Megazone 23 Questions (Robotech movie too)
CHORN%POMONA....@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu
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Hi...1.) Actually...it's "Bahamut," not "Bahamude." To be fair, Shogo makes
the same mistake when his friend Shinji first shows him the motorcycle
prototype in the underground parking lot. This name is on the bike, but it's
not the name of the bike, which is codenamed "Garland." "Bahamut" (the name
is from a dragon god of Babylonian mythology) is the name of the supercomputer
that runs Megazone 23, the giant spacecraft which contains the descendants of
refugees fleeing a nuclear war on Earth, who are convinced that they live in
late 20-th century Tokyo (I argue that there is a formidable subtext of black
comedy and satire at contemporary Japan in this film). EVE is the seventh,
and apparently, pseudo-sentient program within Bahamut, whose purpose is to
keep the citizens of Megazone 23 out of war, at any cost (an article on the
film indicated that EVE planned to kill everyone quickly with nerve gas if
that was the only way to prevent them from suffering the horrors of war!).
Eve Tokimatsuri is the idol singer who is actually a computer-generated
illusion created by EVE. The producers if the "Only You," "Eve's" show,
know she's not real, but believe she dosen't have to be, as long as she sells
records (this is part of the satire on Japan's pop culture). They believe they
control the illusion, unaware that the true purpose of Eve Tokimatsuri is to
allow her software namesake to better placate her wards with love songs. It is
implied that she also has some sort of subliminal or hypnotic effect on the
listeners. THe immediate reason Shogo tried to destroy Bahamut was his fury
over Tomomi's murder by B.D.'s coup d'etat government. Since taking over
Bahamut (an operation, it is implied, that took several centuries) was essential
before B.D.'s rebel military faction could take overt control on the surface,
Shogo reasoned that destroying Bahamut would also destroy B.D.'s power. Shogo
didn't consider himself to have any sort of "relationship," if you will, with
the admittedly striking image of Eve Tokimatsuri (Cartoon characters infatuated
with an illusion), and was infuriated when he found out the truth about her
nature and overwhelmed when she revealed to him the true history of their city.
Ironically, if Shogo had succeeded in destroying Bahamut, he might have
destroyed the life-support system maintaining Megazone Two Three as well. It
was possible he just didn't care, as he shouted before he pulled the trigger,
"To think you created our city!" Another irony is that, considering the
totalitarian (in a way never before experienced, as it had *complete* control
over the environment) rule that Bahamut exercised over its people, it was
a form of liberation for B.D.'s group to finally take it over. Unfortunately,
HE didn't realize that he was merely fighting a war for a nation that had
been dead five centuries, a war as pointless in space as it was on Earth.
2.) Nothing was resolved at the end of Megazone Two Three, except for the
resolve, if you will, of Shogo and Yui to live and be happy with each other.
3, 4, 5.) The changes made in Megazone Two Three Part II were so exploitive
and pointless that I don't consider it a valid sequel to the original, and that
more so for "Part III." The English version of "Part II" is interesting for
its dubbing, though, with one of the best lines in English anime: "Who? Who
did you say? Johnny...Winters? So sorry, I don't know the guy!"
6.) "Garland" was an experimental weapon, a mobile suit, if you will, developed
for all-terrain warfare by the military in secret. It was a prototype, as their
previous efforts at converting battle suits, the Hergund, necessitated linking
up a bike with additional components inside a truck support-unit. By making off
with it, Shogo unwittingly forced the hand of B.D. and his conspirators, for
it was not to have been used until Bahamut was under their control.
Michael House, a translator of the film, who provided much of the above
information, suggests the song "Paper Moon," thinking of Eve:
"It's only a paper moon,
Sailing over a cardboard sea,
But it wouldn't be make-believe,
If you believed in me."
--Carl G. Horn
HORNG%TWNT...@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu
>In article <75...@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> mat...@cs.Buffalo.EDU (Ryan Mathews)
> writes:
>>
>>Chance to show off your Megazone 23 knowledge!
[stuff deleted]
>>I've noticed quite a bit of Megazone 23 talk recently, indirectly
>>of course, due to the Robotech: The Movie discussion. So what
>>better time to get some Megazone 23 questions off my chest? I
>>swear, of all the anime that I call my favorites, Megazone 23 has
>>to be the one I understand the least, and that includes Gundam.
>
>Well, I can't compare it to Gundam since I only saw Char's Counterattack, but
>I didn't find it that difficult to understand (then again, I wasn't paying too
>much attention to the plot :-).
It is not difficult to understand the "story" of Char's Counterattack. But
you can enjoy much much more if you know the background, like : why did Amuro
say that Char was once a friend ? What had happened between Amuro, Char,
Lala, and Char's sister ? .... Gundam's history is not so easily to
understand !
