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 Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 5:17 am
Welcome! The plan is to watch 2 or 3 episodes of the original anime a week (see 2nd post), and discuss them together at the end of the week-ish (or earlier if you like). In your 1st post, you might want to mention your familiarity to the Hellsing universe(s), and whether you're watching sub or dub. Guidelines:-Try to discuss at least two points, and reply to at least one other person's post. -This is probably a repeat viewing for most people, but please white-out spoilers beyond the timeline of the episodes being watched. Visitors: Jump in any time!
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Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 5:18 am
Schedule:
Week 1: Ep 1-2
Week 2: 3-5
Week 3: 6-8
Week 4: 9-11
Week 5: 12-13
Currently: Week 5 (Eps 12-13)
Week 5's Suggested Topics
What did you think of the ending? What do you think happens next?
Did you notice any foreshadowing going on this time through?
Do you think there was a "message" (or a few) that the anime was going for? How was it supported through the imagery, dialogue, etc?
How does Hellsing compare to other series you've seen or read?
Week 4's Suggested Topics
(Use any of the previous - symbolism might be a good one to bring back)
In what way do you think the anime adaptation changes made the storyline stronger or weaker?
Since there's another anime adaptation, it's likely some fans weren't totally happy. What would you change?
What do you think of all the destruction? How do you think it is affecting everyone involved?
Week 3's Suggested Topics
-If one of the characters made an important choice, would you have made the same decision?
-What do you think about the characters' differing views of morality?
-What are some ways the characters are changing?
-How does the plot development come across?
Week 2's Possible Topics:
-Did the actions of the characters seem plausible?
-Did you notice any significant/symbolic imagery? Did it help to develop the plot, or help to define characters?
-How did these episodes compare to the previous ones?
-What are some of the episode's themes? How important were they?
Week 1's Possible Topics:
-Did you enjoy the episodes? Why/why not?
-Did you feel that the episodes fulfilled your expectations/? Were you disappointed? Were the characters how you expected them to be?
-Did the episode(s) end the way you expected?
-How does the setting figure in? How would it have been different if it had taken place in a different time or place?
-What did you think the episode was mainly about? (What contribution to plot or character development did it serve?)
-Was there anything else that caught your attention?
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Sir_Catherine Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 12:56 pm
Okay, I'm taking up this proposition of yours, Aeronn. At least for the first episode, which I've just rewatched, I'll not try to answer specific questions but rather give my impressions I jotted down through the show.
Edit: I think I actually cover the gist of Aeronn's suggested questions in the course of these comments, indirectly if not bullet by bullet.
*settles back with a mug of tea for Hellsing viewing and analysis*
Generalities
The opening credits feel like an old friend. Ah, nostalgia. biggrin
I still get a thrill by those first shots of foggy London. Being an anglophile, this pulled me in where the promise of vampires alone wouldn't have.
The dialogue feels at odds with the art of the first scene (the man and the ghoul), and of some of the later ones, too. It's a natural, flowing, script but the anime is one of slow pans and patient motion. Your ears are, in a sense, getting a different feel of the show than your eyes are. I'm just as glad though. The script is great, the voice acting spot on, wouldn't want it changed. The art has a unique style and feel, also wouldn't want to change it. One gets used to the mix.
I've gathered the slow pan style was used to save cost on early anime and that might have been a factor in this case, too. It also works for the mood. Allows certain details to be highlighted with motion, time to focus on the full scene rather than the eyes racing to keep up, gives a certain artistic feel to the whole thing. Added bonus is the creepy sense of waiting it lends to scenes, which then lets Alucard seem to appear from nowhere or crash into the scene. Good dramatics.
The style itself is awesome. The sky switching from blue to red between Seras and Alucard; the smoke and dust trails, use of shadow around Alucard, light around Integra. Even if both are simply factors of dusk and night lights, they still characterize each person, helping to frame them in the viewer's subconscious.
I'm happy to rediscover all this and to find I'm still just as pleased with viewing Hellsing now as I was the first time.
Characters
Wow; I'd forgotten how soft Integra's voice is when we first hear her. Very at odds with her stiff form. The slow motion style lets our eyes focus on her hair, her cross pin, her feminine voice, and contrast those with her cigars, her biting words and assumed command.
She seems almost pensive in the helicopter later and reaching up to rub/straighten her cravat pin is something of a nervous gesture. Good hints to her humanity.
This self control hiding natural, human, vulnerability...yep, still relate to her immediately. Sharp retorts in the face of stupidity sure help, of course.
Alucard, contrasting with Integra, is all about cockiness, coolly calm and collected. He seems to delight in danger (walking into the hail of bullets in the chapel) and to view physical pain/challenge as something to be enjoyed since human pleasure is out of his reach.
Seras is clearly the innocent. She isn't even sexual in this first episode. Her child like role is emphasized by how Alucard carries her like a swaddled baby at the end. She is the opposite of Integra. Clueless, unsure, hesitant, ignorant, naive...very, very human on the outside even as she become inhuman on the inside. This inside/outside is an essential struggle of the series and Seras represents one whole facet of it. She first views non-human Alucard with horror, then with admiration, but never with lust or envy for power. As sexual as she becomes, she doesn't use her vampirism as a sexual thing, interesting enough. All, I think, rooted in the innocent role she is given in this first episode.
