Eden of The East (2009):

Eden of The East (2009):

"A compilation of the TV series, Eden of The East."

In this short, 11-episode anime, Akida Takizawa (If that’s his name.) awakes from a daze on the White House lawn naked and holding a gun. What would you do? If you said, “Uncover a plot by a billionaire to rule Japan while going on a semi-romantic adventure with a girl.” you’d be right! Also, if you said that, you probably watch too much anime. (Good job!) This one was oddly fascinating due to the terrorist angle.

You see, in this universe, Japan was the victim of a terrorist attack called “Careless Monday” when 10 missiles were accidentally fired on Japanese soil, and 20,000 people showed up missing. That’s the interesting part to me. Evidence points to him as the terrorist. But, this girl Saki keeps showing this naïve interest in him, that ultimately changes the tone to more mushy romantic comedy.

More to the point, after uncovering this plot to fire the missiles, (Again!) Akida again frames himself and gives himself a new identity rather than arrest the group behind it. Each player in this political game has a cell phone equipped with a 10 billion yen account. Akida discovers he’s one of the players in a game orchestrated by a billionaire to see how individuals, if given power, would save or change the country.

One of the contestants, in fact, is a prostitute who cuts off male members if they displease her. It’s a little unsettling…and it’s all there to make some point about love that’s developing between him and Saki. I have no idea what “cutting off Johnnies” would do to improve the country, but sometimes anime is wacky. Also, love or something.

Anyway, I was more interested in the political plot. The team that keeps track of Akida’s political funds is called “Eden of The East”. His computerized cell phone accountant Juiz will do anything he asks with the 10 billion yen. I just don’t get why he blows it by framing himself again, and evacuating 20,000 people! Again! It’s like he’ll have to do it all over again, including meeting Saki!

Yes, I know how it ends. I’m not gonna get into that. I just think repeating the same thing you did to get framed as a terrorist has to be one of the most baffling decisions ever. But, it’s oddly fascinating because at it’s heart you have an anime that wants to be romantic. So, it’s just this guy who just wants to live life, and full in love, and avoid responsibility. Also, just as a whimsical joke…he commits a terrorist act against Tokyo.

He’d probably be in jail, and lose his girlfriend. But, dang if he didn’t have 10 billion yen and a magic robot in a cell phone! Look, I know it’s fantasy, and love, and he can clear his name with a phone call. But, am I supposed to believe accepting responsibility means framing yourself as an international criminal? All I’m saying is, the minute I saw Akida had machine guns in his closet, and planned to commit terrorist acts because he can’t bring down his psychopathic buddies… if I were Saki, I’d leave. I would fear for my life.

I know it’s technically like a romantic comedy/political satire, but it had real potential up to the point where he takes responsibility rather than arrest the contestants. Is the rest of Japan still getting played like a game show? What happened to the other contestants? It could’ve been a really interesting espionage thriller, but went the romantic comedy route. By the way, none of this explains why he was naked at the White House.

But, the odd mixture of romantic comedy/espionage thriller works, because the suspense lasts about right up until the second-to-last episode. Then, it’s purely and unabashedly mushy. I’d give this series a firm “skip it”. I liked the concepts, and certain parts! But, it just seems like a lot of wasted ideas. And I just don’t think terrorism is a joke. It could’ve been so much more than what it aims for, but the message seems to be take the 10 billion yen and don’t ask questions. The terrorism angle drew me in, but it deals with it far too whimsically!

Lawnmower Man (1992):

Lawnmower Man (1992):

"A simple man is turned into a genius through the application of computer science."

An intellectually disabled man has his intelligence boosted through VR technology. He soon takes revenge against those who bullied him. He gains telekinesis and telepathy. Eventually, he plots world domination through the computer world.

It sort of takes a hard turn turns scifi horror when Jobe gains his powers. VR looks dated now, but the ideas are still relevant. Like how much bullying someone can take, and how the tables are turned when Jobe has power. I liked it. Check it out. It's free on Tubi.

Gurren Lagann (2007) Review:

Gurren Lagann (2007) Review:

“The tomorrow we're trying to reach is...not a tomorrow you've decided on! We...by ourselves...choose our tomorrow from the infinite universe! We will fight through it. We will fight through it and protect the universe! We'll show you we can do it!”

- Simone vs. The Spinal Nemesis

Gurren Lagann is a Japanese mech-based anime series about Simone The Digger and his quest to always believe in himself and improve humanity. He starts out in an underground village with his older brother Kamina, who is cocky and arrogant but always encouraging Simone. They keep drilling all day for steaks until one day a bounty hunter named Yoko breaks them out of the village in a mechanized head named Gurren…which later finds a body…Lagann!

     From there until about halfway through is the war for humanity to regain the surface. From the Beastmen. There Simone learns about an energy held by the Spiral King, the sprial power, which embodies a being fighting spirit. The show is all about believing in yourself and staying in the present.  Sort of like Star Wars in mech form. Except after defeating the Spiral King, Simone builds a giant city where the humans can live. Even though the Spiral King warns of his destruction if they try to reach the moon.
    Six years later, they build a rocket to go to the moon. This provokes an alien invasion from Anti-Spiral races! So, one of Simone’s generals, Rossiu, imprisons Simone, and has him fighting off the aliens. Soon enough however, it escalates to an interdimensional war against The Spiral Nemesis.

   From Beastmen to a final-boss type battle, this watches like a videogame, and has all the cheesy conventions of one, including calling attacks. I suppose I like more the brotherhood aspects, and the rapid rise and fall of human government like in Star Wars. Simone’s team (Dai-Gurren) gains and loses many members along the way. Some have deep characters and others are one-note. In the end, the Beastmen, including the former Spiral King Lord Genome (Ha ha!) unite to form an even greater Gurren Lagann to defeat the Spiral Nemesis.

     Only 27 episodes long, but it’s worth a watch. Sometimes people set limits for you, without realizing it. You may even begin to believe that those are your limits. But, like Kamina tells Simone: “Believe in the Kamina that believes in you!” If he believes in the most confident, part of himself, he succeeds. A little clichéd, but still good for a mech anime. Plenty of fan service, especially with Yoko, keeps the war stories a little light-hearted.
 
    My favorite parts were during the civil war and you really get a sense that Simone The Supreme Commander has forgotten who he is, and become scarred by war. That and the final battle is pretty amazing, but the human technology and spiritual-evolution babble becomes so heavy and changes so fast the last few episodes, about 23-26, make my head spin? How did they master teleportation so quickly? Why is a giant nude woman floating in space? (Which is explained later, thank goodness!) Overall, I’d say the series gets an average 3 of 5 stars for me! Not bad, but not outstanding in the mech genre!