of his plan to get Shuu to join with the terrorist group one way or the other. He has been revealed and betrayed, so Gai may be the only way to escape this mess and I wouldn’t be surprised if Gai planned that all along. On the other note, I suspect there is more to Gai’s knowledge of Void Weapons than he has let on. I say we just give this show some time, then we’ll see if it truly lives up to the hype or not.

      Also, I loved the cliffhanger while watching as Shuu got pushed out of the train. For a moment, I thought Yahiro hadn’t betrayed anyone and they were after Inori. Then you just see the crazy guy and Shuu is alone on the platform looking horrified. The facial expressions of him and Inori and the scene in general was really well done.

      UnknownVoid
      Reply

      1. Also, I have to say. The accidental groping was stupid and not funny at all, but the instantaneous distribution of the picture to the entire school and the subsequent posts online and everything about that really amused me. I suppose I can forgive it for those reasons as long as this is the only time.

        UnknownVoid
        Reply

    11. It wasn’t quite as strong as the first two episodes though the series as a whole is still good. Still think “Gai can see void shapes” and “Void holders must be 17 and under” seems like weird plot conveniences and devices, though the 17 year old rule could be interesting later on. Many of the characters are within 1-2 years of turning 18 so if there’s a small time skip, that rule could create a bit of interesting conflict.

      It’s kinda too bad that I could tell Yahiro would be up to no good just by looking at his concept art. (he had much lighter hair but dat smile and hidden eye pretty much gave it away)

      Oh, and I feel sorry for some of the Voids. Fridge-shaped heart weapon makes me lol.

      Soiyeruda
      Reply

      1. Funny you say that because looking at Gai’s concept art initially, I thought he was meant the bad guy wonder if that pans out too since people are already having major suspicions about it.

        Saya
        Reply

    12. So far Guilty Crown has been nothing more than a finely polished turd – but my, what polish!

      The visuals and soundtrack are undoubtedly amazing and of the highest tier. Seriously, the visuals are amazing. The stuff we categorized as vibrantly colored and fluid a decade back must look like dog shit compared to this. Also, the BGM is rather spectacular too. The aesthetics are pretty damn good.

      Anyways, this episode was much more bearable than the first two. However, I’m still finding quite a bit of problems with Guilty Crown. The plot is really getting battered here. Gai’s ability to see voids within others is just absurd, and feels like a cheap explanation for his plan from episode two. Also, I find it hard to sympathize or connect with any of the secondary characters, such as Yahiro and Daryl, as both characters had gotten hardly any development in the episodes which centered around them, and it feels as if they are thrown in just to advance the plot (although I am certain that Yahiro will be seen once again as he appears in the ED). The fan service, which includes both the ecchi elements and the visually jazzy fights, seems to exist solely to distract viewers from the thin plot. But hey, I love that kind of stuff. Fortunately though, Shuu’s self-loathing isn’t as annoying as it once was. Plus, the twist at the end caught me a bit off guard.
      __________________

      Although I hate seeing Guilty Crown compared to Code Geass (which I don’t think is the greatest shit ever), Guilty Crown sort of falls around the area of Code Geass R2 and Ao no Exorcist. It can get brainless at times and may often feel ridiculous and contrived, but Guilty Crown has great visuals, sound, and fantastic aesthetics overall. Not only that, but it’s admittedly tons of fun, although barely anything else. But really, fun is pretty much all that matters in the end, and Guilty Crown is loaded with it. I only wish that Guilty Crown had the charisma of Code Geass, but this is good enough for me.

      Click
      Reply

      1. Oye, finely polished turd is a great art
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiJ9fy1qSFI

        Sometimes people shouldn’t always pick at the bad parts of a show, especially when they are watching for enjoyment. If this was literary criticism, I’d say go ahead. But sometimes handwaving isn’t all that bad. The age 17 below did kinda give me a slightest disappointment for a second, but I’m pretty sure its a plot device that makes it so that Shuu can’t retaliate against the soldiers by pulling out their voids. So for the sake of your own entertainment, please switch off the critical analysis mode in your brain.

        Suppa Tenko
        Reply

    13. I have to agree about the “hand holding” here. The show is definitely making sure the audience follows along with minimal difficulty. Which has something to say for it, but makes it really easy to completely disengage from actually thinking about the show in any meaningful way.

      I think that Gai already knowing so much about the Voids takes a lot of the fun out of things. It would have been far more interesting to have had Shuu have to figure this stuff out along with Inori. But no, Gai knows all, and presumably there will conveniently always be someone around with just the right void, when Inori’s sword won’t suffice.

      I do find it irritating that whenever Shuu uses Inori’s void it completely removes her from the equation. Not that she’s exactly an incredible presence at the moment, she’s just barely a step up from actively absorbing other people’s personalities into the void thats trying to pass itself off as her own. Iincho showed more personality in her minutes of screentime and little skit in the ED sequence.

      And I can’t believe they actually compared her, in show, to a doll. Come on guys, at least pretend she’s not just there to fill the space labeled “Lead, Female”

      fencedude
      Reply

      1. I may be over-thinking this but I think how Shuu refer to Inori as ‘real life CG’ or ‘doll’ might be a key plot in the future. I think Inori is lacking too much of common sense and it looks like she doesn’t know much about ‘everyday life’.

        Serapita
        Reply

        1. I was saying that i suspected it since the beginning. Because we were shown her face for one second too long. And she did not say anything. Characters with face time but no words are usually hidden characters. Which was why i suspected her being the mum.

          deafvader
          Reply

    16. Guilty Crown is doing extremely well in Japan. Every series has a few “low points”. This show will continue to do well despite the few people who enjoy bashing for the sake of bashing. I look forward to the progression of the series.

      bijyu
      Reply

      1. No it isn’t. Viewing rate for episode 3 was half of episode 1, and is one of the lowest ever for that specific slot.

        ノイタミナ
        1.5　1.6　1.7　2.1　2.5　1.5　1.8　2.8　2.0　2.3　2.3　2.5　平均2.05　四畳半/さらい屋
        3.4　2.4　2.6　2.3　2.7　2.3　2.6　2.5　2.9　2.0　2.5　終.　平均2.56　もやしもん/屍鬼
        2.3　休.　2.2　3.1　2.8　2.7　1.8　2.4　1.6　2.5　2.1　2.7　平均2.38　海月姫/屍鬼
        1.9　1.8　1.6　2.1　休.　1.5　2.1　1.9　1.8　1.3　0.9　2.5　平均1.76　フラクタル/放浪息子
        1.6　2.5　3.9　2.8　2.5　2.9　2.2　2.0　2.4　2.9　3.2　終.　平均2.63　C/あの花
        1.2　2.4　2.1　2.6　2.1　2.5　休.　2.3　1.6　2.4　1.6　2.5　平均2.11　うさぎドロップ/NO.6
        2.6　2.4　1.3　-.-　-.-　-.-　-.-　-.-　-.-　-.-　-.-　-.-　平均2.10　UNGO/ギルクラ

        A series has lows and downs, but UNGO/GC combo seriously disappointed after the initial episode. This kinda of drop-off is so rare (and to happen on the 3rd episode) except for big holidays when people go on vacation and didn’t tune in. Blame on GC is greater because this is way more heavily promoted than UNGO. GC’s pre-orders remain extremely weak as well.

        Here’s hoping future episodes will be better.

        Kunagisa
        Reply

        1. Haha nice comment actually using statistics to back up your statement. A lot of people like to make up assertions and back it up with un-evidenced sentences like “Guilty Crown is doing really well in Japan.”

          Pride
          Reply

      2. Err…”extremely well”? Ehh…I’d be interested in seeing your metric.

        Going by Amazon Stalker Guilty Crown isn’t particularly burning up the charts, having accumulated only 682 points thus far for the first volume of the BD

        For comparison, here are the current points for the first BD volume for several major series this season (predicted final points in parentheses):

        Persona 4: 28226 (36708)
        Horizon: 4981 (12904)
        Haganai: 4280 (9718)
        Shana Final: 949 (2441)

        Guilty Crown doesn’t have a predicted final point standing as of yet. The points represent expected final sales numbers.

        Anyway, the upshot here is that Amazon Stalker has been very reliable at predicting total sales for the last few seasons, and sales more or less directly translate into “enthusiasm” and directly represent “success”. The big hit this season is Persona, while both Horizon and Haganai are well into the “Success” range. Shana is looking pretty iffy, and may only just clear the “Manabi Line”, while Guilty Crown has yet to even do as well as its doing.

        tl;dr, what is your source for “doing extremely well”, because my sources do not say the same thing.

