Gatchaman Crowds Insight – 10
That’s nice they got over their cat fight in time to SAVE THE WORLD FROM ALIENS
You know what would be creepy? If they started selling Kuu-sama keychains and plushies in real life. Pretty sure I’d punch someone if I saw them with one hanging on their bag as a kneejerk reaction. At least Kyuubey is cute in addition to being creepy..these guys are gross and ugly as sin!
I like the idea that social media is recognized in Gatchaman Crowds, but I’m starting to feel like it’s being shown as being far too powerful. All of the problems and all of the solutions have arisen from using social media – be it Gel using smartphone prompts to get people to vote or Rizumu subduing Gel by dripfeeding certain information to the public online. Everything inevitably links back to commercial media consumption…with a little alien bashing from the Gatcha team to make things flashy. Now that this is the second season, you think there would be a bit more nuance to the exploration of using this sort of technology in the future. This is the third or forth time the entire public has been swayed by social media campaigns of some sort and now it’s just ridiculous. I know these things are highly effective, but to this extent? Maybe after time, but the short time scale we see of massive change within an episode just makes the whole thing unreasonable.
“…and what’s your secret to that silky, blue hair of yours?”
Even if you can argue that it makes sense…it creates a boring story when the same thing happens again and again. So while Rizumu’s plan is extremely smart and doesn’t require him to use VAPE to evoke fear in everyone, it’s repetitive. “Oh, social media has caused this problem? Let’s fix it with SOCIAL MEDIA!”. On the bright side, it was nice to see Kuu-sama turn on Gel. It makes perfect sense that they would go with the majority vote (the atmosphere) even if that vote turns them against someone they used to be friendly with. It’s a frightening lesson in how quickly people can turn on others when they get pressured to. Yuru-jii’s parallel to war propaganda and military brainwashing was apt. It was also needed to show just how toothpaste-coloured mouth monsters eating people based on the trends can have a relevant application in real life. Err, sort of. But the gist of it is that people are dicks and will do whatever makes them look cool in the eyes of their peers.
There is an important thin-line difference here between CROWDS and Kuu-sama though. As X explains, Kuu-sama carry out their actions based on unconscious thoughts and desires. They are much like Gel, who polls responses and acts based on what stats he gathers instead of forming his own opinion. CROWDS allows people to speak out individually. So while there is still pressure to follow the majority, you are still able to make conscious decisions about how you want to use the power of CROWDS. It’s a small difference, but just enough to make CROWDS a viable piece of tech people can use for the greater good whereas Kuu-sama would never work in a million years (unless we all die by then and all that’s left are a bunch of roaches and twinkies).
It’s a shame Rui hasn’t been a bigger part of the story, because his journey is a complex one. He follows his ideals until it leads to being almost killed by Rizumu, and is rewarded by having CROWDS taken away from him. He’s crushed. But even so, Rui finds a way to get back up again and fight for what he knows is right. I’m not sure if CROWDS will actually return, but Rui has still gone through an impressive amount of soul-searching to get to this point. I could say the same of Tsubasa’s change now, but I don’t care about her so I’m focusing all my thoughts on Rui~ (I swear the power of being a blogger hasn’t gotten to my head, honest!). The CROWDS Rui has worked so hard towards – and an extension of everything he believed in – was taken away from him and yet he still found a way to press forward. This is a man who deeply cares about each and every member of society and wants to make a change. Unlike Rizumu, he believes in the potential that people have. And after being betrayed so much, it’s beautiful that he still has that kind of hopefulness.
I like how she stopped copying Hajime’s way of holding her NOTE when she finally did it
Now, it’s a little weird that there are 2 whole episodes left when this felt like a pre-finale set-up. Gel has reverted to his cutesy form and is obediently relinquishing his position of power so he can just chill with Tsubasa, the entire Gatcha team is posed to fight against Kuu-sama, and Rizumu’s plan has been carried out to perfection. What else is left other than a battle montage? This isn’t the time for asspulling new plot points! I admit I got pretty hyped up seeing the team together again instead of at odds so maybe next week will be fun!
Still kinda airheaded but at least he knows how to think now!
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 10997 comments
Yay the return of Lolisadra! Well, it was Shoutasadra all along….
Methinks that Kenji Nakamura must have been smoking the same orange Tang that Hideaki Anno was on when he was developing EVA. To be one, we have to go back to the primordial ooze; Gel-sama’s being the delivery vehicle to that ooze. If I see Hajime’s large noggin’ (or would it be her H-K possessed bosom?) on the horizon, then I’ll know I’m right…
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
It’s a TRAP?
