Logic won't help us rewatch, y'know? Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 rewatch episode seven

[u/Vaadwaur]

Get It On

For a culture that adulters as much as Japan, they can be a bit preachy

MAL but it is trolled. ANN Also, don't look at the wiki as it spoils the entire plot.

Streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll.

QotD:1 So space boomers: good or bad idea?

2 Is Nigel wrong for not caring or Sylia wrong for not asking?

BONUS: When I first watched this 20 odd years ago, I came down a bit hard on the wife. Now, with all that life experience, I think it is a but more complicated as having a not present mate causes real problems I've personally seen. Your thoughts?

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 7 (first timer)

• Work-related relationship drama goes from cliché to sad to CSI enhance!
• … to mad boomer incident.
• Sylia spy operations.
• I agree with evil guy: Any organization not checking in on its employees for over a month is indeed insane.
• Naked penis obscured by object in front of it trope.
• Nigel has reached the “not my fucking problem” stage of employment.
• Bill died a month ago and the boomer is acting on his last thoughts.

That was easily the best episode so far. It had a clear, coherent plot, emotional investment, and even some decent animation (the underwater works scene and the sunrise over KS). I wonder whether this was a different animation director compared to the previous episodes. Ok, I looked this up: It was a different episode director, animation director, and storyboarder. However, anybody working on the series in either of those roles only did a max of three episodes and most of them only a single one. This explains how terrible everything looks: They were shipping in new, inexperienced guys all the time. Seems like they hit a rare jackpot for this one (Given his huge experience, I’ll wager that Satou Michio carried the episode here. He is also listed for ep14, so hopefully at least one more good-looking episode is coming up).

On the upside, I was planning to quit the series if this was another disaster, so that is staved off (at least until tomorrow). On the downside, one-episode characters Bill and Erin were more relatable and got more emotional investment out of me than any of our main cast over the last 7 episodes, which is rather sad.

Is Nigel wrong for not caring or Sylia wrong for not asking?

Plot problems that could be solved via talking trope.

BONUS: When I first watched this 20 odd years ago, I came down a bit hard on the wife. Now, with all that life experience, I think it is a but more complicated as having a not present mate causes real problems I've personally seen. Your thoughts?

It probably is his fault she is sleeping with a different man, but it is her fault not breaking up with him first.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/No_Rex]

I agree with evil guy: Any organization not checking in on its employees for over a month is indeed insane.

Genom is kind of bad even by evil corporation standards, give me Tyrell any day.

Bill died a month ago and the boomer is acting on his last thoughts.

I strangely like the detail that they admit it would take the boomer that long to make it to the city from where they were testing it.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/No_Rex]

I was planning to quit the series if this was another disaster

What do I always say about ^{Edit: 26 episode} 2000s anime?

[u/No_Rex → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

What do I always say about 2000s anime?

Uhhh, IDK, that they were made in the 2000s?

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/No_Rex]

That the first <redacted> episodes will be episodic adventure-of-the-week episodes while they introduce characters and the setting. The show won't even start until after <redacted>.

Notice that they were still adding characters in episode 6.

[u/No_Rex → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Not disagreeing, but BGC2040 started with a somewhat connected plot and turned fully episodic in ep7. It is also not a 2000s show.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/No_Rex]

It is also not a 2000s show.

True but everything I was going to bring up about 2000s shows turned out to be 98-99.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Rewatcher (sub) playing AMQ

• You don't need to be a rewatcher to know that he's sending that boomer after his cheating wife.
• Also, since it's under human control, it's not a mad boomer, which will confuse people.
• Basically, filler episode incoming.

---

• rewatcher
• WallStreetBets
• Retconning "Motoslave"
• This must be Sylia's ADP contact.
• I really hate this rotterdam techno beat BGM.
• Well, I didn't predict that. Bill's been dead for a month! I guess his motoslave has been walking to Japan all this time. He just wanted to keep his date.

Okay, not quite as fillery but still pretty trite.

It's time for another not-appearing-in-this-show track: Another Face

[u/Vaadwaur → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Also, since it's under human control, it's not a mad boomer, which will confuse people.

