Genlock, the new mecha series by RoosterTeeth

[Q99]

The first episodes of RT's new show Genlock have hit!... if you're a subscriber. If you're not there's still cool trailers.


Having just watched the first two, I must say this is very good stuff. Both the characters, but also the effort put into the worldbuilding/tech. They spent a lot of time working on this.


Michael B. Jordan and David Tennent in the voice cast sure don't hurt ^^

[Lord Revan]

Well the pilot is avaible for free rest of the series I dunno. The pilot was decent enough for my tastes, not being a first member I couldn't watch the second episode.

[Zixinus]

The second episode was really an introduction to the rest of the team and elaborating on the setting, so it's mostly character-building, some relationship-building and the new members fighting. I won't say more for those that don't have RT First.

What I am a bit confused about is their suits. Each member (except Chase for obvious reasons) gets a custom, color-coded suit. Now, as interfaces for the Holo-driver-pod-things, they make sense. But why are they also bullet-proof AND strength-amplifying? They're pilots, they don't go to the front lines to fight, so why would they need suits like that?

[Zixinus]

New first episode went into detail about Genlock, but focused on introducing the rookies and their personalities, hangups and so on. They tried out their Holons. Weller has surprisingly good speeches.

For anyone wondering what Connie was saying in Gaelic, first she is singing the happy birthday song and the second time she says "son of a bitch" (or Gaelic equivalent).

[LadyTevar]

Where do I find that?

[Sea Skimmer]

Do they give some elaborate pointless explanation of why they built mechs, or just have mechs? Cause I can be down with the latter, but the former gets painful awful quickly, and I have been mooting supporting Rooster Teeth.

[Zixinus]

Where do I find that?

Third episode is for First subscribers only, I'm afraid. And only off RT' site.

Do they give some elaborate pointless explanation of why they built mechs, or just have mechs? Cause I can be down with the latter, but the former gets painful awful quickly, and I have been mooting supporting Rooster Teeth.

Not really. They go out of the way why the pilots are special but not into why they use leggeg tanks and why the mechs are more useful than tanks.

[Zixinus]

Well, there is the fact that one of the Holons (the special, human mechs) are several sizes over the regular ones, appear to be far faster and when one of them took a spike right through the torso, it just pulled it out and kept going as if it was just a thorn.

So the Holons are very hot stuff.

There is also (spoiler for ep1) these anti-personal nanotech that takes the form of a cloud. It kills people horribly, usually.

[Bedlam]

It also appears that fully robotic units can be subverted quite easily in universe. A robot gets hacked and turned against it's own side in only a few seconds by some tech a normal trooper is carrying in the first episode so I guess the Holons have the immunity to the nanites of a mechanised unit and are immune to being hacked.

[Zixinus]

It also appears that fully robotic units can be subverted quite easily in universe. A robot gets hacked and turned against it's own side in only a few seconds by some tech a normal trooper is carrying in the first episode so I guess the Holons have the immunity to the nanites of a mechanised unit and are immune to being hacked.

I'm actually in an argument about this. While the above two elements are very useful, they're just better and bigger versions of the mechs we already seen.

The series will likely require the war to turn around, or at least for it to be less one-sided, but I am wondering how would that be accomplished.

[Bedlam]

It also appears that fully robotic units can be subverted quite easily in universe. A robot gets hacked and turned against it's own side in only a few seconds by some tech a normal trooper is carrying in the first episode so I guess the Holons have the immunity to the nanites of a mechanised unit and are immune to being hacked.

I'm actually in an argument about this. While the above two elements are very useful, they're just better and bigger versions of the mechs we already seen.

The series will likely require the war to turn around, or at least for it to be less one-sided, but I am wondering how would that be accomplished.

Although we haven't seen (as far as I know, I've only seen the first episode and have a general idea of what happens in the next two) the exact state of the war but it doesn't seem to be an entire rout in four years the union's taken about a quarter to a third of the US and are apparently slowly advancing. As they stand it doesn't seem like the Holons are going to be a game changer in their current numbers, but they are apparently a proof of concept which might get more funding to find more pilots or make the overall process easier if they can prove their worth on the ground.

[GrosseAdmiralFox]

I am still bummed that the only other mecha series these days is Gundam, I want a Battletech or Front Mission series damn it! I want my gritty real robot itch not to be only satisfied with Iron Blooded Orphans and this is looking like something more towards the original Gundam for my liking.

I'll take it for a spin when I can... but it might not be for a while given my monetary situation. [grumbles about job markets and automation killing jobs in general]

[Zixinus]

New ep is out. The team goes afield.
Spoiler

We get to meet the arch-nemesis for the Holon project. I'm sure that cloud is vital for the Holons to be the only ones able to fight the Union-mech. Reminds of me Neon Genesis Evangelion. That may be important for later. I think the attack was a test-run for the mech as much as a strategic morale attack.

