Showing posts with label Outlaw Star. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Outlaw Star. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Things Fall Apart. The Center Does Not Hold.



Things Fall Apart. The Center Does Not Hold.

by

Weatherly Hardy


The 'Vark's Spleen, She Is Vented.

This is an opinion piece. Please to note that no harm is wished upon anyone. It merely examines cultural change in my lifetime. It should be read in the context of my extant writing, opinions, and clear motivators, as well as in the setting of my life as you know me to be. That I see a need for this preamble is a more strident indictment of our society and culture than it is a flag about my stated opinions below.

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Things Fall Apart. The Center Does Not Hold.

Nothing is the same anymore. Candy bars do not taste right. Baby Ruth tastes like Payday with chocolate and a soupçon of industrial waste. Tattoos and piercings, formerly the decoration of the Lower Classes, have now become Chic and Trendy (although if Dear Leader continues his work, the Chic and Trendy will become the lower class). Love of country was de rigueur, now it is aberrant and atavistic. Aberration itself is the New Normal. Joe Haldeman's The Forever War deals with a soldier who goes on multiple missions to space wars on board vessels that travel at relativistic speeds. He doesn't age, but generations pass on earth, and with them, the cultural distinctives of those generations. Eventually he comes back to an Earth where homosexuality predominates, and his preference for women earns him the moniker "The Old Queer".

"Anime series often have a homosexual character displaying
 unrequited feelings for the main character for comic relief. We
know 'what ain't quite right,' and humor reveals it."
Fred Luo and Gene Starwind from the series, Outlaw Star.

I know somewhat how he felt. I live in a culture that has given up sane standards of behavior, and has jettisoned consistency. I come from a time when there was the Correct, and there was the Aberrant. The Aberrant was viewed as alien, mistrusted, and often ridiculed. What a difference a couple of generations (and PR.) makes. What was once villified as the Sin Not to be Named has become a Civic Virtue, and Normal. A decades-long public relations campaign has paid off. For as long as, the homosexual, the mincing, lisping fageler, has been a mainstay of funmaking. Practically every country ridicules homosexual activity and 'lifestyle.' Anime series often have a homosexual character displaying unrequited feelings for the main character for comic relief. We know 'what ain't quite right,' and humor reveals it. As to cultural inconsistency, our alleged science-mad society completely ignores the Darwinist and Gouldian evolutionary dogmas to accept homosexuality as anything other than what those very dogmas would maintain: that homosexual behavior is an evolutionary dead-end, and should be avoided for The Good of the Human Race.

What has brought us here? Only a massive and universal  PR campaign to render three-to-five percent of the population as fit for human society. Not merely fit, but lionized. What is a tiny minority of the body politic has become a great mouth, a whine machine demanding that all of Western culture be bent to the minority's will. This is ultimately where democracy fails: it is not the quantity, it is the decibels, and bruvvah, they have been loud. They have invented rights where none before existed, and in so doing diminished the rights of the majority. Where new "rights" are invented, new mechanisms must be developed to administer those rights, and the price tag for such instrumentality is borne by the majority through taxation. "What will equal marriage rights do? How will they affect you?"

In the Bottom Line.

Now let it not be assumed that I am some throwback crank with an 'anti' axe to grind. I've paid my dues. I've lived amongst them. My father was a homosexual (he pauses, waiting for the inevitable stupid comment like "Well, you're here....")  Let's say that I was the result of a foray into an alternative lifestyle. By living in such company, I harbor no illusions about homosexual behavior. I have seen the crudity and demeaning nature of "the lifestyle", and have been pawed as a teen by "friends" of my father. There is nothing better for your self-esteem than to see one's father's exploits on the high school bathroom wall. I have a good number of friends who are homosexual, and they tend to be the crudest people of my acquaintance. I say this not to point the bony finger of indignation, but to give the lie to the high pretensions of those who most loudly promote the homosexual agenda.

On the flip side, I must say that I am live-and-let-live. I do not enthrall all of my reader with tales of The Sensuous 'Vark. The Dread Dormomoo's and my connubial deliberations are off-limits. Please make your private practises Not My Business. I do not participate in Straight Pride Parades. I DO poke fun at "End The Silence" days, because, really, hasn't it been rabbited on about for decades, now? I recognise that the anti-bully message is largely "don't bully effeminate boys". But neither do I throw stones, or insult them, or militate against the marching minority. Please, just leave me alone. Keep your hands to yourself, especially, hands off my wallet.

Copyright © 11-9-13 Weatherly Hardy

Note: The "Dread Dormomoo" mentioned above is Mrs. Hardy. The Hardys seem to be Dr. Strange fans.


Mr. Hardy's blog Aardvarks' Plumbline main page here.

Aardvark Tees (Shirts made of WIN!) company here.

A Most Interesting Quote Regarding What Is Gay here.


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Friday, October 1, 2010

TV Animes I Got: Mini Reviews

                                                                       by

                                                                          Jay Agan                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
                                                                     Outlaw Star

       Gene Starwind & the crew of the aforementioned ship (who is also a crewmember) search vast reaches of space for a vaguely defined treasure known as "The Galactic Leyline". Not only having to contend with various factions of government, pirates, & assasins, each member of the crew has his/her own reasons for finding it.

