Hmm, they were close, sure. I always kinda considered Vividred as a harem lol, seeing as they only ever docked with red. Even though they could dock with each other.

I don't think they could? The system revolved around Akane. But as far as harem stuff goes, both Akane and Wakaba basically had two love interests

Does it though? Did anyone really expect the entire second half to be SoL?

There was always going to be a twist, but what it was and particularly when it came wasn't what most people were expecting

I watched up until the ep they destroyed those 5 vertexes and then were trying to get info about their disabilities from the place they work for... so i didnt just watch a couple eps and then compared it.

I dont think anyone has said that the series sucks, so you two just need to calm down and stop sounding like people are attacking you personally. ^_^ I thought it was clever how they pulled the rug out from out expectations in the first ep. I was laughing about it and telling my best friend about how great the show was because of the Madoka similarities.

Is the series as grim as Madoka? I find myself put off watching that, knowing what's ahead. Maybe I'm a big wuss that way, but that's how I approach stuff like this.

No... I think Madoka is far more grim that Yuki Yuna

Is the series as grim as Madoka? I find myself put off watching that, knowing what's ahead. Maybe I'm a big wuss that way, but that's how I approach stuff like this.

Madoka broke my fucking heart. I literally couldn't watch S2 lol. But hey, I'm a big wuss, too. You're not alone :3
I honestly went into it thinking it would be a nice SoL to kill some time... I almost died after episode 3. I've never been so depressed from watching an anime since I watched Madoka.

last edited at Dec 6, 2014 7:36PM

Is the series as grim as Madoka? I find myself put off watching that, knowing what's ahead. Maybe I'm a big wuss that way, but that's how I approach stuff like this.

Well, at least no one's died yet... I don't think they're aiming to be quite as grim as Madoka, though with the way the plot's going they might be getting there. Short of a happy ending by means of last-minute plot twist, I can't see this show ending well.

Is the series as grim as Madoka? I find myself put off watching that, knowing what's ahead. Maybe I'm a big wuss that way, but that's how I approach stuff like this.

The first half or so is mostly just unnerving. Once the other shoe finally drops it does start getting there, though

Is the series as grim as Madoka? I find myself put off watching that, knowing what's ahead. Maybe I'm a big wuss that way, but that's how I approach stuff like this.

The first half or so is mostly just unnerving. Once the other shoe finally drops it does start getting there, though

Hmm, starting to sound like a miss for me, then. Oh well.

Is the series as grim as Madoka? I find myself put off watching that, knowing what's ahead. Maybe I'm a big wuss that way, but that's how I approach stuff like this.

The first half or so is mostly just unnerving. Once the other shoe finally drops it does start getting there, though

Hmm, starting to sound like a miss for me, then. Oh well.

To be honest, you won't miss much. The sol parts are cute and fun, but the major attraction for the show was the trippy fighting scenes and the ep 1 plot twist.

A better show to watch would be Ore Twintail ni Narimasu (if you want silliness that is).

Uh question what's SoL? not sure if I'm just having a brain fart or something...

Vividred a Harem? Nah the pairings are really obvious red+blue, green+yellow

This is NOT like Madoka yes it deals with the actions <-> consequences but this isn't depressing as fuck just...rough, it doesn't psychologically/physically torture young girls just for being young and naive. The fights follow the Strike Witches method kick the X ass, X exposes core, shoot the core but people remember Madoka because they fight inside a barrier with weird colors.
It's a good show in my opinion I didn't expect the serious tone but the slice of life parts are a nice breather.

Uh question what's SoL? not sure if I'm just having a brain fart or something...

SoL is slice of life.

As for Yuuki Yuna, I'm really enjoying it so far. Comparisons to Madoka is to be expected, but the show does want to take its own path and it definitely could. The characters are likeable and fun to watch. Felt like there was something grim hiding behind the happy atmosohere, but I really liked that. The last few episodes made me bawl my eyes out.

