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[Taruranto]

Spring mecha showdown, who will win?!

Hiraifaces is automatically disqualified.

Gargantia has the most interesting setting/incipit, but half of the cast his naked girls so it probably going to be haremshit.

Valvrave seems to most "balanced" but considering the writing staff it's pretty much guaranteed to be a trainwreck.

 

[fertygo]

Shame Obari never give Eva's mech his magic touch..

 

[madp]

http://www.gargantia.jp/#mechanic

Gargantia has several mech designs revealed so far. Most of them are worker mechs used by the people on the city fleet. The only combat mechs shown are Chamber (Red's mech), and Striker (a more advanced mech piloted by Red's superior officer).

I'll give the show that the non-combat mechs have much more pleasing designs than the Chamber, but something something doesn't matter because 3D.

 

[yami4ct]

I'm going with the top one.

Welcome to the winning team.

I think we can all agree on that Valvrave is probably going to disappoint, it seems.

 

[Seraphis Cain]

Hidamari Sketch 1

So wide.

 

[duckroll]

I've never liked the look of Gargantia's impish little encephalitis mechs--even if the designs were rendered in 2D, they'd still be the weakest part of the show from an aesthetic standpoint. I don't just find them ugly, but also at odds with the overall "look" that the 2D design elements are trying to establish. The few snippets of combat we've seen are downright garish. Ultimately what I see just makes me wish that Gargantia wasn't a mecha and instead something totally different =/

You bring up an interesting point, but one which could well be playing intentionally into the design of the show. The action scenes we've seen in the trailers so far are from the opening moments of the show I believe, where humanity is at war with a mysterious alien race. It looks garish and monotonous because it is a wide space of emptiness filled with nothing but soldiers and explosion.

In direct contrast, after Red is thrown into the wormhole, he finds himself on a planet filled with endless ocean, a blue sky, and a civilization built around peace and exploration. A world where children aren't made into soldiers, and the day to day life revolves around things other than life-or-death situations.

I'm fairly sure the art direction is deliberate in this case. Which is why it's also likely to be the least "mecha" of the three shows. Since the mech is only there as a means to an end - to show the difference between the main character and this new world he finds himself in.

 

[cajunator]

My current hopes are Gargantua > Majestic Prince > Valvrave


woah, what's with the hate for Gargantua's Mech designs? They look fantastic!

I dunno. I like Gargantia's mechs.

I don't like the Fafner look of the characters in Majestic Prince and Valvrave looks kind of boring.

 

[Articalys]

Oh, not only does the Gargantia site have the Sugita mecha voice sample, but they also recently added one for the Striker, voiced by Ayumi Fujimura:

http://www.gargantia.jp/images/mechanic/mechanic5/voice.mp3

Looks like a few of the character pages got added voice samples too. Nothing much, just some quick clips for the characters voiced by Shizuka Itou, Sayaka Ohara, and Kaysuyuki Konishi.

 

[duckroll]

Spring Mecha Showdown Round II: Key Visual Comparisons

 

[Chet Rippo]

It seems I've been called out for being an attention whore.

Alright, Vito, congratulations. I'll shut the fuck up about news reports forever from now on.

People on twitter suck, I say ignore him.

 

[Jex]

I don't know what's more surprising - that there's going to be three mecha shows next season or that I'm not really excited by any of them.

Sorry, duckroll.

 

[Dresden]

Spring Mecha Showdown Round II: Key Visual Comparisons

There's all these ugly things in front of the mecha for Prince, 2/10.

Gargantia is clearly the winner here but Team Valverave will march forward.

 

[7Th]

Valrave is the only one that seems to take itself seriously, so

Spoiler

it will easily be the worst.

The robots in all 3 look pretty bad, tho. Even beyond the CG, the designs are completely interchangeable and that's a terrible sign.

 

[Jex]

The least visually offensive work is Gargantia.

That's all I can commit to.

 

[JCG]

I prefer the look of the Majestic Prince mecha, but I'm not sure about the actual show. People seem to be placing a few too many bets on the comedy being good enough to carry the whole thing. I'm rather undecided on Valvrave and Gargantia too, although for different reasons.

Hiraifaces is automatically disqualified.

Gargantia has the most interesting setting/incipit, but half of the cast his naked girl so it probably be haremshit.

Valvrave seems to most "balanced" but considering the writing staff it's pretty much guaranteed to be a trainwreck.

