Anime/Suisei no Gargantia

Oh hey, apparently the first two episodes of the series were given out as DVD specials, so we have the raws three weeks earlier than the actual broadcast date. How neat is that?

So, what do we have as Butch Gen's new foray into mecha sci-fi? It's kind of a fish-out-of-water story right now. Red, our character, is a child soldier on the front lines of a war where humanity is trying to hold back the tide against an unspecified alien threat... and is losing. During an ill-fated escape, Red and his unit falls through a wormhole and lands on an unknown planet with an entirely different culture he's accustomed to.

Earth. A place that everyone on his side of the universe had already conveniently forgotten even existed anymore.

There's obviously a lot of misunderstandings involved (eventually leading to an impromptu kidnapping!), as Red and his robot buddy (voiced by Sugita, no less) literally can't understand the natives (the anime is coy about this, with people who aren't meant to be understood speaking in gibberish). Still, an okay start so far, and the Hanaharu Naruko designs plus the vibrant color palette help ease things a bit.

It's a very light start for a Butch Gen story, really, and add to this the odd broadcast length — 15 to 16 episodes, depending on the source — one has to wonder where this is all going to go.

edited 30th Mar '13 4:35:25 PM by MyssaRei

OPENING

The mecha is called "Chamber". Although it's already been released, we don't have any torrents. Just google "himado", it's supposedly posted there.

Hanaharu Naruko is primarily known for her hentai (in case you guys are wondering why the designs are familiar, and not that there's anything wrong with that).

What I'm most concerned about is how Urobochi Gen is going to do this. This is a complete 180 degrees from what he's known to do, which is practically alien territory *

. Personally, I've never been impressed by Urobochi, and just roll my eyes at his supposedly "dark" and "mature" works.

Hanaharu Naruko also is known for the Kamichu manga, though this is the second time in a long while where something of hers was used in a Bleached Underpants manner.

Also, one of the comments among watchers was how some of the scenarios in the first episode could be straight-up leads to a lot of sexy time if Naruko was left to pen the script. Plus the designs of the three girls seem to fit the DFC-Otome-Melons trifecta so well...

Finally found a working download (for the first ep, anyway) and I'm really excited for this show. It was already my most anticipated title for Spring, and the first ep did not disappoint. The animation is lovely, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the fish out of water scenario plays out.

I hope Urobuchi keeps his word that Gargantia will be different than his usual style, if only to prove he can break away from his reputation.

Chamber is a future version of Google Translate.

I am interest in what happened. What happened to NASA? Why do we have physics defying wings?

Considered that Uro apparently promised Madoka will have a light hearted plot...well, we know what happened. Althought I don't see his work as dark or mature, or I don't understand it at all.

A convincing argument was made on /m/ that the reason behind Chamber's design was for Moment of inertia. Wide hips, compact body, the shoulders, etc...

Dude going on about the 'eternal reign' of humanity's Alliance, which must not be held back by 'lower life forms'? Oh my.

edited 7th Apr '13 10:30:23 AM by Iaculus

What's precedent ever done for us?

Okay, I'll be following this. I'm hooked.

Not Three Laws compliant.

"YOU MANIACS! YOU BLEW IT UP!"

Ahem, now that that's is out of the way, I'll be throwing out Stable Time Loop and All Just a Dream theories.

Or that the "humans"...aren't.

Well, it depends on why the Earth was abandoned and what caused the Alliance to form.

edited 7th Apr '13 1:55:30 PM by Zendervai

Not Three Laws compliant.

The opening Battle reminded me of an updated version of classic Gunbuster and the monsters are basically Space monsters or gohma.

Will follow.

edited 7th Apr '13 1:57:38 PM by Demongodofchaos2

Watch Symphogear

I wonder what will happen to alliance in Reds absence

Huh, Production IG is still capable of making good anime. I was beginning to wonder

So, I assume at some point the space-battle plot thread will cross back over. Too much time spent introducing it

It did seem like brainwashing was going on.

Or it's the standard Military Science Fiction thing where, in order to defeat monsters, you must be willing to do some pretty monstrous things of your own. Not that I'm sure what we saw in the opening really qualifies as that, either.

I'm certainly not willing to write off the protagonist's background as in any way evil given that the opening portrayed a last ditch assault using everything they had that simply wasn't good enough to defeat the aliens, with plenty of on-screen heroism shown by the humans.

Oh boy, what did Urubuchi say about this one? People tend to forget that this is the guy who is actually more broken as a person than many of his victimscharacters. PMMM was his definition of light-hearted. That is, needing to earn you happybittersweet ending, even if you have to rewrite the laws of the universe in the process.

Urobuchi has said that this is different in tone from his usual fare, and will emphasize the virtues of not giving up

So basically, this is what happens when you ask Urobuchi to make a light-hearted coming of age sci-fi story.

I'm pretty sure he said something similar about Madoka when he was first revealed as its writer (they had been trying to keep it secret). I think that's just his way of trying not to spoil it.

edited 7th Apr '13 7:28:39 PM by Clarste

To be honest though, saying that he's capable of visiting misery, despair, and death upon a story and nothing more is a bit of a disservice to him as a writer.

Anyway, was Urobuchi always seemingly this prolific, or has the recent glut of his shows been brought on by Madoka?

edited 7th Apr '13 7:34:18 PM by ComicX6

My Megaman and MegaTen liveblogs

Urobuchi has always been prolific. Working on anime is new

I think Madoka was his first anime-original work. He's primarily a VN writer, working for Nitro Plus. So he's written a lot of stuff, but not much anime, although some of his works have also been adapted to anime and he has an unknown amount of influence on the adaptations.

This would be his third anime.

edited 7th Apr '13 7:44:08 PM by Clarste

Starship Troopers meets Galaga meets The Love Boat. Calling it now.

…

Hey, would ya look at that. Finally, this season gives me a first episode that leaves me with a strong positive opinion!

"Canada Day is over, and now begins the endless dark of the Canada Night."

Starship Troopers you say? If that's the case, then Gen must include this: