Category Archives: sunrise

Armored Trooper Votoms: Part 2

Posted on by

Armored Trooper Votoms is the story of Chirico Cuvie, a soldier and Armored Tooper (giant robot) pilot who was betrayed by his own military and forced on the run. Previously, Chirico found himself in Uoodo, a city where might makes right and people are very likely not to wake up the next morning. In episodes 14-27 of Armored Trooper Votoms, the AWOL soldier Chirico Cuvie trades the disorder and chaos of Uoodo for the focused destruction in the jungles of Kummen, a country at odds with Melkia. Chirico, a man who lives to fight, finds himself in his natural habitat amidst a civil war.

The aptly titled second part of Votoms, the “Kummen Jungle Wars,” sees Chirico acting as a mercenary for the Kummen government, fighting against a rebellious prince who seeks to prevent his nation from abandoning its traditions and modernizing. As the war progresses, it becomes clear that neither side is “good” or “evil” as is often the case with clashes of ideology as well as real robot anime. New characters are introduced on both sides, some familiar and welcome faces appear, Chirico still uses a Scope Dog, and the Perfect Soldier project which forced Chirico on the run is further along than it’s ever been before. …Or is it?

The fighting in Kummen is different from Uoodo, where it was usually cops vs thugs vs Chirico. Instead, Chirico in his mercenary role frequently acts as part of a mechanized platoon, following orders and occasionally giving them. The enemy, being much weaker than them, relies on guerilla tactics and hiding in plain sight in order to confuse the government’s soldiers and weaken resolve. The battles are intense and gritty without much posturing, lives are easily lost, and Chirico continues to wage war in what is basically the Votoms equivalent of a Zaku, a Leo, or a KLF: a rust bucket without many special features other than the strength and skill of the pilot within it.

The only real fault of Votoms is the way it handles romance, as it does so in a very Tomino-esque hammer-over-the-head manner. The origins of romance in the story of Votoms can make it hard to swallow, but don’t let it distract you.

Though the Kummen Jungle Wars arc ties into the greater plotline of Votoms, it can be considered its own self-contained story of a country at war with itself, where tradition and progress are forced against one another to determine the future of the nation. Watching just these 13 episodes alone can be satisfying enough, and if you’re unable to watch the Uoodo arc, the show was courteous enough to throw in a recap episode. At the end of Kummen, while a lot of questions are answered, far more are brought up, and there’s another 26 episodes to go.

Vifam is a Tomino Show Alright

Posted on by

3 episodes in and we already have a kamikaze attack.

Shut Up! I Know What I’m Doing!

Posted on by

An anime by any other name…

Posted on by

Today I thought about what is one of my favorite instances of the Pokemon anime: the sequel to Mewtwo Strikes Back. I don’t mean the second movie, I mean the special released in America as “Mewtwo Returns.” However, when I talk about it, I usually refer to it by the English name given in its Japanese release, “Mewtwo Lives.” Further still, the actual Japanese title is “Mewtwo! Ware wa Koko ni Ari” or literally “Mewtwo! I Am Here.”

That’s three titles for the same work. This happens pretty often with Pokemon too, such as in the aforementioned second movie (Lugia Bakutan, Revelation-Lugia, and The Power of One) and in the case of To Terra/Toward the Terra/Terra E, though that’s a somewhat unusual case. Usually I follow a hierarchy of English Name Given By Japanese followed by Japanese Name and possibly the American-given name if it makes it easier to understand. In that respect, I still say “Erementar Gerade” instead of the more sensible “Elemental Gelade.”

It can get kind of confusing though, and I wonder at what points exactly should I conform to convention for the sake of others. Do I from now on refer to Mousou Shoujo Otakukei as “Fujoshi Rumi?” I know that when writing reviews or academic papers, the American release title takes priority over everything else, which makes perfect sense, though I find myself somewhat resistant to using it.

Though I am thinking of referring to “Muteki Choujin Zambot 3” as “The Invincible Zambot 3” rather than the literal translation of “Invincible Superman Zambot 3.” I know it’s based on the Italian title of “L’Invincible Zambot 3,” but I think it has a nice ring to it and isn’t as awkward as using “Superman” in the title. This also goes for “The Unchallengeable Daitarn 3.”

“The Invincible Zambot 3.”

We’ll see.

PS: Zambot 3 really isn’t invincible at all.

