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chiasaur11 posted:Ehhh... Oh I agree it's a poor choice for an OP, just that it's an excellent song otherwise; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uKvIUdtDhU And Govarion's since I mentioned it's as well; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvCvQo2fSV0
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Jun 30, 2020 04:33
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Well, I decided to check out the first Layzner OVA, and people weren't kidding about it being compressed. The pacing felt better in the Baldios movie. Nobody had any characterization to speak of. It's just plot point to plot point, with the dramatic emotional moments falling flat, since, well, we didn't know anyone. Even Eiji feels pretty thin on substance, with his late connection to the cast making it hard to say much about him beyond "does not want to kill immediate family members", and... well, honestly, that's about it. The onboard AI means we can't even say he's a good robot pilot with confidence. On the plot level, something that may or may not be part of the original that's certainly a problem in the OVA is the villain's plan. It's a classic cold war sci-fi plot point that the aliens need humans divided. If we don't destroy ourselves in atomic fire, we'll destroy them in atomic fire. Layzner wants to have this as a theme, with the Gradosians destroying the human bases on Mars by making the cold war go hot. One of the reasons the heroes want to get back to Earth is to warn of the invasion. But that plot beat doesn't work here, because Earth's defenses, including its full nuclear arsenal, are shown to be completely useless against Grados's forces. The entire defense fleet is pretty much vaporized by three SPTs without them taking a scratch. It makes the Americans trying to dissect Layzner feel much more reasonable than the show wants it to be. But again, so much is lost in the compression (like any reason to expect the reveal humans and gradosians are the same species to have an impact), that it's hard to tell what flaws come from the show, and what flaws come from the OVA. Well, except the character designs. Those are terrible no matter what format you use.
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Jul 1, 2020 12:09
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So, watched the rest of Layzner, and the OP is still the best part by far. The second part is a dramatic improvement, in that the pacing exists rather than being a random string of scenes dashed through as fast as possible, and in that there's room for actual character moments. Unfortunately, a lot of those moments have Arthur, who is just the worst. He's an informant for the invaders, he's unfunny comic relief, he sexually harasses people, and he tips the villains off to the heroes's location through sheer stupidity. The villains are kind of weird. They've got a bit of a Gihren and Degwin thing going on, with Ru Kain being much more extreme than his dad, burning down the library his father had spared. But the thing is, you don't have the worn out exhaustion that makes Degwin work. Instead of seeing a genocidal dictator slowly overthrow his exhausted, less monstrous father, you just get one villain letting one of his subordinates undermine his plans without comment. (You also get the hero's sister showing up again after nearly dying looking and acting entirely different, which is awkward.) One thing that stood out about the mech fights was how their central thesis was the opposite of Gundam's. Where Char Aznable boldly states that it's not the Suit that matters, but the pilot inside, Layzner ends the second film with the veteran hero getting his rear end kicked by a guy who's never been inside a SPT before, because the new guy had a better suit, furthering the idea that he only got so far by being in the best machine in the setting. That's a pretty... unusual decision, to put things mildly, especially at that point in the narrative. Although the show may have taken a different course, the OVA version makes pilots feel irrelevant in mech duels, disconnecting them from the emotional stakes. We aren't seeing Amuro Ray's maturation paralleled by his increasing skill in battle. We're seeing two numbers ram into each other until the larger number inevitably wins. (Which leads into the third film, where the hero gets a bigger number.) The third OVA is the conclusion, replacing the TV series's reportedly confusing and rushed ending, and it feels made for the format, unlike the two previous releases. Everything has more room to breathe, and even if some plot threads (like the Nazca lines stuff) are brought up out of nowhere, there's room for characters to have those small moments that make them feel alive (A romantic beat with blankets was quite nice, I thought.) The villains had more plot focus than the protagonists, overall. Ru Kain killed his dad and had an arc, with his whole philosophy being challenged and undermined by basically everyone. He wanted a culture of "superior" leaders, but with no concrete idea of what superior means, he was left unanchored. (Not helped by his dad's philosophy of leadership being "We're evil, I guess.", replacing his son's view of racial superiority with a big fat goose egg). Then it turns out his most trusted aid, the traitor Roanne, was a spy for the humans all along, and his base is conquered before the girl he likes locks him away in space with her as his homeworld is cut off from Earth. Eiji returns home, and the show ends. None of it was the mess that the opening OVA was, but it felt like the show wasn't my style even when it had the room to stretch its legs. Can't say if the full Layzner experience is worth it, but the OVAs alone aren't must sees.
