1 files changed, 116 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/src/anime/review/gatchaman-crowds/document.en.rest.txt b/src/anime/review/gatchaman-crowds/document.en.rest.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f0c65a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/anime/review/gatchaman-crowds/document.en.rest.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+==================
+ Gatchaman Crowds
+==================
+:CreationDate: 2015-12-11 12:38:47
+:Id: anime/review/gatchaman-crowds
+:tags: - anime
+       - review
+:rating: 4
+:original: http://www.easternkicks.com/reviews/gatchaman-crowds
+
+
+The name Gatchaman has been around for quite a while: it was 1972
+when, for the first time, the five bird-inspired heroes of the Science
+Ninja Team appeared on Japan's televisions to fight the evil Galactor
+and their leader, Berg Katze. The set-up was quite standard: an
+international organisation backing them, a lone scientist leading them
+and providing their machines and weapons, the common 5-people
+formation (leader boy, good-looking boy, fat boy, little kid, girl),
+evil antagonist with faceless minions. It was a very successful
+series, running for 105 weekly episodes, followed by a movie and a
+two more series of 52 and 48 episodes. (By the way, if you only know
+the Gatchaman via one of the American rewrites, either "Battle of the
+Planets" or "G-Force", you haven't seen Gatchaman).
+
+I was, therefore, not really surprised when I saw it was getting the
+reboot / remake treatment: we've had Yattaman, Casshern, Yamato,
+Harlock, Cyborg 009; it was obviously just a matter of time.
+
+What did surprise me, however, is that Crowds has essentially no
+relation to the original Gatchaman: there's some bird imagery, they
+transform by saying "Bird, Go!", the main antagonist is called Berg
+Katze… and that's it. It's a new story, and it's the best thing that
+could happen to the Gatchaman.
+
+Let's face it: the team-of-five felt forced and dated in the '90s, and
+there's only so many times you can see the God Phoenix rammed into
+some giant mecha before you can't stand it anymore. And even if I
+still like the old Gatchaman (in small doses), I *loved* Crowds.
+
+The story is told from the point of view of ICHINOSE Hajime, teen girl
+who seems stubborn, distracted, and generally useless. The other
+members of the team wonder multiple times why she was chosen as a
+Gatchaman. Turns out, she's extremely attentive to what goes on around
+her, she's way smarter that what everyone could guess, she's incurably
+optimistic and always searching for better explanations of others' bad
+behaviours than "they're jerks" or "they're evil". And that's how she
+saves the world, twice. First lesson: appearances can be deceiving.
+
+The entity that chooses the Gatchaman is J.J., an alien with the
+appearance of an old man who speaks in prophetic riddles and throws
+around little paper birds.
+
+Hajime's first contact with the team is via TACHIBANA Sugane, earnest
+boy with a sword who has a very black&white view of morality and duty.
+
+When they get to the team's headquarters, we meet the other
+members. HIBIKI Jou, cynic young man with an office job. Utsu-tsu,
+alien looking like an under-dressed little girl, painfully shy, with
+the ability to cure by consuming her own (or others') life
+force. Paiman, tiny panda-like alien, nominally their leader, who can
+barely handle the pressure of command. And O.D., half-alien half-human
+flamboyant genderqueer whose home world has been destroyed, the soul
+of the group, always projecting good humour, the only one who seems to
+see beyond Hajime's appearance.
+
+The first enemy they fight is the MESS, weird things that capture
+people and objects. Hajime (SPOILERS!) talks to them instead of trying
+to kill them, thus saving the day. Second lesson: the enemy is not
+necessarily evil, they may just be ignorant and misguided.
+
+In this world there's no Galactor, but there's Galax, a social network
+(think always-on chat room with Mii-like avatars in isometric
+perspective). The most interesting feature of Galax is X, an AI who,
+among other things, nudges people into helping each other, from hugs
+to full-scale search & rescue operations. Behind Galax and X is
+NINOMIYA Rui, who may have a boy's body but is only comfortable when
+presenting as a very girly girl. Rui's goal is to create a better
+world through Galax, showing everybody the value of co-operation and
+peace.
+
+I kept trying to figure out why this completely benevolent social
+network had a name that was irrefutably a call-back to the evil
+organisation of the old Gatchaman: I'm not going to spoil the whole
+story by telling you, but rest assured that there's a reason, and it
+shows that the writers know exactly what they're doing.
+
+And finally we have Berg Katze, a fabulous superpowered genderqueer
+alien with a taste for destruction. Katze's style and
+single-mindedness are a thing of beauty, and although we don't see
+much of their motives, their eventual defeat is everything I could
+have wanted (watch the post-closing-theme scene of the last episode!).
+
+Remember how I said the team-of-five was a thing of the past? Well,
+welcome to the future: 2 women, 3 men, 3 queer / non-binary
+people. And the men are the least interesting of the bunch. And the
+queers are not evil (*maybe* Katze is, but I'm sure Hajime can change
+that). Can we have a cheer for diversity, even if just on some
+aspects?
+
+The other very encouraging change from the classical formulas: a small
+team of heroes is not enough to protect a planet. You need everyone to
+take responsibility to help and protect their fellow people. The Galax
+system is an interesting approach: create mini-games in which you get
+points for making the world a better place; connect people in need
+with the ones who can provide; facilitate civil discussion. It's a
+technocratic ideal, sure, and I'm not sure I could trust a super-human
+AI without a lot more evidence than just "runs a social network pretty
+well", but in this story, it works.
+
+So: everyone's identity, presentation, and way of living is valid and
+worthy of respect; nobody is really evil, even when their actions hurt
+others; everybody is needed to build a better world; superpowers help
+but are not enough. What's not to love?
+
+Oh, and if all that weren't enough, there's a second season: I *so*
+want to see the wacky adventures of Hajime and Katze!