Final Vegeta

It is very banal in itself, but this Engrish of Satelight Studio made me laugh because they have a capital of 225 million yen and they still can spell "corporate" right only once out of three attempts (plus minor typo like "campany" and "contct") FV

Correction: anime is short for "animation". FV

The main problem then is the sentai overtones, not characters having psychic powers, which are found in several anime, like Akira, but usually are not associated with robot anime (contrary to popular belief, Evangelion was not a series with psychic powers). So it may not even be the cliches, it's just the sentai, because the sentai smells like kiddish. Macross was born from Gundam and Yamato. It made sense at the time when older anime fans were a new phenomenon, but now there won't be any innovation just by doing a series with an older target in mind. That doesn't mean Aquarion is kiddish. Soul of Chogokin were expensive toys which couldn't be afforded by kids, they were meant for adult collectionists. Aquarion is already spawning a SOC, so it has to be a super robot TV series with grown-ups in mind. Maybe Kawamori wanted a toy that looked good and was even sturdy enough, and he wrote the series just for that. What I think of Kawamori? He remained an all-rounded author, who can engage in all kinds of anime. Weren't for Kawamori Aquarion would be awful. Almost parodic approach, good design, subtle psychology, complex spiritual themes. At the end where most people got stuck is just presentation. FV

Out of curiosity, what were these things? Protagonist being somewhat special is a standard feature in anime. FV

It may be a wrong assumption or it may be a blooper. The author is Kawamori and he chooses what a Valkyrie can do. FV

In the fourth episode there is a very sense of Zen teachings in that things must be learned the hard way, without your master telling you anything. Also, I think I've discovered some hidden cultural references. In Aquarion it should be mentioned, sooner or later, prana, which is a kind of vital energy that flows through the chakras. To be exact, it enters your body through your first chakra and comes out from your last chakra, and this should be the reason why Fudo looked like a column of light to Rena. The chakras also govern each their own emotions and attitudes toward the world. I think each character references to a particular chakra. First chakra, located between anus and genital. Root chakra, element earth. It produces a sense of physical and mental harmony connected to nature; strengthens sexual vitality and the capability to adapt to the world. This should be Fudo Gen. Fudo should mean something like "motionless" in Japanese. Second chakra, three fingers under navel. Sacral chakra, element water. Colour: orange. It concerns everything sexual, including libido. Also concerned with self-accepting (the chakra closes under feeling of guilt). This is Tsugumi. Third chakra, solar plexus. Power chakra, element fire. It affects dominance in social relationships, coordination in corporeal movements and self-esteem. This is Pierre. Fourth chakra, center of the sternum. Heart chakra, element of air. Everything about love, sensibility and joy. In can be either green or pink, or even gold. I think it should be Apollo and Silvia's main chakra. Fifth chakra, throat. Element of sound (ether). It affects comunication and artistic expression. Troubles in this chakra can mean difficulties in accepting others' POVs. This is Sirius. Sixth chakra, in the forehead. The famous third eye. It concerns intuition and consciousness. Troubles in this chakra can manifest through nightmares or eye and ear impairments. This is Reika. Maybe even Rena (but Rena could be based also on the last chakra). I also discovered interesting ties between Macross 7 and Nada Yoga, but this is another matter. FV

Guld used YF-21's head antenna. FV

VF-1's output power was listed in PS, or Pferde Starke (horse power), so it would be safe to think Macross listed other outputs in all measure system but Gundam's kw. It think it's "brake horsepower" rather than base. Try google for more info (like this). FV

An Italian newspaper called him "german shepherd". It cracked me up FV

You can also say that the gattai with Apollo raped Silvia's childhood "Sir, hadn't you better buckle up" "Aah, buckle this. Sousei gattai, Go Aquarion!" FV

Nope, it's a reference to Mazinger Z, whose main weapon was Breast Fire. Buresuto Faiyaa -> Buresuto Faitaa FV

Err.....if you mean the Macross Zero pictures that Nanashino posted on the previous page, they are by Tenjin Yes, I know. That was the joke, since Tejin's drawings were done after Macross Zero came out, but I was pretending they were done first and then Macross Zero staff tried to match them FV

