Rebels in Ghost in the Shell Compared to Code Geass

 

I am currently close to completing GitS SAC 2nd Gig. In that show a major antagonist is a sort of "charismatic" revolutionary who wants to liberate refugees. A first I thought they were simply opposed to their government accommodating any refugees at all and want them all forcefully expelled, but later it turned out they wanted to "liberate" refugees by destroying things that support them and starving them all, I guess. 

Somehow GitS fails when it comes to writing compelling rebels. Both rebel plans and actions seem contradictory to me. Rebels in GitS fully ideological and emotional while at the same time completely illogical and irrational: all wiling to die for a cause, even killing themselves on camera to make a statement. 

The only place that resembles it IRL is Palestine, there too rebels fight for a cause that is completely against their best interests. Hamas cannot provide them with anything other than misery and death, yet they still support it, human stupidity is infinite, I guess.

Also in Palestine, just like in GitS, government insiders are the real puppet masters behind the regime. Hamas is a puppet of Iranian regime, who, along with Russia and China are puppets of American neo-Puritans who fight American neo-Chevaliers who support Israel instead. To quote Blood Omen, Legacy of Kain: "With so many puppets, can you find the true player?" 

In fact, the entire world is a but a battleground of a fight between the abovementioned American fractions. 

Neo-Puritans originate from American New England; they hate America and want to re-create puritan like living conditions of early Massachusetts Bay Colony. They created Ayatollah's regime in Iran, they took over early Soviet government from within and turned it into puritan dictatorship under Stalin, purging all diverging Bolsheviks like Bukharin and Trotsky. They also control China, Cuba and most other communist states. Since puritanism is unappealing, they became apt at disguising their ideology and true objectives as something more palatable to fool people into supporting it. They are being Woke movement as well as modern Bookchin Socialism that combines disadvantages of Socialism and Capitalism in one godawful ugly ideology. I once wrote a separate article about them, and some more.

Neo-Chevaliers originate from early American southern colonies and descend from second sons of British nobility. They control the US military and oppose Neo-Puritans for reasons of Neo-Puritans being complete nutcases. Being rather brash, selfish and unlikable, they create themselves more enemies than they need to. Something sly Neo-Puritans use to create themselves unwitting allies, who do not fully understand just who they are siding with?

World is caught in a secret struggle between these two, like in a fight between assassins and templars in late Assassin's Creed games, with only European Union could possibly hold them both at certain distance from itself.

Back to the original topic: why Black Knights and Zero are compelling rebels that make sense and Kuzo and his refugees are not.

To begin with Code Geass. HBE functions as a sort of 3 class society. On top of the pecking order are native Britannians, followed by Honoured Britannian and the then the Numbers. Britannians are the privileged class for whom state cares. Honoured Britannians are these to serve the native Britannians and are clearly treated as second class citizens by the latter, like during that incident with hod dog vendor or with camera students in ghetto. Finally, Numbers are seen as completely worthless and undeserving. That is the official policy of the empire, not a sort of private discrimination. Unless you are born native Britannian, your life is a complete shit.

One can see an example of that in Japan itself, Zero points to that in conversation with Oghi and his crew on a train, but more scenes here and there show the same picture. After HBE conquered it, they build there 22 century futuristic cities, but these cities were for native Britannians who came from the mainland only. Locals were left behind in crumbling and dilapidated remnants of what was built under native Japanese government, as HBE does not want to spend a single penny on the Numbers. Nunnally once tried to do that as Viceroy, but the rest of the government was against it. Vae Victus - Woe to the vanquished.

If that sounds somewhat far-fetched and removed from reality, then here is video of a Korean guy who explains how that functions in very real contemporary North Korea. The difference is that they are doing it to their own people and no to the conquered foreigners. I can pretty much say it's the same in modern Russia, as someone who was purged from Russian upper class after Putin took over from Yeltsin, I know what I am talking about. The only difference is that in Russia the classes are disguised better so lower classes do not envy the upper class. One cannot envy them if one does not know what they really have. The privileged elites have everything, while common Russians are told country is poor because Americans steal all the money. As much as Western developed countries like to present themselves as different, it increasingly becomes the same here as well. Hell even on Titanic there were the same three classes. Indians like to spice it up more with 4 castes plus an outcast, a 5 in total.

