Watched the new Gundam 00, and the first episode of Shana II. Provisional thumbs up on Shana II, forget Gundam 00.
Shana: It’s a bit late to write up details, but, although I’m a bit peeved at Shana for the twist to keep the teen angst going, it’s obvious that the gang is about to be in it up to their necks, and nobody realizes it.
Gundam had some good animation and nice character designs, but started losing me when the AEU’s crack pilot spent too much time bragging — while getting his butt kicked. Um, look dude, if someone crashes your party like that, it’s fairly certain that they have your number. More caution is advised, as opposed to bragging. They totally lost me when the “terrorist tape” rolled.
UPDATE: In the comments here, poster Big D nails it:
In most Gundams . . . there is generally a nominal “good” and “bad” side. The heroes are introduced as working for the cause of the “good” side, if not always directly for it. However, as the series progresses, the line between the sides blurs, and the “good” leaders are shown to be stupid and selfish. The heroes then begin fighting for “themselves”, or “their buddies”, or “because that’s what soldiers do”, with no mention of strategic goals or an end state besides a cease fire. Psychobabble gets tossed around about a soldier’s fate, and why wars are horrible, but we have to have them so that soldiers have something to do, or somesuch. The series then wraps up with some big doomsday weapon, while distracting the viewer from the bigger picture with personal/romantic plots with the heroes.
Thank you, BigD, for putting into words exactly what bugs me most about the so-called plots.
I do think season 1 of Shana overdid the teen angst in the Festival arc, but I actually think there’s promise to the triangle. Yoshida’s out-of-nowhere declaration of war to Shana was perhaps the most single shocking moment of the whole first season to me; she went from a somewhat annoyingly shy (if cute) girl with puppy love to someone who could actually go toe-to-toe with the badass Shana, and in this case, actually come out with the upper hand. The supremely competent Shana was reduced to plaintive pleas to Yoshida not to do what she can’t do–be emotionally honest with Yuji. Shana recovered to some degree, but Yoshida’s a force to be reckoned with in her own quiet way, and if the writers play this right, this could actually be interesting. There’s something deeply amusing about that blank, a bit-too-innocent smile Yoshida has while Shana is almost snarling with jealousy at the end of this episode.
The other part of the triangle that could also go places is the fact that in ep. 23-24, I think Yoshida and Shana gained a certain grudging respect for each other. Yoshida made her appeal to Shana to do what she herself couldn’t do–save Yuji–while Shana did actually acknowledge Yoshida’s concern when she saw Yuji, although she thankfully (for once) acknowledged her own feelings toward him (well, sorta). And then there’s Ike. All the emotional complications could actually be handled in an interesting way. There’s real material here to work with, assuming they *don’t* overplay it in my view.
BTW, I’ve only seen pieces of Gundam SEED, or whatever the hell it was called, and I disliked it for the reasons that commentator put up. The Japanese have the distinction of having gone from the extreme militarism of Kamikaze pilots into a sort-of weird Utopian pacifism. That seems reflected in anime at times, like the Gundam series, or downright strange portrayals of military organizations (like why a sub captain in Full Metal Panic should be a cute girl decades younger than her XO, who looks like a naval officer from central casting).
It’s all in the angst (which I have yet another incomplete article discussing). If the characters keep pining and sighing, or screaming UDASI! UDASI! UDASI! then it’s annoying angst. If they get down to trying to compete, at least its better.
However, I have a serious problem in that Yoshida isn’t really in the running. She wants to believe she is, but Yuuji is patiently waiting on Shana to work through her issues. (I thought it was interesting how Alistor reacted when Shana lied about her “last words” to Yuuji.) Unless Shana manages to be stupid and hurt Yuuji again, I don’t see him taking Yoshida seriously — and if Shana does, then I’m going to have a hard time accepting that it’s not contrived to drag out the love triangle. I really don’t like dragging out the unhappiness of the losing girl.
Shakugan no Shana isn’t the only series to sin in that regard. I’m really getting upset with Hayate no Gotoku I thought the issue with Hayate’s classmate had been resolved — not very well, IMHO, but at least they weren’t going to torture (any more) a girl who had no chance, meaning she was out of the series. Wrongu! She shows up in the very first episode of the “second” season, wondering about Hayate.
And some people wonder why I prefer harem comedies. Less angst, more bounce for the ounce.