Mobile Suit Z Gundam: A New Translation - A New Translation Indeed!

 
    Mobile Suit Z Gundam is easily one of my favorite Gundam series. When the series originally aired in 1985 in Japan, viewers and fans of the original Mobile Suit Gundam were treated to a much darker sequel- a lot had happened in the seven in-series years. A despotic organization known as the Titans is poised to overtake the old Earth Federation Space Forces in their overzealous ambition to control space to prevent another One Year War from occurring. There's another party known as the Anti-Earth Union Group who assembled to fight the oppression of the Titans. And at the center of it all is youngster Kamille Bidan, our protagonist.  It's an incredibly epic story, and many Gundam fans favorite. But the series is dated. That's where A New Translation comes in.
    A New Translation is comprised of three compilation films, much like what they did for Mobile Suit Gundam. The first, Heirs to the Stars, covers the beginning chapters of Zeta up through a little after the Assault on Jaburo arc. Lovers, the second movie, covers the Hong Kong arc through the introduction of the Axis Neo-Zeon. Love is the Pulse of the Stars concludes the epic with an entirely new ending that leaves things a bit more hopeful for fans of this particular series, but leaves the rest of the Universal Century in question.
   The first minor jarring issue one might have with A New Translation is the inclusion of redrawn scenes interspersed with newly animated footage. It can be a little disorienting seeing remastered animation from '85 mashed up with new animation done in 2005. After a while, it becomes second nature and viewing it is enjoyable.
   As compilation movies, they have to fit 50 episodes worth of story into these three films. Sometimes, it works brilliantly- most filler has been left by the wayside, or included in shorter expository bits. Other times, it's baffling, as some storylines are completely removed. However, I thought what they did with these movies was excellent. By episode 26 of the series, I felt so fatigued by what was going on. The Zeta Gundam, the mobile suit the series was named for, hadn't even debuted yet. Things were going impossibly slow. In A New Translation, however, I was excited by the breakneck pacing. Exciting things were happening every minute, and even the heavy-handed politic presented in the latter half of the series was intriguing.
   The ending however destroys the entire canon of the Universal Century. Without spoiling too much for those who haven't viewed Z Gundam before, a certain event at the very ending does not occur, and without that ending, it's impossible for the follow-up series ZZ Gundam to happen. Without ZZ Gundam, Char's Counterattack doesn't happen, and so Unicorn doesn't happen, and so on. It is a much happier ending than the original, but at the cost of so much.
   That doesn't mean that these movies are awful and should be avoided, though. In fact, I recommend them whole-heartedly. But major word of advice: Z Gundam is a sequel in every sense of the word. If you want to get the most out of it, watch the Mobile Suit Gundam compilation films, or, if you're really gutsy and have time on your hands, watch the original series. It's more fun when the cameos in Z start happening when you know who the heck these people are.

4.5/5

Mardock Scramble - A mature sci-fi experience that is a little heavier than the norm.

 

When I was recommended Mardock Scramble, a three part science fiction story about a girl seeking revenge, nothing could have prepared me for what I experienced. I was hit by a barrage of emotions, simultaneously feeling disgust and despair , but also intrigue and happiness . The story of Rune Ballot is not a happy one, and if you're looking for a happy ending, you won't find such a conclusion in any one of the three films. The closest you get is the cliffhanger at the climax of the second movie, and that's filled with so much tension, you can't wait to experience what happens next.

   Rune Ballot, at the beginning of the tale, is a 15 year old prostitute haunted by the stigma of her past. She is currently with a man named Shell, who we soon discover is a homicidal woman slayer. After he leaves her for dead, Ballot is taken in by Dr. Easter and the shapeshifting mouse Ouefcoque Penteano and is placed within a new body via the 09 procedure, a process to extend life and repair the body using 'forbidden' technology. The events that follow in the story are lost in a haze of flashback and philosophy, which, were it handled any other way, might have fallen flat. However, the superb writing and direction succeeds in building character where even minutes before, there was none.

  The movies are at their best, however, when there is action on the screen. Ultra violent, no-holds barred gun and knife play are all at their best here, and the use of CGI is better used in the action scenes rather than the droll PlayStation-era cars that seem to populate the fantastic city in which Scramble takes place. Every fight scene has increasingly higher stakes, are impossibly bloody, and always a joy to watch unfold.

   But I've always enjoyed when the action is intelligent and intriguing. Being raised in Nevada, where gambling is a major part of our economy, it was fascinating to see all the gambling in the final act of the second film and for the first half of the third. The casino part of the plot is superb and is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise dark, bloody, and incredibly sexual atmosphere exerted by the rest the plot. In fact, two of the most interesting characters in the movies are introduced during these scenes and are worth sitting through the movies just to see how they influence Ballot's character development.

   It's worth mentioning again that Mardock Scramble has an undeniably shocking portrayal of sexuality that permeates intensely in its first chapter. Keeping in mind that at the onset of the story, Rune Ballot is an underaged sex worker and there is glimpses of female nudity throughout, it can be a very uncouth price of entry into an otherwise superb trilogy. It's nothing you wouldn't see in your typical rated-R trashy movie, but at times, I felt they used the sex for shock value, and earlier on, the outlook is intensely misogynistic. However, if you can stomach your way past it, I can promise what you find in these three movies are totally worth it.

   Undeniably, the best parts of Mardock Scramble are watching Ballot and Ouefcoque bond and grow throughout the films. Their chemistry is often charming, and seeing the logical Ouefcoque help shape the broken and twisted Ballot is some of the best character development I've seen in years.

  Mardock Scramble isn't for everybody. The easily offended should seek their anime elsewhere. This is an adult trilogy that is often dark and depressing, with the underlying theme that it is possible to, though once broken and betrayed, become whole and be more than what you used to be. From its explosive opening to it's sad, albeit satisfying, conclusion, Mardock Scramble is something I'd wholeheartedly recommend to those who might be seeking a more mature look at anime.

You can watch all three movies at Hulu with Hulu Plus:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/372520 - Mardock Scramble: The First Compression
http://www.hulu.com/watch/554356 - Mardock Scramble: The Second Compression
http://www.hulu.com/watch/610776 - Mardock Scramble: The Third Exhaust

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Teaser Trailer Review

Racially diverse stormtroopers. New, smiling, stormtrooper helmets. 

Guy in dark cloak has a claymore lightsaber that is RED.

10/10.