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nightjuan
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It's so precise that the comparison only works when you focus on a vague general outline and completely ignore the actual details as well as the context surrounding them, which is where all the differences can be found. The Japanese characters don't even have an independent nation of their own, they barely occupy anything more than a random island, there's no actual invasion and they need to be guided by a foreigner who is portrayed as dishonorable and manipulative, not much better than those he is fighting in terms of morality. The most honorable and straightforward (if stereotypical) individual during that arc happens to be Chinese, not Japanese or "Western" even. I don't think Imperial Japanese propaganda would make its own faction look as bad as the Japanese ended up looking throughout the show, unless you think it's very nationalistic to place a self-serving and ambitious "Western" guy in charge of your national liberation movement to begin with. That tends to defeat the entire point of said propaganda. In any event, I still think you're squaring the circle here. This isn't a propaganda documentary, it's entertainment primarily aimed at teenagers and different kinds of otaku in order to sell merchandise, not nationalism. |
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penguintruth
 Posts: 8461 Location: Penguinopolis |
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Which is exactly my point. Instead of presenting a real debate over genetic engineering, you have these over-the-top strawmen, simply for the sake of having villains for an action show. This is why the Coordinators concept is flawed to begin with as a plot element. Sunrise was trying to go for a spin on the Newtype angle, but not only was the Newtype element a mess in itself, but Newtypes are (supposedly) a natural progression of human genes, whereas Coordinators are artificial.
00 did all of those things just as well, if not better.
The Kira/Athrun thing was Sunrise trying to wring emotion out of dull, lifeless, plastic-looking characters. I prefer Setsuna's story, with him coming into believing in more than just Gundam, and Tieria's developing humanity.
The Innovators were jobbers, I'll give you that, but their concept was fine. The only problem was that the writers made CB's mobile suits too advanced and somehow removed the supposed competence of the antagonists' during combat. But it's not as though either ZAFT or the Atlantic Federation were developed, either. Also, at least there was Regene and Anew for different personalities. And at least they had more presence than boring Rau.
I can't even remember specific battles in Gundam SEED. They just came and went, without making an impact. It was all beam spam and terrible-designed MS with backpacks and points. Everything looked too plastic for me to even remember them later.
The power blocks were using their pull to manipulate the little conflicts all over the world, because they were itching for a war, since they had all their toys to play with but no big wars to play with them in. CB came along and tried to quash these conflicts and tell the power blocks that they weren't all-powerful and there would be somebody to come along and stop their war-mongering. Their only mistake was that it was in Alejandro and Ribbons' plans to get everyone to unite against them so they would be put in power. I still think you're reading too much into Code Geass. Sunrise isn't smart enough to make real political statements in their shows. They make vague, broad political brush strokes to add a little something to their action programs. |
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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How can you possibly complain about SEED for not being real enough in dealing with genetic engineering while talking about Newtypes which fall roughly on par with the X Men in terms of a realistic portrayal of natural genetic evolution? |
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penguintruth
Posts: 8461 Location: Penguinopolis |
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Newtypes weren't part of some fantasy racism strawman, that's why. Maybe "spacenoids" in general, but that's more regional discrimination than anything. |
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Charred Knight
 Posts: 3085 |
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Gundam 00 didn't explore corruption in the goverment, anything wrong they where doing was quickly forgotten, and replaced by the main powerfblocks joining forces with no hint of problems as the leaders prance among the meadows as any problems such as idealogical differences are ignored. As for the whole thing with the Innovators, the only person who seems to even know anything about the innovators is the black guy. The leaders of the A-laws where not corrupt they where just ass wipes so that Celestial Being would look good.
Compare the way the power blocks act in Gundam 00 to the way they act in Gundam Seed, and Gundam Seed Destiny. The Atlantic Federation and Eurasian Federation never got along, and the Atlantic Federation uses the Eurasian Federation as bait during the attack on Alaska base. The same thing occurs with Gundam Seed Destiny where the Republic of East Asia's fleet is basically used as a human shield by ZAFT. Just look at what happened to the allies immediatly after World War II, Gundam Seed and even Gundam Seed Destiny tried to protray what happens when allies with different ideals try to join forces, while Gundam 00 ignores it as it will get in the way of the plot. Sure Gundam Seed wasn't some great attempt to be artistic, but frankly neither was Gundam 00. |
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Prede
 Posts: 388 |
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Wasn't going to comment, because I'm like a week or two behind in listening to this podcast, so this is OLD NEWS now. Hope you guys don't mind the bump. But you forced me, with the Mad Bull 34 music! LoL. That got a great laugh out of me. That show is nuts, love it. It's such a guilty pleasure, horrible horrible show, but I love it. Not a train-wreck level like Garzey's Wing, but still pretty good (or is the word "bad" ?
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Anyway sure hope Justin is wrong with the Media Blasters death spiral. We already lost CPM, Geneon and almost ADV. Don't need to lose another one. I agree with Daryl, that Funimation is probably trying to grab out at the vampire fad people with Dance in the Vampire Bund. I think the late 90's was probably the best time for anime IMO. At least it's my favorite time for anime. But yeah things really haven't changed THAT much, I agree with your theory on that. I'm not one to say "all new anime is terrible" because it's not, there's a lot of good new stuff. And there's a lot of terrible terrible old stuff too. As for the otaku niche pandering thing, I think they should stick to that for awhile longer. Yes keep making th e otaku shows, because hopefully they sell enough to keep the music playing. My opinion on the shows aside*. Because sadly right now anime is not in the position to expand. I'd love anime to get big again, and there to be a million different types of shows out every year. But do you really think that right NOW is the time for them to try and expend? Right after the worst economic disaster in resent memory? I think they should really stick to their roots, at least for another 2 years. Keep making the moe dramas, keep making the otaku shows, keep making the yaoi stuff, because hopefully it will sell. Hopefully when things get better (here and there), they can try and reach out again. Oh and Yoshiaki Kawajiri totally needs something new to direct. One of my favorite directors. Kinda ticked you didn't ask Daryl my Mad Bull 34 question Zac =P . Oh well. Next time! * My opinion on those types of shows is there is good otaku/moe/niche stuff, and there is bad otaku/moe/niche stuff. I like some of it, I don't like other parts. Just like how there's good action, good mecha, good fantasy, and bad action, bad mecha, and bad fantasy etc etc. |
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einhorn303
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It actually was solicited at that price by Funi, then cancelled 1-2 weeks later. No idea what was going on internally. |
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