        (more information about anime sales can be found Here

        fencedude
        Reply

        1. GC has been a bit disappointing to me, but um, you fail to recognize that all of those series, notably Horizon/P4, have been on Amazon for much longer than GC and thus were able to accumulate many more points. P4/Horizon were put up there before the season even STARTED. GC was just put up last week. Will Horizon/P4 do better overall? Yep, but the way you’re comparing really isn’t fair at all.

          Let’s take a look at the rankings right now. Guilty Crown is at #48, only behind P4, Horizon, and Working’!! (and the F/Z box if you count that). That’s a good ranking, probably 10k+ if it can stay around there. And get this, it’s ahead of the mentioned Haganai and Shana by quite a lot. Shana is in the 400s range, so yeah…

          someone
          Reply

        2. In my defense, it seriously shot up between last night and today. Usually a week is enough to get some numbers, but I guess Stalker hadn’t finished accumulating data to make a good prediction.

          Fencedude
          Reply

    17. I had only had high expectations for this show to entertain and for me it’s done just that. I think if anybody actually went into the show expecting to see certain things to be done in certain ways, then they’re just setting themselves out to be disappointed. I really just think some critics are taking it too far to the point that it’s being nitpicky. I actually saw someone complaining that about Shuu’s mum being hot because it was “too unrealistic”. As far as I know the series hasn’t done anything to make me seriously offended. A few questions may be raised but that’s only natural. I have faith that they’ll at least attempt to answer the more relevant ones throughout the entire story.

      With Yahiro as the bad guy I also think was meant to be predictable as was the “and we became real friends” scene, so it was nice that they turned it into a betrayal.

      With the fanservice tbh I like this kind even more without the jiggling and it wasn’t completely useless either cause it allowed the show to showcase a few more characters while leading to the explanation about eye contact. I’m liking the introduction of the rest of the class though, particularly Souta. Fyu-Neru was adorable too.

      Inori’s face at the end ): Glad to see a bit more emotion in that face. She had quite a bit of screen time this episode but she still maintains that cold exterior. I really want to know what’s behind that since they seem to be playing up her robotic obedience to Shuu quite a alot.

      And LOL at the bg music this episode. Still excited for next week 😀

      Saya
      Reply

    18. I sure hope this will be a turning point in Shuu’s mindset. Currently, he’s like ‘ok, that was a great stunt but I don’t want to be involved anymore, I just need normal life’.

      Also, for some reason I find the fact that Yahiro betray him just like that is both annoying (goddammit you should have killed him like Inori told you to…) and interesting (didn’t see it coming at all, which is good in my opinion).

      And the more I see it, the more I think that Gai might be the ultimate last boss… he always seems to have some ulterior move, like he has everything plotted out (I’m sure he knew Yahiro would betray Shuu too, since he said ‘they can do whatever they want’ and then grin.)

      Serapita
      Reply

    19. I’m liking the show, which is rare for me and an action orientated series to get along. Same with last exile which I’m enjoying. Still, I’m more slice/comedy and mystery/horror. Yea, when that dude got his void taken, whew, it looked DAMN painful…

      Relic
      Reply

    20. 4 yrs ago this would be one of the best anime around to me but since I’ve seen too many of this type of series I’m only watching it for Inori fanservice which is also my expectation for this show, lots of nude (or extremely skimpy outfits) Inori. So far its failing.

      jingoi
      Reply

    21. The endcard pic looks more like Yuno than Inori…

      Anyways, this series has definately below par from the hype given. At least the betrayal cliffhanger might lead to a more mature plot where there’s “no free lunch.”

      And the sudden explaination on how Void weapons work… seems.. kinda forced..

      TSouL
      Reply

    23. I just wish Inori would get an personality. I mean, the only thing I remember from her is her ass at episode 2(i’m joking, of course, but you get my point). But, I guess in the end, her being like this will be explained by her past or whatever.

      Damn, I miss C.C.

      leokiko
      Reply

    25. It amazes me how some people in these comments cant seem to accept other’s opinion and thinks they are “bashing the show for the sake of bashing”.

      In my case it doesnt even have anything to do with Divine “overhyping” it. All that did is convince me to watch it, nothing more. My beef with this show thus far, as I’ve commented on the previous 2 episode, is that its following the EXACT formula as Code Geass did, which makes everything beyond predicatble and kills any surprise factor that might have been intended.

      With that said, I’m glad this episode tried to stray off from that road with a normal school life, albeit still pretty damn predicable. The moment Gai mentioned about “Sugar” being a student in the school, I pretty much figured its Yahiro instantly. Then given Shuu’s wimpy personality I knew he’d cover for his “friend”, and as a result, I knew he was gona get betrayed. Lo and behold, everything happened exactly as it was.

      And as Divine said, they’re trying to cop-out of a bunch of plot holes with stupid answers, which makes the overall plot even more incohesive than it already is. Im sure it’ll be explained in due time, but for now, what the hell.

      I dont hate this show or anything still per say, but I’ve pretty much given up on anything giving me any surprise at this point with its predictability, something I’ve enjoyed every minute of in Code Geass’s masterful writting in Lelouch’s plans during every battle.

      YanDaMan263
      Reply

      1. You’re somewhat contradicting yourself here. You say GC is following Code Geass’ “EXACT” formula, and yet you say Code is better.

        First of all how is it the same formula when:
        -At the beginning of both series, both main characters questioned about how much of an impact they could possible have, except in Code, Lelouch jumps on the first chance to change the world when he gains power, while Shuu runs away from it.
        -Lelouch wants to change the world vs. Shuu who wants to have a normal life
        -The story in GC was predictable this episode, vs. Code which was like plot twist 101. Who would’ve ever guessed that Lelouch had recorded the conversation before hand, having predicted what the other would say
        -Not to mention the supporting female leads are like winter vs. summer
        -GC also lacks the charisma that Code had, the grand epic feel of taking on and conquering the entire world.

        Pride
        Reply

        1. Is your English comprehension the level of a grade schooler? EVERYTHING you listed had NOTHING to do with the FORMULA of how things and events played out. All you listed are differences in CHARACTER backgrounds, personalities, and motivation.

          The first 2 episode followed the same formula as Code Geass. Honestly instead of, OH defending this show for the sake of defending it why dont you go rewatch the first 2-3 episodes of Code Geass season 1? With Guilty Crown back to back? You must be blind if you dont see the similar pattern.

          -Both are set in an post-apocalyptic Japan with “evil” government.
          -Both protagonist meet girl and receive “Power of Kings” yeah they even had to use the same name.
          -Both protagonist defeats/kills evil ruler forces. Eventually help/side with vigilante rebels fighting against bad bad rulers. (Lelouch tells the soldiers to kill themselves, manipulates rebels for his own gain. Shu pwns some mech with a void sword).
          -Evil rulers send out forces to retrieve lost power and both ORDERS civilians to be killed in the process. (Britania Prince orders Shinjuku to be exterminated, Antibodies murders random civilians while looking for that tube thing Shu got his power from. Both makes us hate them and cheer the rebels on)
          -Both rebels fight against them. (Lelouch kills prince. Later forms the Black Knights from the rebels and proclaim their goals to the world. Shu works with Gai’s plans with Kaleidoscope and defeats Antibodies, Gai proclaims Funeral Parlors to the world).
          -Oh and now for laughs and giggles both protagonist goes and decide to use their powers on random students in school. (Lelouch tests how Geass works, Shu search for void shears.)

          …yeah. But nah the only defense I hear is “oh but Shu isn’t like Lelouch they have different personalities and goals blah blah” I KNOW. Your point? The ANIME ITSELF is still following the same formula.

          Face it. The screenwriter decided to make everything play out just like CG did. I wouldn’t be nearly as negative on this show if he at least changed it up a bit. Because this show is predictable as hell for anyone who watched CG.

          YanDaMan263
          Reply

        2. Did you watch CG recently aka is it fresh in your mind cause to be honest, while I do see the similarities I don’t feel as bothered by it as you seem to be. I know I probably should, but besides the things we get from the synopsis of the story (“Power of Kings”, mysterious girl, Japan taken by evil government), I don’t find myself thinking “Oh this is just like CG” when watching it unless I really actively try to make the connections. It’s a shame that the writer hasn’t been able to pull out something extremely unique to define this story yet, but I guess all we can do is wait.

          torotono
          Reply

        3. Well it depends on what you mean by formula. I took it as meaning the entire anime. After all formula’s usually are parts added up to make a whole (x + y = z). Every part of the anime added up to make up the whole anime. And if you think about it that way, characters are a huge part of the formula.

