The Kamishibai Forum: Redux

It seems going without questions was not the best idea for the last discussion, so I'll be putting some up this time. That being said, in a week we'll have part two of our NEKP discussion!


Story: The Neverending Kamishibai Project: Guardians
Authors: Tenchi, Hoshi, Toni, Mr. Chan
Chapters: 5-8
Download:
Chapter 5a
Chapter 5b
Chapter 6a
Chapter 6b
Chapter 7
Chapter 8

And here comes Tenchi, sliding in late to deliver unto you... discussion questions!


Let's begin!

1. In Toni's Chapter 7 we see an episode that, for the first time in NEKP history, doesn't revolve around Jisella's "main" faction of Elementals, thus setting up the series to have a much broader canvas to work with. What are your thoughts on this deviation from the main group? Do you like the idea of many different plot threads happening at once or did you find yourself yearning for Jisella's motley crew?

2. Guinne, a shadow guardian, is revealed to be the mastermind behind the Children of the Dark in chapter 6. What are your thoughts on the main villain being another elemental guardian?

3. A lot of negative feelings come up from the community as a whole when it comes to chapter 8 of this story. Use this space to give your constructive criticism about the chapter but ONLY if you follow up with something positive about the episode.

4. What, if anything, would you do differently in these chapters if you had a chance to take over? Which things would you keep the same?

5. We see Atalanta change sides in episode 6, from Jacqueline to Jisella. This is the first and only (that we know of) time where an Elemental Guardian switches sides. How much do you think free will played into her decision? Do you think that Atalanta was always supposed to be with Jisella's group and that destiny brought her to them, or do you think the Guardians have the ability to choose which group they belong to? And if Guardians CAN choose, do you think the Guardians we know about have made the right decision?

6. Toni introduces the mysterious Agents of GAIA in episode 7. What are your theories about this organization and their ability to transfer elemental powers to other potential Guardians?

7. When we meet Cordelia in episode 1 she's a drunken, bumbling mess but throughout the story, the character changes drastically. By the time she receives her powers in episode 7 she's almost a completely different person. As one of the few characters from the first chapter to be given an almost overhaul in character do you feel the changes were beneficial to the story and character as a whole?

8. In chapter 5 we are introduced to Elijah, the first pacifist Elemental Guardian. What are your thoughts on such a conflict in one character? Can Elijah truly pull his weight without causing harm to others? Has he already broken his vow by even associating with Jisella and company?

9. Who is your favorite character from chapters 5-8? Who is your least favorite?

10. When we first meet Jacqueline's group in Chapter 4, they are a seemingly bloodthirsty and violent group of people. However later their group seems much more tame when good-natured Jack and innocent Lizzy are revealed to be a part of the group. Do you think this clash of different personality types makes it difficult for Jacqueline who has her "eyes on the prize" or do you think characters like Lizzy help the group keep its humanity, despite difficulty in their mission?

11. This space is reserved for YOU! Make up your own discussion question about any NEKP episode up to Episode!

WHAT THE HEY! I'll answer my own questions to get the ball rolling!



I definitely like the switch over to showing the other characters. Sure we started with Jisella and friends, but once Red introduced the other Guardian groups in Chapter 3, it was pretty much just a matter of time until we had to start looking at them more up-close.

What I LIKE about NEKP is how it's evolved past a simple round robin into a shared universe of stories that all these different authors have contributed to. If it wasn't for chapters like these, we may have never made the jump to NEKP 2.0 (Yes Toni... I'm blaming you if this new system doesn't work out )



I feel like she's not the main villain actually! I feel like Guinne is more of the puppet or avatar for the real baddie (like Queen Beryl for Queen Metallia.) From the little legend in the prelude to NEKP, we know that the planet awakens Elementals when there is a threat of darkness. Guinne most likely had to have gotten her powers some time after this thread had already come into existence.

Unless the little fable about the Elements from the beginning of the story is just a fable and the Elemental Guardians have been around for as long as Gaia has....



I think really the problems with this chapter are more due to the author's limitations than anything else. NEKP is a monster of a story and it takes a certain kind of person to be able to do it. I feel like the author did the best that he could with the skills and experience that he had. Everyone hates on the random injection of Lo and the Bean Boutique, but I feel like everyone forgets the introduction where the author segues smoothly from Toni's ending in Chapter 7. He really grabs the attention of the audience with a big action scene from the get go, complete with really great animations. Then after the credits roll, he pulls it back a little bit and yeah, it kind of goes downhill, but you have to appreciate the pacing up until that point.






My theory is that the Agents of GAIA are literally that... beings who represent Gaia. It's said that Gaia gives her children power in her time of need, what if the Agents of Gaia are the ones that do this? I think of them as some kind of antithesis to the Children of the Dark.




