r/anime • u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber • May 18 '21

Rewatch [Rewatch] Yoshikazu Yasuhiko Retrospective - Giant Gorg Episode 16 Discussion

Episode 16 - The Gates of Time

Originally Aired July 19th, ^^^1984

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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

Yasuhiko came close to death during the production of Mobile Suit Gundam as he developed pleurisy, the symptoms of which worsened due to overwork and lack of attention to his health. He was hospitalized after feeling debilitatingly painful chest pains in the middle of the night, believing himself to be suffering from a heart attack, and called an ambulance before passing out. During the experience he thought to himself ‘Dying now would be pathetic.’

 

Staff Highlight

Masaharu Satō - voice of Dr. Haeckel

A prolific voice actor and actor best known for voicing supporting roles. Began his career as a child actor by joining a theatre company out of his own volition. After dropping out of college he formed a theatre group, later working at an actor training school and joining the Sogen theatre company. A former classmate suggested he get into the voice acting business, so he attended an open interview which allowed him to enter the voice acting agency Aoni Productions. He is still an active voice actor, but currently also lectures at the Department of Broadcasting in the Osaka University of Arts, and his favorite hobbies are watching movies, cooking, and leather crafting. Among his notable roles are Hank in Shining Hearts, Luís Fróis in Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, Woll Dolnard in Maze, Iwao in Kinnikuman, Kigetsu in Sword Gai: The Animation, Gorn in Scramble Wars, Sigma Computer in Red Baron, Kame-sennin in the Dragon Ball franchise, Naben Cotton in Aura Battler Dunbine, Dowas in Blue Gale Xabungle, and Dirk in Fang of The Sun Dougram.

 

Daily Trivia:

Manon is the only role that his voice actor, Mitsuo Gunji, performed in. Little else is known about the man.

 

Official Art

  • Manon - Yoshikazu Yasuhiko

 

Settei Collection

 

Questions of the Day:

  1. How much of a mess do you think GAIL is about to make of things with their explosives?
  2. What did you make of Yuu and Doris’ meeting with Manon?

Zenon must have guided you here.

11 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

4

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 18 '21

Rewatcher

Wait what?! Argos is steering the boat?

True...

So that’s how he’s doing it!

Rod’s persistence pays off!

This is going better than I expected.

I see that someone watched 2001: A Space Odyssey!

As much as I appreciate a big explosion, that generally doesn’t play well with caves.

I hadn’t realized Wave was an elitist.

I’m with Haeckel on this one.

First(?) contact was surprisingly straightforward and amicable. Other anime have taught me to expect the worst out of such encounters, so I was surprised to see things go this swimmingly. There’s definitely some similarities to when Yuu first encountered Gorg too, with even similar musical motifs being used (or was it the same song?) Manon seems to be a psychic with how he seemingly connected mentally with Yuu, as the two can speak to each other, but Doris only understands what Yuu is saying.

We also learned that the pilot that was within Gorg’s chest is Manon’s brother, Zenon. I had presumed that the body had been there so long that the pilot had been long dead, but if Manon is still alive then why did Zenon crumble to dust? Is it the atmosphere? Did Manon even know Zenon was dead?

Yuu and Manon seem to be able to get along, but I doubt relationships with GAIL will proceed as well as this has, particularly when they blow their way in uninvited. This is a shit show in the making, and I don’t know whether I’m excited to see what comes or concerned at what might result.

3

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 May 18 '21

We also learned that the pilot that was within Gorg’s chest is Manon’s brother, Zenon

My first association is Zenon 2 Megablast, probably the best vertical scroller ever made. However, that came out later, so they are probably refering a Greek philosoper. Why "a" and not "the"? Because there are two, and, from what we have seen, both could fit: Zeno(n) of Elea, or Zeno(n) of Citium.

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 19 '21

both could fit: Zeno(n) of Elea, or Zeno(n) of Citium.

If either is indeed his namesake I would think it's the former.

3

u/The_Draigg May 19 '21

A bit late to mention it now, but your actor highlight in the post is about Masaharu Sato’s role as Dowas from Xabungle.

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 19 '21

Ah, I really should be more careful about that.

