Moeru Anime

The February issue of the Japanese-language film magazine Eiga Hi-Ho features a full-page interview with yours truly babbling at dangerous length on the topic of giant robots. In keeping with Patrick's recent Top Thirty Anime of All Time brou-ha-ha, the interview began with a list of my all-time robot-genre faves. In no particular order, AND NO ARGUMENT ALLOWED, NEITHER, they were:

1) Macross: Do You Remember Rub?
2) Wakusei Robo Dangard Ace
3) Getta Robo G
4) Walker Machine Xabungle
5) Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket
6) Aim for the Top: Gunbuster
7) Armored Trooper Votoms
8) Castle in the Sky: Laputa
9) Densetsu Kyojin Ideon (Theatrical Version)
10) Mazinger Z

This list formed the basis for a free-wheeling, several hour discussion with Hi-Ho's "Ginty" Kobayashi and Star Wars manga-ka Shinichi Hiromoto (who also provided the beautiful all-original super robot illustration used in the article). Topics touched upon included life, the universe, and how watching the Transformers scarred me for life.

And for those of you who haven't reached your Matt Alt Quotient for the week, tune into the latest Hot Tears of Shame podcast on Patrick's site, where we quickly learn the real value of an A-Team DVD box set on the mean streets of Tokyo.

Comments

[Carl Horn]

Of course, Laputa should be ranked as a robot anime. But I'm also glad you listed 0080 to represent Gundam, as it was written by the person I blah blah blah the most about, Hiroyuki Yamaga. Yamaga has said he was given a thick bible of things he wasn't allowed to change, but nevertheless what he did was memorable. It was also my favorite period for Mikimoto's character designs, 0080 being made just before Gunbuster.

[Steve Harrison]

Carl, it's funny you mention that stuff about Gundam 0080 and the thick file of things that couldn't be changed, because it was 0080 that started the trend towards the Nazification of Jion (touched a bit more in Char's Counterattack and hammered home by Gundam 0083, of course), and that's somewhat a significant change....I mean, going from "Oh, they're like space nazis or something" to honest-to-gosh German Army swipes...

I keep digressing, don't I? *heh* I blame the Mad Cow..

So what's Mikimoto doing nowadays? Last I saw was his rash of 'special project' paintings, like the box of Space Battleship Yamato movie LDs. You'd think with Moe Fever sweeping Japan he'd be primed and ready to dominate...what am I missing?

[Matt Alt]

I've heard of that infamous Gundam story bible described by those in the know as "the weight of history." Parallel universe shows like Gundam Seed are an attempt to loosen some of those self-imposed restrictions.

I love "0080" both from story and design standpoints. It's concise and compact enough to enjoy in its totality over the course of an afternoon. It's one of the few Gundam series where the main character's traditional wishy-washy whininess plays well (that sort of thing works better with a ten year old like Al than a teenager like Amuro.) And Yutaka Izubuchi's striking mechanical designs represent a high point for the series, even close to two decades later. Ironically, the Japanese don't seem to think so: it's one of the less well represented of the Gundam series from a merchandising perspective, and people always seem surprised when I mention it as being one of my favorites.

[Steve Harrison]

At risk of having Gunota reach thru the internets to kill my a**, I think Bandai sees Gundam 0080 as their 'Macross II'. A high profile stand alone project initiated (in part, in concept) to reach across the Great Ocean and get those precious AmeriDollars, using staff that were fan favorites, and carefully crafted to be exactly what was thought of being the 'good' stuff that would make a surefire hit.

Only the spark didn't catch. Nobody in the U.S. 'bit' on 0080. And when it's all said and done, the designs for the MS all come off as being WAY more advanced than is 'proper' for the time period (not surprising, as they were more a complement to the same release period Char's Counterattack than anything else. If you imagine a release of 0080 on U.S. home video followed by CCA in theaters it makes much more sense), so it's awkward to make everything fit. With all the retcon that Bandai's done with Gundam, I'd think the proper course would be to 'devolve' all the 0080 designs so they looked more like the other OYW MS...but hey, what do I know? NOTHING! I know NOTHING! BWAAAAaahahahahaaha!

