Shoji Kawamori's Juushinki PANDORA (Spring 2018)

[Convectuoso]

Is anyone watching this? 

I was going to start watching it, but saw it so poorly rated on AniDB, that I'm hesitant about it. 

[Xigfrid]

It won’t hurt watching, but don’t have high hopes in either the story, the characters or the mechas. 

Kawamori was demonstrating a transforming lego prototype and made me curious to see it in a toy form

[M'Kyuun]

Is there a video somewhere of Kawamori demonstrating his LEGO prototype? I've been searching to no avail. 

As for Juushinki Pandora itself, it's ok, nothing really groundbreaking. It's an odd mix of metaphysics and quantum physics. As usual, though, the mecha designs are interesting.

Edited August 26, 2018 by M'Kyuun

[Sanity is Optional]

I'm watching it. It's popcorn fodder, and the fights are fairly generic. The mecha are pretty though, and some of the characters are mildly amusing.

[Convectuoso]

Thanks!  I may give it a try 

[tekering]

18 hours ago, Convectuoso said:

I was going to start watching it, but saw it so poorly rated on AniDB, that I'm hesitant about it. 

That doesn't surprise me.  I found it unwatchable after only three episodes.

6 hours ago, Sanity is Optional said:

The mecha are pretty though, and some of the characters are mildly amusing.

The character designs are pretty awful, though.

Note how those breasts are constantly looming in frame.  Sometimes the framing is so overtly objectifying, they cut off her head just to fill more of the screen with her breasts.

And it's not even supposed to be funny.  

[Keith]

Streaming on any legit sites?

[kajnrig]

2 minutes ago, Keith said:

Streaming on any legit sites?

Not yet. Apparently it'll be coming to Netflix soon under the name "Last Hope," as in the Last thing in Pandora's Box was Hope.

[Bolt]

I'll definitely check it out when it comes to Netflix. And definitely won't be holding my breadth for an amazing anime..

[Sildani]

Nice to see Jet Black getting work again after the Bebop ended. 

[sh9000]

I’ll watch more episodes when I get the chance.

[RavenHawk]

This just got added to Netflix USA. I just watched the first episode, and I have to say that I enjoyed it (more than any other new anime I've seen in the last few months).

I do tend to watch most of my anime on Netflix and Amazon Prime, so I may well be missing out on other good stuff out there.

Either way, I like it a lot and am looking forward to watching the rest of the series.

Oh, and I'm REALLY digging the mecha designs! Surprisingly, I'm not seeing much of anything out there for toys/models/concept art books.

[eXis10z]

4 hours ago, RavenHawk said:

This just got added to Netflix USA. I just watched the first episode, and I have to say that I enjoyed it (more than any other new anime I've seen in the last few months).

I do tend to watch most of my anime on Netflix and Amazon Prime, so I may well be missing out on other good stuff out there.

Either way, I like it a lot and am looking forward to watching the rest of the series.

Oh, and I'm REALLY digging the mecha designs! Surprisingly, I'm not seeing much of anything out there for toys/models/concept art books.

What's the name of it on Netflix?

[RavenHawk]

Just now, eXis10z said:

What's the name of it on Netflix?

"Last Hope"

[jenius]

On 8/26/2018 at 6:46 AM, tekering said:

That doesn't surprise me.  I found it unwatchable after only three episodes.

The character designs are pretty awful, though.

Note how those breasts are constantly looming in frame.  Sometimes the framing is so overtly objectifying, they cut off her head just to fill more of the screen with her breasts.

And it's not even supposed to be funny.  

Wow, I thought Robotech's The Shadow Chronicles had awful women character designs...

[Sanity is Optional]

Either they tone it back later on, or I just built immunity. Not actually sure which.

Edited September 18, 2018 by Sanity is Optional

[eXis10z]

1 hour ago, RavenHawk said:

"Last Hope"

Thank you!

[renegadeleader1]

2 hours ago, jenius said:

Wow, I thought Robotech's The Shadow Chronicles had awful women character designs...

Do a google image search for Uguu! Am I cute meme. There is much worse, much MUCH worse out there than Shadow Chronicles.

