Saikano 2, my "interpretation" ( with "spoilers" )
Anthony D. Baranyi
drinking while watching it ( or maybe because I wasn't drinking while
watching it ), I was "inspired" to come up with the following
"interpretation".
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Episode Title, "I'm Alright, Jack"
( The opening sequence contains most of the episode's dialog written in
"school boy" French. That's alright, because no one in the potential
audience can read French anyway.)
( We start out with Shuuji walking to school as usual, no worse for the wear
from his "little exposure" to the total destruction of Sapporo, other than
having a small Band-Aid on his forehead. )
Shuuji; "La de da, la de da. I'm in love with a killing machine. La de da.
Oh hi Chise, how are your bullets?"
Chise ( struggling along as usual ); "Heavier than ever, sorry."
( They go to school where one girl remembers her lost boyfriend; the
cheapskate went to Sapporo and all he sent back to her was a lousy necklace.
The teachers watch Sapporo burn on TV and hope that their students get
drafted soon. )
( Lunchtime )
Chise; "Hi Shuuji, I've brought you some lunch. I decontaminated it for you
myself."
Shuuji; "Cool" ( Refrains from opening it.)
Chise; "Oops, gotta go and kill some things. See you later."
Shuuji; "Cool" ( Stomach rumbles but still doesn't open lunch. )
Shuuji's irritating classmates come and steal the lunch Chise made, Shuuji
doesn't stop them.
Irritating Classmates; "Your girlfriend made this lunch?"
Shuuji; "It was untouched by human hands."
Irritating Classmates; "Cool"
( Later on, Shuuji is a home at supper time, doing nothing. He suddenly
remembers that Chise said she would meet him after school. Shuuji runs out
into the empty streets. Despite the fact that it is supper time, there is no
one on the streets of the city, and no cars out. Shuuji runs aimlessly until
he happens to see Chise floating equally aimlessly in the air. Chise notices
Shuuji looking up her skirt, loses her concentration, falls to the ground
and is transformed back to normal. )
Chise; "Honey, I'm home."
Shuuji; "Hi Dear, how was work?"
Chise; "The usual, I destroyed a few invaders and caused immeasurable
collateral damage and casualties. "
Shuuji; "Cool! By-the-way, put my coat on so that no one notices that your
shirt is all ripped off and you are bleeding."
Chise; "Thanks. By-the-way, we need to keep the fact that we are
girlfriend/boyfriend secret. Also, we can't let anyone know that I'm a
secret Government super weapon. If anyone asks about my clothes or wounds,
I'll just tell them that you raped me."
Shuuji; "Sure. Cool."
( Later on Shuuji comes up with a "plan". )
Shuuji; "Chise, you've got to run away. I'll take you on my bike. It's
slower than you can fly and will let everyone track us."
Chise; "Cool. Let's do it. I don't mind reneging on my promises to my
Country."
( They ride down an empty road. Up in space a space thing zooms in on Shuuji
and Chise on the bike and launches some weapons at them. Chise sees the
weapons coming. )
Chise; "Shuuji, peddle faster, there are two hypersonic weapons coming
towards us."
Shuuji; "Shit, I'm tired! You peddle, I'm not the one in the Army."
( Chise drops a bunch of little missiles out of her shirt. This missiles hit
the ground, bounce a couple of times, ignite, then go off and shoot down the
hypersonic weapons. )
Shuuji; "What was that sound? Did you throw away another empty beer can?
Save some for me."
( They stop in the woods. It is getting dark. Shuuji is tired. A big
helicopter flies by; the pilot is sweaty. Chise communicates with the sweaty
pilot silently. Shuuji notices that Chise has stopped paying attention to
him. )
Shuuji; "Hey, no you don't, you're not going anywhere. I went through all
this trouble to get you into the woods alone. They can wait for sloppy
seconds."
Chise; "Thanks for reminding me, you will be my first. ( Today, that is. )"
Shuuji; "Duck!"
