Forum - View topicGasaraki
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Nerv1
 Posts: 601 |
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I'm not sure does this break the rule for "no reccomendations threads" and mods, could you let me know what I need to change before locking it? Anyway, a friend was thinking of selling his Gasaraki boxset and I was wondering if this a good series to watch. The general plotline involving government corruption and it's mechaspoiler[(I'm a big fan of mecha anime) ]content interests me and makes it seem rather interesting, but I'm slightly discouraged from watching this series due to it's somewhat decent ratings on ANN and reviews of it from other websites about how it will only appeal to some people. So should I give this series a chance or turn it down?
Last edited by Nerv1 on Sun Jul 08, 2007 12:24 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Kruszer
 Posts: 7983 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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Hard to say, I liked it personally but it's not really one of my favorites and took me a long time to finish. It's less a mecha show and more a complicated political drama really. The mech action is scarse but still pretty good. It's mechs are more based in reality; technical, computer controlled and in need of regular maintanance like any other millitary vehicle. You'll love it if you like shows like Patlabor that are more about the people than the mechs and you may not if you're into the more action oriented type of mecha show. The story is pretty good if very dialouge heavy, the characters are okay, and it's got a great opening theme song.
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Zalis116
Moderator
 Posts: 6867 Location: Kazune City |
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I'll allow this since it's discussing a specific series, rather than "hay guyz what do i watch next??"
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ManOfRust
 Posts: 1935 Location: Seattle, WA |
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Gasaraki is a bit of a mixed bag. There are really two main story lines, one involving a complex political plot that encompasses Japanese nationalism, manipulation of world economic markets, and infiltration of key positions in the Japanese government. The political story is interesting and well done, if a bit far fetched. The other story is more about the Gowa family, its role throughout Japanese history and the tale of the kais and the Gasaraki. It's this second aspect of the story that seemed particularly weak to me. It was more than a bit muddled and not particularly well resolved. It's too bad, too, because this side of the story started out as quite an interesting idea but instead of living up to its potential it just kind of spirals into a mess.
The two stories are intertwined in part through the mecha. The folks involved in the political side of the story see them as integral to their plans since they are super advanced weaponry. The Gowas, who have been a key driving force in their development, have ulterior motives. Another problem is that the pacing seems rather uneven. Despite everything that is going on, some episodes are really quite slow and things don't move along much. Then there will be stretches were a lot of things are happening all at the same time. I think part of the problem many people (me included) have sitting through this series is that either of the two main story lines would be complicated enough on their own, but weaving the two of them together makes things really obscure sometimes and by the end of some episodes you aren't really all that excited to jump into the next one. Also, despite there being mecha in this series, there is a lot of time spent watching people sitting around talking and not any mecha action. The animation and soundtrack are quite nice. As mentioned already, the OP is really good, and the opening animation changes as the series progresses which is kind of neat. The design of the world is very much on the realism side of things -- no SD or anime sweatdrops to be found in this series. IIRC, one of the extras on the disks is an interview with the mecha designer which talks about how they tried to create machines that wouldn't look too unrealistic or futuristic. This is a really hard show to outright recommend to someone, even if you are familiar with their tastes. It's just a bit of an odd bird. Given how cheap you can find it even brand new, though, it's a pretty good deal for a 26 episode series. If you do decide to give it a go, don't despair after watching the first episode. It's pretty weird and does not do a good job setting up the series at all. Things definitely get better starting in episode 2. |
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Kruszer
Posts: 7983 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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Nice to know I'm not the only one that had to struggle to finish this. I had the whole thing available to me yet it took me about 4 months watching off and on to get through it.
Not really getting the most positive of reviews here yet I know. Unfortunately, this one seems to require an excess of patience or at least an obsessive/compulsive desire to finish what you start. |
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Randall Miyashiro
 Posts: 2451 Location: A block away from Golden Gate Park |
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I actually love Gasaraki and find Ryousuke Takahashi seems to be a real hit or miss on this site. You will also see people rave and pan both Votoms and Blue Gender. I really like almost everything that he has created and consider him the best "real robot" series creator. His series tend to have these huge back stories that take place in complex universes.
If you like Takahashi's other works this series is a must. Likewise if you have not seen his other series and enjoy Gasaraki I would highly recommend his other works. I've yet to see Flag, but have heard good things and see it has a Blu-Ray release date. |
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Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
Forums Superstar  Posts: 16935 |
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MonofRust summed it really nicely. The only thing I would add is it's a slow opener. What I mean is the first 2 dvds are slow paced and you have to really watch it. You can't casually watch it while typing here or doing laundry or whatever. You gotta sit down, and pay close attention or you'll be lost. Trust me I watched it like that and had to go back and restart it because I was missing a lot of small things. If you can give it the attention it needs you'll be happy at the end. It's a very well done series and it gets very engrossing later on. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys good plots, political intrigue, or mechs.
