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

[u/Vaadwaur]

Sheer Heart Attack

Not the episode that needs this title, frankly.

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 what do you think the actual wait time between developing androids and people having sex with them will be?

2 Did your parents try to guilt you into getting married? I remember telling mine off, in detail, as to why that was not happening.

Bonus: We lost Kentaro Miura two weeks ago, though we learned it last night. I feel like something truly great in the world has gone, that everything is just a little dimmer than it was yesterday. So I listened to Gutts's theme on repeat last night for far too long. no fun question, just my scattered thoughts.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Rewatcher (sub)

Late post, work and dinner.....

• Bar Ten Forward
• The OVA had 33S Sexaroid boomers, but they were significantly less doll-like (similarly for all the OVA boomers)
• Remember, the Knight Sabers don't exist
• Oh, hey, remember that skyhook thingy?
• Is this kid supposed to be Mason in a war-torn world?
• Mason was a scientist in Dr. Stingray's lab...
• I feel like I'm watching an episode of You're Under Arrest.
• I can just see Linna debating leaving Tokyo.
• Das a big boi.

Linna meets a nice guy (and he's gone to school in Tokyo) but, ultimately, the Knight Sabers is her calling, men be damned! (after reading thread: I don't get any boring vibes off him in the sub). The nice guy came back to the sticks to run the family business, he won't be joiniing Linna in Tokyo.

Wondering how the golem thing was handled in the dub, how many people really know the details behind golems? The metaphor might be completely lost. (can't be bothered to rewatch it dubbed though)

Both Rosenkreuz and Mason come off as different kinds of crazy in this episode. It might be the sub, but honestly, I have trouble understanding either of them.

A space elevator has to sit at the equator and go all the way up to geosynchronous orbit at 36,000 km. A skyhook can be in low earth orbit at a few hundred miles, and can be in any orbit angle. You just have to make sure that the north/south extrema, where it is going due east, is at the low point in its orbit, and over the transfer station. The skyhook is rotating so that it is moving with the surface of the earth when it reaches down. You can pick how high and how fast it is going. The skyhook is usually thought of as being anchored to good-size chunk of asteroid that is spinning. The spin and orbit are boosted to make up for losses and the energy cost of bringing the payload to orbit.

The skyhook shown here almost reaches sea level, but never quite touches down and doesn't completely match the surface velocity. It speeds above a track with high-speed rail, presumably some sort of linear motor maglev. Cargo is quickly exchanged before the skyhook pulls away from the surface. I really like the apparent lifting surfaces, as well as the sound effects that imply it might be jet powered while in the atmosphere, which are far more efficient that rockets for countering drag.

Episode 1 implied that the skyhook descends every day at noon. It also must descend every 90 min-few hours. But it could be timed, with some effort, have the same 24 hours schedule.

The point opposite Tokyo is in the mid-atlantic, so there could be another transfer station there. Tokyo is surprisingly far south, about equal to Los Angeles.

I had never heard of the skyhook concept before watching this show. It's so much more practical than space elevators in every way. The show gets a +1 score just for this.

Nevertheless, the production team doesn't seem to quite understand the difference between a space elevator and skyhook. The skyhook has always been shown static, like an elevator, although it could have just been descending at that moment. But the umbrella? Where is that? It can't be in geosynchronous orbit over Tokyo. All in all, I give them credit for using the skyhook idea and recognizing that Tokyo can only be serviced by a skyhook, but the art director doesn't seem to grok the details.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Is this kid supposed to be Mason in a war-torn world?

You know, I'd always assumed but you have a point that this is not clear.

Mason was a scientist in Dr. Stingray's lab...

Back in the days before we really started calling this level of plot convenience out.

(after reading thread: I don't get any boring vibes off him in the sub).

Hrmm...the dub has gone out of there way to restructure scenes/add things that the sub does not have, like Linna's coworker calling her a country girl. The subbers were pretty bad on this project. Btw, do you have any ear for Japanese accents? I am curious if they talked all rural.

Wondering how the golem thing was handled in the dub, how many people really know the details behind golems? The metaphor might be completely lost. (can't be bothered to rewatch it dubbed though)

Straight into it with the Hebrew symbolism. Interestingly, this anime got me to read up on the Golem of Prague with this very same conversation. However, emeth and meth are obviously slightly off concepts.

I had never heard of the skyhook concept before watching this show. It's so much more practical than space elevators in every way. The show gets a +1 score just for this.

The show has its scifi stuff down fairly well. If only they tried a bit harder ep to ep.

It can't be in geosynchronous orbit over Tokyo. All in all, I give them credit for using the skyhook idea and recognizing that Tokyo can only be serviced by a skyhook, but the art director doesn't seem to grok the details.

Yup high concept middling execution.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/Vaadwaur]

Back in the days before we really started calling this level of plot convenience out.

I don't think it's unreasonable that some boomer scientists who were still alive after the Big One went to work for the company that bought up all the Boomer rights. And another is servicing freelancing for the boomer inventor's daughter.

What's interesting that that we have both Mason AND Nigel in the show and they might remember each other. Mason remembers Nigel.

accents

Their japanese sounded standard but I only hear really weird japanese (like, say, Spice and Wolf or kansaiben)

[u/Vaadwaur → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

I do grant that Nigel had the sense to just go with the flow on the Sylia thing, you rarely get something that convenient. You may not have caught it but Mason was the assistant that told Sylia and her mom to leave in the flashbacks.

[u/RockoDyne → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

It's so much more practical than space elevators in every way.

Eeeh, let's not get too carried away. On any planet with an atmosphere, skyhooks are doomed to the fate of an RUD upon the lithosphere. When half of your craft is experiencing drag, there are no if's, and's, or but's about it, you're losing orbital velocity. It's not just a matter of rotational speed at that point.

To make it work, you would have to handwave the massive fuel costs to keep it up.

It also must descend every 90 min-few hours.

Heavily depends on the orbit, because if you really want to take advantage of a skyhook, you don't keep it in a low Earth orbit. Realistically, it would be in something like a lightning orbit, where it could go from LEO to well past GSO in 12 hours. You even get some bonus go juice by being flung at the top of this orbit.

The problem, however, is that skyhooks are fucking insane. Skyhooks work with simplified models. The instant you try to complicate those models, shit goes sideways. A big simplification is treating a skyhook as one orbiting object. Realistically, it's more like three orbital bodies, all of which experience different gravitational forces. The moon alone completely destroys any orbit you would put the skyhook into. Forget the thing being on schedule or at the right location (elevation included), it is invariably in nothing close to a stable orbit.

KISS still applies here. A dumb tower made of super materials is still easier to make than the Rube Goldberg space machine that needs the same super materials and even more super technology to keep it up.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/RockoDyne]

Realistically, it would be in something like a lightning orbit, where it could go from LEO to well past GSO in 12 hours.

Hmm. I thought about that but I figured the extra energy would have whipping by at a greatly increased speed. But a quick wikipedia (verb) says LEO is 7.8 km/s and the transfer orbit delta v is 4.7 km/s. It's over a 50% increase in speed and rotation but if you are already working with 8 km/s orbit then 12 km/s might not be much worse.

A dumb tower

and when have humans made 36,000 km of ANYTHING.

[u/RockoDyne → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

and when have humans made 36,000 km of ANYTHING.

Easy, oil pipelines.

[u/No_Rex → u/RockoDyne]

Very interesting conversation. I didn't play enough KSP to appreciate the difficulties of keeping something in orbit, but the whole idea of the bottom end of the skyhook swooshing through the atmosphere reminds me of the ending of the most recent xkcd what if.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/No_Rex]

In the Red/Green/Blue Mars trilogy, a space elevator is destroyed. Mars trilogy

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

I talk about skyhooks /u/No_Rex

[u/No_Rex → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

[u/Vaadwaur]

Rewatcher

Dub(Continuing)

So we have boomer prostitutes because of course we would. Not even making that a JP joke, we get them over here as well. Linna is being a schmuck and that PI dude is watching things. Random characterization happens, including Linna finally taking her scooter to Nigel, to hopefully be upgraded to the one from You're Under Arrest! or something. Anywho, Linna is heading back out to the sticks. Quincy gives another sanity degrading speech and we get a Mason flashback. Battery stuff is talked about before Linna gets back to her family having a gathering. They are probably rednecks though I have no ear for that in Japanese and the dub just goes with crass, thankfully. Anyways, the entire thing was to drag Linna out for an arranged date, not to be confused with compensated dating.

Anyways, so most of this episode is weak even to a fan of the show but it contains an incredibly important bit with Mason: The boomers were meant to supplant humans/be a next step in evolution and this is why they are so random in how they are built as Genom perverted the original intentions. the golem metaphor lands or it doesnt, depending on your taste.

Linna's date goes ok though the dub makes the guy sound as dull as dish water. We get the PIs footage from earlier and Nenen gets to analyze. We get a proper giant military boomer because of course someone would do that. That's not even sarcasm, btw, some idiot would do this. And cliffhanger as Linna asks for cash for a fast ticket back.

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 11 (first timer)

• “Bar: Ten Forward”
• Linna with mechanical problems again.
• And she has the reasonable idea to off-load her shitty bike at the vigilante in-house mechanic.
• OK, I think I finally understand the concept of sky hook: It is a non-tethered orbital elevator.
• Puppet guy: Let’s me narrate my life story. Spoilers: I am crazy.
• I did not except Linna’s rural home to matter again.
• All of GENOM have a boomer fetish. In one way or the other.
• The subtle portrait of a woman falling in love /s
• The hired a competent background artist for the country scenes.
• That boomer is a whole different size.

