[Muv Luv Alternative Total Eclipse Episode 6 and 7]

Rape is bad. It’s even a sin. Lot offered his own daughters to the Sodomites just so they won’t get to kick his doors in and rape Badass Old Testament God’s Angels. Since he offered his own daughters whom he has complete authority over (especially since they’re minors) so as to prevent rapey sin. It’s no longer rape if you consent on your daughters’ behalf right Lot? But alas, them Sodomites prefer them Angel boys instead of lolis. But these rapists could also have thought, “raping girls leads to worse sin, like abortion!” What? Abortion as a medical procedure may not have existed before the flood? But the flood happened 2 weeks ago, here in Manila. Oh you mean Filipinos don’t count in as the chosen people? THAT’S RACIST!

Filipinos are perfectly capable of religious fundamentalism! Like seriously, fuck science! Stop the Reproductive Health Bill, because you know, USING A CONDOM IS PERFORMING ABORTION! This also makes me pregnant because I have countless sperm cells IN MY TESTICLES. Anyway, rape is bad and these Georgians and Khazaks were going to squad-rape the Russians, right before they platoon-rape them. Why can’t they just restrict themselves to sexist but appreciative cat-calls like the people of Glorious Nippon in episode 7?

Well, who are we to judge? Everyone’s a little bit rapist, right?

Even Filipinos! Even shitty singers cosplaying Hetalia Axis Powers! I enjoyed watching this musical live when a local production was held a few years back. I suppose it challenged my idea of rape as exclusively a foreign thing: Spanish Colonizers, American Colonizers, Japanese Colonizers. Man, all their dicks all the way up our colon. I then realize I could very well be a rapist too, if only a little bit.

But the Georgians and the Khazaks aren’t just interested in rape, are they? Rape was just a thing to do, corollary to what really is a means to oppress, humiliate, and abuse the Russian girls, for being Russian. It was going to be a hate crime. Of course it was averted, since the harem lead burst into the scene and saved the day. The bitch commander of the Georgians/Khazaks will soon fall under the spell of his manly penis next episode.

This show is shit.

That said, I appreciate how the bureaucracy is portrayed – how politics and backroom deals upend the design principles of the technology they’re testing. Organizational dynamics so often compromise the execution of projects. This is true far beyond the military industrial complex. Yui is in full dere-dere mode now, and yeah this show is shit.

I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT EPISODE!

[Eureka seveN AO Episode 16]

With every action, there is an equal, and opposite reaction. One of the fundamental laws of physics, it defines that no action happens without affecting something else. And is Ao finds out, his Scub Coral bazooka (or Quartz Gun as Gen Bleu calls it) not only destroys Secrets, but reaches through time to affect past events. With the inclusion of just this one element, this show has gone from being a sort of battle between Scub, Secret, and Human, to that of how can Ao restore the timeline. Wonderful.

The affects on the timeline have begun to weigh on everyone’s mind. But especially with Ao. This currently ripple and alternate time line were created by him and his use of the Quartz Gun. In his mind, he as removed Team Goldilocks from the timeline. And in his despair, he turns to Gazelle and company. And in their conversation, we get our first real introduction to Johansson’s book. Johansson is a (presumed) scientist that found Truth as a child in the aftermath of the first human versus Secret fight on the Scub near Iwato Island. As we saw in Episode 13, Truth appears to be a Secret that was enveloped by Scub material, forming Naru’s Sea Monster/and the humanoid looking Truth. Johansson takes in Truth, and from the knowledge held in Truth’s head, he writes a book. This book describes the affect the Scub have had on the history of Earth. Their arrival alters the time line, presumably the timeline that forms the basis for the original series. What Ao finally realizes is that he hasn’t destroyed the members of Team Goldilocks, but that they living lives where the Scub Coral did not cause them changes.

As Ao has to see this for himself, he rushes off to Ireland to see first hand that they are alright. During his side mission we’re presented again with an interesting conversation. Georg is not the same anymore. Since the interface to the Secret occurred, he periodically loses himself, and it appears that Generation Bleu, including Ao, are actually interfacing with the Secret, whether they realize it or not. This interface could be very useful later, should Ao and the Secrets goals both align.