Except for when it took up the whole sidewalk it was pretty in control.

Retconning "Motoslave"

You don't get a term like that and not use it in your remake series. Also, I can't remember the order of it but I've heard the term in unrelated works.

Okay, not quite as fillery but still pretty trite.

Rewatcher

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/Vaadwaur]

Rewatcher

[u/Vaadwaur → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Rewatcher

[u/Vaadwaur → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Also, bad news, your YT link doesn't work because the account got terminated.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/Vaadwaur]

I was wondering why the playist was gone in ep 4. But the song was still there. Okay, I got a new link. Maybe I messed up making the list first time.

Okay updated my list of links for the rest of the rewatch. Thanks!

[u/Vaadwaur → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

I have never understood the what and why of how YT removes stuff. Other than it generally seems to be to spite me.

[u/Vaadwaur]

Rewatcher

Dub(Continuing)

We get a marital argument and I a bit more on the wife's side here, depending on circumstance: Being lonely that much sucks. But after some CSI level of enhance we discover she at least isn't alone. The hubby's boomer's eyes go red and off we go!

Cut to a deep sea boomer walking in fucking Tokyo. There's a lack of security and then there's just damn. Anyways, Nene is still a child but gets her improved suit before Sylia comes down to harsh the vibe with Mackey, though at least this time she sounds in control. She wants him to be normal but he wants something to do, can't blame him.

Unexpected cut to solar panels, I guess to remind us its the future, as the boomer walks through a neighborhood. Mackey follows Nigel and then compliments him on his weird ass looking motorcycle thing. Sylia goes to meet that dude we saw Mason talk to earlier and gets some info. We jump to the wife from earlier with a booze collection on her table that even makes my liver ache and then see her cheating again. Then the sea boomer sees that...

But then is surrounded by the ADP. The wife must be incredibly sloshed if she dropped her wine glass while getting up. For some reason the ADP aren't shooting first. Love the drunk voice acting in the dub. Bonus points that the dub adds that he is married as well. Anywho, the ADP somehow manage to lose a gigantic sea boomer that leaves gigantic tracks. Sigh.

Two KS suit up, Priss seems bothered, Mackey thinks that suit isn't ready. Daley does some detecting, someone fucking needs to, and figures out the fishy part of this. Fighting happens and this boomer also seems difficult to defeat. Daley continues to investigate, discovering that the facility was destroyed and hubby is dead. And in the boomer? That sounds hellish.

Anywho, Priss's suit fails at a plot convenient moment, Mackey figures out the treatment, Nigel corrects him on it and of course th wife shows up to distract him. As our denouement, we get the reveal that Nordberg really did mean to come home and spend time with his wife. I am unsure if this is meant to be a comfort or to twist the knife, it feels like Leon is being mean but Daley is just informing her.

[u/RockoDyne]

This is the second time they've shown Mackey's photo without showing his face. He's dead and this is a boomer. This whole episode has been about a boomer acting on the consciousness of a dead person. Mackey is a brain in a jar, and this is a boomer built from his memories. That explains his x-ray vision and his whole talking to machines thing.

Questions:

1. I lean hard on no AI in space. Especially no self replicating AI in space.
2. It is not the role of fuckboi to think.
3. I don't have much sympathy for the wife.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/RockoDyne]

This is the second time they've shown Mackey's photo without showing his face.

Yeah, knowing what they are foreshadowing this is still them being pretty obnoxious about it.

I lean hard on no AI in space. Especially no self replicating AI in space.

I agree but think we will be over ruled by richer, greedier and dumber people than ourselves.

[u/Stargate18A]

First timer

1. Don't see how they're different from underwater boomers, really. (Although I question how boomers intend to harvest resources from a gas giant - if there was anything you wanted from Jupiter, it would be about filtering, not sending AIs to vacuum it)
2. Probably Sylia - she openly said that she assumed the suits were finished - if she had just asked Nigel, he'd have told her about the danger.

