190 replies to this topic

[Adam Wednesdays]

Well, my successful viewings of the original "Gundam" movies have inspired me to watch "Gundam Seed." It's... ok, I guess. It really needs to pick up the pace, though. The story doesn't move along that quickly, and for all the time that is being spent not moving the plot along the character development really is paper thin, or have the lead characters become interesting enough to be that interested in (honestly, Kira is about as bland and boring as possible).

And this thing right here?


This obnoxious hell-beast needs to be punted out of the nearest airlock. I now know that Hell exists, for I have seen it in the scene where Pop Star Girl flashes back to sitting in a garden surrounded by a seemingly endless horde of these monstrosities, all squawking and squeaking in the most grating manner possible.

And speaking of Popstar Princess Perfect, if she accidentally got sucked out into the vacuum of space at the same time as her horrendous little pet, I'm not going to complain about it.



And now to taking a break from my constant bitching and moaning, let me just say that I watched "Macross: Do You Remember Love?" a little while ago, and I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Also, I was genuinely shocked by how much I enjoyed "Princess Tutu." Not the type of show I'd usually be interested in at all, but it was a lot of fun. The musical selection certainly didn't hurt, either.

[Ogul]

Have you watched the other Macross projects? Macross Plus is my favorite of the series, but the Macross Frontier TV series and movies were great too. The Macross Frontier movies (two of them) are somewhat similar to the Gundam ones, in that they compress the TV series into two movies, but unlike the Gundam ones they completely change parts of the series, with the first movie being only slightly different than the relevant portions of the series, but the second one goes completely off the rails (different, but equally as good I think).

[Adam Wednesdays]

I'd never seen anything Macross related before. I've never even watched the Americanized "Robotech" version.

It's another one of those things where I knew this thing existed and people thought highly of it, but was so overwhelmed by the sheer number of series/reboots/movies etc that I had no idea where to start. But I noticed the consensus seemed to be that "Do You Remember" was a highlight (whereas it sometimes seems that if you put a bunch of Gundam fans in a room and they'd all kill each other before coming to a compromise on which place is the best place to start).

[The Lorcan Nagle]

Macross has the advantage of not having anywhere near as many shows as Gundam . But basically anything except Macross 7 is awesome, and even 7 has its charms.

[Ogul]

Yeah, Macross 7 was sort of the "G Gundam" of the series, where it just sort of went off the rails, but it's completely unnecessary. Macross II also has its detractors, but I remember enjoying it as a kid.

[The Lorcan Nagle]

Oh, Macross II doesn't count at all. I was actually surprised when stuff from it showed up at the 30th anniversary exhibition.

[Ogul]

I really need to re-watch that at some point, to figure out what the controversy was. I mean, I liked the music and the mecha designs and stuff at the time, but then I liked Thundercats too.

[The Lorcan Nagle]

It's not controversial, just not very good. It was produced by Big West with no input from the original creative staff (the only person to work on Macross/DYRL who also worked on Macross II was character designer Haruhiko Mikimoto), so combine that with the relative lack of quality and it was easy for Shoji Kawamori to decanonise it when he went to do Macross Plus and 7.

That said, he did use some of the better songs from it in Macross 7 - the Jamming Birds' main song is Wendy Ryder's Valkyrie song from the air show in episode 3.

[Ogul]

Ah, fair enough. I remember I had the CD and listened to it a lot when anime music was hard to come by. Geez, I think that was before Otakon even.

[Sarah Horrocks]

Bakemonogatari owns my soul right now. Also just finished madoka magica which was like an Eva for magical girl anime.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

[Adam Wednesdays]

Macross has the advantage of not having anywhere near as many shows as Gundam .

This may be true, but I think one of the things that made me shy away from Gundam was the way I accidently started a blood feud elsewhere on the internet when I asked the seemingly innocent question "Which is a good Gundam to start with." I'm pretty sure that clans whose children will be killing each other for generations formed over the answers.

And while we're talking about Gundam, let me ask: is "Gundam SEED" the type of show that I should stick out for the resolution, or is it fair to say that if I'm still indifferent after 20 or so episodes that I should just move on to other things.

Also just finished madoka magica which was like an Eva for magical girl anime.

Interesting. Might try an episode or two of this one.


Sarah, have you ever seen "Revolutionary Girl Utena?" I think that one might be right up your alley. Deconstructing magical girls, examination of gender roles, and enough surrealism by the end to make your clocks melt.

[Ogul]

And while we're talking about Gundam, let me ask: is "Gundam SEED" the type of show that I should stick out for the resolution, or is it fair to say that if I'm still indifferent after 20 or so episodes that I should just move on to other things.

You're probably good. I was never a huge fan of those myself, gave up on the sequel series after only a few episodes.

