F-ZeroOne

Okay, general opinion around a couple of forums is that the Christmas Special was a little weak in the first half but much better in the second (possibly not coincidentally, this is the half which features much more of the new Doctor). David Tennant is so far doing a pretty good job but obviously we'll have to see how he goes on. Theres some clever SF references (pay attention at the back!) and a lovely little joke when the Doctor starts to make a big speech about humanitys place in the Universe and then realises hes actually quoting... ...well, you'll see. Possibly most exicting was the trailer for the second season at the end. If the following words don't excite you, then you're not a Doctor Who fan: Cyberman. K-9. Sarah-Jane Smith!

I love this Gundam design personnally: though I'm usually not fond of 'good guys' MSs and particularly dislike Gundam designs, this one was cool and not overexagerating onto useless details to be noticeable among the crowd. This feature is surprising at first sight but I found it grew on me rather quickly, all the more as the lunarians always call it 'the Mustache' which gives a strong personnality to this machine I've always been a fan of Syd Mead designs since about 15 years now and I'm very glad to see that a western artist had the opportunity to work onto far-east productions. Someone knows if other people from western cultures have already been directly involved into animes? 354622[/snapback] Also, the moustache resembles a crescent Moon... As for Western designers in anime, I can think of one right off the top of my head - theres a UK company called Terratag that produces anime-inspired art-work and t-shirts, and their designer Paul Nicholson did the "Laughing Man" logo for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex! http://www.terratag.com/ Gerry Anderson has both directly and indirectly been a big influence on many anime; his classic 60s shows like Thunderbirds inspiring many (in particular, Hideki Anno), as well as being involved in the recent anime "Firestorm".

"Winging" - could mean one of two things: 1) Pressing the button means your wife is replaced by five moody not-quite-teenagers in tight shorts who pilot giant robots and say "Mission accomplished" a lot or: 2) Has no-one ever heard of whinging...? (i.e. to complain in an annoying way, to keep carrying on, moaning, whining, etc... )

He, he, that's true: I never looked at it in this way, that Wells is also a precursor for mechas aswell Steampunk human mechas would have been cool too: maybe for the next 'remake' 354062[/snapback] I feel I should point out that the bacteria is sort of really the whole point of the book, but still... we can dream, huh?

The really odd thing is I don't remember even owning the game... must be some dim recollection of the arcade version...

Actually I happen to know that there are probably at least a whole, er, ten models or toys available for Turn-A - and at least ninety for SEED/Destiny. Ninety plus one. Ninety plus two. Ninety plus...

Altered Beast?

Mikeszekely - thats perhaps a touch stronger than I would have put it (Ouch! ), but I think it does sum it up quite well. In the short term, Gundam SEED is probably going to be quite healthy for Gundam, but in the long term I think I know which is going to, er, "Turn", out to be more important... I think I read somewhere that even Japanese fans are beginning to re-evaluate the series. Edit: Gui: I can't believe I missed the "tripod" look of the WaDoms; I love the War of the Worlds book and often think of H.G. Wells as being sort of the grandfather of mecha shows (if only he'd realised that giving the humans their own big robot would have been much more marketable than bacteria... )

I've recently had the opportunity to see some Turn-A Gundam. Like a lot of other mecha fans, my main experience with the series up to this point was with the mecha designs, which I'm sure many of you remember were something of a... surprise. (in other words, we all thought Tomino had lost his marbles. Big time). Its therefore been something of a shock to discover that the series is actually really rather good. Everything you expect to be a minus is in fact a big plus - the 1930s setting, for example, and even the much derided mecha designs actually work, once you see them in action. Its got a nice setting, an interesting story and very good character design and personalities. Tomino even displays a lightly humourous touch he hasn't always had (ZZ Gundam, anyone?). Theres also a couple of extremely effective scenes on the effects of war which are almost up there in terms of impact with Gundam 0080. Theres some minuses - Tomino always seems to be in rather a hurry, and doesn't like to explain things too much, and theres a couple of rather big plot coincidences one has to swallow, but overall nothing that completely wrecks anything. Oh, did I mention music by (kneel and worship at her feet, puny mortals!) Yoko Kanno? It goes without saying that Turn-A has very good music. Its interesting to compare Turn-A with the series that followed it - SEED and SEED Destiny. I think one can sum it up by saying that the difference between the shows is the same difference between how Tomino views Gundam and how Bandai views Gundam. SEED is an attractive, well made show thats been commerically pretty successful for Bandai. However, its a little like driving down an expressway - fast, efficent, does exactly what you want, but its also a little souless. Turn-A on the other hand, is the road less travelled - difficult, slower and doesn't always go the way you expect. But the views are by far the more interesting. Turn-A is something I didn't think anyone could make anymore - a non-commercial Gundam. For those of you that have seen it, thoughts? (though please bear in mind I'm only up to about episode 23...!) For those of you that haven't - if you can find a source, give Turn-A a try - you might be in for a pleasant surprise! Edit: PS: I know its a large "A" in the title. I swear it was correct when I typed it!