Series Breakdown of Super Robot Wars Z

Posted on by

…or at least the ones I know about.

Overman King Gainer
I never saw all of King Gainer, but this has always been a sought after title for Super Robot Wars. The highly unique mecha designs and inevitable “Monkey” following a dynamic kill are more than welcome.

The Big O
Big O made its debut on the GBA with SRWD. While the graphics for D were revolutionary as far as the GBA games went, it’ll be great to see it represented in the series proper, with something that can do justice to its clean art style. Also, the voices will really help.

The Big O Second Season
I look forward to this for only one reason: BIG O!! FINAL STAGE!!

Zambot 3
Ah, Zambot 3, one of my favorite giant robot series. Zambot 3 makes its long-awaited return to console SRWs, and just the thought of seeing how they tackle its battle animations has me giddy. I reviewed the show a while back, so make sure to check it out. I am very curious as to how they’re going to incorporate Zambot 3 into the overall plot, as the show itself is incredibly harsh. It also appears that they’re going to let Zambot 3 break off into its component parts, which is a very welcome addition.

Daitarn 3
Daitarn 3 was always a bit of a disappointment, as I watched it after Zambot 3, and knowing that they’re considered “cousins” of sorts, I wasn’t expecting the show to be about James (Bond) and the Giant Robot. In any case, the series is more or less episodic, which means it fits well into the cracks of the overall SRW plots. I hope to see all of Daitarn 3’s ridiculous attacks. For those who don’t know, Daitarn 3 had a translation error, in that its cross-throwing attack was called “Daitarn Web” and its capture net was called “Cross Dart.” They actually maintain this error throughout the SRW games, and I hope to see the tradition continue.

Xabungle
I know very little about Xabungle, only that it’s fairly light-hearted, which goes great with Daitarn 3…and not so much with Zambot 3. Oh, Tomino.

Z Gundam
Oh, Tomino indeed. I hear this is going to be based on the New Translation movies, so we really have no idea how this might tie into the greater SRW plot. The real question is whether or not they’re going to use the New Translation character designs.

Gundam: Char’s Counterattack
It’s going to be fun seeing Char completely surrounded by more Char-types than ever before. I love the Nu Gundam and Sazabi, and I look forward to seeing them in action once more. Char’s Counterattack, like with so many others, was the first Gundam anime to really show me the impact and power of Gundam. No one should be surprised, as it is rare that Amuro and Char don’t make their way into SRW games, but let’s still be happy.

Gundam X
A very conventional Gundam series despite being an alternate universe. I also have fond memories for this because the X and the Virsago were some of the first Gundam models I purchased. Gundam X is just one of many series in this game which hint at the fact that the moon will play an important role in this game. As long as they keep Tifa’s anata ni… chikara o! everything will be dandy.

Turn A Gundam
Speaking of the importance of the moon… Turn A Gundam is also a very, very welcome veteran. The best AU Gundam there is, I hope to see fun comments from Amuro regarding some of Turn A’s weaponry, and I really hope that the dynamic kill on Turn A’s ultimate attack is REALLY dynamic, like with up close camera angles and such.

Gundam SEED Destiny
SEED Destiny, one of the best shows of 2004 and one of the worst shows of 2005. I’ve been looking foward to this just so I can see how SRW manages to improve the plot. Cagalli will be avenged, that I will tell you.

Mazinger Z
It’s not really a Super Robot Wars if it doesn’t have THE super robot. Mazinger Z is the gold standard of SRW attack animations as well, so it’ll be a good indicator of how things go.

Great Mazinger
See Mazinger Z comments above, only a little less.


Getter Robo G
SHIIIIIIIIIIINE SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARKU!

Grendizer
My only complaint is that for some reason SRW has something against putting Grendizer and Mazinger in the same game. Still, this means we’re going to see an AWESOME Final Dynamic Special.

God Sigma
I like making fun of the song.

Aquarion
Kawamori at his craziest, this show only pretends to be serious but really isn’t. We’ve already seen that they’re going to include the Mugen Punch and the Getsumen Punch, but I also look forward to the ridiculous 3D Attack. It also combines in a fashion similar to Getter Robo, except all of the forms have really powerful finishers. Oh, and I hope people turn down the volume for this game, or they’re going to wake everyone up with the moaning of the Aquarion orgasm gattai sequence.

