Spotto, you're five years late
Mar. 2nd, 2012 03:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spottoSo..
TTGL >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> GUNDAM WING
No contest. No comparison. I won't even explain why. It's so obvious and my opinion of GW is actually lowered now.
You know, there's something wrong with me.
Or perhaps, from your point of view...something right with me.
As every year passes, I keep resenting my young teenage years more for my rather questionable tastes. I don't know. I really don't know, but as I grew older I keep wondering why I like to ship characters. I keep thinking now that doing something like that kind of ruins the original material, the passion and essence of the show or movie or book itself. But such a thought process is unacceptable because if people want to ship or change how the canon is like in their heads they can. Everyone has their own opinions to what they like and believing that they are wrong for doing so when it's merely something as minor as TV Show is wrong and yet, the more days that pass I question further why I would do that.
I've ranted before that love should never be introduced into the Mane Six of MLP. The show is all about friendship after all, and should love as a topic ever be brought up, should be a problem amongst minor characters and never with the main characters. Yet despite that, I still ship PinkieShy. I think it's adorable and I don't mind looking at images at it, in fact squee like a little girl when I do or read fanfiction of it. But does it not go against the spirit of the canon? Does it not break the friendship dynamics of the six friends we've come to love and go beyond that? So why do it? Why ship? Why can I not resist d'awwing at every picture I see, watching them boop noses or cheer each other up? Is it some sort of subconscious psychological desire? It's not like I want the pairings I ship to be canon, that would be pretty awful and quite the jump-the-shark moment if it ever actually happened, but still...should I not enjoy the show the way it is, with the message it provides? Isn't that the point? Why does my brain desire to see two of the main ponies hooking up? Why does my brain desire to see this for any pairing from any series I follow? What is the purpose of Korea and Hong Kong being together? They never even communicate, yet I want to see it. Do I have inner carnal and shallow desires for something as completely one-dimensional as this!? I DON'T GET IT. I love Kazumi and Sayo as the best of best friends ever yet I do not mind and even enjoy them going beyond! WHAT IS SHIPPING EXACTLY!? Why is it something yearned after by so many people, and why does it have such hypnotizing properties sending normal everyday men and women into raging walls-of-text justifying their ship to another and wishing death threats upon a fictional character for dare breathing next to the character they do not belong with!? What makes one type of person love shipping but others not!? What is the appeal of something as ridiculous and outrageous as this!? I DO NOT UNDERSTAND!!
But...I will continue to do it, against all logical thought. Is it really as simple as "they'd look hot/cute together!?" Isn't an explanation as simple as that kind of insulting to the human mind!? Why are emotions so incredibly powerful!? Why do they twist and turn our brains and make us do things that don't seem normal or with proper thought!?
...well, with that out of the way, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.
Yeah I watched it. I watched it all in one day, one episode after another the moment I woke up. I said I would watch it at some point in my life, eventually I said. I know I am very anal about watching or experiencing anything because I like clinging onto what I have and only moving on until I scrape the bottom of the barrel of all substance of everything I like, but the other reason I might end up watching something longer than a movie or a game that requires effort is when I am sad. The Canucks lost Game Seven? WATCH PONIES. That I did, and that I do not regret. It gave me great happiness and allowed me to cope with the loss a bit better, what with basically all of North America judging my city and the fans of the team to be horrible, immature, and ridiculous people for rioting and causing one million in damage in utter idiocy, when in reality the people who did this is a huge minority, half of them probably not fans at all. The recent trade and my utter disappointment in Negima was getting a bit much, so I decided I needed some hot-blood into my life. I knew TTGL was amazing and changed many people's lives, but I did not want to watch it until I had a reason to. As stupid as my methods are, it's how I work unfortunately. I could've watched it five years ago, but I prefer to save the epic until I can take in the epic, so that I haven't gone through 150 Animes and raged at 80% of them because they were bad or ended stupidly or whatever.
Nonetheless, opinions!
