Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ

[VF-15 Banshee]

So, Banshee-man, did you finish Double Zeta? If so did you enjoy the ending or thought it went out sour?

Why hullo there old chap, fancy seeing you here on MacrossWorld!

And yes, I'm in the home stretch, I'll be posting about episodes 37-41 later today.

[DuelGundam2099]

Yes I migrated here after.......

But yes, I await your reaction to Judau's second wave of crossdressing antics and the animation of failed mobile suits.

[Gubaba]

Eh, she was one of my least favorite anime characters, so I didn't mind it. There have been worse endings.

Zeta Haman is among my all-time favorites.

But I agree, there are DEFINITELY worse endings out there...

[plutoniumhunter]

Zeta Haman vs Scirocco was always epicness. ZZ's ending is kinda bizzare to me... with Haman committing suicide and all.

[Gubaba]

Zeta Haman vs Scirocco was always epicness. ZZ's ending is kinda bizzare to me... with Haman committing suicide and all.

Yeah, I agree.

And really, if anyone should kill Haman (NOOO!!! SHE SHOULD WIN!!!!), it should be Char.

[plutoniumhunter]

Yeah, I agree.

And really, if anyone should kill Haman (NOOO!!! SHE SHOULD WIN!!!!), it should be Char.

Yeah man, I agree on that... kind of brings everything full circle. (CDA and all), lol Haman's schemes and political moves were quite brilliant during Zeta - In ZZ she must have been high on something for the majority of the show.

[Keith]

Yeah man, I agree on that... kind of brings everything full circle. (CDA and all), lol Haman's schemes and political moves were quite brilliant during Zeta - In ZZ she must have been high on something for the majority of the show.

I like to think she actually believed Char was dead, and stopped carring.

[VF-15 Banshee]

IIRC, in Tomino's original outline for ZZ was that it would be Char that would lead the rebellion against Haman, not Glemy Toto. But then he got the green light for CCA and things were re-written.

EPISODES 37-41

I read about it, I was warned about it and here it is: the point where this series goes downhill again.

It starts off innocently enough with the revelation of the new Nahel Argama (which is fast becomming one of my favorite ship designs) but then weird things start happening. First off, why is the AEUG suddenly so uptight about teenagers in Gundams? Probably 'cause Wong Lee doesn't like Judau much, I guess. So Judau and the Junkyard Kids pull a Star Trek III and nab the Nahel Argama for themselves, while Bright heroically sacrifice's his command to prevent Shinta and Qum from being in the show at all. YYYEEEESSSSSS!!!! :twisted:
But then we revert back to the status quo of the first 17 episodes of the show where nothing much is going on, especially now that we're in the home stretch of this series. The AEUG is written off as suddenly Federation-like so that Judau and the You-Know-What's can be the stars, Haman decides to dye her hair blond and and do her best Bond Girl impression by sneaking onto the ship and then Tigerbaum. Oh, Tigerbaum....

One nice thing though is the return of Mashymre and his svelte new partner Illia Pazom. Now THIS is how Mashymre should have been from the start! He's so much more... villain-y like this. Too bad he's only going to be around for a few more episodes before following in the footsteps of Vegeta. Illia looks and sounds like an interesting character, but again, it's just too bad that she's only got a few episodes left before the end. I imagine she didn't show up earlier because she was thought up late in production perhaps?

So yeah, first the Moon-Moon sisters show up again. Why are these hippies back again? Didn't they make a big stink about how Sarasa or Rasara or whichever should not leave the colony? And now they're here and suddenly ZZ has gotten much more like the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. And then Tigerbaum. Oh boy, here we go...

Now, there's nothing wrong with a colony being built to imitate environments on Earth, they do it all the time in Macross (Frontier's Island 1 was built to imitate San Francisco and Shibuya, for example) but somehow it doesn't work here. It just makes it feel like the show is suddenly caught in a bad kung fu movie. And this Stampa guy... Holy Protoculture, Jabba the Hutt is less slimy than this guy. And smarter too. This guy could have been at least creepy what with being a pervert, mafioso and pedophile but he just looks, acts and feels like a moron.
You know, I'm going to take back some of my previously words. I though Moon-Moon was the lowest point of the series... no... no, it's this. Totally this. These two episodes actually made me mad, whereas Moon-Moon just had me shaking my head and groaning.
It's all even capped off with appearances by ugly MSV suits. I swear, all it would have needed was an appearance by the Juaggu and that would have been the end of everything.

