Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans II

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Dulkor: Feb 28, 2009

Season 2 opening post timeskip on a point of 'objectives achieved, but...' gives me more faith than the s1 finale did. I'll be following the release to see if it can really dig in on some of the themes it's flirted with in the past now that we're heading into the second half.

# ¿ Oct 6, 2016 02:46

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 17:55

Dulkor: Feb 28, 2009

Yeaaaaah, even if you read it without actual sexual overtones, it's a good reminder that Macky is a loving snake who will stoop to manipulating an innocent nine year old girl for his ambitions.

# ¿ Nov 27, 2016 23:50

Dulkor: Feb 28, 2009

Raxivace posted:

While creeper McGillis was a good reminder about who he really is, let's not forget that this is in the same episode where IBO tries to make us think that Naze's harem is actually a good thing. I'm not sure the contrast is completely intentional, but that scene didn't play well for me and came off as really handwavy about Naze's character.

I'd say the biggest difference is that polyamory is waaaaaay less creepy in actual practice, which is not to say that anything about Naze and his wives specifically is remotely healthy either.

# ¿ Nov 28, 2016 01:35

Dulkor: Feb 28, 2009

I'm not sure if that's a reactor or just a spool for the new mecha-tail they swiped from Hashmal.

# ¿ Jan 20, 2017 13:42

Dulkor: Feb 28, 2009

Adel posted:

Ah, I misread your intention with the dark side comment, I thought you are implying (like some people tend to do) that the only valid way for a character to have depth is to make them edgy/secretly evil. I'm still not 100% sure what type asking about, can you clarity a bit?

I find it really interesting that you think Tekkadan has crossed the point of no return. I don't disagree, I just think a lot of us are willing to give some moral leeway to Tekkadan because of their situation so seeing someone take a harder moral stance is unexpected. This isn't a trick question or anything, but do you think Tekkadan is completely beyond redemption? Can they morally recover?

The concept isn't bad, and a mentor figure/intermediary between Tekkadan and the Jovian Mafia is a character role that should work, it's just the execution and the undue amount of positive focus that Naze gets doesn't sit right with me because it's completely undeserved. Naze didn't just help out the dregs of society, he specifically targeted vulnerable women and helped them out with the condition that they become his wife-daughters. If he'd made it clear that the marriage was strictly to get around legal issues that's be kinda creepy but ok, he's using the system to their benefit, but he explicitly states that's not that case. In that sort of situation, I honestly don't believe that every single woman under his command is there because they genuinely love him of their own free will when putting out is an implied contractual part of being a crew member. That's hosed up in a lot of ways, but the fact that the show doesn't recognize it as hosed up, is trying to sell it as yes thousands of women literally love him no problem, and actually praises Naze for it is even MORE hosed up. That's not saintly or selfless at all, but the show is trying to convince us otherwise in spite of usually being willing to label hosed up things.

It's a really weird part that stands out because it doesn't fit the tone or the message of the show and comes off like someone's masterbatory Mary sue fantasy got accidentally stapled onto a Gundam show.

I'm with most of this argument, but last week they explicitly spelled it out that the wife thing is largely just a protective measure and absolutely no one is required to do a thing with Naze, he just wasn't saying no to anyone who was interested.

# ¿ Jan 23, 2017 04:56

Dulkor: Feb 28, 2009

Adel posted:

The fact that Naze sleeps with them at all is disturbing. Even if there is absolutely no pressure from him, he's still in a position of authority and if he wanted (not saying he would) he could kick any of them off the ship, and they'd probably be worse off since their previous crew were likely absorbed into Turbines. The implied pressure to sleep with the boss in order to secure your spot, especially once babies start coming into the mix, is enough that any interest shown can't be comfortably taken as completely genuine. The only exception is Amida who has horrible taste

I don't mean to sound like I'm moving goalposts, there is just no way, in my opinion, that the Turbines dynamic will ever not be creepy and it creeps me of that the show thinks it's p cool.

Yeah, like I said, I don't disagree that it's unhealthy. And I'm not even coming at it from the angle of a prudish straight western person. I just find it more constructive to criticize the character as presented rather than try to read super far into a power dynamic subtext that doesn't seem to actually exist or have been intended in the show. The Turbines themselves have never been portrayed as anything but a banded together unit/family with Naze trying to serve as their protector while also getting led around by his dick and willing to bed any of the girls who would be interested in it. That's already a little off putting by itself and being held up as a healthy example to Orga illustrates how hosed everything is and just makes it worse. It doesn't really need the extra layer of 'but what if there was an abusive sexual power dynamic' on top of that to be weird and kinda unsettling.

Dulkor fucked around with this message at 06:49 on Jan 23, 2017

# ¿ Jan 23, 2017 06:47

Dulkor: Feb 28, 2009

Edit: quote is not edit

# ¿ Jan 23, 2017 06:48

Dulkor: Feb 28, 2009

Don't we have a gif of that from last season? :v:

# ¿ Feb 5, 2017 05:27

Dulkor: Feb 28, 2009

I appreciated that the end of episode confession scene was done in the most Mika way possible while still being a cute start to being open about their feelings. Hope it doesn't end in crushing agony in the next couple episodes.

# ¿ Feb 20, 2017 00:35

Dulkor: Feb 28, 2009

I have a feeling that was the original plan before the Hashmal arc led to Gaelio tipping his hand and Mika giving him confirmation of his ideals while fighting Hashmal.

# ¿ Feb 20, 2017 08:26

Dulkor: Feb 28, 2009

Well gently caress.

# ¿ Feb 26, 2017 13:22

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 17:55

Dulkor: Feb 28, 2009

Fat and Useless posted:

War crimes fighting war crimes with war crimes. After this curb stomp I don't think 3 gundams can win a war on their own.

3 2 gundams.

# ¿ Feb 26, 2017 13:32

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