Saw episode 02. Friggin' awesome. I am totally sold. This is the Macross of the new millennium, literally. Just like Macross was some kind of fusion of Gundam and Yamato and then some, Aquarion is some kind of fusion of Evangelion and Getter Robot, and then some. This considering that actually most of the things seen are references to Kawamori's previous anime. Atlantis and angels were more a reference to Escaflowne, and Thoma is more Folken (of the Escaflowne movie) than Kaworu. I found this anime almost unbearably classy and stylish, plus it has a budget like it was funded by Japan's main bank (even better than Macross Zero. How they did it it's out of my understanding), Yoko Kanno's music and it's quite packed, filled to the trim. It does even dare some sexual allusions. It puzzles me why people who were exposed to Shinji Ikari's clones rantings all these years now would reject an anime where all the characters have psychic powers and they use them to beat each other all the time. Despite common mythical references between the two anime, Apollo and Shinji Ikari don't share nothing, and I actually regret this nothing includes even the beating Apollo was subjected to. Aquarion blew my mind. FV

It's Bones style VS Kawamori style again. I am the one who talked about it but it's still hard for me to believe it. I don't have seen Eureka 7 yet but I would pick Aquarion every time. I think nothing can be as cool as Kawamori style. Screencaps where they were doing it were already widespread. This is because it's a Real Robot compared to Super Robot. However, you should notice that Solar Aquarion, the main robot, fights with fists, and thus there's no need to scream whatsoever. Kawamori tried his best to meet your demands. FV

Seeing those pics of Macross Zero, I kinda feel like Macross Zero artists were so skilled they almost matched Mr. Hidetaka J/K FV

Exactly. I pity those who say that they kinda liked it but it was so full of cliché they'll skip it. But then, I consider Kawamori almost a niche artist in that his works may be liked by many, but his name is not always that famous, and not all fans can tell all the anime he worked in, nor they are interested in see them. "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction." Albert Einstein. I think it's called "pornography of violence". Sometimes it is anime fandom's soft spot. Many other anime can be better than Aquarion, but what about anime less violent than Aquarion? I don't think people are actually interested in originality. They are interested in the "bigger, more complex and more violent". Macross 7 was based on an original idea, a main character that doesn't kill anybody, but not all people like it (and indeed it has its flaws). Originality is good as long as it doesn't take out anime fans' usual entertainment. I don't think Aquarion is such a show. It is made for entertainment purpose exactly like others, but it has a superior quality. And yes, it has even scenes that will be remembered in a lot of doujinshi FV

I browsed internet looking for comments. A lot of people rejected because it was "full of cliché". Whatever. The main character seem to be ripping off a dozen of other designs, there's the loligoth and such. CG = UGLY. In an Italian forum the main point of discussion was the "kimochi ii". Once I guessed that Kawamori's and Watanabe's styles were incompatible (and actually they even work together!). People who like both dislike little in anime. I think it's still true. This time is Samurai Champloo VS Aquarion. Well, I am still waiting for the angsty boy FV

Just look at his production list in his Compendiums. Creator, Director, Series Script Supervisor, Aquarion Design. FV

Repression of female sexuality is one of the key to control a people. Even in the last century in the "democratic" West clitoridectomia or lobotomy were imposed to "heal" a girl from female masturbation and lewdyness. Not if the government has religious or ethical reasons for not going down certain areas, (for example cloning humans to make frankenstien soldiers - half animal half human hybrid mutants. I doubt many voters would support this.) and also whether you are able to make money off it. You already have GM organisms. What is their appeal? Say, to solve the problem of world hunger you will study "golden rice", a highly nutritional GM rice that alone would suffice (so it is kinda like hemp). Now, to buy these golden rice seeds a third world country will have to make another huge debt, but they are used to it. Why can't they use the seeds they have now? Because they sell most of their grains to first world countries (and in the meanwhile the price of their grains sank, while the oil price raised, so they have a huge debt and they are even poorer). Can you see the contradiction? Golden rice is not a viable solution. As long as we eat so much meat (it takes a lot of grains to raise a cow) these peoples are doomed to starve. And scientists waste a lot of money to research into this kind of things. Not forgetting that probably an exclusive diet of golden rice would cause some malnutrition disease. That GMs are not even healthy it is another matter (have you ever heard of Árpád Pusztai?), but genetic resarches started. If you will manage to keep convincing people GMs are safe, you will gradually extend your field of research. Luckily, I think these people will be stopped sooner or later. I live in Italy. Due to religious education a lot of gramps here fall prey of so-called magicians and their claims of evil eye. It doesn't matter whether it's actually real. You can sell even illusions. Military could be consider it an attempt at psyop. It's not true. Even Gamlin could have effect. Basara was simply portrayed as the better. I think it was supposed to be one of the genes that humans already inherited. But what if there isn't any rational reason for something to be forbidden, except that forbidding it makes some people really rich? In real world nobody really brought peace that way. After every ''victory'' you have more enemies. ~Jeanette Winterson The UN was not born for that purpose. The planes that carry humanitarian aid to Africa also carry the weapons used in African wars. Yes it was. Ivanov stated it. It may seem a contradiction, but this is what happens in real world. The US has sold weapons to all dictatorships in this world, missing just a few maybe. Recently US corporations sold even satellite and rocket technology to China. It's a scandal, and I can't find a rational reason behind it except the supermafia theory, but it happens. Actually, you are talking more about politicians. FV