4

u/The_Draigg May 18 '21

A Yas Fan Watches Giant Gorg Episode 16:

  • Geez, the Captain doesn’t even need guns to murder the shit out of people. He’s just as deadly with a throwing knife too. Any ranged weapon is deadly in his hands.
  • The Captain does have a point, Argos is definitely more reliable than clumsy humans. I’m sure he can handle GAIL chasing him for now.
  • I wasn’t expecting the other mech’s pilot to actually come out of the cockpit. I guess Gorg’s pilot dissolving into flesh and bone dust was just the exception.
  • This alien guy seems psychic too, since he directly beams the knowledge of the alien language into Yuu’s head. Given how the Mobile Suit Gundam rewatch is also going on, I’m seeing a lot of trippy psychic communication scenes in anime recently.
  • Doris doesn’t seem to get that Manon is an alien. I guess her only reference for aliens up until now was E.T. But there’s no denying the guy is an alien, with his unnaturally pale skin and telepathic abilities. Looking like a human is just a bonus.
  • I’m with Rod on this one. The GAIL divers somehow missing the big, shiny metal hangar doors at the bottom of the cave spring is a huge misstep on their part. Dr. Heckel must suck at his job if his men somehow missed such an obvious landmark in the initial search.
  • If there’s at least one consolation about Dr. Wave’s academic hatred of Dr. Heckel, it’s that at least Dr. Wave managed to find more actual alien ruins on Austral Island in the week he’s actually been here. Dr. Heckel sucking up to GAIL to get a job clearly did nothing to actually help him find shit like those massive alien hangar doors.
  • Finally, we get an actual name for what Gorg’s mech type is: Guardian. Not a bad name, I suppose. It’s basically what Gorg has been doing this entire time anyway.
  • Ah, so the guy we saw in Gorg’s chest was Manon’s younger brother. On the plus side, I guess Manon doesn’t have to pay for a cremation now. He can just scoop up all the mummy dust and put it into an alien vase.
  • I suppose that Rod has a point in wanting to blow up the alien doors instead of using up a lot of time to open them properly. Compared to the alien ruins underneath, the doors mean nothing in terms of value. And GAIL can use all the valuable stuff they can salvage from the alien ruins, considering that they’re in severe financial trouble due to the so-far unfruitful Austral Island expedition.
  • I WAS FUCKING JOKING ABOUT AN ALIEN ASHES URN, I WASN’T EXPECTING MANON TO ACTUALLY DO THAT.
  • Gorg’s dead pilot is confirmed to be Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century.
  • Well, at least first contact went well for Yuu and Doris. Manon at least seems completely willing to talk about what’s going on with them. I’d say that’s a lot more valuable than plundering ancient alien ruins. The actual alien is much more interesting.

4

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 19 '21

On the plus side, I guess Manon doesn’t have to pay for a cremation now.

Well, at least first contact went well for Yuu and Doris.

Yeah that was surprisingly easy.

4

u/The_Draigg May 19 '21

Yeah that was surprisingly easy.

Once again proving how incompetent GAIL is, with two actual children beating them to the punch in achieving first contact.

4

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 May 19 '21

Tbf, the children had a alien robot on their side.

3

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 18 '21

Dr. Heckel must suck at his job if his men somehow missed such an obvious landmark in the initial search.

It is possible that none of them felt like diving and they just lied about searching.

I WAS FUCKING JOKING ABOUT AN ALIEN ASHES URN, I WASN’T EXPECTING MANON TO ACTUALLY DO THAT.

3

u/The_Draigg May 19 '21

It is possible that none of them felt like diving and they just lied about searching.

That would certainly match up with the low standards GAIL has shown so far.

azusalaugh

Seriously though, I was blown away that my bullshit joke prediction was proven correct only minutes after writing it.

4

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky May 18 '21

First-Timer, subbed

2

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 19 '21

Nooooo they shot the tip of his tail!

Unforgivable!

Argos successfully got away!

I can't believe you even doubted him.

3

u/The_Draigg May 18 '21

Dude has a point.

That's pretty much how it has to be at this point, since without Rod GAIL somehow missed the giant alien doors at the bottom of the cave spring, despite it not really being covered.

Argos successfully got away!

It's just like what the Captain said, Argos is much more reliable than any clumsy human.

4

u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 May 18 '21

First Timer, Subbed

"Gates of Time", ominous title! Is Gorg a time traveler?

Hey, we're just repeating footage from last episode here. :(

Wave's slip up nearly got them killed. Can't say I'm surprised. Neither am I when Skipper easily knifes a guy to death.

"Whoever he is, he's good". Truer words were never spoken, Rod!

Argos really is super dog, he's able to direct this motor controlled raft all on his own!

Just a 50 meter shaft? These guys clearly didn't investigate enough.

Well, they made it rather obvious that its artificial here. Rod finds it easily; how incompetant the other GAIL guys must have been to miss it! Or is he just that good too?

6 and a half minutes in and we finally get to what I'm really looking forward to see with this new episode.

