Category: Mecha

Secret Santa Project Review: Aquarion EVOL aka Vandread: The Third Stage

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hisui_icon_4040 You could also call this Shinkon Gattai Godannar!!! Third Season if you like. The common thread is these are all mecha shows about the battle of the sexes. But I am actually talking about Aquarion EVOL, the rather unexpected sequel to Genesis of Aquarion, by famed mecha director Shoji Kawamori. It is also my pick for my solo Secret Santa review this year.

First off the bat because of several complications Kate did not participate in the actual draft of  Secret Santa this year. I think it has to do in part with the fact that each year we participate it we have to watch horrible shows that sap our very will to live. That was no small factor in her decision. But apparently once she was out of the equation I got nothing but great titles to watch.

I had to choose from Aquarion EVOL, Darker Than Black, and The Legend of Black Heaven. I actually had to choose which cool show I wanted to review not what poison I wanted to kill me. I mostly went with Aquarion EVOL because we have not had enough mehca anime reviews on the blog in a while. That is as good a criteria for a choice as any. I wonder if this good selection this year will tempt Kate back next year.

On the other hand maybe it would be better if I just do it alone if it breaks the holiday curse.

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Pacific Rim: Sie Sind Das Essen Und Wir Sind Die Jäger!

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When Guillermo del Toro does an American super robot movie where huge mecha battle equally huge monsters, a single website cannot cover it effectively. Therefore it takes the combined might of The Cockpit, Ogiue Maniax, and us at the Reverse Thieves to handle the Category 5 Kaiju that is Pacific Rim. While the movie was hardly perfect we generally gush about it while taking apart some of its weaker aspects. The greatest regret is we did not bring up Godannar more in the podcast.

If anyone was curious this Wiki has a fairly good trivia section for each Kaiju in the movie and what classic monster inspired them. If you want to see the inspiration for the Jaeger names, I have to assume it was this.

If nothing else, this is the only Pacific Rim podcast you will listen to with a Natalie Merchant joke in it. So come drift with us.

The Cockpit – Episode 4 – Pacific Rim

Our Aestivalis Are Invincible

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Ichi, ni, san, shi, ni, ni, san, shi!

Patz and I look at the classic mecha show Martian Successor Nadesico on his podcast the Cockpit. The series is one part comedic parody of all things sci-fi, one part loving homage to anything that would be in a Super Robot Wars game, and one part serious mecha drama. While the show has never been king of the roost it has always had a unique place in mecha fandom. Now that Nozomi Entertainment recently license rescued Nadesico it is a great time to not only examine what makes this show special but what the RightStuf has added to this release of the show.

In Part One we look at just the TV series. Part Two (which will hopefully come out soon) will examine the Gekigangar 3 OVA, The Prince of Darkness Movie, and briefly touch upon some of the oddity with the games and the ultimate fate of the series.

The Cockpit – Episode 2A – You Get To Burning