Gatchaman Crowds Insight – 09
Pai-Pai will return after he is sufficiently inebriated to deliver the bad news
Last week I wrote a loooong post, so I’m going to try and keep this one a little more concise. School starting today is playing absolutely no factor in my post length. Yep, none at all….So let’s move along, ok?
“What’s a hero?”
I honestly feel bad ragging on Gatchaman at this point. Season 1 was incredibly charming and I loved every minute of blogging it. That positivity carried over to this season and raised my hype levels to a fever pitch. I loved the beginning of this season too! Then I went away for a few weeks and when I came back to watch my backlog of episodes, the magic was gone. I wasn’t even looking forward to seeing what I had missed. I set my expectations high and they were let down. Even worse for you guys is that now it seems like I’ve been abruptly switched with an alternate Overcooled who hates all things Gatcha since my gradually increasing dislike was masked by my blogging absence.
However, as an aniblogger, I must be honest…even if blogging about how much Gatchaman is getting me down just drags my opinion of the show down lower in a vicious pity cycle. I can’t believe I don’t like this show anymore. It feels like some sort of curse. Anyways, let’s start with the bad and end on a good note so I can sort of/maybe/kinda trick myself into remembering only the good things about this episode.
My number one pet peeve right now is Kuu-sama. The metaphor with them eating people who didn’t like them was already pretty obvious, but this week made it so blatant that you could probably see it from space. Kuu-sama don’t just eat people who are outwardly opposing their reign. Now they eat people who disagree with any majority statement in the slightest, even if it’s a one time thing. I drew the line where they were about to terminate a kindergartener for politely declining to play ball. Because yes, society is being ruined by children who draw instead of do sports. What if they become a manga-ka?! Heavens knows what would happen then! Every single instance of the Kuu-sama eating people who wouldn’t have fun with a group of people was ridiculous, but watching Mana almost get eaten was on the dumbness magnitude of something that should happen in Symphogear. And I don’t even watch that show. Children barely even have the mental facilities to understand “atmosphere” or theory of mind, and yet they’re being punished for it. Not just punished…executed. Look me in the eye and try to tell me that isn’t the dumbest thing you ever did hear. You can’t because that’s not how blogs work but I doubt it makes much difference anyways!
This added step of having Kuu-sama eat people who don’t read the atmosphere is not needed. It was already heaps creepy enough that they ate people who didn’t like them. Hell, I still stand by my proposal of presenting bubble-colour-based discrimination without ever needing Kuu-sama to be part of the story. Having them as an extra agent to prove a point that was already there and then making that point even more obvious is just flogging a dead horse. I thought Kuu-sama was a pun on the japanese word for eat or mouth (ku), and not atmosphere (kuuki). Oh how I wish things had stayed simple…
When Lolicons Attack
Alright, some good things now! The fight with Jou was exciting, even if it follows the exact same trend as always where Jou rushes in valiantly then fails to achieve anything. Has this dude ever won a fight…like…ever? I also liked that Tsubasa was snapped out of her reverie and started to realize what she had done. It shows a huge difference between her and Gel. Although Tsubasa is stubborn, she is human. She is able to change her ways when she knows she has made a mistake. Gel, unfortunately, still does not think he has made any errors. He’s much like Madoka’s Kyuubey in that he doesn’t understand human emotions, and thinks that what he’s doing is an incredibly good deal for planet Earth. It’s very clear from Gel’s conversation that he doesn’t intend any harm, he just completely doesn’t understand. He’s even willing to hear out an explanation from Tsubasa, but she is unable to stomach having to explain step-by-step why it’s wrong to commit genocide to someone she thought was her best friend. I imagine it was like finding out your bestie was secretly Donald Trump all along.
While the plot is a big mess, I like where the ultimate resolution is going. The Gatchaman crew are despised, but they look like they will team up with VAPE to save the world and get everyone to love them again! The thing is…we still have 3 episodes and this show just loves throwing in twists. So while I think VAPE will help the Gatchaman group, I’m still not entirely sure that’s how it will go down. The Kuu-sama were such a random development that I won’t be so quick to throw out guesses for future developments without a disclaimer saying “I AM PROBABLY TOTALLY WRONG.” I gotta cover my ass in these situations, you know?
Let the ginger save the day
About Overcooled
A neuroscience graduate, black belt, and all-around nerd. You'll either find me in my lab or curled up in my rilakkuma kigurumi watching anime.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Yeah, it’s hard to get behind a show that you’re covering while it systematically chops itself down and tosses pieces into the proverbial fire. But, we call them like we see them.
My best hope, for all the chaos this episode, is that it can deconstruct itself an our expectations. The show has, so far, being taking a huge and obvious metaphoric approach to politics in general. I think all that was a kind of Garden Path drama/comedy, and the punchline will get us right in the Unexpecteds….
…or it will come down in a hard crash of big metal birds with Hajime and B-K saving the day?
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I hope we get punched in the Unexpecteds too lol. Or even just a safe ending with fighting that isn’t a terrible metaphor would be ok with me too at this point.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
It is a bit dumb when you think of it, but I was even more so creeped out. To think that the Kuu were going to eat a little girl because she disagreed about what she wanted to do? Peer pressure just got a new meaning.
Those Kuu really are becoming incredibly dangerous. And the atmosphere changes so rapidly and violently, there’s no way everyone in humanity will be able to keep up. Humanity will be doomed if this keeps up. You can’t be “one” under these circumstances. Eventually, the Kuu will eat up everyone.
But we do have people that are fighting back. And what will Rizumi do now that he’s out?
And what will Gel-chan become now?