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Jul 3, 2020 09:56
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In case you were wondering, Layzner TV also leans really hard into the "Eiji is only good because of the Layzner", down to the AI literally taking over and winning the battle for him every time he freezes up, refuses to defend himself(because he adamantly refuses to kill anyone even when that person is directly trying to murder him and also threatening to murder other people for most of the series), or gets his rear end kicked. The TV show is honestly one of my greatest "this was in super robot wars and was cool there so I really want to watch it" disappointments pretty much ever. It's really goddamned bad.
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Jul 3, 2020 10:08
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And it's honestly kind of a weird fit for SRW as well cause it's basic premise and setting do not lend themselves very well to a crossover setting and if you change those around to make it fit then all you're left with are some cool robots and in that situation there's a lot more series that would much better deserve the slot that Layzner would be occupying(I'm of the opinion that SRW works best if you keep the amount of Real Robot series to a minimum anyways, like if you had 12 series in a game you should probably only have 3 to 4 of the series be Real Robot series, SRW J follows that ratio* for example) *well assuming you count Full Metal Panic and Fumoffu as one entry and what category you feel Brain Powerd falls under as well
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Jul 3, 2020 11:08
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If the best proof of concept you've got for your argument is SRW J then I'll gladly pay the price of ten gundam series per game to avoid that becoming the standard. (The better example is NEO but also the story in NEO is kind of middling at best and also no one played NEO)
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Jul 3, 2020 15:57
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Z is the gold standard, and it contains 18 series (counting sequels and the Invincibles as one) of which 7 (4 Gundams, E7, Orguss, and King Gainer) are real, so the ratio probably is higher unless you want to quibble about Daitarn and CCA. Actually you could probably argue Xabungle is Real if you wanted I mean, assuming you're putting a lot of weight on the realness of units and not themes of the stories and settings, which vary a lot across real/super lines. Caphi fucked around with this message at 20:42 on Jul 3, 2020 |
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Jul 3, 2020 20:39
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There should be no ratios or limits. Let chaos reign!
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Jul 4, 2020 14:39
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Ultraman Z is basically live action Patlabor, but with an Ultraman
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Jul 4, 2020 15:32
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GorfZaplen posted:There should be no ratios or limits. Let chaos reign! Now we know why you're banned from all the private trackers.
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Jul 4, 2020 15:37
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Gripweed posted:Ultraman Z is basically live action Patlabor, but with an Ultraman Well you've sold me on the show.
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Jul 4, 2020 18:51
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Lemon-Lime posted:Now we know why you're banned from all the private trackers.
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Jul 4, 2020 19:31
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIP99avRnuM
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Jul 4, 2020 23:16
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Lemon-Lime posted:Now we know why you're banned from all the private trackers. All my accounts are quite active, thank you
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Jul 5, 2020 03:44
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Kanos posted:In case you were wondering, Layzner TV also leans really hard into the "Eiji is only good because of the Layzner", down to the AI literally taking over and winning the battle for him every time he freezes up, refuses to defend himself(because he adamantly refuses to kill anyone even when that person is directly trying to murder him and also threatening to murder other people for most of the series), or gets his rear end kicked. Good to confirm I didn't miss anything by going for the shorter version, then. It's not like the pilot getting carried by his mech is anything unusual, but it's usually a setup early on, something the hero grows out of (see again, Amuro). Eiji, meanwhile, supposedly had his character development, but then he gets his rear end kicked, not by a rival already established as near the hero's equal on level terrain (like Char) but by a rookie on his first flight. That's just sad. (Almost as sad as the villain's inability to shoot anyone even at point blank range.) It also has the sympathetic villain of the first arc try to murder defenseless children, which is kind of a damper on the moral balance bit.
