The final post on Gasaraki. In the previous 2 posts, I mentioned the things that about Gasaraki that piqued my interest. Now I tackle the other parts that remain.
The annoying parts. First off is the animation. There are times when the faces look horrible–it is obvious that pretty faces are not a priority here. Though I’m not too picky with animation as long as its ugliness doesn’t distract too much. If things were only much sharper it’d be very good already.
Misuzu is annoying. I don’t ever understand the importance of her presence, aside from being also a kai. Her ‘Onii-sama! Onii-sama!’ is the most annoying phrase uttered in this series. Every time she appears, I cringe, ‘Oh no, not her again!’ It may be that she’s also there to emphasize how Yuushiro is not really Yuushiro because the real one is dead. But one scene is enough already. I’d rather have the screen time be given to Yuushiro and Miharu. Or even to scenes that show what happens to the characters years after the showdown between Japan and America. Good thing she was asleep as the last episode ended. 
Lastly, Kazukiyo ended up not having to pay for the things that he did. The bastard needs to burn in hell.
The other good points (aside from what I covered from the two previous posts). I liked the addition of mystic kugai as it provided an air of mystery, not to mention that it gives Yuushiro and Miharu a compelling past life. And the series not only touched upon past Japanese heritage and modern history, but through Nishida a vision of the future. Some ideas are controversial but it’s not very common that you get subjects like these tackled.
Izayo…Izayuukan. Oh I liked that opening phrase. Though I wasn’t impressed by the opening sequence, the ED just made up for it. Sometimes I just let it play till the end because I really liked listening to it.
Yuushiro and Miharu. There are times I think they’re bland, and it would have helped if some ‘color’ was added to liven them up. Some support characters look more interesting than them. But I like Miharu the most though.
The mech battles. They’re not flashy, but they’re good (though I think Gundam 08th Team has the best ground combat scenes). Just hearing the talk of the support team gets me very excited.
Before I watched Gasaraki, most of the reviews that I read weren’t really glowing. In fact, the impression that I got was of a boring, hard to understand anime. I don’t remember where I read the review(s), but I can understand a bit because there are no pizzas, pilots in bunny costumes, or other totally outrageous characters that catch the fancy of hordes of–fans of these things. Most of Nishida’s conversations are cryptic. The TA robot is not flashy, doesn’t have GN drives, and remains grounded on Earth.
However, the interesting concepts and happenings in this series more than make up for its aesthetic flaws. I’d dare call it ‘intelligent’ if compared to most mecha shows out there. Highly recommended for mecha fans. For those more inclined to superficial stuff, just stay away.
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I thought I was the only other person who actually enjoyed Gasaraki (apart from IKnight, obviously!) so it’s great to see someone posting about it. I do agree with you though – it took one abortive attempt to finish the series, partly because it was heavy going storytelling-wise and partly because of the visual blandness.
I did appreciate the realism though, especially in the mecha and the general lack of fanservice/slapstick comedy. The politics were fascinating but the characters could’ve done with some more warmth and liveliness; Misuzu was under-used I think. She could’ve played a much more satisfying role than just being a damsel in distress and I thought the bond (romantic or otherwise) between Yushiro and Miharu was a bit understated too.
I really like the soundtrack actually. The CD is hard to find but I love it – it’s really darkly atmospheric and includes the excellent OP and END songs as well.
Gasaraki evidently predated almost all the shows you implicitly referenced and I actually managed to tape a lot of it back in the stone age (in other words, VHS) but didn’t actually get to finish the show at the time. It did seem a little bit boring, on the surface, yet I was still interested enough for a while…but then again I was also younger. I couldn’t see myself trying LOGH back then, but now it’s one of my favorite series ever.
So that means, like a lot of other people, I can be both superficial and otherwise. I’ve been thinking of giving Gasaraki another look, now that the years have passed, but have just been too lazy to either find the tapes or simply re-acquire the show.
@Martin
>>partly because it was heavy going storytelling-wise and partly because of the visual blandness.
That’s why it’s not that popular. And I’m also thankful to the others who first blogged about it because I wouldn’t know about for a long time.
@Camario
>>but then again I was also younger.
With age comes maturity (hopefully) and a more open mind (hopefully too).
>>I’ve been thinking of giving Gasaraki another look, now that the years have passed
Just reacquire it–one episode per day and you’re done in less than a month! =p