All in all, it was a descent from dramatic heights to mediocrity. And somehow I don't think it's going to get too much better. Since there's only six episodes left, the last entry will be on those episodes. Alright, final lap ahoy.

Edited February 18, 2013 by VF-15 Banshee

[Keith]

I'm sorry, but I have to correct one important point here. They didn't pull a "Star Trek III," they pulled a "Yamato 2."

[plutoniumhunter]

I actually found Tigerbaum quite amusing, with crossdressing, Acguy vs Z'Gok...

[VF-15 Banshee]

Final episode of ZZ. WHO WILL SEE THE TEARS OF TIME?!

[Gubaba]

Final episode of ZZ. WHO WILL SEE THE TEARS OF TIME?!

ニュータイプの修羅場が見れるぞ

[DuelGundam2099]

Time does not shed tears, it makes them.

So Banshee after Dubul Zeta Gundomu, what will you take on next?

[VF-15 Banshee]

ニュータイプの修羅場が見れるぞ

You can see the shambles of the newtype?

Time does not shed tears, it makes them.

So Banshee after Dubul Zeta Gundomu, what will you take on next?

Destiny. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

[plutoniumhunter]

You can see the shambles of the newtype?

Destiny. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Destiny? Christ. LOL.

[DuelGundam2099]

But Destiny is my favorite! Not like it matters, few people including me ever manage to enjoy it.

[plutoniumhunter]

I liked the action, graphics and mecha... The plot was better not commented on.

[VF-15 Banshee]

Strangely coincidental as I'm about to finish ZZ, actress Chieko Honda, who voiced Puru and Puru Two, has passed away from cancer.

Edited February 23, 2013 by VF-15 Banshee

[DuelGundam2099]

While I didn't care for Ple, this really is sad, she did not even make it to her fiftieth birthday. She was also the voice of Ennil El from Gundam X who is my second favorite female anime character, so I can relate to her fans a bit. May she rest in peace.

[D.D. Ivanov]

[plutoniumhunter]

PURUPURUPURUPURUPURUPURUPURUPURUPURUPURUPURU!

[DuelGundam2099]

So Banshee, we eagerly await your thoughts on the finale, purus and all.

[The Shade]

Zeta Haman vs Scirocco was always epicness. ZZ's ending is kinda bizzare to me... with Haman committing suicide and all.

That's how it ended? Wow, I watched this show 2 years ago, and had already totally forgotten how the Haman plot wrapped up.

[plutoniumhunter]

That's how it ended? Wow, I watched this show 2 years ago, and had already totally forgotten how the Haman plot wrapped up.

Lol, I think so... IIRC. I last watched it around 2 years ago as well! I hope I didn't re-spoil it for you

[VF-15 Banshee]

(from above) It's coming, it's coming, ya can't rush art.

[DuelGundam2099]

You're almost there Banshee! Briiiiiiing thiiiiiiiis tooooooo liiiiiiife!

Kind of odd how this song has so many gundam AMVs yet only one is UC related.

Edited February 25, 2013 by DuelGundam2099

[Marzan]

Looking forward to your final opinion on ZZ Banshee.

BTW Haman Karn is the sexiest female in all of the Universal Century. Specially in Zeta. There, I said it.

[VF-15 Banshee]

Well, finally finished the last episode of ZZ. Kind of lackluster, if you ask me.

A bigger entry later on.

[plutoniumhunter]

Alrighty... shall be waiting!

[The Shade]

Lol, I think so... IIRC. I last watched it around 2 years ago as well! I hope I didn't re-spoil it for you

No worries. I had no plans to really watch it again anytime soon. Maybe, by the time I do watch it, I'll have re-forgotten.

Looking forward to your final opinion on ZZ Banshee.

BTW Haman Karn is the sexiest female in all of the Universal Century. Specially in Zeta. There, I said it.

I would agee with that. She was pretty bad ass.

[VF-15 Banshee]

I'm not gonna write out a huge post on this (gotta save something for the podcast right?) but here's a few thoughts on the conclusion of Gundam ZZ.

First of all, Chara Soone has to be one of the worst examples of dumb fanservice I've seen. She waltzes around in a dominatrix outfit instead of a uniform, even uses a whip. When she does wear a normal suit, she seems to have a habit of tearing it open (no small feat of strength I wager) to expose her breasts and so on and so forth. She's like the even dumber and less likable version of Rosamia Badam.

