What is it with Mecha Series and pissin on the US?

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2004-06-26 06:35pm

I've heard that in an episode of Gasaraki, the US invades Japan with
just FOUR mecha, and when we lose, it's considered the end of US
world hegemony.

What the frell is it with these Mecha series creators? Are they trying to
fulfull a deep-seated psychological urge to humble the US of Ay?

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2004-06-26 06:41pm

Well some Japs are still pissed for the asskicking they got in WWII,even if it happened before they were born.

And in a related note they scream *Japan Bashing* when they find something offensive to their culture.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-06-26 06:46pm

As I said in the HAB thread on the subject, it's typical jingoistic tendencies. Silly, yes, but it's a matter of pride which can be life or death to some.

With all due respect, the US of A is the absolute last nation to start pointing the finger on this matter. Or should I recite every Hollywood action blockbuster for the last 50 years?

Tatterdemalion · Post by **Tatterdemalion** » 2004-06-26 06:54pm

Was it touted as the end of US hedgemony? It's been ages since I've watched the show so I could very easily be wrong but from what I remember all Japan managed to do was get the US to remove a grain tariff. The impression I got was that the US withdrew because they felt it wasn't worth the cost. Anyone with a better memory than me want to confirm/disagree with this?

As for the 'USA sux' thing, I think that's just generic national resentment. I mean, you'll get Americans portrayed in a less than flattering light in British shows sometimes. IMO it's nothing more than a bit of childish resentment of a foreign power/patriotic masturbation, nothing really harmful.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-06-26 07:07pm

Tatterdemalion wrote:Was it touted as the end of US hedgemony? It's been ages since I've watched the show so I could very easily be wrong but from what I remember all Japan managed to do was get the US to remove a grain tariff. The impression I got was that the US withdrew because they felt it wasn't worth the cost. Anyone with a better memory than me want to confirm/disagree with this?

As for the 'USA sux' thing, I think that's just generic national resentment. I mean, you'll get Americans portrayed in a less than flattering light in British shows sometimes. IMO it's nothing more than a bit of childish resentment of a foreign power/patriotic masturbation, nothing really harmful.

The latest season of 24 had an episode that pissed me off where an MI6 office in LA was wiped out by basically a couple of thugs with SMGs so the US CTU had to do all the work. Because, as we know, MI6 doesn't know jack about security...

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » 2004-06-26 07:19pm

No one said childish resentiment was limited to other countries. The fact is that T.V/Movies writiers will attempt to paint their nations in the best light possible, because that's usually it's audenice. It's not a good thing, but it happens everywhere and is a very minor problem compared to everything else going on.

Now as for this invading Japan with only 4 Mecha crap... The entire 3rd Marine Divison is stationed at Okinawa! There are Air Force, Navy and Army bases up and down the island chain of Japan!

We don't need to invade Japan, we're already there.

And if we had a dispute, Japan's Constitution prevents them from seeking a violent soluation. Which I honestly think they need to rewrite, has it's somewhat crippling to Japan ability to protect it's citizens and interest...

LapsedPacifist · Post by **LapsedPacifist** » 2004-06-26 07:26pm

I got tired of that series five minutes into it when one of the mecha shrugs off a big round from a big tank.

And that was before I started reading SD.net.

LP

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-06-26 07:40pm

frigidmagi wrote:No one said childish resentiment was limited to other countries. The fact is that T.V/Movies writiers will attempt to paint their nations in the best light possible, because that's usually it's audenice. It's not a good thing, but it happens everywhere and is a very minor problem compared to everything else going on.

Now as for this invading Japan with only 4 Mecha crap... The entire 3rd Marine Divison is stationed at Okinawa! There are Air Force, Navy and Army bases up and down the island chain of Japan!

We don't need to invade Japan, we're already there.

And if we had a dispute, Japan's Constitution prevents them from seeking a violent soluation. Which I honestly think they need to rewrite, has it's somewhat crippling to Japan ability to protect it's citizens and interest...

It's set in the near future, IIRC, so it may also be an alternate timeline where the US isn't stationed there in any real numbers.

The mech superiority over tank thing is nothing new, but it goes to extremes in that series from what I hear to the point that it's absolute wank material.

Rightous Fist Of Heaven · Post by **Rightous Fist Of Heaven** » 2004-06-26 07:43pm

Well, Gasaraki had a little anti-USA feel in it but because of that it shouldnt be generalized that every Anime Mecha series would be like that, because that isnt the case.

And yeah, the Tanks vs. Mecha in Gasaraki is pretty bad. One of those TA's shrugs off an APFSDS round that hits it in the leg, and the TA's are damn dodging fire from IFV's and MBT's.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2004-06-26 07:50pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:The latest season of 24 had an episode that pissed me off where an MI6 office in LA was wiped out by basically a couple of thugs with SMGs so the US CTU had to do all the work. Because, as we know, MI6 doesn't know jack about security...

Wasn't there also a helicopter and bomb?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-06-26 07:55pm

neoolong wrote:
Admiral Valdemar wrote:The latest season of 24 had an episode that pissed me off where an MI6 office in LA was wiped out by basically a couple of thugs with SMGs so the US CTU had to do all the work. Because, as we know, MI6 doesn't know jack about security...
Wasn't there also a helicopter and bomb?