          If I’m not mistaken you meant more story and plot wise. Which then I can better understand your point.

          Pride
          Reply

    28. The reason why people compare this show to Code Geass, is because it’s the ONLY show they’ve watched. They only watch the the hyped shows, then compare new shows to the old hyped shows, then saw nothing is new. The casual internet fan is so shallow it just turns off all other fans, that’s what it comes down to. A lot of people don’t know how to express this, so they counterbash the bashers, but really, it’s not like they actually contribute to the industry or account for any profit that the producers are estimating. Just like a sports fan who doesnt watch the games and just show up and talk on the forums…they really aren’t doing much. If you take a friend to a ball game and you have to explain the rules, and in the end, you spend more time arguing with your friend instead of enjoying the game…don’t bother taking that friend to the game again.

      Chef
      Reply

      1. Hmm…I don’t actually agree with your post, but it brings something to mind.

        Comparisons to Code Geass are fairly valid, it and Guilty Crown are broadly in the same genre (vaguely dystopian near future sci-fi with a dash of mecha, political intrigue and special powers), along with a number of other shows of course (Ghost in the Shell, Bubblegum Crisis, etc etc).

        While Code Geass ended up with any number of issues (though in the end it was worth watching, if not as good as it could have been), Guilty Crown lacks the….lets call it “verve” that show had. The aspect which lets you know how the show will be different from the others that came before. For Geass it was almost certainly the first time Lelouch used his Geass, when he ordered those soldiers to kill themselves, and he revealed his identity to the viewer (I think we technically didn’t know at the time…I forget though, whatever). That showed that Lelouch was not “standard anime male lead”. On the other hand, Shuu here is…well, his rejection of Gai’s offer showed he is “standard anime male lead”. And thats fine, but the show isn’t giving anything else. Exposition about the Void was essentially handed to us on a platter, removing any mystery behind its use, Inori is a complete non-entity, more robotic and doll like than the actual ROBOT who’s the female lead of another show this season.

        It has been said that Guilty Crow is “all style, no substance”, but thats not even true, its the “appearance” of style, without any real style behind that appearance.

        I do hope it picks itself up, but for all its hype, and the obvious amount of money that went into it…its just disappointing.

        fencedude
        Reply

        1. The impression of Code Geass is inherently different for the Japanese than the foreign audience. What is fresh in Japan is chronologically, whereas outside of Japan, it’s what is popular only. For example, the last three anime a Japanese watched could have been 1.Hayate no Gotoku movie 2. Obscure anime they rented at local dvd shop 3. Guilty Crown on tv. For the foreigner, it’s 1. Evangelion 2. Code Geass 3. Guilty Crown, all ripped from bittorrent. So when someone in the US complains “well this is cliche”, that’s because what they remember is so different than Japanese fans.

          Chef
          Reply

        3. Which part? Its unfortunate but most foreign fans are getting an exported product. That means its the most popular stuff that gets watched. You would like to believe that all anime fans watch EVERYTHING, but that’s not the case. Cause if that was true, then all anime would profit.

          Chef
          Reply

        4. Oh where to even start.

          First of all, consider the site you are on. Your statements manifestly do not apply to most of the people who would visit and post here on this blog. They just don’t. This is a blog that caters to people who follow anime season by season as it airs in Japan. The type of fan you are referring to doesn’t even know Guilty Crown exists.

          As for the rest, its a mess of assumptions not in evidence and gratuitous stereotyping.

          fencedude
          Reply

        6. Well yeah the comparisons are valid, but that doesn’t mean they’re significant. Coming from the same genre there are bound to be many similarities, just as there are in so many other anime that are in the same genre, most notably romance animes. I swear there’s always a harem of sorts, which generally the same type female characters.

          Sure the comparisons are valid, but using that to bash the anime is stupid. There’s so many anime that an anime is bound to be similar to another. As long as it’s not a complete copy, has new things to bring to the plate, then you should just enjoy it.

          Take Avatar as an example. It’s practically Pocahontas on a different planet, but that doesn’t make it bad. It just takes themes that we already like and adds things to it. That’s with a lot of things in life. Take what worked, and modify it.

          Pride
          Reply

        7. And yet look at Gundam, most Gundam series, despite the obvious similarities in giant mecha and settings, even in the NAME IN THE TITLE, managed to be their own individual show from the FIRST episode on. When you saw the first episode of Wing, G, Seed, or 00, did you ever think of the other series right off the bat? No, because each played out its introduction differently that gives each Gundam series as its own stand alone.

          Based on just the first episode:

          -Wing gave us the impression of gundam pilots being vigilante rebels fighting against the government.

          -G gundam gave us the shonen vibe of simply fighting foe after foe with special moves.

          -SEED gave us a good guys vs bad guys right off the bat with ZAFT’s 4 stolen Gundams against the protagonist’s 1 while plot essentially a battle between 2 “races” who cant coexist.

          -00 showed the Gundam pilots being dark anti-heroes trying to stop war.

          Despite all being Gundams, each of those 4 series we able to be their own show.

          And here with Guilty Crown, every event that happened in the first 2 episodes just keeps making us think of Code Geass. Why? Because the screenwriter decides to use the exact formula, and viewers who notices this cant help but to think CG, because its just too CG-like in almost every aspect besides the character’s personalities.

          Simply put. When you watched Gundam 00 fir the first time, most people didnt go and said “oh this is just like *insert previous gundam series*” despite also being somewhat hyped. People watching GC keeps comparing it to CG because they are TOO SIMILAR. Get over it. Its fine if some people wants to stay in denial, but please stop trying to argue with people who are making CG comparisons. Because they are right and I have yet to hear a good valid counter-arguments besides “Shu and Lelouch have different personalities”.

          YanDaMan263
          Reply

      3. Your comment is very presumptuous. People compare guilty crown and code geass because there are noticeable similarities. It’s not like everyone is comparing it to some random popular mecha anime like Gurren Lagaan. Also, most people who watch animes season by season do not only watch the popular shows.

        And something else worth noting is that the writer for this series was involved with code geass.

        Stuff
        Reply

    29. So I was right. Gai does have some Void power. I am almost certain that this is not / will not be his only Void power.

      Interestingly, despite the fact that Shu can only draw items from people 17 or under, there is no mentioning of age restriction on Shu himself to exercise this power. This is making me more and more suspicious that Gai may have once possessed similar power to Shu – but it faded over time from him. In addition, this episode so far is only saying that Gai knows what the item is; but it’s weird that he also knew exactly what its capabilities are. This is making me even more suspicious that Gai was a Void Genome user in the past.

      How many episodes do this show have? If it’s in two seasons, perhaps there will be a time-lapse in-between when Shu grows to Gai’s age.

      suff
      Reply

        2. Because Gai is white/caucasian, he looks older than his asian counterparts. This is not a racist comment, we learned about this phenomenon in social biology. It is called neoteny. Look it up on wiki and find the “between races” section.

          Chef
          Reply

    31. Its not that i think this series is bad or anything. I just don’t like shinji like lead characters. People that have power but are scared and hesitant to use it, even when they see the consequences of what happens to those around them without their help. I really hate shuu as a lead, even though i know hes weak and will develop into a stronger character as the show goes on. Its just painful and frustrating to watch him be a bitch every episode.

      darkloco
      Reply

      1. Comparing him to Shinji is a bit too much. Since the first episode, Shuu was already at the same level of non wimpiness as Shinji’s peak of non-wimpiness (anime series, not movies or fanfic). And its not like Den-O where the main only starts to be active in his job after acquiring his second supermode (liner form), Shuu’s just reclusive like Kiva, but not a depressed emo afraid of the world.

        Summary of incoherent mess above: Shuu does have an acceptable level of confidence and intelligence as well as willpower.

        Suppa Tenko
        Reply

    32. Personally I enjoyed this episode more than the somewhat underwhelming first two which could be written off as your average shonen intro. We got to see a bit more of the characters’ personalities and their dynamics with each other and they got the basic void rules out of the way leaving some bits for the future(i.e. the reason why Shu was informed that voids work only on those under 17). Showing that regular people have seemingly mundane voids while those involved in the rebellion have battle-oriented ones also puts the whole “new powers as needed” aspect in a better light. They fact that they got through it in a hilarious way also helped. As for the convenient hand-holding feel it’s giving off, I’d says it’s somewhat justified in that it’s presenting Shu as a rather perceptive person outside of social interactions.

