Sousei no Aquarion.

[Effect]

I don't recall any kids piloting in Aquarion. I see teens and adults(young and older), being lead and maybe trained by several adults(older). Both groups which seem to have powers.

[Final Vegeta]

After watching episode 1, I've gotten the total impression that this is merely a blend between Getter Robo and EVA, but without the things that made them both individually interesting.

Out of curiosity, what were these things?

Are their no more giant robot series that DON'T require superpowered kids anymore???

Protagonist being somewhat special is a standard feature in anime.

FV

[Renato]

Almost certainly, in fact I'm shocked that they've gone straight to doing something like this.

I'd of expected some kind of MSIA style figures (non-transforming or very simple one bot mode trasnformations) first.

Actually, they've had non-variable gashapon figures out for a while now. I have the blue robot.

[Renato]

After watching episode 1, I've gotten the total impression that this is merely a blend between Getter Robo and EVA, but without the things that made them both individually interesting.

Out of curiosity, what were these things?

Are their no more giant robot series that DON'T require superpowered kids anymore???

Protagonist being somewhat special is a standard feature in anime.

FV

I kind of agree with Chronos here (though I feel the Pokemon comparison is going a bit overboard).

Just because something is a "standard feature" in anime doesn't mean we have to like it. In fact, it's most of these cliches that has put me well off anime these days. Back in the eighties I was a kid and didn't care, but while I would have loved this show had it come out fifteen years ago or so, I am not in the same state of mind as I was back then. I certainly expected more from Kawamori, who threw the rulebook out when he gave us Macross, but these days praises from the Anime Cheese Bible.

[Final Vegeta]

Just because something is a "standard feature" in anime doesn't mean we have to like it.  In fact, it's most of these cliches that has put me well off anime these days.  Back in the eighties I was a kid and didn't care, but while I would have loved this show had it come out fifteen years ago or so, I am not in the same state of mind as I was back then.

The main problem then is the sentai overtones, not characters having psychic powers, which are found in several anime, like Akira, but usually are not associated with robot anime (contrary to popular belief, Evangelion was not a series with psychic powers). So it may not even be the cliches, it's just the sentai, because the sentai smells like kiddish.

I certainly expected more from Kawamori, who threw the rulebook out when he gave us Macross, but these days praises from the Anime Cheese Bible.

Macross was born from Gundam and Yamato. It made sense at the time when older anime fans were a new phenomenon, but now there won't be any innovation just by doing a series with an older target in mind.

That doesn't mean Aquarion is kiddish. Soul of Chogokin were expensive toys which couldn't be afforded by kids, they were meant for adult collectionists. Aquarion is already spawning a SOC, so it has to be a super robot TV series with grown-ups in mind. Maybe Kawamori wanted a toy that looked good and was even sturdy enough, and he wrote the series just for that.

What I think of Kawamori? He remained an all-rounded author, who can engage in all kinds of anime. Weren't for Kawamori Aquarion would be awful. Almost parodic approach, good design, subtle psychology, complex spiritual themes. At the end where most people got stuck is just presentation.

FV

[Commander McBride]

I'm actually liking this series so far. There is one thing I do want to mention, though, in regards to saying that Kawamori is just making a run-of-the-mill anime. Think back to the first four episodes of Macross. How revolutionary did it seem in those first episodes? We're only four episodes into a full TV series here, we really have no idea where Kawamori will be going with Aquarion, or what it'll turn out to be.

[Renato]

I'm actually liking this series so far. There is one thing I do want to mention, though, in regards to saying that Kawamori is just making a run-of-the-mill anime. Think back to the first four episodes of Macross. How revolutionary did it seem in those first episodes? We're only four episodes into a full TV series here, we really have no idea where Kawamori will be going with Aquarion, or what it'll turn out to be.

The fourth episode of Macross in particular is one of my favourites because it showed that the show wasn't just about space battles.

Oh, and I've just moved from Osaka to Kyoto where they don't seem to be showing Aquarion, so I won't be able to see any more. Unless I rent them when the DVDs come out, so I'll be relying more on people's opinions on this thread...

[LinxCrossq]

I've been away for a while and recently started wathching Aquarion.

I like the show a lot so far. This the only show this season that makes me feel the same excitement as when I watched anime as a little kid.