      I disagree with those saying this is a sorta/kinda not as good alternative to Cowboy Bebop. An apples/oranges  comparison, I like the series for its own merits. One of which is Aisha, the beast babe. She kicks posterior! Oh yeah. Watch out for Fred.

      Rated 13 up.

      "Better Get Ready!"

                          The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (AKA Goddess Whackjob)
     
      A multilevel theological/metaphysical/sci fi satire. Title character just happens to be God (or at least a god). She may not know it but certainly acts like it! Various friends/factions (some with special "talents") endeavor to keep her from finding out. Otherwise the universe is in the tank.

      A fun head trip that actually has you thinking. Evangelicals viewing this will be forced to rethink their positions. Not!

      Rated 13 up.

      Vox Haruhi. Vox Dei.

                                                         Serial Experiments Lain

      Perhaps it should be titled Surreal Experiments Lain. Another theological/sci fi mind bender about a young lady coming to a startling realization: She's the physical extension of an all powerful entity existing out on all electronics & telecommunications, including the net. The "Wired" becomes the weird as the viewer is toured on various aspects of theology/metaphysics,  technology, history, conspiracy theories, UFO lore, & self awareness conceptivity.

      Anyone coming away from this thinking he's "got it" is only fooling himself. I've viewed it several times & still don't "get it" though I enjoy the process. You come away with what you take from it.

       Rated 16 up.

      "You don't seem to understand......"

                                                                     Hell Girl

      A Wednesday Addams/Penny Dreadful type not only takes one there but gives 'em a taste of it beforehand. Here's the deal: Pull the red thread off the straw doll & she'll take the one you hate to you know where. For a price. Which happens to be your soul when you kick off. Is the jerk worth it? YOU decide. I'd sooner get back at someone by "taking it out in trade" than spend eternity in "the other place" (Cleveland?). When you see the flowers comin' at ya, DUCK!

      Rated TV14 V.

      "This is vengeance. And I am to ferry you to Hell."

                                                                      Gunbuster

       I don't care for giant robot shows but this is an exception. Short early Gainax 6 ep series starts off as a parody then turns serious. Seems mankind is only a virus to the "organism" we call the galaxy & the colossal insectoid "space monsters" act as antibodies. The "virus" disagrees & is determined to survive. This, & the added factor of faster than light time differentials, make for an intrigueing show.

      Rated 16 up.     
     
      "Hard work & guts!"

                                                                     Kinos Journey

       It's not the destination, it's the getting there. Title character & sentient motorcycle travel from place to place  spending 3days/2nights taking in the locals strange ways. They're either hostile or weird in some way. The "Then Came Bronson" of anime. By the way, Kino's a girl.

      Rated TVPG V.

      "The world is ugly, therefore it is beutiful."

                                                                   Gunsmith Cats

      Gun store owner/marksman Rally Vincent & her bomb making little buddy, Minnie May Hopkins are bounty hunters in 1990s Chicago. The 3 ep mini-series finds them contending with gun runners, a corrupt BATF, an anti-gun politician, & a rogue Russian agent in a plot to transfer guns, drugs, money, & pass more restrictive gun laws. The NRA & Tea Partiers would love this show as do I.

       Animated violence, strong language & mature situations. Parental guidance suggested.

       "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty."

                                                          Otaku no Video (Fan Video)

       Gainaxs' mini 2 ep series is a self parody of their beginnings. Two guys set out to be the greatest super fans of anime/manga & go full bore into the business end of the hobby. With theatrics/melodrama along the way, they fulfil their dreams beyond their wildest imaginations. Best viewed when leaving out the superfluous live action parts.

       Brief nudity, adult situations.

                                                            Full Metal Panic: Fumufu

       Young mercenary Susuke Sagara has a double assignment: Watch over a future resource named Kaname Chidorie & finish high school. First part's easy enough. The second? Not so easy.

       Brought up in the hyper-military shadowland of the Mithril merc organisation, he has no idea what normal civilian life is about. Even the most mundane situation could be interpreted as dire or deadly & he acts accordingly. Part of the joke is though he's  supposed to be watching over Kaname, she's working way overtime covering for him & preventing the school from being destroyed.

       A master of covert ops, Susuke thinks he's doing a great job in concealing his position when in fact he stands out with all flags flying. Everyone notices he's heavily armed but never arrested (This is Japan after all.). His bearing/demeanor is beyond atypical. Destruction & collateral damage are mysteriously paid for along with a generous donation to the school.

       Tried watching the original series that led up to this one  but contains too much giant robot stuff for me to take. Fumufu by itself is a great watch though. Watch this one if you want to know what this "fumufu" thing is. Has something to do with "the Pokemon effect".

      Rated TVPG V.

      "I don't follow but it's not a problem."

                                                                         Stratos 4

      Fifty years from now, Earth will be going through a period of heightened comet/meteor activity. The second of the two stage defense system of the Cosmic Emergency Managment Agency, is the Meteor Sweepers. This division is composed of pilots & cadets flying planes as old as I am now (TSR80 & YAK28s), blasting comet fragments before they impact.