      So far my only gripe is how Gai’s strategy seemed to have originally been based on him having the void genome and having teenagers in his army. From what I can surmise from his dramatic flair and dialogue, it seemed to me that he was going to pass himself off as some sort of charismatic saviour using the void genome to rally people together but that wouldn’t have worked in the long run. I really hope that Gai lives up to how much of manipulative mastermind he’s coming off as at the moment because it doesn’t make much sense for that to be the only thing up his sleeve.

      All in all I’m actually starting to look forward to what they have in store for future episodes because of this one. The cliffhanger and the punch-out scene were great.

      UnFear
      Reply

    33. How would you react if you showed up at a friends home to watch a video
      and discovered a rock star there – and a cute one at that, (unlike Mick)?

      Exactly.

      Why do the guys scream (like girls) when he gets their void and the girls don’t?

      Exactly.

      There are rules for drawing the void out? Must be 17 or under? Excuse me, sir, may I see
      your ID please before I extract your void!? Hey, this is Anime, we don’t need no stinkin’ rules!

      Exactly.

      FTFY — “it’s now struggling to live up to everyone’s high any expectations”

      Who knows where it will end up, but I feel like my continued watching of the series has
      taken a morbid turn much like watching a train wreck in slow motion…

      mac65
      Reply

    34. I can’t help but find it very strange that people are declaring plot holes only three episodes into a 22 episode run. As if the answers would all be revealed immediately! Instead of accepting things as a temporary mystery, it feels like the general response in this thread is to accuse the creators of cop-outs or failure to properly explain. As I recall, people did the exact same griping about “plotholes” in the first half of Noitamina’s Higashi no Eden a few years ago, which ended up thoroughly explaining everything by it’s end, and being one of the best shows of the year (while the storys aren’t similar at all, I find myself comparing GC to HnE more than other more similar past series like CG).

      Maybe Gai’s ability to see Voids isn’t a momentous factor in the overarching plot, so the director decided to graze over it and not waste time. You don’t know.

      Sight and sound are straight up Grade A here. Since everything else is up to this level, why not give the production team the benefit of the doubt in these fledgeling plot points? If they don’t add up later, feel free to judge, but it’s FAR too early to be complaining about plot inconsistencies when we barely know anything about the plot. Just let it ride for a bit!

      Eclipse
      Reply

      1. Maybe Gai’s ability to see Voids isn’t a momentous factor in the overarching plot, so the director decided to graze over it and not waste time. You don’t know.

        No way. That would just be even worse writing.

        I don’t think his ability to see voids is a plot hole, but it does make the show just a bit less interesting. In fact, having the explanation about the voids and the restrictions just dropped on us takes away a lot of the mystery, and eliminates potentially interesting scenarios.

        fencedude
        Reply

        1. I don’t think it makes the show any less interesting — only time will tell if that’s the case. I just found it odd how they revealed it so matter-of-factly. It were as if that extra bit of dialogue between Shuu and Gai was just inserted into this episode.

          Divine
          Reply

        2. Let’s have faith in the writing for now and assume they know what they’re doing in the long run. This is a prominent staff we’re talking about here, Director of Death Note and Screenwriter of Code Geass and Macross Frontier.

          Pride
          Reply

        1. While this is true, its not a particularly unique accomplishment this season. I’d rank Horizon and Fam’s casts just as highly. And Fam features a Kayano Ai character who’s actually, you know, a character.

          Fencedude
          Reply

        3. And this episode didn’t really exercise any of the Seiyuu particularly hard. Kayano Ai may as well be sleeping her way through the recording for all the energy Inori has, and Kaji Yuuki was…Kaji Yuuki. Taketatsu had all of one line, Hanazawa wasn’t even in the episode. Most entertaining performance of the episode was Kotobuki Minako (whom once again I didn’t even recognize until I looked the character up, damn she’s good) as the Iincho.

          Fencedude
          Reply

        4. @Divine Ah, I wasn’t referring to you so much as I don’t think I’ve read more than one or two comments, if any, mentioning the seiyuu cast 🙂 I appreciate that you mention them in your posts because sometimes I’m caught by surprise.

          @Fencedude True, but like Kotobuki Minako was for you, I keep being like “wow, that was you?” about the seiyuu of certain minor characters and I’m usually very quick to recognize voices.

          Faye
          Reply

    35. “Save the best for the best”
      I get the feeling thats is whats going on with the graphics.

      I want so to become evil. Well not totally evil but a person that won’t trust anyone except Inori and himself. And will somehow rule over things yet feeling guilty with for who is around him.

      I also wonder what Inori’s relationship with Shuu in the past. Maybe something like Deadman Wonderland, I guess.

      Croos
      Reply

    36. Thank you Divine for pointing out everything very well, makes it a lot easier to comprehend. The graphics have gone downhill this episode and Well, two things that didn’t disappoint me are:

      1. At least they gave off a twist about Yahiro betraying Shuu at the end of the episode to save the episode from being somewhat stereotype. And

      2. for a change, it wasn’t “announced” to the whole class how Inori and Shuu are living under the same roof which is probably a common scene in these fan service based animes. Well, at least not in these episode though I doubt it’ll remain a secret in the following episodes given that Shuu is still able to go back to school normally which I think it will be because some characters from his school haven’t been introduced yet.

      The Story You Don't Know
      Reply

    37. Actually this one is not bad

      but like you said there’s a dropped on quality :/

      But I love that my hypothesis on shu’s mom is correct, but not w/ gai :/

      Since next episode has more action scene I hope the quality will stay like on episode 2

      Well overall love this episode especially…the new soundtrack :3
      Now I can’t wait to buy the OST….. One of the best on MY OPINION

      ricz
      Reply

    39. Doesn’t really matter what other people say about the series, I am still enjoying what I’m seeing. In fact I am liking every thing about this anime. This is the second anime that is making my hyped like that since Suzumiya Haruhi season 1.

      Just expressing what I think, and how much I enjoyed it.

      RedjuiceFan
      Reply

      1. Hey glad to see someone else is. Whenever I’m watching an episode I really do genuinely enjoy it, then when I go to read comments, it’s kind of a downer to see that so many others aren’t. Oh well, like you said it doesn’t matter what others say. Even after two weeks of pretty negative remarks my opinion hasn’t changed and I still like what I see so far.

        Cocytus
        Reply

      3. Me too, couldn’t care less what others say.

        But for the sake of accuracy and nothing more. In terms of production quality, the only competition of Guilty Crown this far is Fate/Zero. Episode 4 of FZ was for a week now and had 138 comments. The latest episode of GC has been for less than a day on RC and generated 126 comments (138 for a week vs. 126 for less than a day). Page views: the previous episode of FZ had 10k page views for a week vs. 20k page views for the same period for GC (twice as much). And we are talking about the closest competitor. I like Fate/Zero, and it’s one of my favorite shows, but wanted to highlight statistics.

        Basically, numbers speak for themselves. But to be frank, I think people who don’t like Guilty Crown and still watching/trolling it need to get a life. I think time is much limited to waste it on watching things that irritate/of-low-quality/dont-click for you. I for one never liked Code Geass, and guess what. I never visited a page for Code Geass on RandomC and never posted a comment about it.

        P.S. Episode 3 was a little disappointing a little in terms of pace. But seems they will get back on track in episode 4. Can’t wait for it.

        vladrin
        Reply

        1. “The latest episode of GC has been for less than a day on RC and generated 126 comments”

          The bad thing is 65% of them are either whiner or people who keep comparing GC and CG :/

          “But to be frank, I think people who don’t like Guilty Crown and still watching/trolling it need to get a life.”

          Agree w/ that I don’t even know why are they complaining.. they should drop the show if they don’t like it :/

          But seems they will get back on track in episode 4.”

          and I hope the quality will be back to normal

          ricz
          Reply

        2. I don’t know about the percentage split ricz, as a lot of commenters are being fairly objective in their views this week. Most haven’t written off the series completely just yet. I don’t see any problems with pointing out some areas that people feel could’ve been done better, as I did just that in my own impressions.

          Divine
          Reply

        3. @Divine

          The critiques of this episode were relatively fair. After all, many of Guilty Crown lovers, like myself, have pointed that the third episode was rather week. But many other animes share similar problems at episodes 3-5.