Eureka Seven
There have been two series I’ve really, really, REALLY wanted to see in SRW. Eureka Seven is one of them (and Godannar is the other). I am so giddy over its inclusion, and combined with the interview where they said they’re going to focus on backgrounds more for this iteration of SRW, I just KNOW that Eureka Seven is the perfect series to show this off. They’d better have the battle in the rainbow clouds. Also, Eureka’s cut-in during the Nirvash’s animation was so amazing it made me melt inside.

Orguss
I never saw Orguss, though I know it’s made by the Macross crew. I’ve heard good things about it, and as always it’s good to see new blood in SRW.

Gravion
Sort of like Big O Second Season, I don’t really care about what they do with the plot or whatever. I am just looking forward to the maid-powered rocket punches. I hope Gravion has a combination attack with Grendizer using the power of Gravity and Anti-Gravity.

Gravion Zwei
This mainly means we’re going to be seeing that saucy girl who works for the military. All right.

Baldios
The Heika meme will be revived full force. I’d like to take this show seriously but the term “Blue Fixer” prevents that.

I will not buy an anime if the opening has been replaced.

Posted on by

Zeta Gundam, Kodomo no Omocha, and so on. I bet someone will call me shallow, but I have my reasons.

I’m not balls against any sort of changes, as I understand that it’s silly to want, say, original Japanese credits, and despite scrolling English credits often hurting op/ed sequences sometimes (in my opinion), I know and accept its existence.

Opening and ending themes (not to mention music overall) are different, though.

When I buy a DVD, it’s a one-time thing. I am buying this collection for archival purposes, and what I want from my archive is authenticity. OPs and EDs are very much a part of an anime’s identity, and to remove them is to make the product inherently flawed. I know there are always legal/monetary reasons behind these decisions, and I feel for the anime companies, but it doesn’t mean I have to like the result.

This is What You Would Call a Cut Back Drop Turn 04

Posted on by

Sorry, I just had to say it.

I won’t review Code Geass R2 just yet. The show’s still in its initial setup stage. All I’ll say is that so far the show is quite enjoyable, though I don’t approach it like it’s some big bad mystery to solve. Code Geass is like Greek Theater, except I have no idea if it’s a comedy or a tragedy.

Nanoha Cannot Be the Best Magical Girl Anime

Posted on by

I take issue with people who declare Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha (or one of its sequels) to be the best Magical Girl series ever. The magical girl genre is understandably focused primarily on relationships, the pursuit of love, and other similar themes. Nanoha, meanwhile, is noted for its magical girls engaging in earth-shattering battles with devastating laser barrages and bone-shattering impacts. The general impression I get from people who make the claim is that Nanoha is great because it’s a magical girl show without all the fluff and romance.

In other words, it’s the best magical girl show for being nothing like a magical girl show.

I don’t think this is a case of breaking genre conventions, though the thought occurred to me. It’s different from a show like Evangelion which turned the mecha genre on its ear because Evangelion did not go against what defines the mecha genre in the first place. The characters may have been emotional wrecks, but the common theme of humanity and its relationship with war and suffering is a long-running concept since even before First Gundam, and it’s present in Evangelion with a twist. Princess Tutu, as an example closer to the topic of Nanoha at hand, approaches the issue of meta-stories and the very nature of “story” itself, but it maintains itself as a magical girl series with, again, its emphasis on relationships.

I like the Nanoha series, but the appeal of it is more like a Sunrise mecha show than it is a magical girl series, and I think to judge it from that perspective is a little unusual. It would be like saying that a plate of spaghetti you just ate is the best yakisoba ever, despite tasting nothing like how a yakisoba should. The key word in mahou shoujo is shoujo, and personally I think the fact that Nanoha is basically only a magical girl show on the surface automatically disqualifies it.

PS: If you’re wondering what I consider to be the best magical girl series, Cardcaptor Sakura, of course.

TWO roads converged in a yellow wood: Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Season 1

Posted on by

The first half of Gundam 00 has concluded, and in the show’s desire to stand on its own two feet despite its Gundam name it embodies the spirit and messages behind the original Mobile Suit Gundam far more than any other alternate universe Gundam series. Every Gundam series involves war (or at least a substitute for war on an Earth surrounded by energy ropes), and every series shows how fighting affects various people, but none since the original Gundam and Zeta Gundam have put the emphasis on how it affects everyone. More importantly, it’s easy to care about how war affects everyone on both personal and universal levels, and this is really a testament to how effective Gundam 00 has been.