Thus, rebels who fight against HBE rule fight not because they believe in some lofty cause or ideal and willing to die for it, or even because they are war-like people. They just do not like being in the underclass and want to change the system, that keeps them down or change their class. Tamaki even honestly put it that he wants to be a government official: essentially someone with a good status, fat paycheck, job perks and cozy not too hard work. It's the fact that the system will not give such an upper-class work for someone from a lower class like Tamaki is the reason for him to fight against the system. Others do not say it, but they likely have similar enough aspirations. Of all Black Knights, only Kallen was there purely for ideological identity reason and could easily have an upper class Britannian lifestyle if she so wished.

One can say that Lelouch could just go back to being prince, but that is not that simple. Lelouch was effectively purged from royal family due to court intrigue. Sure, he might say something that might have looked like it was his choice, but it was more of a shutting the door loudly when you were told to get out. There was no guarantee that Charles would not have sent him in exile if he said something else instead. Without his mother there was no one to protect him from other royals who see him as potentially dangerous rival and would rather eliminate him. Emperor's unwillingness to do anything about her death only further indicated that Lelouch was effectively marked for death, just like the court was whispered while he was walking towards the emperor. 

I wrote a few articles back then, analysing Lelouch so I will not go further here. Suffice to say here is that Lelouch does it not out of idealism or sympathy for Japanese but out of personal grunge and revenge for how he was treated by Charles and the royals.

One can say that Suzaku is prospering within the system despite his Japanese background, but his situation is more of luck than clearly defined path, open for everyone and he has to put up with a lot of discrimination and hate, as people around him do not see him as equal.

None of these things are present in GitS. Refugees there are all enamoured with Kuze and many are inclined towards crime and gang live. They are not fighting to make their lives better, but to saw chaos and destruction driven purely by their emotions.

Because of that, unlike Black Knights in Code Geass. one can hardly support Kuze or his cause. At least I would not support Kuze even though I support Lelouch and Black Knights.

Asobi ni Iku yo! Review

Overall Rating 7.2 out of 10 - Solid anime that, does not fail like many others and gets things done

I recommend watching

Among the large number of disappointing shows that I am dealing with recently, it's good that at least one show gets things right. Cat Cuties is not the most original show out there, it does things mostly by the book, but it gets them done right. Thus, it is enjoyable to watch. Asobi ni Iku yo! proves that if you just put all the working ingredients together and stir them a little bit, it will make for a decent show.

To begin with, girls with cat or rabbit ears were always go to solution to make women more appealing to male audience. Here we have cat girls in tight body suits that wonderfully highlight their body curves. They have cute bells on their neck bands too and generally rather moe.

One guy and three main heroines: the usual selection of Tsundere, Dandere and Deredere. I do not like tsunderes but the other two make up for that, its two good girls and only one not. Futaba and Eris against only Manami. 

Then there are fights, they are somewhat too chaotic so it's sometimes hard to follow what is going on. It's not tactical like in Code Geass or Naruto, but still enjoyable to watch.

Finally, the setting is a win, the summer resort-like vibe of Okinawa is certainly a place where I want my shows to be set.

And there is also space technology, customisable assistroids and more.

A few minor flaws are somewhat flawed design of certain Catian crew members, that could have been curvier and girly rather than somewhat boy like.

Overall, I do recommend it. It's fun and worth your time.

I will add comments on OVA after I finish it.

School Rumble Ni Gakki Review

Overall Rating 5.7 out of 10 - Overall worse than predecessor, with only few good episodes.

I recommend watching few select episodes, like episode 20 and 25.

Me complaining that sequels fail to live to the original is nothing new, here again a second season of Sucuran is not as good as the original.

One difference however is that unlike many other shows that I condemned with the same conclusion, Sukuran did not abruptly got worse from second season on, so I cannot easily blame it on staff changes and such. It's of course possible that staff changed mid-season, but what are the chances. Sukuran was already declining in first season. Gradually it introduced more and more unlikable characters like Lala, Tougou, Imadori or Jirou, that gradually stole the show away from the core cast. 

Second season was not a sudden break with the trend; it just exacerbated what was bad in the first one. More screentime for characters I do not like, less for those I like. Even those characters I generally do like, get to play less appealing role. There is less of Tenma fawning over Karasuma and more of her being nasty to Harima (episode 15 something, not episode 25, she is nice to him there). That orange haired nurse that was so nice to Harima in first season, became lesbian with his relative in the second and no longer treats Harima nicely. Not an abrupt break, but some kind of planned gradual decay.

