Hard Yuri Saves the Space?

So there was this anime called The Legend of Black Heaven (by the way the Japanese name of this show makes a great pun), which the schtick was some mid-ager, in his crisis, saves the future with rock and roll. Oji, the main character, reunites with his old band and rocked on (sort of). A very anime-like premise, I suppose.

That paints the perspective that I have with Blue Drop. It’s not that I watch and laugh at the silly antics of some newbie playwright, or the embarrassing coming-to-know-your-feelings drama that so commonly peppers the landscape of TV anime. Rather, the strange homosexual undercurrent of the show became an outlet for some of the more honest, heartfelt human feelings that was in the show. Sort of like when Tanaka strokes his 6-stringer like nobody’s business (and hey, it was also LOL fun).

But I kid as well. There is no hard yuri in Blue Drop: Tenshi-tachi no Gikyoku. Supposedly this anime is an original take based on a setting with two other manga series in the same time line as the anime, but about other characters doing other things. That’s really just the hook, the setting in which makes this show an anime rather than some strange Japanese TV drama that features an all-girl cast.

And some guy that looks like Yanni…

The science fiction part of the show is actually creative, but thoroughly an afterthought beyond the “genderbending alien invaders with better tech” premise. The anime makes little use of it, as it took place before the alien invasion. We began Blue Drop anime with a retrospective of an older woman on her way to somewhere for a meeting. Later, we find (at the very end of the series) out that she is a key supporting character, on her way to the alien mothership, even if we cannot recognize her at first. Nevermind that I just spoiled the show somewhat, but as the audience find the very first scene of the series a distant memory in the back of their heads, 12 episodes later, we can come to recognize the same woman as her teenage self in a happy yuri trio just moments before the “30 years later” overlay appears on the screen.

The funny thing is, to me, that whole retrospective thing is saying that there are some of these aliens who have enough ‘good’ in them that peace is possible. Throughout the series the mysterious Arume (or whatever they’re called) exhibited a wide variety of emotions and morally-driven acts (and apparently 90% of those emotions are various shades of embarrassment? I kid). Love, yes, both the platonic, heroic kind as well as the amorous and vengeful-jealous kinds.

It’s about looking back. Perhaps one through an extended penis analogy (/zing), the other as a couple holding hands, playing in the school pool, illustrating interconnectivity and reconciliation.

But also how no matter the sort of bitterness and difficulties we go through later in life, what happens during those pivotal moments in your youth will set you straight for good, or not. That’s probably not so funny.


7 Responses to “Hard Yuri Saves the Space?”

  • digitalboy

    You know, I couldn’t help but notice that quite frequently something I bring up ends up in one of your blog posts. Is there significance in this? Do I possibly remind you of your younger self? XD

  • omo

    I dunno, if there’s anything you brought up it is coincidental.

  • Muey

    Micchi is like a more subtle employed version of Mikan in Manabi Straight :p

    I liked Blue Drop, but I could never get into the scifi part of the story – for me it was just there as a (retarded) device for the set-up and something to take away screentime from the actually good part of the show.

    The ending left me with a bit of a sour face, mostly because I was hoping it wouldn’t go where it went, but also because Mari sort of got shafted there – What about her personal aftermath? Surely they could have spared a minute or two for that.

  • digitalboy

    > I dunno, if there’s anything you brought up it is coincidental.

    Even, like, black heaven and evreything? I had nothing to do with that coming to mind?

  • omo

    I dunno, maybe. I don’t remember who brought it up. It was an old favorite and something that had a fun perspective.

    Muey: you know, that could be true.

  • dm

    Muey’s Micchi/Mikan comparison almost makes Blue Drop worthwhile. Only the “at home” bits worked for me — or Mari and Hagino’s terrestrial outings together. The alien invasion set-up did not work, and actually served to detract from the good bits.

    Given my reaction to the in-school bits, probably I should look at Yuri-sama ga miteiru sometime….

  • Muey

    Well, you have some time to catch up before the new OVA starts coming out :p

    That being said, Marimite sure doesn’t feel like a very ‘dm’ show to me, but then again, I’d probably say the same about Aria too, so who knows :p.

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