sorry, it's 3 a.m.

[hsiuism]

Just finished the last episode of Planetes. Not sure what to think about it.

Edit: This post contains major SPOILERS. I actually highly recommend the series to anyone who likes sci-fi anime, so if you're thinking of watching Planetes it's probably better to skip this post. I'll throw up a non-spoilery review in the near future.

Comments

[beccastareyes]

Except wasn't violence kind of the answer, since the hostage situation with the Von Braun and the moon was what caused the first world countries to agree to sign a treaty more favorable to developing countries? Which presumably is why the El Tankians are optimistic, since maybe they finally were able to develop their spacesuit for commercial use -- though that probably could have been better shown.

Then again, that wasn't reflected in the arcs of the characters -- Hachi spent most of the time getting more and more effed up, Ai might have been challenged more if you could see what she was thinking, Hakim is still out of sorts, and the only one who really changes is Claire.

[hsiuism]

Except wasn't violence kind of the answer, since the hostage situation with the Von Braun and the moon was what caused the first world countries to agree to sign a treaty more favorable to developing countries? See, that is why I'm "not sure" what to make of this series. On the one hand, yes, ultimately INTO signed a treaty that was fairer to developing nations. On the other hand, the conditions of the deal were not revealed until after INTO gave in to the SDF. So for all intents and purposes the situation was still framed as a terrorist operation, and INTO playing the noble hero by choosing to save lives over ideology

[beccastareyes]

On the one hand, yes, ultimately INTO signed a treaty that was fairer to developing nations. On the other hand, the conditions of the deal were not revealed until after INTO gave in to the SDF. So for all intents and purposes the situation was still framed as a terrorist operation, and INTO playing the noble hero by choosing to save lives over ideology.

Maybe I'm just used to TV where any idea of 'negotiating with terrorists' ends with the heroes doing something foolish (and sometimes as morally questionable as the 'antagonists') to end up saving the lives by blowing terrorists up.

(Also coming from the manga, which lacked Claire as a character, and didn't put nearly as much work in the SDF as empathizable -- it was much more about Hachi's personal problems with occasional forays into environmentalism and Fee's sense of social justice.)

[m00nface]

Have you read the manga? Ai is visibly less feminine (I think she's the same height as Hachi or slightly taller, is still slim and all but I think she has broader shoulders) and there's a LOT less of the "love is our purpose and salvation!" message, even though she's obviously a sweet, naive and generous girl. Fee is fantastic in both versions. I love female characters who just know how to do their jobs well and get it done even when circumstances are challenging. It's particularly great that she is obviously a woman of colour, respected by her co-workers and, as I recall, more or less in charge of day-to-day operations.

The manga is also constructed very differently, if I'm remembering it correctly, more a slice of life series about this typically Japanese company with an international make-up on the fag-end of commercial space travel. I loved the Planetes anime, enjoyed it more than the manga when I first encountered it, but it's been a few years since I saw it last so I should probably rewatch it to remember exactly why. OH NO.

[hsiuism]

Oh, I don't mind feminine (in fact Ai came off as fairly androgynous to me), I just wish hyper-naivete and professional incompetence were not default features of the Spunky Girl character type. Also, that her name was not Ai; it was much harder for me to buy her philosophy when it sounded so gimmicky. Don't get me wrong, Ai is a fairly solid character, it's just that she's surrounded by a fantastic female support cast who outshine her, and other series have done this kind of character in more interesting ways.

You know, I loved the first half of the anime when it did concentrate on the slice-of-life angle, and the Japanese corporate company...in space! concept was great. It's when anime tries to tackle the Big Issues that I usually facepalm.

Thanks for mentioning the manga, though. I'll have to look for it next time I'm out!

[m00nface]

Maybe it's because I'd already checked out the manga, but I found Ai's principles and reactions to be a little more trite when coming from a petite woman with a higher voice than I'd imagined

[m00nface]

Done!