      Mikaze Honjo must get past personal difficulties & work with her team mates as they save the Earth. This, along with two subplots (An X-Files type & a lesbian subplot that turns out NOT to be a lesbian subplot {trust me on this}.) make for an interesting series.

      Rated 16 up.

      "I'm going to outer space!"

                                                       Mezzo Forte/Mezzo DSA

       Kick-butt babe Mikura, Pops & Harada, are the Danger Svc. Agency. A hand to mouth trio of gun toting troubleshooters taking on all sorts of risky jobs. As such they deal with gangsters, assasins, an alien, & a corrupt, lolita complex afflicted police chief. That VW takes a beating too.

      Forte is a two part "series" involving gangland infighting. DSA is a 12 ep series with several story arcs, & a subplot of a little girl idolizing Mikura & her problems with bullies & asserting herself.
    
      Forte rated 16 & older. DSA rated 15+.

      "Reach for the sky if ya wanna live long enough to eat dinner!"

                                                                     Area 88

       Shin Kazama is a mercenary pilot, but not by choice. Railroaded into flying for an at-war mid-eastern country by a "friend", he must serve out his contract before being let go. If he survives that is. Two motivators are to wed his fiance, & kill the aforementioned "friend".

      70s era story also features a veritable circus of war planes for the military history buff. Two previous movies cover the same ground, the second being the better of the two.

       Rated TVPG.
                                                                 Black Lagoon

      Four anti-heroes, a Nam vet, an electronics/computer genius, an "abducted" business negotiator, & an ultra foul mouthed, trigger happy, uber babe form the Black Lagoon Co. Operating out of a lawless area of southeast Asia, they'll do any job for anybody if the price is right. Gang/Mafia infighting, pirating/theft, smuggling, killer nuns (redundant), & incestuous vampire kiddies  (What?!). All this & more in Black Lagoon. Everybody but the Creature shows up (Why not?).

     Warning: Not only is this show ultra-violent but  the F-bomb is uttered almost 300 times in the series. Not for kids. Rated 16 up.

                                                Dirty Pair OVA/Dirty Pair Flash

      Girls 'n guns! Babes'n Bullets! Collateral damage! Horrendous loss of life! My favorite semi-homicidal, girls 'n guns, anime duo. Kei & Yuri (code name: Lovely Angels), a pair of "trouble consultants" for an FBI-like organization: The Worlds' Welfare Work  Assoc. (3WA). (The "Americanized" comic book version from the early 90s, by Adam Warren & Toren Smith got me hooked on the franchise.)

      If a case proves too tough for the locals, the 3WA sends agents on request. If it's these two, watch out! Dirty Pair is their unofficial nickname (wich they hate) as their missions tend to get out of hand. Civilizations wipe out, & whole planets have been known to melt when they're around. The central computer (An Apple?) always clears them of any wrong doing. I suspect the Dirty Pair are a cynical governmental form of population control as they're quite good at keeping the numbers in check.

      The Dirty Pair Flash reinvention is supposed to be about a couple of young ladies bearing the same name a century later, but we know better.

      The three (original) Dirty Pair movies, Flight 005 Conspiracy, Affair At Nolandia, & Project Eden, I rank in that order. Have every intention of getting the original 28 ep TV series when it comes out on disc.

       OVA rated TVPG V. Flash rated 15+.

       "It's not our fault!"

                                                                 Paranoia Agent

      Is he for real? A figment of someones' imagination? A figment of a figment, maybe? A warped 13 ep series about mass hysteria, urban legends, rumors, & yes.....paranoia. Woooooooo!

      Who is Lil' Slugger, this assailant on inline skates wielding a warped ball bat? Where will he strike next? And .....who's next? You? Me? The guy down the block? Owwww! That hurt! A lot! Strangely, I feel relieved about it. Ahhhh!

      Rated 16 up.
                                                                      Cowboy Bebop

      The best for last. The one. The only. THE anime essential. This is the anime, not only for fans, but for those who don't like anime. It's that different.

      The sponsers told the makers they didn't care what was in it as long as it had spaceships. This gave the studio latitude other creators can only dream of. Bebop is great not only for what it has, but also for what it doesn't. The vast majority of "tropes", cliches, & stereotypes are absent (No giant robots! Yay!). What ones there are, are downplayed, or as in the case of the Ed character, turned on its head (At times literally!).

      Jet, Spike, Faye, Ed, & Ein are itinerant bounty hunters cruising our solar system doing what they do. Set to great jazz, story arcs, some excellent stand alone eps & interesting characterisations, make for great viewing of a very atypical anime. The movie should be watched between eps 23 & 24 for continuity.

       Rated 13 up.

      "Whatever happens, happens."

      "You're gonna carry that weight."

      "See you in space..... cowboy."


      Disclaimer: Ratings are what were on the respective disc cases. Discretion is up to you.

      Next Time: Anime Movies I Got: Mini Reviews.

Article copyright © Jay Agan

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