| Genre: | Mecha, Political
| Creator: | Ryosuke Takahashi
| Manga/Anime/Both | Anime
| Seasons: | 1, 26 episodes
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| Spirit of Discord's Rating |   | out of 5 Trigun Kitties |
| Summary: Our story starts with the Gowa family, Japan's top arms manufacturers, in the midst of an arms race like none ever seen on this Earth. The development of their latest weapons platform, a walking tank called a Tactical Armor, is overshadowed by secrecy and intrigue. But when a strange ceremony bring the youngest Gowa, Yushiro, into contact with a woman whose origins are as mysterious as his own, the Gowas realize that they're not the only ones wielding other-worldly technology. Conspiracies and mystery abound in an eerily believable world. |
| Explanation for Rating:
Spirit of Discord:
One of the great things about Gasaraki (and, sadly, there aren't many of those), if the
fact that the world it takes place in is incredibly believable. Just for an example; America
goes to war in this show because they think a third world country has weapons of mass
destruction. Let's point out that this was made in 1998, before the Iraq and Afghanistan
conflicts took place. The show goes into how news broadcasts are used to sway public opinion,
and even realistic military tactics. Despite the fact that there are, indeed, giant robots in
the show, they're portrayed more as walking tanks than anything else, using their mobility to
survive in urban combat.
Now, for the low point. The characters suck. There's no way around it.
They're drab, boring, have no personality and most of the major ones have motivations
that don't make sense. For all the brilliant conspiracies that play out, there are just as
many sad, pathetically written personal tales that...suck. If you've seen the second half
of Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory, this is the same director, expect similar stuff.
The artwork leaves some things to be desired, but it's still quite good.
The mechanical designs are fantastic, probably some of my favorite mecha, and most of
the artwork is detailed and well done, especially the background. On the downside, on more
than a few occasions all of the detail just fades out for no apparent reason. Some shots show
every nook and niche of the TA's armor, but some barely show more than the outline. I also
noticed a few blatant cost-cutting measures, nothing major if you're not a huge nit-pick like
me, but there are a few times where out of place CGI was used, and some scenes use still-frames
where nothing moves except the character's mouths (we're talking for 5-10 minuets at a time).
Overall I liked the artwork, but it should have been more consistent.
Overall, I'll say again: Gasaraki is not for everybody. Those who need interesting characters,
intense gunfights, and simple, clear-cut plots, should definitely look elsewhere. Gasaraki is
all about the politics. If you're a fan of spy novels and conspiracies then Gasaraki may be your
cup of tea. Personally, I liked it, but the lack of any characterization keeps it from being
truly above average.
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