I think 0080 is pretty good, but that's just my point of view. WitP condenses the ultimate humanistic message of the franchise: (no, not the one about robots being l33t fighting machines), that war isn't a game, but has real effects on people, and that it causes much suffering.
The boy, Al, is extremely annoying in the beginning, but unlike Shinn in GSD, matures by the end of the story when the conflict escalates and shatters his illusions of glorious adventure and glamour, by destroying the people that he cares for. imho one would have to stone cold to not feel for Al, especially near the end when he has to put on a brave face and fight back his tears as Chris tells him to "say goodbye to Bernie for me".
Mecha wise, I thought the Kampfer was cool too

The Kampfer was designed as a high speed shock attack MS with a high load of conventional firepower, but sacrificing operational time and armor. Against a heavily armored NT1, it probably stood little chance Gundam lore is full of stories of amateurs fending off/subdueing more experienced enemies on the strength of overwhelming technological superiority

oh yeah, Alex's pop-up gatling....

it's difficult to translate without context. the last sentence is incomplete:
..."just kidding!"
"...the real place is...."

From the POV of a UC fan at least, I guess one would half expect a tragic, if not gruesome ending for some of the main protagonists in a Gundam story. Even Camille in Z (which GSD most closely resembles) had his brains fried at the end.
That Fukuda did not go that way is understandable perhaps, because he *isn't* of the same mold as kill-em-all Tomino, but a director belonging to a different generation and who therefore, possesses different sensibilities.
Still, in the UC at least, this "tradition" has more or less always been honoured, (even when Tomino sensei was not directing) :
Bernie gets turned into a hamburger in 0080, Shiro Amada loses an arm and a leg in 08MST, even Char and Amuro get vaporized in CCA.
That Shinn/Kira/Athrun escapes a similar fate may be somewhat disappointing to some, and therefore the reaction is not totally unexpected. Gundam (at least in the essence of its original form), depicts the futility of war, and therefore, death of major characters, even the good guys, is almost de-rigeur IMHO

This post has been edited by oe_kintaro: Oct 10 2005, 11:35 PM

Slightly OT:
we currently live in an era of instant gratification; of SMSes, instant pop idols, and reality shows. The entertainment we watch (not just anime) are merely a sign of the times. E.g., just as the whacky comedic feel of the Patlabor TV series represented the heady, euphoric days of the Bubble in Japan, so too did the grimmer, darker movies of that franchise (esp Patlabor 2 and WXIII which came later) reflect the pessimistic aura of the post-Bubble era in which it was created. The Gundam franchise too has been continuously evolving to encompass and reflect the cultural/technological changes of the era in which it was created.

aaah natsukashii... seeing this reminds me of my recent sojourn in Japan where I made more than 10 trips to Akihabara. When I see this clip, I instantly recall Shimokawa Mikuni's cover of Eternal Wind which was the soundtrack for that game, and which was the song at Akihabara at that time.
FOUR! TATAKATCHA IKENAINDA! KIMI WABYOUKI NANDA!!!

This post has been edited by oe_kintaro: May 25 2006, 11:11 PM

Don't you mean:
...but what struck me most was (its similiarity with seed)^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H
"how much Seed copied from it..... "



This post has been edited by oe_kintaro: Jun 2 2006, 12:19 PM

Sayla had a cameo at the end of Zeta IIRC. I don't think it was a speaking part.. yes she just lived on earth.. that all.

Sayla's VA was the late You Inoue, who incidentally, also performed as the redoubtable Kanuka Clancy in Patlabor. I shall miss her voice

I finally got to watch MS Igloo... I must say I really enjoyed watching it because it is so steeped in UC lore. Getting to watch the Battle of Loum enacted for the first time on screen is really something else. All the weird stuff the desperate Zeon forces cobble up is really reminiscent of the stuff the Nazis conjured up in the waning days of WW2

Anyone seen ep 2 of MS Igloo Apocalyse yet?


This post has been edited by oe_kintaro: Jun 25 2006, 11:54 AM

don't think so. I watched the raws.

Suzuoki-san may be gone, but his legacy lives on the hearts of fans who remember his contributions to anime.
For those who didn't know, he also voiced Saitou Hajime in Rurouni Kenshin, and Richard Won in Patlabor, two of my favourite anime.

amuro digs blonds, but char likes lolis

After all these years, the best place to get good quality anime stuff in Penang is still Laser Corridor in Kompleks Bukit Jambul

UC MS have some really unique naming conventions. much better than the unimaginative and pretentious *ehekehek* Justice or Freedom....
When I saw the name kshatria, I instantly got reminded of Kesatria Baja Hitam....
I wonder if it's sanskrit