As for Ao, his role in history and the future is calling him. While Pied Piper goes back to retrieving the quartz from the newly reactivated Scub Coral, the new Quartz Gun reactivates on its own. It’s hunger is for the quartz heart, and it forces the Nirvash to retrieve it, despite the local authorities resistance. And once it has retrieved it, no other than Truth shows up. In the confrontation, Eureka (Ao’s mother, not the one that returned) crosses the timeline to talk with Ao. She describes the Scub as being living in both Space and Time (look up the space time continuum), which is why they randomly appear and different points in time in the past earth. And when she jumped with the quartz crystal, she was lost in time.

In seeing his mother, he’s one again driven to action, this time to save her from the limbo of time. But as goes to pull the trigger, which would kill Truth, and probably destroy the Scub Coral, the weight of changing the timeline again ways on him and he can’t do it. A big decision to make as a 13 year old, and he can’t do it. And maybe that’s a good thing. It’s probably not wise to go about changing the past without a plan.

In watching this episode, it is clear that as a child of the Scub, if anything certain, it is looking like Ao cannot escape his fate as some sort of guardian of the timeline.

And now my speculation for the week. Here are my thoughts on how the timelines have played out between the original series, and the present. Think I’m close?

[Mobile Suit Gundam AGE 44]

I often read critics pan films by using/making the observation “like a video game,” as if video game action sequences aren’t proven methods of delivering a high level of action entertainment. I don’t buy into this lazy dismissal, not because I’m a video game fanboy – I haven’t really played anything except Mass Effect the past 4 years unless you count Pop Cap games; and fuck yeah Super Robot Wars.

Mobile Suit Gundam AGE plays out like an extended Super Robot Wars cut-scene battle, where dramatic plot points are played out but little-to-no actual gameplay happens. This is the narrative comparison. The more appropriate comparison is that Zeheart in his Gundam Legilis fought the Sid in what really is a “bullet hell” type of video game boss battle.

Yeah, something like that (Fraxy – ARGUS). I never took to this kind of game and I’m not going to start now, but I do enjoy watching the ridiculous skill involved in beating such bosses. Basically, the hero’s ability to spam the larger target with his main weapons are compromised by the barrage of weapons fire directed at him. The hero is preoccupied with avoiding the deadly barrage so much so that it’s hard to inflict damage on the enemy, who, being a boss, will also have several orders of special abilities/attacks at its disposal.

In the case of the AcguyQubeleyFreedom, it turned invisible.

To beat it, Zeheart had two “power-ups” … the first was the Legilis’ version of the Fin Funnel/I-Field of the Nu Gundam. Energy bits can not only level offensive beam fire, but also act as a force field against beam weapons. Second, Zeheart had Super Pilot Asem with his pirate Gundam and its grappling hooks. Between these two additions to his toolbox, along with his inherent X-Rounder powers, he was able to beat the Sid.

The whole thing played very fast and very true to its video game roots, and the resolutions in the episode were rather dark and entertaining: Flit is still a hater douche (yes!), Fram was put in her place (just outside the kitchen, LOL); the pirates made a good play with splitting up their forces, but Sid was prepared for that…

…the beauty was the Pirates were ALSO prepared for it. Asem’s redshirt wingmates got killed, but that wouldn’t stop them. The EXA-DB was destroyed because the pirate ship executed its contingency role. Too bad it wasn’t completely destroyed, and the AcguyQubeleyFreedom will come back as some kind of bigger freak, but that’s for another boss battle.

This one was just right. Oh by the way, this isn’t the first time AGE referenced video game combat dynamics in a big way. Episode 8 laid it pretty thick.

[Eureka seveN AO Episode 17]

Everyone needs a little down time. Some R&R, a break from the fight, rest for the weary. And honestly, for this show, this applies for not only the characters, but us as the viewer as well. We have been on a whirlwind of time travel and time paradoxes with enough confusion to keep us guessing until the end. But this week is a reprieve from that. Which is definitely a good thing. This episode brings us back to the humanity of the situation. Emotions, friendships, and trust. As I know I’m going to be all over the place with this one, I’ll keep it short.

Fleur’s attitude has been very stand offish. She creates barriers between her and those around her. She doesn’t ask questions, she doesn’t talk about her past, and she doesn’t open up to others. She keeps things bottled up. She’s generally not a lot of fun to be around. These actions have hers have put Ao and Elena at a distance. And it’s finally come to a head. With a good bitch slap from Elena, and an emotional slap from Gazelle, she’ finally has to take stock in her emotions, and those around her.