>>1. What was Bahamude? Wasn't that the computer Eve was running
>>on? What is its relation to Eve? Why did Shogo try to destroy it?
>>Didn't he realize that would erase Eve?
>
>OK, Bahamude was the computer Eve was running off of. Eve was the program in
>charge of controlling the people and Bahamude was probably in charge of the
>city (this is mostly conjecture based on my memory). I don't think he was
>trying to destroy it but rather prevent the military from busting in and
>taking control of the city.
I think Bahamude should be the OS running on that circle-cone-like computer
which controlled the whole megazone. Eve was like a "daemon" in Bahamude.
("daemon" is kind of utility in OS. It is very independent and waiting
for special event then activating.... Not the original meaning of daemon in
English).
>>2. The ending of Megazone 23. How can I put this? "?????????"
>>Was *anything* resolved? Let's see, Shogo was trying to destroy
>>Bahamude. He fails. Eve tries to get him to save her. She fails.
>>Some other guy tries to kill Shogo. He fails. Then they run out
>>of film. At least that's how it seems to me. Any clarification
>>as to the ending would be appreciated.
>
>(Deliberately setting up the sequel? :-) Really ambiguous ending were it
>not for the sequel. BD (the guy after Shogo) spared him because Shogo spared
>him earlier, making them even. I guess the implications are supposed to be:
>Shogo failed to stop them but will continue to try; Eve hasn't stopped the
>military yet; and the military hasn't taken total control of Eve and Bahamude
>but has enough to launch their recruitment campaign.
The end of part I was not an end. It only left questions to the audience
to instinct them to watch part II.
[stuff deleted]
>>7. The enemy with the tentacles. (It's been awile since I watched
>>part II.) Is that the same enemy that was approaching in part I?
>>But I thought they were supposed to be human.
>
>It's still the same enemy I believe. Whether or not they're humans...I dunno.
>But I was under the impression they were aliens.
They are humans but having contacts with aliens. This was why their
technologies were supersior than Megazone 23.
As I remembered, there were many articles in r.a.a. talking about MZ23.
MZs were designed to move people to the space and let the Earth to
self-recovere from humans' pollutions.
The enemy was another megazone which had combacted with MZ23 in many
years ago (I don't remember how many). This battle caused half of
MZ23 destroied (the ruined city Shogo found) and changed orbits of
both MZ, making them return to the Earth earlier than scheduled.
The military of MZ23 want to protect MZ23. Bahamude was too peace
to handle such situation, so the military made another system to
take over Bahamude. Adam system, on the Moon, was designed to protect
the Earth during the self-recovery period. Eve system was designed to
communicate with Adam to ensure scheduled MZs could savely come back to
Earth. Since both MZ were back earlier than planded, Adam system
destroied them (There were 2 big objects destroied around the
Moon). Eve system wants to save Shogo's crew, so it hided them inside
the computer which wouldn't destroied by Adam (or could survive after
Adam's attack) and landed Earth.
>>8. Am I to understand that there is a Megazone 23 part III? How?
>>The entire Megazone was blown to bits at the end of part II! Also,
>>are synopses or scripts available for either half of part III?
>
>I don't know the details, only that it takes place on Earth 200 (?) years
>after Megazone 23 came back to Earth. Eve, I believe, is still around as
>is Adam. As for the plot...
MZ23 part III chapter 1 - Awakening of Eve (50 mins),
chapter 2 - Emancipation Day (50 mins).
The real Eve (a human) waked up. Since humans polluted the Earth again,
there was a "Heaven" project activated -- launching all people to space
again.....
IMHO, part I and II has already formed a completed story.
Any correction will be very appreciate.
Horng Li <ho...@twntucc1.bitnet>
Bill Barnes
Here's a translation of some Megazone 23 background material that might
clear up some of the confusion lately (although I doubt it :-). If you don't
want to read it, hit 'n' now (go on, don't be shy! :-). Heeerrrrre's Megazone!
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Megazone 23 timeline/background
from the B-Club Megazone 23 Special,
pgs. 69-77, by Yumeno Ley
Copyright 1990 by Bandai, Idol, Artmic, AIC, and Victor
This translation 1991 by Michael House
Page 69:
A.D. 2337:
The population of the Solar System was hovering at roughly
14,000,000,000, due to numerous accidents, wars, and famines. 1,900,000,000
of them inhabited Mars and its satellites, and announced that they had been
under the control of the Government of the Terran Federation, but they were
establishing the Free Government of Mars, along with an independent planetary
state.
Mars maintained an environment barely capable of supporting life,
thanks to terraforming, but on that inferior world, people again underwent a
change in their DNA levels.
A new human race was born, and those who lived on Mars were called
"Dezalg" by those on Earth.
Page 70:
On Earth, the rate of babies born with birth defects reached 70%, and
people had no alternative but to wear gas masks when going outside, due to
destruction of the environment, tainted atmosphere, and the collapse of the
ecosystem.
