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Forum - View topicREVIEW: Shaman King Episodes 14-25
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tintor2
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Yeah, it really feels like a different style even if they use the same characters. Probably the biggest difference is how Yoh's journey was trimmed a lot when you compare it to the original. Kinda similar to how Ryu properly developed in the Mizushima, Lyserg became far edgier with every episode back in 2001. In Takei's version, he simply starts crying upon reaching the Patch Village and goes to meet Marco to the point his "friends" have no idea where he is.
On the good side, the fights took a better pace even if the handling makes no sense. Funbari vs Icemen takess two episodes in contrast to the original that lasted one episode. Joco obviously was meant to provide cultures clashing, something which Mizushima avoided and left it completely hidden in the 2001 anime. Still, it's facepalming how the censorship the studio led to a single scene where Ryu says he looks Joco cos he reminds him of a friend... who is black and has those offensive lips... On really bad side the fights make no sense. They are pretty much trapped in Dragon Ball powerlevels and there is little to no coreography. The only attempt at defeating a stronger enemy comes at the idea of being mentally superior than them which pretty much was the reason why a lot of people hated the manga's ending where spoiler[everybody lets Hao win as long as he kills no more.] |
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11392 |
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I didn't notice, but at what point did Chocolove become Joco? The former made me cringe as it seemed like a reference to his skin color, but Joco is fine as a take on "jocular" or the like. Wish they'd just named him that from the start.
Having not seen more than a handful of episodes of the original, I'm liking the reboot just fine. With nothing to really compare it to, I'm not finding it rushed or anything. Some of the cultural bits are cringe and bear it, but otherwise, I don't share many of the complaints I've heard. |
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Gem-Bug
 Posts: 1216 |
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I believe the 4kids dub of the original started it, with Viz's release of the manga following suite. |
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11392 |
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But he was Chocolove in at least his early appearances in the reboot. I only recently noticed the subs were calling him Joco now (I don't remember if he was ever called Choco), but without reviewing all the episodes since his intro, I don't know when they switched.
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earl.m
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Based on what little I know about Chocolove it certainly appears that the name and characterization in the original manga was heavily influenced by some combination of blaxploitation films and 70s/80s urban crime dramas. It explains his name (obviously), appearance (afro hairstyle, African-inspired clothes, open shirt), personality (comedian), and background (gang member from New York). And what was the name of the gang? Shaft. And of course he has to spend years in jail "to pay for his crimes" (where Tao Ren gets a wife, kid and riches).
In fairness, the only American black people that a manga writer - or Japanese person in general - would have been exposed to during Hiroyuki Takei's formative years would have been precisely that: blaxploitation and police films, comedians, sports figures and soldiers (whether black characters in war movies or black soldiers stationed in Japan). This explains why tons of black manga and anime characters from the 80s-00s were similar. Other examples: Smokey Brown from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (New York street criminal ... who goes on to become mayor of Atlanta.) Bleach? Kaname Tosen (blind with dreadlocks a la Stevie Wonder), Love Aikawa (afro and the "tall silent cool" blaxploitation type), Jackie Tristan (see blaxploitation heroine Jackie Brown) and Don Kanonji (too many blaxploitation/black comedian influences to list). And of course you had Mushroom Samba in Cowboy Bebop and its blaxploitation planet. Ironically, while modern manga and anime have fewer 70s and 80s black stereotype-inspired characters, it has come at the price of having fewer black characters overall. As many of these were actually outstanding characters despite the unfortunate implications of their origins - Tosen's villainy being driven by a combination of grief, revenge and fear made him much more complex than any 80s movie street criminal, and even Don Kanonji was a much better person than the original characters that inspired his creation - I don't see that as progress. |
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BlaséReviewer
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To be frank, the only person Ren killed and that we know of was Nichrom's brother and it didn't exactly happen within human society unlike Chocolove's acts. It wasn't against the Shaman Fight's rules according to the Great Spirit and the officiants so they allowed it. Same can be said about Faust VIII who killed his opponent before Yoh. Plus, I wouldn't say Ren really got his happily ever after. If the sequels are any indication, his clan is still exposed to their enemies' vendetta. And even the family Ren made for himself was torn following the events of Flowers. |
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