As for Ao, he has reached his emotional end. He runs from his problems to the Americans. he feels he has no one else to turn to, so he goes to those that he thinks will help him pull it together. But as he finds out, the relations there are sterile, filled with contracts and agreements. He tries to explain it away, but, as represented by Noah’s gorging on sweets, there is an emptiness in him that is not being filled.

Avoiding emotions just isn’t the Eureka Seven way. One thing was made perfectly clear; Love is an essential. The love between Eureka and Renton. The love between Dominic and Anemone. Their love was a driving force to action. And in this episode, in a small part, we finally begin to see it as well. It’s not until the emotions of both Fleur and Elena reach their peak, that Third Engine activates. While it may just be plutonic love for Ao, it’s enough to get things going. Elena and Fleur fly off to take Ao back, with the power of their love driving the IFO’s.

And in their actions, two people finally get what they need. Fleur acknowledges her emotions, both for her friends, and for Ao. And Ao feels like he belongs. They acknowledge each other’s feelings. Of course, when the heat of the moment cools down, the Third Engine’s loose their drive. But hopefully, this is a growth moment for the three of them. Ao will finally feel like a part of the team, and will give up his whiney attitude. Maybe Fleur will finally engage in meaningful conversation with Ao and Elena. And maybe Elena will finally have friends she can rely on to figure out who she really is.

In kind of a side note, there is an “End” flag for Episode 22. This either means that the last two episodes will be doubles, or the that they are finding a different time to air them. You  can check out the TV schedule here.

[Mobile Suit Gundam AGE 45]

As with the tradition of Gundam shows, the final battle becomes a mess of conflicts as factions turn on each other. The Earth Federation isn’t immune to this, with the Asunos each trying to end the war in their own way. The Gundam itself is thrown into this fracas as an object of temptation – its final, most powerful “Burst Mode” is supposedly a decisive, deadly weapon capable of destroying enemies en masse.

This is what Kio struggles against using, as he tries to be good enough a pilot to disarm all Vagan he comes across without having to use the deadly mode. Nothing gets through him, with the most sensible and level-headed of all characters Seric failing to convince him to not focus on disarming his enemies – protecting them from the battle by taking away their means to fight. Obviously this is a supposedly higher degree of difficulty compared to targeting the torsos of the Vagan mobile suits. But this is his way of ending conflict, and Gundam as a franchise is committed to this ideal as its definitive form of heroism.

Fortunately for us, the battle itself is fast-paced and ferocious. So far, there is not stalling or stalemate scenarios. The tactics play out very quickly: the Vagan drew in the Feddies into the firing line of its mass beam weapon by placing dummy warships. The laser took out five or so Federation capital ships. Algreus responded quickly by sending the Diva and the rest of the forces into the firing path knowing that the enemy weapon must take time to recharge.

The Vagan on the other hand has to deal with civil war, as Zanald openly rebels and while not opposing the directive to fight the Federation forces, takes the opportunity to take out Zeheart. He will most likely fail, but I imagine Fram to die ensuring this failure. What is left for this show to show us?

What’s left for us to see is how Kio’s way prevails. He will be compromised to use the Burst Mode, but what can happen, much to my dismay, is for his X-Rounder powers to tame this weapon to disarm ALL combatants en masse. The only combatants to escape from this disarmament would be the key players, most likely the other Asunos and Zeheart, perhaps a few other Vagan. The final moments of the battle will play out as duels, while the La Glamis’ weapon is prevented from firing a second time. This will be the defeat of the Vegan in the battle, the cannon being the last weapon to play as the fleet is disabled by the Burst Mode.

Flit or Asem may have to sacrifice themselves in order to stop this.

The question is: what do I make of AGE as a whole if it chooses to go this way?

I think it turns out to be a watchable show, which could have been great. It fails to become great because it doesn’t overcome the limitations in terms of budget and time to produce a consistently amazing spectacle, while deploying many of the elements of the franchise that annoy me, and I imagine many fans throughout its 30+ years. I won’t enumerate these things here, as I imagine there would be time for reckoning after the end.

