12 replies to this topic

[yum's nai]

hmmm i've been trying to place what about this manga that has been giving me an off feeling for a while. first, of all i'd like to say that its a very good manga, great action and plot. However, i think its the violence i have a hard time dealing with. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a particularly squeamish, person, I can sit through cradle of monsters no problem. However, given this type of story, which draws heavily from shonen roots, the violence seems purposefully excessive to set it apart. Now, I commend the manga for doing this, because it really does make it unique and interesting, but at the same time I feel....played. I had this exact same feeling watching SAO, if that makes sense to anyone. "These things that are happening, they're toying with my fragile emotions ;_;" is the feeling i get. Events seem...contrived...in order to make us care, the intense violence being one major factor. And I have to say it works! because its done well, but there's still that slight uncomfortable feeling. I not saying that it should be changed or removed, since that's an integral part of the manga and part of why its good (especially when paired with the Jaegar segments). However, for these reasons, pieces like this and SAO will remain as "great" but not "amazing" in my book. Thoughts?

[Danurai]

The violence was what originally drew me to this story. I like that it went that extra mile to deliver actual tragedy, instead of most stories that wimp out and never kill off people. In fact I was surprised how few died in the most recent fight, I was expecting at least a couple more. I like that the author is able to control my emotions, it' shows that he knows what he's doing when it comes to storytelling. I mean it's the same reason as to why stories such as Romeo and Juliet are so famous and popular. Yeah it's tragic, but sometimes that bittersweet feeling can be just as fulfilling.

Edited by Danurai, 16 March 2013 - 06:21 AM.

[yum's nai]

Yeah, he is good at it, but I guess my nitpick is that he relies on this cycle of building up character and killing them off in some gruesome way. Take that away and the plot is actually somewhat bland. The strength of this manga really is in the character development, but I guess it kinda ruins it for me knowing that he does it to kill them off..

[svines85]

It's an entertaining manga, lots of action and colorful characters.........and yeah, lots of graphic, over the top violence and gore. It's good, enjoyable and entertaining. 

 

I don't think the violence keeps it from being "great" or "amazing" either one........it's not either or those because it's a simple action story without a lot of plot depth........and as has been  mentioned, most any character who gets a back-story is doomed to die.  

[Seraphic Mist]

The torture scenes are slightly overdone and disturbing at one or two points... but the author/artist have got it right, as to what happens in countries that are in the middle of a civil war. I mean, scenes like that are violent enough to be possible (we've all studied medieval history) and not exaggerated except in a couple of places. But maybe that was for dramatic effect, so people like us would go "Aaaah, damn that's disgusting!" and since the artist has managed us to say that a few times... ironically, he would be happy since he's done a good job.

 

I remember an interview with one of the Special Effects people of Final Destination 5, he too had squeamish thoughts originally, but as it progressed, he admitted he enjoyed thinking up scenes that would make himself feel sick, and he knew it would work out. And it did, didn't it? Wikipedia says they made $157 million from the Box Office alone...

 

However... I wouldn't watch the anime of this, if they made one. High School of the Dead violence is about my limit of animated violence.

Edited by Shadowed Fate, 29 March 2013 - 01:58 PM.

[trannon1]

My opinion is that the level of violence is actually very low. Hell, Berserk had way more violent scenes and was more hardcore. However, this one seems more violent because we see these characters, we interact with them, and we feel like we know them. Then they are suddenly ripped away in the most gruesome ways possible. Instead of a total stranger dying, it's like seeing a friend die in front of your eyes. That is why we perceive the violence at a higher level, because we value these characters more than the mob characters in the other more violent mangas.

[Wrimbows]

It is exaggerated and what steals my feelings is the amazing character build-death and post-Morten effects of such event. I don't quite like dismembering actions or some other scenes, nothing agains the torture ones tough, because it perfectly fits the scene, but the battles sometimes become kind of polluted with exorbitant violent acts.

 

Still i will keep on to this story, good development of story so far. 

[Sir Birdy]

Couldn't really have put it better than Trannon. The author does a lot of character building and creates chemistry and relationships with the various protagonists. Then once you feel like you have a connection to the characters, bang, they're dead. I like that the Author is almost taking realism realistically. If that makes much sense. It's like, yeah, in a war, people kick the bucket, and it's not pretty. This is actually one of my favourite manga's and the only reason I'd ever stop reading it is if they killed off Leone or if Tatsumi doesn't end up in bed with Esdese. <3

[shoushikochou]

i like depth that mangaka puts in the manga and how they are expressed.

[Abdullah]

I think that this type of violence is a must 

 

i like it, seeing a character you  love/like getting cut in half or eaten  is more effective than a simple stab

 

it sucks but i think it's necessary.

[svines85]

I think that this type of violence is a must 

 

i like it, seeing a character you  love/like getting cut in half or eaten  is more effective than a simple stab

 

it sucks but i think it's necessary.

Yeah, I'd agree with you on that. Not to get too in-depth, but this a story of good -vs- evil..............the over the top violence and graphic depictions of brutality and sadism is just how the author has chosen to help define the sides. Pretty effective too.

[Thorn Delwyn]

First I'd like to say that I think that gore and violence don't add to to depth in a manga or any other fictual work. It is merely an aesthetic tool to influence the readers emotional state. 

Secondary I think it would be better not to mix up the usage of death and the usage of violence. They aren't synonymous.

 

Someone mentioned Romeo and Juliet. In the whole play we have three deaths that matter. And only one of them (Mercutio) might be displayed more violently. Does the absence of violence in the deaths of Romeo and Juliet diminish its emotional impact or its tragedy? I don't think so.

 

On the other hand I think death itself is merciful. It is the end of all pain and suffering. Usually there is nothing after death. Whatever mutilation happens to your corpse is irrelevant to you. You won't see or feel it. Death is only cruel to those you leave behind. 

Edited by Thorn Delwyn, 27 August 2013 - 09:12 AM.

[Lucenthia]

Well, first of all, I wouldn't like to compare SAO to this. Sure, SAO did touch on a lot of psychological effects and results, but I felt that the author could have gone a lot more in depth had it not been written for a younger audience. I felt that there was a lot of potential set out that couldn't be fulfilled because it might have been censored.

 

Next, IMO, Mercutio's death got me more than Romeo and Juliet. This was becauses he was pretty much the only sane person (except for the friar) and he was actively trying to do something against the two warring houses. His death was pretty strong symbolism for the endless strife to come. Violence would have taken away from his death scene, so I'm agreeing with Thorn on this one.

 

As for the violence itself, I think it's necessary to truly build up a picture of what Night Raid's trying to take down. Not many mangas do this, so it isn't cliche in the slightest, and the author's drawings are really far stronger than anything we (or I, at the very least) could imagine. 

I like that the author isn't doing a typical shounen ending where all the heroes live, and it really makes me wonder what the result of each confrontation will be. I really thought Mein would die when she was fighting Kurome, and that isn't something that happens often with other manga.

Basically, I support the violence and all that, since it's an excellent visual device to suck us into the world.