Since the MFG forums were deleted--due to the lack of activity--and with its deletion it took with it my previous Bastard!! review thread I decided to make a new one. This decision was further enhanced by the quote bellow--which may or may not have been edited for the purpose of relevance.
The review will go over (what is supposed to be) the story, characters, artwork and general details. We'll start by examining the cover followed by the facets previously mentioned.
The aspect of the cover which will strike you first is the softcore hentai picture covering most of the cover and in the original Japanese version the picture is extended and not censored. A common reaction to this is "If anyone sees me reading this openly they'll think of me as a creep that reads hentai in public."
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If it wasn't for the "parential advisory explicit content" tag covering Porno Diane's ass--provided by Viz translation--I wouldn't be allowed to post this.
The next thing you'll come across is the Legend of Zelda-styled title which has to be the most ridiculous and uninspired title ever published. "Bastard!!"--You wouldn't mind adding a few extra explanation marks and perhaps a few ones? Not only that, but the title sounds like it's more fitted for hentai than anything else.
The explanation for the excessive nudity and discrete hentai references is that the author, Kazushi Hagiwara, originally was a hentai artist. While there's nothing wrong with hentai (although I personally prefer real women) there's a time and place for everything. Torn clothes and a visible nipple here or there would induce a sense of realism, but having fifty babyfaced nude E-cupped harlots running around because they have nothing better to do is not good writing.
Under the title you have the segements "Heavy Metal" and "Dark Fantasy" which pretty much says everything there is about the details of the story. It's set in a crappy fantasy environment and everything is named after either heavy metal bands or songs and it's so horrible and redundant that you can't possibly hope to keep a straight face while reading it. The protagonist calls upon the power of Guns and Roses to end his foes.
At the back cover you'll find some poorly written plot exposition which ilk you'd come across in poorly written fan fiction.
This is only the beginning of the horror this collection of godforsaken tomes will bring about.
Story
The castle of Metallica--I hope you realize how absurd that sounded--is attacked by a wave of enemies sent by the generic evil group known as the "Four lords of havoc" who plans to free a god of death because they've been influenced by its evil seed. After the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of brave soldiers the underaged priestess is convinced to break the seal of the wizard who will save them by kissing a slightly younger boy. At first you might think that this is solely for comic relief (you know Japanese people and their odd humor) but that's actually how much the soldiers are worth. They're nothing but fodder and an army has never accomplished anything. Eventually Dark Schneider turns each and everyone of the evildoers into his friends--the emo who commits suicide is even revived--but then the evil god is released and the manga pages look as if they've been dipped in ink and the barably understanable pictures loses what little value they have. The evil god is defeated with ancient technology and the story ends--but the manga continues. The "great" plottiwst turns out to be that this is set in the future 2,000 - 3,000 years after the birth of Jesus Christ and 6,000 - 7,000 years after the creation of the universe and that all was only a part of "bigger" scheme to trigger the war between heaven and hell.
All and all it's a poorly designed D&D adventure with obvious distractions to keep you from noticing the hollowness of the story.
Characters
There are two types of characters in Bastard!!. The main character, and the ones who're there to make the main character "look" good.
Early in the manga it's noted that in his 400 years Dark Schneider has slept with 200 - 300 women which is suppose to come across to the majority of virgin readers as impressive--even though most porn stars and hardcore players beat this record in less than one year.
Then we have the fact that Dark Schneider constantly breaks the forth wall by reminding the readers that he's the main character. Each time he engages in battle. In other words, rather than pretending to be a good work of fiction it's insulting the intelligence of the readers by outright saying it.
Then there's the gay factor of Dark Schneider flaunting his censored penis in the face of the readers.
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Typical turn-on for Bastard!! fans. Some even go as far as calling Dark Schneider "Darsh", which only his lover (Ashes Ney) is allowed to call him by.
Other than that there's nothing to the characters at all, no persona or likable quality. It's all a dick-meassuring contest "Haha! My spell is bigger than yours idiot" and the bigger spell they have the better character they should be.
Art
Despite the horrendous artwork some people--with no understanding of art--actually claims they like the manga with its out-of-body proportions.
