Fractale

[corocoro]

Probably one of the lesser seen animes this season, this is still a gem. Basically it gets better with every episode. :p

The premise is simple: Technology has evolved to the point where the Fractale system takes care of all needs people have. When the story starts the system is actually failing, with less and less coverage and functionality.

The matters discussed boil down to whether a live in bliss, but without free choice, is preferable to one filled with harshness in which you can live like you want.
Fractale also gives a view on a probable future and explores our relation to technology as well as the old question whether artificial intelligence should be treated human or not. There's also a host of other points that are being touched on.

All in all a very clever anime well worth a watch if you need a break from the copious fanservice and light humor so prevalent lately (albeit it has a bit of both as well).

 

[Aeiku]

I really haven't noticed any fanservice in any of the episodes, that I can remember anyway. Although I must agree it's very well done.

 

[Kou]

A little bit of fanservice and cliches here and there, but most ppl are bashing Fractale like mad man because of that. Still think that this is a good series, though not the kind of thing most ppl will like. What Fractale is good at is social commentary and some thought provoking issues which i quite like.

 

[Terumi]

Hmm, been about time this thread came out, but with 3 episodes? =p who cares.

Well, in midst of all the pre-air hype, i felt it really did not live up to it. The promotional material about phryne having purple hair is still not answered to me though.

This show raises some provoking social concerns which may occur later in the future, technology gets eliminated/replaced with an omni-potent system called Fractale. You lose yourself so much to it that you cant even recognise your own father. Live your own lives and realise it. Plot-wise, nice episodes here, but its quite similar to the Tales series to me, except there isnt fighting hero.

Fan-service wise, quite minimal. Only clear vivid memories was a naked Phryne jumping naked into the river to play water for the first time. Jokes were funny i admit, but it will not carry the show far enough.

Overall, not hating it - 7.5/10

P.S - The director is so gonna go~

 

[Kou]

Spoiler: episode 9

I wished that dad was dead, but I guess it did not happen. I am surprised that even the head priestess is a clone of Phryne. Just how many of them did that guy and possibly the many people before him create to satisfy them all? In any case, Lost Millennium is in a tight pinch here. They just made everyone their enemy, at least, those who rely on Fractale. Clain, Phyrne, and Nessa make such a nice family. It is a shame that the only way to restart Fractale is to merge them together and either restart or destroy it altogether. There should be another alternative in this. I feel bad for Enri, who tried her best to explain the entire townspeople that they are living a lie and should be living normally like how it was done in the past. Those guys just do not listen. Sunda had no choice but to pull back, for now. Worse comes to worse, their town starts burning because of the priests and members of Fractale. Luckily, no one was badly injured.

A meeting was held to determine the what to do next. In the end, Dias managed to persuade everyone to attack Fractale while they are desperate to attack them and put them down. Sunda did tell Clain the truth about him. He's friends with them all, but he is not really one of them. Heck, it might be a bad image to see him actually shoot the same thing down, despite having the same goal. Enri was cute in trying to express her feelings to Clain, but, of course, Clain is just dense about her when he has Nessa and Phryne on each hand. Nessa was so cute when she said that she would like it if the three of them were to be together forever. Then again, sometimes, saying those things leads to a tragedy ending, which most animes tend to emphasize on. Once again, Phyrne decides to leave because she believes it is all her fault and wants to solve this problem on her own. Does she really think that Clain and Nessa are going to sit there and accept that? She really needs to rely on others more when these kinds of situation arises. Clain and Nessa are off to the already starting battlefield to get Phryne back.

 

[corocoro]

Spoiler

Certainly a lot happening each episodes, unlike other anime that get summed up in a line or two. :p
I do wonder whether they are actually clones (genetically identical), or just manufactured humans with slight alterations to them. The head priest said something to the effect of him finding the perfect key, which makes me think that "clone" might be wrong after all.
It also seems they had some minor reboots of the system before and that for a long time (at least one every generation). Given how cyclical the whole Fractal system seems I really wonder why they didn't build in some better self-repair.
It is obvious that the townspeople would reject Lost Millenium - they are used to live a carefree life where everything is provided to them. Without a worry in the world why should they change their ways to an uncertain path full of hardship? Factor in the mind control exerted by the Temple, it the outcome is pretty much foregone.
Anyway, it certainly is heading up to an interesting finale, one that I can actually look forward to instead of predicting after two episodes. ;)

 

[Terumi]

Spoiler: lol

i finally see purple hair, abeit a 40 year old milf version.

bleh

 

[Kou]

Spoiler: episode 9

They still haven't revealed the details on how combining the personality of the original Phryne stored in Nessa with the perfect copy of her body will restart the Fractale System. This might still be all wrong or end up failing like you said. I am hoping that they can wrap up all the details of the Fractale system with 2 episodes left.

 

[corocoro]

Spoiler

I'm hoping for a second season.

 

[Terumi]

we will see. 2 more epis, 1 tmr in fact. =p

 

[Kou]

Spoiler: episode 10

The heartbreaking thing for me is when Phryne says Nessa is her "when she was still beautiful". Well, she is still beautiful, dammit - and at least Clain knows it. The real tragedy is that this beautiful child has been made to loathe herself by the creeping evil of the adults around her. That's the tipping point for me - as bad as Lost Millennium is, they're not as vile as these screwed-up temple pigs. As Clain says, they're murderers - but the only "real" friends he's had. Though my sense is that there are no good adults here - just degrees of moral culpability. Even within L.M., while there's certainly a difference between Sunda's group and Alabaster it's clear no one's hands are clean.