I had no idea Aquarion was created by Shoji Kawamori. I just found recently. I don't even rememeber how I get into the show, Aquarion sounded like such stupid name at first. I guess I was bored. Still, I'm impressed on how Kawamori's work get me so easily. It happened in Macross, Escaflowne and now Aquarion.

[twich]

So, I wonder when episode 5 and further are going to be fansubbed by Mahou....I have enjoyed the show thus far and want to continue to download it...hope we get something soon!

Twich

[twich]

Apparently there are some Gashophon(sp?) toys that are available from HLJ

HLJ-Aquarion stuff

Also, the combining toys that they are making look to be huge! Reading that info, the combined robot is between 46 and 51 meters tall?

Twich

[Fort Max]

Apparently there are some Gashophon(sp?) toys that are available from HLJ

HLJ-Aquarion stuff

Also, the combining toys that they are making look to be huge! Reading that info, the combined robot is between 46 and 51 meters tall?

Twich

Yeah, the DX Gokin Aquarion is going to be around 12" tall. And metal.

As for ep 5, just gotta sit and wait...

[LinxCrossq]

w00t! Aquarion ep 5 is out!

Must watch more Aquarion...

[Aegis!]

Damn , 22 peers , 7 seeds , and just getting like 10kb/s with a broadband connection

[Beltane70]

I had really bad luck with Aquarion last night!

I'm currently in Tokyo right now and last night happened to be flipping through the tv channels in my hotel room. I turned on TV Tokyo, I believe, and was met by the end credits of Aquarion!

Talk about bad timing! At least now I know that Aquarion is on at 1 am on Monday nights...

[Aegis!]

finally got to see ep5 , better and lesss inmature-guided than the last one , although it felt shorter and I still feel like the important part of the plot is going nowhere , just introductory episodes still.

I think Kawamori should´ve set up the plot around the Atlantis period instead of all the reencarnated heroes that do nothing but loose against random monster of the week

All that said , this show is badass and I don´t mean solely the animation , the premise is really attractive , hopefully the plot goes darker and more serious than what we´ve seen so far.

[chrono]

After watching episode 1, I've gotten the total impression that this is merely a blend between Getter Robo and EVA, but without the things that made them both individually interesting.

Out of curiosity, what were these things?

FV

For, for me, Getter Robo(old manga & newer Armegeddon anime) has a clear cut and VERY violent militaristic style to it. Their was little touchie feelie to it. It was also drawn in a specific stlye that worked out well for it and it really helped to make it attractive. That includes the military musical themes that the anime had. They just seemed to use the 3 pilot theme more interestingly and more grittly.

EVA, had the various teenaged angst, mysterious background plots, and violence that came out within the first episode.

Frankly the style just doesn't grab me. The character designs are VERY run of the mill. The music is boring and the action..... well what action? Compared with anime that's now 10 years old it's just pathetic and comparing it to the action in the last Macross anime.... well that's just insulting.

Once you understand that it's a story(yet again) about superkids, combiner robots, and mysterious superbeings. It's becomes old hat and something to avoid, unless your a fan. But theirs no way in hell I'll pay 30 bucks for 3-4 episodes of it!!! I'm not saying that some people wouldn't enjoy it, but I've got other things I can spend better time on.

[Fort Max]

The prologue to this ep demonstrated almost a total lack of actual story to tell.

I did however like the "special training" very much. There was a couple of breif character intercation moments that surprised me, specifically Sirius and his treatment of Reika.

The fight however was almost dull, and what has disapointed me the most so far is that there has been almost no attempt made to differantiate between the three Aquarions and why one should be used over the other.

I give mad props to Kawamori for desgining this thing and doing so in a way that was intended to be produced as an impressive toy from the get go but one of the main criticisms levelled at the proto shots over at ToyboxDX is that they all looked the same and did nothing different and that is starting to show in the actual program.

I'm still enjoying it but as others have said, I hope it actually starts to go somewhere with the plot.

[Effect]

Well so far it seems like you'd want to use the Solar Aquarion if you want to go into straight fights with the enemy. Where pure power is needed above all else, which has been shown so far I think. Though Mars Aquarion seems like you'd want to use that to disable the collectors that are taking humans. Seeing as you have to hit an exact point in the ships to stop it due to all the other parts being made up of humans. Since it has a sword, it would be ideal when you have to be extremely exact in certain situations.

Solar seems to be used for close range fighting. Mars could be used for middle range combat due to being able to reach with the sword or even when the one pilot kicked fire balls.