What can I say about TTGL...hmmm. I can't necessarily say it changed my life or anything like that...but I do admit it was quite possibly the greatest Anime I've ever watched. While it is known to be a highly-praised Anime anyway, I don't have a lot of Anime at all in my watchlist, so my opinions aren't quite as legitimate I suppose. For TTGL I am pretty much satisfied. I don't want to enter its fandom or really have anything to do with it because I feel the original material will be lessened if I try to indulge in any fan-related creation regarding it. Simply because anything fans could ever possibly do cannot surpass the quality of TTGL itself. Perhaps that is narrowminded thinking, but I don't want to accidentally see a Yaoi doujin of two of the manly characters or something. I am not condoning looking at such material at all, but I found the Anime so great that I don't really want to see different interpretations or even alternate universes. Maybe I'll check that manga out, but unlikely.
A common rant I have around here is how cheap death is and how often I watch or read anything where people simply do not die, or if they do it's some minor character or an old man or whatever. Negima is a huge offender. They kill absolutely no one. I understand it's meant to be a light-hearted manga, but in that case I will expect none of the class or Negi dying. The rest however is a crapshoot, if there's going to be a huge war and tons of political drama and Negi being fucking skewered through the chest with a giant stake with blood everywhere, then that tells me the universe they are in are dangerous enough where people will probably die. Yet no one DOES. Not even the fucking bad guys, they all get revived and then killed..no wait, FROZEN FOREVER. The people supposedly "dead" are all MASS-REVIVED. So whenever Negi or Fate got stabbed through their stomachs I frankly could not give a shit. There was no danger at all, not to anyone at all. I don't want to look for some show with a realistic or cynical tone for people to die. In such a series it's obvious and expected...I want to see where when a major death happens it's necessary and develops the other characters. I bet 75% of 3-A are still idiots who can't take a thing seriously because no matter how dangerous it got in their little war nothing that changed was ever permanent. Even Asuna, who was thought to sleep for a hundred years gets to experience a happy life too by being TRANSFERRED TO AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, like sacrifice means nothing at all! It really, really, really REALLY bothered me! Can you tell that it bothered me!? BECAUSE IT FUCKING DID. Why are you so cheap Ken Akamatsu? What's the point of those chapters where everyone is sad? Were you trying to incite cheap tears from your fans for a few weeks before everything is reset again? IT DOESN'T WORK THE TENTH TIME!!
Anyway I watched TTGL and its message is quite idealistic. The tone of the show itself is very, very straightforward and rather happy. It's not a depressing war-torn show with tons of angst amongst whiny teenagers, but people still died...and not random mooks or red shirts or characters no one cared about (but they died too, naturally) but important characters as well! Lots of important characters! MORE THAN I EXPECTED! Yet even with such setbacks that would obviously put down all the characters and make them feel as though they cannot go on, they DO...and that makes everything all the more powerful.
I really don't have too much to say about TTGL. It was great...what more is there to say? I suppose there were oddities like episode four but everyone and their mother has discussed this series already and probably analysed it to death, what with its popularity. Doesn't have to stop me but I can't seem to think of anything to say. I also watched the movies and enjoyed the differences, though overall I think the plot and what happens in the Anime is the best. (I can't deny that the combination of everyone's Tengen Toppa-versions of their mechas wasn't cool or the fist-fight with the anti-spiral or anything, but everything was paced better in the Anime...you know, what with having much more time to do stuff and all)
You know I came in the Anime wondering many things, many common instances that are ridden in other franchises or shows. For example I wondered which character everyone would hate, or what might actually happen or the symbolism, or whatever. For me I love every single character and that usually never happens with me, at least not a first showing. Usually if I watch something and like it, I still have problems or qualms about some character and then warm up to them later but I don't feel any of this for TTGL. I knew Kamina was super awesome and amazing. I already knew beforehand that he'd die too. (it was like Snape Killed Dumbledore, hard to NOT know that by now lol) I knew a lot of things already but also wondered a lot of things. When Rossiu was introduced I found him adorable. When he grew up I saw him making mistake after mistake, and I kept wondering "No! HE HAS A XANATOS GAMBIT UNDER HIS SLEEVE! HE IS A MAGNIFICENT BASTARD! HE'LL SECRETLY RELEASE SIMON! HE PURPOSELY GAVE THE GANMAN TO LEITE TO SCRAP BECAUSE HE KNEW SHE WOULDN'T! IT'S ALL A CLEVER, CLEVER PLOY!!" So yeah, I wanted to justify everything he did but in the end he was being quite the bastard, still. I don't hate him, but I'm not surprised he has a lot of haters. Someone has to take this role, sadly.
