I see the “Man of Steel” style of destroying the city to save it is catching on.
- Last week, we were introduced to the world of the Gatchaman and all of our main characters. We also saw our antagonist the MESS and how the Gatchaman battle it.
- Summary: After Hajime was introduced to the world of the Gatchaman, she now proceeds to live her new life protecting and helping the humans on Earth. She starts living in an apartment with Sugane and their leader Paiman where her discrepancy seems to get on the nerves of her new roommates. After that, we’re introduced to a social network that Hajime uses called GALAX where she connects with other users to form meet-ups. Then, after another meeting with J.J, Hajime and Sugane try to find MESS and destroy it, however Hajime decides to befriend it instead at which she succeeds. Now we’re greeted with the pink haired woman we saw at the end of the first episode, and she appears to be able to take on the form of anyone she comes to contact with, and generally just starts causing unrest. As the episode ends, we’re greeted by a new character and their “talking seizure-inducing computer screen thingy”, and they seem to be the ones behind the GALAX network.
You came to the wrong neighborhood, pal.
- My Take: Last week’s debut left me a little on the fence to whether or not I really liked Gatchaman Crowds. However, after watching this week’s episode “Asymmetry”, I am positive that I do like this show. Of course last week I had a couple of gripes about the characters and the lackluster premise, but now I’ve been sucked in by all the positive aspects of the show so that all the negatives don’t seem to be as strong.
- I’ve really stopped trying to make any sense of this show. I don’t mean that in a bad way, I mean it like I’ve started to enjoy it for what it is. It’s still a visual marvel with the vibrant colors and fantastic art. Also, with every well thought out shows, the plot has thickened in this episode. I like how the writers have seemed to give the supposed antagonist (which is just a mess of colorful geometrical shapes) a bit of interesting aspects. It responds positively to Hajime’s friendship, almost indicating that it really isn’t a bad entity at all. It’s a nice showcase of misunderstandings thanks to the language barrier. Even the GALAX network is an interesting sub-plot right now, sort of like a conspiracy to use a widely known and used network for any type of good or bad. I like any show that has a social network that could potentially destroy the human race.
“Are you trying to have a ‘moment’ with me?”
- I like how we’re gradually getting introduced to the members of the team. This episode, we focused a little on the mysterious and silent member Joe. Like many of the shady silent characters, he has an interesting public life working for the “Living Safely Department”, but personally lost faith in humanity. Out of all the Gatchaman members, I find him to be the most interesting of the members and can’t wait to see how his reclusive personality clashes with the open personality of Hajime.
- This is about the time I’d gripe on and on about the lack of character development. But honestly, this show is so off-the-wall that I don’t really care as much about the characters as I did in the first episode. I’m not too put off my Hajime anymore after watching this episode. Here, she’s definitely an inconsiderate person, but we get hints that she at least tries to be a good person to those around her. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still not very fond of her carefree attitude, but I can see what the writers were going for. She seems less intrusive here and generates a little bit of sympathy from me as she does seem more like an actual person rather than just a big mass of human energy and positivity.
Glowing Rubik’s Cube mutations of potential death are always so cute.
- As for shows going on right now, I have to say that I really enjoy Gatchaman Crowds. Although it is flawed, it’s at least highly entertaining. For me, it’s become less about a character study and more about the full spectrum at this point. It’s a “taking the bad with the good” type thing, and other than Hajime’s straightforward attitude, I’d say this is my favorite show of the few new shows that I’m watching. So if you’re on the fence about this show, check it out. It’s just too absurd not to like.