Lets examine one of the "better" pictures.
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As can be seen the character, Gara, in this scene seems to have been drawed by a elementary school student. But fans will point out the background and act as if mr. Hagiwara actually drew that rather than googled a picture of a tiger, used photoshop's monochrome effect on it and put his character over it to cover the fact that he can't draw.
However most of the art is crap with no sense of proportion like this one.
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And at times you even find gems like this to remind you that this investment is money well spent.
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General details
Despite the lack of details in the artwork, the lack of originallity in names, characters and plot there is more.
Scientific errors. I have no problems with small scientifical misconceptions in fiction, after all it's fiction. Bastard!! however on multiple occasions want to seem smart by explaining certain scientific phenomena. The problem with this however is that the explanations are wrong and at times the explanation given is the direct opposite of what would happen.
Take Kal Su's superconduction ability, where he freezes himself down to the critical temprature of human flesh so that he can withstand Dark Schneider's Hallowen--a electrical attack capable of killing millions, even though it's output is 10 MeV (which wouldn't be enough to raise the temperature of a cube inch of water with a billionth of a degree (C or F, you decide). Either way Kal decides to tank this massive electrical assult by becomming a "living" superconductor. Problem would this is that a superconductor have no resistance and would force all of the current through his body with shredding his molecules ultimatelly causing even more damage (the reason why carbon superconductors don't seem as effected is for the same reason ordinary carbon isn't affected).
This is of course only one (well technically 2) of countless errors in the manga.
To summarize in five words. "Bastard!! isn't worth your time."
You'll want to rephrase that to "Bastard isn't worth my time."
Attempting to judge the value of something in the eyes of another is both illogical and idiotic. I could waste my time explaining the negatives of Naruto, for example, in a lengthy review, but I do not care enough about it to do so. Clearly Bastard!!! has left enough of an impression on you, judging by this loquacious passage.
It's one thing if you do not like it personally, but do not treat your opinion as if it were fact. You only succeed in making a fool of yourself when you do.
Normally I wouldn't have old pictures from elementary school laying around. But considering that I'm in my grandparents house at the moment--due to a upcomming funeral--I acually came across a picture I drew in first year of highschool.
Tagged picture--Mikael Astner Nv1b (nature science 1 b)
If there weren't so many "gag scenes" I wouldn't have brought it up. Besides a reviewer is suppose to bring up every aspect of the manga.
Fine, Bastard!! might be worth your time.
Is that why there are professional reviewers?
This thread wasn't meant to be taken seriously. Yet it appears that it attracted a handful of you people I intended to avoid.
I make a fool of myself when I make a programming mistake in Java, Mathematica or MATLAB in front of professors and friends not when I criticize a series for its shortcommings in front of its fans.
Last edited by Astner on Jun 28th, 2010 at 10:46 AM
I used the quotations to emphasize that you needed need to change your original statement to the one I presented. You do not get to sit there and dictate what is and isn't worth another person's time.
You are not a professional, and many people tend to disagree with professionals.
No one in this thread cares about you or your opinion, which you are entitled to. It is your conceited manner in treating your opinion as fact that draws issue.
But trust me, we are happy you wish to avoid us, as we have no desire for you to be in our presence. And you should be grateful that we have even bothered to respond to your rambling.
Pretty long-winded response for something that's not suppose to be serious though.
Criticism is not what makes you appear foolish. It is your treatment of your opinion as fact that makes you look like a fool. As I said earlier, you are entitled to your opinion, but don't expect everyone else to simple agree with it, and acknowledge that it is not fact.
It wasn't a order nor did I attempt to lay down the law prohibiting people from reading the manga, it was my evaluation. Furthermore if you find fault with the review. go on that, rather than the five-worded summary.
No, I'm not a professional reviewer nor did I come out as one. However, I've spent my money on this product and should be able to review and criticize it as I please.
But your point was that the work and efforts of reviewers was unnecessary, not only that you outright insulted their profession as being "stupid".