Oh wait why am I talking about Rossiu so early? What of the other characters...like the actual main ones!? I actually have nothing to say about Kamina. No, not a bad thing. It's just everyone in the world loves him and everyone knows what he did and everyone knows everything so what do I say? Nothing because it has been said! I need not add to the tire-fire of GAR! Yoko was pretty cool as well. I was pleased to discover that she is not just walking fanservice. I find her logic in wearing barely anything for comfort kind of odd, but whatever. Simon's character development throughout the series was awesome, and as FUCKING AWESOME as he is, by the time he gets older and has all the confidence in needs I didn't really care about him at that point. We already know then that he will accomplish everything he needs to do (the exciting part is the execution of how he does it!) but his character at that point is like The Ace, or Superman...so while he was dishing out quite the awesomeness in the most beautiful of animation ever his character itself at that point...eh, not too interesting.
Oh wait that reminds me, Kamina isn't actually a one-dimensional dude with blinders on the side of his head with only the ability to look forward. You see, there's a REALLY good explanation for him and it makes Kamina an even better character because of it! The fact that he himself isn't all that strong but still has that spirit within him, all so he can get Simon to keep going because Simon is the one with that potential, even if he himself has nothing else at all and Simon is the one getting him out of trouble...it's really admirable. I really understand the lovefest with Kamina, from not only the in-universe characters but the fans as well.
Yet he is not my favourite. *hit by tomatoes*
I CAN HAVE OTHER PEOPLE AS MY FAVOURITE! *hit by more tomatoes*
Fine, let me tell you my favourite. I don't have a single favourite, but I absolutely, absolutely, ABSO-FREAKIN-LUTELY love LORDGENOME and NIA. These two. They are something.
You know my problem with manly men these days, especially in animation is how incredibly clean-shaven they are. I see those shaving commercials and I'm like "WHY" If you have testosterone you need to have hair! I am so sick of all these females in love with all these really, really girly-looking men! Look at Twilight for example! I love werewolves myself, BUT NONE OF THOSE SHIRTLESS DUDES ARE WEREWOLVES. Werewolves are HAIRY. THEY ARE NOT HAIRY AT ALL. And when they transform they don't even turn into werewolves they just maintain a wolf form after transforming in an instant. THAT IS SO INCREDIBLY LAME. LOOK AT THIS VIDEO. That is a werewolf transformation. I have a problem with the guy not originally being hairy but still! It should be traumatizing and painful and really badass! (and now you know why I find werewolf!Fluttershy the best thing ever)
So then I see Lordgenome...at first I have no opinion. He's just there to be the antagonist, the mystery guy sitting atop his little throne, seeing his minions run out and kill themselves. Then you finally see his body. He's muscular, but he's so much more toned than all the manly men you've seen yet. And then that final battle with Simon...OH MY GOD. This dude, he's so fucking manly it's insane. And it's mirrored in his personality and attitude. At no point does he lose confidence or even his cool! He looks epic DYING. A MANLY MAN IN A MANLY MECHA! The staggering amounts of mecha Anime these days with these THIN AS TWIGS PILOTS and their GIRLY BISHOUNEN FACES IS TOO MANY I SAY!! HAIR ALL OVER HIS BODY! None on his actual head which makes him even more insane. That CRAZY beard. his SPIRAL EYES. Fuck I love this dude. HIS CMOA in the Lagann-Hen movie was FREAKIN' AMAZING. His POSTURE too! Agh! THAT HACKING SCENE. It's no wonder he spent most of the second half of the series as just a head! If he had his entire body during that duration EVERYONE'S HEADS WOULD'VE EXPLODED OF IMMENSE GAR. EGADS!