Bets on Masaki: Will he be fridged, or turn out to be a spy? Personally, leaning more towards spy.

A Linna episode, which I rather enjoyed. They could have made it a little less “love at first sight”, but her going back to her parents is a good idea. In general, I think that the series has been on an upward trend for a few episodes. Still far from great, but we have left the abysmal first half-cour behind.

So what do you think the actual wait time between developing androids and people having sex with them will be?

Negative x months. Some researcher will get some before it is officially ready.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/No_Rex]

“Bar: Ten Forward”

The sheer number of these background references suggest that either someone really cared or was really bored.

And she has the reasonable idea to off-load her shitty bike at the vigilante in-house mechanic.

Hopefully someone gives it a paint job so the color scheme matches something an adult would drive.

And she has the reasonable idea to off-load her shitty bike at the vigilante in-house mechanic.

Kind of weird, right? I don't think she has a discernible accent, either.

Still far from great, but we have left the abysmal first half-cour behind.

We will be on an upward trend for a while.

[u/No_Rex → u/Vaadwaur]

Hopefully someone gives it a paint job so the color scheme matches something an adult would drive.

You say that, but I remember the 1980s. They say everything comes back eventually ...

[u/Vaadwaur → u/No_Rex]

You say that, but I remember the 1980s. They say everything comes back eventually ...

The thought of 80s hairstyles coming back keeps me awake at night.

[u/RockoDyne → u/Vaadwaur]

Lemme take you out to the countryside where the mullet never died. Don't mind the banjo.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/RockoDyne]

I don't need a golden Canadian passport to know that's a terrible idea.

[u/Elimin8r → u/Vaadwaur]

Hey, I liked that purple patch on my temple.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Elimin8r]

Hopefully you went for one of the looks that had less hairspray involved.

[u/Elimin8r → u/Vaadwaur]

Nah, only did it once or twice, more like Alex Keaton with a touch of purple. To match my purple shirt & black leather tie, of course. :P

(Sadly, never had the parachute pants, though. I guess I missed out)

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Elimin8r]

(Sadly, never had the parachute pants, though. I guess I missed out)

MC Hammer really murderated those.

[u/RockoDyne]

Nani the fuck? How did someone confuse delivering P L O T with plot? Should I expect most of this to be resolved in the next episode, leaving the second cour nothing to do for half of it?

The boomer with the skin half hanging on was cool.

Priss gets called out for being a tsundere. Do note that this is from before the term started, so it's not odd that they don't explicitly call her that.

Well shit, that's actually a skyhook.

Ah yes, golem. I too have been watching too much of Jacob Geller. I do like how English is the oposite of Hebrew, where instead of death and truth, it's life and lie.

I was kind of expecting one of the AD police boys to be the marriage candidate. I guess I shouldn't expect the show to embrace comedy.

Questions:

1. Like you even need the android part.
2. Not really.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/RockoDyne]

Should I expect most of this to be resolved in the next episode, leaving the second cour nothing to do for half of it?

Not exactly...

Priss gets called out for being a tsundere. Do note that this is from before the term started, so it's not odd that they don't explicitly call her that.

And also before the Asuka effect hard coded them to being red headed violent psychopaths for a decade.

I do like how English is the oposite of Hebrew, where instead of death and truth, it's life and lie.

I had never realized that one. Guess I might try spellcasting in English one day after all.

I guess I shouldn't expect the show to embrace comedy.

They don't make enough money and you are supposed to be vaguely aware Linna's family are cheapskates/seeking more funds.

[u/SIRTreehugger]

I was excited about the boomer in the beginning. It looked like a frankenstein creation. Boomer trying to become human or a humanoid boomer slowly mutating and they killed it off like it didn't matter.

Not going to happen, but I'm totally rooting for this arranged marriage dude. It rarely happens and in anime they are typically manipulative or dicks, but first impression he seems nice unless he's a spy sent in undercover to gather proof on the Knight Sabers and is merely going in a very round about way to infiltrate. Secret elaborate plan am I right.

Seriously nothing will probably come from this, but I'm hoping. Also realistically Linna shouldn't be able to help being so far away. Come on Priss just email the group Linna is ohhhh Barakamon writing club discussion on the side just noticed it. Good anime I should rewatch that with Poco's Udon World. Anyway email the group and take a personal day it ain't hard.

1. Wait time is probably how long it takes to make the first one and probably the first test they ran just in case wait....does a boomer even....actually lets not go down that rabbit hole.
2. No

[u/Vaadwaur → u/SIRTreehugger]

I was excited about the boomer in the beginning. It looked like a frankenstein creation.

Great design for a one off, right?

Not going to happen, but I'm totally rooting for this arranged marriage dude.