Luna on the other hand has the bow and arrow like weapon right? Along with the throwing attack I believe which would make that mode ideal for long range, general distant fighting when you need to be exact(bow) or want to do as much damage. It also seems to be the fastest I think, or that could just be due to Reika when she was the head in the first episode and that's how she's able to make the machine move.

Edited May 10, 2005 by Effect

[Fort Max]

That's more or less what I'd reasoned but the robots abilities seem to be affected by the pilot as well the type, For intstance Mars only kicked those fireballs when soccer player Pierre was in control but Sirius used the sword.

Though Mars Aquarion seems like you'd want to use that to disable the collectors that are taking humans. Seeing as you have to hit an exact point in the ships to stop it due to all the other parts being made up of humans. Since it has a sword, it would be ideal when you have to be extremely exact in certain situations.

Except that in this ep they switched to Solar to do just that... I thought perhaps they needed Solar to get to the window but Mars did that as well in the last one.

Also I'd have thought that Luna would be far better at hitting an exact point by being able to take steady aim from the ground rather then lunging upwards with a blade.

I think we could argue this for some time but the simple fact is that any of those robots could really use any of the weapons. Kawamori tried really, really hard but it's just about impossible to produce an actual woprking design that can assume three distinct and differently equipped robot modes like Geter Robo.

[ogami]

I just finished watching episode #6... well, it is better than ep#5.

what is in episode#6 without the spoiler:

1. This episode does show what is the difference between each robot

2. More training... => new attack moves

3. New type of enemy

4. More character development

5. Plot is moving ahead

and here it is the official preview of episode #7

http://www.aquarion.info/mov_accs/movie/aq...on_yokoku07.asx

PS:

To chrono,

The BGM is great. It is done by Yoko Kanno, who is almost the best anime composer.

[LinxCrossq]

By that preview of episode 7 it seems like the plot it's finally getting more development. I enjoyed ep 5 but I wanted to see more of the Shadow Angels (or whatever they are) rather than just plain training and a random fight. Well, nothing to do but wait until next week.

[wolfx]

Episode 5 was rather mundane for me. Nothing really happens. No plot development. No character development. Well thinking back, nothing really happens other than the commander dude trying to drive a point for cooperation. Oh we get to see Pierre's past as well, probably suggesting for some reason Elemental Users are those who didn't get harvested or maybe for some reason they can't be harvested, the harvesting gave them their elemental abilities.

But hearing previews of ep 6 and 7, sounds like it will pick up. W00ts!

[Effect]

True this doesn't move the plot along but I am liking the character development for the different characters. I like how they are spliting it up between the different characters characters and developing a few of them at a time and not completley focusing on one character. Looking forward to episode 6 and 7 though.

[Final Vegeta]

For, for me, Getter Robo(old manga & newer Armegeddon anime) has a clear cut and VERY violent militaristic style to it.

I don't know. I may find Getter violent, but no more militaristic than Mazinger Z. Well, honestly I saw TV series as a kid, so I don't remember much. I read later one of Getter Robot's manga and saw Getter The Last Day.

TLD changed director after the first three episodes, and I felt it. I liked the robot VS robot action, but then it changed. It wasn't so awful, except for the fact that they went for all-tentacles monsters. You don't know when you hit something vital in an all-tentacle monster. You cut it a tentacle, and so? It still has dozens. It could have done better. If you take Star Wars, the clichè "hit it in the right spot and it will disappear with a bang" maybe was old even at the time, but it worked even for something as big as the Death Star. Evangelion did it right.

They just seemed to use the 3 pilot theme more interestingly and more grittly.

I think in Aquarion having three pilots in the robot is more felt than in Getter Robot, where it doesn't really make a difference, but I do recognize that Getter could be severely damaged while Aquarion is CG and it can't (it just loses HPs). Getter is grittier than Aquarion, but Aquarion is born in a different time, and there is no reason not to be able to enojy both grittier and less gritty show.

EVA, had the various teenaged angst,

I do remember when this thread started everyone was disappointed because Aquarion smelled like angsty teens again. Frankly, I found the whole angst theme in Evangelion exagerated. Suddenly all characters were just grumbling. Kaji complains because Fuyutsuki is an old grumbler and Fuyutsuki complains because Seele is a group of even older grumblers. Maybe I am just cynical, but I don't find grumbling that deep.

mysterious background plots,

Found even in Aquarion.

and violence that came out within the first episode.

