posts tagged “Gasaraki”
[Music]
20 Oct 2007
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gasaraki]
Yep, it’s that CD review that I was promising y’all for weeks.
Gasaraki was a series of great maturity, seriousness and sophistication; the accompanying soundtrack recreates these features accordingly, helped in no small part by the fact that the songwriting talent behind it was Kuniaki Haishima, who also worked on Monster and Spriggan. The album is bookended by the op and end themes, which is perhaps strangely not a pattern always observed in OST track listings. The op theme, Message #9, is a superb tune; arguably the reason why I became interested in the show in the first place. The vocal performance is reminiscent of Alison Goldfrapp or Portishead with samples of Noh performances and military-style snare drums that drift in along with the synthesised beats to give one of my all-time opening themes. The album version is even a longer edit than that used in the TV’s opening sequence too, which is a nice touch when watching successive episodes makes the shorter version somewhat overly-familiar. Love Song is an appropriately relaxing ending which is a good thing too considering some of the content on offer here. The snaking fretless bass blends well with the primeval-sounding percussion and Akino Arai (the voice behind Macross Plus’ Sharon Apple, no less!) on hand to provide the vocals that offer a really pleasant contrast.
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[Anime Reviews]
07 Jun 2007
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gasaraki]
And so we reach the end of the epic Gasaraki. It’s taken a while with a false start or two but I’ve finally seen the whole series through to its conclusion - the battle lines are drawn between the USA and Japan, the Gasara is being called and Yushiro makes his last desperate attempt to bring back Miharu. The political side of things is wrapped up, giving us a superb sequence of TA combat scenes and the underlying themes are finally addressed. Only now has the true meaning of Gasaraki become clear: after all the mechinations, wars and allegiances it’s not about mecha development or wars over food supplies; it’s about something a lot less tangible and much more interesting.
I admit that, as a fan of military/mecha style shows, the assault on the Gowa HQ ended that side of things with a bang. It could be argued that Gasaraki was a bit stingy with portraying this sort of thing more often but the action was a bonus rather than a central aim of the story. It happened rarely but when it did happen though, it was gripping and hard hitting. The deeper-buried themes and ideas on the other hand were kept in the backround throughout, which made the final revelations all the more fascinating.
Unfortunately the unhurried pace of the series made it a bit of a tedious journey to reach that point: Gasaraki was a very straight-faced series that offered little in the way of humour to lighten the mood. In trying so hard to be a mature and realistic show (something it should be congratulated for at the end of the day), it seemed to lose its sense of humour and take itself far too seriously. There were a few minor characters who didn’t get the screen time they deserved either, but that is only a minor criticism when you think of how broad the show’s scope was. Still, it would have been interesting to explore their motives and feelings a little more.
As an typical ‘post-Evangelion‘ series, it’s important I suppose to discuss the ending. I must admit that I was expecting a conclusion that was open-ended, out-of-character or just plain unsatisfying; in actuality it provided the closure required without too much in the way of uncharacteristic convenient tying-up. There’s no neat Yushiro X Miharu romantic pairing or untimely demises of the ‘bad guys’; rather our two heroes are shown side-by-side, surrounded by their comrades, looking ahead and upwards at a new day with no definite answer as to what the future will bring. It’s neither wholly predictable nor unexpected, and plays out with people behaving as you’d expect real people to behave. Furthermore, the underlying explanations made the viewer think about what they’d seen and heard but not deliberately holding back information either. It’s an appropriate way to wrap things up.
Final Thoughts
The serious and humourless approach to storytelling made Gasaraki tough going in places, although my patience was rewarded eventually. The attention to detail must be considered too, because Heaven knows most viewers won’t appreciate the effort that went into drawing and animating the military hardware authentically. The usage of secondary characters could have been utilised more but at least one of my requests was granted by the end: Yushiro’s sister Misuzu became a pivotal character in the final episodes, even with the fact that she was a kai thrown in towards the end! Who could ask for more?