Just a quick heads up - the UK is rapidly approaching the broadcast date of the "Chritsmas Invasion", the first full-length episode to feature new Doctor David Tennant. Strangely enough, it will be broadcast on Christmas Day... The episode - a "special" before resumption of the full second series - has already received some favourable reviews from press previews, and its also heartening that its being broadcast in what is traditionally a "showpiece" slot for popular BBC TV programmes in the UK. More information - and spoilers - here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/index.shtml Incidentally, it seems that there is also going to be a small homage to the other classic Brit SF serial, Quatermass: http://www.guinevere.org.uk/

Right, just see if we give you the jet engine again now! Bring back Buccaneers! (the tragedy is that there were plans for a "super"-Harrier, supersonic VTOL back in the 60s; although its unknown whether it could have been made to work...

Still being broadcast in the UK - the new series has been running for a few weeks. Pass on in the US, but doesn't the BBC have a channel over that side of the Atlantic?

Ah, sorry, David - I couldn't find the right video when I clicked on your link.

The UK motoring programme "Top Gear" (known for its outlandish stunts, which have included a Range Rover vs a Challenger II tank and an Apache gunship against a Lotus Elise sports car) did this too. I'm afraid I don't know the specific type of 747, but it was a Virgin airlines one (sorry, David!). It completely blew over a Ford Mondeo (mid-range saloon car) and absolutely demolished a 2CV... * * Do you have those in the US? Looks like an upturned pram, similiar to the car Clarisse is driving in the opening of The Castle of Cagliostro?

If we're talking dream aeroplanes we'd like to own, then I'll have a Blackburn Buccaneer. You can spend your time with your head in the stratosphere, I'll be down here at 600mph looking up at the weeds going by...

No, you're not - not sure which movie, but he does appear in a TV interview.

Kawamori designed the VF-1 Valkyrie; if he had done nothing else with his life, if people from planet Oni had descended and whisked him off into space, he would still be one of the greatest mecha designers of all time. He has his off-days - all greats do - but when hes at the top of his game, hes almost untouchable.

Now I'm starting to get interested ... 348815[/snapback] I don't know specifically what may have been edited, but Captain Scarlet was always fairly dark for a series "aimed at children" (who as we all know are liable to run screaming at the very thought of - gasp! - DEATH!). Its possible also that advert breaks were partly to blame. There is also what can only be described as a degree of fan-service... [1] Agent One, Gerry Anderson does not do low-budget. Ask Lew Grade (well, if he was still alive). Static shots really don't do the series justice. [1] No! Not Captain Blue and Captain Scarlet!

I've only had a chance to see a couple of episodes but liked what I saw. Only nitpicks I would have would be the voices and the theme music simply doesn't have the same appeal as the original Barry Gray theme. Unfortunately, in the UK the show was broadcast in the middle of a childrens entertainment show and may have been edited for content. However, those of you with multi-region DVD players should be able to order the UK DVD sets now. Graham is right, though - the flying sequences are superb. Captain Scar-let - dun-dun-dun-da-DUN! (its alledged by the way, that Thunderbirds is next for the same treatment - the rights reverted back to "Mr. Anderson" recently... )

Sigh - last of the 50s - 60s "Gerry Anderson" designs... I've always liked the Draken.

Oh, yes we do - V.I.N.C.E.N.T for President!

Theres some truth to that - although a few Japanese pilots had extraordinarly long careers, such as Saburo Sakai (who lived through China, the first years of the Pacific war, and the defence of the home islands; the latter part of his career flying with one eye...!) - but it should also be noted that Japanese aircraft were, in general, much more frail than most US or European aircraft (Zeroes, Oscars and Bettys being particularly notorious in this regard). Theres certainly a degree of callousness or "samurai spirit" to Japanese losses, but part of the reason Japanese aircraft were designed fragile was because Japanese industry had trouble developing (and perhaps more importantly, maintaining) reliable high-power engines; the Zero for example was on about 900hp when its comparable rivals were over 1000 or more (although at higher weights). It was a design trade-off that become more disadvantageous as the war went on.

The Yamato was - for a machine dedicated to killing created by what was, essentially, a dictatorship - a very attractive ship (as Leeji Matusumoto well knew!). My favourite fact about the Yamato is that the Japanese designed an anti-aircraft shell - for the eighteen inch guns! Imagine being some poor Dauntless pilot and beginning your attack, and seeing three of those monsters pointing at you! (although by all accounts, the shell - a sort of incendiary shotgun affair - never really worked). The other astonishing thing about the Yamato is that the Japanese were planning an even bigger "sequel" - with 21-inch guns...!

I've only seen the anime version, and even then, only a few episodes, but "Touch" is of the same era as Orange Road. The pace is somewhat slow - continental drift possibly happens faster - but it has "something" that makes you keep watching. Like Urusei Yatsura? Pick anything where a jerk somehow lands himself the hottest girl in his sector of the Galaxy... Love! Hina, Please! Teacher, Magister Negi Magi... "His and Hers Circumstances" is an intersting take on romatic anime by Hideki "Evangelion" Anno. "Childs Toy" (aka Kodocha) is more generally zany but has romantic elements, although with a somewhat younger cast (it will also melt your brain).

What always gets me about this sort of thing is I remember years ago a cousin of mine got the Lego fan-club magazine, and someone had sent in a Lego armoured car they had made. Lego noted that they liked the work but that they didn't normally like to promote warfare and fighting in their products. Now, they're talking about "taking out" things with the long-range laser rifle...