I have just read an article in a Russian Web-magazine dedicated to fantasy and sci-fi, explaining the reasons why humanity stopped dreaming about the bright future of mankind in the universe. Oh yes, modern science and technologies have become a great source of new types of crime, so people are too busy finding the modern perpetrators to dream about other planets. Even the good guys shifted their focus to the needs of ordinary people, creating solar batteries, e-commerce websites and just more powerful processors for your new model of smartphone. I wouldn't be writing this post on my recently acquired tablet if they didn't, so it's not that I'm completely ungrateful to them. It's just that I will be writing one more post about how grass was greener 20 years ago in the world of anime, so just in case - I warned you.
You know, I cried watching sad stories with characters sacrificing themselves, like 'Wolf's rain', I cried watching touching stories with people struggling to be happy together, like 'Sunset on the fifth avenue', but I don't remember many other cases I cried because of the beauty of what was happening on the screen and because I would give so much to experience something like that.
I literally cried the whole series of 'Sol Bianca' even though this must be the fourth time I watch it.
I first took time to watch the older ova series of 1990, and was very impressed and at the same time disappointed that the story did not move on while it had such potential. Just when some secrets are about to be explained, the series come to an end... And it's not to be developed in the re-made version of 2000. Even with this understatement, I enjoyed the usual pace of the good old sci-fi - some energetic rock in the beginning, some slow rock as the ending, and a lot of variations on a synthesiser in the middle. Great!
The next day, I start watching 'Sol Bianca the legacy'. And start crying immediately.
As usual, it begins as your average adventure, only it takes place in space.
Is it a western, like the opening hints?
Or a road-movie?
Is it space battles?
Sci-fi?
Anti-utopia?
Or a slice-of-life about several middle-aged single ladies trying to find their way of living their lives?
Just as you might have guessed, I meant to say it is all of this. And then it starts to develop into a human drama. I remember myself complaining that 12 episodes of this or that anime were not enough to show the true nature of just as many as 4 main characters, but here you are - only 6 episodes manage to tell everything about the 4 women-pirates, a lonely girl who becomes their new comrade, 4 different people who become their enemies, and at least 3 characters who become their allies - and in some cases something more than that.
And the same 6 episodes manage to tell several stories describing the universe that 'Sol Bianca' moves in.
And the ship itself. Have you ever seen a space ship with microchips designed as tulips and program interface decorated in art-nouveau?
You know, I cried watching sad stories with characters sacrificing themselves, like 'Wolf's rain', I cried watching touching stories with people struggling to be happy together, like 'Sunset on the fifth avenue', but I don't remember many other cases I cried because of the beauty of what was happening on the screen and because I would give so much to experience something like that.
I literally cried the whole series of 'Sol Bianca' even though this must be the fourth time I watch it.
I first took time to watch the older ova series of 1990, and was very impressed and at the same time disappointed that the story did not move on while it had such potential. Just when some secrets are about to be explained, the series come to an end... And it's not to be developed in the re-made version of 2000. Even with this understatement, I enjoyed the usual pace of the good old sci-fi - some energetic rock in the beginning, some slow rock as the ending, and a lot of variations on a synthesiser in the middle. Great!
The next day, I start watching 'Sol Bianca the legacy'. And start crying immediately.
As usual, it begins as your average adventure, only it takes place in space.
Is it a western, like the opening hints?
Or a road-movie?
Is it space battles?
Sci-fi?
Anti-utopia?
Or a slice-of-life about several middle-aged single ladies trying to find their way of living their lives?
Just as you might have guessed, I meant to say it is all of this. And then it starts to develop into a human drama. I remember myself complaining that 12 episodes of this or that anime were not enough to show the true nature of just as many as 4 main characters, but here you are - only 6 episodes manage to tell everything about the 4 women-pirates, a lonely girl who becomes their new comrade, 4 different people who become their enemies, and at least 3 characters who become their allies - and in some cases something more than that.
And the same 6 episodes manage to tell several stories describing the universe that 'Sol Bianca' moves in.
And the ship itself. Have you ever seen a space ship with microchips designed as tulips and program interface decorated in art-nouveau?
Even if the idea of representing the on-board computer as an AI with a kind of personality or at least ability to communicate is not new, have you ever seen it represented as a girl in a Greek robe just out of Alphonse Mucha's poster? Shooting an arrow from a giant bow?
And the idea of the AI represented as something close to a magical creature was very new, at least to me, when the anime was first aired, believe me.
Have you ever heard anything more fitting a shining space vessel than the 'Sol Bianca' intro theme?
But well, at the same time I just miss the times when strong anime heroines meant really strong heroines, not your cute wide-eyed pretty girls who don't give up, but strong physically, and deft, and artful, clever, having real knowledge of their respective trade, and attractive, yes, sexy-and-they-know it.
With just a bit of fanservice, no more than a little.
And with those 90s big-shouldered and wide-sleeved jackets...
And human, yes. With past haunting them, with psychological problems maybe even, yes, but so alive.
That's probably why some men found themselves under their heels, and others - followed them to death.
And so perfectly voiced. All of them.
No comments:
Post a Comment