The berserk scene is actually in the second episode. The monster just dripped some green blood, but no so much. No more blood until several episodes later. Personally, I am more for character driven robots than deus ex machina driven robots.

Frankly the style just doesn't grab me. The character designs are VERY run of the mill. The music is boring and the action..... well what action? Compared with anime that's now 10 years old it's just pathetic and comparing it to the action in the last Macross anime.... well that's just insulting.

Compared to Aquarion, Evangelion and its clones often portray enemies without limbs. There is thus little movement involved. Even when they have limbs, they don't run. They shoot, they jump, they fall, but they don't run. Evas dance around them. In other anime things are not different. I gladly accepted Aquarion's take. True, you need more money to make even enemies run, but it looks more challenging for the characters defeating something that is not a lame duck.

Also, there is something catchy in punching the enemy right in the face

Once you understand that it's a story(yet again) about superkids, combiner robots, and mysterious superbeings.

Was there an anime that did it before? I do recall superkids, combiner robots and mysterious superbeings individually, but not together. According to someone even Evangelion's pilots had psychic powers

FV

[fernarias]

This has been bugging me for a while, since episode 3. I just don't understand why the harvesters get away everytime, this part of the show is just stupid. If your main goal is to protect humans from being harvested, then you would naturally always attack the harvesters first and worry about "the boss"(yeah, I still don't know what the other enemy mecha is called) for later or at least until it attacks you. Right now the battles play out the same way; they scramble to an alert, destroy some small fry, destroy the main mecha, let the harvesters get away, and then feel bad that they let them get away. Makes no sense.

F.

For the record, I'm waiting for the three chicks to pilot the ships and combine. I wonder what kind of "Iku" we're going to hear. I also know this probably won't happen but I bet they will have the three guys pilot and join together.

[lt.actionjackson]

This has been bugging me for a while, since episode 3. I just don't understand why the harvesters get away everytime, this part of the show is just stupid. If your main goal is to protect humans from being harvested, then you would naturally always attack the harvesters first and worry about "the boss"(yeah, I still don't know what the other enemy mecha is called) for later or at least until it attacks you. Right now the battles play out the same way; they scramble to an alert, destroy some small fry, destroy the main mecha, let the harvesters get away, and then feel bad that they let them get away. Makes no sense.

I agree. This aspect is getting old already. I like the characters and the music and all of that, but have they actually managed to save anyone yet???

[Fort Max]

I just finished watching episode #6... well, it is better than ep#5.

what is in episode#6 without the spoiler:

1. This episode does show what is the difference between each robot

Hurrah.

[wolfx]

This has been bugging me for a while, since episode 3. I just don't understand why the harvesters get away everytime, this part of the show is just stupid. If your main goal is to protect humans from being harvested, then you would naturally always attack the harvesters first and worry about "the boss"(yeah, I still don't know what the other enemy mecha is called) for later or at least until it attacks you. Right now the battles play out the same way; they scramble to an alert, destroy some small fry, destroy the main mecha, let the harvesters get away, and then feel bad that they let them get away. Makes no sense.

That's probably cuz the "boss" always gets in the way and seems to be the thing that stops them. They can't get to the harvesters if the cherubim soldiers attack them.

[wolfx]

Found this on image board. Prototype for the Aquerion chogokin?

Looks like solar aquerion but the backpack doesn't look like it.

And on OT note, here's a prototype of armored core figure thing....

[Akilae]

mm... an Armored Core chogokin.... :drool:

[Fort Max]

Found this on image board. Prototype for the Aquerion chogokin?

Looks like solar aquerion but the backpack doesn't look like it.

And on OT note, here's a prototype of armored core figure thing....

I think that's probabaly the "Aquarion from 2000 years ago" gashapon figure that was included with the ltd ed of dvd 1 in japan.

The chogokin figure is huge, each individual ship is bigger then an msia.

http://www.toysdaily.com/01news/200505/273a.jpg

[ogami]

All I can say about episode #7 is... a lot of unexpected weird scene...

episode #8 preview

http://www.aquarion.info/mov_accs/movie/aq...on_yokoku08.asx

[Fort Max]

Hang about, I haven't seen 6 yet.

[Aegis!]

Is it just me or is Ep.6 REALLY late ?

I mean , I usually expect them to release an episode by week´s start but there´s been no signs of life so far

[LinxCrossq]

Yay!

Epsidoe 6 is finally out!