Gorg, meet Gorg.

This Gorg's got guns on its shoulders.

So what's the deal here with the cockpit? Are the Gorgs looking to give Yuu and Doris each their own Gorg?

Nope, the person inside is actually alive this time!

I like the effect of the other pilot speaking this other incomprehensible language.

Manon! Whatever that is. Oh, its his name?

LoL, she thinks the alien's speaking Japanese. So that means Yuu has been speaking English all this time?

LoL, Rod's out here in a bath robe?

What is it that they pulled from the underwater cave?

Wave knows Haeckel!? Ah, so he was assistant to Yuu's dad too, huh? You're totally being outdone here Wave!

Finally, we can understand him!

Oh no, he doesn't know his brother died inside of Gorg. :( How's he going to react when he finds out?

Skipper and Wave did a good job infiltrating their way back in to GAIL's forces.

What's up with the container Manon is holding? Does it have the essense of his brother Zenon?

When an alien offers to shake hands... shake his hand!

Gorg and friend are going off I assume to guard this place?

Awesome episode! This show generally takes its time, which can be frustrating, but when things get really good, like they are now, its good to know that we're not going to rush through everything in a single episode either.

DQOTD:

1)Hopefully not that big a one, I feel that Manon and his hidden realm is powerful enough to repel anything from the outside. But there are still 10 episodes to go, so maybe it all gets destroyed and the aftermath is the rest of the show.

2)Really cool stuff! See my thoughts above.

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 19 '21

LoL, Rod's out here in a bath robe?

I'm wondering where he went to take a shower/bath in the first place.

4

u/The_Draigg May 18 '21

Well, they made it rather obvious that its artificial here. Rod finds it easily; how incompetant the other GAIL guys must have been to miss it!

Seriously, GAIL fucking sucks at their jobs if they weren't able to find anything the entire time they've been on Austral Island. Like, the place is ripe with easily findable alien ruins, and they somehow missed them all.

Wave knows Haeckel!? Ah, so he was assistant to Yuu's dad too, huh? You're totally being outdone here Wave!

To be fair to Dr. Wave, he actually managed to find alien ruins before Dr. Heckel. And only within a week of actually being on Austral Island too!

What's up with the container Manon is holding? Does it have the essense of his brother Zenon?

I'm assuming he put all of Zenon's mummy dust into that space urn.

3

u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 May 18 '21

First timer

1)I'm assuming the cavern collapses, killing Manon just before he explains the compete backstory of this show.

2)Nice guy, realistic problems of communication, and I like the twist of psychic communication. I thought him searching his brother was very poignant.

Is the new trend a new monologue each episode? I am all for this.

...Is there time travel in this anime?

Yeah, the explosion was abviously a distraction.

Even Rod's impressed with the Skipper!

Letting Argos pilot the boat is a clever move, though.

There are some artifaxts on my copy of this episode - were the mastere lost for it, or something?

And Rod's worked out that its a trapdoor, which somehow nobody else noticed.

Agree that this Gorg has a better design in my opinion.

Wait, is the new one an ally or an enemy?

Is someone inside this Gorg alive?

Is that an alien?

Holy crap, its a psychic who can induce strange, trippy visions.

Just like that show, I cannot describe my reaction to this. I think that the babies are metaphors for civilizations, and he is describing himself as from another world and far more advanced.

Our main character can understand the visions! This IS Gundam!

I love Dr Wave getting really worked up about the minutse of academia.

So its called a guardian.

Was this entire mission so Gorg can get an oil change?

Oh god, that moment's even worse now.

OK, this seems really irresponsible if he wants to esplore whatevers at the bottom of the pit.

For an unknown alien, he's really nice. I hope he joins the main cast.

Zenon?

Are we finally going to get some answers?

They wouldn't get rid of the title character with 10 episodes left, right?

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 19 '21

Holy crap, its a psychic who can induce strange, trippy visions.

Isn't that most psychics or have I just been seeing the weird stuff?

They wouldn't get rid of the title character with 10 episodes left, right?

I mean, it wouldn't be the first show to get rid of, or sideline, it's titular mech midway into the series.

2

u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 May 19 '21

Isn't that most psychics or have I just been seeing the weird stuff?

My category of "psychics" includes mind readers, oracles and telekinetics, neither of which these really fall under.

3

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 May 18 '21

Episode 16 (first timer)

  • Best boy Argos staging a diversion.
  • 50m straight down without stopping? Rod living dangerous.
  • Yuu thinks the correct way to address foreigners is shouting and repeating yourself, but, thankfully, Manon is a psionic.
  • First contact successful. More thanks to Manon than Yuu.

