Bang Brave Bang Bravern

CR now has the first two episodes online.

Episode 2: This anime is completely unhinged. I am still in love with Bravern smashing his Super Robot-shaped peg into the Real-Robot hole of this universe. Hell, that might exactly be what’s happening, because every time Isami rides Bravern, he looks exactly like a schmuck from a Lovecraft book being driven mad by visions of another world. I also just realized the Accidental Innuendo, but Bravern seems to be into that, too. He seems to have been elated with the way Isami “jerked his control stick up and down”, among other things.

Jumping to waterboard torture seems a tad excessive. I hope America doesn’t get away with just a simple apology, but then they’ll probably gloss over it. Maybe? Maybe not, if Isami’s continued mindbreak is relevant to the plot.

Was wondering what role Lewis would have to play since only Isami can pilot Bravern, and lo and behold, Lewis literally stumbles into a mysterious waif who is most probably the humanoid form of Superbia. Which probably means he’ll get his own super robot too, which probably also means more questionable statements about, err, “passion building up in hydraulics.”

Basically some parts of it was taken from SRW: OG.

I need to listen to the web radio show, even though my proficiency is at N5.

Ichiro Ohkuchi: "Witch of Mercury is the gayest robot show."

Masami Obari: "Hold my Beer."

Edited by Demongodofchaos2 on Jan 20th 2024 at 9:44:22 AM

PV for 3rd episode.

x5 Honestly the fact that the other governments we’re planning to do the same as well after America got done with Isami is what made me shudder.

All I'm saying is, if there's a person a sentient giant robot beyond mortal understanding is obviously head over heels for, I would think twice about messing with them.

Alrighty. The show's being memed now.

And some peeps are making thirsty Bravern art.

Okay, I knew that Obari always had a reputation for being deranged whenever he stepped into the director's chair but still that tonal shift took me completely by surprise lmao. I was alread pretty amused by how the art style was pretty starkly divided between the men being beefcake bros while most of the women are KyoAni-adjacent but learning that the character designer normally draws sapphic artwork is the icing on the cake.

Edited by ComicX6 on Jan 23rd 2024 at 10:57:28 AM

So, I usually prioritize dubs over subs, but because the main theme is such a bopper, I caved and watched the first two episodes annnnnd....

Wow.

Like, experience has taught me that anime produced by Cygames are notoriously deceptive with their pre-release marketing ("Hm? This zombie land anime sure looks creepy...oh wait, it's about undead girls becoming idol singers? Uh, okay sure!" "This Akiba Maid anime doesn't look particularly off, OH GEEZ! It's gang and mafia wars?!" "Oh my, those people sure look less than marginally dressed. Are they nudists? Oh never mind, they have clothes and fight monsters. Okay, then!") and in retrospect, an anime called Bang Brave Bang Bravern and features real robots did sound particularly weird. Like, was it going to be a parody of real robots?

I even read stuff and watched clips beforehand annnd...it still caught me off-guard!

• Episode 1:
  • Okay, so it starts off with soldiers training with real robots and paintballs? Cool. They establish Isami (the Japanese soldier) and Lewis (the American soldier) are probably gonna be battle pals? Also cool.
  • ...And then the aliens show up!
  • Now, everything slams into hell because real robots just can't do jack to these space jerks! (Where's Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum when you need them?!) Isami looks like he's about to get fried into a delectable crisp!
  • ...And then the Super Robot shows up!
  • And it's not any non-talking super robot...he talks! And he knows Isami's name!
  • As established earlier, the theme song's is a bopper, so of course it plays when Bravern (the super robot) literally wipes the floor with the alien fleet...and apparently it's a song he's playing out loud? Feels like that's a clue to something.
• Episode 2:
  • So the government guys are equally baffled that they are in the presence of a giant sentient super robot? That's funny. And Bravern even shuts up the German guys by literally speaking their language? Dang!
  • And wow, Bravern sure likes phrasing when talking about Isami, doesn't he? Is it too quick to call him and Isami the Ambiguously Gay Duo of anime?
  • What's not so funny is Isami getting tortured. Like, guys? You'd be mincemeat without Isami and Bravern and you waterboard Isami because...? Because you thought the guy was a terrorist or something? Tough crowd.
  • But what's back to being funny is when Isami is apparently too shell-shocked to even look at Bravern and when Lewis tries to step up and pilot Bravern...Bravern just says "no thank you." Like, can you imagine getting friend-zoned by a world-saving Super Robot?
  • Annnnd Isami's naked. For some reason. And he's taking it pretty well.
  • And I take it back. The credits are rolling and Isami and Bravern aren't the Ambiguously Gay Duo of anime. That goes to Isami and Lewis because...wow.
  • And finally there's that girl with the short shorts that glomps onto Lewis in the OP. I guess we'll learn her story soon enough!

