Postby TheSubtleDoctor » Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:57 am
Mobile Police Patlabor Minimum ("Minipato")
For anyone who has seen the Patlabor TV series or the movies, this little three episode OAV is a fun treat. The "animation" consists of cutouts of the characters, glued to pop-sickle sticks, being waved around. This comical technique should give you an idea of what the purposes of Minipato actually are. You get half an hour (three, ten minute episodes) of Special Vehicles Division 2 being themselves and just generally being amusing. In episode one, Goto talks, in a Goto-ish way, about the firearm that the Ingram (the police robot) is equipped with. The second episode has Shigeo promoting the superiority of labors over various other super robots as well as "Mobile Suits and Armorerd Troopers." Finally, Shinobu reveals the secret of how their division is actually funded in the third and final episode. Fans should check it out.
Now, on to a couple of modern mecha series featuring the talents of Shoji Kawamori.
Sousei no Aquarion
The plot synopsis of SnA makes it sound a bit Eva-ish, or so I've been told; however, though the series has a similat fascination with symbolism and metaphysics, I think Aquarion strives to achieve something quite different from Gainax's landmark mecha show. There is very little in the way of exploration of the human psyche, which Eva pushes to the limit. Aquarion is concerned with promoting "traditional mecha values" i.e. the message is pretty similar to a lot of other shows in the genre: teamwork, never give up, humanity may be flawed but it deserves dignity, etc.
The cast is a mostly likable crew, though theyeir quirks can be irksome at times, and they aren't particularly memorable. Nonetheless, I found myself enjoying the main character at the end of the series. I couldn't get too excited about the CG robot design/animation because SnA is made in that mid-2000s era which was between lolGonzo CG and acceptable CG. The combat itself varied between really awesome and fun to ho-hum, depending on the theme of the episode (character problems were usually tied to the ways the enemies manifested themselves and how they had to be vanquished).
Before anyone gets too excited (ha), I think SnA is a show that most people here will want to avoid due to its content. The innuendo level is quite staggering. Though I don't recall any actual nudity, one of the series' most prominent features is the parallel between the combining of mecha and sexual intercourse. Without being too indelicate, I will say that, when combing mecha (gattai), the mecha pilots experience similar feelings and physical reactions to having intercourse. Oh, Kawamori. This state of affairs exists for more than just titillation, though, as the series attempts to say things about compatibility and the one-ness of the body and mind.
My overall opinion about Aquarion varied with the section of the show I was watching. The execution of the story was a bit bland at the beginning, and the middle had too many one-off gimmicky episodes. However, the ending of the series really impressed me. The staff seemed to have a real plan, and you could absolutely tell the final denouement was not orchestrated by the seat of the pants. I appreciated it and thought it turned out quite well and was surprisingly moving.
Even when SnA wasn't at its highest heights, though, I still found it to have an engaging sense of fun. A great musical score by Yoko Kano helps as well.
Macross Frontier
I love Macross. A lot. Officially. If I was forced to chose between it and Gundam, I'd chose Macross. Frontier, the fifth iteration of the great franchise as well as its 25th anniversary tribute, cemented this particular belief in my head. It found a way to truly and distinctly be SDF Macross's descendant without being its clone.
While being quintessentially Macross at its core, there is something for every anime fan here. Pretty boys, cute girls, slick animation, high school hijinks, relationship drama, comedic moments, fist-pumping moments, fantastic fight scenes...plus the Macross trifecta of pop music, space combat and, a love triangle. This show is imminently watchable, and, despite it being almost four years old, looks as good or better than any TV series running currently. And the spectacle! The final battle especially is just a jaw-dropping sight to behold, as song and beam fly through a sea of wonderfully animated mecha/planes. Grand is a word that comes to mind.
The characters are pretty fantastic, especially the girls. Ranka and Sheryl are just fascinating to watch, and their own relationship dynamic as well as their relationships with Alto and others, are riveting to watch play out. I got really invested in Sheryl and happen to think that she is the best female character in anime (that I've seen, of course). Her courage and nobility truly inspired me, but she was not idealized or out of reach in terms of being human. She remained flawed, even weak and pierced my heart in addition to making it soar.
Cheesy-sounding sentiments, I know; however, Macross brings out the naive idealist in me and in its fans. The power of song can move individual hearts, can stop a war, can change the course of history and the universe. This is the message of Macross, and it is a dose of optimism that the world needs, I think.
(Yes, admittedly, this is very psychadelic for people who aren't used to some crazy wierdness in their seemingly slice-of-life anime. I needed two episodes to get into it)
I am on the fourth or so now....And I am finding it to be really cool. It's weird but it works. 