[M'Kyuun]

7 hours ago, renegadeleader1 said:

Do a google image search for Uguu! Am I cute meme. There is much worse, much MUCH worse out there than Shadow Chronicles.

Looked up uguu; annoying. Like the running joke in Juushinki with Chloe being addressed by pet names rather than Chloe and her objections, as well as the military dude who the sniper always addresses by a mildly pejorative term. It's funny the first couple times, but wears thin over the series.

As for the fanservice in Juushinki Pandora, I noticed it, but it only crops up here and there, and the princess/mayor is always showing cleavage in her outfit, so after awhile I stopped noticing. Even the nudity is kept pretty tame (usually females viewed taking a shower from the side or 3/4 view behind- no full frontal IIRC).  I'm guessing this is aimed at the newly pubescent crowd in Japan, so nothing too revealing. 

The show's a little boring to me. The characters really aren't that interesting (they're anime archetypes, nothing that stands out), the story is a mish-mash of meta and quantum physics, and the big bad is cheesy and laughable. Honestly, I think I laughed the first time he announced his bad guy name. It's like an 80's James Bond villain. I'm waiting for Roger Moore to show up in a transforming Aston Martin. Kawamori's transforming designs are cool, as always, but they can't save this show from the mediocrity of its story, characters, or dialog.

[Convectuoso]

Just checked and it's also a available on Netflix latin america

[Focslain]

22 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

The show's a little boring to me. The characters really aren't that interesting (they're anime archetypes, nothing that stands out), the story is a mish-mash of meta and quantum physics, and the big bad is cheesy and laughable. Honestly, I think I laughed the first time he announced his bad guy name. It's like an 80's James Bond villain. I'm waiting for Roger Moore to show up in a transforming Aston Martin. Kawamori's transforming designs are cool, as always, but they can't save this show from the mediocrity of its story, characters, or dialog.

I binged the series over the weekend.

Yeah agreed for the most part. I was entertained, but this isn't a series I'll be passing to my friends.

On the mecha note, I swear the designs looked familiar past the Kawamori aesthetic. The tank and flyer looked like Gypsy and the red jeager from uprising and the sniper was so close to Master Chief it was laughable.

Also it seems like this series is supposed to continue as the last ep ends like there is another one coming. I'm guessing that is what the OVA/movie is supposed to concluded the story?

I hope.

[sh9000]

[no3Ljm]

Does Bandai supports this show? Because I don't remember seeing any merchandise nor figures came from the show. And the only company I could think of that or might produce something is Bandai.

 

[Xigfrid]

All three mechas are CG animated so I would say it would be easy to make a toy directly from the show. 

One thing though, I noticed the car battroid  mode sometime is pictured much smaller than a VF-1 and in another scene (with the black mécha battroid) it looks taller than  a VF-31. 

 

Edited September 19, 2018 by Xigfrid

[tekering]

Yeah, that looks way off-scale.  

3 hours ago, Xigfrid said:

All three mechas are CG animated so I would say it would be easy to make a toy directly from the show.

I bet the designers at TakaraTomy hate you as much as they hate Michael Bay.  

[M'Kyuun]

Thanks for the pics, sh9000. Those are the only clear pics I've seen of the JP mecha designs. I wouldn't mind having toys, and I imagine Bandai would be the company that makes them, but as far I know, there are currently no toys or models out there.  I imagine they'd sell on their own merits, though, being variable mecha designed by Kawamori. His writing leaves somewhat to be desired at times, but the guy can sure design a cool transforming mech.

[RavenHawk]

14 hours ago, Focslain said:

Also it seems like this series is supposed to continue as the last ep ends like there is another one coming. I'm guessing that is what the OVA/movie is supposed to concluded the story?

I hope.

If you watched it on Netflix, then yes. The show is 26 episodes (all released in Japan now, I think, or maybe one still to go), but Netflix USA is splitting it up into two 13 episode "seasons".

[RavenHawk]

11 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

Does Bandai supports this show? Because I don't remember seeing any merchandise nor figures came from the show. And the only company I could think of that or might produce something is Bandai.

 

I'm not aware of any specific toy company supporting it. The only merchandise that seems to be out there ( as seen here on the official website: http://www.project-pandora.jp/wp/goods/ ) is pretty random.