Lifeforms on the verge of extinction were preserved in glass coldsleep
capsules, not knowing when they would awaken.
"For the sake of the reclamation of Earth, it is imperative that we
remove mankind from the planet for a time."
In 2331, the Terran Federation Government voted to execute the "Earth
Reclamation Project" advocated by Dr. Heinkel.
A project that would take 500 years began here.
Ferdinand F. Heinkel:
B. 2270 in Germany. Professor, Federation University of Engineering.
Doctor of Physics and Engineering. Special Research: Astrophysics,
Quantum Mechanics, Radiation, Planetary Chemistry, Terrestrial Organic
Chemistry, Biochemistry, and others.
Page 71:
The ADAM SYSTEM:
Construction Period: 2335-2353
Originally a mining base on Luna. Reconstructed from what was said to
be 40% of the volume of the Moon. A weapon for total protection against, and
destruction of, anything coming within a 400,000 km radius of Earth. It also
supervised the Earth Reclamation Project from 380,000 km away.
Page 72:
The "MEGAZONE" Cityships:
These were stellar Zepplins. Construction began in 2335. In 2345,
Megazone 1 was completed, after which further Megazones were built four at a
time. They left Earth in search of habitable worlds, carrying all Earth
citizens, at the same time the Adam System went into operation.
Each was 140 km in length, carrying 13,000,000 people. The "cities"
inside the ships differed from Megazone to Megazone, but each was based on the
most peaceful times in specific places on Earth.
MEGAZONE 1 (BIG APPLE):
This city was built in imitation of New York City in the 1950's.
Page 73:
Each Megazone's city was controlled by the Eve Program inside a
supercomputer called Bahamut, which imparted a 500-year repose to the citizens
through skillful manipulation of information and mind control.
If, in stellar flight, the Bahamut of a given Megazone decided that
there were no habitable worlds on that Megazone's course, it was programmed to
return to Earth as a last resort. In order to prevent the citizens from
repeating the same mistakes on Earth at that time, they would have to undergo
training by the Eve Program.
EVE PROGRAM:
This program was constructed by Dr. Heinkel, architect of the Adam
System and the Megazones. The image it produced was copied from Tokimatsuri
Eve, Dr. Heinkel's assistant.
For the citizens to flee Bahamut's control, they would have to undo
seven protections, and Tokimatsuri Eve's DNA pattern was incorporated by
Heinkel into the keyword for those protections.
MEGAZONE 33 (EDEN CITY):
This was the 33rd Cityship, introducing a new antigravity system. But
as a consequence of the war that took place during its construction, it was
rebuilt into a link of the Earth Reclamation Project, without waiting for its
launching date.
Page 74:
The New Generation War:
In 2347, Dezalg declared war on the Terran Federation Government.
Fighting spread throughout the entire Solar System.
In 2348, a missile attack from Dezalg struck Earth. 3,400,000,000
people were killed.
Page 75:
The Battle of the Claudia Sea, 2349:
Baseline 39.1 degrees, 1349 minutes, 670,000 km.
A Dezalg battle fleet struck the Megazone construction plant. During
the battle, Megazone Nos. 13, 14, 15, and 16 were captured.
In 2353, Dr. Ferdinand F. Heinkel was assassinated at the Clavius
Assembly Site, on the Moon (this is thought to have been a political conspiracy
on the part of the Terran Federation Government).
In the same year, a weapon capable of destroying a planet from within
was developed. Mars would collapse in two years due to use of this weapon.
Page 76:
GARLAND SMS-18E:
By 2353, a lot of Machine Soldiers were developed, and distinguished
themselves on the front lines. The SMS-18E, the last Garland, introduced the
Cybersystem. One prototype was built, but was unable to participate in actual
combat.
It was housed 500 meters beneath Eden City.
On the occasion of Dr. Heinkel's assassination, Tokimatsuri Eve
personally stayed on Earth in order to witness the Earth Reclamation Project,
giving herself up to one-man cold sleep.
Page 77:
In 2355, with the Adam System's activation, the 24 Megazones of the
Terran Federation and the four Megazones of the Dezalg set off into the far
reaches of what was up-to-then unexplored space.
In 2356, the Terran Federation Fleet engaged in battle with the Dezalg
Fleet near the orbit of Neptune, and a total of five Megazones, from both
sides, were crippled. The Dezalg Fleet went far off course.
In 2363, navigation of Megazone 22 became impossible, as a result of
the previous battle.
In 2489, the Dezalg Fleet met an alien civilization.
* * *
In 2855, Megazone 23 returned to Earth.
END.
--
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"Suck the flaming nuclear frankfurter of doom and die!" -a good friend
William "Call me Bill" Barnes wba...@sura.net
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