Yes, I love Lordgenome. This Anime is actually perfect for my art-style. Whenever I try to draw ponies they look too old or chunky or the eyes are too small/the head is too small because I'm so used to drawing super serious manly things. Whenever I doodle I often attempt drawing a manly male torso and I always give them mean grouchy looks! It's why I enjoy drawing Wolfe the most in my SI doodles because I put hair all over him and make him very manly. I prefer drawing manly stallions like Big Mac over any other pony, yet my favourite are the girly ones. (The pony I draw most is Fluttershy though. I just keep drawing her it's not funny. I guess I keep trying to perfect her as I draw!)
You know I just realized I forgot all about Viral, hahaha. Well he's cool, not a favourite of mine. His dream in the Lotus-Eater thing was actually rather depressing, but apparently, according to mecha people (don't ask me, I am completely ignorant) he is a "Char" clone...makes him feel less unique when they say that. Leeron surprised me, but at the same time I also...wasn't surprised. Kind of hard to describe really, I was surprised such a flamboyant character showed up in such a series, but at the same time the tone of the series (especially early on) him being a character didn't really feel out of place either! So yeah. I'm not about to describe every bloody character ever or something. Kittan was awesome, and when I saw the "second" OP I was wondering who those kids piloting the mechs were....they were the orphan kids from Rossiu's village, grown up. Shows how much I pay attention. >_>
Then we have Nia. Why do I like her exactly? I actually don't get it because I don't think I would've liked her as much if I watched TTGL five years ago. But anyway, it's not like she's an advocate of strong women who break social norms and stereotypes or anything! She is found, knows nothing about...well, anything, and then has to be saved a few times and takes up cooking. (I correctly predicted that her cooking would be horrid! I was like "Watch her suck at cooking. It's always like that. Girl seemingly perfect wife-material CAN'T COOK!") I think a big reason is how she just..is...she really reminds me of Koishi for some reason. Like, if Koishi were dropped into a universe powered by spiral energy, this is what she'd become...doesn't help that she actually looks it, and I fucking love Koishi, so yeah. Also it's just her whimsical airheaded moe nature, it's like "Nia, we should get married" and she's like "NO WAY" with a happy cute face and I'm like "YES I LOVE YOU YOU ARE AWESOME" Actually when I found her being introduced practically directly after Kamina died I feared that she might become some sort of replacement scrappy but as the episodes went on I was like "WOW, you cannot possibly hate this girl and have a soul"
The fact that she is the daughter of Lordgenome is awesomer. That ridiculous manly gritty contrast with the innocent moe girl is...wow.
Besides the characters, another great thing I love about this series is that everybody gets a mecha. Not every soldier or manly men or action-person, EVERYONE gets a mecha. That LITTLE GIRL ORPHAN you take from that gloomy underground village will be piloting a MECHA! Nerdy people can pilot mechas too! In fact the only people I never see pilot a mecha are the mechanics, why not try out one of the things you built/fixed up man!? :C Plotwise you go from underground village city thing to breaking through the fabric of space-and-time jumping through multiverses...how ridiculously incredible.
You know, I don't understand the critics...people who find it too hot-blooded or ridiculous. It's like hating Pinkie Pie! I don't get it! HOW DO YOU DO THESE THINGS LIKE HAVING SUCH NONSENSICAL OPINIONS? Do you not feel emotion!? Ah well, this has been Spotto... I am not going to quote anything so ha. Looking forward to the Fluttershy episode tomorrow due to the preview clip...and TTGL is surprisingly relevant to the topic of the tomorrow's episode (being assertive!) so yeah, somewhat of a coincidence! That is all.