The final episode brought back more Evangelion comparisons with its experimental artwork and emotional introspection that replaces an explosive finale; as with the series RahXephon, which mecha designer Yutaka Izubuchi would go on to direct, Gasaraki seems to make the effort to add some extra elements to the tired and well-used mecha genre - this time bringing the lumbering armoured robots into a setting that is very realistic and believable. Unlike the standard ‘giant robot’ mecha designs that are enormous, fantastical and detached from reality, its easy to imagine the TAs of Gasaraki operating in a world not far removed from our own - the addition of the historical aspect also made this series very distinctive and something of a refreshing change.
Overall, I found Gasaraki to be an inriguing and rewarding experience. That is not to say I found it to be ‘entertaining’ in the sense of laughing and being perched on the edge of my seat; this is probably why it’s such an overlooked title, which is a shame when fans of serious mecha and science fiction will find many reasons to declare it a classic.
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[Anime Reviews]
05 Jun 2007
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gasaraki]
Things are falling into place as Miharu is captured by SYMBOL, Yushiro takes it upon himself to rescue her and the Gowas set their plans into action. After what has proved to be a slow but steadily-paced middle section, Gasaraki shifts into a higher gear as it enters its final phase, which is in the nick of time. While I can’t help but admire its realism and attention to detail, the imaginative escapism that animation usually offers has been somewhat absent from this show just lately.
The refreshingly understated relationship between Yushiro and Miharu is shown with greater clarity, giving the proceedings a real sense of urgency. I wouldn’t go as far as to say there’s some romance there per se, but there’s definitely some emotional motivation that drives Yushiro to try to rescue her; this culminates in a dramatic and action-packed confrontation between Yushiro’s TA and a squadron of F-22 jet planes. It’s a shame that the action takes place at night because the murky lighting effects mute the impact of an otherwise tense and exhilerating scene.
The political side of things is interesting, not least the reasoning behind the Gowas and the enigmatic Nishida. The Gowa clan are the shady, power-hungry bunch I’d always viewed them as but Nishida seems to have a lot of insight and commitment to his cause. Any violence he implies needs to be acted out is a means to an end, rather than a power trip for his own selfish goals; the more I heard of his motives and philosophies, the more I viewed him as an intelligent and idealistic individual. Nishida is not some sort of terrorist, religious fanatic or egotistical crank: the social and political issues of Gasaraki’s Japan are not unlike those of countries today but crucially feel very real and definitely need addressing sooner or later.
Summary
The penultimate instalment of Gasaraki maintains my flagging interest in the series, giving a surprisingly gripping lead-up to the final act. There’s action, drama and intrigue but what’s most telling of all is how it gives little indication as to how the events will play out in the end. Whatever happens, it’s going to be a surprise!
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[Anime Reviews]
19 May 2007
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gasaraki]
It’s back to the present day for Gasaraki, as Yushiro and Miharu hide out in the ‘Asian Veins’, the immigrant districts, away from the Gowas and Symbol. An act of kindness on Yushiro’s part grants them safe haven with the locals, but for how long? Meanwhile, the pieces are being moved into place as the Gowa clan’s plans begin to reach fruition.
First off, I was glad to see (and hear) that the op theme is back to its usual self, albeit with differing visuals to reflect that current situations in the series. Secondly, it really feels that the story is about to launch headlong into its final act: this is the Big Plan from the Bad Guys and, as the old saying goes, the proverbial stuff is about to hit the proverbial fan!
Yushiro appears to have been motivated by the history lesson that he experienced in volume #5, although Miharu has been reduced to a silent, apathetic zombie by the new developments. Her concerns seem to centre around a potted plant and she has little desire to evade capture; I can only wonder what’s going through her mind right now. There are some interesting supporting characters introduced too, which leads to conflicting loyalties, double crosses and the like. The whole immigrants subplot reminded me of the more recent series of Ghost in the Shell’s Second Gig, in which shadowy figures exploited the immigrants and the surrounding issues in a similar fashion. This time, it all revolves around inciting riots by playing around with the global grain markets.
As is often the case with Gasaraki, the three episodes per disc thing is a little annoying because it makes an already-involved story feel even longer and slower. I honestly think ADV could have squeezed it all onto seven, or even six, discs. Either way, it’s a gripping volume that does not explain as much as some of the previous volumes have done; it has now turned its attention to moving things along and providing some action and tension to keep us entertained.
