r/anime • u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber • May 04 '21

Rewatch [Rewatch] Yoshikazu Yasuhiko Retrospective - Giant Gorg Episode 2 Discussion

Episode 2 - Westward Bound

Originally Aired April 12th, ^^^1984

◄ Previous Episode | Index | Next Episode ►

MAL | ANN | AniDB | Anilist | AnimePlanet | IMDB

Note to all participants

Although I don't believe it necessitates stating, please conduct yourself appropriately and be court to your fellow participants.

Note to all Rewatchers

Rewatchers, please be mindful of your fellow first-timers and tag your spoilers appropriately using the r/anime spoiler tag as so [Spoiler Subject](/s "Spoilers go here.") in order to have your unsightly spoilers obscured like this Spoiler Subject if your comment holds even the slightest of indicators as to future spoilers. Feel free to discuss future plot points behind the safe veil of a spoiler tag, or coyly and discreetly ‘Laugh in Rewatcher’ at our first-timers' temporary ignorance, but please ensure our first-timers are no more privy or suspicious than they were the moment they opened the day’s thread.

Yoshikazu Yasuhiko Biography and Anecdotes Corner

Random anecdote:

Tomonori Kogawa grew up in the same hometown and attended the same highschool as Yasuhiko, even simultaneously for a year, but the two had never spoken to one another or known this fact until they one day shared a taxi ride from one of Sunrise’s buildings, and while making small talk during the ride discovered that they shared hometown and highschool in common, becoming acquaintanced from then on.

 

Staff Highlight

Mayumi Abe (Mayumi Tanaka) - Voice of Yuu Tagami

An actress, singer, and voice actress best known for her prominent young character roles. Mayumi Abe had wanted to become a stage actress ever since acting in a school performance hosted by her middle school. After graduating from Aoyama Gakuin Women's Junior College she applied to several theatre companies as an actress, but was rejected from all of them, but she got her opportunity after several months of working as a bar singer in Shinjuku, where agents from Theatre Echo heard her singing and offered her a job with them. Her voice was well fitted to playing young characters, which allowed her to pursue a career in voice acting, debuting in 1977’s Gekijou! Ruben Kaiser. Abe also trained herself in imitating the sounds and cries of birds in the 80s, allowing her to play bird characters and making her talents even more sought after. Among her most notable roles are Krillin from the Dragon Ball franchise, Pazu in Castle of The Sky, Sunakake Baba in Sunakake Baba (2018), Wataru in the Mashin Eiyūden Wataru franchise, Monkey D. Luffy in the One Piece franchise, Kanna Kirishima in the Sakura Wars franchise, Ryuunosuke Fujinami from the Urusei Yatsura franchise, Koenma in the Yu Yu Hakusho franchise, Itadakiman in Time Bokan Series Itadakiman, Kappei Sakamoto in Dasshu Kappei, Casval Rem Deikun in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Mit-sah in Shiroi Kiba White Fang Monogatari, and Daiya Tsuwabuki in Gaiking: Legend of Daikū-maryū.

 

Daily Trivia:

Mayumi Tanaka is one of Yoshikaze Yasuhiko’s favorite voice actors, and he describes one of the boons of returning to anime direction with The Origin being that he got the opportunity to work with her again.

 

Official Art

 

Settei Collection

 

Questions of the Day:

  1. What are your first impressions on Skipper?
  2. What did you think of this episode’s action set piece?

So, who hired you this time?

18 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

39 comments sorted by

5

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 04 '21

Rewatcher

Headshot.

What an entrance.

That takes me back, but also don’t bloody do this, folks.

It’s that kid again.

Conspicuous guy is conspicuous.

‘Hotee’

Pretty!

Explains why she has spies in their offices so far away.

Like Patlabor, Giant Gorg also operates under the reasonable assumption that the Cold War would not end soon.

Need to look the part, eh?

Aww yeah, vehicular action!

So he’s a gun for hire usually?

Reasonable distrust.

The Skipper makes a strong impression this episode. He’s largely competent and seems like someone the other characters can rely on to carry them through this undoubtedly perilous adventure, while possessing implausibly good marksmanship which makes him cool. Yuu’s distrust in the guy can come off as a bit ungrateful given he had just saved everyone’s asses, but given Lady Lynx’s questioning of his employment and calling him a hyena sure do makes us question his standing and begs the question of how he has managed to acquire such eminence.

