Ah, screw what the popular opinion on this series is. This show rocks.
With this episode, I was reminded what makes Gonzo’s best series so good and unique. It’s indeed true that they like to take risks, but what I’ve found in their top series is that they’re really good at variety: every episode or two episodes, the mood, themes and nature of the show completely shift while still forming a whole in the end.
With this episode, I realized that Shangri-La is the same: four episodes ago, we were in Akihabara with lots of otaku references, then we went on to hacking, techno-babble and the world carbon trade, and now in this episode the focus becomes the youth prison that Kuniko was locked into. It’s really this sense of unpredictability that’s really made me like Good Gonzo.
One of the big question-marks in that first episode was why Kuniko ended up in prison in the first place. This episode actually finds a pretty plausible reason to return Kuniko there (because people are starting to realize that she’s special, and what better place to test this out than in prison, where they have full control over her and she can still show what she can do). This episode really established Kuniko as special; not just because she has some mysterious powers that can influence carbon trade, but also because of her personality. This episode really established that she is a born leader: where most people would be scared in the situations she’s thrown in, she instead looks at opportunities, and bringing people together. While her character at first seems a bit cheesy, it’s starting to come together now.
I believe that the whole point of her character would be the strong leader that breaks through Atlas, and for that you really need careful build-up, otherwise you’re just going to end up with a hopeless flower-child. As long as she’s going to be well developed, this shouldn’t form any problem though, and the past few episodes have done a pretty nice job at fleshing out her character, and showing her in different situations.
I also liked the portrayal of prisons in Shangri-la, it showed that the creators really thought about it: with Atlas sending everyone and his dog to prison, there are of course a lot of girls who normally shouldn’t be there and only committed small crimes among the ones who really are causing problems. That’s probably why Kuniko became so popular during her first visit there: she could relate to most of them and therefore easily became friends. This time, a bunch of new girls was introduced to the prison who were rather dominant and violent, and when you promise them a place in Atlas then yeah, they’re going to do their best to make Kuniko’s life miserable.
Oh, and on a side-note: I’m really not sure what the heck the animators were smoking in those first few episodes. Yet again, the animation in this episode looked really good, and nothing like the inconsistent mess of episodes 2-4.
Rating: ** (Excellent)
I usually dislike geniuses because they’re often badly portrayed and used as cheap plot devices. Somehow, Kuniko avoids this completely.
Watching this episode I was filled with the sense that it was very good, but I couldn’t quite put into words why.
I’ve been enjoying the series a good deal, but this episode raised my estimation of the series yet again.
Agreed, this show keeps raising it’s bar.
I like how you put into words some of that Good Gonzo “it” factor on their more ambitious shows. Every time you feel it’s going to settle into a pattern the dynamic quickly changes building an even bigger whole and they do it through the show itself as a whole rather than through overly dramatic character and/or relationship arcs. I also love how in their big shows like this we move through a lot of memorable locations, it really effects the feel of the scale of the show with the variety of places as well as the unpredictability of what’s going to happen next and where, and how they don’t always reveal all of their secrets on the first visit.
While consistent and always flowing back into the whole, it keeps your brain active thinking about the possibilities.
Pfft! I think the majority just judged this series wrong only because it’s Gonzo >_> Well, they’re missing an amazingly epic series *_*
I haven’t seen it yet (was about to but spent a lot of time on the hetalia review) but oh it really looks so awesome *_* I know I’m gonna love it as much as you did *_*
Never did understand all the Gonzo bashing, with Red Garden, Last Exile, NHK and FMP out there. Sure, Gainax did Fooly Cooly and (ugh) Evangelion, but they also gave us Mahoromatic and This Ugly, two cliche fests with interchangeable casts. Gonzo does take chances, that makes them cool.
So far this season with Saki and Shangri-La, I have no complaints with Gonzo this time. A FARCRY from Dragonaut :shiver:. I can’t believe I actually watched Dragonaut.
I really like the rather smooth and natural leadups with the characters. Even if some aspect seems to move VERY fast, like with some side characters.
Yeah, this episode is just amazing!!! I already started to enjoy Shangri la more than the other series of the moment but now I just love it!!! Oh, I’ve never imagined Kuniko being such a character, I depicted her in a completely different way, a child with strong powers bound to be struggling to make things better for her people and the world they live in but now her personality has been brought out to light and it’s all so sudden!!!I loved when she took the punishment meant for the girl who’s been bullying her all along for the sake of her superior in order to be accepted in Atlas some day! And when Kuniko’s friend tells that girl how Kuniko saved her before and went to prison for 2 years at her place( when she stabbed someone who betrayed her out of nowhere)!
“Popular opinion” sucks.) Really, look at top searches on Tokyo Toshokan. That’s what all they want. You are one of a few anime-bloggers, who have a working brain, so you can forget, what “popular opinion” is.
I completely agree with Nomus
And,it’s been a long while since a show would interest me this much. Shangri-la rules.
Tell you what a military willing to kill civilians etc, why don’t they just kill Kuniko if she’s that much trouble?
It’s not like they actually analyzing them, or intending to use them for a purpose. Atlas seems to be ok in kiling people so what’s preventing them? Oh right she’s a main character there wouldn’t be a story.
How is Atlas higher than the Japanese government?
Why is Kuniko a pathetic little weakling when it comes to Rena!? Yet beforehand we saw her fighting fully grown men and now dodging ice bombs.
Now Ryoko is a warden with an interest in Carbon Credit markets or something – how far-fetched is that.
They cut down the trees, what happens to the logs as they decompose – that’s right they release CO2 back into the air.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_offset#Effectiveness_of_tree-planting_offsets