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| THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE. ---------------------------------------- Final episode! Zero is looking to wipe out humanity because all of the GRs bit the dust. Looks like the US officials might've been connected to Johnny Soccer too? A willful battle manufactured by 2 big organizations duking it out to affect the marketplace perhaps, but just then, the facility blows up from beneath the American administrator, while BFN possibly hits some technical glitch which abruptly turns Max Chaplin and the station into a big Christmas theme, discussing the holidays. Zero begins attacking some fighter jets, but the reporter notes it hasn't immediately purged everything, and GR1 is on the way, so humanity still has a chance it would seem. Daisaku restating to V in the Zero that she can choose how to live and she has free will, to not be bound by destiny as some tool in some clandestine plan, just as V's words telling Daisaku of him retaining his individuality in spite of his contract were more of a reminder, again, he reinstates that she shouldn't say that from a place of envy in not having said freedoms because she too has a choice, a circular affirmation. Originally the GRs were meant to protect the planet together, beings from other planets/dimensions coming to Earth to stop its destruction before the dawn of man, with Gods looking to destroy it or something. Daisaku freeing V and sending the Zero packing, entering a new era post-BFN, GRs, Zero, etc. The series ends with a vague teaser about the beings from another planet/dimension possibly returning as sequel bait that alas, never came to fruition of course because of everyone rejecting this series. I liked it, I'm still hesitant about giving it a light 8 despite the topicality of it at the time and how it still resonates a bit about that capitalist dehumanization, turning fellow humans into tools and numbers and the search for identity and such separated from this. Seemed like it lost a grasp on some of its ideas or had some confusing execution at times, and little in the way of much interiority for Daisaku to make that stuff about free will and identity truly register emotionally, and other characters have pretty fleeting characterization as well, needed more genuine warmth and downtime between the rigid, very serious plot while ending with that kind of emphatic optimism about humanity and everything, though I still did appreciate the washed out, sleek and clinical atmosphere, but we needed some more real ennui from Daisaku, and a time which he could be nostalgic for, or that this world knows something cheery and exciting and not totally drab at one point but which had been lost. Too much time on the plot heavy mysteries and broad strokes of themes, but never really getting into the minutia of character or the nuanced ideas and details to enrich its messages. A 7/10 in my book, but a series I still appreciate as a curiosity and neat aesthetic and would be willing to revisit. Wish it got a proper localization and sequels. :/ |
| The final episode finishes up with what is more or less a bookend, having Daisaku return to the island and get back to his job, with what appears to be a mended relationship with his mother. V and Celestine are also alive. From the stinger and the words of Max Chaplin at the end there, there was definitely some teasing of a sequel in the future, but the poor reception and sales for this series seemingly dashed any hopes of that happening. It's a shame too, because this show is the best I've seen from the Giant Robo franchise so far, at least in terms of its animated properties. Personally, I found this alternate setting show superior to the 90s OVA in nearly every aspect that mattered. Daisaku, while still flawed in some way, had substantially more layers to him than GRtA's incarnation; the geopolitical tension and conflation of deific, alien prophecy with modern conflict was handled well enough that it never came across as especially contrived or ridiculous; it exchanged a broader variety of characters for amplified focus on the mindset and relationships of a smaller cast; it had a proper grasp of how to tonally embody the atmosphere of any given setting through its visual direction; and it addressed many of the most underhanded concepts that can and have been accentuated by societal, economic and financial micromanagement of the human populace. It's not flawless or anything, as it ultimately sacrificed potential for a more intricate delve into the psyche of the characters for the sake of narrative developments, but it was still a very enjoyable watch that maintained a palpable aura of tension and uncertainty to keep you immersed throughout. |
  ｲ乇刀乇乃尺ﾑ乇 ㊎   ㊰☽ Shaded Horizon ☾ |
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