Despite that occasionally Sukuran gets back to its core roots and pulls a few good episodes here and there. However, by now they are clear minority. A drop of honey in a barrel of tar. Unlike the first season, second did not get a good final episode that would leave me at least hopeful for the future of the show. I might watch the brief second season sometime in future, but for now Sukuran is shelved.

I have to look back to remember every good episode that was worth watching, so I cannot list them now. Will come back to it sometime.

Overall, with exception of few good episodes, this season is a failure. Something killed yet another show that was initially promising. Or maybe it was never meant to be good in the first place, I was always bad, I just could not see it early on. 

Regardless it's no longer a show about Tenma doing silly but cute things driven by her unrequited love for Karasuma, this show no longer makes fun of women and instead mocks and abuses men. Poor treatment of men is not something I am willing to tolerate in my shows, only poor treatment of females.

Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun 2 Part 1 Review

Overall Rating 6.3 out of 10 - Another sequel that does not live true to the original.

Still watchable enough to recommend

Me complaining about sequels not living to the original is nothing new. I said it about many other titles. I even dropped a sequel of a show that I gave one of the highest scores for its first season. In case of Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun, its far less dramatic. It's worse than the original but still watchable overall.

If you want to know what was so good about the original or what this show is about, read my review of the first season. Here I will focus on what made second season worse than the first one.

The biggest problem is the relationship dynamic between two main characters, Hanako-kun and Yashiro. In the original Yashiro was cute naive damsel in distress that only thinks about love. I spend several paragraphs praising her in the original review. Second season went on and changed her role for the worse. 

In second season Yashiro is far more assertive and proactive. Not something I like in a woman. She spends the entire second half of the show trying to stop Hanako-kun. In the first she could even kill a fly.

Hanako also changed. In first season he was the knowledgeable guy who knew his way around world of ghosts and a lot more. Sure, he tricked Yashiro into accepting his deal but that just show how wonderfully naive and gullible Yashiro is or was. Hanako was shrewd and selfish, but not evil. He was not a villain. Now they actually stopping him.

Second season introduced a few more characters, most of them are unlikable. There is now whole two clones of Kou-kun (the exorcist guy) that I sometimes finding hard to tell apart. As something who would prefer the show to stay mostly between Hanako and Yashiro, I do not appreciate this enlargement of the company. Other characters are just distracting from romance between main couple. 

The same problem killed off Sora no Otoshimono for me. Ikaros is near perfect girl and if they focused on romance between her and Sakurai, it would have been perfect. Instead, they mixed in many jock characters and turned the whole thing into circus. Ikaros's demure demeanor, quietness and social ineptitude is what makes her cute, not something one should make fun of.

Yes, first season can be seen as a romance of sorts and with a likable female character at that. Second season rather kills it off. Yashiro's attention is not equally divided between Hanako and Kou, while in first season Kou was clearly a guy with no chances.

This show does not go as far as Sora no Otoshimono to make it a deal breaker but, the show would have been better if it went more serious and sober rather than more whimsical and wilder. That would have made a good backdrop for relationship between Hanako and Yashiro.

Overall, it's not too bad. Worse than the original but watchable, even if not loveable. 

Sokushi Cheat ga Saikyou Sugite, Isekai no Yatsura ga Marude Aite ni Naranai n desu ga Review

Overall Rating 6.7 out of 10 - Show as random as slot machine.

I recommend watching

This is a story about OP dude who can kill anyone by just thinking it and his twin tailed female companion. 

Despite giving main protagonist such an overly powerful ability, the show actually manages to make some battles challenging for him. I will not go into details to not spoil how they achieved that.

Despite that most battles go as far as some super powerful antagonist just shows up in front of protagonist, everyone around him acts like world is about to end. However, protagonist just says "die" and enemy is no more. Some antagonists die within 5 seconds of being introduced. Because of this I described the show as random as slot machine.

Story is rather random and disjoined too. The protagonist couple just travel towards capital for no particular reason other than expecting to find out something and fight random enemies, half of whom appear as randomly as a jack from a box. There are somewhat too many side characters, many of whom are completely forgettable. There are too many info boxes for classes and abilities of every single classmate of the protagonist couple. About half of them die before they even get to use any of their abilities. 

All of that is as unconnected to each other as if author just randomly add to the story every single idea that randomly came to their head and every random thing they accidently looked at. It has mechas, dragons, fantasy classes, gods, ghosts, vampires, zombies, classmates, school buses, underground research facilities, office women in pencil skirts, employed by abovementioned facilities to babysit a kid (no, seriously). Author could not decide if they wanted it to be isekai, fantasy or ski-fy so they made it all three.

