One of the reasons why I hit myself for camping the autograph line too much at AX 2012 is because I wanted to stalk down Sato and talk shop about Mouretsu Pirates. I also want to talk about Flower of Rinne but maybe we can write about that after season 2.
There is this silly irony going on, too, because the last episode aired in Japan during AX. If it aired on Thursday I could have camped out at his press gig and filed questions there, on Friday. But by the time it aired Saturday AM Pacific time, I only had one shot to talk about it, and it’s at his autograph line. It would’ve been the best if they just screened episode 26 at the con and did a Q&A right afterwards. (I guess that is one major AX fail on the part of AX?)
So yes, there’s the movie announcement. So yes, I have questions about the way the last episode collates the plot thread in the last anime-original arc. I also think that one cosplayer I saw in line dressed up as Marika has it right: I too rather like the anime-original stuff.
The thing is, episode 25 was just so good. There was no way the arc could end in just one episode while topping 25. And to some extent that was the same with Nadesico as well, except that one actually capped a different narrative thread in the last episode, resulting in that inter-spatial spat and kiss. I’m not so hopeful about the announced movie as a result. It’s wiser to just take what’s on the table.
Author is a little slow on the uptake but he is correct–all those calligraphic end cards are direct works of director Sato. He signs off using that little character doohicky. If I recall correctly the voice actress for Marika also writes for a particular episode earlier on, but other than that slide, every one is a Tatsuo Sato work.
Some other burning questions I might ask:
- What’s up with the name? Aside from the people who call it “Mouretsu Uchuu Kaizoku” I think the other permutations seem kind of interesting, wondering if there’s anything behind it.
- The movie? The movie.
- How do you depict three dimensional fleet combat?
- What’s up with the chef’s sons? And what is up with those giants?
- How do you deal with FTL transmission of the pirate songs?
- Isn’t the final battle just a scaled-up version of the yacht club’s little mission?
Well, it can continue on. Maybe it’s easier if I just wait until the movie becomes available.
PS. Is it me or in the past 5 days every blog I follow (for example, Anipages) updated several times? Is there a mandate to update your blog this past week even if your average blog post/wk rate is below 1? What is this?
July 4th, 2012 at 12:59 am
“If I recall correctly the voice actress for Marika also writes for a particular episode earlier on”
Komatsu Mikako wrote the “collect garbage, gravity on; move garbage, gravity off” poster from the “Marika cleans the Bentenmaru” episode (ep 19), and that was also used as the end card.
Oh and the ending was phenomenal, just like everything else in the show. Especially because we already know it’s just leading into a movie and isn’t supposed to answer everything.
Almost certainly best show of 2012.
July 4th, 2012 at 9:59 am
Pirates was fun enough, but I wish everyone who says it was so awesome or was the best of 2012 could explain why they feel that way – clearly I’m missing the joke, or am too young to see the awesome within it.
All I got out of it was a somewhat tongue-in-cheek show that took a few shots at older space anime and did the minimum character work necessary to keep me interested.
Was it the moronic (but fun) anime original ending that elevated everyone’s opinion, or are the last aniblogger holdouts just finally warming up to “moe highschool girls” anime?
July 4th, 2012 at 11:24 am
I think it’s a variety of reasons. It’s easier to just go back and watch the older Tatsuo Sato shows and get an idea how his schtik work in terms of building up an ensemble cast you can get behind. To use Psgels as an example, he is a big fan of character-driven anime and Sato is one of the very few directors who can put together a large cast and still provide enough “build up” for most of that cast and then cash in all that sentiment at the end.
Of course, not everyone’s gonna buy in to any given show, but that’s where the magic is.
July 4th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
I guess that must be it, since to me it all felt so insincere and devil-may-care as to border on the ludicrous, not sentimental.
What little build up I saw there was always destroyed by anticlimactic or dumb resolutions, though at least with the final few episodes it dropped all its pretenses so that didn’t matter anymore.
Pirates and Lagrange just ring so hollow to me that I guess I’m trying too hard to see something special, rather than just going with the flow and enjoying it however I enjoy it.
July 4th, 2012 at 12:51 pm
Why so serious?
Also, if you haven’t watched Nadesico (which I don’t like, but thats irrelevant) and Stellvia, you may not quite get why we like Sato so much.
Mouretsu Pirates are the best Pirates!
July 6th, 2012 at 12:11 pm
THE MOVIE! Can’t wait!
Even though it’s been my favorite show this year so far, it’s still hard for me to think about “why”. Probably because even though things got tough, it always remained fun.
July 6th, 2012 at 2:29 pm
Indomitable spirit of space pirates + pluck, luck, and BODACIOUSNESS + costumes, oh my! + being serious about tongue in cheek = one of the most enjoyable anime in recent memory.