The problem with saying “it could have been used for drama later” is we don’t know how the stories going to develop. What if the rest of the story absolutely requires Yuu knowing about Nao and her brother? What if they have another drama moment planned out later that isn’t as predictable (especially for Key) as “main character has tragic family backstory”. Really we won’t know how including her backstory in episode 2 will affect the series until we see more which is why I left it as:
in my original review post thing earlier in the thread. It may be causing Angel Beats flashbacks having tragic family backstory in episode 2 but we don’t know if Charlotte needed it or will be able to work with it being this early.
This may be a simple good artistic resource to deliver a great image… but I coudn’t avoid thinking about “what if” the long exposure drawings means something.
I’m not talking about the nice starry sky only, but also about other frames like the one at the ED, when we can see people moving with a time (cough) long expose trail behind them…
Speculation: I believe there’s a big twist coming, that’s not all her backstory at all. It isn’t what it seems. We know Jun Maeda thinks in at least two levels (two meanings, or even three) specially for MCs. That’s my bet.
I really don’t understand why everyone’s so angry about Nao’s backstory.
It set the tone as showing us that no matter how much the student council and the school try to hide it, this is a serious show about serious shit. Yeah, theyre kids, they’re gonna do funny shit while they’re at school, but for many of them, that might just be to help forget about how serious theyre powers actually are.
It also pretty much demonstrated to us that this show and its climax are not going to be about backstories. Nao’s openness about this shows that, while her past may have brought her to where she is today, and still affects how she lives her life, she does not want that (and I get the sense her power as well) to define her.
No, as much as you want to argue it, it was not rushed. Being upfront with parts of a character that would normally be saved for some drama later does not automatically make it rushed. What would make it rushed was if after this episode, Nao and her backstory no longer mattered. Lots of people are referencing Iwasawa. I say as long as Nao doesnt disappear after this, there is no reason we should automatically think that this was put at the beginning simply because Maeda is trying to cram stuff in.
I think its kinda funny how this show hides its scatterbrained-ness with the excuse of “We’re the student council, we can leave school whenever we want!”
[quote=“sillylittlemelody, post:55, topic:1585”]
I seriously doubt it won’t be like a VN.
[/quote]Well I’m sorry, but these first two episodes feel hella lot like an original anime (oh wait) and wouldnt fit in a VN at all. Like I said, its all over the place. You cant do that in a VN. You shouldnt confine Key into such a little box, its not like they arent able to do new things. After all, making an original anime itself is a first for them.
Also about all this government shit: Kids have superpowers, adults don’t. Kids arent hurting anything, adults have no reason to even know in the first place. Scientists find out but cant go after them, and the kids are the ones protecting them because ONLY THE KIDS HAVE SUPERPOWERS. School is obviously either lead by adults who used to have superpowers, or is a trap and like @Bizkitdoh said is run by evil science/government people. Makes sense to me, yo.
And nao I will go back and rewatch the whole thing… with my eyes closed. Beautiful beautiful sound track, and only at episode two, just wow. And Lia and Aoi Tada have both succeeded once again in creating two breathtaking vocal tracks. So glad I preordered all that music.
The soundtrack of Charlotte is the real MVP here. As good or bad as the story gets as we go onward, the OST will definitely stand out as one of the best.
I think the characters’s backstories will be pretty vital to the story overall, most especially Yu and Nao’s. The show is simply presenting it differently and with fewer characters too. It’s an interesting take compared to KEY’s previous works but there’s still glimpses of Maeda’s writing there.
What makes this episode feel rushed is that it tries to put a lot of exposition in a single episode. I don’t think it’s the last of Nao’s story, and I bet the story will employ a number of flashback scenes for each important character per episode and will just feel abrupt every time since the series is already building up unseen histories of the school and its founder, which I bet will be discovered through the characters’s pasts.
It’s funny how many people go “OMG, it’s gonna be shit!” just two episodes in because some things were done in an unusual way. When was the last time you guys actually enjoyed watching anime instead of thinking about ALL the possible ways a series could go downhill later? -_-
Give Maeda some more trust. This isn’t his first anime and everyone involved has learned from the mistakes of the first one. Don’t make topics that are depressing to read.
So, did anyone else get TK vibes from that water guy? He’s so randomly mysterious and does things at his own pace. Walk in. Do work. Walk back out. Deal with it ^^
Loved the Kengo voice on the archer guy. I wonder how many Voice Actors from key games will get a role in Charlotte. I’m hoping it’s gonna be many!
