Just watched the film version of Macross Frontier with some friends (i.e. The False Songstress and The Wings of Goodbye), and really enjoyed it. Not something I’d defend as particularly intelligent or rational, but really beautifully animated, ridiculous amounts of visual detail (particularly the concerts), and certainly doesn’t have the slow pacing problem of the series. If anything it’s too fast; not enough breathing room around some events, and what different parties are doing doesn’t always quite connect up. But good Macross fun, singing and robot fights.
On visiting family I was reminded again how good The Legend of Korra is (haven’t seen all of it yet). I love seeing a world that’s changing, evolving, noticeably different from that of the previous series. And the central conflict has taken a very interesting turn, putting those who were the unambiguous heroes of the first show into a different light; it’s shaping up to make a case for either noblesse oblige or nonintervention, either of which would be interesting. By creating a world where some people really are better than others, it’s going where few media would dare—think X-men, but rather than having cool powers and being oppressed by society, our protagonists have cool powers and wealth and power as a result. The big villain gets some slightly unsubtle presentation, but his cause is still one we can be sympathetic to.
And at the same time as all these big issues, the show’s having human drama, but hitting the balance where it doesn’t take over. Where Aang was an enlightened monk at age ten, Korra comes off as a real teenager—with all the cringe-inducing things that sometimes means. I’m constantly afraid that the romance or sports sides will derail the main plot, but so far it’s walked the tightrope beautifully, managing to be interesting on every level, without anything trivializing anything else.
TV and Movies (Animation) Thread
Just watched the film version of Macross Frontier with some friends (i.e. The False Songstress and The Wings of Goodbye), and really enjoyed it. Not something I’d defend as particularly intelligent or rational, but really beautifully animated, ridiculous amounts of visual detail (particularly the concerts), and certainly doesn’t have the slow pacing problem of the series. If anything it’s too fast; not enough breathing room around some events, and what different parties are doing doesn’t always quite connect up. But good Macross fun, singing and robot fights.
On visiting family I was reminded again how good The Legend of Korra is (haven’t seen all of it yet). I love seeing a world that’s changing, evolving, noticeably different from that of the previous series. And the central conflict has taken a very interesting turn, putting those who were the unambiguous heroes of the first show into a different light; it’s shaping up to make a case for either noblesse oblige or nonintervention, either of which would be interesting. By creating a world where some people really are better than others, it’s going where few media would dare—think X-men, but rather than having cool powers and being oppressed by society, our protagonists have cool powers and wealth and power as a result. The big villain gets some slightly unsubtle presentation, but his cause is still one we can be sympathetic to.
And at the same time as all these big issues, the show’s having human drama, but hitting the balance where it doesn’t take over. Where Aang was an enlightened monk at age ten, Korra comes off as a real teenager—with all the cringe-inducing things that sometimes means. I’m constantly afraid that the romance or sports sides will derail the main plot, but so far it’s walked the tightrope beautifully, managing to be interesting on every level, without anything trivializing anything else.