From: bn981@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Ryan Mathews)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime
Subject: Re: Anime, and He May Not
Date: 7 Sep 1992 03:35:08 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: bn981@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Ryan Mathews)
NNTP-Posting-Host: slc10.ins.cwru.edu


In a previous article, CMH114@psuvm.psu.edu () says:

>In Message: <189oamINNke0@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, Ryan Mathews sez:
>>He claims the writing is cheap and exploitative, but doesn't give
>>any examples.  How does one exploit an animated character, or a
>>fictional being like a Boomer for that matter?
>
>Uhh, Ryan, I would have to agree with him that a large part of BGC's character
>development is *very* exploitive and cheap. It's part of what I don't like
>about the series. Fer instance, the repeated use of cheap schticks like
>introducing a throwaway character (Irene in #2,that mother in #3),

Okay, it's certainly cheap, in that's it's an easy, uncreative way of
writing.  But exploitative?  Whom does it exploit?

Also, 2 & 3 were possibly the worst written of all the series, partly
because of the 30 min length, which required a quick-n-dirty plot.

>Variations on this include the whole of
>Revenge Road, #7, and #6(I understand, although I never saw #6).

Oh, I couldn't disagree more.  A throwaway character is character who is
introduced for one specific purpose (usually in BGC to get killed), never
developed, and then thrown away.  The characters in 4, 7, and 6 did an
awful lot before they died.

>The instance
>that well and truly pissed me off about the series was that incredibly
>manipulative scene at the end of #5, with the sappy "I don't wanna kill her -
>Priss kill me please" dialog, and the endless abuse of splitscreen shots for
>mindless choruses of "PRISSSSA".

Okay, the ending was melodramatic and a bit cliched.  But the ride to the
end was very good, with some interesting points raised about just what freedom
really is.  I think #5 is by far and away the best of the series.

> Growlfth. BGC got off to a good start in the first OAV, then immediately went
>downhill.

IMHO, #1 was the worst of the lot in terms of story, and close to being
worst in animation.  I only dislike #8 more because I feel it to be a
complete betrayal of the concept behind the series.

#1 had a confusing plot.  I still don't know exactly who those Boomers
were and what they planning.  Were they going to ransom Cythina back to
Genom, or to the gov't, or were they just going to threaten to blow up
the city.  Cynthia is practically a throwaway character.  It was obvious
(to me at least) that she was a Boomer, by her distant expression and
ability to write detailed maps of Mega-Tokyo on the wall, and yet I'm
supposed to be surprised.  (Yes, I know the map was supposed to be a clue,
but I thought it was too good of one...)  The reason for the Knight Sabers
formation is hinted at almost in passing, as if they figure we won't really
care.

Mind you, I still like #1!  It's just sort of disappointing to go back to
it after seeing episodes like 5, 6, & 7, which were much more interesting
to follow and had much better animation.  But hey, #1 still has kick-ass
music in it, which the only reason I seem to like #2 so much better than
everyone else.  (I like that "Fantasy..." song...)

			---------- Ryan Mathews
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Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime