Arpeggio of Blue Steel

RISE!

New anime, and someone at Asuki decided to pick up the translation/scanslation duties, at least until a bigger group takes over.

Change in V As aside (hard not to hear Miho from GUP in Iona), they changed the first meeting between Iona and Gunzou as well. Still unclear if this will turn into full-blown Alternate retelling yet, but given the outfit changes as well...

I think outfit changes are result of Moe-sation. In Iona case it's rather obvious and opening animation would also fit a bit different kind of anime.

To put it simply now it's "moe battleship series". And while I am not fond of that idea, if it help make it popular...

edited 7th Oct '13 5:06:42 PM by Tenzen12

The term is Moefication. And if anything, the CGI has turned people off even more. Not the best way to market a franchise.

edited 7th Oct '13 5:38:00 PM by MyssaRei

That are two completely different issue, which unfortunetely didn't well together this time. And thanks for broadening my vocabuary.

EDIT: Then again I saw some people who liked CGI in this.

edited 7th Oct '13 5:59:50 PM by Tenzen12

After seeing it, I have to say that I'm deeply disappointed. The directing was generally poor: The world-building was done terribly and the show as a whole felt incredibly incoherent.

The CGI was very much hit-or-miss; It looked great in the action scenes and was unnoticeable when the characters where standing still at fairly normal angles. However, it completely fell apart when you had characters moving during an exposition scene or whenever Gunzou was shown from an angle.

edited 7th Oct '13 10:37:20 PM by HighVelocityPointyThings

Also, one of the more important plot points of the current part of the manga was cut out in its entirety apparently. Notice how there's no mention anywhere of Yamato. Plus if they killed off Gunzou's mom, well, there goes one of the nicer side stories of the series too.

edited 8th Oct '13 12:16:22 AM by myssarei

Yamato would be the boss, right? Heck, I can even guess what she looks like.

Honestly, it was sorta ok for 90%. Cheesy setup, semi-dark world, Iona was sorta cute, the CGI didn't bother me...

...then, showing the Fo F girls at the end kind of ruined the atmosphere. It's just hard to take them seriously as enemies after that.

Although they did pump up the delivery mission so much I was expect them to end with with "there are 327 days until humanity is destroyed". Actually, it does sort of remind me of that, with the wacky cast(that hopefully will be introduced more), traitor alien girl, desperate mission to save humanity.

(Is it actually I-401? Iona looked like a normal sub to me. That would be kind of cool(and would fit with the mission). )

edited 8th Oct '13 4:45:49 AM by kiukiuclk

No, "Yamato" would be Gunzou's dead Childhood friend-come-first love. I wish I was kidding. The manga Gunzou had some angst related to her "death" (the school that was shown was destroyed in a Fog attack in the manga, and her body was never found), as she's the "wall he never was able to overcome".

The fact that there's no mention of said childhood friend at all, AND that the school is intact, says a lot.

edited 8th Oct '13 5:36:17 AM by MyssaRei

Wait, Japan did a "moe WWII battleship" anything without their most famous ship? Doesn't sound like a major loss at least.

It's called "Ars Nova"(new arts?), so this would be a new version, right?

edited 8th Oct '13 6:36:04 AM by kiukiuclk

Given how she's central to the current plot of the manga, it's a HUGE change. After all, SHE'S the reason why the Fog even has Mental Models to begin with.

edited 8th Oct '13 6:33:11 AM by MyssaRei

Episode 1. In which we're kind of introduced to part of the cast.

I've not read the original. Good?

They all just run away when I-401 activates, and just leave him there?

Why is it that when one person speaks to another of the opposite sex, it's always hitting on that person?

So, his father died, and then his mother committed suicide?

Not sure I'll be following this.

HIS MOTHER IS ALIVE AND AWESOME!! (original is definitely good and non flaws you mentioned are part of it)

That female in bathtub was just some anime nonsense.

And about Yamato: It's not clear whether Kotone and Yamato!Kotone are same person. Yamato herself implied otherwise

But saying she is Final boss is kinda wrong anyway. Her role is just too unique to be simply labeled.

edited 8th Oct '13 3:12:55 PM by Tenzen12

Gunzou's mom does play an important role in the manga (aside from playing future mother-in-law to Takao ;P), so yeah, killing her off in the anime is yet another bit of nonsense from Seiji Kishi.

