I think I finally figured out what’s been nagging at me about this show. Sure the dialogue is awkward, the characters are plastic and the transitions jarring. But put it all together, and here’s the thing – this series feels like a Blood doujinshi brought to life.
That really isn’t all surprising in a way, because CLAMP is really a doujin circle elevated to the level of mainstream animation. In fact they were a doujin circle for the first few years of their existence, and though they deservedly rose to fame and had many of their works adapted to anime, they’ve always retained something of that quality to their work.
Maybe it’s me, but I can never remember another CLAMP work in the last 20 years that felt this much like a doujin, Perhaps it’s because this time they’re taking a spin in someone else’s vehicle and really, that’s what doujinshi are all about. Doujins are very often self-indulgent anyway, and this feels like a very self-indulgent take on the Blood universe. It has the feeling of four women sitting around a room saying “Wouldn’t it be cool if…” and then I.G. coming along and setting the whole thing down on video. I’ll give this episode credit for at least being somewhat more interesting than the previous three, though I suspect that’s because we were spared any dialogue for the two-thirds of it that was taken up with the fight sequences.
Saya certainly isn’t very good at protecting the townsfolk, is she? At least she tried to save the three fishermen this time – although that does beg the question of why she sat by happily while the baker was pulped last week. But the fishermen fared no better, killed and eaten (two of them eaten, anyway) by elder bairns working together for the first time. I don’t find the battle scenes especially inventive but they’re competent, and what they lack in creativity they make up for in sheer blood. The recurring theme of “Honor the covenant” repeats again this week, as the head elder bairn of the trio (looks like he flew off the back of a dollar bill) repeats the mantra to Saya.
The creators have pretty much given up the ruse that the so-called normalcy of this village is anything but a front. There are signs Saya may be recovering suppressed memories (we’ve seen that before). Saya-Papa obviously knows more about the covenant than he’s telling his daughter. Sensei is clearly hiding something – we know by lingering close-ups of her evil smile. The owner of Grimauve, too – we know there because of his dramatic voice-overs. So the question is, how deep does the conspiracy go – is everyone in on it, or just some of them? Is it a dog or a cat (I wasn’t the only one who thought “cat”)? Or perhaps a better question: is any of this compelling enough that I really care?
feal87
July 29, 2011 at 6:52 amThis show is deluding compared to the old adaptations, but there is still hope for the future…
admin
July 29, 2011 at 7:06 amHey, feal – welcome to LiA! Is there hope? I guess – this was a little more interesting than the last ep. So far, Blood seems to be doing just enough to keep me coming back hoping for something better.
Anonymous
July 29, 2011 at 12:52 pmWhat I actually find quite funny about the setup of Blood-C is how they portrayed the 'happy-village'-front. Normally it's something along the lines of "too good to be true" but with Blood-C they just made Saya seem so naive and silly that it gets understandable why she hasn't noticed anything before without a hint from a monster ^^ !
But I agree that the series feels like a Clamp-Doujin, especially the talk between Saya and Shinichirou where the latter asks "Is that really what loving someone means?". At that point I really had this feeling of "Ok, so it's *this* kind of a show.", now that the plot (finally) begins to show itself it really seems to become a typical Clamp-Story – with more blood than usual.
admin
July 29, 2011 at 4:06 pmIt just all seems like an odd, awkward fit to me. I like Blood, I like CLAMP, I love I.G. – but so far, it doesn't add up.
Yes, the "wrong" about this village is so obvious that only Saya could have been dense enough to miss it. I suppose that was done intentionally, but it's an odd choice.
Anonymous
July 29, 2011 at 6:43 pmWell, it tries to be one of these slow series that builds up to one important amazing plottwist but the build-up is just boring because it does nothing but give the viewer non-conclusive hints and no substance to keep it interesting.
The beginning was also just terribly done… I mean, how long was Saya in this state of fighting at night and living in blissful ignorance and silliness at day? Why did these monsters start just now to talk to Saya if she does these things since… before the first episode, anyway. The series introduced its viewer to a plot that seemed to be content with itself although it hinted very strongly at a dark secret but one that the cast seemed to ignore. That not only made it seem like nothing was happening, it really happened "nothing" in the first two episodes. Now with the fourth episode the plot begins to develop seriously for the first time but that introduction to the plot in the first episode was just an epic fail like they didn't even tried to find a decent beginning for the series.
Seishun Otoko
July 30, 2011 at 12:35 amSlightly more bearable episode but it's still miles away from being enjoyable and there's a lot to be desired execution wise.
I think another way to look at Blood-C is that it's a show made for little kids. The audiences that Clamp is targeting over here should be the same as those who would enjoy CardCaptor Sakura. I think many of us went into Blood-C expecting the dark settings which we saw in the previous franchises, but that's probably not what Clamp was aiming for in the first place. In my ways, the conversations and even the fighting scenes seem like something I would expect from Naruto on a weekly basis and I suspect the younger audiences who have never heard or seen Blood+ would enjoy Blood-C a lot more than I would.
lkaze
July 31, 2011 at 2:40 amOddly enough, even though alot of negative comment were given to this Blood-C. For some reason, all of us keep coming back to comment on how bad it is.
BUT since we kept watching it anyway and commenting it, I can only conclude it can't be that bad(at least they were able to make us keep watching it)
Compare to how lack of comment on Kamisama doll, I can only say this. Enzo, I believe you need to keep blogging this anime so that we could keep venting out our opinion on how bad the show is.
…haha, what a weird reason to continue blog.
P.S. Yea, this is better episode. Hope next episode is better.
lkaze
July 31, 2011 at 2:43 am@Seishun Otoko
I highly doubt a yaoi filled anime is really something made for little kids. Unless of course this is when all the fujoshi was corrupted.
admin
July 31, 2011 at 5:01 amWell, it's true that even if it's to complain, people do seem to keep talking about Blood-C. I think we're probably harder on it than we should be because of the huge expectations, but at the same time (at least for me) it's getting a much longer rope to hang itself with for the same reason.
It is getting better, it's true. Not fast enough, but there is movement.