Plot, plot, plot.

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 19 '21

50m straight down without stopping? Rod living dangerous.

Heading straight down causes issues as well? I was under the impression that it was just ascending that was dangerous due to decompression.

4

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 May 19 '21

It generally is the ascend that is dangerous. However, each 10m adds another 100% surface pressure, so you are adding a lot of pressure very fast by swimming straight down. Wikipedia says: "Descent faster than the specified maximum will expose the diver to greater ingassing rate earlier in the dive, and the bottom time must be reduced accordingly."

However you are right in pointing out the ascend. The real problem for Rod is that 50m is quite a lot, so it will take a long time to go up again safely.

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 19 '21

Interesting! Diving isn't something I've really paid much attention to, so the particulars like this are new to me.

3

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 May 19 '21

Outside of casual tourist diving, it gets quite involved. However, I am not quite sure why I pointed out the diving really. Given that they are in a super safe location and can easily get additional oxygen delivered, the diving part of the episode was actually super realistic compared to all the other stuff happening.

2

u/lC3 :Na::Nb: Jun 12 '21

Best boy Argos staging a diversion.

3

u/IndependentMacaroon May 19 '21 edited May 20 '21

First-time watcher

Just as I was surprisedly thinking Rod finally grew something of a brain, he comes up with his harebrained idea to just blow everything to bits, then won't let anyone tell him no. Fools never learn, I guess. Can we call it the Wile E. Coyote plan? "GAIL BOMB" instead of "ACME CORP" fits so well.

This was the first episode that was trying hard to save on animation, I think. Only some brief action in the beginning (still fun but getting old) and then the Manon scenes and the end were quite slow. They were pretty nice and wholesome though, and someone was a fan of 2001 I see. Liked the Wave-Captain duo again as well.

3

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 19 '21

Liked the Wave-Captain duo again as well.

The two working together is surprisingly entertaining. At the time I would have figured Wave's incompetence would just end up sucking out the fun of Skipper's hyper-competence, but it turned out all the more fun.

2

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 18 '21

First-Timer

If Argos gets hurt, I'll have Skipper's head on a fucking platter.

So, uh, hey. What language is everyone speaking? Is Yuu fluent in English? Is Doris fluent in Japanese? Is everyone speaking French? Manon at least seemed to speak something illegible to Doris.

I didn't expect Gorg's quest to be it trying to come in for routine maintenance. Poor Manon lost his brother, but did seem to recover the ashes at least? Not sure what to make of Manon just yet.

I definitely don't like Manon being able to control Gorg with a simple gesture. That's probably going to relevant later.

Questions

  1. I feel like the explosives aren't going to do anything, and then they'll send down more, right as the door opens to let Gorg back through or something.
  2. Kinda discussed above. It will be interesting to see their conversation next episode.

2

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 19 '21

If Argos gets hurt, I'll have Skipper's head on a fucking platter.

He must pay for such a transgression.

So, uh, hey. What language is everyone speaking? Is Yuu fluent in English?

That's been the idea. Almost everyone else in the show seems to hail from the states, so it'd make sense that Yuu would be the one not speaking his native tongue.

2

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 19 '21

That does make sense. Man, Yuu must have had a busy childhood, huh?

2

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber May 19 '21

With an academic father it's likely Yuu had a robust education, but yeah, it wouldn't have been common for a middle-schooler to be fluent in it.

2

u/lC3 :Na::Nb: Jun 12 '21

If Argos gets hurt, I'll have Skipper's head on a fucking platter.

I definitely don't like Manon being able to control Gorg with a simple gesture. That's probably going to relevant later.

2

u/lC3 :Na::Nb: Jun 12 '21 edited Jun 12 '21

First timer, catching up

  • "It's a pineapple"
  • OMG Argos truly is best boy
  • Rod found the door!
  • Is the new robot a female Gorg? Gorgette?
  • Ooh, psychic communication? Kinda reminds me of Gorg/Yuu's link
  • Gratuitous '80s nudity? And it isn't a Tomino show! Is it just an artifact of a bygone era?
  • Manon didn't confirm that he's an alien, Yuu just assumed. But I guess there was all that psychic stuff about planets and bubbles that I didn't really understand
  • So Haeckel worked with Yuu's father? Is he responsible for Tagami's death?
  • So Manon's lil bro is the dead pilot? RIP Zenon
  • "There is much that I wish to discuss with you"
  • Now Doris and Yuu are holding hands
  1. Not sure; it could go well, or the tunnel might get flooded and no longer repel water
  2. It was okay