Yamato herself is kind of a wildcard in Arpeggio. What is sure is that she seems to WANT Gunzou and his friends to succeed. Oh, and she's the reason why the Fog has Mental Models to begin with, after mysteriously returning with one two years prior to the series.

edited 8th Oct '13 5:02:38 PM by MyssaRei

So, speculations from someone who knows one according to people in this thread not entirely accurate episode, if she wants them to succeed, and is responsible for the mental modes, it means they have something to gain from it. An existance beyond what they are, like evolving with help from humans? Free will?

It's hard to say if she wants them succeed on this very project, but she don't realy want Gunzou get hurt. That said, so far she didn't involveds herself with warhead transportation in any way and just keep her eye on it. Mostly as she knew he is skilled enough not fall so easily.

And yes, your assumption is mostly correct. Though her reason is officialy make fog evolve so human can't catch on which would inevitable happen if Fleet remained as nonsentient battle machines.

edited 8th Oct '13 4:54:40 PM by Tenzen12

Specifically Yamato found their existence as unthinking weapons boring, but there's likely more to this, as many of the ships started to gain individuality because of their mental models, and those with constant contact with humans — like Takao (everyone's favorite tsundere heavy cruiser), Haruna, or Kirishima — are starting to become more and more human, with their own wants separate from the Fog.

In fact, in the manga, it's because the Fog now has so many clashing personalities among its ships, that they've now started openly DISAGREEING with each other, and in the case of the Hood and Repulse, violently.

edited 8th Oct '13 5:08:16 PM by MyssaRei

Though if all "nonsentient" ships had as much personality as Vampire I don't think Yamato would have reason to be bored

edited 8th Oct '13 5:04:01 PM by Tenzen12

Well, a type of being designed for war would probably much prefer a more even war over a curb they stomp people on. They're meant to fight battles, not execute opponents.

Kongou disagree. Her idea of war is quick and precise anihilation.

edited 8th Oct '13 5:10:59 PM by Tenzen12

Still what's apparent (to readers anyway), is that the Fog Fleet is no longer the monolithic entity it was prior to Yamato returning from her 17-year-ish absence. Because they have personalities now, many of them are drifting from their initial orders, or interpreting them "creatively"... For example Haruna and Kirishima use one of Kongou's orders to sail into a human port to visit a friend.

Also see Tenzen's comment on Kongou, who's likely as close in personality to the original Fog as we can get.

edited 8th Oct '13 5:15:26 PM by MyssaRei

I think I might just pick up this manga.

It's easy to breeze through in one sitting: 48 chapter plus 1 special (which shows Takao's inadvertedly getting into Gunzou's mom's good graces — see her "I've always wanted a daugher. Sons are too boring." comment).

Fair warning though, the manga itself starts in media res, and most of the background stuff get filled in through bits and pieces every other chapter. The revelation about the destruction of the institute and possibly Yamato's dirty secret that she might actually be the same person as Kotono Amaha, Gunzou's childhood friend is only revealed in the mid-20s, for example.

edited 8th Oct '13 5:27:03 PM by MyssaRei

Victory! Now even if anime will end as complete failure, it will be good for something.

PS: I think Iona sisters (not counting their omake personalities)are far closer to original fog than Kongou , who ...you know takes her bussiness maybe with ice cold composure but the more personaly.

PSS:I think Kotono and Yamato aren't same person, but they knew each other well

edited 8th Oct '13 5:30:55 PM by Tenzen12

Hood and Repulse? Cool! I do sense one theme here. They were all sunk. So no Enterprise. Presumably the Arizona et. al are blockading the western US.

The whole "weapons wanting to be human" isn't all that original, but they are ships, which helps.

edit: nm, I was wrong. Yeah, I may have to check out the manga.

edited 8th Oct '13 7:25:16 PM by kiukiuclk

Nope, there are three I-400 class submarines

edited 8th Oct '13 5:59:46 PM by Tenzen12