Of the approximately 9 50 episode TV series in Gundam’s franchise, there is only one I consider to have strong rewatch value (Mobile Suit Z Gundam), I somehow feel that this show will become another. And no, I don’t mean to say that Zeta, or the other long Gundam shows I like don’t have incredibly long stretches of ugly and boring episodes. They all have it in varying degrees. It’s a shame how AGE is filled with it after the quick start, and the long stretch towards the end.

Flit, show me something big before you go. Don’t go down Kiofied.

[Mobile Suit Gundam AGE 46]

Seric dies, not fighting, but plotted as the maturity flag for Capt. Natora Einus. His machine is damaged enough to remain in the path of the Diva’s main gun, and Natora has to fire. Thankfully, she does. Seric shouldn’t have to stay any longer in this show. As much as he admonishes Kio for his way of not fighting, he could only wish he had that kind of enemy.

Kio had his chance too, as Zanald kills Deen for no real reason except to show further how worthless he is as a character beyond a mere plot device As such, he services the plot by tempting Kio to go all berserk – which he does, and doesn’t. Because Kio’s mercy is its own X-Rounder. Kio’s conscience has gone full-Newtype, and will protect every enemy pilot from the Gundam, no matter how overpowered the attack.

This show can’t maintain the verisimilitude of this conceit, not that it ever established any. Zanald’s suit’s main armament is its chest, and yet Kio launched multiple attacks using all the burst blades of the AGE-FX’s Burst Mode to remove the opposing mobile suit’s limbs. This is NOT disarmament. This is just plain failure.

Zanald’s survival in this encounter with Kio only serves to fill us with the dread of expecting him to foil Zeheart one more time. The Vagans really need to all die at this point.

You know what, in hindsight I do wish this show’s poor ratings resulted in pulling the plug on it after the 2nd AGE. Kio’s arc is a total mess and there’s so little for me to enjoy about it. We’d have had ugly Gundams in a refreshing story with awesome characters. Instead we get one decent Gundam (AGE 3) for a few episodes, then a crapton of fail.

It’s a strange thing to write, as a devoted Macross fan, and an irredeemable Minmay fan, on the eve of the fictional date of the Armstice between the Human and Zentreadi forces on September 11, 2009 – but only if we acknowledge Macross: Do You Remember Love? as canon, a decision whose consideration lies at the heart of this essay.

This film adaptation of the TV Anime Super Dimension Fortress Macross did many things in the history of anime, but within the context of Macross fandom, it made a huge star out of Lynn Minmay. Those who first encountered the franchise as it were through DYRL were “spared” the complexity of the TV Anime version, seeing a mostly winsome idol who participated in a love triangle that shaped galactic history; by singing in the largest battle that humans ever fought in, and turning the tide with her performance.

That account of Minmay’s history is mostly consistent between the two media sources. However, there are critical and important differences.

Minmay was captured by the Zentraedi

She was captured along with Misa, Hikaru, Roy(!), Max, and Kaifun(!). She performed the kiss in front of Golg Bodolle Zer (instead of Misa). When Misa and Hikaru were able to escape, she was left behind and became the ambassador (!) between the Humans and Zentraedi which resulted in the Armstice we are celebrating (?) today.

She also taught Britai humor and jokes.

Minmay sang a Protoculture melody

The Zentraedi revealed to her (and the rest of the humans) a melody from the extinct Protoculture race, which then was given lyrics translated by Misa that became the song “Ai oboete imasu ka?” This was the thematic and poetic song to perform in the great battle… as it unites the distinct races in the galaxy.

It actually legitimizes (to a degree) the Minmay-centric pop monoculture instrumental in the human hegemony to follow; given that it wasn’t a Minmay song. It was a Protoculture song, with Minmay only interpreting. It is also a beautiful melody, which made it, Minmay, and Macross itself iconic in the history of anime itself.

The thing is, Minmay never sang it

It’s one thing to consider the creator’s insistence of “many retellings of the same events” through various animated stories, given his analogy to the different stories told about World War 2, but in the different media on the subject, the lead actors mostly play in small stories (see Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, The Longest Day, Pearl Harbor, Midway, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters to Iwo Jima, Schindler’s List, The Pacific, Escape from Sobibor, The Thin Red Line, Grave of the Fireflies); small relative to the big events that shaped the war (unless you consider darkly humorous alternative history such as Inglorious Basterds).