I for got to mention in a previous post about the death scene with Rasara Moon. What is supposed to no doubt be depressing and tragic ends up having you roll your eyes. Her death comes at the hands of that moron Stampa, Stampa-ing about in his MS and I just get absolutely no feelz. Probably doesn't help that i didn't like her anyway.

Glemy's Rebellion is completely inexplicable. There doesn't seem to be a reason for anyone to follow this guy outside of his little Puru clones. He calls Haman incompetent, but how is that reasoned? She successfully invades Earth, drops a colony on it and browbeats the Federation into giving her Side 3. How is she incompetent? It just comes off as a naked power grab for no other reason than Glemy feels like it. The whole is certainly not helped by having only three and a bit episodes to play out in and that Glemy's attitude towards Roux gives him this absolutely monstrous Achilles Heel. Once again, what should have been a dramatic and tragic moment when Roux blasts him and tearfully says, "I'll never forget in my heart that you loved me," just doesn't jive because A) She had continually rebuffed him until now, so why does she all of a sudden care and 2) Glemy's weakness for her made him look like a man-child desperately playing at leader. Oh and it's also super creepy with that conversation he has with Puru Two after she wakes up and is butt freakin' naked. All in all, Glemy's rebellion is fail.

I didn't quite buy Puru Two's sudden turn to the Light Side of the Force. I think she should have stayed a villain.

Speaking of Puru Two, where did she and Illia Pazom disappear too? Tomino shows seem to have a habit of doing this; it happened to Uso's father in Victory.

I wonder if that means that it really was Puru Two in the ZZ episode of Gundam Evolve...

Lastly, the final duel between Haman and Judau comes off as pretty watered down. Given that Char and Kamille both could barely touch her at Gryps 2, I have trouble believeing that she could have gotten so rusty by this time. Maybe it's because of her conflicted feelings for Judau? I also don't quite buy her suicide. Honestly, I think they killed her off because Char's Counterattack was next on the docket. Pity.

So, the final critique.

While Gundam ZZ wasn't as horrible or insulting as I once thought it was, it is definitely a mediocre show. The good episodes in the middle can't save it from the stupidity of the first 17, Tigerbaum or the lackluster finale. I would have much preferred that the original outline of the show had been followed and that it got 50 episodes like Zeta. It is a couple of steps above schlock like Destiny, AGE and G-Saviour but just a couple.

On the MAHQ scale, I give it 2 Angry Lolis out of five.

Top 5 & Bottom 5 Characters

1. Haman Khan

2. Judau Ashta

3. Rakhan Dakaran

4. Cyber Newtype Mashymre

5. Illia Pazom

1. Stampa Halloi

2. The Moon-Moon Sisters

3. Beecha and Mondo

4. Glemy Toto

5. Chara Soone

Yazan gets an honorable mention for going insane and then mysteriously surviving a fall that should have killed him.

Top 5 & Bottom 5 MS

1. The ZZ Gundam

2. The GM-III

3. The Queen Mansa

4. The Hamma Hamma

5. The Bawoo

1. The Geze

2. Zeta-Zaku

3. ReGelg

4. The Agguguy

5. Schuzrum Dias

Top 5 & Bottom 5 Moments

1. The Battle of Dakar

2. Leina scolding the Fed bigwigs

3. Judau and Haman's "romance"

4. The Battle of Dublin

5. Kamille & Fa together at the end.

Sayla gets an honorable mention

1. Every scene with Gemon the Trash-Man

2. Every scene with Stampa Halloi

3. Moon-Moon

4. That creepy moment with Glemy talking face-to-face with naked Puru Two

5. All of Beecha and Mondo's stupidity

Honorable mention to the chicken on Bright's head.

[DuelGundam2099]

Well that was a typical ZZ critique. And why call Destiny schlock if you haven't seen it yet?

[VF-15 Banshee]

Well that was a typical ZZ critique.

Heh heh, you say that almost as if I'm not expressing my own opinion.

And why call Destiny schlock if you haven't seen it yet?

Haven't seen ALL of it yet, which will soon be rectified.

[anime52k8]

Well that was a typical ZZ critique. And why call Destiny schlock if you haven't seen it yet?

because it's true?

also, GM III and the Bawoo make it into your top five ZZ mechs but no mention of the Qubeley? For shame.

[DuelGundam2099]

you say that almost as if I'm not expressing my own opinion.

I expected more of your hamfisted/plot talk.

because it's true?

Except it wasn't.