[Carl Horn]

"It's one of the few Gundam series where the main character's traditional wishy-washy whininess plays well (that sort of thing works better with a ten year old like Al than a teenager like Amuro.)"

OOOOHHHHHHharsh! Yet true. I've never asked Mr. Yamaga in detail about the 0080 project, but it would be interesting to do so. 0080 isn't built around an ace pilot, nor does it have Newtypes, which ironically brings it closer to the "real robot" concept than the original GUNDAM. It also, most probably, made it seem "not GUNDAM enough." It's worth noting that the more naturalistic approach of 0080 made it a suitable platform for Seishun Shitemasu's parody dub "GUNDAM 0069: The Wonder Years," in which it is claimed the goals of the Zeon movement are "pick up girls, take some drugs, listen to Donovan."

Now is also the time to admit that in 1994 I made an 0080 AMV to Midnight Oil's "Outbreak of Love." From a cassingle!

[Matt Alt]

It would indeed be interesting to interview Mr. Yamaga about 0080. Please do!

It's funny, but the least "Gundammy" shows seem to garner the most response abroad: 0080, 0083, and Wing.

Regarding the re-casting of the Zeon as "space Nazis," I'm of mixed feelings; it certainly fits the millieu but I'll always love the over-the-top, "Rose of Versaille"-esque portrayal of the Zeon in the first series.

[Daryl Surat]

It's a funny thing, but despite its repeated recommendations and cult status, I don't believe Xabungle has ever been fansubbed past the first episode and I've thus not been able to really see much of it. Similarly, despite the existence of the Jim Terry Force Five dub, I don't think anyone's ever really cared for Danguard Ace enough to translate the original. To this day, the sum of my exposure to that one has been from CPF giving it the award for "bullshit potatohead."

I hesitate to agree with the idea that Gundam 0080 garners a great deal of response among anime fans--heck, even Gundam fans which most consider subhuman, albeit not quite as subhuman as say, VOTOMS fans--in the US. I see far more enthusiasm being levied towards 08th MS Team than that one, though that too is one that sort of goes against the tried-and-true Gundam formula. Not too surprisingly, 08th MS Team was shown and reshown on Cartoon Network (in a proper weekday timeslot as opposed to the doomed-to-fail "one episode a week on Saturday night" approach) shortly after Gundam Wing was.

I think what I'm trying to express here is my lamentation that neither Matt nor Patrick care about Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still.

[Matt Alt]

I'm always mildly surpised at the lack of overlap between what's popular in Japan as opposed to the US, but nowhere is it more evident than in the robot genre, as so few of the Japanese classics ever made it into a formal English-language release. Shows like Dancougar, Ideon, and Xabungle are king among the thirtysomething "old school" crowd over here -- hence their recent release as expensive Soul of Chogokin toys -- yet they're all but unknown in the USA. Xabungle in particular is a tough sell in the American market, as it's a heavily character-driven semi-parody of genre conventions that aren't particularly well known in the USA. (It's essentially Gundam re-set in the Wild West, but it upends all sorts of robot anime stereotypes as the story plays out.)

I like the Giant Robo stuff, but never got as hooked by it as any of the shows I mentioned above. There's no doubt that it's the consummate robot conniseur's robot show, though; "Where's Giant Robo?" was the first question to come up when I posted the above list on my Japanese-language Mixi page.

[Stve Harrison]

It's possible neither Matt or Patrick underwent the 'anime malaise' that grew at the start of the '90s. For me at least, I was feeling the lack of quality, the lack of excitment in anime at that point, at least compared to the days of burning youth.

Giant Robo the animation, with a really bare teaser trailer, re-ignited my passion, to the point I was spending large money on the LDs and CDs. And I didn't even have an LD player!

I think I'm not alone, because of all the other retro-remake projects that suddenly popped up, such as my beloved Tekkaman Blade.

But man, you had to BE there. The first episode of GR was good, but that bit in the second, where Yoshi and Issei ride to the rescue, the music swells up, and it was a HUGE steak and tons of steakfries after long, long meals of dry white toast.

Stuff like Moon Phase just can't compete. :)