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Jul 5, 2020 12:03
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Takahashi really likes monstrous sons overthrowing their fathers, it's a large part of Gasaraki and a subplot in Dougram, and hell it's the entire plot to the Galient OVA. I'm sure there's more but I haven't watched every takahashi anime in existence
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Jul 5, 2020 15:18
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GorfZaplen posted:Takahashi really likes monstrous sons overthrowing their fathers, it's a large part of Gasaraki and a subplot in Dougram, and hell it's the entire plot to the Galient OVA. I'm sure there's more but I haven't watched every takahashi anime in existence Yeah, this one felt like an extra-transparent rip of Gihren and Degwin, but without any of the things that make Gihren and Degwin interesting.
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Jul 5, 2020 23:31
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https://twitter.com/HokutoAndy/status/1280352126678429696?s=20
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Jul 7, 2020 16:20
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That almost sounds like Miyazaki is jealous of Tomino, which is pretty funny considering the other bits I've seen about their rivalry. Of course, you still see people who feel that any slight variation in the formula is unforgivable betrayal. I've never seen an actual explanation of how IBO isn't "real" Gundam, but I've seen people claim that all the same.
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Jul 8, 2020 02:21
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Jul 11, 2020 21:04
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I totally forgot all about this scene. 
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Jul 11, 2020 22:57
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Not Japanese but mecha all the same, I need to retrieve my copy from my parents’ house next time I’m there. Whenever that is.
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Jul 12, 2020 03:53
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Are there robots who fall in love in this show? If yes, I NEED to see it.
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Jul 12, 2020 04:10
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StrixNebulosa posted:Are there robots who fall in love in this show? If yes, I NEED to see it. It happens at least twice that I remember.
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Jul 12, 2020 04:39
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Promotional art for the premiere episode of the second season of Disney's Amphibia;
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Jul 12, 2020 06:37
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Is gainax doing a Disney show?
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Jul 12, 2020 12:48
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Sentai Filmworks's new VOTOMS BD set doesn't have any of the bizarre frame blending interlacing issues that plagued their previous set, and has the later OVAs in HD! ...it also has Pailsen Files, a 16:9 OVA, displaying squashed to 4:3 on most people's players, including mine. *sigh* I don't even. gourdcaptain fucked around with this message at 13:50 on Jul 14, 2020 |
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Jul 14, 2020 13:47
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gourdcaptain posted:Sentai Filmworks's new VOTOMS BD set doesn't have any of the bizarre frame blending interlacing issues that plagued their previous set, and has the later OVAs in HD! It really seems like a lot of publishers don’t take the couple of hours to actually watch their master disc before sending them off to the dupe house. Neither the hosed up interlacing nor hosed up aspect ratio has an excuse in 2020.
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Jul 14, 2020 17:01
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Midjack posted:It really seems like a lot of publishers don’t take the couple of hours to actually watch their master disc before sending them off to the dupe house. Neither the hosed up interlacing nor hosed up aspect ratio has an excuse in 2020. For the record, these new discs are still technically interlaced, but that's because I found out from a friend that SD on BD officially by the BD format standards isn't allowed to support 480p content, just 480i. ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray#Media_format ) And only allows 50/60fps, so it has to be in a 3:2 pulldown to show 24fps content. A lot of players will reverse the pulldown automatically but... The BluRay standards are kinda dumb. At least these are interlaced correctly.