( Shuuji pushes Chise to the ground and starts to undue her blouse.)
Chise; "Wait, I haven't washed my bra in weeks."
Shuuji; ( In a Mexican accent ); "We don't need no stinking bras."
( Shuuji stops and stares in horror at Chise's bare chest. )
Chise; "I told you not to do that. Now you've seen my horrible scar."
Shuuji; "Scar? What scar? Shit, you have no boobs! My cat has bigger boobs."
( End of episode. )
( Preview for episode 3, Chise flies around a lot and blows up a lot of
things. Shuuji decides that it's "healthier" for him not to piss Chise off
and lets her get on top. It also makes her boobs look a little bigger.
Shuuji fantasizes about his big-busted classmate while he is with Chise, but
doesn't realize that Chise can read his mind, which bodes poorly for the
future of the big-busted classmate. )
Dave Baranyi
Manbow Papa
"Anthony D. Baranyi" <abar...@rogers.com> wrote in message
news:XY7K9.102182$Q71....@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...
> Last night I watched "Saikano" episode 2. Despite the fact that I wasn't
> drinking while watching it ( or maybe because I wasn't drinking while
> watching it ), I was "inspired" to come up with the following
> "interpretation".
Some while back, NHK BS aired "Manga Yawa" (Manga Night Talk)
in which Okada-san (ex-GAINAX brain) gave a commentary on
Saikano manga like this (IIRC):
"It's one of the post Eva anime, I categorized, in which protagonists'
personal problem linked deeply to the apocalyptic event of the
world, i.e. the two problems are told as if the magnitude of them
are the same."
Real or fake the war is, the writer and the readers don't care.
It's only a plot device to tell a love story of Shuuji and Chise.
Very Decartes-like view of the world. All of the panelists seemed
to like the manga, but I feel shiver with this kind of fat ego. One
panelist said, "I wonder if this is a time when we are able to talk
a simple love story in this way only?" I wonder so too.
--
/ Ishikawa Kazuo /
(Remove NoS for E-mailing)
Chris Baird
Personally, I just can't take in any story where a first-time young
relationship is immediately destined to work out in the end, and last
for ever and ever. SaiKano (and Love Hina, and...) in my view was
exactly that, with forced trials-and-tribulations included to make
other viewers think its 'thematically adequate'.
--
Chris,,
redkanary
> drinking while watching it ( or maybe because I wasn't drinking while
> watching it ), I was "inspired" to come up with the following
> "interpretation".
This man could make a career out of the abuse of sarcasm.
What do you expect out of a GONZO production anyway?
-Red
(Who thought SaiKano was cheesy beyond belief, but liked it anyway)
Nargun
Nodnod. But off the top of my head the *only* romance anime i can think of
that isn't like this is KareKano.
Louis
--
Louis Patterson l.patt...@ugrad.unimelb.edu.au
"You have plundered this dead man's property, you have all
the toys you need to keep you alive; now may we move on?"
- Balthamos, _The Amber Spyglass_
alan
Indeed this is some rather insightful commentary.
Galen Musbach
<lou...@student.unimelb.edu.au> wrote:
>On 13 Dec 2002, Chris Baird wrote:
>
>> > It's only a plot device to tell a love story of Shuuji and Chise.
>>
>> Personally, I just can't take in any story where a first-time young
>> relationship is immediately destined to work out in the end, and last
>> for ever and ever. SaiKano (and Love Hina, and...) in my view was
>> exactly that, with forced trials-and-tribulations included to make
>> other viewers think its 'thematically adequate'.
>
>Nodnod. But off the top of my head the *only* romance anime i can think of
>that isn't like this is KareKano.
>
Happy Lesson? Well, I suppose that's more of a shounen
coming of age story.
Daa Daa Daa! Although, I noticed that the manga version
of Chris-chan is a lot less sympathetic, and therefore less
convincing as a potential love interest.