          Still, there were the ones who were criticizing the show since episode one, some of them went further and compared it Code Geass. There were others who didn’t like the characters, and still complaining about them every week. There is no sense in watching an anime if the characters don’t relate to you, and it will always seem bad. Then why coming back every week and complaining.

          But as for you Divine, I disagree with you in particular on this statement “It’s somewhat regrettable that I may have inadvertently hyped Guilty Crown too much”. How an anime is hyped too much if week-in and week-out it has the most page views and the most comments for this season. And any regular reader of RC knows that GC’s views/comments statistics allow it to be first for the majority of the seasons. Yes, these were only three episodes, but as long as statistics go in it’s favor, it’s not a bubble.

          vladrin
          Reply

        4. There’s no doubt that Guilty Crown’s got people watching and talking vladrin. The thing to keep in mind though is that it’s hard to say how much of that “attention” is positive and how much of it is negative.

          GC and Fate/Zero are easily the two most “popular” shows on RandomC this season, but we’ll only get a true idea as to what degree when the dust settles from the early episodes and we can see how many people are still watching and talking.

          Despite all the qualms people have, I do get the feeling that most will continue watching though (which is what you’re alluding to). I just think it’s better to wait and see since there have been cases where interest drops off dramatically.

          Divine
          Reply

        5. I see your point. Hopefully, Guilty Crown will be able to stay as popular as it’s now until the end of the season. The quality of the work indicates to me that the studio has put much effort into it, so it would be sad if it all gone to waste.

          vladrin
          Reply

      2. 1. She does not care about such things.
        2. Gai might have asked her to wear it, he may be a pervert.
        3. Her new “master”, Shu, did not tell her otherwise; so she is currently following old orders by Gai. (he might be a pervert)

        deafvader
        Reply

    43. Maybe its because Yuki Kaji voiced both leads, but Guilty Crown is starting to resemble ‘No. 6 for straight guys’ for me. That or ‘Poor Man’s Code Geass’ since its basically following the same plot patterns (Removing witnesses, hot girl moves into protagonist’s home, light-hearted school episode that gets serious at the end) as early R1 but with less smoothness.

      Art and BGM is still incredible though, and I’d love to see what hidden potential the Fridge Weapon has.

      momogoldfish
      Reply

    44. lol @ the failed first attempt to draw out a Void ending with class rep being groped 😛
      Gai had a convenient way of explaining his “just as planned” with Void used during the battle… he knew it all along!
      also lol @ the “under 17″ rule… how convenient – and btw making useless to try and use Voids of regular enemy troops, not being a psycho space cadets 😛
      also, this show needs a character who asks: Inori? Egoist? Who is that? and acts completely unimpressed.
      plus, Inori should be in top 10 wanted people of occupied Japan right now… even if no witnessed remained from the battle she was recorded earlier when she stole the bio-weapon… good grief she’s equivalent of Princess Leia getting into some ordinary Coruscant school!

      ewok40k
      Reply

    45. First, I’d like to say that the 17 year or younger thing either unknown (maybe explained later) or like Shuu said “A secret kept from him”

      Second, I think a lot of people are disappointed about Guilty Crown for the wrong reasons. IE Comparing Shuu to Lelouch, or even GC to CG as a whole or even how the animation quality has decreased (still pretty damn good if I might say). GC is only in episode 3 so I think it is way to quick to judge, “This show was overhyped/let down”, just let the plot unfold. I mean look at Darker Than Black, that show was confusing with numerous ‘plot holes’ throughout, but everything was wrapped up during the season final + OVA. Same with CG, throughout the series there were many gaps in the plot.

      Lastly, Why is Gai’s abilities/action (Trusting Shuu/Seeing Voids) bother so many people. It may not be ‘logical’ to trust a newbie like Shuu, but it is definitely ‘logical’ for someone to grab voids out of other people because he obtained “The Power of Kings”. There was definitely not this much hate when Lulu planned out elaborate plots that completely overwhelmed Britannia. Just except Gai is the genius in GC and move on.

      Ybaby
      Reply

      1. well for me, its not really that its similar to code geass, its cause of how the characters act.
        they just dont “click” and I dont feel any interest to any character there. heck, any one can die and I wouldnt care about it. the conversation between the main and the girl feel pretty empty for me and just lack any substance imo.

        the diff is that while lulu made elaborate plans, he did show he was smart both in school and in other parts. even some of lulu’s “elaborate plans” failed, to show that even being smart doesnt guarantee success.

        also, ep 3 is usually the deciding factor in anime nowadays. even if the story picks up halfway, usually its not worth it sludging through all those mediocre ones. ep 4 is also counted, if your still feeling uncertain about it in ep 3(meaning it seems bad but you think it can get better or had some good stuff).

        amado
        Reply

        1. @Amado
          “ep 3 is usually the deciding factor in anime nowadays”

          Based on what you state your claim? On Madoka Majica, that was not much watchable until episode 5, or many other animes. From my experience, episodes 3-5 are typically the worst in any anime show. Though, episode 4 seems to be quite good, and maybe even better than episodes 1 and 2.

          The issue, that some people liked episodes 1 and 2 so much, that they were slightly disappointed with 3, which is quite common to most of the other anime shows.

          But if characters like Inori, Tusugumi, etc. didn’t click for you, then this show is obviously not for you.

          If we go back to the comparison to CG. I said that GC’s plot is quite inconsistent, but so is CG. It seems to me like animes of this genre tend to have consistency problems in their plots.

          Still, was this show a sort of an over-hyped bubble? The first episode’s page had more than 28k visits on RandomC and episode two more than 20km, and comments always above 200 per episode (not every season you have a show that generates comments above 200 on RC). These numbers doesn’t indicate to me that the show is over-hyped.

          vladrin
          Reply

      2. I find comparing to Code to be unfair. Cause the Code is more this intelligent student who is brimming with confidence and hatred suddenly getting a new power which requires some use of IQ.
        In here, the main use of power is physical, and the leader is not the student. Heck the chap does not want to event participate in anything.

        But I do think that Gai is hiding something. And I liked Darker than Black from the first ep and am liking it more and more with each passing week. For Guilty Crown, my like has been “just okay” all this time. And no, I was not hyped up by anything. The promo video actually looked bad relative to other ads i have seen. and the webpage although “cool” looking is just that, looking “cool” nothing more.

        deafvader
        Reply

        1. “The promo video actually looked bad relative to other ads i have seen. ”

          Bad compared to what? Hunter x Hunter? As far as production quality and sound track is concerned, the promo was matched only by Fate/Zero’s promo. Or I’m missing other shows. If production quality and sound couldn’t have been much better, I can’t but wonder what should the promo have offered more, an exciting plot in 30 seconds. That said, I think you meant to say that watching the promo, Guilty Crown didn’t match your taste, not “The promo video actually looked bad relative to other ads i have seen.”.

          “the webpage although “cool” looking is just that, looking “cool” nothing more”

          Sure, since there is absolutely no difference between having a high quality page and a bad one, I advice Production IG to make something worse and simpler, instead of wasting their time creating a website that looks beautiful/cool.

          vladrin
          Reply

      3. I second that. The reason I see why people are comparing CG to GC are because since they basically have the “same” setting, it can’t be helped to compare WHO are the better leads and characters. While GC wins in the animation/graphics department(come on, let’s just forget episode 3), CG overwhelms GC with the characters. Another reason people hate GC is because Shuu has one of the most hated personality which is the “Shinji Ikari personality”.

        One thing I’m really irritated is that, which you have pointed out, why the heck are people complaining when Inori moved to Shuu’s house which incidentally also happened in CG(CC moving in to Lelouch’s house)? This kind of setting is very common nowadays yet why is GC the only one axed while CG didn’t even get that criticism?

        While I’m happy that GC is getting attention and around 200+ comments per episode, I wish people who hate it would just stop posting comments. I’d rather take 100+ comments made by real fans than 200+ comments wherein more than half of those posts are just rants. Well, I’m also ranting right now so I guess I’ve got no right to talk.

        The Story You Don't Know
        Reply

    52. Now that I think about it, I wonder if the 17 and younger rule has something to do with the time frame in this universe. I checked back at episode 1, where there’s a brief mention about some Apocalypse Virus ravaging Japan and the GHQ sent in to deal with it. Except there’s no mention of the virus anywhere else, or any other detail whatsoever (I think).