^ lol brain fart indeed. After rebellion...I don't think I'm easily shocked but ep 9 was pretty um...interesting

last edited at Dec 7, 2014 12:13AM

Yuuki Yuna strikes me as more grim than Madoka just because with Madoka, I knew from the start (on account of SHAFT and Ume) that whatever Urobochi's reputation said about him, it was impossible for the show to end badly. The fundamental nature of anime is to be an entertainment medium, and the fundamental nature of entertainment is gratuity. When you speak of gratuity, there are two kinds (positive i.e. sex, good feelings + negative i.e. gore, despair, etc.). Urobochi, just like Takahiro (the guy behind Yuuki Yuna) had a reputation for negative gratuity but SHAFT itself has an inescapably positive one.

With Yuuki Yuna, there's nothing actually stopping Takahiro from going as full-despair/gratuitously cruel as he wants except himself and maybe his expectations for sales (contrary to popular misconception, no series in the mahou shoujo genre has ever succeeded by selling despair, Madoka Magica included). It's for the latter reason that I actually predict Yuuki Yuna won't have a grimdark conclusion though.

Personally, I'm okay with calling series like this or Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou Madoka clones because they develop/play on the audience's expectation of a bad ending. The thing is that these later series are so inelegant though. Although Madoka had a brief early period where it played at being a 'normal' magical series, because Urobochi's reputation was so widespread, everybody practically knew from the beginning that things would get depressing (and if they didn't, the early reveal fixed that anyway). Ironically, instead, Madoka's actual writing was carefully balanced to develop a basis/anticipation for a happy/triumphant conclusion, taking the imperfect nature of the world for granted; a deliberate choice by Urobochi searching for a breakthrough in his writing, likely helped by a mindset of adjusting himself out of respect for Ume/SHAFT. So the anticipation in the story was actually directed towards a positive payoff, which was very solidly delivered and thus everybody celebrated (aside from the fact that most SHAFT fans are fans of positive gratuity).

Conversely, what these copycat series have done is over-fixate on Madoka's initial gimmick that "A magical girls' fate is much more terrible than than people conventionally imagine". By delaying/drawing out the revelation of whatever sick cruelty they've invented for their particular mahou shoujo story, they've directed the anticipation of their stories towards "when/how will we see these characters suffer", instead of "when/how will we see these characters survive/self-realize". After wasting screentime/development on stupid/tasteless shit like this, by the time they pull out the 'surprise' happy ending, it has no chance of being as solid/consistent/powerful as Madoka's at all. Predictable result: they're doomed to fade away into obscure mediocrity.

lol, sorry for the :opinions: rant, I guess. As for the series and this 4koma spinoff manga as a whole, I do still like it well enough to enjoy watching it thanks to the Yuuki/Tougo subtext (and Itsuki/Fu I guess). I would actually recommend even the anime to yuri fans, but it is frankly not as good as Madoka (or stuff like Saki/Strike Witches).

SHAFT itself has an inescapably positive one.

...I really have to question that one. They do a lot of comedies, but they tend towards the cynical side, and the serious works tend to be pretty dark

positive payoff, which was very solidly delivered and thus everybody celebrated

Madoka's ending is really fairly bittersweet, even before Rebellion. Witches don't happen anymore, but people still die just as often and Homura kind of got screwed

By delaying/drawing out the revelation of whatever sick cruelty they've invented for their particular mahou shoujo story, they've directed the anticipation of their stories towards "when/how will we see these characters suffer", instead of "when/how will we see these characters survive/self-realize".

Uh, I don't think we have enough Madoka clones to make a blanket statement like that. Particular when the other one made it's form of systemic cruelty clear in the second episode

^ Maybe this is a bad place to continue this conversation, I've redirected my response to the anime season thread.