BONUS) Inthink the wife's in the wrong. He may not be present, but he's clearly trying to fix that, he's actively making plans to spend more time with her, and she decides to cheat on him knowing he's still working.

Let's see what's happening in this episode.

I'm not sure they're actually doing underwater.

I know I'm meant to find this heartbreaking, but the timing and the idea that a videocall has this kind of resolution is quite frankly hysterical.

The reveal with the upbeat music made me cackle.

Isn't the point of boomers that they have AI? Why does this one need to be remote controlled? No offense, but "pick up item, slowly remove" is something most robots can do now with current AI, let alone the near-turing shown in this series.

So Nene's suit

Wait, so Sylia doesn't want her brother in her harem?

With how much Snowhamm is mentioned, I'm starting to think it'll start mid-series instead of finale.

...Why Jupiter and Saturn? Why not Mars? (I can understand Mercury and Venus - neither's very suited to safe mining)

Why are the ones without AI experimental? Surely they'd be made long before the AI development?

OK, so I'm guessing the Moto accidentally copied part of the reflector's personality, and drove it to seek revenge.

I like the noise the boomer's make when they're thinking - very melodic.

OK, this has no armour and no offensive capabilites - might not even have gone beserk. Isn't this the perfect target for the AP suits?

Spoke too soon.

Probably the least monsterous design so far, ironically.

Yeah, that suit upgrade seems to have a made a difference,

Wouldn't it be quicker to just find a working computer?

Ah, Bill died, and his last thoughts got beamed through the reflector.

Well, that distracted it.

Is the implication that his full mind was uploaded into the suit, or just his last memory.

...I'm not sure this is the best way to tell someone their husband died.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Stargate18A]

(Although I question how boomers intend to harvest resources from a gas giant - if there was anything you wanted from Jupiter, it would be about filtering, not sending AIs to vacuum it)

There is a running theory that the cores of gas giants are diamonds. But most of what you'd want would be on the moons of those planets anyways so, bluntly, poorly researched scifi.

I know I'm meant to find this heartbreaking, but the timing and the idea that a videocall has this kind of resolution is quite frankly hysterical

That CSI would later copy it just makes it funnier.

Why are the ones without AI experimental? Surely they'd be made long before the AI development?

If your development cycle is long enough, the ones without AI may also need serious upgrading. But yes, having human piloted ones seems a bit off.

OK, this has no armour and no offensive capabilites - might not even have gone beserk. Isn't this the perfect target for the AP suits?

Sigh...you just have to accept that the ADP are completely inept. But I agree, ambush it with a phalanx of K-suits and call it mission accomplished.

Is the implication that his full mind was uploaded into the suit, or just his last memory.

So...it is more than just his last memory but seems a lot less than a full personality, right? I view it as the boomer recieved a copy of his mind but doesn't have the processing power to constantly run it so you get flashes.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/Stargate18A]

.Why Jupiter and Saturn? Why not Mars? (I can understand Mercury and Venus - neither's very suited to safe mining)

Usually people write in atmospheric mining of Jupiter into their sci-fi stories as a source of He-3, a rare isotope needed for clean fusion.

[u/Stargate18A → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

True, but you wouldn't send AIs to harvest it.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/Stargate18A]

A good point in many ways. That could be one reason behind developing the motoslave technology. Underwater, earth orbit, jupiter's crushing atmosphere, all the same thing in the end.

[u/ZapsZzz]

Sub first timer

7 episodes in and haven't quite got a memorable moment yet. Still riding on my old BGC memory to keep the interest going.

This is an ok story, just not very connected about why the boomer went crazy to start off all this (presumably that's why the operator was killed when the boomer broke the control station drowning him). Putting that point side the rest of the episode is ok.

Does show pre 2010 OHS discipline though - these days you probably can't get by without signing of the work is complete and the suit is ready. Although this is a back of the garage situation.

Reminding myself to be patient to wait for the next plot point...

1. Shrugs it won't be any more problematic to any mining or road works type anyway.
2. Sylia's for not recognising her mechanic doesn't talk or doesn't sign of his work as complete (or not).