And SWAG stands for...? AWAG/RA 105 SWAG energy converting armor which uses Overtechnology [...] to triple the Fighter mode's armor strength in Battroid mode. It doesn't mention anything like energy shields. Energy is converted in armor, not in shield, more like shape memory alloy. On the other hand the PPB is portrayed as an energy shield even in the first Macross. Probable cultural inference. I read an article that mentions that in a war news are often belied. Germans and Australians though accept the refutation and readily correct in their minds the news, while Americans don't do it (for istance, the case of Jessica Lynch). It is not a matter of intelligence, but Americans are more keen to believe only what they think should be true. Do you think it has to be energy shield because this is how you see this kind of things? FV

Because if they were energy shields you would have seen something that looks like them. FV

I think it is exagerate to draw universal conclusions from individual occurrences in anime that could be considered even as flaws. Here instead the problem is general: is the watcher entitled to know how and why everything happens? Does he really need it? The problem here represent even a personal connotation, as the suspension of disbelief is often subjective. It may takes generations of taxpayers but eventually military hardware has its civilian applications. Technobabble, more technobabble and loosely plausible technobabble. I think you should be even more radicale. Why not to think the world is the veil of Maya? When we face bad things we are seeing a cruel mask, but underneath there is the warmy smile of the sun. This happens because when the universe started to move it created opposites. Also, the right emisphere of the brain sees time as it really is, not linear but subjective; there is no progression, it is always there. The right emispheres of the brain can talk to each other, and they represent a collective mind of humanity; while sleeping this collective mind allow humanity to see the world as it really is. And such. These were ideas of Philip Dick. He didn't talk about levitation and making plants grow, but these ideas could be a good basis. Since sooner or later we will end up into the uncharted territory of fan suppositions I thought we should be at least creative I don't think they were that spiritually advanced if they still waged war, but then even the way we wage war now hasn't changed in these 2000 years. The devils that possessed Protodevilns maybe were ancient legends in Protoculture's lore and Protoculture knew them because every life in the universe came from the same place, but this is a fan explanation. You don't know if you don't search. ... I've tried to see whether it was a word with a different spelling. After finding this I've stopped searching. FV

I instead think that Rahxephon has the underhand, but not exactly for Macross Zero's merits To be exact, where were these interviews, aside from the DVD? From the news I gathered I was made to think that even Kawamori considered Macross Zero a minor project, since his answers were more trivial than personal. Everything one wanted to know was how Macross Zero fit in Macross continuity. I don't remember particular comments about what Kawamori was trying to achieve. I got the same feeling. The problem is not even the reharshing, but the fact that the reharsh should look more like Gundam, or to be more precise more than Gundam like some kind of videogame where the player has no control. FV

Why nobody ever dares to talk about the widespread Evangelion's faults? FV

I think people should accept this is a Super Robot anime. The difference between a Super Robot and a Real Robot is like Saint Seiya compared to Tigerman. Art can be delusional to those who don't know it is self-referential. Every Japanese author thinks the old anime were incredibly naive, yet they grew up with them. Despite I still haven't see it so I can't properly judge, from what I've heard I think Aquarion may be in competition for Naruto's older fans. It would be still an accomplishment in growing out Shinki Ikari's character (it is my supposition or even the Naota Nandaba character is spreading?). FV