-Galen
>Louis
Anthony D. Baranyi
"redkanary" <redk...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:f8350ab4.02121...@posting.google.com...
> "Anthony D. Baranyi" <abar...@rogers.com> wrote in message
news:<XY7K9.102182$Q71....@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com>...
> > Last night I watched "Saikano" episode 2. Despite the fact that I wasn't
> > drinking while watching it ( or maybe because I wasn't drinking while
> > watching it ), I was "inspired" to come up with the following
> > "interpretation".
>
> This man could make a career out of the abuse of sarcasm.
>
> What do you expect out of a GONZO production anyway?
>
Actually, you've caused another "inspired thought" to come to mind. I've
suddenly realized that Gonzo has turned into the "AIC" of the 21st Century.
Now on top of millions of "Tenchi" clones hitting the airwaves and video
store remainder shelves, we'll have indistinguishable Gonzo clones competing
for time and space.
Thanks -
Dave Baranyi
Anthony D. Baranyi
"Manbow Papa" <kis...@NoSparkcity.ne.jp> wrote in message
news:atbhsq$5rj$1...@news.parkcity.ne.jp...
Ishikawa-san,
Thanks for the interesting information and insightful comments as usual. One
of the things about "fat ego" and pretentious plotting is that they make for
"cheap and easy" targets for satire. To me, it is a sign that the story
writers are being lazy and timid - they don't bother taking chances or try
to go beyond the current "fads" in writing. They also assume that their
audience is immature and unsophisticated, instead of challenging the
audience.
Dave Baranyi
Andrew Hollingbury
> Actually, you've caused another "inspired thought" to come to mind. I've
> suddenly realized that Gonzo has turned into the "AIC" of the 21st
Century.
> Now on top of millions of "Tenchi" clones hitting the airwaves and video
> store remainder shelves, we'll have indistinguishable Gonzo clones
competing
> for time and space.
I've thought about this, and things like "Gravion" and "Kiddy Grade" etc.
always get referred to as "GONZO shows". There's plenty of other shows that
come from the same studios at similar times I'd have thought, but at least
other studios can vary their output slightly - the wild swings of Sunrise
from "Witch Hunter Robin" to "Gundam Seed" for example at the moment. GONZO
seems to produce cliche after cliche - although I've not seen "I wish you
were here" which is mercifully brief.
Andrew H
Anthony D. Baranyi
"Andrew Hollingbury" <a.holl...@ukonline.co.uk> wrote in message
news:atfmqt$okg$1...@newsg1.svr.pol.co.uk...
"I Wish You Were Here" is a good example of how many Gonzo shows would
benefit greatly by being shortened dramatically. There's no filler, no
wasted humor, and no dead time, so the relatively familiar plot doesn't
become overbearing.
Dave Baranyi
D B Malmquist
>
> "Anthony D. Baranyi" <abar...@rogers.com> wrote in message
> news:etjK9.324344$oRV....@news04.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...
>
> > Actually, you've caused another "inspired thought" to come to mind. I've
> > suddenly realized that Gonzo has turned into the "AIC" of the 21st
> Century.
> > Now on top of millions of "Tenchi" clones hitting the airwaves and video
> > store remainder shelves, we'll have indistinguishable Gonzo clones
> competing
> > for time and space.
>
> I've thought about this, and things like "Gravion" and "Kiddy Grade" etc.
> always get referred to as "GONZO shows".
After 2 episodes "Gravion" doesn't really feel like a GONZO show
to me - it's way too ugly and amateurish. While GONZO shows may
feel like generic corporate product, usually that product has slick,
professional production values. It's not just that Masami Oobari
rather than Keijo Gotoh did the character designs, the whole thing
is ugly, sloppy and ludicrous.
Even "Kiddy Grade" has slightly dodgy direction. I wonder whether
it's the first time Keiji Gotoh has directed, as opposed to just
doing character, and other, design work. It feels somehow that
he's somehow too fond of his own character designs.
- dbm