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Kruszer
Posts: 7983 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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I'm a big fan of Blue Gender myself I liked that one quite a bit more than I did Gasaraki. Haven't seen Votoms. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18178 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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The comment I've always made about Gasaraki is that its plot (especially in the final few episodes) is so dense that it almost achieves critical mass. It is probably the best of all mecha series when it comes to the technical detail of mecha and realistic portrayal of their functioning, but I found none of the main characters to be particularly engaging. Yushiro may be the dullest male lead I've ever seen in an anime series, and while Miharu has a bit more potential, she's hampered by spoiler[spending a significant chunk of the series in a catatonic funk]. The supporting characters from Yushiro's JSDF unit are far more appealing. The series does, however, have what I rate as the best ED ever for an anime series. The visuals and music so beautifully complement each other and reflect the tone of the series. I can't think of another ED piece like it.
All-in-all, Gasaraki is not an easy series to watch and one where I wouldn't recommend doing more than 1-2 volumes per sitting. It's a good one if you're looking for a more challenging view, however. EDIT: Corrected a tag. Last edited by Key on Sun Jul 08, 2007 9:30 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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EVA fiend
 Posts: 314 Location: Somewhere in the UK. |
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I saw Gasaraki several years ago. It starts off as a fairly convoluted political drama, but the latter half of the show brings in mystical elements involving Noh theatre, which didn't sit well with the original political back drop IMO. The whole thing ends up being a garbled mess towards the end which is a shame. I really enjoyed the political drama, especially the nod towards RL Japanese writer Yukio Mishima, but the mystical elements spoiled it for me.
Same here. Though it has it's faults Blue Gender is vastly superior to Gasaraki IMO. The characters are more interesting, & the pacing is not so tortured. I had real problems getting through the series the first time I watched Gasaraki whereas Blue Gender kept my interest with every episode. |
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HellKorn
Posts: 1669 Location: Columbus, OH |
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Oh, I think Claus from Last Exile could give him a run for his money. (For the record, I like Last Exile a lot.)
Probably the best way to go about it for most. I can't get enough of politically-charged stories, so long as they aren't too terribly convoluted, and I ended marathoning Gasaraki over the course of two days. Anyway, I'd have to agree with what ManOfRust said, though the pacing didn't come across as uneven to me. Gasaraki is a very good anime series if you're looking for a cast that isn't full of the typical clichés that don't develop and are tired of mascot, "obligatory comic relief" types, as the series is deadly serious throughout (except for that one black-haired chick whose name escapes me -- she was the head of Yushiro's team). The spiritualistic aspect is, on the whole, flawed if interesting even though it ends up conflicting with the main focus of the series, the political plot. You also couldn't ask for much better production values from an anime television series during the late 90s, and Sunrise definitely delivers here along with a fitting musical score. The ending falls a bit short -- something that seems the norm for Ryosuke Takahashi's works considering that Blue Gender reeks of being rushed -- and has certain hiccups that prevents it from being truly excellent, but it's something worthwhile if you want an anime that is thoughtful, largely unconventional and original in a medium that tends to regurgitate the same standards over and over again. As for Takahashi's other major series: I have no interest in Votoms. With Blue Gender I did get more emotionally attached to the two leads but its flaws dragged much of it down, particularly towards the end. I am curious about Flag, as the same screenwriter behind Gasaraki is also the same one behind the former, and it looks devoid of any supernatural elements and is pure political drama. Bandai Entertainment is releasing the first volume in early October, and I'll definitely be giving it a shot. |
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jgreen
 Posts: 1325 Location: St. Louis, MO |
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Just wanted to add my voice to the chorus that I agree with pretty much everything ManOfRust said. I'd also like to add that because there are so many plot threads running through the series, if you take more than a day or two off between episodes, you're better off rewatching the last episode you saw or you'll likely have missed something.
I agree with Key that the ending theme is wonderful....I didn't like the opener nearly as much, however. All I could think of while listening to it was that it totally aped a song from Yoko Kanno's Macross Plus soundtrack. I did appreciate that they slightly changed the opening animation on almost every episode. Also agreeing with Key: the JSDF members are probably the most engaging characters. I liked them a lot. Also, the dub voice casting on all of them is superb. |
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