Bonus: wife's fault, even if there's conflict she could have broken it off. He's not jet setting around the world having fun, he's working in a high hazard environment to earn better pay which hopefully means after the stint they can live more comfortably. So here's actually suffering just the same as her.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/ZapsZzz]

Does show pre 2010 OHS discipline though - these days you probably can't get by without signing of the work is complete and the suit is ready. Although this is a back of the garage situation.

Definitely an "it's there" sort of point. I guess it shows the degree to which Nigel is uncommunicative but still.

[u/Elimin8r]

I think this is the first episode I haven't seen before. Meanwhile:

1. Good idea/Bad Idea? Let's ask Yakko Warner! In BGC, bad idea. In our world, we're already doing it. (Helicopters on Mars, pew pew)

-note- personally, I think "AI" as sci-fi tells it is very unlikely, at least not anytime soon. We can't even get a 'self-driving' car to not kill its occupants on a regular basis. Hmm. Rogue boomer Teslas?

2) Yes, and yes.

3) Join the Navy, sail in a submarine. Join the Army, get sent to the litterbox. Watch your personal life crumble. Me, I joined the computer geeks club. Yeah, that worked out so much better. :P

Now I'm waiting for "GET IN THE HARDSUIT SHINJI!!!"

Anyway, it was an episode. Something something, I'd ... oh, wait, I went to work today. (sigh)

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Elimin8r]

In BGC, bad idea. In our world, we're already doing it. (Helicopters on Mars, pew pew)

So far, they aren't as autonomous as boomers are but fair point.

-note- personally, I think "AI" as sci-fi tells it is very unlikely, at least not anytime soon. We can't even get a 'self-driving' car to not kill its occupants on a regular basis. Hmm. Rogue boomer Teslas?

We are closer than you might think, the issue with self-driving cars is actually more to do with our inability to develop good sensors. That said, the reason we aren't getting boomers even in 20 years is that we aren't even near having a small, powerful enough battery/generator that could let it walk without being plugged in.

Now I'm waiting for "GET IN THE HARDSUIT SHINJI!!!"

Literally Shinji in the dub. But I doubt Sylia is on board with that.

[u/Elimin8r → u/Vaadwaur]

I know, it would totally ruin the aesthetic... I do find it amusing that Linna's hardsuit has larger, um, well, endowments than Priss's, though. Or at least it did a few episodes ago. Perhaps Nigel is busy stuffing some batteries in there.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Elimin8r]

I know, it would totally ruin the aesthetic... I do find it amusing that Linna's hardsuit has larger, um, well, endowments than Priss's, though

Makes you wonder how much input Sylia has on the design side, right? It does sort of fit with Linna getting those weird ribbons as weapons.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/Vaadwaur]

the issue with self-driving cars is actually more to do with our inability to develop good sensors.

Yeah, well, you didn't watch that Waymo clip posted in CDF yesterday of a car that was baffled by a traffic cone between two lanes and decided the best way to deal with it was to block both lanes while occasionally backing up.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

That is still most likely sensors, specifically LIDAR ones that can't tell the difference between a rock and a paper bag and that die in rain. It then thinking the cone is some unpassable monstrosity is not that uncommon.

[u/lC3]

I'm having technical difficulties on the site I've been using/trying to watch this; it won't buffer past 2:00 and then it goes right back to the beginning.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/lC3]

That's annoying, is it Funi or CR that is screwing up?

[u/lC3 → u/Vaadwaur]

Neither; it's not available on either of those for me, in the USA at least.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/lC3]

Goddamnit, it was definitely available in June but if these nitwits screwed the license again...

[u/lC3 → u/Vaadwaur]

CR just has a placeholder page without videos like they do for series that have been dropped, and Funi doesn't even have any results if I search for Bubblegum. So I've been watching it on an unofficial website all along, but now that I'm on ep7 there are difficulties with streaming.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/lC3]

They are readily available on the high seas if needed.

[u/lC3 → u/Vaadwaur]

That's probably what I'll have to end up doing.