Er, the anime is an Alternate Continuity, not a sequel
...Also, the argument here seems to be that sequels are inherently nothing but fanservice?
It's fanservice but in a very abrangent way, as I explained,, which isn't a bad thing and there are a lot of things that sequels are, fanservice being one of them (when it works, obviously) but some sequels are capable of Sequel Displacement, as I'll explain below.
And I wasn't aware that it was an alternate continuity but I don't think this subtracts from my point. On the contrary, I think it can even strengthen my argument that a person who is not familiar with, at least, one continuity will have a hard time enjoying this anime. In other words, it doesn't stand as an original work alone.
For example, to stand as an original work, it would have to cause a small Sequel Displacement (because Tropes Are Not Bad), not in the sense of overtaking the games, but being a gateway to them, because it's an anime, its market is potentially bigger. But in this case, that wasn't what happened.
My work is here. Current main fic: Tengen Toppa Gurren Solvernia
abrangent
That's not a word
In other words, it doesn't stand as an original work alone.
Really? Have you tested this? Because it sounded like you watched the first episode, thought it was a sequel to something you weren't familiar with, and gave up on trying to watch it
I thought it was (I mean, in my first language there is a word "abrangente" and I thought the translation was this one; checking in dictionaries and the word I'm looking for is "comprehensive").
Yes, indeed. I just watched the first episode (so much my review is marked "episode/issue" instead of "whole series"). Because, considering that Neptune is The Protagonist, questions like "Who exactly is her?", "What happened for them to sign the treaty?", "Was there a war?", "How did it happen and how did they manage to make the treaty?", "Did Neptune have a hand at it?". It was like getting in a car while it was running, that's why I assumed it was a sequel. Why did I think Neptune had something to do with the treaty? She was the one making the exposition monologue, she seemed to be kind of importante, and yet she had little how the Shares worked, having to ask Noire about it. And, afterwards, everyone behaved like the viewer knew how they would react among each other.
My work is here. Current main fic: Tengen Toppa Gurren Solvernia
Actually, there's some of that in the opening credits, but you have to pause it right at the wall of text to get it.
The Clock is Wound, The Future Must Commence! (tm)Leave a Comment:
Fanservice, nothing more
For someone who haven't played the games, watching Hyperdimension Neptunia The Animation is nearly impossible. It obviously can be watched by a non-player if he's stubborn enough but otherwise there will be very little to offer to people who is outside its demographic target.
I decided to watch it because my pals were talking about a WHAM Episode in Episode 10. It was so "whammy" that it let them really distraught with the outcome to the point of an error in my communication created a certain conflict. People watch Neon Genesis Evangelion only to see certain scenes, so I decided to investigate it.
And that's where I learned of why it wasn't a very good idea.
See, in order to a WHAM Episode to be effective, the viewer has to feel a connection to the characters in order to be effective, and that's where I decided it had problems. The first scene of the prologue of the anime shows a celebration for the resolution after years of conflict, meaning it caught up from an event from the games. All the Character Development, struggles, all stuff already happened and watching further it shows this; the setting seems to be a Slice of Life-oriented one, mostly to give them a time to breath after the conflicts, even though it did show the antagonists in the end and Noire almost died. And I must reinterate this is not a problem, on the contrary.
And this take me to the fanservice and I'm not talking about the sexual fanservice (and I guess it would be pointless because it's everywhere - the first scene shows Physics-defying breasts in a dress that makes me wonder "How does that even work?" and the characters are so Moe it hurts). The entire anime is about fanservice because it's an animated adaption of a game, it's like a fan's dream becoming true. "The Animation" is even part of the title. The series know its demographics and it only exist to please it. And it shows, the visuals are pretty good.
For that reason, this series has nothing to offer to someone who hasn't played the games, like me, making it neither good nor bad, only evoking the feeling that I'd be better watching something else, unless I decided to play the game. I don't know how big the HDN fandom is, but it seems big enough to guarantee an animation, so I let them judge whether it's good or bad.