      I wonder if this so called Apocalypse Virus was artificial, designed to as a precursor to the Void. If taken into that context, then the 17 and younger might make sense, since only certain conditions (like age) would allow Void to be accessible.

      Now let’s see if the show actually goes in this direction.

      Dreyakis
      Reply

      3. Yeah, it might have something to do with when the Apocolypse Virus that hit 10 years ago too.

        It also occurred to me after writing this post that the 17 and under rule prevents Shuu’s power from being the being the de facto solution to every problem against the GHQ. i.e. He can’t just use it to incapacitate all the soldiers since they’re older. This is actually a good thing.

        Divine
        Reply

      4. I think that’s the best explanation so far.

        Perhaps Inori’s Void is so imbalanced because she got infected in a ‘special’ way. Or perhaps she was the original host. Something like that.

        suff
        Reply

    53. Personally, I enjoyed this episode quite a bit. I agree that the whole “17 and under only for unknown reasons” thing is pretty silly though.

      I actually didn’t expect Yahiro to betray Shuu at the end of the episode. It’s definitely different from what normally happens and it really pushed things forward.

      Also that “Yes!” in the soundtrack. Made my day. Did you notice it also said “No!” at one point? Forgot where though.

      Yuumei
      Reply

        2. A quote from Takayama-san. If you believe people without doubting them, you aren’t being an honest person but you are insulting them instead as you don’t try to understand them in the first place and are instead being ignorant of them.

          Cybersteel
          Reply

    54. Guilty Crown looks pretty awesome and I personally liked this episode, the only thing I really can’t process are the main characters personalities…I mean, Inori is so expressionless and Shuu is just insecure, we need stronger personalities otherwise this story is going to be a bit boring. Hope they will gradually change that as the story develops….

      Nikke-kun
      Reply

    55. LOL. The “betrayal” part was even predictable. The plot was going downhill. Soundtrack-wise it’s boosted up to A++ (love the “Yes!” as well).

      And “My Dearest” sure is growing on me. It sounds good now on my ears but other parts (like the part “so everything that makes me whole” and other alike parts where Koeda sounds like she’s just shouting it out) makes me cringe. And no I won’t criticize the OP every single episode. XD

      nagi
      Reply

    56. The pace of this episode was certainly slower than the first two. Was not for the cliffhanger, in action/emotion terms, this episode was as good non-existing (leaving Inori aside). And I do agree that the graphics had a slight drop of quality. But I think episode 3 is devil’s number for anime shows, so I wouldn’t build up my expectations on top of episode 3 for any show. Still, for now Guilty Crown is my favorite show this season (alongside Boku wa Tomodachi and Fate/Zero).

      It just strange that people keep counting the inconsistencies in the plot. I mean the plot is Guilty Crown’s weak-point, and the inconsistencies are simply countless, so I don’t bother counting them. Had I won the fight against white coats in episode two and had Daryl in comma, I would have caged him, fed him, and grown him up. He would have been as harmless as a hamster, and I could use his Kaleidoscope whenever I want to, instead of letting him out, keeping him around for the final/semi-final battle.

      vladrin
      Reply

    59. The whole concept of extracting void weapons from 17 year old is already pretty lame and the dumbed-down screenplay only made it worse. The writing has been pretty mediocre so far, I do like looking at the eye candies though.

      Seishun Otoko
      Reply

    61. Yahiro! That bastard! If they give us some lame excuse for his reason behind backstabbing Shuu, I’ll be really annoyed. I think it’s fine the way they left his character wrapped up in one episode. If Shuu doesn’t begin to feel any hate toward the state of Japan by next episode I don’t know what else he can possibly go through to wake up… I mean come on you watched a mother get torn from her child who got shot along with an entire group of hostages. Next time we see Yahiro I hope he gets his ass kicked by an amped up Shuu.

      Also, looking forward to the miraculous way Shuu will be saved..

      santoryu13
      Reply

    62. This episode wasn’t so bad.
      I liked the fan-service and bit of humor. I like Shu. He’s a goof-ball but oddly sincere for a main character based on this anime. I’m not into giant robots fighting every episode, so the school premise was nice. I don’t dislike Inori. She’s interesting and awfully adorable. I don’t come across to someone who lacks emotion quite like Inori. A common plot-device but nothing mundane. I liked Yahiro as a character plus Shu figured out quickly so props to him. If Yahiro was obnoxious or absurd then I understand people’s frustration how dumb this episode was. The rules for the Voids and Gai’s unknown ability for being able to know people’s voids didn’t affect me whatsoever. I want to watch the entire 22 episodes to judge that and possibly a later episode shall explain that. I’m curious what that guy with the black/white clown doll phone will do to Shu. Poor guy…

      BNV
      Reply

    63. Divine, as someone who must go frame by frame through episodes for all the screenshots, how did you miss them showing Shu’s mom in episode one holding him up to his birthday cake? 😀 Her identity shouldn’t have been a surprise!

      Drew
      Reply

        3. It’s mainly because Macross was too awesome. I’m definitely going to watch it again this weekend without having to take caps again. I ended up with 360 and cut it down to 180. (For Itsuwari no Utahime, I had close to 1000 and cut it down to 176ish.)

          Divine
          Reply

    65. It’s not just the characters looking flat. Inori has a kinda flat character personality too. She misses reasons behind her actions. Even though she’s a kuudere she’s too much a tool atm. I also think lots of stuff in this episode were “shonenized”, Shu pulling out Void Weapons out of random character dont fit with his personality. All in all it wasn’t a bad episode, but not good either.

      It’s a good review, thanks Divine. Your reviews kinda inspire me as a fellow blogger, though we have different opinions. I like your writing style(:

      Sora
      Reply

    66. Having no expectations of this in preseason, was not affected by the hype. The story by itself isn’t too bad, its not looking like its anywhere near stein;s gate or madoka but also nowhere as terrible as some put it.

      Some nice stuff this episode was the various forms of the voids. The vase, pliers and refrigerator was an enjoyable look at the forms of the voids. Its better than everyone being some gun, sword or cannon.

      The last part where they showed some realism in that the “power of friendship” isn’t that mighty when your friendship is fake as hell (on both sides). Looking at the setup, i wonder if during the void pulling process is Shuu protected. If yes, numbers are useless and he can pretty much pull a void out of Makoto and run away. If no, he should wait for a chance to be alone with a guard or someone.

      Frankly if i was Makoto, i would have shot Shuu in both knees immediately. Less risk even if he thought Shuu was just a grunt (also helps in convincing people that not spilling information leads to more pain). Nowadays the bad guys in anime are all just talk rather than any action.

      Zaku Fan
      Reply

      1. Guilty Crown isn’t a bad show by any means. Its just too predictable due to all the Code Geass similarities for those who watched it, which makes it less interesting than what it should’ve been.

        YanDaMan263
        Reply

    68. I keep seeing comments about how Gai appears to place his hopes in Shuu for seemingly no reason, but as far as I’m concerned, it seems like a reluctant reliance, similar to Holland and Renton’s relationship in Eureka Seven — Gai (Holland) originally planned to be the one to use the Void Genome (Eureka/Nirvash TypeZERO/Amita Drive) to fight their opponents and whatnot, but then Shuu (Renton) came along and coincidentally became the “chosen one.” Shuu’s newly-found power seems rather irreversible, so it seems to me like Gai is just pinning the responsibility of the Void’s power onto Shuu now that he’s gained it, and trying to make use of him for the Undertakers’ cause. (I believe Gai mentioned a total of five Void Genome samples being around, but it sounds like something that’s quite a hassle to get their hands on, so it’d be easier to just make use of the Void user they’ve inadvertently “gained.”)

      Chalryn
      Reply

    69. This is going to be a long post. I’m just posting what I posted elsewhere.

      About Shu, who knows because the thing that pops in my mind is Simon from Gurren Lagann so let’s just sit back and see how it goes. This is not even a 1 cour series so I am expecting a lot of things should be happening. Even though this is episode 3, there’s already a lot of things happening such as the world that Shu tried to stay in (and hide from what is really going on) is now crumbling down around him with his “good” friend betraying him. His friend is someone who belongs to the world that Shu wants to stay in is now pretty much dragging him back to the real world which Shu is trying to run away from after episode 1 & 2.

      In a way, when we face pain we a lot time try to run away and hide from it. It’s a defense mechanism physically and mentally. In Shu’s case, he saw that outside of the school, the “dream” world, people were indiscriminately killed. So what does he do? He runs and hide. Now what the ending of episode 3 is doing is that no matter how much he runs and hide, he must face it because even if we are thousands of miles away from the cruel world, it will still affect us in some form.