[Adam Wednesdays]

You're probably good. I was never a huge fan of those myself, gave up on the sequel series after only a few episodes.

I'm a little confused as to why they would make a sequel series when the first series moves at the pace of a disabled tortoise. Could they really not have combined the two and done less meandering and plot non-development?

[The Lorcan Nagle]

This may be true, but I think one of the things that made me shy away from Gundam was the way I accidently started a blood feud elsewhere on the internet when I asked the seemingly innocent question "Which is a good Gundam to start with." I'm pretty sure that clans whose children will be killing each other for generations formed over the answers.

That's like going onto a trek forum and asking if Kirk or Picard is better

(we all know the answer's Sisko)

And while we're talking about Gundam, let me ask: is "Gundam SEED" the type of show that I should stick out for the resolution, or is it fair to say that if I'm still indifferent after 20 or so episodes that I should just move on to other things.

SEED picks up in a big way aroudn the halfway point. So you might enjoy it if you kep at it.

I'm a little confused as to why they would make a sequel series when the first series moves at the pace of a disabled tortoise. Could they really not have combined the two and done less meandering and plot non-development?

At the time, Gundam would do a new show in a new continuity each time. SEED was originally going to be done in one, but it was amazingly popular, so they rushed a sequel into production.

[Adam Wednesdays]

That's like going onto a trek forum and asking if Kirk or Picard is better

(we all know the answer's Sisko)

Please. We all know who the best Captain is:




I don't see any of the others rockin' the space-chair, do you?

SEED picks up in a big way aroudn the halfway point. So you might enjoy it if you kep at it.

Well, you were right about the the original series movies... but if this doesn't work out, my Gundam clan will come to your house seeking recompense from you clan. Just so we're clear.

[The Lorcan Nagle]

If you're close to episode 30, I'd say give it till then to sell you.

[Sarah Horrocks]

Finished Bakamonogatari. One of my favorite animes ever. Sooo good. Long live Shaft animation!

[Adam Wednesdays]

So I never picked up "Gundam Seed" again (I'll probably get around to it eventually), but I did watch the first episode of "Gundam Unicorn." I think I've found the "Gundam" for me.

Also, watched "Madoka Magica," on Sarah's recommendation. I'm not as in awe of it as the internet in general seems to be, but it was certainly interesting and a cut above your average TV show. The surreal "inside the witches" sequences were the highlight.

[Lucian Von Dooom]

This could be good. Live-Action Rurouni Kenshin Film's Full Trailer Posted

[Adam Wednesdays]

So my Gundam experiment continues with "Char's Counterattack."

First off, I'm not sure that "if you ever have to launch yourself into the vacuum of space, just cover your ears and you'll be fine until someone comes to pick you up" is a lesson we should be teaching people.

If there was ever a definitive case of "I get what you're going for, but you're nowhere near a good enough writer to pull it off without embarrassing yourself," I think this is it. I'm sure Tomino thought he was making a compelling character drama and grand statements into the human condition, but the characters all act so awkwardly an inhumanly that it just doesn't work. It's not completely unenjoyable, but everytime Quess came on the screen my soul died a little.

Also, it's official: the Federation is too stupid to live:

Federation Leader: "Oh no! That dastardly Char is enacting his plan to kill all life on the Earth by dropping giant asteroids onto the planet!"
Assistant: "It sure looks bad, sir, but have hope! That dastardly, but handsome, Char has summoned us to a peace summit!"
F: "Well thank goodness! Maybe now I'll get to stare into Char's dreamy eyes in person! And what does that dashing rouge want in return for not committing mass ecocide?"
A: *shuffles through paperwork* "Well sir, it appears that he... he wants... huh... no, no, that can't be... um, he wants us to sell him a giant asteroid, sir."
F: "A giant asteroid! You mean like the one he's already dropped on the Earth and used to kill millions of people not three days a go?"
A: "And that he has pubilcly stated he will continue to use as weapons of mass destruction until all human life on the Earth has been obliterated."
F: "...and that's ALL he wants from us?"
A:""Um, yes..."
F: *thinks* "I see no possible way giving Char what he wants could horribly backfire in our faces!"
A: "Are you f*cking kidding me?"
F: "Not at all! Are you implying that we can't trust Char, that glorious slice of genocidal space-Aryan Ubermensch, with the very tools he has threatened to use to kill us all?! I find your cynicism appalling!"
A: "...Right. Excuse me, sir, but I'm going to go say goodbye to my family."

I'm not entirely convinced that permanently removing that kind of idiocy from the universal biosphere isn't actually a net-positive. I mean, yeah, there's the whole ecocide angle, but on the other hand I'm pretty sure that people that stupid grouped in one place would not only find some spectacular way to annihilate themselves, but would end up taking everyone else with them anyway.

Edited by Adam Wednesdays, 30 June 2012 - 09:16 PM.