TTGL >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> GUNDAM WING
No contest. No comparison. I won't even explain why. It's so obvious and my opinion of GW is actually lowered now.
You know, there's something wrong with me.
Or perhaps, from your point of view...something right with me.
As every year passes, I keep resenting my young teenage years more for my rather questionable tastes. I don't know. I really don't know, but as I grew older I keep wondering why I like to ship characters. I keep thinking now that doing something like that kind of ruins the original material, the passion and essence of the show or movie or book itself. But such a thought process is unacceptable because if people want to ship or change how the canon is like in their heads they can. Everyone has their own opinions to what they like and believing that they are wrong for doing so when it's merely something as minor as TV Show is wrong and yet, the more days that pass I question further why I would do that.
I've ranted before that love should never be introduced into the Mane Six of MLP. The show is all about friendship after all, and should love as a topic ever be brought up, should be a problem amongst minor characters and never with the main characters. Yet despite that, I still ship PinkieShy. I think it's adorable and I don't mind looking at images at it, in fact squee like a little girl when I do or read fanfiction of it. But does it not go against the spirit of the canon? Does it not break the friendship dynamics of the six friends we've come to love and go beyond that? So why do it? Why ship? Why can I not resist d'awwing at every picture I see, watching them boop noses or cheer each other up? Is it some sort of subconscious psychological desire? It's not like I want the pairings I ship to be canon, that would be pretty awful and quite the jump-the-shark moment if it ever actually happened, but still...should I not enjoy the show the way it is, with the message it provides? Isn't that the point? Why does my brain desire to see two of the main ponies hooking up? Why does my brain desire to see this for any pairing from any series I follow? What is the purpose of Korea and Hong Kong being together? They never even communicate, yet I want to see it. Do I have inner carnal and shallow desires for something as completely one-dimensional as this!? I DON'T GET IT. I love Kazumi and Sayo as the best of best friends ever yet I do not mind and even enjoy them going beyond! WHAT IS SHIPPING EXACTLY!? Why is it something yearned after by so many people, and why does it have such hypnotizing properties sending normal everyday men and women into raging walls-of-text justifying their ship to another and wishing death threats upon a fictional character for dare breathing next to the character they do not belong with!? What makes one type of person love shipping but others not!? What is the appeal of something as ridiculous and outrageous as this!? I DO NOT UNDERSTAND!!
But...I will continue to do it, against all logical thought. Is it really as simple as "they'd look hot/cute together!?" Isn't an explanation as simple as that kind of insulting to the human mind!? Why are emotions so incredibly powerful!? Why do they twist and turn our brains and make us do things that don't seem normal or with proper thought!?
...well, with that out of the way, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.
Yeah I watched it. I watched it all in one day, one episode after another the moment I woke up. I said I would watch it at some point in my life, eventually I said. I know I am very anal about watching or experiencing anything because I like clinging onto what I have and only moving on until I scrape the bottom of the barrel of all substance of everything I like, but the other reason I might end up watching something longer than a movie or a game that requires effort is when I am sad. The Canucks lost Game Seven? WATCH PONIES. That I did, and that I do not regret. It gave me great happiness and allowed me to cope with the loss a bit better, what with basically all of North America judging my city and the fans of the team to be horrible, immature, and ridiculous people for rioting and causing one million in damage in utter idiocy, when in reality the people who did this is a huge minority, half of them probably not fans at all. The recent trade and my utter disappointment in Negima was getting a bit much, so I decided I needed some hot-blood into my life. I knew TTGL was amazing and changed many people's lives, but I did not want to watch it until I had a reason to. As stupid as my methods are, it's how I work unfortunately. I could've watched it five years ago, but I prefer to save the epic until I can take in the epic, so that I haven't gone through 150 Animes and raged at 80% of them because they were bad or ended stupidly or whatever.
Nonetheless, opinions!