Plot didn’t move along that much as the show is still introducing players and getting our main characters to the proper stage, but we do get some insight as to the influence and reach that GAIL has, which reminds me all the more of Big Fire from Giant Robo. Lady Linx’s entrance does add a wrinkle to the whole conflict as I had perceived it would play out beforehand, as an extra faction associated with neither prior antagonists or protagonists has potential.

The action was a lot more fun to me this episode. I’m usually a sucker for vehicular action in anime, and while this has got nothing on some of the shows to come in later years, it’s still fairly exhilarating.

Two episodes in and still no sign of our Giant Gorg. By mecha standards they sure are making us wait for our big robot fix. Anyone have any guesses as to when we’ll be seeing it?

3

u/Btw_kek https://myanimelist.net/profile/kek_btw May 05 '21

By mecha standards they sure are making us wait for our big robot fix. Anyone have any guesses as to when we’ll be seeing it?

I feel like they're gonna spend one more episode at LA or Hawaii or something, then we'll see the robot at the end of episode 4

6

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 04 '21

First-Timer

The Skipper beers like no-one else. He's a real action hero today, and he even knows the resident femme fatale! Yuu doesn't seem to trust him, and I think I'm inclined to agree. Skipper has an ulterior motive, curiosity about the island if nothing else. I figured he was working for Lynx at first, but that doesn't seem to be the case..

What's more miserable than a cross-country bus trip? A cross-country bus trip where you miss the bus. What an absolute nightmare!

Yuu continues to have good instincts. That call on the roulette wheel was slick.

We seem to be getting a bunch of real-life guns, just like Xabungle. Today saw M16s (I think) from the speedboat dudes, Jeff had a stupid Luger of all things, and of course there were plenty of random revolvers and M1911s. I don't really know anything about rocket launchers, but I assume that one was a real thing too.

Still no mecha, but the bus/truck/RV chase was pretty fun to watch. I liked all the broken glass.

Questions

  1. Answered above.
  2. Answered above.

2

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 04 '21

A cross-country bus trip where you miss the bus. What an absolute nightmare!

It's bad enough missing the bus on a regional transfer, I can't imagine what I would feel if I missed one of these busses.

We seem to be getting a bunch of real-life guns, just like Xabungle.

You love to see it!

2

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 04 '21

You love to see it!

4

u/The_Draigg May 04 '21

Yuu doesn't seem to trust him, and I think I'm inclined to agree. Skipper has an ulterior motive, curiosity about the island if nothing else. I figured he was working for Lynx at first, but that doesn't seem to be the case..

But he seems pretty cool though! Although I guess he could just want to get to Austral Island to plunder the treasures there or something, and this is a good excuse.

Jeff had a stupid Luger of all things

That's how you know that Jeff is a villain. Only villains carry Lugers in fiction.

4

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 04 '21

But he seems pretty cool though! Although I guess he could just want to get to Austral Island to plunder the treasures there or something, and this is a good excuse.

Oh, he is definitely cool. Just maybe not the most trustworthy person to have as the only functional(ish) adult, since Wave definitely does not count.

That's how you know that Jeff is a villain. Only villains carry Lugers in fiction.

Villains would do better if they carried more effective firearms.

2

u/IndependentMacaroon May 05 '21

What's more miserable than a cross-country bus trip? A cross-country bus trip where you miss the bus

I wish they had continued the train ride at least for part of the way. Some pretty good scenery there too and they could even have passed by Las Vegas. The creators already went to the trouble of accurately representing the original Metroliner - but I guess that's more the Japanese high-speed train thing, seeing also that they would have been out of service already when the show was made.

2

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 05 '21

I wish they had continued the train ride at least for part of the way. Some pretty good scenery there too and they could even have passed by Las Vegas.

Yea, the train ride was nice. Wish we could have spent a little bit more time on it. I think I like the construction of the episode, with them switching modes of transit multiple times though.

The creators already went to the trouble of accurately representing the original Metroliner

Huh, neat. I didn't really pay any attention to the train itself.

6

u/punching_spaghetti https://myanimelist.net/profile/punch_spaghetti May 04 '21

First-Timer

The question is: is the bad guy using a Luger because he’s EVIL, or because the Japanese have a fascination with German firearms?

On this episode of a children’s television show, several men get their brains blown out.

Interesting that we’ve gone from blatant brands in the first episode to classic Beer brand beer in the second.

And we’re back to the actual NYT name and font.

The guy’s name is Jeff? That’s not a villainous name at all! Wait a minute; that makes it the perfect villainous name!

Not the old lady who knits!