We’re not out of the woods by a long shot.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
That’s probably the most frightening depiction of peer pressure I’ve ever seen. The fact that they turn on anyone who goes against the flow even in momentary interactions just doesn’t make sense. It’s true, no one could keep up with that! Everyone would just get eaten!
Yep! We’ve still got a long way to go! For what it’s worth, I’m interested to see what happens when Rui snaps out of his childlike state (thanks to Rizumu).
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Kinako, Gatchaman Crowds’ character artist, will be designing the characters for an upcoming otome game, Snow White of the Boundary/ Kyokai no Shirayuki, out 2016.
http://chic-pixel.com/2015/08/introducing-kyoukai-no-shirayuki-gatchaman-crowds-artist-kinakos-first-otome-game/
Let the ginger save the day.
Ginger Snow White from Akagami’s pretty awesome.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…and the Chief Animation Director will be working on next season’s Comet Lucifer…
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Y’all don’t know how much these news updates help me since I never research these things. Thanks! Definitely gonna try and play that (if it ever gets translated…) and watch that!
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Has Joe ever won a fight…like…ever?
The narrative won’t let Joe win a fight under the usual hero-saves-the-day way. The writers are setting the story for People Power wins the fight and saves the day, just like in Season 1 (with Joe as support, not the lead hero).
The Gatchaman crew are despised, but they look like they will team up with VAPE to save the world.
They have to. Recall how well-organized the VAPEs were in their attacks, and they (presumably) still have plenty of members waiting in secret (like the prison guard); making them the perfect opposition force to rally anti-Kuu sentiment against the majority public. Meanwhile there are only so many Gatchamen against the public and the team’s pretty divided ATM, with Sugane out cold and Tsubasa’s breakdown.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Yes, it would be really anticlimactic if Jou just won. But it’s just sad that he always dives into fights and just gets beat up (or gets others beat up). The same happened in season 1. At this point he just looks like he has no idea how to engage in decent combat!
I didn’t want to say for certain but yeah, it looks like Gatchaman teaming up with VAPE is the most logical course of action here.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
More like Joe simply rushes into the heat of things, like Tsubasa.
Both of them share roughly the same beliefs on heroic responsibility and take the simple approach to solving the problem (if it looks evil, defeat it); the major difference being Joe’s experience and cynicism lets him take stock of the situation first before rushing in.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
Insight has beat us over the head with its message, but it still hasn’t turned me off. I guess I just like seeing Hajime too much.
We’re now heading for the big showdown we all knew was coming and equally predictable Tsubasa has seen the errors of her ways and is rejoining the Gatchamen for it.
I think Gel is probably a member of a hive-mind species, so of course he can’t comprehend individuality and to him (her?) someone who’s out-of-step with the majority is defective and should be removed. If not, harmony will be disrupted!
This would also explain why B-K is terrified of Gel. B-K is not just murderous and disruptive–he’s highly individualistic and a hive-mindset would terrify him. Plus, he may have visited Gel’s planet and got nowhere there with his plans to get them to destroy themselves. And had the whole planet turn on him since he was different.
It may also explain why Hajime was able to beat him and absorb him without being corrupted by him–she’s also a highly individualistic person and is probably more than a match for him in that regard. So she has natural defenses he can’t overcome.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I don’t know if Gel is from a eusocial hive-like society, unless he was say the king/queen of that society. If not, I doubt he would be able to survive without the rest of his species.
But I do agree that he’s more than likely from a society that lacks individuality at some level or other. Or, perhaps even, that he’s the last of his kind?
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Maybe hivemind is the wrong word but that’s a really cool analysis of what makes Gel and BK so different. Gel likes uniformity and sameness whereas BK likes chaos. Both are extremes without a grain of restraint or balance, so they don’t work well as a way to run society on Earth.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
About time Tsubasa woke up to reality and realized she’s helped create a monster. What adds to her detriment is that she and Gel never discussed what either had in mind. Both blindly said they wanted the same thing: “For everyone to be one” and it’s dug a deeper hole than they ever imagined.
It seemed impossible but the Kuu-sama managed to up the creepiness another notch. More unsettling is they have no qualms even going after a little girl who refuses to follow the crowd. That’s grounds for a merciless extermination. Like I said a couple episodes back, the Kuu-sama are creating a less agressive form of dictatorship. One fueled by an unstable and constantly changing rule. Pretty ugly, since a person can be eaten at the drop of a hat.
He got owned by Berg Katze last season and now this one by Gel. I guess it’s enough of a sign indicating he’s never meant to win anything on his own.
Going by JJ’s current baffling prediction, I think Rizumi’s involvement might cause more problems before they can be solved. The guy gives off an unpredictable vibe.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Again, the importance of proper communication is a big point in Gatchaman. There would be a lot less misunderstandings if people would just talk things through!
I’m not sure what exactly Rizumu will do. He might stop the Kuu-sama and then start his own terrorism immediately after. For now, I’m counting on him to help out though.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
When Lolicons Attack!
Some of you may remember the little girl, Mana, and her father from Season 1. Her father, Umeda, was the leader of the evil Crowds faction that Berg Katze formed and manipulated to foment chaos and destroy Japan.
And for the amount of bad news Pai has to relay, beer isn’t enough.
*plonks whisky bottle in front of Pai*
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
It took a while to remember the little girl but I recognized her father a mile away. I’d say he’s earned his redemption.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I remember her because the proportion of her head to her body is just as bonkers as last season lol
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Spammy’s at it again.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 107 comments
Actually it makes sense for the Kuu-samas to turn on people so quickly since while they might be the social atmosphere they still came from Gel. Gel Sadra wants people to become one as fast as possible without any foresight to how to make it happen. So they do it the fastest way possible by getting rid of people.