What can I say about TTGL...hmmm. I can't necessarily say it changed my life or anything like that...but I do admit it was quite possibly the greatest Anime I've ever watched. While it is known to be a highly-praised Anime anyway, I don't have a lot of Anime at all in my watchlist, so my opinions aren't quite as legitimate I suppose. For TTGL I am pretty much satisfied. I don't want to enter its fandom or really have anything to do with it because I feel the original material will be lessened if I try to indulge in any fan-related creation regarding it. Simply because anything fans could ever possibly do cannot surpass the quality of TTGL itself. Perhaps that is narrowminded thinking, but I don't want to accidentally see a Yaoi doujin of two of the manly characters or something. I am not condoning looking at such material at all, but I found the Anime so great that I don't really want to see different interpretations or even alternate universes. Maybe I'll check that manga out, but unlikely.
A common rant I have around here is how cheap death is and how often I watch or read anything where people simply do not die, or if they do it's some minor character or an old man or whatever. Negima is a huge offender. They kill absolutely no one. I understand it's meant to be a light-hearted manga, but in that case I will expect none of the class or Negi dying. The rest however is a crapshoot, if there's going to be a huge war and tons of political drama and Negi being fucking skewered through the chest with a giant stake with blood everywhere, then that tells me the universe they are in are dangerous enough where people will probably die. Yet no one DOES. Not even the fucking bad guys, they all get revived and then killed..no wait, FROZEN FOREVER. The people supposedly "dead" are all MASS-REVIVED. So whenever Negi or Fate got stabbed through their stomachs I frankly could not give a shit. There was no danger at all, not to anyone at all. I don't want to look for some show with a realistic or cynical tone for people to die. In such a series it's obvious and expected...I want to see where when a major death happens it's necessary and develops the other characters. I bet 75% of 3-A are still idiots who can't take a thing seriously because no matter how dangerous it got in their little war nothing that changed was ever permanent. Even Asuna, who was thought to sleep for a hundred years gets to experience a happy life too by being TRANSFERRED TO AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, like sacrifice means nothing at all! It really, really, really REALLY bothered me! Can you tell that it bothered me!? BECAUSE IT FUCKING DID. Why are you so cheap Ken Akamatsu? What's the point of those chapters where everyone is sad? Were you trying to incite cheap tears from your fans for a few weeks before everything is reset again? IT DOESN'T WORK THE TENTH TIME!!
Anyway I watched TTGL and its message is quite idealistic. The tone of the show itself is very, very straightforward and rather happy. It's not a depressing war-torn show with tons of angst amongst whiny teenagers, but people still died...and not random mooks or red shirts or characters no one cared about (but they died too, naturally) but important characters as well! Lots of important characters! MORE THAN I EXPECTED! Yet even with such setbacks that would obviously put down all the characters and make them feel as though they cannot go on, they DO...and that makes everything all the more powerful.
I really don't have too much to say about TTGL. It was great...what more is there to say? I suppose there were oddities like episode four but everyone and their mother has discussed this series already and probably analysed it to death, what with its popularity. Doesn't have to stop me but I can't seem to think of anything to say. I also watched the movies and enjoyed the differences, though overall I think the plot and what happens in the Anime is the best. (I can't deny that the combination of everyone's Tengen Toppa-versions of their mechas wasn't cool or the fist-fight with the anti-spiral or anything, but everything was paced better in the Anime...you know, what with having much more time to do stuff and all)
You know I came in the Anime wondering many things, many common instances that are ridden in other franchises or shows. For example I wondered which character everyone would hate, or what might actually happen or the symbolism, or whatever. For me I love every single character and that usually never happens with me, at least not a first showing. Usually if I watch something and like it, I still have problems or qualms about some character and then warm up to them later but I don't feel any of this for TTGL. I knew Kamina was super awesome and amazing. I already knew beforehand that he'd die too. (it was like Snape Killed Dumbledore, hard to NOT know that by now lol) I knew a lot of things already but also wondered a lot of things. When Rossiu was introduced I found him adorable. When he grew up I saw him making mistake after mistake, and I kept wondering "No! HE HAS A XANATOS GAMBIT UNDER HIS SLEEVE! HE IS A MAGNIFICENT BASTARD! HE'LL SECRETLY RELEASE SIMON! HE PURPOSELY GAVE THE GANMAN TO LEITE TO SCRAP BECAUSE HE KNEW SHE WOULDN'T! IT'S ALL A CLEVER, CLEVER PLOY!!" So yeah, I wanted to justify everything he did but in the end he was being quite the bastard, still. I don't hate him, but I'm not surprised he has a lot of haters. Someone has to take this role, sadly.
