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Anime World Order Show # 3 – Mecha Anime aka Anime Everyone Else Hates

This one’s all about the robots. We talk about why most anime fans don’t really like robot shows, then Daryl reviews Gundam SEED Destiny: Final Plus and Gerald does a Creator Spotlight on Shoji Kawamori. Double ouch. Clarissa wraps things up by talking about The King of Braves GaoGaiGar.

We’ve decided to deviate from the usual course and do an episode devoted entirely to mecha and giant robots. We know, mecha is easily the least popular genre among anime fans in this day and age. So if this is your first time listening, please know that not all of our episodes are like this.

Introduction (0:00 – 9:24)

We open things up by talking about why mecha anime is unpopular even though a lot of people commonly associate anime with robots. Plus, since it was requested, we talk about Zambot 3! Did we mention none of us have SEEN Zambot 3?

Let’s News! (9:24 – 17:16)

Turner Classic Movies is showing Studio Ghibli movies every Thursday night for the month of January, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is the top-selling anime DVD of 2005, and Kevin Lillard from Fansview suffers a heart attack at Ohayocon then proceeds to go to Ushicon right afterwards because he’s one hell of a trooper.

Review: Gundam SEED Destiny Final Plus (17:16 – 36:12)

Okay guys, here’s the thing. This was originally like, 30 minutes of Daryl describing the entire Gundam SEED / SEED Destiny ordeal in detail, and since neither Gerald nor Clarissa have any knowledge of SEED anything, it’s just Daryl talking for most of the time. Only tragedy can result from this. In an effort to not bore people, we have inserted a promo for Corn Pone Flicks that’s not so much a promo as it is the audio to their very first short.

Promo: Weekly Anime Review podcast

After subjecting everyone to a review like that, the least we could do is plug the podcast of a guy who specializes in doing anime reviews. We may not always agree with Aaron, but he’s exceptionally thorough. We’ll be sure to send him a promo to run on his show just as soon as we can actually get around to recording them.

Rotating Segment: Creator Spotlight — Shoji Kawamori (36:46 – 51:45)

In this new segment idea, Gerald tells us all about Shoji Kawamori’s career as both a mecha designer and a director while highlighting his strengths and weaknesses. Is this sort of thing interesting to people? Do Japanese language websites in the show notes help anyone out? I know I can’t read them. Let us know via your feedback.

Often Overlooked: King of Braves GaoGaiGar (51:45 – 1:11:04)

Clarissa opts to discuss GaoGaiGar as the overlooked anime for this week. Sure, GaoGaiGar is very well known among mecha fans, but non-mecha fans don’t know that they should give it a shot too. Too bad all of them got scared off once Daryl started going on about Gundam, huh?

Closing (1:11:04 – 1:13:05)

We’re really sorry that this episode is as long as it was. Currently we try to shoot for around an hour long running time. Next time, Daryl premieres a new segment in which he compares a classic anime title to its corresponding contemporary remake. He’s chosen Area 88 to be first with that. Gerald chooses a different kind of remake for his Often Overlooked pick in the Osamu Dezaki/Akio Sugino title Hakugei: The Legend of Moby Dick, and Clarissa’s review is going to contain the thing that we all knew this show would end up containing sooner or later, YAOI. She’ll be reviewing Sensitive Pornograph. We figure that’ll rebalance the fandom scale now that we’ve talked mecha for an episode.

Wait, talking about Gundam SEED Destiny doesn’t count for that?!

11 Replies to “Anime World Order Show # 3 – Mecha Anime aka Anime Everyone Else Hates”

  1. Once again I liked this show.

    Although it seems you are now getting people involved with the industry in some way writing into the show.

    Hopefully when I become an anime dub VA, I can do that as well

  2. I just relised you’ve already done episode 3 and I’ve commented on the wrong episode

  4. Hey guys, thanks for playing my promo. I really dug the mecha episode. I love mecha anime as well, so it was good to listen to you guys talk about it. I’ve never seen GaoGaiGar and plan on downloading some soon. The Gundam Seed rant was great too. Keep it up!

  5. Once again, great show!

    My friend in particular was glad to hear you guys rip on Gundam SEED Destiny Plus and it’s incarnations. Keep up the great work!

  6. “We’re really sorry that this episode is as long as it was.”

    You kidding? I thought it was a great episode. I really liked the depth of knowledge you guys (and girl) covered, as well as your opinions. It’s rare nowadays that people actually say what they feel…

    It was my first podcast with you as well, so I don’t have any comparison, but I can say it was entertaining and informative.

    I probably could have kept up with you back in the day, but I’ve “fell off the wagon” so to speak recently and haven’t been into anime as much as I had in years prior. So I get my information from podcasts like yours, and I do appreciate the time and effort you put into it. Thanks!

    SpotAnime (spotanime.com)

  7. I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say how much I enjoyed your most recent show. It was funny, fast-moving (no doubt due to mad editing skillz) and, from the perspective of someone within the industry, thought-provoking. Finally, the audio samples not only serve to illustrate the point, but are in the true CPF/Hell tradition.

    Anime World Order makes second-raters like “All Things Considered” or “Fresh Air” not only sound, but somehow also look and feel, like steaming piles of crap.

    —Carl

  9. Just listened to this episode ( again ) while just getting about half way through Gundam Seed. Great episode, I love mecha anime. Actually, when i first listened, i was surprised about the lackluster appeal of mecha anime because all the anime fans I know are mecha fans; my own cousin is a gundam freak; he builds the models and buys them always and loves Macross.

    anyway, i was wondering if daryl got around to watching the seed destiny movies. i feel an obliagation to figure out what seed destiny is all about; i can borrow the destiny shows for about $3 a shot; should i do this or watch the movies?

    Thanks

  10. Just finished my run through of Gaogaigar and it was brimming with epicness! Thanks.

    I was thinking of introducing my 2 year old nephew to anime when I am home this summer. What do you think would be a good choice? It must have an English dub for obvious reasons…

    I am thinking of Gaogaigar for starters and Miyazaki’s back catalogue. Do you have any other recommendations to lead my 2 year old nephew down the path of darkness?

  11. Saw Porco Rosso on TV last week. 50% dull. Only Yesterday, on the other, which I saw last year, was superb. Miyazaki has become somewhat hit or miss for me while Takahata never fails (all the two times I’ve seen his work, heh).

    Anyway, the real point of this post is to say thanks Clarissa for the GaoGaiGar review. Now I really want to watch it, although I’m having trouble getting hold of it (as well as Xabungle and Reideen). Perseverance. On the other hand, I have watched New Getter Robo and will be embarking on the first five episodes of Giant Gorg asap. Enjoying SDF Macross at the same time, actually. My mecha overdose continues.

    IMPORTANT NOTE: Wait, what, Daryl is skinny? Man, way to ruin my image of him, which was matched more appropriately to his voice than his real looks ever could be. Gerald looks what I like to call ‘angry and stuck in a dungeon’ chic, while Clarissa is a beam of light with a disembodied voice.

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