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Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:58 pm
I would love to watch the original episodes. I saw the first three a long time ago, but haven't had much luck finding the episodes online on sites I trust. Youtube has a few but not all. I'll have to go looking again so I can chime in and participate. ^^
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 6:35 am
GS Parallel Mercury I would love to watch the original episodes. I saw the first three a long time ago, but haven't had much luck finding the episodes online on sites I trust. Youtube has a few but not all. I'll have to go looking again so I can chime in and participate. ^^ Please do! biggrin If you're in the US, you can probably watch the sub legally on Funimation's website: www.funimation.com/hellsing/episodes ...if that works, maybe I should add that in the first post.
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 6:45 am
I've read the manga and seen some of Hellsing Ultimate. I think I watched the first episode of the original, but the second was looking pretty unfamiliar. I'll be watching the sub to see how much Japanese I can pick up. biggrin
Setting: The fog that's the center of the beginning shots and most of the later outdoor scenes seems very British. You could maybe make do with somewhere else in Europe, but it seems the perfect setting to me...
It was kind of more colorful than I expected, with the red sky, etc.
Catherine: I didn't notice that it switched according to perspective, but yeah, it is Alucard's scenes that are kind of pop-art red. Were Integra's more neutral, and Seras' more blue...? I'll have to pay closer attention next time.
Expectations: Mainly the addition of isolated ghoul incidents. The first scene seemed a bit weird to me at first. Why did Alucard need to do any releasing? It seemed pretty straightforward. Caution? Playing around?
But I came to appreciate the purpose it served. I think it makes Alucard's moral stance come across as more neutral from the start - he isn't expressly there to save people. And It does give a stronger impression of a building undead epidemic.
It was also nice from the second episode to see interaction with the other Hellsing Organization people, and a practical introduction to Seras' new way of life. Seemed like they cut out a few Hirano-ish things that were more for humor than plot relevancy, and sort of streamlined the show.
Characters: I liked Seras' more active role in comparison to the manga. And yeah, she does come across as very innocent here.
Integra's animation is great, and her lines and everything.
Are you watching the dub, Catherine? The Japanese actress' voice didn't seem particularly feminine to me. If anything, a little older than the character. Kind of interesting difference if the dub has a younger/more feminine voice.
Integra comes across as completely in control of herself, but I get the feeling she doesn't trust anyone completely. Most of her lines involve reminding people of their responsibility. She makes me think of Elrond. biggrin
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 6:19 am
Okay, Ep's 3-5!
I was thinking the titles might be a fun thing to discuss, because they're often a little cryptic in anime, but "Sword Dancer" was the first somewhat vague one of the series. I'm guessing it refers to Anderson?
"Innocent as a Human" - perhaps a reference to Seras? "She's still as innocent as a human." But it seems ironic, as none of the humans come across as innocent in this episode. And it's this episode where she finally gets around to drinking blood, so she's slowly going to the dark side.
How did these episodes compare to the previous ones?
Compared to Alucard's amoral stance in the first couple episodes, we see signs that he has his own set of ideals when finds out about Anderson. He also seems to have mood swings - in episode three, he seems tired of everything, but cheers up when Walter brings out the Jackal.
Plausibility: Doesn't Anderson get hit with a murder charge/court marshal for killing the Hellsing guy?
I'm curious how they knew where to find the vampire chip. I guess it would be pretty easy to spot in a pile of dust. Did they sift through it earlier?
Themes:
1.Mistrust
Integra looks like she's feeling surrounded by incompetents, even Walter seemed surprised at her distrust in Alucard. But the mistrust is justified now - as soon as Integra leaves the room, problematic decisions are made. Seras also get justifiably suspicious of people. There's talk of traitors in Hellsing, betrayal by the other factions of Britain's secret services, even double-crossing with Jan and Luke's group.
2. Seras's struggle with what she's becoming.
Random note: Is that Enrique guy's voice extremely annoying in the dub? I found it pretty funny when Seras said she didn't like it. (Miiikkuuh~) xp
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 6:29 am
I'm thinking I'll put up "week 3" stuff, but Ieave it up for two weeks because I'm not sure how good my internet connection is going to be. So... it's still kind of like week 2. If anyone else wants to join, it's a good time. *offers pie*
yum_pumpkinpie
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Sir_Catherine Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 8:08 pm
I'm still in, but it'll take me longer than one week to watch each episode pairing. I apologize thus if my responses lag behind where the rest of you are.
Family emergency means I'm also away from my flat (and thus the anime) for this week.
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Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 6:00 am
I'm not at all bothered. biggrin For rewatching the coordination doesn't matter too much, I just want to prevent spoilers.
I hope your family is alright.
