The arrogance of yours truly: Why I'm late to the ef – a tale of memories party
24 November 2007
I watched ef.
Shocker, ain’t it? It was one the series I wrote off immediately. I can’t stress how quickly I dismissed ef upon initial examination, really, it was a faster than light decision, I broke the laws of physics on that one. And, here I am. I watched the first seven episodes about half an hour ago after reading J.Valdez’s post. In a way, his post was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I mean, the ABC even pulled out a joint blogging post, packed with symbolic interpretations, not to mention it’s a SHAFT production (which, probably, played a big role in my final decision) and it was a simple one liner from J.Valdez’s post that pushed me over the edge: “A good example of this is the symbolism in ef – a tale of memories.”
This was a totally impulsive decision (much, in retrospect, like my decision to watch Gurren Lagann) and I’m not sure whether its regrettable or not. I’m sailing in uncharted waters, without direction, purpose or destination. ef, in all honesty, was just a bit boring – until Miyako went bananas and spammed Hiro with voicemails and Renji freaked out when Chihiro asked him to kiss her.
Anyways, I don’t think you need another generic ef interpretation, but here’s my take on the whole thing…
SHAFT’s production definitely made the biggest splash. What otherwise would have been a dull, and far too cliche, story was saved and almost reinvented by the sheer visual experience. SHAFT has a total mastery of the animated medium, evident in ef, and quite possibly, has tapped into animation’s fourth dimension, visually. However, there are limitations. ef, in the end, is missing (for me, anyways) the vital emotional response. For a show that’s so bold and explosive in nature, it’s missing the one thing that connects the audience to the show.
It goes back to that argument between Hiro and Kyosuke, what role does the audience play in the creation process, pivotal or none at all? SHAFT productions are unique, their visual style is a rarity and I hold a certain pleasure in watching their shows. Though, on some level, it reminds me of modern art, which I never understood. I’ve been to the MoMA, numerous times actually, but I’ll never understand why random geometric shapes are so damn symbolic. People create these things just so other people can stand around and muse on the multiple interpretations behind why the yellow square is smaller than the blue circle and why they are the only things on a ten foot canvas. Really, I don’t think any of it has a purpose, there is no reason.
In terms of art, French Impressionism is my favorite period, symbolic but with substance. And this is pretty much where ef fails me, and pretty much where I get really arrogant, there is no substance to the anime itself. What good is beauty if no one sees it but you? Understandably, ef is meant to carve the middle ground between these said arguments, but it’s focusing too much on the latter (Kyosuke’s point) and ignoring the viewer (Hiro’s point). On the other hand, I also see ef as an experiment of sorts addressing the very argument between Hiro and Kyosuke. It’s certainly not the answer, it’s not even trying to be, but it’s shedding light on that debate itself. The story, the way I see, is just a vehicle carrying that one question, who matters more? The artist or the audience? In other words, ef fails as an anime but exceeds as a metaphor for art in general.
I still maintain the fact that it has no substance. Three episodes in, I grew weary of the visuals and the plot was moving a snail’s pace. Then, episode seven hit with the freakishly intense voicemail scene and I’m beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Honestly, I think I, along with my fellow bloggers, are just overdoing it a little on the analyzation. Damien, from Otakuism pretty much hit the nail on the head, all visuals and what not aside, ef is just a “decent romance with excellent animation.” Truth to tell, it’s not my cup of tea at all, but seeing how I’m already halfway into it, I’ll see this little escapade through. In the end, I’m still stuck in no man’s land, not truly impressed by what ef had to offer and not truly ready to dismiss it as just another eroge adaptation.