Ah, the wonders of snap judgments and all-around pessimism. Can't say I'm super-excited myself, but that's a little too bleak of an outlook. There are easy counter-examples and counter-arguments for every one of those statements.

In the end, I'll still give the three shows their chance and see what happens.

Valrave is the only one that seems to take itself seriously...

I don't think that's quite true, especially since Gen Urobuchi is writing Gargantia after all.

 

[cajunator]

You bring up an interesting point, but one which could well be playing intentionally into the design of the show. The action scenes we've seen in the trailers so far are from the opening moments of the show I believe, where humanity is at war with a mysterious alien race. It looks garish and monotonous because it is a wide space of emptiness filled with nothing but soldiers and explosion.

In direct contrast, after Red is thrown into the wormhole, he finds himself on a planet filled with endless ocean, a blue sky, and a civilization built around peace and exploration. A world where children aren't made into soldiers, and the day to day life revolves around things other than life-or-death situations.

I'm fairly sure the art direction is deliberate in this case. Which is why it's also likely to be the least "mecha" of the three shows. Since the mech is only there as a means to an end - to show the difference between the main character and this new world he finds himself in.

Spring Mecha Showdown Round II: Key Visual Comparisons

Gargantia and Valvrave also have the Cute. I'm gonna stick with those.

 

[duckroll]

There's all these ugly things in front of the mecha for Prince, 2/10.

Gargantia is clearly the winner here but Team Valverave will march forward.

Valrave is the only one that seems to take itself seriously, so

Spoiler

it will easily be the worst.

The robots in all 3 look pretty bad, tho. Even beyond the CG, the designs are completely interchangeable and that's a terrible sign.

I think we all know there's something a little wrong with a show if no one can even get the name right!

 

[7Th]

I think we all know there's something a little wrong with a show if no one can even get the name right!

Valrevave?

 

[Dresden]

I think we all know there's something a little wrong with a show if no one can even get the name right!

Valvrav/valrave/valverave/Valvrave is just too deep for gaf.

 

[yami4ct]

Spring Mecha Showdown Round II: Key Visual Comparisons

I really like Valvrare's visual,on the one hand, but on the other it just screams "Sunrise doing another bad modern gundam-style show" to me. Something about it is so damn self serious. I expect it to have all the problems of modern gundam and end up making me sad.

MP has terrible character designs, but it looks like fun. Love the videogame style mechs. Everything should be super over the top. For a super robot, beam spam show, that should work really well if done right.

I've already posted my feelings on Gargantia's mechs. I'm not a huge fan of the character designs, either. I like all the colors of that visual, and it has Sugita and an interesting premise so I'll give it a shot.

 

[duckroll]

Valrevave?

It's Valvrave. (lol)

The production committee for the show is the VVV Committee. Loooolz.

 

[Jex]

I love the Evas, but they aren't my favorite. I'm going to commit major blasphemy to my mecha love of Gundam and say Eureka Seven (The original) probably has my favorite mecha designs.

If I a child cant draw it then it's not a good design. Incidentally, this is why designs like Getter-1 are so appealing to me. Sometimes a design is far too complicated for it's own good.

 

[Seraphis Cain]

Word of advice:

Don't ever mix up ahoge and ahegao.

D:

 

[cajunator]

Nobody seems to spell Valvrave right. Disrespect of the highest order right there.

 

[Jex]

Perhaps it should have a better name, like Robot Attack!!

 

[duckroll]

If I a child cant draw it then it's not a good design. Incidentally, this is why designs like Getter-1 are so appealing to me. Sometimes a design is far too complicated for it's own good.

Stealth Katoki troll?

 

[Chet Rippo]

Spring mecha showdown, who will win?!

Teen angst showdown, who will be less unbearable?

 

[Dedication Through Light]

Spring Mecha Showdown Round II: Key Visual Comparisons

On visuals alone, I really like the cast of Majestic Prince in that, what is Iruzu even doing, and Valvrave. Supporting cast in Gargantia look dull.

 

[yami4ct]

I prefer the look of the Majestic Prince mecha, but I'm not sure about the actual show. People seem to be placing a few too many bets on the comedy being good enough to carry the whole thing. I'm rather undecided on Valvrave and Gargantia too, although for different reasons. .

If the comedy can't carry MP, for me, I expect the insane super beam spam style action it's shown off so far will. Love that stuff when it's not in a gundam show.

