First up, Gundam 00.
Okay, lets get some stuff out the way first: I don't like some of the
mecha designs [2]; one of the heavy weapons Gundams looks like it was
built out of Duplo blocks and anyone who thinks a few sharp edged elbows
make like Turn-A will be locked in the room with me and the Lecture.
I wish the squadron of Gundam pilots didn't all look like they've been
designed to target a specific slice of a marketing pie-chart that surely
exists on a Bandai executives wall somewhere ("Thats intense moody one,
theres intense moody Asian-looking one, we've also got intense moody one
- with glasses... "). The roster even includes the closest a Gundam
series is probably ever going to get to a Goth-lolita type [3].
I'm not sure whether the on-going theme of using modern conflicts as a
sort of brick-to-the-face approach message on war and peace is going to
become tiresome after a while; and hey, look isn't that George W. Bush?
Subtle, guys!
And the ending theme sucks.
Now, having got that off my chest - heres the good stuff. One of the
things I didn't like about Gundam SEED - yes, its a long list - is that
was no real background development for the setting; yes, you can call an
event "Bloody Valentine" but whats the context? In order to care, we
need to know a little about *why* we should be caring. This has probably
always been the Universal Century Gundams greatest strengths, and not
explaining the fossilised space whales didn't help SEEDs case.
00, on the other hand, almost goes to the opposite extreme. It features
an Earth controlled by three major power blocks, whose access to space
elevators and the limitless solar energy they provide causes tensions
with lesser nations whose own energy resources are rapidly running dry.
The space elevators look like something solid, not the hour-glass
crystal how-the-heck-do-people-live-in-those?! space colonies of SEED
[4]. In mecha shows, details *always* matter.
And theres a lot happening too; the three major powers find themselves
involved in a conflict with a new kid on the block, one with access to
advanced weapons technology and an agenda - one which some of the
smaller nations find themselves in a position to take advantage of.
Theres a lot of potential story threads here, which means there is a
danger none of them will tie together, but 00s director does have a
track record of juggling many different chainsaws without dropping them
- you might have heard of Full metal Alchemist...?
So - about five episodes in and a cautious thumbs up. Though Mr. Tomino
has the slappy-stick ready, just in case.
Now, from the Gundam to the ridiculous - Giant Gorg. Its a series I'd
barely even heard of (it doesn't even appear to have a Wikipedia
entry!), although I've seen toys of the titular character without really
know where it was from.
It starts routinely enough: mysterious island appears, professor
investigates, gets killed by evil organisation, tells young son in will
to go to New York yadda yadda yadda.
Its at this point, though, that you realise something. And that
something is that whoever created Giant Gorg was snorting one huge pile
of crack back in the 80s.
Its something you really have to see, but Gorg joins that increasing
list of anime that could be headed "What The Japanese Think We're Really
Like". Its New York is one even S**** Plisken would have refused to go
near. The first thing that happens to our hero is that he gets robbed.
Then he meets the locals, whose depiction in any other context could be
described as not politically correct. A subway train our protagonist
catches is smeared with graffiti and rubbish, to an extent which makes
even the UKs trains [5] look spotlessly ****ny. Barely half-hidden spray
paint letters spell "UCK" on run-down apartment walls.
The overall impression the first episode gives is of a sort of Scooby
Doo as written by Irvine Welsh - an effect only heightened by the
introduction of a giant and disturbingly anatomically correct dog to the
roster...
One to watch. Carefully, from behind blast screens.
[1] More Anime Wot I Have Watched Recently.
[2]I do like the type called "Flag", though, which pays at least a
degree of lip service to the need for things like wings to make fly.
[3]Dammit, Mappy, your people get everywhere!
[4]Okay, yes, I bash it a lot. I still watched it all. And Destiny. Even
if I did grind my teeth down to the gums whilst doing so.
[5]Just speaking as someone who watched our resident cleaner lift four
stuffed bin-bags full onto the platform the other day - it helps if its
not dropped in the first place, hmm?
--
*"Magic Girl supposed wear cute *justin@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
thing! Not... " * *
* "You wanna look cute or kick ass?"* *
- Yuki and Largo, Megatokyo. * All outta gum. *
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