The only real TOYS that I've been able to find, after a good bit of searching, is a figure of Queenie from Wonder Fest made by Medicos.

 

 

2 hours ago, tekering said:

Yeah, that looks way off-scale.  

I bet the designers at TakaraTomy hate you as much as they hate Michael Bay.  

I still remember my naivete when the first live action TF movie was coming out... "Well, if they're doing CGI, then they can make sure that all of the parts really move, and everything is in scale..."

 

1 hour ago, M'Kyuun said:

Thanks for the pics, sh9000. Those are the only clear pics I've seen of the JP mecha designs. I wouldn't mind having toys, and I imagine Bandai would be the company that makes them, but as far I know, there are currently no toys or models out there.  I imagine they'd sell on their own merits, though, being variable mecha designed by Kawamori. His writing leaves somewhat to be desired at times, but the guy can sure design a cool transforming mech.

I have done a TON of looking online, and those appear to be just about literally the only pics of the mecha out there at all (other than some screen grabs). 

Like I said above, I'm not aware of anyone making toys for this. If anyone does, I assume it might be models from someone like Kotobukiya. Admittedly, I'm biased, since I've become a huge fan of their kits in recent months, but it does seem to line up with some of their lines (like the Gigantic Arms and Frame Arms series, and their licensed kits for Armored Core, Phantasy Star, Majestic Prince, Full Metal Panic!, Super Robot Wars, Muv Luv Alternative, Ghost in the Shell, Metal Gear Solid, Knights of Sidonia, and especially Xenoblade).

[zard]

Mecha designs are nice, but the character designs...

[renegadeleader1]

2 hours ago, zard said:

Mecha designs are nice, but the character designs...

Typical Kawamori non Macross show. Nice mecha, ugly or forgettable character designs, and a mind numbing overly complex yet stupidly simple plot that can't get out of its own way.

[GabrielV]

I watched an episode last night.  It didn't particularly impress.  The battle was really unimpressive.

The hero mech reminded me of both Pacific Rim's Gipsy Danger and Detonator Orgun's Orgun.  It even copied some of Orgun's poses and moves.  So I guess it means it also copied Tekkaman?  (Haven't ever seen Tekkaman, but have been informed that Detonator Orgun copies it.)

There really wasn't much there.  I came away feeling it was a pretty standard modern anime, so basically not terribly engaging for me.  There wasn't any real hook in the episode that really made me care one way or the other about coming back for more.

Might watch the next episode.  Might not.

 

[Mechapilot77]

the car and the motorcycle mechs look cool but...its like they forced 3 modes.  not everything needs a gerwalk mode haha.  also the car's battroid mode is very humanoid wearing armor.  actually reminds me of last knight optimus with those shoulder pauldrons

[slaginpit]

On 7/30/2016 at 11:38 PM, slaginpit said:

Sorry but I dont want kawamori anywhere near an anime studio. Stick to making cool transforming bots. He has a knack for messed up sloppy plot lined anime. NO!

And here we are and as I said back in 2016 we got yet another netflix vomit inducing discombobulated anime. Its telling it became a netflix orginal

[slaginpit]

Hmmm I wonder why im smelling tuna

Edited September 20, 2018 by slaginpit

[RavenHawk]

2 hours ago, Mechapilot77 said:

the car and the motorcycle mechs look cool but...its like they forced 3 modes.  not everything needs a gerwalk mode haha.  also the car's battroid mode is very humanoid wearing armor.  actually reminds me of last knight optimus with those shoulder pauldrons

The car and motorcycle mechs are what got my attention and really sold me on it. Loved it every time they were on screen. The designs just really appeal to me.

As to whether the 3 modes were necessary... well, I agree with you, they were a bit forced (especially with the VTOL). That said, since this is the guy that, to my knowledge, basically created the idea of mechs having three modes like this, well, I'm willing to cut some slack for him.

Otherwise, I finished the 13 episodes available here and enjoyed them. I'd say it's in the top half of the anime that I've watched this year. Not perfect, and a lot of stuff that didn't work for me (a good amount of the metaphysical stuff, and the invader-of-the-week format in some episodes), but I still enjoyed it. Since this is only the first half of the show, and a lot of anime tends to take a while to really pick up, I'm looking forward to seeing the next 13.