When I first saw Gundam 00, I was a little worried about it. It had all the right pieces, but it would be so, so very easy to play them wrong, to create the ugliest chess match in existence. But it didn’t. Gundam 00 has defied the odds, and it manages this by wielding the most powerful but most easily abused and corrupted piece of all: Death.

Watching the final episode and seeing roughly half of Celestial Being die in a battle they could not win, it was a bit of a shock. For one thing, with Nena Trinity still out there it would be natural to assume that something would come in and save the day. Turns out, nothing did, except for the power and resolve of the pilots and crew. This applies to not just Celestial Being but also the side of the allied nations as well. Looking even further back, with the death of Louise’s parents, the death of Graham Acre’s friends and co-pilots, and even the death of Lockon Stratos and so many others, death has immediate and long-lasting impacts on both the viewer and the characters. In other words, in Gundam 00 death is significant. Compare this to SEED, Wing, X, or even 08th MS Team, and the approach to death is drastically different. The deaths are not telegraphed from episodes away, nor are they quick changes to the plot in order to get a cheap pop or to try and produce drama. The characters are already dramatic, which is why their deaths inherently produce drama, not the other way around.

Gundam 00 is at its halfway point, and though I know better to jump the gun (I said that there was no way Gundam SEED Destiny could fail prior to it airing), I dare to call Gundam 00 the second best alternate universe series after Turn-A Gundam. I like SEED characters more, and I like pretty much all of Gundam, but 00 planned and executed so superbly, from its plot to its characters to even its mecha and fight scenes, that there’s no denying that it has just been a Good Series.

Surprising to me was how well the main pilots turned out, despite the risk of being generic angsty bishounen. The Gundam Meisters can be easily misconstrued as generic, but peeling back the layers shows a great deal of depth and personality. Setsuna F. Seiei is most surprising of all, as I like him as the protagonist quite a bit. He’s not an innocent kid who happened upon a Gundam, he’s a boy who grew up with war. He killed his own parents as part of a religious crusade. But despite being drenched in the blood of warfare of his own volition, of being a person who only knows how to fight and destroy, Setsuna is the most emotional of all. He is a blind boy desperately trying to find his way through the world with his own two hands because they are the only things he has ever truly known.

Unlike so many series in the Gundam franchise, Gundam 00 does not concern itself with homages or references or trying to maintain Continuity like it’s more important than the message itself. And that message? War affects everyone.

The fact that Gundam 00 is willing to kill and maim its comic relief says it all. Seeing Patrick Colasour (peace be with him) (edit: almost) dying in a violent flash of white, I can think of nothing closer to the excitement of watching a Gundam series. I expect everyone to die, and I expect no one to die, and this has left me in the best kind of suspense I could hope for.

The Theatrical Nature of Anime

Posted on by

American movies and television in general involve very little soliloquy as one would see in theater. I’ve been told before that if a movie or television series has a person talking to himself that it’s not considered good. After all, movies and television aren’t theater, right? Also, internal monologues used as voice overs are apparently a no-no as well.

With this in mind, I watched Gundam 00 Episode 24, and watched as Setsuna F. Seiei spoke to himself, alone in a room, for about five minutes. And I liked it that way.

I’ve known for a long time that when comparing anime to American entertainment, there are some things which are very different. I’ve thought of plenty of possibilities: plot, character archetypes, story progression, even simply visual aesthetics, but upon seeing Setsuna speak to himself, I came to realize that perhaps anime relates more closely not to television or film, but to theater.

I suspect that it may partially have to do with anime often times being an adaption of manga works, where still images and word bubbles work together to provide greater amounts of information, where internal monologue or long exposition are almost necessary to truly get what’s going on with a character, perhaps due to manga’s relationship to written text.

Another similarity I see involves the criticism of the Sunrise-style 52 episode shows which take 13 episodes to develop into their true plot. The criticism leveled at this method is that it takes too long to get anywhere, which I think may say more about attention span of viewers than anything else. This reminds me of Shakespeare’s plays which can go on for 3-4 hours in one sitting. And yes, I have found myself dozing off during them as well, despite the fact that I didn’t necessarily find them boring. Count me among the guilty.

I realize that I like the theatrics of anime, be they melodramatic 70s shoujo or a more down to earth style of storytelling such as in Honey and Clover. Not that I don’t like other forms and methods of storytelling, even the American style, but  I really wouldn’t have it any other way.