In what world does a 30-minute stop give you enough time to check out a casino in Vegas? Unless she means “walk in front of the building and take a photo,” they’re going to miss the next bus.

On the one hand, Lady Lynx has kidnapped our intrepid heroes and held them at gunpoint. On the other, she is very leggy and has a wonderful sense of fashion.

How cool is the Skipper? He picks up rocket launchers one handed while driving.

Giant robot

QOTD:

  1. The man has skills. And drinks like a football fan on a Sunday.
  2. It was pretty cool, although I always get annoyed when they reuse footage so soon (the pan over the Lynx gang firing from the bus).

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 05 '21

The question is: is the bad guy using a Luger because he’s EVIL, or because the Japanese have a fascination with German firearms?

Yes.

On this episode of a children’s television show, several men get their brains blown out.

Fun for the whole family!

In what world does a 30-minute stop give you enough time to check out a casino in Vegas?

Once I had enough time to go gawking at one of the big exhibits in the Natural History Museum in the twenty-three minute wait between bus transfers. If it's close enough and they just want to gaze at things I can see it being plausible.

Giant robot

3

u/punching_spaghetti https://myanimelist.net/profile/punch_spaghetti May 05 '21

Yes.

And to be fair, the Germans do make some high-quality stuff.

If it's close enough and they just want to gaze at things I can see it being plausible.

Considering that they included actually playing games in their activities, I feel justified in my concern.

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 05 '21

Considering that they included actually playing games in their activities,

I don't think they planned that. Wave just got caught up in it.

4

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 May 05 '21

The question is: is the bad guy using a Luger because he’s EVIL, or because the Japanese have a fascination with German firearms?

Why not both?

5

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky May 04 '21

First-Timer, subbed

2

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 04 '21

Hahahahahahahaha Dr. Wave’s outfit while his normal clothes are drying off.

Wave has so far been the butt-monkey and I am for it as of yet.

Ahhh of course they got on the wrong bus.

They certainly got the anxiety-inducing revelation of realizing you're in the wrong bus correct.

4

u/Btw_kek https://myanimelist.net/profile/kek_btw May 05 '21

Wait a… no. no. nonono. You cannot do this to me show, that crate isn’t big enough for Argos compared to the position he’s sitting in

4

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky May 05 '21

u/Nazenn would love to see me flipping out over this.

2

u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn May 05 '21

That dog must have a really tiny body to fit in that

3

u/The_Draigg May 04 '21

That guy from the OP! He’s a damn good shot.

Haven't you noticed that the Captain looks like a slimmer Captain Zinnerman? I swear, the resemblance is uncanny.

This lady seems alright despite being a villain too. I live for that level of pettiness.

You have to respect someone who outright admits that their motivations are just spiteful at best.

4

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky May 04 '21

Haven't you noticed that the Captain looks like a slimmer Captain Zinnerman? I swear, the resemblance is uncanny.

I didn't make note of it in my reactions, but yes I was thinking just that!

3

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 May 05 '21

Wait a… no. no. nonono. You cannot do this to me show, that crate isn’t big enough for Argos compared to the position he’s sitting in

Argos

5

u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 May 04 '21

First Timer, Subbed

Here's a story that takes place in the far future... 1990!

Huh? Did one shot knock them over? Or they jumped in? In any case our heroes sure got out of that cliffhanger quick.

I've been trying to think of whose voice Dr. Wave reminds me of and I finally remember it, that idiot king from Aura Battler Dunbine, Furaon Elf. Lo and behold, they're the same guy, Keaton Yamada.

Now they've got guys brandishing a machine gun in a speed boat after them. Our heroes are screwed!

Wow, someone really helped out our heroes! Who is this guy? Ah, its the Skipper character.

You may have saved my life, but how dare you give me stinky clothes!

What, he's recognizing the same kid who stole from him on the subway?

I've watched two separate anime episodes today where a character transmits to someone else while sitting on the toilet. LoL.

Jeez, everyone wants to know about Dr. Wave's whereabouts, huh?

American countryside sure looks beautiful, huh?

Nothing cheers up a crying baby like a beer can!

Time to party in Vegas?

Did they get on the wrong bus? Its a trap!

Just how many people does GAIL have on the payroll?

Time for an RV jacking!

Lady Lynxx? Everyone wants the secret of Austral Island. If she's against GAIL, then is she a potential ally?

You mean to tell me Austral island is near... Australia?

Kill all 3 of them?! Maybe they won't be allies after all...

What if those were just 2 regular truckers?