Oh wait why am I talking about Rossiu so early? What of the other characters...like the actual main ones!? I actually have nothing to say about Kamina. No, not a bad thing. It's just everyone in the world loves him and everyone knows what he did and everyone knows everything so what do I say? Nothing because it has been said! I need not add to the tire-fire of GAR! Yoko was pretty cool as well. I was pleased to discover that she is not just walking fanservice. I find her logic in wearing barely anything for comfort kind of odd, but whatever. Simon's character development throughout the series was awesome, and as FUCKING AWESOME as he is, by the time he gets older and has all the confidence in needs I didn't really care about him at that point. We already know then that he will accomplish everything he needs to do (the exciting part is the execution of how he does it!) but his character at that point is like The Ace, or Superman...so while he was dishing out quite the awesomeness in the most beautiful of animation ever his character itself at that point...eh, not too interesting.
Oh wait that reminds me, Kamina isn't actually a one-dimensional dude with blinders on the side of his head with only the ability to look forward. You see, there's a REALLY good explanation for him and it makes Kamina an even better character because of it! The fact that he himself isn't all that strong but still has that spirit within him, all so he can get Simon to keep going because Simon is the one with that potential, even if he himself has nothing else at all and Simon is the one getting him out of trouble...it's really admirable. I really understand the lovefest with Kamina, from not only the in-universe characters but the fans as well.
Yet he is not my favourite. *hit by tomatoes*
I CAN HAVE OTHER PEOPLE AS MY FAVOURITE! *hit by more tomatoes*
Fine, let me tell you my favourite. I don't have a single favourite, but I absolutely, absolutely, ABSO-FREAKIN-LUTELY love LORDGENOME and NIA. These two. They are something.
You know my problem with manly men these days, especially in animation is how incredibly clean-shaven they are. I see those shaving commercials and I'm like "WHY" If you have testosterone you need to have hair! I am so sick of all these females in love with all these really, really girly-looking men! Look at Twilight for example! I love werewolves myself, BUT NONE OF THOSE SHIRTLESS DUDES ARE WEREWOLVES. Werewolves are HAIRY. THEY ARE NOT HAIRY AT ALL. And when they transform they don't even turn into werewolves they just maintain a wolf form after transforming in an instant. THAT IS SO INCREDIBLY LAME. LOOK AT THIS VIDEO. That is a werewolf transformation. I have a problem with the guy not originally being hairy but still! It should be traumatizing and painful and really badass! (and now you know why I find werewolf!Fluttershy the best thing ever)
So then I see Lordgenome...at first I have no opinion. He's just there to be the antagonist, the mystery guy sitting atop his little throne, seeing his minions run out and kill themselves. Then you finally see his body. He's muscular, but he's so much more toned than all the manly men you've seen yet. And then that final battle with Simon...OH MY GOD. This dude, he's so fucking manly it's insane. And it's mirrored in his personality and attitude. At no point does he lose confidence or even his cool! He looks epic DYING. A MANLY MAN IN A MANLY MECHA! The staggering amounts of mecha Anime these days with these THIN AS TWIGS PILOTS and their GIRLY BISHOUNEN FACES IS TOO MANY I SAY!! HAIR ALL OVER HIS BODY! None on his actual head which makes him even more insane. That CRAZY beard. his SPIRAL EYES. Fuck I love this dude. HIS CMOA in the Lagann-Hen movie was FREAKIN' AMAZING. His POSTURE too! Agh! THAT HACKING SCENE. It's no wonder he spent most of the second half of the series as just a head! If he had his entire body during that duration EVERYONE'S HEADS WOULD'VE EXPLODED OF IMMENSE GAR. EGADS!