      Basically 1st episode is about Shu’s life and his “dream” world that he lives in. 1st episode also shows how he was slowly dragged into the real world (actually he chose to continue to see the real world when he took Fyu-neru to the Undertakers). In Episode 2 he experienced the real world and how things are not okay and in fact is breaking everything that he wanted is his little “dream” world. He gets scared and ran way from the real world into his “dream” world again by the end of episode 2. Episode 3 with Inori joining school shows that the real world is in fact interacting with his dream world. Basically he can’t run away from the truth and by the end of episode 3 was dragged back into the real world. This 3 episodes is pretty much like what Gai said that he only have 2 choices. Fight or run and hide and slowly get erased from the world. Now episode 4 should show his choices and whether he wants to continue running and hiding or now fight and survive.

      Personally I never had issues with angsty characters. I only have problem with them if even in the end, they still stayed the same. This is only episode 3 of Guilty Crown so can we give him a chance to see how it goes? Even Simon took a long time before becoming so awesome near the end.

      This actually also made me think of Luke from Tales of the Abyss. That guy was annoying, stupid, sissy, retarded, and a bunch of other things. Over the entire series he developed from what he initially was to a better guy but was still a sissy in some way or form. He then changed again near the end of the series and become someone who was strong, knows what he wants and goes for it with no hesitation, clear, and have a clear goal. He pretty much become a very very good character.

      Silver
      Reply

      1. ^ This. I know the kid is wimpy right but… have you haters ever heard of CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT?! If he stays a whiny little shinji-clone by the end of it then yeah. He sucks. It’ll be boring if a character stays consistent throughout a whole show. There has to be some sort of change in the hero if the story is ever gonna be good.

        Jared Drake
        Reply

        1. I think people just hate Shu’s personality types period. Most of us know that he’ll probably grow into someone less wimpy. But that still doesnt change the fact that Shu has one of the most detestable main character personalities in Japanese animation/drama.

          YanDaMan263
          Reply

    70. This episode is a nice setup episode, well maybe it’s just me but I always like this kind of fan-service filled episode especially the introduction of Inori to the class and her moving into Shu’s home. I honestly felt that “this” should last a couple of episodes but the series it seems wouldn’t allow that since next episode is another potentially action-filled episode.

      I hope for an episode just dedicated to Shu and Inori XD

      Ghostalker
      Reply

    71. Gai can’t “see” people’s voids. Remember the hand in the OP browsing through all those mini portraits? Yeah, that’s him going through the database built from people’s DNA. Having the DNA would make it possible to filter out the introns and, by somehow decoing them, predict voids. We have seen DNA analysing earlier in the series, so that wouldn’t be surprising. Plot hole avoided.

      foxmccloud
      Reply

    72. 1. Wondering why people compare it GC to Code Geass? Stop whining. People compare it for one reason: it has the director of Death Note and screenwriter of Code Geass. Two extremely successful anime might I add. The similarities don’t stop there. *cough* Geass is the “Power of Kings”, usable by the eye(s); “Void extraction” is also “The Power of Kings”, usable by the hand. It’s no surprise the expectations are set sky high for this series.

      2. My gripe with this episode is how Shuu candidly extracts Void Weapons from people, in seemingly public locations. As far as we know the weapons and the fanciful extraction process are visible to anyone. What is Shuu’s rationale extracting voids in the open? When he gropes that chick when attempting to extract: she wasn’t alone. Had he succeeded not only would the other girl have seen the phenomenon, the crowd behind him would have. Is Shuu just an idiot or are the writers sloppy?

      I’m reminded, what-a-surprise, of an early episode of Code Geass where Lelouch is trialing his Geass on people at school. Lelouch had it easy, he could use Geass in plain-sight because using it had no visible effect, other than the the Geass itself — which was never explained if non-Geass users could actually see it because its physical appearance was never acknowledged in the series by non-Geass users.

      Gai doesn’t help Shuu at all. Gai: “Hey Shuu, some dude saw you the other day with us, why don’t you run around your school extracting weapons from random people!” Then again, Gai doesn’t seem to bright given he’s all over news yet meets Shuu in a seemingly visible location in the city, dressed like he’s about to go to a ball.

      Orange
      Reply

      1. Shuu was originally going to extract from Hare. There was no one around so he thought it’d be fine if he screwed up since they are friends. The scene shows Hare, then Shu thinking, then the class president entering the hallway while Shuu is still getting ready…with his eyes closed and face turned away, so yeah maybe he is a bit stupid 😛 People started arriving because of the commotion, only possible gripe I have with that is that they arrived kind of suddenly but since that doesn’t hold enough importance for them to elaborate, I don’t care.

        As for the Code Geass comparisons, meh I don’t see a need to do it every single episode despite the reasons you stated. For me, I’d rather just read comments more focused on discussing the episode of the anime we’re watching, instead of one that finished airing years ago. (:

        Cocytus
        Reply

        1. I did a double-take of that scene just to make sure I was actually seeing it correctly. The crowd literally gathered right as Shu did the groping. The girl didn’t even scream, so there was no way they could have heard the commotion. They just literally showed up as soon as the boob was in his hand. Epic fail on the timing, and all just for a cheap joke. On top of that, Shu wasn’t alone. Inori was also there. Why didn’t she intervene or something? She sure picks the worst times to be robotic, that’s for sure. God, I hated that scene!

          And yeah, the reason Guilty Crown is so hated is because of the hype backlash and all, but like you said, we’re not dropping it yet. If I dropped every anime that bored me after three episodes, I’d miss out on some anime I really like (*cough*Sket Dance*cough*). I can still see the potential, so I’ll keep going.

          Johnkrab
          Reply

        2. Well Shu was holding her for a good 5+ seconds which I guess is might be enough time for a few people to gather around. But like I said even though it still seemed pretty sudden, I don’t care since its not important to the scene nor is the scene that important in the first place. By commotion, I’m talking about those guys in the background going “He’s got guts, etc” *cue people arriving/taking photos*. I don’t really understand why you wanted Inori to do something though.

          This is true. My rule is to watch three or so episodes and if its really not cutting it for me, I’ll drop it. Unless I hear or am given an indication that it gets better, which is what I use RC’s comments/view count for. Well hopefully you start enjoying it in the next few episodes then and it really starts tapping into that potential. I mean even though I already enjoy it, I don’t object to it getting even better.

          Cocytus
          Reply

      2. My thought exactly.

        Same formula as Code Geass. Of course people will compare.

        I’m sick of all the whiners whining about people comparing Code Geass.

        And I bet eventually there’ll be a part where the Funeral Parlor betrays Shu and become his enemies, just like the Black Knights did to Lelouch. Boy will that shut those people up for good.

        YanDaMan263
        Reply

    74. I did not find this episode so bad. Not much happend though compared to the previous 2 episodes. I also think it is too soon to claim that there are plot holes.

      Is it just me or does it look like everyone who has a rough life has their void in the form of a weapon? I mean there were some others with things like a fridge. That can’t possibly be used as a weapon right? So does that mean not every void weapon has some amazing ability?

      Also, when Shuu first extracted Inori’s void weapon there he saw flashbacks, when he extracted Yahiro’s void weapon he also saw something right? What’s up with that?

      And lastly. Why do you recon Yahiro betrayed Shuu? If it was because Shuu is ‘with’ the Undertakers? Then why did he not hand him over earlier? Or was it because he didn’t trust Shuu with his secret? Then why did he not hand over Inori? Besides, what is the deal with Inori? Wasn’t she arrested for stealing that void tube? She escaped, but why and how is she walking around the school like nothing happened?

