White Album, A yay for 80s drama

I really liked this first episode. The fact that it's set in the 80s in a huge selling point for me, because i'm just a huge fan of the 80s era. It's not just the setting, the OP & ED visuals, the slow paced love story, it's all very 80s drama. It's no surprise that a lot of people are already calling this show boring when they've been experiencing a completely different level of romance in today's shows. True Tears used a similar formula.

It's nicely done how we're introduced to the rest of the cast in this episode, along with their part in the story. Haruka is easily my favorite character at the moment, with Yuki right behind.

Hirano Aya is pretty decent. Just like in Hyakko, i just need to get used to her all over again.

This post has been edited by Shiro on Jan 5 2009, 08:19 AM

I'll follow this thread just to see how well it fares, and how much it compares to its original galgame roots~

That girl in a bike?

Rina for me.

Girl on a bike is

I like the telephone scene the more I look at it.

I'm dubious how well can Hirano play a fledgling pop idol in the 80s. So far it's passably okay.

The overpowering Sunohara feeling is bothersome.

Yeah, i really like the technique used to switch between Yuki and Touya. Felt like i was reading a picture book.

Also i like how they're displaying the inner thoughts of the characters. I was a bit "huh?" at first, though it works.

Yeah that's true, though over the past few months i've heard him in different roles, so it kinda destroys the Sunohara image.

This is one of the show Ive been wanting to see the most this season. Here's hoping its good, Ill be waiting on the subs to come out before I check it out. Unfortunately most of the bloggers seem to think its just "okay". I guess every love triangle series cant be a True Tears .

You know, Shiro, you just described why I can't seem to enjoy today romance anime ...while watching with pleasure shows of the 80ies and 90ies (as you may have noticed). The way romance flows in today's anime feels "forced and artificial" to me. The way the characters' behaviours and reactions are portrayed feels going for the shock and glamorous values while being superficial and unnatural. Hmmm... nyonyonyonyonyo I may have to watch comments for this series since I may enjoy it nyo.

If it's focused as it is in the first episode on the loser being left behind by his girlfriend's career taking off, I doubt I'll follow it long. If there's actually more on the idol singing side then I'm more interested.

I think the modern writing style in general is just reflection how different today's youth are when compared to those in the 80's/early 90's. Kids today seem to be so desensitized that they need that kind of shock value to pay attention for a full 24 minutes. Blame it on youtube clips, cell phones and instant messaging.

I've seen more scathing reviews of it myself, not that it matters.

Whoa. Maybe I should really start up on KOR now?

I also looked up on Haruka's seiyuu. Seems like she did Kure-nai's Ginko too. Oh~

While this is true, it's not an accurate picture. I think there are still some shows today which have very organic outlay of relationships and character expositions. But they tend to get lost in the noise considering there are probably 5+ times more anime titles per year now than it was 10 years ago, let alone in the 80s.

There are a handful of anime in the 80s that probably satisfies olf, and there are probably just as many today. It's just harder to find them.

I'd say so. It's an experience you'll never forget.

Looks like i'll be asking Olf to recommend me some more shows. :3

Also iczelion74, a sub was released earlier this morning.

Could be nyo. I also have way less time to dedicate looking for them than I used to back then, so I usually go for the most prominent ones in today's anime fandom (i.e. I ones I hear about easily). Alas, it seems they're more of the kind I described than the kind I enjoy --so, in effect, it furthers my point about how such shows are more what works today nyo.

Yup I saw it, Ill be watching during my lunch break.

Is this another KOR?

I guess it's around the late 90s whem this trend of over-the-top love anime started, for example Love Hina. KOR is one of those few shows where the main characters actually grew up and live their own separate lives.

Not to mimic olf, but yeah. Series today force romantic relationships between characters. 80's series showed how emotions grew within characters and as to why the characters really felt for each other. In series today, apparently, getting trapped in a room, and having some event happen and the main character saving them from it means they're instantly in love.

Hopefully White Album isn't so shitty.

I wouldn't say another KOR, just that the romance flows at the same pace. You'll see what i mean after you've watched the first episode.

You may get more of a ToHeart feel since both galgame sources were released by Leaf and shared a same scenarist (Harada Udaru was the main scenarist for WA and a co-scenarist in the PSX remake of ToH).

It is kind of like ToHeart, yeah, now that you mentioned it. At least in the scenario.

I think what makes people think KOR is the art direction and character designs. But to me it felt a lot sharper and clearer than KOR in terms of direction and visual. Reminds me of Ocean Waves at first actually.

But so far it's kind of off. I'm not sure how or where to put a finger on it.

If the anime respects the galgame's visuals (or visual "feeling"), then it should all the more reminds people of ToHeart since WA's artist is one of the main artists for ToHeart (PC and PSX, though under a different pen name each time). As a note, he also was one of the artists for the TH2 games.

Hmm, I enjoyed it quite a bit. It wasn't slow moving for me at all, which seems to be a complaint on several blogs. Definitely adding to my rotation. And Aya as Yuki sounds alot like she did voicing Reira/Layla in NANA.

You run into one problem is that the anime staff for ToHeart is totally different than the staff for WA. So I don't think it would be possible to link the two visually without a lot of trouble. Plus they used entirely different production methods, 10 years apart.

Nor do I really see a need at this stage. I think having that perspective does help explain ahead of time how White Album will unfold. And at least there are some similarities between WA and TH and you can see a concerted effort in White Album trying to go for something "older." I think KOR is easy to pick up for comparison because it's a landmark piece that is very era-specific, and people know about it. So maybe White Album is overshooting it.

ToHeart feels probably newer than it really is, too.

As the note, the original WA game was set in the 90ies (i.e. contemporary to its release) while the anime is set in the 80ies, so there seems to be a will "to go for something older", as you put it. Of course, it's important for the plot to have the story happen in at least the 90ies, but they may want to play more on these reasons with the anime. Can't tell until it has ended and I have watched it but who knows?

Well yeah. Not a lot to go on right now with just 1 ep.

Even more considering I don't watch fansubs.