Category Archives: sunrise

The Stigma of Giant Robots

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First, no Kaze no Stigma jokes.

Okay? Okay.

Mecha is one of the main stereotypes of japanese animation, along with martial arts, sci-fi, and not being for kids. But despite being one of the first things many people think of when they see the word “anime” it somehow has gotten a negative reputation among many fans in the United States. People will turn away from a title if giant robots are involved, and the only Gundam series to ever truly be successful is Wing.

I have no issue with people not preferring giant robot anime, but what is bothering me is the idea that robots, be they real or super, are an automatic red flag for a lot of anime viewers.

What happened? I know that the large female otaku population tends not to be fond of titanium titans, but why do so many guys also brush these titles aside? Could it be that giant robots are no longer considered a staple of anime, that in the eyes of this newer generation of anime fandom it is something to be ignored? Are there certain tropes of robot animation, different from say, shounen fighting, which detracts from the viewing experience?

The Ending I Want for Code Geass

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Odysseus u Britannia, eldest son of Emperor Charles di Britannia, is the Hitou Nami of Code Geass. He is a man who did not find anything odd about being married to a tiny little girl. Had the marriage gone through, he probably would’ve spent their honeymoon making hot cocoa and playing board games with Tianzi. He is the master of milquetoast, the avatar of average, the sultan of sterile. Somehow, in a family of conniving psychos, Odysseus remains completely sane and, more importantly, completely alive.

As such, he is easily my favorite male character in Code Geass. And with that said, I can think of no better conclusion that for Odysseus to become the new Britannian Emperor while the rest of the royal family dies.

And the moral of this story would be…

Lena Sayers, Lena Sayers, Lena Sayers: My-Otome 0 ~S.ifr~ OVA 2

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Sifr Fran, future mother of Nina Wáng, is still kidnapped. Lena, future mother of Arika Yumemiya, is iinjured in the last battle with Miyu-9, has been picked up by an unassuming researcher named Shirou. Her Otome gem has been shattered leaving her powerless, and much of the episode focuses on Lena and Shirou getting to know each other, though it all starts off with exactly the kind of misunderstanding one would expect out of the Otome series. Meanwhile, we’re treated to the appearance of a young Maria Graceburt, and the original Miyu who apparently has been around for a very long time.

Oh yeah, and Shirou is totally Not Arika’s Future Dad. You know, despite looking like her, having similar overall personalities, and becoming enamored with Lena very shortly after meeting her.

Totally.

Hot women, fun characters, good fight scenes, implied lesbianism, the second OVA prequel of My-Otome has pretty much everything the Otome series is known for, only because it focuses on Otome character designer Hisayuki Hirokazu’s beloved mascot Lena Sayers, the entire production just screams effort.

Because we know Lena’s inevitable fate, S.ifr really isn’t about watching what happens. It’s about being in the moment, and that moment consists of enjoying and savoring every moment Lena Sayers is on-screen. I won’t deny that much of the appeal of this OVA is Lena Sayers, and not in completely noble ways. She is hot, downright hot, hot in that she’s a mix of caring woman, powerful fighter, confident yet kind (see also: Vega from Dendoh), and hot because Hisayuki has put so much love and attention into the character that this could have only been the possible end result.

Armored Trooper Votoms: Part 2

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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

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3 episodes in and we already have a kamikaze attack.

Shut Up! I Know What I’m Doing!

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An anime by any other name…

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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

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…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.

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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

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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.