We see Cammie getting her wakeup call. And hopefully, one for the rest of the team. Honestly, why a pistol of all weapons? As a primary?

I'm a little confused as to why team tactics weren't taught.

[Bedlam]

What I am a bit confused about is their suits. Each member (except Chase for obvious reasons) gets a custom, color-coded suit. Now, as interfaces for the Holo-driver-pod-things, they make sense. But why are they also bullet-proof AND strength-amplifying? They're pilots, they don't go to the front lines to fight, so why would they need suits like that?

That's sort of covered in episode 4, as the pilots have a limited period of time they can interface with their Holons at one time their bodies get transported to the front line and they log on just before action to they don't burn through their time in transit. So their physical bodies are in danger, hense the bullet proofing and super strength if things get hairy. Not necessarily the best way to do things but sort of explained.

I guess my biggest issue is why their mind can only be in one place at a time, their brain gets copied and uploaded into the Holon, why can't their original brain then run their normal body, or another copy be uploaded into another mech? They even talk about if they spend to much time in the holon theit brain can't be downloaded again as it's to 'different' for the body to except. Basically their seems to be some unduplicatable thing which is moved from human to mech, basically taking that there is a soul without quite saying it.

There's also mention of a 'level 2' to Genlock where it sounds like their minds will get networked in some way, I'm going to guess that might involve combining mecha

We see Cammie getting her wakeup call. And hopefully, one for the rest of the team. Honestly, why a pistol of all weapons? As a primary?

I'm a little confused as to why team tactics weren't taught.

I guess on the pistol front you have to think of the scale, the pistol on a holon probably has a barrel the size of a tank cannon.

I assume they were brought into the field early and team tactics were next weeks lesson they'd only just gotten working individually, probably doesn't make sense, I guess you'd learn earlier in real training, but that's my cannon.

[Zixinus]

New ep. Cammie handling trauma and another mission.

We also have a name for the Union mech: Nemesis.
Spoiler

I feel the point of Cammie messing with her settings was more of a metaphor for people generally handling combat trauma. Like how she is overcompensating for her lack of aggressiveness. It's a bit how I read PTSD works.

The dream is going to be very significant, isn't it?

I love the moment where Cammie's teammates go up to her when she admits hurting.

Nemesis sprouts lines from Chase. I wonder where they got the upload data for him. When he crashed perhaps?

I also feel that the team was neglectful by not entering the facility. There may have been more people to free inside.

Also, to note upgrades:
- Chase got wings
- Yaz got wrist-heat-lasers
- Kazu got his sword.
What did Cammie and V get?

[Q99]

Spoiler

V got a better gun I think. Cammie got drones to help her target and hack.

Also the fact they can mod their minds, at least temporarily, is something!

Kazu is a great big bro.

I feel like they likely do some team tactics- going back to the capture the flag and noting their performance here- but they're focusing more on the individual stuff because improving their Holon skills is pretty vital and it's where Cammie's issues show.

[Zixinus]

Well this episode was a gutpunch.
Spoiler

So we finally got to the "copies of mind" thing out out. I thought the show would avoid transhumanism. There should have been self-destructs in the Holons, preferably followed by "emergency download". A rather glaring oversight.

The scene with Kazu and V linking up together was beautiful.

Weller was idiotic in playing suicide bomber. He is the only person even less disposable than the pilots. Without him, the genlock project is at best, stuck in a standstill. We can at best hope that he made some sort of backup of himself that might be able to keep it moving.

Hammer works weird. It is certainly not very strategic unless it can blast stuff out of orbit. Too bad that they didn't have one of those EMP bombs armed and ready to go either. I guess this solves the love triangle issue completely anyway.

[Zixinus]

New episode is more calm after the last one.
Spoiler

Well, I figured that the Genlock always-on network is going to bite them in the ass sooner or later.

My inner shipper is getting gleeful at Yas and Chase. I dub the new ship Raptors. Also, possibly Macaw due to the bird having both blue and yellow feathers.

Why did NASA go rouge?

Cammie finally lets her inner bunny out.

Am I the only one that things that V is low on the amount of armor on her? I get that stealth and sniping are her thing, but you can't always do that and it's a bit hard to hide a 40 foot tall iron giant.

[Zixinus]

And the season finale is on us!

I don't feel like making individual comments right now.

[Q99]

I dug the whole season, I don't think it had a single weak - or even 'not really strong' ep!


Also for those who haven't seen it, now available on Crunchyroll Premium.

New episode is more calm after the last one.
Spoiler

Why did NASA go rouge?

Cammie finally lets her inner bunny out.

Am I the only one that things that V is low on the amount of armor on her? I get that stealth and sniping are her thing, but you can't always do that and it's a bit hard to hide a 40 foot tall iron giant.

Spoiler

Because of what happened to Florida.

Yea, she does look a little vulnerable, even next to the mark 1 design, but she does focus on agility and has stuff like the grappling hook that benefits from lighter weight.