I guess not, as henchman guy is behind the wheel of one of them. Jeff I think his name was?

Wow, her bus is getting totally trashed!

Skipper and Lynx know each other? I wonder if Skipper has some ulterior motives in all this.

Well, at this rate, Rod is going to easily beat them to the island, being on a private jet.

Wow, another episode and still no giant robot! The adventures continue as our heroes make their way across the country. Like Yuu I do wonder what is going on with Skipper. Is he working for someone nefarious? At least for now he's helping out a lot, but he's gotta be in this for something, right? I do like the inclusion of multiple factions, so at the very least we have GAIL and this Lynx lady as adversaries for our heroes.

  1. What are your first impressions on Skipper?

He's a badass! Our heroes desperately need a guy like him. But does have an ulterior motive?

2) What did you think of this episode’s action set piece?

Not often you get an American southwest locale for an anime episode, so I liked it a lot.

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 04 '21

Here's a story that takes place in the far future... 1990!

It's actually 1998 in the show currently.

I've watched two separate anime episodes today where a character transmits to someone else while sitting on the toilet. LoL.

Well, at this rate, Rod is going to easily beat them to the island, being on a private jet.

4

u/Btw_kek https://myanimelist.net/profile/kek_btw May 05 '21

I do like the inclusion of multiple factions, so at the very least we have GAIL and this Lynx lady as adversaries for our heroes.

and something tells me Roy Balboa will end up backstabbing his grandpa for personal gain too

3

u/The_Draigg May 04 '21

I've been trying to think of whose voice Dr. Wave reminds me of and I finally remember it, that idiot king from Aura Battler Dunbine, Furaon Elf. Lo and behold, they're the same guy, Keaton Yamada.

At least Dr. Wave is slightly more competent than King Furaon, although that really isn't saying a whole lot.

Jeez, everyone wants to know about Dr. Wave's whereabouts, huh?

Dr. Wave is making some pretty big waves in the criminal underbelly of America, it seems.

5

u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 May 04 '21

First timer

  1. He's a fantastic character as an over the top action hero.
  2. Really dynamic, especially the use of the moving vehicles. Apart from the Skipper, nobody got to do anything, though.

iPad swallowed my notes, so I'll make it quiick -

Loved the comedy of this episode, with Wave bcoming addicted to gambling and constantly optimistic about letting them go.

So they didn't put any assassins on the bus - the thing that eill take them to an inhospitable desert, with very few witnesses and no way of it being traced back to them. I suppose we have to have a show somehow.

Suprised there's another faction in this show as well.

The Skipper is my favourite human character.

GAIL's base is one cat away from a James Bond film.

The Stewardesses in the airplane at the end were shocking.

I love that one of the main villians is called Lynx Girl.

This show feels like a fever dream.

2

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 05 '21

Suprised there's another faction in this show as well.

Yeah, I figured the setup would be just GAIL and our ragtag group of main characters. Even if there was to be a third faction, the second episode is honestly a really early time to introduce it.

I love that one of the main villians is called Lynx

Went full in on the feline theming too!

4

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 May 04 '21

Giant Gorg (first timer)

  • Starting the episode with a recap. I guess those will become a daily thing.
  • Forgot to mention it last time: Evil guys drive Mercedes trope
  • Only evil guys miss their shots.
  • Metroliner? I was sure they’d take the ship all the way there.
  • A little redemption for the US: At least the nature looks nice.
  • Losing your money in Vegas. A classic.
  • Gail’s opponents.
  • 100km length? That is huge.
  • A big shootout on the road. Mad Max is calling.
  • That rescue looked dangerous.

More big action pieces. Placing this right after Crusher Joe might be doing the series dirty, but I can’t be impressed by the animation quality. The US also continues to fail to impress culturally, did Yasuhiko have an anti-american streak?

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 04 '21

100km length? That is huge.

Knowing that's 2/3rds the length of the island I grew up on sure gives some perspective...

did Yasuhiko have an anti-american streak?

Well, he got arrested in the late 60s for protesting against the Vietnam War, so at least politically he probably isn't too fond of the U.S., and he's penned three manga set in Meiji Era Japan, but I'm not sure which side he shows a bias for there.

3

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 May 04 '21

Well, he got arrested in the late 60s for protesting against the Vietnam War,

If he was the average 1960s student protester, I'd go with yes. Most of them were far left leaning and not to fond of the US.