Yes, I love Lordgenome. This Anime is actually perfect for my art-style. Whenever I try to draw ponies they look too old or chunky or the eyes are too small/the head is too small because I'm so used to drawing super serious manly things. Whenever I doodle I often attempt drawing a manly male torso and I always give them mean grouchy looks! It's why I enjoy drawing Wolfe the most in my SI doodles because I put hair all over him and make him very manly. I prefer drawing manly stallions like Big Mac over any other pony, yet my favourite are the girly ones. (The pony I draw most is Fluttershy though. I just keep drawing her it's not funny. I guess I keep trying to perfect her as I draw!)
You know I just realized I forgot all about Viral, hahaha. Well he's cool, not a favourite of mine. His dream in the Lotus-Eater thing was actually rather depressing, but apparently, according to mecha people (don't ask me, I am completely ignorant) he is a "Char" clone...makes him feel less unique when they say that. Leeron surprised me, but at the same time I also...wasn't surprised. Kind of hard to describe really, I was surprised such a flamboyant character showed up in such a series, but at the same time the tone of the series (especially early on) him being a character didn't really feel out of place either! So yeah. I'm not about to describe every bloody character ever or something. Kittan was awesome, and when I saw the "second" OP I was wondering who those kids piloting the mechs were....they were the orphan kids from Rossiu's village, grown up. Shows how much I pay attention. >_>
Then we have Nia. Why do I like her exactly? I actually don't get it because I don't think I would've liked her as much if I watched TTGL five years ago. But anyway, it's not like she's an advocate of strong women who break social norms and stereotypes or anything! She is found, knows nothing about...well, anything, and then has to be saved a few times and takes up cooking. (I correctly predicted that her cooking would be horrid! I was like "Watch her suck at cooking. It's always like that. Girl seemingly perfect wife-material CAN'T COOK!") I think a big reason is how she just..is...she really reminds me of Koishi for some reason. Like, if Koishi were dropped into a universe powered by spiral energy, this is what she'd become...doesn't help that she actually looks it, and I fucking love Koishi, so yeah. Also it's just her whimsical airheaded moe nature, it's like "Nia, we should get married" and she's like "NO WAY" with a happy cute face and I'm like "YES I LOVE YOU YOU ARE AWESOME" Actually when I found her being introduced practically directly after Kamina died I feared that she might become some sort of replacement scrappy but as the episodes went on I was like "WOW, you cannot possibly hate this girl and have a soul"
The fact that she is the daughter of Lordgenome is awesomer. That ridiculous manly gritty contrast with the innocent moe girl is...wow.
Besides the characters, another great thing I love about this series is that everybody gets a mecha. Not every soldier or manly men or action-person, EVERYONE gets a mecha. That LITTLE GIRL ORPHAN you take from that gloomy underground village will be piloting a MECHA! Nerdy people can pilot mechas too! In fact the only people I never see pilot a mecha are the mechanics, why not try out one of the things you built/fixed up man!? :C Plotwise you go from underground village city thing to breaking through the fabric of space-and-time jumping through multiverses...how ridiculously incredible.
You know, I don't understand the critics...people who find it too hot-blooded or ridiculous. It's like hating Pinkie Pie! I don't get it! HOW DO YOU DO THESE THINGS LIKE HAVING SUCH NONSENSICAL OPINIONS? Do you not feel emotion!? Ah well, this has been Spotto... I am not going to quote anything so ha. Looking forward to the Fluttershy episode tomorrow due to the preview clip...and TTGL is surprisingly relevant to the topic of the tomorrow's episode (being assertive!) so yeah, somewhat of a coincidence! That is all.