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I ALMOST switched to using she but I stopped myself. Heck, I’m not even sure which pronoun to use when I write about Rui.
Haha, looks like they both had similar ideas (and levels of insanity). I’m really sad Kenji Nakamura hasn’t been delivering with Gatchaman…I’m worried he’s lost his touch now when I compare this to his other works, which rank among my top anime of all time D:
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I think it’s kinda funny that it seems to be pretty much only us who don’t like Insight, with it consistently being voted top 2 on the Anime Power Rankings (which is about as scientific a poll as asking your cats), along with descriptions like “runaway best anime this season”.
If people like it, that’s fine, but I’m not seeing the greatness.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Whoa! I see people on Twitter getting excited over it but I had no idea it was doing so well in APR. I mean, this was a show I wanted so badly to like and it just didn’t deliver, so if anything I was biased the other way.
But eh…it depends on the person???
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Bingo! One can’t expect everyone will like the exact same shows or genres they do for whatever reason. One will agree, the other won’t. It’s what we call a difference of opinion/taste.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I just asked me cat about her preferences…something about more wet food. I don’t know if that is coming out this Fall or next year for the Winter season…
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
It doesn’t have the cohesive sense of purpose that [C] delivered on, nor does it’s playfulness approach quite the level that Tsuirtama was able to tell it’s story.
…and it’s not like Rui has been insisting on one gender or the other…
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Now, it’s a little weird that there are 2 whole episodes left when this felt like a pre-finale set-up.
There’s still a few big issues left to solve. Maybe the writers want to fully explore them in detail.
1) Rui reconciling his CROWDS-for-all idealism with Suzuki’s cynicism that the masses aren’t knowledgable enough to handle such power, and finding the right balance.
2) Suzuki’s future plans, now that he’s made his point about the masses and power. The VAPEs have proven they are an opposition force to be reckoned with, given how well-organized and well-placed they are in society to sow doubt and gathered influence. Arresting Suzuki is pointless, since it’s members will just scatter and lay low until he decides to strike again.
3) Gelsadra. He may have learned his lesson, but the masses may not be as forgiving. I doubt Hajime and Tsubasa will let anything bad happen to him.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Thematically, the ultimate finale will be (obviously) Hajime reconciling the 3 main conflicting beliefs of this season:
1)Gel’s ideal of consensual social unity
2)Rui’s ideal of citizens as responsible custodians of social power
3)Suzuki’s ideal of the nonconformist, highly individual-thinking person
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I hope all that doesn’t end up being antic-climactic, because it will take a lot of explaining to get through all that. I’m hoping these issues are solved quickly to tie things together AND give us a good final battle
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
If that’s the case, it will be interesting to see how she’ll kill 3 birds with one stone.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Such is the fate of anything created by humans. Once something is created with the ideal of making situations simpler for the masses, as if laughing in the face of it, there’s a near fatal drawback. Technology being good or bad depends on how the person uses it.
Tsubasa’s already on her road to redemption with Hajime leading the way, so not much more to say about that.
Kuu-sama are essentially the anti-CROWDS. CROWDS are controlled by a conscious entity while Kuu-sama by an unconscious one. Leaving the latter alone to do what it will is like leaving a fully automatic security system do all the work 24/7 instead of actual people. The drawback is the automatic security system will always follow protocol and remove anything it deems a threat, no matter who or what it is. And the protocol is the atmosphere. Turning their sights on Gel was inevitability.
The puzzling thing is, if the Gatchamen keep tearing through every Kuu-sama in their path, what happens to the people who’ve already been eaten?
I’ll go ahead and assume people were so swallowed up by the atmosphere, no one took the time to notice that was Rizumu interviewing Gel or maybe a slight change in his appearance with the short time spent gave him enough of a window to put his plan into effect. Rizumu was seen in full view of the TV viewing public attacking Rui a couple of episodes back so I’m surprised no one recognized him. More so when Milio got it as a “surprise interview” on his show. He paid mind to the exchanges but not to the one who started them.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Gatchaman Crowds places far too much importance on this technology though. It can do anything! …When in reality there are a lot more limitations and it can’t just solve everything.
Oh gosh, that’s a good question. What happens to the people who’ve been eaten? Given the nature of the show I can’t imagine they’re actually dead though. I just don’t know how we’ll get them back…