Yeah, but that was again only one guy with a gun and a small kilo slab of C4. How it got there as it is is annoying. Still, that was the worst episode and only for that little CTU wankfest there, but then they are the stars.

Seggybop · Post by **Seggybop** » 2004-06-26 08:43pm

You have Gasaraki with its stupid antiamericanism, but in Gundam Seed Washington DC was the Terran capital. The situation can't be generalized that they have a single viewpoint.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-06-26 08:48pm

Tatterdemalion wrote:Was it touted as the end of US hedgemony? It's been ages since I've watched the show so I could very easily be wrong but from what I remember all Japan managed to do was get the US to remove a grain tariff. The impression I got was that the US withdrew because they felt it wasn't worth the cost. Anyone with a better memory than me want to confirm/disagree with this?

The impression that I got from the ending was that the U.S. would have to abandon its position as the world hegemon after the failed invasion. That's what seemed to be implied, anyway.

Personally, I would not call Gasaraki anti-American. It's simply a furious, unrepentant Japan wank. It really isn't a bad series and has some pretty interesting stuff about Japan in it, but it's not to be taken seriously.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-06-26 08:52pm

If you want an anti-American anime/manga, check out Appleseed, where during the late 1980s the U.S. breaks into two countries; the Southern half of which reinstitutes segregation on a massive scale and calls itself Imperial Americana, with the Northern half entering into a submissive alliance with the Soviet Union!

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-06-26 08:58pm

MKSheppard wrote:I've heard that in an episode of Gasaraki, the US invades Japan with
just FOUR mecha, and when we lose, it's considered the end of US
world hegemony.

What the frell is it with these Mecha series creators? Are they trying to
fulfull a deep-seated psychological urge to humble the US of Ay?

We've had a couple of threads on this before; basically, Japan has got this fucked up cultural denial thing going on about WWII; they usually don't even show the US having a military, and when they do, it's either part of the UN or being shredded by mecha.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-06-26 08:58pm

Joe wrote:If you want an anti-American anime/manga, check out Appleseed, where during the late 1980s the U.S. breaks into two countries; the Southern half of which reinstitutes segregation on a massive scale and calls itself Imperial Americana, with the Northern half entering into a submissive alliance with the Soviet Union!

They're making a new film in cel shading now. It should be out actually, but I hope it's better than the crappy original film.

In Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, the US is actually called the American Empire. Not so much derogatory, but maybe a better indicator of scale and type of gov't. Most of Asia has teamed up economically then though as has the EU superstate with the American Empire.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-06-26 09:00pm

I wouldn't take it so personal or serious.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2004-06-26 09:02pm

In relation with this thread about 15 years ago i heard about a series of alternate history books writen in Japan made Japan victorious against the US,so has anyone ever heard about or read those.

Ma Deuce · Post by **Ma Deuce** » 2004-06-26 09:14pm

Montcalm wrote:In relation with this thread about 15 years ago i heard about a series of alternate history books writen in Japan made Japan victorious against the US,so has anyone ever heard about or read those.

Havn't even heard of it: could you provide more details? (I already get the feeling that it is a laugably unrealistic alternate history)

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2004-06-26 09:20pm

Ma Deuce wrote:
Montcalm wrote:In relation with this thread about 15 years ago i heard about a series of alternate history books writen in Japan made Japan victorious against the US,so has anyone ever heard about or read those.
Havn't even heard of it: could you provide more details? (I already get the feeling that it is a laugably unrealistic alternate history)

The only thing i can tell you is it is set during WWII and in one passage of one of these books the Japanese arrives in Washington and the president is cowering in a corner scared shitless.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-06-26 09:25pm

Read or Die is great. A single cloned guy destroys the White House in the opening 2 minutes a la Bond villain.

The US is shown in a fairly comical way, but that doesn't matter because the British Library has it's own spec-ops force.

They even have a freaking nuclear sub! Fantastic stuff.

Ma Deuce · Post by **Ma Deuce** » 2004-06-26 09:53pm

The only thing i can tell you is it is set during WWII and in one passage of one of these books the Japanese arrives in Washington and the president is cowering in a corner scared shitless.

Okay... that's all I need to know

. At first I thought it might be amusing to get ahold of a copy to pick to story apart piece by piece, but now I'm convinced that it's not even worth the effort or money.

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2004-06-26 10:12pm

Ma Deuce wrote:Okay... that's all I need to know . At first I thought it might be amusing to get ahold of a copy to pick to story apart piece by piece, but now I'm convinced that it's not even worth the effort or money.

Probably not even worth the paper it's printed on.

The author must have been on copious amounts of crack to think that such a situation was even possible winnable for the Japanese. Especially if he thinks that the Japanese could even hope to invade the continental United States and win...

ZShade · Post by **ZShade** » 2004-06-26 10:24pm

Crayz9000 wrote:The author must have been on copious amounts of crack to think that such a situation was even possible winnable for the Japanese. Especially if he thinks that the Japanese could even hope to invade the continental United States and win...

Maybe the Japanese were able to point Godzilla at America.

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2004-06-26 10:44pm

ZShade wrote:Maybe the Japanese were able to point Godzilla at America.

Godzilla vs. a few National Guard forces... sure. Godzilla vs. the entire Armed Forces?

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

What is it with Mecha Series and pissin on the US?

What is it with Mecha Series and pissin on the US?

Re: What is it with Mecha Series and pissin on the US?