Minmay saved the war, in both the TV Series and in DYRL, but more so in the latter.

In Macross, the love story may be set against the backdrop of great battles, but they also influence them significantly, and especially so in DYRL.

Here’s the big question: which came first as a unit of media in the fictional world of Macross: the TV Series or DYRL?

The first assumption, the gut assessment, and evidence all suggest that the TV series came first albeit there was no air date for it. However, DYRL? is acknowledged to exist as a film within the continuity. This plays out in Macross 7 in particular. But let’s invite some logic: if the film existed first, why the glaring omission of the biggest, most popular, and most important song in the TV series?

Was it due to licensing issues? Preposterous.

Macross: Do You Remember Love? was screened in February 2(?), 2031 – the same day/month Mylene Flare Jenius was born, a full 20 years after the events, and almost 2 decades since Minmay left and disappeared with the Megaroad-01. WHO WAS THE ACTRESS AND SINGER WHO PERFORMED MINMAY in the movie?

They can’t just happen to discover Ai Oboete Imasu Ka? and include it in the film, as unreleased music by Minmay. If she indeed recorded this and Tenshi no Enogu, then why the insistence in rewriting history by making one of them front and center during the fight against the Bodolle Zer fleet?

That simply did not happen.

Minmay didn’t sing it. Whoever wrote it is lost in time, but definitely Misa did NOT translate anything.

This is the continuity mess that Macross finds itself. It’s most iconic song was never performed by its most important characters. After all, Ranka did not defect to the Vajra and thereby captured by Galaxy/Grace and made to perform a creepy version of the song against the Frontier fleet. If she really did, then she wouldn’t have been able to sing VALKYRIAAAAAAA~ with Sheryl. That, to me, is a bigger disaster than this DYRL kerfuffle.

FORGET FACTS, FORGET LOGIC. REMEMBER LOVE.

Farewell, Minmay. The manufactured memories I have of you will stay with me forever.

[Eureka seveN AO Episode 18]

Yes, I know I’m a week late. Between family and work, life has gotten busy this Fall. But honestly, that’s no excuse. I guess the reason I’m really late is an indication of my growing frustration with this show. And this week’s episode, with it’s shotgun approach to unraveling mysteries and creating new ones, was almost a letdown. It was utterly anticlimactic.  And why do I think that?

The Mystery of Maggie Kwan is Confirmed

With very little focus or fanfare, we’re formally introduced to Maggie. While the other members of Team Goldilocks never piloted IFOs, Maggie apparently still does, and is fighting for the Allied Forces. She has been convinced that saving the kids of Generation Bleu is the right thing to do.

The Secret That Wasn’t Really a Secret About Truth

As Bones has been hinting at for the last 6 or so episodes, the true form of Truth is that of a Secret.  As we saw in the Eureka flashback, along with the following fight on the Gekko Go, Truth is a Secret that lost it’s purpose. Following the fight with Eureka, the Secret changed its form. And if Naru is correct, some amount of Scub was also brought into that form.  The way this is revealed to us was almost like the writer was saying “Didn’t you know that already?” It feels like they were looking to just rush through it in an effort to get the story on to the next phase.

Elena Drops Bombs, and No One Things Twice About it

Honestly, how many times does Elena have to say something outrageous, before anyone will listen to her? Last week, she tells Fleur that she killed Miller and took on her identity, and all Fleur can do is stare at Elena, get bitched slapped, and walk away. Then this week, Elena point blank tells Ao and Fleur that she was brought to this world by Eureka, and that she doesn’t belong here. Their reaction? More blank stares, and completely blowing her off. What the hell? You would think, of all people, Ao would be engaged in that conversation. But he has only a muted reaction. Granted, they were interrupted, but you think he would have mobbed Elena over that revelation.

The Captain Goes Down with the Ship

Once things start hitting the fan, Christophe has no intention of seeing it to the end. And in his final, desperate act, he attempts to take Truth down with some Quartz. But again, it feels like it was all rushed. What should be, in anime terms, a desperate heroic acts, feels like it was forced down our throats.

So here we are. We are at least 3 (but hopefully 5) episodes to the conclusion. There are still things that this show still has not touched on. What about the IFO in the deep basement of the Gen Bleu facility? Is Naru going to do anything other than hang out with the Scub in a white night gown? Will anyone take Elena seriously?