Entry posted by Saga ·
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Let's talk about something out of topic, since this blog is meant to be filled with serious read...but hey, I take my writing on manga/anime serious as well lol.
Have you watched or read the latest trend, one of the latest, "The God of High School"? It is originally a Korean webtoon (갓 오브 하이스쿨) that gained popularity on the web in the last two years or so. The artwork is amazing. The balance of colors, skillful screentones and action panels. Pfff, mind-blowing! Let me give you some examples.
But the thing is, the gap between the anime and the webtoon is huge. In the latest episode, eleventh, the main character (Jin Mori) won the match. Cool, it was an amazing episode with sound and special effects. I am not complaining! However, the original story arc actually has Jin Mori lose that very same match. And I was like ------- what on earth!?
I don't know whether it is a budget thing or because they don't plan to continue the anime and rushed straight to the point "Who is Jin Mori", or because they didn't want to follow the original plot - simply put. I noticed though something truly irritating in the original flow of the story (namely, in the webtoon). Stolen concepts.
I don't know if it's just me or something, but the concept of the 'nine-tailed beast' (a fox), which many people defended with being an original mythology-related thing - so no big deal, or some characters design that really make you recall things from Naruto, Dragon Balls, Bleach, Noblesse and other symbolic classics in the field. It goes as lame as having a supernatural power named "Jet Lee"..... Right.
Like, let me show you something.
The character called "Uma" in the webtoon, but not featured in the anime, is a cow-inspired girl (probably satisfying the fetish of hentai fans) makes me really think of a mixed version between Hatsuharu Souma from "Fruit Basket", who also happen to represent the cow from the Chinese zodiac, and Nelliel from "Bleach" who is another animal character but classified as a demon. Their properties 'trait-wise' are very mixed as well to create "Uma".
This is Uma, okay. Now...the scar on her face also reminds me of someone but I can't put my finger on it. I really know there is a character with the same scar.
This is the cow-character from Fruit Basket. His features are really alike Uma's, or is it just me? Let me show you the finishing touch with Nelliel who also like Uma 'grows' and 'shrinks'.
But I am not even done. That "Uma" actually has a weapon which really reminds of Madara's weapon, namely "War Fan". Of course, it is again an Asian thing - right. I know. But...what is the chance of two plots borrowing the idea of making a weapon out of "War Fan"???
This is Madara's War fan, whilst in "The God of High School", we call it "Pacho Fan".
There are many details, like Jin Mori's weapon that can expand and shrink like Gin's sword in Bleach. I have so many points to make, I am serious >_<
So, my point is...have we hit in the anime/manga industry a dead point? Like, with such strong classics out there, it seems to be very hard to create something new, something amazing as a concept. Then again, manga and webtoons with new, unpublished-before concepts seem to be pushed to the side by what is the mainstream trend. I believe, there is a certain requirement, nowadays, that dictates what to be accepted for boost and support by media, and what to be adopted as anime series. I believe anime viewers who don't really enjoy manga are very much led by the nose 'what to like and what not to like' as amazing titles are not animated. Pity, if you ask me.
Look at a simple example - Gangsta.
And amazing plot, even having a deaf main character...did it leave a long-lasting impression in the anime community? Not really. It was interesting for most but easily overpowered by Attacks on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) and even Boruto which is new even for the manga community. In fact, if you noticed - Boruto gained popularity through Naruto and it did not require years of manga publishing to hit the golden button for anime adaptation. Ridiculous. And the concepts are just copy-paste, nothing new. Well, am not bashing it as I am also watching Boruto...but I think I am following it simply out of nostalgia-led reasoning.
That was it all, if I had to state all similarities I found in "The God of High School", it will take me probable several blog entries to pour it all out. -_- Ngh. Pity that the author really has an amazing artstyle and knowledge how to make good panels, wasted on 'stolen and bent concepts'.
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