      Djalaal
      Reply

      1. Plot is full of holes, more than Inori’s “combat otfit”… visuals are stunning, but dont try to think too much into this anime. GHO (Global Health Organisation? modelled on WHO, probably)acts against every COIN principle, as if they wanted to intently create insurgency by heavy handed approach. Inori who should be top wanted is a celebrity AND transfers schools to Shu – as if that would not draw attention. Oh, and murdering a fellow student in a broad daylight would be excellent way of not drawing attention to Shu too…

        ewok40k
        Reply

    77. This is fun to watch, and that’s essentially all that matters to me with anime. It’s entertainment and it’s serving its purpose. Even with quality drops and cliches, overall Guilty Crown (so far at least) has been executed well and I’m thoroughly enjoying myself. I’m looking forward to seeing where this is going, though my expectations aren’t so high anymore…

      Vii
      Reply

    78. The story is headed towards an interesting direction, at the very least now Shuknows vicious people can be to save their own skin. I don´t how he can manage to scape from this situation without been labeled as a terrorist, but next time is going tobe a blast with what apears to be a very angry Inori, the quiet characters are always the ones with the most unstable personality and she strikes as ready to blow up if puch the right buttom.

      haseo0408
      Reply

    79. I hear people saying GC is terrible, so I usually end up watching the anime 4 -5 days late. When I watch it, I always try to look for something that would make GC godawful, but I really cant find anything terrible… Well I guess the scene with Inori getting introduced as a transfer student was terrible. But other than that, I really don’t find anything terrible in the series (not gonna include the annoying stereotpyes).

      Sure that with all the hype it was getting, it is certainly a letdown.
      Just because the premise is unoriginal or the MC is bland does not mean it’s gonna be terrible. Sure GC is not an excellent anime, but I can lump this anime along with Toaru Majutsu Index, which is also a just decent anime

      Alec
      Reply

    80. What are the chances that Shuu and Inori are related? You know, a Luke and Leia moment… ’cause their eye colour looks similar in some shots the thought is just stuck in my head…

      Jared Drake
      Reply

    81. You are surprised shuu stood up to a girl??? Really. A girl… And i might have gone a bit too far by calling him shinji. But he is just as annoying to me in that way. He has intelligence, but lacks confidence and to fight for the good guys. Even after seeing with his own eyes what happens to regular people against the army. Hate people like that…

      darkloco
      Reply

    84. After rewatching Code Geass a bit, I realized that Code Geass, honestly, is also full of holes.

      Anyways, maybe, just *MAYBE*, the 17 or younger thing is not 100% accurate. Looking at how Inori explained things, I think the treasures Shu can draw from others are representations of that person’s “dream” and “soul”; however, as one gets older, s/he loses these things. This may be a central theme of the show.

      suff
      Reply

    85. I’m actually enjoying the show. It’s pretty, entertaining, and the pacing improved a lot compared to the first two episodes. I’m curious as to how a “quiet” girl like Inori ended up with a wicked sword Void and what happens if a Void weapon is damaged. Void extraction looks so painful. :/

      Like some of other readers, I’m going to give the show the benefit of the doubt and assume that the 17-and-younger rule has to do with the plot. Maybe the new post-apocalypse generation are all vaccinated/genetically altered?

      I’ll be following this. 🙂

      Chloesong
      Reply

    88. I don’t know. Being overhyped, Guilty Crown definitely lets me down for 3 episodes. I expect something huge, great and big from the 1st episode. Decent pilot episode? I can deal with that. But the 2nd and 3rd episode also don’t provide me enjoyment I get from the other series.
      But being overhyped, Guilty Crown also makes me want to watch the series every week, hoping it will gradually get better and better and finally delivered the expected exciting bomb! Well, especially since it’s just 3 episodes out of 22 episodes.
      So I guess I’ll just keep watching this.
      Generic shows also can be really entertaining. GC might feel like being built based on blue prints for Code Geass (sorry, can’t help but comparing these 2 again), but each show should be able to deliver its own charm. For me, one of the biggest factors I haven’t found this really entertaining is the lack of depth of the characters. I can’t feel any sympathy, I don’t even really care if Shu dies now. It sounds cliche, but that’s my personal opinion.

      KGFJ
      Reply

      1. You’re exactly right on how every show should bring its own charm despite similarities to other shows.

        Guilty Crown has some pretty clear obvious similarities to Code Geass, but the problem is its following Code Geass too much in a big formulaic fashion. As a result people cant help comparing this show to Code Geass instead of seeing it as its standalone series.

        YanDaMan263
        Reply

    89. Ah, The first episode didn’t really grab my attention. Strangely enough, I find that Guilty Crown is becoming more interesting as the weeks goes on despite the drop in production quality. It might not have the best characters at the moment, but I do believe there’s plenty of room for characterization.

      Yin
      Reply

    90. Now I watched episode 3 again, this show is honestly not as bad as some people said it was. Like others have pointed out, the 17 years old thing might be due to the mass-infection 10 years ago – so it’s probably about the time one was born, not actual age. Furthermore, Shu said something along the lines of ‘The reason is unknown… or I am just not being told.’; this is a hint to the viewers that what we learn this episode about Shu’s power may not be true.

      The plot is fairly smooth. Shu, left by himself, will not actively find out more about his power. By having Shu to catch someone in school, he is forced to know more about his power – so the viewers now know them too. This is different from Code Geass, where Lelouch actively experimented; Lelouch is way different from Shu.

      suff
      Reply

    91. I challenge people to find things about this show that don’t have massive oil tanker sized plot holes in.

      Many covered already, why would Gai know Shu when they meet? why didn’t the big bad organisation have a record of Inori stealing their junk even though she was getting chased by autocannon totting robots(if they’re so incompetent they can’t get that right why is anybody having any problem beating them)? Why didn’t the (evidently incompetent) bad guys search the building and Shu when they caught him with Inori(chalk another one up to ineptitude)? Why did Gai send the School boy he doesn’t know to save Inori from the Storm troopers (as opposed to say – searching him and taking the magical potion and doing it himself)? How could Inori then enrol in a school (given she robbed up storm trooper HQ, though incompetence I suppose)? How is it the storm troopers haven’t got basic remote viewing abilities so they could record the battle and their trucks and as such already know who Shu is? (Maybe it isn’t incompetence but there are no cameras in the guilty crown universe?) And that’s the first two episodes… I don’t mind plot holes or things that are odd but make sense internally to the story (like people fighting over half priced food in Ben-to, it’s retarded but it’s a fantasy world where people fight over half priced food.)

      The only good thing about GC ep3 is the very end where it looks like this isn’t going to be some lame high school terrorist vs the storm troopers routine.

      Thing is, there are also moments of quality, it’s as if there are two completely different people working on the show so at points there are good character interactions and justifications and at other points nothing at all makes any sense. It also looks wonderful, and TSUGUMI!~~~ However it does feel like after that opening 5 minutes with the insert song (where I thought wow this could be fantastic kind of cyberpunky, battle armour, awesome sauce ) it’s been a downwards ride ever since.

      Matt_D
      Reply

    92. I didn’t have as much of an issue with this episode as a lot of people seemed to, though I agree it didn’t pack the same punch as the first or second eps. I’m still optimistic about this series.

      True, the animation had a few hiccups, and the school antics were cliche, and the reveal about Yahiro being the witness to Funeral Parlor was obvious from the get-go (I didn’t follow that he was a drug addict or some such, but that hardly seemed important to the plot).

      What I DID love about this episode was the twist at the end, much like in episode 2 when Shu revealed he’d declined joining the gorilla group. The interactions between him and Inori, and the brief interaction between him and Gai were a close second (The bit about Gai having a unique power and being a superb strategist was delightful). Further, I didn’t feel the info. dumps were heavy-handed or dumbed down. I felt it was a good change of pace from all the implications and mystery (though I love subtle clues too) since that can get overwhelming for some people after awhile and detract from their enjoyment of a show (I’m lookin’ at you, xxxHolic, Tsubasa).

      Shu’s mom being involved in the Genomics research wasn’t as much of a surprise to me as it undoubtedly was for others, since that supported my earlier theory explaining Shu’s involvement and Gai’s seemingly irrational trust in him.

      Overall, definitely not the best, but it had enough sprinkles to make up for the slightly melted treat that GC is shaping up to be. Onward to next week!

      Ashen
      Reply

    93. Just watched the episode. Actually wasn’t that bad. I found the dialogue where Shu and Sugar confront each other indirectly in the gym quite a nice storytelling touch.

      The part where he gets betrayed is quite interesting/amusing. The protagonist’s conception of the current reality / status quo has to be destroyed before character development can occur- a common theme in many stories.

      And to those who complain on the similarities between Guilty Grown and Code Geass, I’d say you are looking at the trees and not the forest. If you do a proper analysis of stories, you would be surprised to find that there are only a handful of unique, mutually-exclusive “stories” known to humans (i.e., “action/warrior”, “love/romance”, “revenge/avenge”, “David vs. Goliath”, etc.). Its the permutations and cross-pollination amongst these finite categories that makes things interesting.

      Joe
      Reply

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *