Calling all Weiss Kreuz Watchers

tex-chan · Post by **tex-chan** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 7:06 am

There seems to be some interest in this type of post, so I thought I'd go ahead and make it. (I hope that's OK, Shellie!

)

I've recently heard of a few folks watching Weiss Kreuz for the first time, and I know there are a few die hard WK fans on this board (like me) ... so, I thought it might be interesting if anyone who wanted to kind of got together for a little "round robin" to discuss what we liked or didn't like about the show.

So ... Weiss Kreuz ... opinions? Likes ... dislikes ... favorite characters ... least favorite characters? Too many flowers, not enough pretty boys? Let's hear from you, folks!

shellie · Post by **shellie** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 8:27 am

Tex, my friend, we're reading each others' minds!! I just posted on the watermarking thread that I was coming over here to start a WK thread... You beat me to it! Good job!

So I'm looking forward to this... Uende, AO, Duo, Tex... any more out there?? I kinda don't know where to start!

Well, here's something I wanted to follow up with you on, Uende, from one of our pm's... Is the name of their flower shop REALLY the Kitty House???? (You told me what a few of the names were translated, and I think that's what you said their shop was called!) If so, YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!!

Nikki, since I haven't talked to you about it, and since you are the other WK newbie here, what character did you like best, and what were your favorite moments of the show? Give us a kick-start here!

(Anyone else can answer that one too -- just thought I'd put AO on the spot first.

)

tex-chan · Post by **tex-chan** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 9:03 am

shellie wrote:Tex, my friend, we're reading each others' minds!! I just posted on the watermarking thread that I was coming over here to start a WK thread... You beat me to it! Good job!

Well, since I kinda got you in "trouble" on the other thread --- LOL :hitting:

--- I figured it was the least I could do.

shellie wrote:So I'm looking forward to this... Uende, AO, Duo, Tex... any more out there?? I kinda don't know where to start!

It is pretty hard to know exactly where to start. For such a strange, and, at many turns, poorly animated and developed show (and, remember, I speak as someone who loves WK dearly), there is a lot of subject matter there! It's really amazing that, at first glance, you think it's just this ridiculous show about four pretty guys --- florists by day, assassins by night --- and it just sounds so darn cheesy. But, when you really stop to think about it, there is so much more under the surface. I mean, sure, the bishounen eye candy is nice, but, if there wasn't something a bit deeper to the show than that (even though the series often has trouble expressing that depth), I don't think WK would have the huge, fairly rabid fanbase it continues to enjoy.

shellie wrote:Well, here's something I wanted to follow up with you on, Uende, from one of our pm's... Is the name of their flower shop REALLY the Kitty House???? (You told me what a few of the names were translated, and I think that's what you said their shop was called!) If so, YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!!

I'm not Uende (although I kinda wish I was b/c then I'd have amazing artistic ability AND that yummy Aya OP cel ... bwahahahahaha

), but I'd like to weigh in here and say ... yep ... Kitty House, Kitty in the House ... Kitten in the House ... those are the translations I've heard/seen most often. No wonder Aya is in such a pissy mood all the time ... I mean ... to be an assassin code-named after a cat is bad enough. And, we're not talking some man-eating, jungle-stalking beast of prey ... no, we're talking about a pampered, lap-sitting housecat type of cat. But, to have to work in a place called anything even remotely resembling Kitty House ... Kitty in the House ... Kitten in the House ... well, it's really more than any person should be expected to take. Poor Aya --- LOL!

kamidake · Post by **kamidake** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 10:36 am

Errr... I suppose you can call me rabid.

*glares at out of control gallery*

tex-chan wrote:I mean, sure, the bishounen eye candy is nice, but, if there wasn't something a bit deeper to the show than that (even though the series often has trouble expressing that depth), I don't think WK would have the huge, fairly rabid fanbase it continues to enjoy.

As far as I know, the anime is just a small part of the whole Weiss universe. I think the manga and the radio drama tells the story better and goes more in depth into the characters history and such. (I heard anyway, not that I could actually understand the radio drama... although I wish I could

) And of course, a major contributing factor of Weiss fandom is the 4 awesome seiyuu that made the team. I'm sure if you put Koyasu and Seki together in any anime it would become a fangirl's dream.

And it also cracked me up when I first heard that the flower shop is called Kitty House (or a variation of it) since the code name for the guys (and apparently everybody else in Kritiker too) are cats. Like tex-chan said, not beasts of prey but your happy docile house cats. (and I just adore the pencil board with the 4 guys lounging around a couch holding their respective code name cat

)

Err... this thread is evil.... enough out of me.

In_Gabriel_We_Trust · Tue Sep 28, 2004 12:09 pm

I am naive and gullible and any other words that cover those two.

I believe it's possible for four young florists to be assassins at night.
I believe it's possible they make enough money doing 'only' the flower thing and purchase those sportscars without anyone getting suspicious.
I believe it makes sense to wear short shorts at any given time of day or year.
I have no problem whatsoever when katanas, various weapons and clothing appears out of nowhere to help the storyline.

But the one scene that had me going

:

"Ah yes... you very young kids with long brightly coloured look exactly like any other member of a SWAT-team. You may pass !!! "

shellie · Post by **shellie** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 1:14 pm

In_Gabriel_We_Trust wrote:IBut the one scene that had me going :

"Ah yes... you very young kids with long brightly coloured look exactly like any other member of a SWAT-team. You may pass !!! "

Heeheehee! Yah, that one got me going too.

I think the whole series needed to be expanded a bit to fill in some of the holes. I'm sure they were explained better in the manga, but I was very confused as to who the old evil geezers were at the end. And if Aya is going to be the lead for the series, they needed to draw out his rescue of the girl at the end... they built it up a bit, but then I thought it fell a bit flat because it was a "quickie save." (I guess I was wanting a bit more drama and more serious looks into each other's eyes or something thrown in there since that seems to be what they were building for over the 5 previous episodes.)

And as a whole, I think Ken and Yojhi got the shaft for screen time. Poor two kitties! (Ugh. Still can't believe that they were florists in the "Kitty House." No wonder all those annoying squealing girls were hanging around all the time!! THAT was the worst part of the series for me. GAG.)

Wendy · Post by **Wendy** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 1:29 pm

Aww come on guys...what's not to love

Assassins, dramatic deaths, sometimes crappy animation, plotholes big enough to drag the city of New York through and four gorgeous guys with bad fashion sense who desperately need to get laid!

Admit it..this show has it all

shellie · Post by **shellie** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 2:33 pm

Uende wrote:four gorgeous guys with bad fashion sense who desperately need to get laid!

*gasp* WENDY!!

*snickersnickersnicker!*

Yes, just listening to a few of you die-hards made me have to watch it. It does have it all -- the premise is enough to keep you glued to the tv for awhile anyway... I was truly embarassed to tell my husband what I was watching. Do you know how hard it is to say with a straight face that these guys are "florists by day, assassins by night"???

At least in this show, he could tell who the boys were -- most of my shows have very pretty long-haired men whom my husband keeps saying, "Now who's she?" *sigh*

*EDIT* HA! I just remembered, he did ask what the little girl's name was -- I said "Omi"!

kamidake · Post by **kamidake** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 3:24 pm

Uende wrote: Assassins, dramatic deaths, sometimes crappy animation, plotholes big enough to drag the city of New York through and four gorgeous guys with bad fashion sense who desperately need to get laid!

OMG, the guys have THE worst fashion sense ever (I don't blame them really, I blame Koyasu). And it's not just in the anime, it's in artbooks and everywhere else. I love the assaassasin gears, but abhor their civilian outfit. *shudders* On an OT note... I think the Prince of Tennis boys has got some pretty bad fashion sense too, but nobody's as bad as the weiss boys.

tex-chan · Post by **tex-chan** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 6:01 pm

Uende wrote:Aww come on guys...what's not to love

Assassins, dramatic deaths, sometimes crappy animation, plotholes big enough to drag the city of New York through and four gorgeous guys with bad fashion sense who desperately need to get laid!

Admit it..this show has it all

Amen, to that, sister! As naive and riddled as the plot may be ... as much as you might have to suspend reality at times ... as embarassed as you might feel for watching ... this show absolutely does have it all --- and a bag of chips!

Kamidake: No worries --- I used the term "rabid fan" in the most positive context imaginable ... especially since I consider myself one, too. My insanity breaches the bounds of cel collecting and keeps right on going into fanfiction (which, yes ... is a scary, scary place).

I absolutely love this show ... although, sometimes, I'm not sure why. And, you're absolutely right --- the Weiss universe includes so much more than just the anime. I wish I understood Japanese ... but, I don't, so I had to content myself with reading translations of the cd dramas. But, I remember reading the second one (Dramatic Precious II --?? Is that right?) and thinking: "Oh, man ... why oh why didn't they animate this one??!! I mean, that one would have been awesome animated -- well, maybe not necessarily by the animators who did the tv show, but ... you get the point. :hitting:

I do wish the story had been developed a bit better. Well, a lot better, actually. I mean, it seemed like they just rushed headlong through all the guys' tortured pasts so quickly. And, poor Ken --- well, his "tortured past" was so cheesy compared to the others' that it seemed almost like an afterthought. But, that's just my opinion ... for what it's worth, which is probably waaaay less than two cents. Also, I wish the anime had tied the whole Esstet angle into the plot a bit better. The way it ended, it almost seemed like there was supposed to be a second season or something, in which Esstet would be the bad guy. To me, it seemed like they were setting things up that way, with all the stuff you found out toward the end about Schwarz, Schreint, Esstet, and even the Takatoris. But, then, season 2 never materialized. Again ... I could be totally wrong about that ... and I do realize things continued right along in the cd dramas ... but I would have liked a bit more out of the TV series, too. Maybe I'm just being a bit silly about that.

I never did quite figure out the whole Omi in shorts thing ... I wondered how anyone could take him seriously as an assassin when he was running around in short pants and little red sneakers during the whole show ... but, maybe that's why he stayed out of sight a lot. He did have a pretty cool hat ... heh, heh.

And, Ken, with that orange sweater ... what the holy heck was going on there? His assassin outfit seemed as tossed together as his back story. I mean ... does he have a big butt ... is he afraid he's going to get extra cold ... what ...?

Clearly, Aya and Yohji got the better assassin outfits ... but, Aya really needs to talk to someone about that horrible orange sweater he wears all the time! LOL --- bad fashion sense, indeed! :hitting:

But, even for all of that, there is something completely fascinating about the entire Weiss universe, and, in particular, about the show. I mean, the way the guys interact ... their back stories (well, except, maybe Ken's) ... all the pissy-mood, dark-angel angst going on ... Well, it all just adds up to a really great, fun series, in my opinion.

And, Shellie --- your hubby did better than mine. When I first watched it, he heard just the first part of the "White hunters of the night ... blah, blah, blah" speech Persia always gave, rolled his eyes, and left the room, telling me to let him know when it was over. :hitting:

Little did he know --- it's never over!! This is Weiss ... and I love it ... bwahahahahahaha

jenn-b · Post by **jenn-b** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 6:45 pm

*stands up and raises hand*

Hi....I'm Jenn....and I'm a Yohji addict *sniffle*

Rabid? ...perhaps. Insane?....maybe a little.

I didn't even bother trying to explain it to my husband. Anymore, I just answer that I'm watching "Insert title" anime. Don't even bother trying to explain it. It sounds terrible when you vocalize it.

On a side note, I really do wish that I could find some nice Yohji cels out there. There are many fabulous Aya cels out there, but not too many A+++ Yohjis. *sigh* The search continues!!!

Since we are going to talk about a so-called season 2, we might as well throw in Gluhen. At first, I have to admit, I hated how they completely changed the look. But then I thought about it. THANK THE GODS they changed some of the look!!! The fashion is much better. Almost all of the animation is crisp and vibrant - damn CG!! And best of all.....Ken looks absolutely drool-worthy. And I really did not care for him in the original series. But here....dear GOD!!! Okay...now I'm going to go watch some eps again!!!

tex-chan · Post by **tex-chan** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 7:04 pm

jenn-b wrote:
Since we are going to talk about a so-called season 2, we might as well throw in Gluhen. At first, I have to admit, I hated how they completely changed the look. But then I thought about it. THANK THE GODS they changed some of the look!!! The fashion is much better. Almost all of the animation is crisp and vibrant - damn CG!! And best of all.....Ken looks absolutely drool-worthy. And I really did not care for him in the original series. But here....dear GOD!!! Okay...now I'm going to go watch some eps again!!!

Yes ... Gluhen ... Aya ... long hair ...

The changes to Yohji and Omi's character designs, as well as the addition of the new characters really did bother me --- at first. But, I kind of got used to it. I ended up really liking Gluhen --- except for the ending ... which we should NOT discuss.

I agree --- fashion sense is much better in Gluhen, although I question Yohji's decision to go bare-chested with a huge cross painted across his torso. I mean, it's pretty much like giving your enemies a huge bull's-eye target ... but, at the same time, it does have quite a bit of flair, in its own way. And, much, much better (and prettier) animation, too.