Summary
Things are lining up for the big finish which, although it probably won’t come for another two discs yet, is promising to be a good one. The Yushiro/Miharu relationship is keeping me guessing, as is the idea behind the Gowas and their plans for Japan. All in all this series is beginning to head for a great finale.
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[Anime Reviews]
07 May 2007
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gasaraki]
The balance of power has shifted in the Gowa household as the old man retires from his place at the top at the behest of his sons. The only one not involved in this - Yushiro - is instead accompanying Miharu on the paths of the Kai. It is at this point where they discover another Kugai, and a flashback to the old days of the Kai.
The ‘present day’ portion of this disc, namely episode 14, puts some more pieces into place with regards to what the younger Gowas are up to. There’s a group of individuals who, dissatisfied with the current state of affairs, are cooking up a way to take the country on a different course. Worryingly the Kai and Kugai form a part of their plans but they don’t seem to realise how much the Gowa clan already knows about the ancient power.
The really interesting part of the disc is where we go back a millennium, to the time when the Kugai were being used by the Watanabe clan to uphold the law of the Emperor and resolve disputes. It is interesting to see how events of the present mirror those of this time, complete with some very familiar faces. I really liked the art style too - it’s quite washed-out and ocasionally turns into colourless line drawing, in the style of traditional Japanese art of the day. The battle scenes show black-shaded blood being shed against a backdrop of crimson skies: powerful imagery that depicts significant events.
I can’t say I’m so keen on the ‘remix’ of the op theme though. It’s probably intended to highlight how the series is changing course but I preferred the original version. Anyway, it gives a lot of background to the historical side of things and shows that in the old days, as now, the power of the Kugai and Gasaraki is being used to influence the way in which the country is governed.
Summary
I know that I’ve been neglecting my DVD reviewing lately, Gasaraki in particular. This disc has rekindled my enthusiasm for the series though, with excellent artwork and a refreshing change of time and setting. I’m especially interested to see what happened with the old Yushiro and Miharu, and how their actions may affect the current events.
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[Anime Reviews]
06 Apr 2007
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gasaraki]
It’s another interesting instalment of Gasaraki, in which Yoshiro and Miharu set out on their journey of self-discovery. Meanwhile the Gowas are playing with fire when a TA test run goes horribly wrong, and they have to track down a wandering Yoshiro to help them minimise the potential damage. It doesn’t provide much in the way of explaining the background this time, although there are some great action scenes - it’s real edge-of-your-seat stuff, and makes a nice change from the exposition and mystery of the previous outing. Although I don’t agree with spreading the series across eight discs it means the individual volumes alternate between action and drama.
The main event is the nail-biting TA experiment, which sees pilots being given a shot of some unidentified substance before being sent out onto the testing ground with a prototype mecha that has a greatly enhanced endurance. On this side of the screen it’s obviously a recipe for disaster and, sure enough, three out of the four TAs suffer a breakdown and the pilot of the fourth goes nuts. The chase is on to rein in the rogue TA before it leaves the safety of the training area, which is difficult when 1. the pilot in question is operating something that outstrips the current front-line gear and 2. the drug(s) he’s pumped with make him almost impossible to stop.
I quite enjoyed this segment, which delves into the nature of the TA technology and how it ties in with the kai/kugai element. By Gasaraki standards it’s very tense and fast-paced too, and the truth behind what the poor test pilot’s high on is quite shocking. The sight of a hyperventilating, helmeted soldier in the claustrophobic cockpit of a TA with blood, sweat and tears pouring down his face is a terrifying sight. Sucks to be him.
In comparison Yoshiro’s and Miharu’s journey along the paths of the kai doesn’t seen nearly as exciting, which is unfortunate since it’s probably more important to the story. There are one or two flashbacks that trace the connection between them all the way back to the Heian era, which adds to the mystery surrounding the Gowas’ plans. The military detachment we saw in Belgistan make a welcome return, which includes Ataka going along with Misuzu to catch up with her brother. At this point, Misuzu seems to be given little opportunity to do much more than run around looking confused and upset; I think the writers could make better use of her character because she seems a little stuck as to what to do with herself.
All in all it’s another great instalment but I suspect that the fan following this show as is probably very small in number - it’s a shame but shows that takes themselves as seriously as this rarely seem to get the attention I believe they deserve.