I'll chime in to answer some of these other questions later. For now though, I'd love to hear what others have to say!

Okay, I guess I'll just pick some of these questions...

Well, is she the mastermind, or does she just think she is? I think there might be some greater evil behind her. And with a cast that huge, who knows? She might be something like the main antagonist of the season, but as the series progresses, that might change... or not.
And her being an elemental... well, I don't mind, although I first had my doubts, what with the whole shadow=evil thing. But so far, that worked pretty well.


Well, I guess the problem is that there's so much going on in this chapter without any explanations. There was this shop in the middle of nowhere and Seijin and Ryda... go shopping? Didn't they have anything better to do (And I remember when I first read it I wondered if they even got any money with them)? And then the Lolita sisters arrived - out of nowhere and in the middle of nowhere - and demanded the stone. How did they even find Seijin and Ryda?
I think this chapter feels somewhat weaker than the rest not necessarily because of the plot in itself, but because it didn't go enough into detail, making everything look as if not much thought was given to the story. Whether it was due to limited skill or time or ideas, I don't know. Sometimes, for some reason or other, it just goes this way. But apart from the randomness of the shop, the chapter really wasn't that bad, and the fight scene in the beginning was handled pretty well.


I always thought that the Guardians could choose and make up their own destinies, and I cringe everytime someone tells someone "Oh, but you are the group of blah". And even if the groups were predestined, how'd they even know which elemental belonged to which group?
At the moment I'm not sure where this matter of decision vs destiny is going. If the Guardians have a choice (which I hope), we'll probably not know if it was the right one until the grand finale. And for all we know, until then, there might still come changes for the groups.


Yeah, the amount of character development is impressive, isn't it? As the maybe most complex character at the moment, she turned almost into the secret star of the show. I have to admit that I really began to like her and it will be interesting where the story will take her.


Ah, Elijah. One can do so much with this character, although I have to admit that I didn't put much thought into the inner conflict he might have. He doesn't look too concerned about "his" group's actions. Does he believe in their goals? Self defense and protecting others doesn't sound too bad, and after all, if good people do nothing, evil wins. Or does he think "well, as long as *I* don't do anything harmful to others...".
For now, I don't think that he had seen his association with Jisella's group as being in conflict with his vow. But then again, this might change with Xanthippe basically going "this destruction is all your fault" in the latest chapter...


Do they look more tame to you? Heh, maybe they are. Maybe, outside of their usual treasure hunter business, they are human beings after all. Most of them, anyway.
Basically, I wanted to keep them from being portrayed as "the evil group", full of sociopaths who stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Sure, there are some of them, but the amount of elementals is limited and I don't think Jacqueline can be very picky about choosing her teammates if she wants her team to grow and, someday, "win".
And perhaps characters like Lizzy and Jack really do help Jacqueline to keep in touch with her humanity, even if she isn't aware of it (and she probably doesn't care as long as her team functions). Still, she has driven a team member away already. Even though she's at times at odds with Jack and Lizzy, I guess she needs them (or people like them) to stay sane.


Hmm, maybe I'll add somethink to the missing questions some other time.
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Heh, Tenchi, I agree with pretty much everything you said (except for taking the blame if NEKP 2.0 doesn't work out But let's think positive).

I think having different plot threads and showing different 'sides' to the conflict is a great way to humanize the 'other side' as it were. After all, what each 'faction' of elementals is doing is of extreme importance to the story either way. So the focus on another group is hardly any sort of burden. It opened up the world to a lot more possibilities. And gave us a lot more 'main' characters.



I think it's fitting to have them fighting one of their own. I get the feeling that Guinne isn't all there. She's obviously together enough to organize what she's doing, but beyond that there is definitely something wrong with her. She's the only one whose motivations don't really make a whole lot of sense. Of course, a good villain doesn't have to be grounded by the same rules as everyone else.



...Uh, I don't know if I can think of anything good about this episode so I'll have to pass as I would tear it apart.



I would rewrite almost all of chapter eight. Other than that, everything else would stay the same.



I think there's always free will. I also don't think any group is 'named' as being one facet until the very end when they win. For example, you can have two groups technically going for domination. Just doing it in different ways. It doesn't matter until they "win." As such, Atlanta is free to change groups whenever she chooses. Especially given she was with Jacqueline under duress.



I'm not sure what to make of them. I'm sure they have an agenda they're not showing. There's no such thing as a purely altruistic organization.



Yes. I love character growth, even more when you can do it for a villain. I enjoyed greatly watching her grow and I think her growth is symbolic for the project as a whole.



I think characters like Lizzy and Jack help keep Jacqueline in check, humanity wise. She certainly has her moments of total, raging bitch queen, but if she was always like that and didn't pay well I doubt she'd have a crew anymore. She needs them a lot more than she lets on. And I think in their own ways, they all need her.