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Sir_Catherine Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 7:32 am
Thank you, Aeronn. 'Emergency' wasn't the best term, but neither was 'event', so I wasn't sure which to go with. My grandmother passed away and I left town suddenly to drive to my parent's for a long weekend. Her funeral was yesterday and I'm back in town now, albeit having to setting back into work and house keeping.
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 4:47 am
I'm sorry to hear that, Catherine. (Also that I didn't see this sooner.) I'm glad you were able spend time with your family, at the very least.
My trip to England was mainly to see my grandfather while I had the chance to, and my grandmother while she still remembers who we are. Aging is kind of scary, isn't it?
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 4:52 am
Anyway, it took longer than I thought but I'm back! I'll be finishing off week 3 tomorrow. No more niconicodouga or scribblenauts! Hellsing!
If anyone would care to join, feel free!
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 5:35 am
Differing views of morality:
Seras is the only one who comes across as actually horrified by the death surrounding her.
Integra takes it as a personal attack on her honor and reacts with anger (esp in the aftermath of ep 7 - during much of the attack she just deals with it. I did like her delivery of, "It seems they have destroyed our helicopter").
She shows a willingness to include Maxwell (human) in her vengeance over her men, if not for the usefulness of Iscariot's social/legal role.
Kind of a New Testament(?) mentality, being guilty of breaking one part (of her organization) makes him guilty of all of it. She doesn't hold to relativity, though she's often accused of compromise.
Alucard seems a bit above it all (so does Luke, maybe that's part of why Alucard overestimates him). What Helena was saying about vampires being "free" from societal boundaries seems to apply. They are like the opposite of Integra.
Walter is inscrutable.
Jan seems to be anti-moral, like his motive is simply to be evil. Hedonistic sadism? He came off as being fairly calm earlier compared to what I remember of other versions, but just flipped a switch when the violence started.
Ways the characters are changing:
Seras - succumbs to vampire nature unconsciously, rather than trying to adapt to her new powers as she has been. She does also seem to be getting used to some things on her own, and it's good to see her being trusted with missions.
Alucard - true nature revelation. I always find it kind of funny how disappointed he is with Luke.
New development for Walter, too. Funny how Alucard refers to it as another self of his.
Incidentally, while manga-Walter is one of my favorite characters, I don't like his voice much in the Japanese. He's got a bit of a lisp that I think is supposed to sound genteel. But I was glad he got some good moments in Ep 6.
Plot development:
Innnnteresting. I think the more gradual buildup of incidents between Alucard and Anderson is a decent choice, and setting it in the underground was cool.
Curious if they're going to follow up on the "freak gene" thing, and what the cliffhanger on Ep. 8 is about, though I've heard vague rumors.
Other:
Episode 7 "The Duel" is probably my favorite so far. The focus is on Integra, so I'd say the "duel" is between her and Maxwell. Alucard and Anderson sort of take a back seat but I did like the "just a fleshwound" moment.
Also, the envelope from the vatican being marked "not bomb" and the looooooong awkward pause at the art museum. xd
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 2:39 am
And now week 4 - in the homestretch with Episodes 9, 10, and 11
Spoiler Warning.
Overall impression: I'm not really sure what's going on, but Integra is pretty cool. xd
Points of confusion:
-What is Episode 9's "Red Rose Vertigo" referring to? The Hitchcock movie?
-"Boobanshee"...? Kind of apt, but I'm curious if it was just "banshee" in the dub.
-What's the "dark continent?" Alternate demon-verse? Hell?
-No need to answer if it's a spoiler...but I'm actually confused if "Paul" was supposed to be Incognito's body, or just another puppet who will crop up later.
What I'd Change:
-Plot-wise I'm a little disappointed that Iscariot seems to disappear for these three episodes. They had a pretty big confrontation in the last set that ended inconclusively, so you'd think that there might be a lull and then a comeback. Instead, the freak chips and funny-face take the main role.
Though I don't know yet who Incognito is supposed to be working for...
-On a minor translation note, I think the title of Episode 10 would be better as "Master of MonsterS." It would include Seras and Walter, as the episode seems to point at Seras' growing understanding of Integra through both Alucard and Walter.
-Laura's a bit lame as a villain. She acts as a plot device in wounding Integra, but she doesn't put up much of a fight in the end, and just comes off as filler fan-service. Compared with, say, Zorin, who is a pretty memorable character in addition to playing her role in the plot.
(And, unlike the other Millenium people, also having similar manipulating powers - any thoughts on making Zorin the Laura? biggrin )
Good:
I'm glad they got the back story of Integra's succession in there! Also the extra details of how she doesn't give in to anything. Having Alucard try to rule her in the beginning was a good addition, I thought. And the throat-cutting.
Helena's end seemed like it could be a foreshadowing of Alucard's powers in the finale, but I'm not sure they're going to go with that.
The falling blood was really pretty. xd I liked a lot of the stylized art for these episodes.
Those spider-chip things. eek Japan sure knows how to do creepy bugs.
For the surgery, I just imagined Walter going, "You two are on a diet now!" evil Seras' expression does seem like it could be, "Noo, my food!"
Having vampires watch a surgery seems like it could get intense, and there's already been an awkward "watching" scene in this show.
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