I loved the talks about the series! Some really good character points were made *nod nod*. In fact, we probably put more thought into it in just this thread than the series' creators put into EW!
Though I get kinda giggly when someone starts digging deeply into the characterisation or the politics of GW. I love the series. I saw it twice, bought the box set and watched it again with my husband. It's adorable, it refuses to take the easy way out (ie Good vs Bad), it raises some interesting questions, it has plot holes you can drive a Gundam through. Hmmm, love it.
Just to take one of many, many aspects on which I could wax lyrical: The Philosophy! I mean, the politics are interesting, and they make a stab at 'real Politiks' which is creditable. They often miss by a mile, but I give them points for efforts, and occasionally they are on target. Of course, if the philosophy and politics boil down to War Is Bad, as personified by Relena, we have to wonder why she's always shown to be wrong. I mean, every time she gets a shot at the limelight, or a chance to prove her ideals, she gets shot down, sometimes literally, and then Heero gets to save her ass. If you think about it, does Relena ever do ANYTHING that actually sticks and makes a difference, without it getting subsumed by someone else's cause? Apart from being a vague motivating force for Heero that is. Hmm. Well, the thing to remember, I guess, is that this is anime. It'll take a stab at important and interesting questions but above all its about fun and looking cool. I mean, if Relena and some of the other people in the series had their say, the series would be about long debates around a table to decide on peaceful cooperation, bi-lateral disarmament, and treaties.
Whereas cooking up a plan to make a general massacre of two armies or blowing up parts of the earth to discourage mankind from making war, as a plan, makes less sense but is infitinely more fun to watch.
Besides, though the series wants us to know that War is Bad, and Fighting Is Bad, it also wants us to know that nothing, I mean, nothing, is gonna stop them from putting five very pretty teenagers into massive mecha to kick ass. As Sol said, it's all about The Cuteness!
Another thing that amuses me about the series is this notion that it's okay for the G-boys to kick ass (everybody else who does that is Wrong), because they are, to quote half the female groupies in GW (Noin, Sally and Une, in roughly that order), 'so pure'. Ie, so right. I assume. Now this generally makes me fall out of my chair laughing hysterically and scaring the cat. They're fifteen-year-olds (I wouldn't give most fifteen-year-olds boys a slingshot) who are hardly poster-boys for stability, or indeed, sanity. They spend 90% of the series being wrong, used, confused, betrayed, stranded around helplessly, blowing themselves up, trying to blow themselves up, being beaten by their enemies and captured, being freed by their other enemies because of some ulterior motive, being directed by five extremely creepy old guys who may or may not be nut jobs, brain-f*$& by Zero, and a lot more. Then they blow up a lot of mobile dolls, and have the occasional fit of angst or philosophical discussion. THey change their mind almost as frequently as Zechs 'Plot Device' Marquise. Even at the end, Treize and Une have more to do about bringing Peace than the boys. But that's okay because they're cute, and they're the heroes! And they get to blow up Libra. And look really good doing so.
So the philosophy and political slogan I got out of GW is:
Life is a lot more complicated than you think, and then a Gundam steps on you.
Personally I've adopted this as my own life-defining motto, and I'm very happy with it.
Oh, and I have some stuff about the original topic too!
Date: 7 Aug 2004 06:47 pm (UTC)Though I get kinda giggly when someone starts digging deeply into the characterisation or the politics of GW. I love the series. I saw it twice, bought the box set and watched it again with my husband. It's adorable, it refuses to take the easy way out (ie Good vs Bad), it raises some interesting questions, it has plot holes you can drive a Gundam through. Hmmm, love it.
Just to take one of many, many aspects on which I could wax lyrical: The Philosophy! I mean, the politics are interesting, and they make a stab at 'real Politiks' which is creditable. They often miss by a mile, but I give them points for efforts, and occasionally they are on target.
Of course, if the philosophy and politics boil down to War Is Bad, as personified by Relena, we have to wonder why she's always shown to be wrong. I mean, every time she gets a shot at the limelight, or a chance to prove her ideals, she gets shot down, sometimes literally, and then Heero gets to save her ass. If you think about it, does Relena ever do ANYTHING that actually sticks and makes a difference, without it getting subsumed by someone else's cause? Apart from being a vague motivating force for Heero that is. Hmm. Well, the thing to remember, I guess, is that this is anime. It'll take a stab at important and interesting questions but above all its about fun and looking cool. I mean, if Relena and some of the other people in the series had their say, the series would be about long debates around a table to decide on peaceful cooperation, bi-lateral disarmament, and treaties.
Whereas cooking up a plan to make a general massacre of two armies or blowing up parts of the earth to discourage mankind from making war, as a plan, makes less sense but is infitinely more fun to watch.
Besides, though the series wants us to know that War is Bad, and Fighting Is Bad, it also wants us to know that nothing, I mean, nothing, is gonna stop them from putting five very pretty teenagers into massive mecha to kick ass. As Sol said, it's all about The Cuteness!
Another thing that amuses me about the series is this notion that it's okay for the G-boys to kick ass (everybody else who does that is Wrong), because they are, to quote half the female groupies in GW (Noin, Sally and Une, in roughly that order), 'so pure'. Ie, so right. I assume.
Now this generally makes me fall out of my chair laughing hysterically and scaring the cat. They're fifteen-year-olds (I wouldn't give most fifteen-year-olds boys a slingshot) who are hardly poster-boys for stability, or indeed, sanity. They spend 90% of the series being wrong, used, confused, betrayed, stranded around helplessly, blowing themselves up, trying to blow themselves up, being beaten by their enemies and captured, being freed by their other enemies because of some ulterior motive, being directed by five extremely creepy old guys who may or may not be nut jobs, brain-f*$& by Zero, and a lot more. Then they blow up a lot of mobile dolls, and have the occasional fit of angst or philosophical discussion. THey change their mind almost as frequently as Zechs 'Plot Device' Marquise. Even at the end, Treize and Une have more to do about bringing Peace than the boys.
But that's okay because they're cute, and they're the heroes! And they get to blow up Libra. And look really good doing so.
So the philosophy and political slogan I got out of GW is:
Life is a lot more complicated than you think, and then a Gundam steps on you.
Personally I've adopted this as my own life-defining motto, and I'm very happy with it.
SOl, over to you!