I didn't like Ken in the series, either. I figured I was the only one out there who felt that way, since he seems so popular. So, I'm glad you weighed in on that, jenn! At least I don't feel so "alone" ... but, you know what they say about paranoia --- it will destroy 'ya. In Gluhen,though, Ken was a much better character. I'm not sure if it's because they made him stronger, as opposed to the TV show, in which he seemed so wishy-washy and milk-toast ... or if it was because there was just so much less of him during Gluhen ... LOL. Either way ... I actually found myself, for the first time, having kind thoughts toward the goofy soccer player. Not exactly on the level of "like" ... but kind, nonetheless.

Oh, if only I could get more than my one sad, lonely WK Gluhen rilezu! Damn CG ...

shellie · Post by **shellie** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 7:55 pm

Ack! Don't talk about Gluhen yet! Well, talk about it, but don't spoilerate it!

I'm getting it soon, so then you can rattle on and on and I'll jump in.

And I think I'm being my goofy sarcasatic self and may be giving the impression that I didn't like WK -- but I really really did! It was very different from other series I've watched. And I think some of the plot gaps for me came from watching the whole thing over 2 very very long days (and nights!)

After it was over and the final credits rolled, I was dopey enough to have to ask Uende if they really died and the action in the credits was just a flashback or something...

She very graciously pointed out to me that there were OVAs and another whole series featuring the 4 pretty boys who were very much alive.

Okay, so I should have gone to bed before 3 a.m. both nights!!

One of my favorite scenes was the superannoying Tot being "resurrected" by whatshisname (Nagi?). (Oh, my... sorry, I'm brain dead again tonight!) I don't know why that scene touched me, but it did. And that was one of my other questions from the little scenes that were flashing by as the closing credits rolled... Were Tot and Nagi alive and together at the end?? I saw Tot, but I don't recall seeing the boy. (Remember, it was past 3 a.m. when that particular part flashed by!

) Someone refresh my memory here!

duotrouble · Post by **duotrouble** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 12:22 am

tex-chan wrote:Well, since I kinda got you in "trouble" on the other thread --- LOL --- I figured it was the least I could do.

shellie wrote:So I'm looking forward to this... Uende, AO, Duo, Tex... any more out there?? I kinda don't know where to start!

Not in trouble . . .

*steps up to the mic*

Fear not! Another diehard fan has arrived!

Where to start? OK! I have to comment on Gluhen. I was ok with all the character changes except Yohji. Now Yohji is my least favorite character. Sorry Jenn but at least we're not competition for cels there. But I hated what they did to his character design in Gluhen. Overall, I'm not a big fan of Gluhen but I tolerate it. Enough said before I go into spoilers! I'm just so happy I watched Strafe afterwards. It renewed my feelings for WK.

*glances at my cel gallery*

Uh . . . do I really have to say who my favorite character is? Isn't it obvious? OMI!!!

He has the most tragic history of all of them. And I still cry today, 4 years after first watching it, when I watch episode 12 with Ouka.

And what about episode 15? Does Omi ever know?

Trying to keep the spoilers down because we never mentioned if they're ok.

BUT --SPOILER-- I'm dying to talk to someone about the final episode of the tv series! What was that look between Omi and Ken? And then Yohji teases Ken? My thoughts are that Ken and Omi have become an item. I mean remember when Omi was casually lying on the bed with Ken there?

Alright! That's enough for the first post.

animeobsessed · Post by **animeobsessed** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 12:46 am

Ok, so I'm late. I just found this thread and you guys have a huge thread here to catch up reading.

I have to agree on a couple things already said...Ken and Yohji could have had much bigger parts in the series as a whole, definitely they should have been much more about them. Also, you guys mentioned Aya's orange sweater and Omi's shorts, but what about that brown shirt Omi wore in the second part of the series. I have to say, I really didn't like it at all.

Uh . . . do I really have to say who my favorite character is? Isn't it obvious? OMI!!! He has the most tragic history of all of them. And I still cry today, 4 years after first watching it, when I watch episode 12 with Ouka. And what about episode 15? Does Omi ever know?

I really like Omi, too. I thought he really was the main character and couldn't believe the what they did to Ouka. I really liked her.

I'm like shellie, I watched this series in 3 nights for some of the details are a little mushed together. But I really liked the flashback of Aya and his sister and when he left an earring with her and took the other one. Aya was too focused on his sister, though. And too hard on himself.

At least in this show, he could tell who the boys were -- most of my shows have very pretty long-haired men whom my husband keeps saying, "Now who's she?" *sigh*

I loved this quote...it's so true.

Also, like shellie I haven't seen Gluhen yet. I have it, just haven't watched it. I will soon though see I don't run across any spoilers in this thread.

I also wasn't sure at the end if they were still alive, but I was guessing they were. I have to watch the final episode again for that part you described, Erin. I missed that!