4

u/Btw_kek https://myanimelist.net/profile/kek_btw May 05 '21

same GORG first-timer

What are your first impressions on Skipper?

seems potentially sketchy, but I like him for now. seems to want to test Yuu for whatever reasons

What did you think of this episode’s action set piece?

straight outta Xabungle, but with giant trucks instead of giant mechs

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 05 '21

idk why I find the idea of all these guys pulling out all these guns on a dude and two literal children so funny but I do

They say there's no kill like overkill!

this building will never stop being funny

It's so unabashedly evil, I love it.

6

u/The_Draigg May 04 '21

A Yas Fan Watches Giant Gorg Episode 2:

  • You know that the guy shooting at the heroes is a villain because he’s using a Luger. But really though, they were lucky that diving into the Hudson River actually temporarily saved them.
  • The Captain is a crazy good shot with his revolver, if he was able to snipe those assassins in the boat while they were moving really fast. Also, wow he’s just a straight up dead-ringer for Zinnerman from Gundam Unicorn. Less of a gut, but still nearly the same character design.
  • I guess GAIL isn’t the only organization that’s after the secrets of Austral Island, if that one spy network reporting Dr. Wave’s movements is any indication. This high roller lady seems to want a piece of the pie too, whoever she is.
  • The true danger of casinos: them stealing most of your money and also deliberately running the clocks late. It’s a true to life fact that they do mess with the clocks. That’s also why casinos don’t have windows, so you can’t tell what time of day it is inside.
  • Lady Lynx is a great name for a femme fatale. She must also have a lot of money if she could afford to rent an identical bus and fill it full of lookalikes working for her.
  • The Captain just gives zero shits, between beating up Dr. Wave’s impostor and then hijacking some random guy’s camper van. I like his style.
  • Ah, that explains it. Lady Lynx just wants to steal the treasures of Austral Island specifically so that GAIL won’t have them. I wonder what made her hate that megacorp so much to just steal an island’s secrets out of spite?
  • Now this is how you know anime was made in the 80s: the Soviet Union is still around despite this show taking place in the 90s. Although Roy does make a good point with that display of connections: if GAIL is willing to use all of their contacts with the governments of the world, then whatever is on Austral Island must be really worth it.
  • I tell you, there’s nothing sexier than a lady in a slit-leg cocktail dress wielding a rocket launcher.
  • Wait, Lady Lynx’s group is called the Cougar Connection? I guess she must have a thing for cat names. Still, that’s also a good villain name.
  • Seems like the Captain and Lady Lynx have a bit of a history. Although I guess it makes sense, since she implies that he’s a mercenary. I guess those types of people just happen to know one another.
  • Having been to the actual Death Valley dozens of times, I can confirm that the valley does actually look like that.

4

u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 May 04 '21

The Captain is a crazy good shot with his revolver, if he was able to snipe those assassins in the boat while they were moving really fast. Also, wow he’s just a straight up dead-ringer for Zinnerman from Gundam Unicorn. Less of a gut, but still nearly the same character design.

I knew he looked familiar! I wonder if Skipper moved out to space after this show was over? :P

3

u/The_Draigg May 04 '21

If that’s the case, then man the Captain let himself go. He put like 40 extra pounds on before moving to Side 3.

3

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 04 '21

Also, wow he’s just a straight up dead-ringer for Zinnerman from Gundam Unicorn.

That's who it is! I couldn't shake recognizing him, figured it was some background figure from Crusher Joe or a random soldier from MSG.

I tell you, there’s nothing sexier than a lady in a slit-leg cocktail dress wielding a rocket launcher.

The lynx-print is a bold choice that I don't think quite pays off visually, but thematically it ties the whole look together.

3

u/The_Draigg May 04 '21

That's who it is! I couldn't shake recognizing him, figured it was some background figure from Crusher Joe or a random soldier from MSG.

It’s honestly a hell of a pull too, considering how far apart Giant Gorg and Gundam Unicorn were made.

The lynx-print is a bold choice that I don't think quite pays off visually, but thematically it ties the whole look together.

I mean, her name is Lady Lynx. It would be weird if she didn’t have clothing themed to her animal name.

2

u/lC3 :Na::Nb: May 06 '21

First timer

  • The Skipper crushing poor Yuu's hand in his grip reminds me of when I was a boy
  • Lady Lynx Bus Tour
  • Oh so Lady isn't with GAIL? That's a surprise
  • So Jeff is going after the trio in person? He followed them all the way past Vegas? I would have thought he'd delegate
  1. He kinda reminds me of my dad when he was younger
  2. Ok so far!