[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Gasaraki episodes 1-4
It’s not often that a mecha show can be described as ‘realistic’ but that was the first thought I had with the opening episodes of Gasaraki. It’s a rarity on DVD these days too which is a shame because it appears to be something of an underrated series.
I got into Gasaraki through the trailer. The opening theme, Signal #9, is a haunting tune reminiscent of Portishead or Goldfrapp, and plays over some interesting imagery including some of the most convincing mecha designs I’ve seen to date. Although there are many other important themes in Gasaraki the mecha aspect is probably what will draw most viewers in initially: the ‘tactical armors’ (TAs for short) look and behave like real military hardware should, kicking up clouds of dust, pounding over obstacles and even suffering from technical problems. A lot of effort and attention to detail have gone into keeping tech heads and military fanatics happy and it shows.
Beneath the surface lies a storyline that combines the aforementioned science fiction aspects with other, more mysterious, ones that have their roots in Japanese folklore and the supernatural. How well this will all come together I can’t say just yet but it explains the comparisons that this series has experienced with the likes of Evangelion. Granted, GAINAX’s (in)famous series has a lot to answer for in terms of sci-fi/mecha dramas that have been produced since and Gasaraki is no exception: there is technobabble, dreamlike sequences and an enigmatic girl who appears to be an emotional foil for the central character. On the other hand, the use of Noh-style dances and the like to summon something mysterious and yet-to-be-explained phenomena lifts the show away from similar fare.
In between the mecha action and hard-to-follow metaphysical goings on are the beginnings of a political thriller. The middle-eastern state of Belgistan is effectively a testing-ground for the new TA technology: while the UN seeks a resolution, the Gowa corporation uses the conflict to demonstrate its products but at the same time a more shadowy organisation has objectives, both obvious and covert, that mirror Gowa’s own. In the middle of all this is Yoshiro, a member of the Gowa family. While he tests pilots the TAs, his father and brothers are behaving more like business associates than relatives, using him to their own, as yet unknown, ends; only his younger sister Misuzu shows a sibling’s emotional attachment and concern for him as he is sent to Belgistan.
Gasaraki is science fiction just how I like it. It is intelligent and doesn’t spoon-feed the viewer with exposition or fall back on over-used plot devices; the likes of Shinji Arakmaki and Yutaka Izubuchi deliver the goods with the mecha designs; and it has a head-scratcher of a plot that I can’t even hope to figure out for a while yet. Even the end theme song is outstanding! Some people will inevitably feel bored by the straight-faced and complex storytelling, or be put off by the muted colour palette used; I can certainly see how it can be viewed that way but for those of us who like our mecha drama deep and serious, this is just what we need.
Posted on March 6th, 2007 @ 4:25 am
You’re so right when you say that Gasaraki is intelligent and doesn’t fall back on cabbage head exposition. Although the “hard-to-follow metaphysical goings on” and the uncompromising way the writers chose to tell the story oft times may have made my eyes glaze over while watching this series, I still view it with the extreme fondness that only comes from true emotional investment.
Thank you for this post. I really enjoyed your insights.
~huamulan03 AKA niki who’s a total Gasaraki fan
Posted on March 7th, 2007 @ 4:26 am
I’ve been told over and over that this series is super boring, and how it’s a great sleeping aid and all of that stuff, even by someone who I consider to have great taste. But for some reason my interest in seeing this series hasn’t died. It’s not high on my priority list but I still feel like I need to see this…
Posted on March 8th, 2007 @ 2:13 am
If you’re into serious science fiction I think Gasaraki is well worth the effort. Unfortunately, as huamulan03 rightly points out, it does require a certain degree of effort since the series takes itself very seriously and is quite demanding to watch at times. I’ll stick with it though - it has me intrigued!
Posted on March 12th, 2007 @ 7:06 pm
It took a lot of patience and rewatching but I finally did get something out of Gasaraki- although I’m not so sure that I would enjoy it again now. It’s definitely a series you have to ‘work at’, which is perhaps of dubious value for a medium that’s supposed to be about providing entertainment, but there you go.
And should you happen to need DVD volume 8, I have a spare copy…
Posted on January 27th, 2008 @ 4:46 pm
[...] The End of the World covered Gasaraki in some detail, beginning here. [...]
Posted on April 9th, 2008 @ 6:47 am
I’ve never get to see this show, but I really love the premise of mecha being treated just like any other military hardware realistically. I was this close to buying one of the model kits, but lucked out.
There’s also another series that has the same realistic mecha premise(without the hard-to-follow plotlines): the Front Mission games. You should check it out(there’s a DS remake of the first SNES game, and the only english-translated sequels are Front Mission 3(PS1) and Front Mission 4(PS2) ). The best of the series, FM5, never got a US release, but a group of dedicated fans are working on a translation patch. Check http://frontmission.info