 

[7Th]

If I a child cant draw it then it's not a good design. Incidentally, this is why designs like Getter-1 are so appealing to me. Sometimes a design is far too complicated for it's own good.

The best designs are the ones that look specifically designed for the setting, tone and style of the story. Designs that are so closely tied to the show that you can't see them existing outside of it.

 

[fertygo]

If I a child cant draw it then it's not a good design. Incidentally, this is why designs like Getter-1 are so appealing to me. Sometimes a design is far too complicated for it's own good.

I like your answer sir, Getter and Mazinger look so iconic.

 

[Branduil]

I think we all know there's something a little wrong with a show if no one can even get the name right!

It's the problem of trying to use English when you don't actually have a clue about how it works.

 

[cajunator]

Word of advice:

Don't ever mix up ahoge and ahegao.

D:

Words to live by!

 

[Chet Rippo]

Word of advice:

Don't ever mix up ahoge and ahegao.

D:

Combine them for maximum effect.

 

[Envelope]

If I a child cant draw it then it's not a good design. Incidentally, this is why designs like Getter-1 are so appealing to me. Sometimes a design is far too complicated for it's own good.

But I thought you liked The Five Star Stories?

 

[Dresden]

All the mecha talk reminded me of transfunket.

Held last Sunday at a rusted-out civic center in Asakusabashi, the event crammed over 100 dealers into an area the size of a church basement for an afternoon of human-on-bot excitement. Proceed with caution—the content is not what you'd expect of your typical BotCon. The rare toys and comics were sorely outnumbered by the Etsy-level crafts and slash fiction. If you've ever wanted a Decepticon daruma, or fantasized about Megatron and Starscream grinding gears, then you've come to the right place.

 

[yami4ct]

All the mecha talk reminded me of transfunket.

Transformers being my first love........I don't know how to feel about that post.

 

[madp]

Spring Mecha Showdown Round II: Key Visual Comparisons

Vuvuzela looks even worse there. Genki girls in seifuku, serious-looking bishounen in imperialist military garb, and some boring pilot guy with a look of solemn dedication on his face? The last mecha to have incorporated all of these elements and still be good was, uhh.........none of them.

 

[dakkumauji]

All the mecha talk reminded me of transfunket.

So that's where those come from.

 

[Branduil]

Gargantia is the only key art that actually looks good and it has nothing to do with the mecha.

 

[Chet Rippo]

Vuvuzela looks even worse there. Genki girls in seifuku, serious-looking bishounen in imperialist military garb, and some boring pilot guy with a look of solemn dedication on his face? The last mecha to have incorporated all of these elements and still be good was, uhh.........none of them.

Yeah, Vavavoom looks pretty generic as hell.

 

[R_thanatos]

Gargantia and Valvrave also have the Cute. I'm gonna stick with those.

So those are cute approved ?

**Set a mark for those...

 

[cajunator]

Gargantia is the only key art that actually looks good and it has nothing to do with the mecha.

That's what I love the most about it!

 

[Dresden]

I blame Jexhius for this.

Each Autrooper is assigned a Kiss Player partner by the E.D.C. These young women serve a very important purpose. In times of crisis, a Kiss Player will kiss her Autrooper, activating a power that lets her merge with the much larger robot, bestowing upon it enhanced combat and regenerative abilities. If the merge's time limit expires, the Kiss Player is disgorged from her partner unconscious, naked and covered in viscous fluid. It is so far unknown what a voluntary separation entails.

 

[RurouniZel]

I blame Jexhius for this.

What in the nine hells?

 

[duckroll]

Spring Mecha Anime Showdown III: Characters in their natural state!
(Actually I just wanted an excuse to post screens which I think best represented the tone of each of the 3 shows from their trailers.)

Majestic Prince:

Gargantia:

Valvrave:

 

[cajunator]

What in the nine hells?

Ten hells for this one man. No less than TEN FUCKING HELLS.

 

[DiGiKerot]

I blame Jexhius for this.

Wow... I heard this mentioned in a recent episode of DitB, but now I want to scrub my brain...

 

[Branduil]

Spring Mecha Anime Showdown III: Characters in their natural state!
(Actually I just wanted an excuse to post screens which I think best represented the tone of each of the 3 shows from their trailers.)

Majestic Prince:

My eyes

 

[Regulus Tera]

I declare the one with the butts to be the winner.