It should be pointed out that Clain, though he did take up a weapon to rescue Phryne, did not stoop to Sunda's level - he never fired at a person. Would he, if it came down to that being the only way to save the girls he loves? We may never find out. Things look pretty grim - Nessa is fading along with Fractale, Onee-san is starting the reboot, and Daddy is doing disgusting things to poor Phryne. I don't see all three kids making it out alive, and I see death flags for Sunda too. I fully expect the series to end with Fractale destroyed and the dead-eyed citizens starting over, but I find myself caring less about that than about the three heroes.

For all the criticism this show has taken, all the big ideas wrapped up inside it are starting to pay off and the level on investment in the three main characters has risen dramatically.

P.S. Daddy needs to die in the most gruesome way imaginable in the final.

 

[corocoro]

Fractale pretty much is the best series this season and the last episode just confirms it. ;)

 

[Kou]

I like meguca more but Fractale is also very close, still have to wait for the ending. Ending can really screw up everything >_>.

 

[corocoro]

Certainly lots of surprise hits this season. ;)

 

[Terumi]

hmm, good show but not really best to me though. but i will say its really original, good stuff
boku wa anno kuso-ero jii jii o korosu! *takes out gun*

surprise hits = fractale, level e, yumekui?

 

[corocoro]

Surprise hits: Fractale, Madoka, Merry, Zombie, Level E (which I don't watch). IS was expected to fare well, so no surprise there.

 

[Checkmate]

Nothing beat rabu school harem, mind ya!

 

[Kou]

So i heard that Level E is the master of trolling animu.

 

[Terumi]

Level E is 1 epic trolling laughter anime~
first 3 episodes are beyond normal laugh-ability~ haha

 

[corocoro]

Anyway, this had a beautiful ending befitting the series. ^^

But what is it with the Japanese obsession about flower gardens in the least likely places?

 

[Terumi]

@coro, i beg to differ though about the ending.

Spoiler: final episode and thoughts

Episode: Good and bad guys die. Fractale restarted. New personality. END

Thoughts on last episode: It simply dawned on me that the producers had too much loose ends to tie up in this 1 last episode. Sure there was all the sudden developments, but none of it actually sank in. Characters' death, like Sunda and Dias exploding along with the 40 year old doro-milf. None of it really mattered at the point of time. Also, it was again very very disturbing that the producers actually bothered to invest in the ero-kuso jii jii. You teach a 10 year old 'god' love by sleeping with her 16 year old container? Please? What the hell are you trying to tell me? Ending was too abrupt too. Plain words, Nessa inside Phryne's body. New personality, END.

Thoughts on whole series: HAD ONE OF THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR THE SEASON. Plot-wise, very nice and awesome build-ups in some episodes. BUT, that poor direction of the show and more questions asked than answered is NEVER good. Characters didnt strike a fanship with me, but haters sure do have one in the cursed perverted old geezer.

8/10 - Failure to fulfill its potential. Someone said his life was over, glad this was over too.

 

[Kou]

3P ending?

Spoiler: episode 11

Phryne seemed to just accept the ancient her as someone good and "happy" who could accept a cruel world. Anyone watching that video wouldn't see that. The past Phryne had been so traumatized that she ran away from the world and hid by taking on a childlike personality. All her cheery faces and playing with Nessa looks to me like she's screaming in pain and despair, unable to escape the hell created by her abusive father. This sort of person wouldn't be able to make and maintain a stable "reality", she'd only make an illusion of a happy world. Rather than "accept" the world, she'd hide or change the bad so that it looks good, and reject family and love even as she says she loves love. I don't quite understand how the whole system works, but continuing a system built and maintained by someone like that is just wrong on so many levels, especially if it really means that they have to set up a girl to be innocent with a loving father and then have that father rape her, just so she'd be as screwed up in the head.

On the other hand, in this sense Phryne might be able to do something, because she found true love and through that was able to find strength to stop hiding. This Phryne's world may be much more real, and since the people will be living on a system based on reality, hope, and strength, the next time the system crashes more of them will probably be able to survive without it.

Spoiler: final impressions

Anyway, I liked this series quite a bit more than I thought I would. Given the hype/noise surrounding it, I went in with low expectations and found a nice short story that is entertaining and thought provoking, a little rushed, but worth finishing.

What this show really needed was more episodes. But despite the shortcomings, and ignoring the "hype" and projected expectations, it did succeed in reminding me that anime can offer more than overly fetishized fanservice. Unfortunately I think too many will damn it regardless, which is a shame.

 

[corocoro]

Spoiler: Some thoughts on Kou's first sentence.

You said that Phryne seemed to just accept the ancient her as someone good and "happy" who could accept a cruel world, which makes sense to me - she has little experience with people (remember, sheltered environment, six years of life) and the only one she knows that is as cheery as this is Nessa. Now with Nessa the happiness is indeed genuine, so the two become mixed in her perception and she chooses to ignore that Phryne only acts that way to overcolour the dark things that happened to her - maybe because she doesn't want to be reminded that she experienced them as well.
Makes sense to me. ;)

Then again, I like the ending, how things flow together and are mirrored in various aspects and ways - rushed maybe, but still great. Since the character flaws of the first Phryne were mirrored in Fractale, I would expect that the strength the second one found would also be mirrored - to create a system that actually works well, even if it means people now have to cook. ;)

 

[Kou]

Spoiler: episode 11

It was a solid ending. The rushed feel was probably the lack of episodes and all the infodump in the final episode. I want more episodes. The fractale setting is interesting and is still full of mystery. Oh well, this is the Noitamina slot >_>.


LOL at everyone bashing yamakan now. HATERS GOTTA HATE.