This episode was kind of a turnaround for me. I initially thought that this school is confining and monitoring kids with special abilities for shady reasons, but now it turns out that the enemies are actually on the outside. Or at least I hope so. Would be super dark if they were actually on BOTH sides >_<
And now I’m wondering: what’s next? They have introduced Yuu and Nao properly now, Takajou is doing well, too. They have established the setting and the conflict. I doubt the next episode would be Yusa-only, since they haven’t focused on just one thing per episode until now.
I think this is the key point in here. As I said previously:
See, if they showed Nao’s backstory sometime later, then we, as viewers, would expect her backstory to be a big thing. We would expect Nao and the others to be working towards helping her brother… Which I am betting will not be the main story in the long run.
Of course I could be wrong~
That’s probably the statement I agree with the most out of the 40+ posts I read today. Props to you
They have previously mentioned in like the first interview with Jun Maeda that it would be impossible to make Charlote into a VN. Why? I don’t exactly know and can’t really imagine, but hey, that’s what they said, so I personally doubt that it would be like a VN.
That was one thing that I mentioned in the last podcast, and if I am part of episode 2 podcast, I will definitely be bringing it up again! But yes, that does seem to be the case, at least in my headcanon.
I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I have to say, I really can’t imagine how they could have made it something more feels-y. Under the assumption that they aren’t going to be attempting to save her brother in the future, then any time that they introduce it would be just as good as, maybe even worse, than this episode.
He definitely doesn’t feel as “happy” as TK, that’s for sure, and that’s what makes me curious about him. Like I said, if they end up not giving any information about him, I’d be pretty disappointed.
Lots of people are talking about it, so I won’t reply to anyone specifically, but regarding the whole school-is-a-prison-vs-government-scientists, well… It’s nice to speculate but it’s definitely too early to say anything for sure. They’re definitely making out the scientists to be the bad guys, but we still have no idea about who that guy that Nao trusts is. Just because Nao trusts him doesn’t mean we have to trust him But I guess we’ll find out in the future~
Of course, it is vital information, however, it is not what the show will be focusing on. It’ll be more about the events that are to come rather than the events that have already happened.
And because of this episode, we know that they are just working to prevent it happening again. It also pins a motivation on half of the main cast. Pretty good.
If they kept the same backstory, then yeah. It’s a “the past is the past” moment. Nao has already started to move on and accept that she can’t do anything apart from look to the future.
Basically, it isn’t a big deal right now.
I like to think he’s just some kid who randomly gets called out of lessons to help them. He has to run all the way to the council room.
Can’t say too much about second episode…I enjoy it…That Archery boy power…if you can see through…why just see underwear…I might be use it more wilder than him
Something that I can’t understand is…
So…if Nao really hate her school (because what they did to her brother) then why she cooperate? She join student council and help the school to recruit another kids with special power–she said she don’t want to see another victims----nah I still don’t get it
And then I also confused–so school and laboratories are in the same organization…how about the hospital…is they also in the same organization?
Also Nao mention ‘someone’ that really help she and big brother so much…I hope ‘this someone’ won’t be a traitor in the next episode
AND IT’S JUST ME OR WHAT–BUT NAO’S MOTHER RESEMBLE TO AYUMI A LOT…that hair and that eyes…and Yu said her mother divorced…is that mean…she re-married with Nao’s father and…haha just ignore this…
I don’t think there’s enough to know. Yuu and Nao could be cousins, I’m not sure about step-siblings as Nao and Yuu are the same age and that seems a little quick to move from one person to another and have a child. Plus for the mother to be the same as Ayumi looking like Nao’s mom would imply she should be with Yuu’s dad and Yuu/Ayumi at that point not with Nao and whatever her brother’s name was (and the dad wherever he was). So cousin is possible but I don’t think anything closer is.
Well we know barely anything about either of their parents. It’s a possibility that they are related, and even with the things that @Doublethree1 mentions, that doesn’t take into account that their parents could be two-timing bastards
There’s even a chance only 1 mother and 1 father exist with then having Nao’s brother, Nao and Yuu are twins then Ayumi (making Nao’s brother that guy in Yuu’s dream) then they separated and split the kids and half with Yuu ending up with the father and Nao ending up with the mother and Yuu hates his dad because he tore apart their family and he’s so close to Ayumi because she’s all he has left.
While it’s possible I’m not sure why I just can’t see it happening.
