Quikie Review: Planetes - Disc Two
Sep. 8th, 2005 12:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalAKA: The one with the stupid Gaijin ninjas.
Yes, gaijin ninjas. The first episode on this second volume takes a turn for the worse, as in an effort to expand the original manga's storyline, we're treated to a comedic (or rather KOMEDIC!) story, as our vacationing team of space scrapgathers arrive on Luna, and Ai finds out that her boss rented the cheapest accomidations possible, in a building inhabited by a bunch of otaku who've spent entirely too much time watching Japanese action movies. Meanwhile Hachimaki dodges said ninjas, while avoiding a blind date also set up by his boss, with an American woman who's a little too into Japanese culture herself.
The KOMEDY in this ep was sufficiently painful that I found myself fast-forwarding through most of the dialog, though to it's credit it actually does rely on some science to finish up the plot. As the otaku ninja's point out, in the Moon's 1/6 gravity, most of those silly flying moves you see in the movies are actually possible. Also, during a climatic building fire, Hachi saves himself and his would-be fiancee with improvised breathing gear that would have done MacGuyver proud.
Episode 2 deals with Hachi recovering from an injured foot, and is more character oriented, as it follows the plot from the manga issue "The Girl From Beyond Earth." It's a nice change of pace from the previous episode.
Episode 3 returns to the dept. politics plot, as Fee deals with an offer to move up to Control section and leave her debris clearing career behind. No surprises on what she chooses, but there's bit more added to her background from the manga, and it fills out her character nicely. Alas, there's more Komedy as the Dept. Head and a couple of other clerks accompany Hachi and the rest of the crew as they try to retrieve a tricky bit of plastic glop that serves as a not to subtle metaphor for a hostile takeover.
Episode 4 is another expansion from the manga, but this time not as painful, as we meet an old Debris Section employee who's now part of the orbital police force, and served as Hachi's mentor. There's also a nice bit zero-G action as the crew of the Toybox take on illegal garbage dumpers.
Episode 5 finally starts the arc on Yuri's character, as he searches for his late wife's compass.
The last episode also features subtitled commentary from the original Japanese production team (fortunately not as drunk as they were in their commentary on the first disc.)
The Extras disc features an interview with the American voice actor for Yuri, part two of an interview wit hthe head of NASA's own debris section (mostly saying "There ain't much we can do but manuver around it"), another short radio drama, and clean versions of the opening and closing credit animations.
Yes, gaijin ninjas. The first episode on this second volume takes a turn for the worse, as in an effort to expand the original manga's storyline, we're treated to a comedic (or rather KOMEDIC!) story, as our vacationing team of space scrapgathers arrive on Luna, and Ai finds out that her boss rented the cheapest accomidations possible, in a building inhabited by a bunch of otaku who've spent entirely too much time watching Japanese action movies. Meanwhile Hachimaki dodges said ninjas, while avoiding a blind date also set up by his boss, with an American woman who's a little too into Japanese culture herself.
The KOMEDY in this ep was sufficiently painful that I found myself fast-forwarding through most of the dialog, though to it's credit it actually does rely on some science to finish up the plot. As the otaku ninja's point out, in the Moon's 1/6 gravity, most of those silly flying moves you see in the movies are actually possible. Also, during a climatic building fire, Hachi saves himself and his would-be fiancee with improvised breathing gear that would have done MacGuyver proud.
Episode 2 deals with Hachi recovering from an injured foot, and is more character oriented, as it follows the plot from the manga issue "The Girl From Beyond Earth." It's a nice change of pace from the previous episode.
Episode 3 returns to the dept. politics plot, as Fee deals with an offer to move up to Control section and leave her debris clearing career behind. No surprises on what she chooses, but there's bit more added to her background from the manga, and it fills out her character nicely. Alas, there's more Komedy as the Dept. Head and a couple of other clerks accompany Hachi and the rest of the crew as they try to retrieve a tricky bit of plastic glop that serves as a not to subtle metaphor for a hostile takeover.
Episode 4 is another expansion from the manga, but this time not as painful, as we meet an old Debris Section employee who's now part of the orbital police force, and served as Hachi's mentor. There's also a nice bit zero-G action as the crew of the Toybox take on illegal garbage dumpers.
Episode 5 finally starts the arc on Yuri's character, as he searches for his late wife's compass.
The last episode also features subtitled commentary from the original Japanese production team (fortunately not as drunk as they were in their commentary on the first disc.)
The Extras disc features an interview with the American voice actor for Yuri, part two of an interview wit hthe head of NASA's own debris section (mostly saying "There ain't much we can do but manuver around it"), another short radio drama, and clean versions of the opening and closing credit animations.