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Jul 14, 2020 19:51
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So, in another attempt to stare away from the never ending void that is 2020, I watched the first episode of a couple mech anime. (Also, the movie version of Twilight Axis, which makes a little more sense on a second watch, but... not enough to recommend). Tomica Kizuna Gattai: Earth Granner is a current show and is basically the "Kids! Buy toys!" anime you'd expect. It's very, very young audience targeted, with the protagonists being elementary schoolers, the villains being a standard Time Bokan trio, and the initial evil scheme being to make zebras... run... backwards? (The science is, obviously, flawless.) Lots of lengthy stock footage, characters are idiots (the scientist character is surprised by everything and has to have the mascot explain everything without it feeling like a full on gag) and everyone's a really broad strokes character, with the protagonists being twin brothers of the one-hotheaded, one calm school of protagonists. Fight scenes are bad CG, too. On the upside, they do have fun with dialog cutaways, with characters poking into each other's windows like in a Tomino comedy scene. But yeah. It's exactly what you would expect, including the narrator talking about how people shouldn't piss themselves. (Sadly, we don't get full on Jay Ward style conversations with the narrator. Show's kid's show dumb, but it doesn't lean into it in the way the classics do) For something that actually aired on TV, I also saw an episode of Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-ne since giant robot slice of life worked so well in Turn A Gundam. Sadly... it didn't work so well here. Basic pitch is that you've got this girl Madoka, who runs around helping anyone in need in her town. Including strangers. Including strangers who are space aliens. Including space aliens that need her to pilot a robot to save the world. You know. Like you do. The thing with a show like this is that it rises and falls on its protagonist. If you get the balance right, it's great, but if the charm isn't there, then the show fails. Madoka... didn't work for me. She's neither properly "take it all in stride" for aliens and robots where she just rolls with it and focuses on helping people, nor surprised and having to kind of stumble over herself to get back to helping. Makes her feel unanchored instead of charming. And when so much of the show revolves around her... yeah. Fortunately, Patlabor is still good. I'm taking it slow, but most episodes have been pretty nice so far.
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Jul 17, 2020 13:20
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZe89cEeXQk
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Jul 19, 2020 03:11
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Just butting in to ask: Is there any kind of continuity across the Brave series or are they all self-contained? I've seen a few eps of Exkaiser and a couple of GaoGairGar, so it's not apparent they have anything to do with each other. Is the association just combiner robots in some fashion?
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Jul 19, 2020 14:12
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BizarroAzrael posted:Just butting in to ask: Is there any kind of continuity across the Brave series or are they all self-contained? I've seen a few eps of Exkaiser and a couple of GaoGairGar, so it's not apparent they have anything to do with each other. Is the association just combiner robots in some fashion? I think a couple of the shows have VERY loose connections but that is it. For all intents and purposes they are all self-contained.
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Jul 19, 2020 14:23
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MarsDragon posted:I'm suspecting a regional thing, but if it is then there's the vague hope that Voltes will at least show up on RetroCrush. Oh hey guess what just happened. Here's hoping for Combattler and Daimos later!
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Jul 19, 2020 20:40
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MarsDragon posted:Oh hey guess what just happened. Oh, fantastic! Combattler V is an entertaining show, and I've been having a blast rewatching it, but Voltes V arguable the first super robot show that's fully and unreservedly good.
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Jul 19, 2020 20:49
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New Getter Robo is there too now.
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Jul 19, 2020 20:58
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BizarroAzrael posted:Just butting in to ask: Is there any kind of continuity across the Brave series or are they all self-contained? I've seen a few eps of Exkaiser and a couple of GaoGairGar, so it's not apparent they have anything to do with each other. Is the association just combiner robots in some fashion? They're unrelated, though Gaogaigar does have connections to at least two other Mecha anime; Betterman, and Brigadoon(both of which are much darker series than GGG)
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Jul 19, 2020 21:57
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Wait, Brigadoon is connected? I know of Betterman since that recent crossover novel/manga happened
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Jul 19, 2020 22:40
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Zeether posted:Wait, Brigadoon is connected? I know of Betterman since that recent crossover novel/manga happened It's less obvious because Brigadoon happens decades before the other two(it's set in 1969), also compare Mike White from Brigadoon and the White siblings from GGG
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Jul 20, 2020 00:16
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| # ? May 14, 2024 02:39 |
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BizarroAzrael posted:Just butting in to ask: Is there any kind of continuity across the Brave series or are they all self-contained? I've seen a few eps of Exkaiser and a couple of GaoGairGar, so it's not apparent they have anything to do with each other. Is the association just combiner robots in some fashion? A couple character designs from the older shows are in crowd shots in the newer shows occasionally, but that's literally it.
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Jul 20, 2020 02:59
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