Despite an extensive cast of characters, I somehow did not particularly like or hated anyone. In better times not liking anyone might have made me drop it, but in these times the fact that I did not hate anyone was a good enough reason to keep watching.

That said I can recommend watching it just for the simple fact that nothing annoys me in this show to drop it.

Difference Between Original Herlock and Endless Odyssey's Herlock

 

Around 3 years ago I watched a Space Pirate Captain Herlock: Outside Legend - The Endless Odyssey and liked it very much (see review here). I found Herlock to be very likable and relatable.

I wanted to watch the original 1978 version as well but due to various circumstances never came to do it until recently. 

I often complain that sequels are not as good as originals. Some do not live to the high mark of their predecessors, other got completely fucked up and corrupted by a different creative team.

The Herlock made of a curious inversion of this rule. I liked new Herlock a lot more than the original one. 2002 Herlock is strong and silent, very introverted and melancholic character who is wise, capable, makes sound and well thought decisions, saves people loyal to him and then universe as well. Herlock of 1978 is by contrast a contrarian who fights against all that is good and somehow calls it freedom.

I only watched up to episode 7 of the original but so far it does not shape up to be good at all. Differences between it and The Endless Odyssey are subtle but significant.

To begin with ideology and world set up. In The Endless Odyssey it was World Government that was hellbent on ending Herlock and all the pirates. They captured Key and most of Herlock's crew and wanted publicly to execute them as a show of force and to intimidate opponents. Herlock merely fought back to save his and his crew's freedom from government oppression. 

The Endless Odyssey government was motivated by nothing more than desire to oppress and enforce their evil order against people's will. The Endless Odyssey government ruled over dirt poor wasteland and was a total mess. It was space North Korea, the polar opposite of the utopia that government was in the original Herlock.

In the 1978 original it's not the government that opposes Herlock but its Herlock who oppose government instead. In fact, government is almost happy to leave that Herlock alone, but he keeps bothering them all the time. And the reason he opposed government was nothing less than because it's "too weak and relaxed". Herlock and other characters keep complaining how people on Earth are weak and worthless. 

At times the whole 1978 show feels like a cheap advert of "tough times ideology" that is popular with some idiots nowadays. Tough times and toughness do not make anything better, people who believe in benefits of tough times are morons beyond redemption and should all be exterminated.

Thus, when in The Endless Odyssey Herlock called his pirate flag, the Flag of Freedom. It actually meant something. It was a flag of freedom from government jackboots, oppression and poverty.

In 1978 Herlock also calls his flag, the Flag of Freedom but here it does not make any sense at all. What freedom? Herlock does nothing to save Mayu who is being abused because she is his daughter. In fact, he even finds delight in thinking about her suffering. I maybe support BDSM Maledom femsub, but that is not it. Also, no one who deliberately causes suffering to their own children is a decent person. Herlock also puts Daiba in danger and more. He does not fight for freedom; he fights to make people suffer and that is not something I can approve. 1978 Herlock's is not flag of freedom but a flag of suffering. Something neo-Christian cult wants to impose on society.

Speaking of Daiba, in 2002 he is rather unlikable. Overly emotional boor who gets in fights just for the sake of it. I always thought that he is unnecessary character who adds nothing to the story and should not even be in it.

In the original Daiba is not anymore likable but has a much more prominent role. He also looks very much like Herlock himself, as if he is his younger brother or son. This dynamic does not appeal to me at all.

Because of Daiba I was willing to give original Herlock a little more time to develop, thinking that once Daiba ark is over, we will move to the more interesting parts, but as of episode 7 that seems increasingly unlikely.

When it comes to Herlock, then in the 2002 Endless Odyssey he was, a strong and silent Byronic hero type. He was wise, smart, capable and many more. 2002 Herlock travels space, learns secrets of the universe and solves problems for the benefit of himself, his crew and humanity. 

Herlock of 1978 is basically a bully and an asshole who lives by some stupid rules that make no sense and believes that comfort is bad.

Unfortunately, Mayu is a kid in original while she was cute teen girl in 2002 Endless Odyssey. Her episodes in the original are unpleasant to watch.

Opponents are also different. In The Endless Odyssey they were ghosts of the past. Dead scientists who opened some ancient vault, got killed, turned into ghosts and now wander the universe, killing people. They were part of Noo, the ancient fear that destroys civilizations. Herlock eventually defeated these outdated fools. I liked it because I like when young prevail over old. 

