[Anime Reviews]
16 Jan 2008
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gundam 00]
It’s taken long enough but I’m finally beginning to get into this show. It’s no coincidence that this is where we get to know the Gundam Meisters and the other Celestial Being members a bit more and have a better grasp on them as people. My opinion that the importance of the characters is paramount rings true even here, amidst the busty girls and shiny mecha. Setsuna loses his composure (not to mention causing one of his colleagues to stop speaking to him) and Lockon Stratos takes a hit in the Raw Nerves area too. Up until now I thought that the Meisters have had it too easy, which is fun to watch in some respects but is a bit boring in others; seeing them argue, fall out and suffer setbacks, albeit minor ones, reminds us that they are indeed human. Up until now seeing the Gundams fight was like watching someone shoot fish in a barrel - a nice gun and shiny mechanical fish, but less satisfying all the same.
I was especially intrigued with the idea that the rather shabby doctrine of ending war by waging war was a cover for whatever Celestial Being are really planning; it also poses the question of whether the Meister pilots are fighting under false pretences with the true intentions of their organisation being hidden from them. Sucks to be them in that case, but I really do think that Saji’s sister could be onto something.
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[Anime Reviews]
04 Dec 2007
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gundam 00]
I have to say that no anime series since Gasaraki has got me as hooked as this on the politics. Speculating about what will become of Middle-Eastern countries whose economies are driven by the oil industry when the reserves run out is really thought-provoking - and doesn’t seem outside the realms of probability either. You can actually see shifts in power and influence being started by events such as those that make up the background of this show, which is a nice bonus. Unfortunately I’m still watching Gundam 00 on blind faith: I keep telling myself that it’s going to get *really good* soon (there are already some good signs, but still…) and that the writers do actually know what they’re doing - I hope what I see as plot holes are merely pieces of plot that have yet to be revealed. If I’m to stick with this show I think it’s going to be a long haul flight - the problem is, I can’t take it altogether seriously. Put it down to how giving blood makes me light-headed or something.
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[Anime Reviews]
05 Nov 2007
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gundam 00]
I watched The Empire Strikes Back this evening. That old clichéd scrolling text drifting into the distance that happens at the beginning made me chuckle but as amusing as it looks now, it jogged my memory about an aspect of Gundam 00 that was niggling at me. We were treated to an entire episode without a word of explanation behind the worldview initially, but at the beginning of ep #2 the whole reasoning behind the orbital elevators and the outline of the politics involved was finally spelled out before launching back into the story proper. Personally I think that the background was pretty important and needed to be explained earlier - had they decided to do that I might have appreciated what was going on in episode #1 much more. On the plus side, the talking heads and newsflashes offer some promise of a decent storyline but still…the tactic that anime series take in making opening episodes that are intentionally confusing and often not representative of the show as a whole still annoys me a bit.
Girls of Celestial Being don’t like getting their feet wet. That’s what bishies are for
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[Anime Reviews]
14 Oct 2007
Posted by Martin [Tags: First Impressions and Retrospectives, Gundam 00]
I could’ve lumped this into the forthcoming second ‘Autumn 07′ post but there was no doubt that I’d be checking this one out; y’see, I’ve never actually seen any Gundam before. That might seem as incredible coming from a sci-fi nut such as myself as saying I’ve never eaten bread, but I’ve always been a Macross kind of guy. Besides, the fact that Gundam has OVER NINE THOUSAND sequels, spin-offs and retellings is a bit intimidating to the uninitiated…in which case, check out Sir Haggis’ invaluable Ultimate Guide to Gundam on his blog.
Insert random NGE reference here
So, I walked blindly into Gundam 00 from the point of view that now is as good a time as any to get into the franchise. I can’t say how it compares with the likes of Seed and so on, so consider this an impartial appraisal, ‘kay? ^_^ It kicks off in a way that’s in touch with the world as it is today, with the idea of holy war and so on. The scene at the beginning is reminiscent of the Helmejistan arc of Full Metal Panic, in which a juvenile warrior is dodging bullets in the streets of a ruined town…until a mecha descends from the heavens and lays waste to his attackers and the opening credits roll, HD no less. Sweeeet.
That’s gonna hurt in the morning!
The op theme deserves a mention actually since it’s by L’Arc~en~Ciel (I like my J-rock) but generally this is an impressive first instalment: small details in the animation remind us that it’s part of an epic pedigree so it looks pretty damned nice overall. For instance, there’s a pan shot across a crowd early on during which time one guy answers his phone; at times like this you wouldn’t expect the people around him to move at all, since it’s a pan shot. Yet when the phone rings, several guys either side *move* and look at him with curiosity.
Does alcohol still go to your head in zero gravity? Dunno why but I like her already
I don’t know what else to say really, since there are so many characters and ideas introduced that it’s hard to guess which are the most significant and worth commenting on. The general gist seems to be that the Celestial Being organisation is pitting its Gundams against the various factions of Earth’s defence; this sort of stuff is usually coincidental to me since the pilots themselves, rather than the organisations they belong to, are the most interesting. With names such as Lockon Stratos and Allejulah Haptism I’m hoping they’re a colourful and entertaining bunch.
1337 sniping skillz
The soundtrack seems to revolve around traditional Japanese fare in the quieter scenes and the strident, Western-sounding orchestral/choral pieces when the action kicks off; it’s not proclaimed itself to be anything out of the ordinary yet but this feels appropriate given that whole affair seems to be sticking to the tried-and-tested formulae anyway. Cool mecha, big explosions, political wrangling and a mentally unbalanced bishie or two all ensure it meets the expectations of what I’m guessing is a very large and excited fanbase. Yeah, it’s as good an introduction to Gundam as any. I think I’ll stick with this one too.
[4 Comments]