So yeah, I'm sold on this. Give me more of the mysterious Super Robot who's pretty much The Tick if he were a giant super robot who praised Arthur's heroics in a little too much detail. There's clearly something going on with him. (How does he know Isami's name? Why/How does Bravern have his own theme song? Is Bravern from another dimension where everything's Shounen AF? Are there others like Bravern? Do they have their own songs?)

EDIT: Speaking of songs, someone did an 8-Bit cover of the main theme! Give it a listen!

Edited by TargetmasterJoe on Jan 24th 2024 at 8:19:53 AM

The European officer's German.

Went and fixed it. Sorry! When are new episodes, anyway? On Wednesdays?

A day and a half from now I believe.

I believe new episodes should appear on Crunchyroll on Thursdays at 12:30 PM EST.

Edited by Digitalhero93 on Jan 24th 2024 at 9:40:39 AM

Bravern's debut if it's done as a SRW combat cutscene.

Episode 3: Poor Isami is bouncing between emotional states, going from mindbroken to being absolutely tired of all the shit he has to go through. At least he’s up and running again, and at least one woman finds the entire thing really hot. For some reason.

We got some great Bravern goofs again. I audibly chuckled when he tried to shout his name underwater and end up choking on the water that rushed into his throat hahaha.

So the alien girl’s name is Lulu, and she’ll probably be the key to getting a second super robot to fight with. The ending scene can be described as a half-naked Lewis hugging a naked alien girl while Isami is laying down on the floor, covered in goop. Which is an excellent time for the ED to kick in.

Gotta say was surprised by the birth symbolism of Lulu being “born” complete with a sea turtle laying an egg in the episode to make it more obvious.

Also Braverns is even more sus with him revealing he watched The Abyss.

Edited by OmegaRadiance on Jan 26th 2024 at 8:34:18 AM

Yeah Bravern continues to be so weird, and I love it.

x 3. I will give Isami a bit it slack for since this appears to have been happening all in the space of a couple of days. He needs a long hot shower, a good meal and at least 48hrs sleep before he can be expected to start processing everything that has happened to him.

And Bravern still hasn't explained how he knows him.

I'd give him a lot of slack, the poor bloke got waterboarded (which I'm wondering if that will still come up later).

Guess it does confirm that the Soldat Terrors can be taken off the field if someone draws their shields and fight them from the back.

I really love the bizarre detail that Bravern can make it so radar shows his name when detecting him. So blink it and easily missable cause of how fast it passed. Even the fact he tried to speak underwater only to get water in his throat and have to wear his mask went by just as quickly.

If anyone is wondering about Japanese artists drawing Florist Isami or lil kid Lulu fanart you see online, it’s all based on the fact Lulu was ”born” and Lewis is now “the mother”.

Florist Isami is cause of how thirsty his flower(Bravern) is. The character designer even drew kid Lulu with her “mom” on his Twitter.

The preview for the next episode is out and makes it even more obvious Lulu is doing the equivalent of baby talk