In the original the opponents are women who burn like paper, Mazone. They are pretty and very feminine. Sure, story justify fighting them, but that is still a fight against what is good, beautiful and pleasant. Not something I support.

There are few things that are mostly the same. Both Miime and Key are rather feminine and demure, something I like. Unfortunately, we no longer have the black-haired female assistant to older Daiba.

As of episode 7, original 1978 Herlock is on its way to being dropped with rather low score. I will probably watch a few more episodes to make sure my conclusions I outlined here are correct, but so far it does not look promising at all.

Black pants Herlock of The Endless Odyssey maybe a hero but his washed-up jeans predecessor from original is not. Only the black pants Herlock fights for freedom, the washed-up jeans Herlock only fights for suffering. 

Ghost in the Shell - Standalone Complex Review

Overall Rating 6.7 out of 10 - It misses more than half of the time at predicting future but has good plot.

I recommend watching.

A while ago I reviewed the original Ghost in the Shell movie. I pointed out many of its shortcomings compare to other shows about future technology and implications it will have on humanity. 

However, despite other shows doing it better, GitS was first and ended up creating a cult following, others could not muster. There are many sequel movies as well as two full double seasons of episodic series. This is the first season.

To begin with, tech. This show takes original tech of the GitS and further develops on it. That means that there are certain things that as a moment of writing this review are not yet available for humanity. At the same time certain technology that is completely ubiquitous to us is conspicuously absent in this show. For example, one can easily separate the AI that controls the robot from the physical body of the robot. AI can be uploaded, changed, updated very easily with our current tech. Yet in this movie they had to withdraw all the think tanks just because there was issue with their AI. Other things like hacking electronic eyes with no direct contact yet requiring a wire from one artificial body to another to pass information between people. Technology did not age well in this story.

On the other hand, plot is the best part of the show by far. Executives certainly loved that show and splurged on good writing team. Episodes are diverse and creatively written. Diverse cast of both main protagonists as well as episodic characters they are dealing with. There is even an overreaching plot that connects stretches several episodes and concludes closer to the end. Even if ending somewhat disappointed, I will admit I was curious to learn the truth behind Laughing Man when he was first introduced. After rather early introduction, main plot involving him takes a pause to focus on other things only to resurface at rather unexpected moments.

Characters themselves did not really endear me to them. I could hardly point to anyone I particularly liked. I did not especially dislike anyone either, but overall, they are not my type of crew, there is some subconscious rejection of them. They lack ambition and vision to build something better; they merely work humbly for the cause. Not that an agency like Section 9 needs ambitious people but still. Also, they are far too duty bound, overly subservient to superiors and seem completely lack any personal desires or motivations, they live to serve the state. That is probably why I subconsciously dislike Section 9 as this is an organisation that is ignorant and indifferent to people personal wishes and desires. They are not as free spirited or driven by internal sense of justice as Herlock crew or Black Knights from Code Geass. Neither are they try to indulge themselves in whatever pleasures they can like Lagoon Company.

Main protagonists, including Matoko and Batou, are all members of Section 9. It is an elite force of an internal security or secret police type of organisation, that fights complex crime, stops international incidents, investigate corrupt politicians and businessmen and also fights rival government agencies. It has such an inconspicuous name so that not even their colleagues in police and security know what they really do. They take secrecy very seriously there. Most of the individual episodes revolve around one or the other member of the Section flexing hard their mad skills, for the lack of better description.

Episodic antagonists are diverse, and some are rather interesting like that rich guy who surrounded themselves with robotic maids in his mansion and died long before Section 9 got to him. I wish I could live how he lived.

Laughing man himself ended up rather underwhelming. At first, he was introduced as super hacker with some over-the-top super plan for something yet to be unveiled. By the end of the show, it ended up merely about government decision to cover up effectiveness of a vaccine for political reasons and how Laughing Man wanted to expose it all this time; no, seriously.

Also, there are Catcher in the Rye references, so many that it almost wants to make this book central to the character and motivation of Laughing Man and possibly Section 9 as well. I cannot say I hate Holden Clayfield (not sure if surname correct) as some people say, but Catcher in the Rye is certainly not among my favorite books. I think it's overrated.

Overall, it is a diverse and interesting series. I can recommend you watch it at least once, for rather intriguing plot. Resolution does not leave you satisfied but premise does keep you curious and there are cool fights and too. There is also a second double season that I will probably watch at some later date.