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[Anime Reviews]
28 Mar 2007
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gasaraki]
The task force returns from Belgistan as the dust from the conflict begins to settle. If the plans of the Gowas and Symbol are anything to go by though, this is just the beginning…meanwhile, Yoshiro begins to look for answers to his own questions after his encounter with Miharu. This is where the series begins to get really interesting!
While the previous volume featured plenty of mecha action, this outing seems to shift focus towards the bigger picture as it delves deeper into the mystery aspects of the story. It becomes clear very early on that the military detachment who Yoshiro has fought alongside are in the dark about why they fought in Belgistan; at the very least they are starting to realise that it was more than a military operation to test out their new TAs. There is a great scene in which Yoshiro, being a civilian and therefore excluded from the quarantine that his comrades are under upon their return, says goodbye and shakes hands with them before he leaves; it really hit home how much their attitude towards him had changed, no doubt because his skills as a soldier had earned their respect. I really hope we get to meet them again before the series finishes - I get the feeling they are the first real friends Yoshiro has had.
That is to say, our hero finds out some details concerning his identity and as a result begins to feel isolated and confused. After a raid on Gowa’s HQ on the part of Symbol to retrieve the test samples that had been taken from Belgistan, Yoshiro meets Miharu again and learns that he died eight years ago! Quite a bombshell by anyone’s standards, that. It only highlights how strange the Gowas are as a family - I suspect that Yoshiro is not a son or brother but a disposable tool of some sort.
The best is yet to come though when his search takes him to the Stage of Stone, where his old master tells him to go to the family’s old storehouse. This is where Gasaraki goes all Evangelion on us, but in a good way. Without giving too much away the first encounter with the contents of the storehouse, particularly the the Kugai, is terrifying and exhilerating at the same time. This is the only combat in this volume but the animators really pull out the stops.
The volume ends on a rather strange note with the Gowa corporation testing newer TAs with performance-enhancing drugs being administered to the pilots. How it ties in with Yoshiro’s soul-searching and the Gowas’s plans I don’t know but it leaves things on a nice cliffhanger. Overall Gasaraki is going from strength to strength in weaving an intelligent and complex tale.
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[Anime Reviews]
13 Mar 2007
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gasaraki]
The opening act of Gasaraki presented a number of parallel plot threads but the second instalment opts for a surprisingly fast pacing (by the show’s own standards, at least) and edge-of-the-seat moments.
Firstly there’s the conflict in Belgistan which appears to be that of a small nation fighting its neighbours; the truth is that it’s a country-sized experiment for the technology being developed by Gowa and their rivals, now revealed to be an organisation known as Symbol. We see the Belgistanian dictator being ruthlessly used and ultimately abandoned by Symbol now that his country no longer serves a purpose to their plans, while the US and Japan see the incident as an advertisment for the revolutionary weaponry. Meanwhile, NATO launches an attempt to seize one of Symbol’s TAs, the Fakes, as Yoshiro seeks answers to his own questions.
The political thriller side of the story is still being driven by lengthy sections of exposition, largely through snippets of television news broadcasts; interestingly, the viewer is shown at least some of the truth so we see the incomplete and sometimes innaccurate version of events that the media is presenting for what it is. Fortunately Gasararaki’s overall story is progressing a little more now, aided by one or two moments of much-needed levity, courtesy of the fiesty Captain Ataka (who has to be the soul sister of Evangelion’s Misato Katsuragi!) and some TA vs. TA combat.
The action scenes are very well done though, featuring a Humvee car chase and a raid on a village to secure a sample of Symbol’s TA technology. Once again Gasaraki’s true-to-life authenticity shines through: the TAs encounter mechanical problems due to a sandstorm and the battle is often shown through the point of view of Yoshiro’s data feeds and instrument readouts. These details must have been a challenge to animate but give the experience of combat a sense of claustrophobia, confusion and lend a heightened sense of realism.
Although there is a meeting between Yoshiro and Miharu it throws up as many questions as it answers and this volume concludes on an action-packed note on board a transport plane; viewers enthralled by the mecha action and Tom Clancy-style political/military thriller aspect will enjoy these episodes but it seems that the explanations about the supernatural side of things will have to wait.
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[Anime Reviews]
05 Mar 2007
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gasaraki]
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.
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