GasarakiReviews

Gasaraki Ep. 2: Opening Movements

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Summary

Yushiro lies alone in his room, thinking about Miharu telling him not to bring back the “terror.” The news reports that the U.S. has determined that a weapon of mass destruction was set off in the Middle Eastern country of Belgistan. The U.S. immediately sends forces into the country and in an emergency session the U.N. imposes economic embargos on the country. Belgistan’s leader, Colonel Stilbanov rants about protecting Belgistan’s sovereignty in a press conference. The U.N. plans to enter the country should weapon inspectors not be allowed in. Yushiro’s father and brothers discuss how close Yushiro was to reaching the final stage. Kazukiyo is confident that Yushiro stopped on his own. Yushiro has remained quiet since the event. Kiyotsugu thinks something external influenced Yushiro and caused him to stop. NATO forces bomb a neighbor of Belgistan and plan to cross into the country. Kiyoharu arrives at the Gowa estate. The news reports that military forces entering Belgistan suffered heavy losses and all attacks were repelled. Kiyoharu shows the others footage of tanks being destroyed from the tops of roofs in Belgistan’s capital, apparently from TA-like weapons. Kiyotsugu says Yushiro is in sufficient condition to pilot a TA again. Misuzu goes to Yushiro’s room. An attendant tries to stop her but she tells him off. Misuzu asked what happened the night of the dance. She is concerned with how everyone is treating him and whether he is being experimented on. All that Yushiro says is that they were calling out to something; exactly what he is not sure. Yukino catches Misuzu and tells her to leave.

Kiyoharu heads to a military test facility where Kazukiyo and Hayakawa already are. Multinational forces continue their aerial assault on Belgistan. Kiyoharu explains the capabilities of the TA to a group of military officials. He states that the Americans and Germans have been unable to complete something equal to the TA. He states that the TA’s excellent capabilities are due to an embedded control system within the transmission of the TA, similar to a nervous system in a human being. Yushiro gets into his TA. Officials watch as a movement trial of the TAs begin. By merely saying “Go” the TAs immediately start moving, keeping up with a pair of tanks that had a head start on them. The TAs quickly overtake the tanks and reach the end point before them. A second TA trial begins in an abandoned city where they have not been informed of the enemy they will be facing. Kiyoharu explains that no blanks are being used, which worries the officials. The TAs quickly ascend a building as a pair of tanks drive by and are quickly defeated. They head to the ground and quickly take out another pair of tanks. While Focus 2’s leg is damaged, the TAs are still able to quickly take out the nearby tanks. Kiyoharu explains that this battle is simulating that which took place when Belgistan was able to defeat the multinational forces. He states that Belgistan probably had crafts similar to the TAs. Kiyoharu proclaims that there is no weapon as powerful as the TA at this time. The officials wonder how they’ll get this past the U.N. Security council. Kazukiyo tells Kiyoharu that he had Kiyotsugu investigate the explosion at Belgistan, and that it was connected the events that occurred at the stage of stone.

Commentary

The second episode is somewhat of a slow-moving one, with much of the time spent on various news reports regarding the events in Belgistan. This practice will continue through much of the next few episodes. The show’s producers obviously were influenced by the events occurring with respect to Saddam Hussein in the late 1990s although the second invasion of Iraq which somewhat mirrors many events of these early episodes would of course not occur until a few years after the show aired. Pretty much the entire second half of the episode revolves around a demonstration of the TA’s capabilities to military officials. Yushiro amazingly enough as the main character of the show barely appears at all in this episode! After an enthralling first episode this one is somewhat of a disappointment.

Overall Rating
2/5

Gasaraki Info

Director:
Ryosuke Takahashi

Writer:
Toru Nozaki

Mechanical Designer(s):
Shinji Aramaki
Yutaka Izubuchi

Character Designer:
Shukou Murase

Musical Composer:
Kuniaki Haishima

Format:
25 episodes

Airdates:
Japan 10.04.1998 – 03.28.1999

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