Yuki Yunas ''problem'' (and I say that with THE greatest of quotation marks) is it's sound and music design dictating it's atmosphere which is strengthened by it's visuals, full of sunset shot and heavy atmosphere feeling scenes, and the story that is playing in it's kinda alien universe but sitll belieavable enough to make the viewer ask himself questions about it. Just listen to the Opening, it's full of mystique and wonder which leaves me in awe everytime I watch it. On the other hand, the SoL scenes are played totally unironically, it's like there are two different anime going on, but I bet it's just the carnal instinct we engraved into our minds after Evangelion went apeshit in it's later episodes and we got our first taste of mind screw and getting picked out of our comfort zone or in other words, we learned that our beloved medium tropes could have serious real life implications.

Long story short, I love it, Superheros, magical girls, loveable and smart characters, this show is one of my suprise hits this year

PS: Togo x Yuna OTP, yo

Edit: watched Episode 8 & 9,.... God damnit

last edited at Dec 7, 2014 3:24PM

Now they're just toying with us ...

And thus, the rehearsal for the climax scene began.

Yuna: I want you to come with me… no, you must come with me.
Togo: …I’ve been waiting to hear those words, my prince.
I’ll follow you anywhere… I’ll weather through whatever harsh roads we travel as long as we do it together.
Yuna: PRINCESS…!!
…I’ll never let go of you again.
Togo: …And neither will I.
Itsuki: (…Hwaaah!? You’re so close!!”)
(I’m getting embarrassed just watching this scene.)

Yuna: …It’s kinda embarrassing being this close together, huh.
Togo: …Yeah, but I’m okay.
Itsuki: (Um, according to the script, they kiss after the prince’s next line and… cue curtains.)
(I’m sure that’ll be close enough to be convincing to the audience.)
Yuna: Princess…
Itsuki: (Wh-why are you closing your eyes!? The princess is supposed to be looking the prince in the eye right here.)
Yuna: (Oh, Togo-san… your acting sure is convincing…)

That night at the Togo residence.

Yuna: At first I thought it would be impossible to act out a romance scene, but it came naturally.
Togo: Me too. …maybe it’s because… it was with you, Yuna-chan.
Yuna: Yup, it’s because it was with you, Togo-san!
Togo: …!
Yuna: Don’t get cold feet, and the acting will all come naturally!
Togo: …y-yeah.
Yuna: Mm. I’m sure we’ll get it perfect thanks to all that practice.
Togo: WE STILL DON’T KNOW FOR SURE
That last scene is especially important. Let’s rehearse it ten more times.
Yuna: …Woah, the princess is serious.
Alright, let’s do this!
Togo: Yeah! Now come here!

The early summer night is still young—

With that flashback scene is the latest episode ("I want to eat your snacks every day!") they're pretty much married...

Now they're just toying with us ...

DAMN! AAAHHHHHH And here I am waiting for the last few eps to come out so I can watch them 1 after the other.
Btw can I ask for the source? I mean if its a complete translation if not then it's probably not necessary.

last edited at Dec 16, 2014 10:40PM

Btw can I ask for the source? I mean if its a complete translation if not then it's probably not necessary.

Unfortunately, that was the only translated segment.

Btw can I ask for the source? I mean if its a complete translation if not then it's probably not necessary.

Unfortunately, that was the only translated segment.

If you guys want a peak of the visual novel check out the nicovideo

Yuna's voice actor Terui Haruka narrates and comments on the visual novel scenes~ She also seems to narrates the unvoiced parts of the visual novel ^^.... Her reactions to the scenes are hilarious!

Remove spaces
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/ 1418738000

This video has the Togo (Princess) x Yuna (Prince) rehearsal =P (Starts at 10:01)
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/ 1418726924

last edited at Dec 17, 2014 4:22AM

Non nico link for those without a nico nico account: first and second

For those who want to see a subbed version of that small scene with Yuna's voice actor
On youtube, here's the parameter:
watch?v=MeEaN9rRUAA

@lildevilinhell: Thanks for the translated link...heheh...hehehe...hehe...heh...

last edited at Dec 17, 2014 11:02PM

Well, they're clearly intentionally playing up Itsuki x Fuu here. Eh, I don't mind

Karin chapter is interesting because it hints at her actually having a backstory