Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: GATE
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BassKuroi
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Again? Is this a deja vu? |
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HelloBucket
 Posts: 477 Location: Upstate New York |
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For better or for worse (really more the latter, I think), I don't think this show ever had any subtlety to abandon. Even outside its political elements its as subtle as a brick to the head. |
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HeeroTX
Posts: 2046 Location: Austin, TX |
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Just want to note, Miyazaki ain't exactly "subtle" either. Or you can go back and watch some Leiji Matsumoto, he had a short OVA series that included such deft touches as having a WW2 NAZI pilot pontificate that the first country to use the atomic bomb will "go down in history as the country that sold its soul to the devil". |
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HelloBucket
Posts: 477 Location: Upstate New York |
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^
I'm not familiar with Leiji Matsumoto but I agree on Miyazaki. I should clarify that I'm wasn't trying to make some blanket subtle good, unsubtle bad statement. Gate is a very different story from those told by Miyazaki - he uses a more faery tale style that works gracefully even when very directly taking a specific partisan stance. Gate, on the other hand, is trying to tell a complicated multi-layer story complete with high and low level politics, military strategy and tactics, and individual, personal stories. This is exactly the kind of setup that would stand to benefit from subtlety. |
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BassKuroi
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That OVA is Matsumoto Leiji's "The Cockpit". A masterpiece.
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SilverTalon01
Posts: 2402 |
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I think I'd have to really see a subtle attempt to know for sure, but it seems to me that Gate might be better off not trying to be subtle precisely because as you pointed out, theres a lot of stuff going on. |
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BassKuroi
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I must admit I failed to see the connection between "subtlety" and "this kind of setup". |
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HelloBucket
Posts: 477 Location: Upstate New York |
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There's a few reasons for my preference for subtlety in cases of stories like Gate. The most applicable here is that it'd provide a vehicle for some more meaningful conflict. If, for example, the belligerent politico from the most recent episode actually had a valid point buried in their bias, this could echo later in Itami's mind as he makes a decision. Another bonus of that example, besides creating an internal conflict for our MC, would be actually creating meaningful connections between the different elements of the story which, right now, float mostly independent from one another. I'm of the mind this would be a better story.
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BassKuroi
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What I found subtle is that all this story looks like the author's fantasy of what (in his head) would happen if China (the Empire from beyond the Gate) attacks Japan. That what I percieved in ep. 01, a big metaphor, a fantasy of Japan's counterattack if the current conflict with China escalates.
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LordByron227
Posts: 158 |
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Blasphemy....it would've been even better if they went full out homage and sync'd the music even more.. http://streamable.com/sy62 |
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BassKuroi
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Nonsense, if they went full homage, they should have destroyed Italica for some trivial reason instead of saving it. Empire don't surf. |
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HeeroTX
Posts: 2046 Location: Austin, TX |
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If I thought for even a SECOND that that was going on in this show then I'd agree with the detractors. The JSDF fighting a medieval country I can totally believe that they would not only win handily but could afford to have whatever ideals or morals they wish in the scenario, because they ARE that much stronger than their opponents. But if China ever invaded Japan the sheer magnitude of what China would bring to bear would dwarf what Japan has available by a very wide margin. The very IDEA that Japan (or really ANY but maybe 2 nations, POSSIBLY 3 if you want to count the entire EU as a "collective") could launch a viable counterattack against China is pretty crazy. Assuming we're not just saying any nation with nukes says "I'm gonna launch and see what happens". I can totally believe that the author is "pro military" and thus saying "look how great our soldiers are", but he'd have to be pretty delusional if he's trying to say "Japan is ready to take on all comers". (which I don't think is the message at all, if only because of the short bits actually showing other nations so far) |
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BassKuroi
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Even if you quote me you don't read me. I said "author's fantasy", "in his head" and "a fantasy of Japan's counterattack". Most of us already know what would happen IRL, I'm talking about what I percieve it is the author's fantasy. It's my opinion that the whole story is what the author dream of his ideal Japanese military force.
He's not delusional because I think he is projecting his fantasies to a fantasy world, that's why I said it's a METAPHOR, for god's sake! |
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SilverTalon01
Posts: 2402 |
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Looks like? Exactly what part of it looks that way? Japan attacked -> Japan has landslide victory -> looks like a fantasy of Japan beating China... really... now that sounds like a fantasy. |
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Gewürtztraminer
 Posts: 1028 Location: Texas - Its like whole other country. |
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From the start, I have gotten the vibe that Gate Empire = Old Japan.
What did the guy (granted not Empire) say when Rory hoisted him on the Poleaxe? There is no honor in fighting this way. |
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