January 25, 2008
Aika R-16 - fanservice overkill lite?
Absolutely blew through Aika R-16 yesterday. Fun little show, as it turns out; it's definitely a spiritual successor (predecessor?) to the original.
The first episode's level of fanservice is definitely toned down a little bit, as the show goes around establishing the characters - Aika as a newbie salvager, the rich class prez Eri, mysterious almost-ditz Karen, and their needlessly curvy teacher. Up until 15 minutes in, it's only gone with a couple of pointless panty shots, a little bit of exposed breasts, and the funny sight of Ms. Risako's bikini causing a cabin-boy Gusto to go completely unhinged.
Then we get some action, and yeah, it's the good old Aika we remember - exposing white cotton at every possible interval, and every defeated enemy (or friendly!) ends up either butt-to-the-sky or spread-eagle with an extra helping of camel toe.
Second episode is fan service the whole way in - straight from beach party to beach battle, so it's swimsuits for all sides. The final episode tries its best to keep up the score, but the demands of plot resolution means that a lot of time is spent looking at outside shots of a mini-submarine. The show does its best to pack in as much panty in the remaining amounts, so it's a bit forced, but not excessively so.
One nice thing about the show is that they've put a bit of effort into costuming - instead of yet another Delmo, we have a pretty good variety. (Even, as in the third episode, when that makes precisely no sense...) So long as they're pandering, right? Average age of the fan-service targets is a little lower, but they manage to avoid creeping loli-ism - nothing worse than all the Rion fan-service from the original. Downside, there is no transforming magical girl sequence in this one; Aika might as well be 100% normal, aside from the submarine license and the martial arts and all that...
I'm not as sure about the dynamic between Aika and Eri. At its best, it seems to click pretty well, but it degenerates to "did not" and "did too" on more than one occasion. More like "frequently", really, which was a tad too often for my tastes.
Overall, I wouldn't have minded seeing more of the show, but I can definitely understand why this is all there was. It's just not that deep a premise, and unlike the first series, which was continued with added Delmogeny fun, there's not really anywhere to take R-16. That said, it felt like the initial arc in a story, where the characters get something non-serious thrown at them so that you get an idea of their interactions before they're too busy saving the world...
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The first episode's level of fanservice is definitely toned down a little bit, as the show goes around establishing the characters - Aika as a newbie salvager, the rich class prez Eri, mysterious almost-ditz Karen, and their needlessly curvy teacher. Up until 15 minutes in, it's only gone with a couple of pointless panty shots, a little bit of exposed breasts, and the funny sight of Ms. Risako's bikini causing a cabin-boy Gusto to go completely unhinged.
Then we get some action, and yeah, it's the good old Aika we remember - exposing white cotton at every possible interval, and every defeated enemy (or friendly!) ends up either butt-to-the-sky or spread-eagle with an extra helping of camel toe.
Second episode is fan service the whole way in - straight from beach party to beach battle, so it's swimsuits for all sides. The final episode tries its best to keep up the score, but the demands of plot resolution means that a lot of time is spent looking at outside shots of a mini-submarine. The show does its best to pack in as much panty in the remaining amounts, so it's a bit forced, but not excessively so.
One nice thing about the show is that they've put a bit of effort into costuming - instead of yet another Delmo, we have a pretty good variety. (Even, as in the third episode, when that makes precisely no sense...) So long as they're pandering, right? Average age of the fan-service targets is a little lower, but they manage to avoid creeping loli-ism - nothing worse than all the Rion fan-service from the original. Downside, there is no transforming magical girl sequence in this one; Aika might as well be 100% normal, aside from the submarine license and the martial arts and all that...
I'm not as sure about the dynamic between Aika and Eri. At its best, it seems to click pretty well, but it degenerates to "did not" and "did too" on more than one occasion. More like "frequently", really, which was a tad too often for my tastes.
Overall, I wouldn't have minded seeing more of the show, but I can definitely understand why this is all there was. It's just not that deep a premise, and unlike the first series, which was continued with added Delmogeny fun, there's not really anywhere to take R-16. That said, it felt like the initial arc in a story, where the characters get something non-serious thrown at them so that you get an idea of their interactions before they're too busy saving the world...
Posted by: Avatar_exADV at
12:17 PM
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1
Are those supposed to be swimsuits? Most of them look like lingerie.
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at January 25, 2008 03:35 PM (+rSRq)
2
Most of them look like lingerie.
Tell me just exactly why this is a bad thing?
For the record, Aika R-16 was an entertaining, if pointless, 90 minutes in my book. I'm happy to have watched it, but I'm in no hurry to see it again... except to see how Av has subtitled it.
Posted by: Wonderduck at January 25, 2008 10:56 PM (+7VNs)
3
I didn't say it was bad. But what are they doing standing on a beach in lingerie? (As if I expected logic from this...)
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at January 26, 2008 12:14 AM (+rSRq)
4
Most of 'em are believable as swimwear - the Japanese do have some frilly one-pieces, and that's a shirt on the one on the left.
It's just that black number that stretches belief a little. Indeed, that's bedroom-appropriate.
I'd post the "after" pictures, but they're a bit much for the blog. ;p
It's just that black number that stretches belief a little. Indeed, that's bedroom-appropriate.
I'd post the "after" pictures, but they're a bit much for the blog. ;p
Posted by: Avatar_exADV at January 26, 2008 12:58 AM (LMDdY)
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