Yes I'm entitiled to my opinion but I'm also entitled to sharing that opinion. Reviews however aren't written in personal format, what you're thinking of is a opinion post which is only something that could be adressed to the summary of the review and not the review itself.
I honestly wish you didn't. However, the first part seem contradictory to your actions. Why would four people bother to register and respond when there were three already registered who had provided responses, hypocrisy perhaps?
I had fun with it, though I ate and took a walk outside in the middle of writing it. It's not something I sat with in hours on end.
What isn't fact? Are the scans posted from another manga? No that's not it. Is the plot summary inaccurate? No--you might not think it makes it justice--but it is accurate. Are the character reviews faulty? Not at all.
It's not as much a matter of taste as bad artwork and poor writing. Just as a painting by Da Vinci or a novel by Shakespeare will remain to be masterpieces, regardless of your opinion.
If your review actually mattered to anyone, I might take the extra time to break it down and have a more in-depth argument with you. As it stands, I have no interest in doing so, even though there are some facets of said review that I find to be asinine.
And while it was not an order, you were still asserting your opinion
As I said, you have the right to express your opinion, so long as you do not lord it about as if it is a fact, which certainly seems to be your intent here.
No, I was referring to you in specific. And as I said, even being of the professional level does not mean others will always agree with you.
I don't blame you for not wanting to see us again, for obvious reasons. But there is no contradiction. Do you really think those who created accounts to respond to you will be following you around across the internet? They came just to express their disagreement with your reasoning, and that was all.
Just because they dislike you and have no desire for you to be in their presence, it doesn't mean they can't show the disagreement with something you say or do.
No, but it's clearly something you took a decent amount of time and effort to write. But I can understand the "fun" part of criticizing something you dislike. Just don't pretend the manga didn't have a significant impact on you (negative or otherwise) when the review obviously says otherwise.
I have not read the manga, so I can not speak on the quality of the writing or the characters. But that wasn't the issue I personally brought up with your review (excluding what I said I found silly earlier). It was the fact that you behaved as though you were right and anyone who disagrees with your opinion would be in the wrong.
"The Daemon lied with every breath. It could not help itself but to deceive and dismay, to riddle and ruin. The more we conversed, the closer I drew to one singularly ineluctable fact: I would gain no wisdom here."
The OBD is still a pretty good place. Not as great as a lot of the best people aren't around as much or any more at all, but still one of the better forums.
Judging by the prolonged response you've provided thus far and the fact that four member registered just so they could respond is evidence enough to dismiss this accusation.
The reason for why you can't go into a more "in-depth argument"isn't because you don't care. It's because you haven't read the manga. You said it yourself, in this very post.
I read and I quote:
In other words your defending a position out of bias. It's not that you dissagree with the review, it's that you dissagree with me and my right to exercise my free speach. I don't know if it's an unsettled dispute you couldn't drop but I see no point in entertaining your pitiful sharade. Leave this thread to people who have read the manga.
Once again, it's a review not an opinion post. I didn't write "the art isn't to my taste" I wrote (paraphrasing) "the art is horrible and here is why" and provided pictures compelling people to make their own opinions of the art.
You was addressing the work, not me in person, more importantly you didn't address my work in specific but the general process of reviewing.
I read and I quote:
If anything that's a selfish statement of ignorance, considering that it's a important facet of the media industry.
Another contradiction (though readily pointed out) if the review didn't matter to them they wouldn't respond, yet alone register and I wouldn't call it "disagreement with my reasoning" but rather trolling. You need to know what you're dissagreeing with to have a credible opinion. Two of the three first comments contained the segment tl;dr--too long didn't read--nullifying their credability.
Of course. But I expect them to understand or at the very least read what I "say and do".
Well it's not as much as much the manga as the fans praise and exalt this piece of garbage to others. Let me rephrase that, it's an interaction between the two, the manga is extremely overrated based off its lack and void of quality.
What you're addressing is the typical format of a review, what you're writing is nonsense.
You'll fit right in.
Who are you?
Unintentionally referring to when I left.
Just like the thread was intended for. Another success then I take it?
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Jun 27th, 2010 03:24 PM