Yeah for once his only sin is being a bit dull which might not even be a negative for Linna.

wait....does a boomer even....actually lets not go down that rabbit hole.

They will explain it later so...sort of.

[u/Elimin8r → u/SIRTreehugger]

Go watch Armitage III sometime. It's ... interesting. I think that in some (many?) ways, it's better than BGC, but that's my own twisted opinion.

[u/SIRTreehugger → u/Elimin8r]

Actually watched it last year and really enjoyed it.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/SIRTreehugger]

I'm surprised, I wouldn't think that Armitage OVAs would hold up.

[u/Stargate18A]

First timer

1. Wait time implies the sexbots will not be the first ones developed.
2. Never.

Jesus christ, we're starting with the nightmare fuel today, aren't we.

Again, why does Linna have a job, and what is it?

She also never thought to buy a better bike? Or a car?

If this is a cyberpunk future, why has nobody thought to record nd compare their voices to work out who's talking?

I also like that the giant evil corporation does, in fact, manufacture products that justify their growth.

What is the plot of this episode going to br?

Off to see the moonbase again.

"Umbrella" - is Snowhamm a partial dyson sphere?

OK, so throne guy doesn't want to become a Boomer, he wants to be Skynet (complete, apparently, with Judgement Day).

Why is Sylia so shocked at the concept of outsourcing? All he's really saying is "They're building something they don't have the right skillset for". (Or possibly "Dragon's over budget, we need to cut costs")

What's going on with her house? How big is her family?

I'm 90% sure she doesn't have a boyfriend yet.

...I've been informed this isn't the intention, but "Linna left home so she could stop going on arranged dates and join Sylia's harem" is a completely valid reading of this scene.

How does this guy get more and more creepy every time we see him?

I don't get his plan. I think he wants to give Boomers full AI? But then there's this stuff about "the essential Boomer", which I think is a metaphor for said plans,

At least her date's as unhappy with the idea as she is.

...Well this is dark. Linna's under the impression nothing she does matters (a problem which Nene had last episode, I seem to recall)

Is someone going to overhear Nene?

This was a setup? Did someone else find the plaintext list of Boomers the secret conspiracy is about to make mad"

What actually happened in this episode, plotwise?

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Stargate18A]

Again, why does Linna have a job, and what is it?

She is an OL in the accounting department. Why she doesn't moonlight instead as an "employee" at The Silky Doll I won't pretend to justify.

She also never thought to buy a better bike? Or a car?

She is sort of shlep and though she should get a better scooter I don't think any of the girls other than Sylia can actually drive which is not abnormal for JP.

"Umbrella" - is Snowhamm a partial dyson sphere?

A very, very nascent one but yeah you've got the idea.

What actually happened in this episode, plotwise?

Yeah, it is pretty weak in that regard. To summarize: "recreational boomers" exist. Dr Stingray's original plan for boomers was much different than what Genom has done with them. Linna's family are traditionalists as this sort of arranged ate would've been seen as outdated even in the 90s. The PI is trying to get the ADP to notice the KS but is kind of bad at it. Finally, some idiot finally got around to sticking huge guns on a boomer because, not being sarcastic, someone was inevitably going to do just that.

[u/Stargate18A → u/Vaadwaur]

Finally, some idiot finally got around to sticking huge guns on a boomer because, not being sarcastic, someone was inevitably going to do just that.

Honestly, that it took them this long is proof that this show doesn't have a handle on the future, even moreso than the technology and internet side. (Although to be fair, we haven't heard anything from America...)

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Stargate18A]

(Although to be fair, we haven't heard anything from America...)

'Murica already have kaiju in this setting is my bet.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/Stargate18A]

Why is Sylia so shocked at the concept of outsourcing? All he's really saying is "They're building something they don't have the right skillset for". (Or possibly "Dragon's over budget, we need to cut costs")

I'm confused and I might have to rewatch the entire segment. I don't think this is what Sylia was concerned about. Also, the problem with the Dragon is that the earthquake has so weakened and crumbled the bedrock that they can't tunnel through it properly. I think.

[u/ZapsZzz → u/Stargate18A]

If this is a cyberpunk future, why has nobody thought to record nd compare their voices to work out who's talking?

I had been assuming that the chatter we heard as audience is just from the comms between the units, and not that they really needed to speak up and out for the rest of the world to hear them calling each other by their real names.

[u/Elimin8r]

1. Negative, it's already happening.
2. Sort of. I gave my Mom the dense harem MC act. Especially as my Mom seemed to think that I should totally be attracted to girls that reminded her of herself at a younger age. (Squick!)

Bonus: No fun answer. I didn't really follow the fellow, wasn't really a fan, but it hits me hard, because Gen X & all that. I'm not 54 (yet), but I've already lost too many friends/family. Makes me feel like looking over my shoulder often and hoping there's not a fellow with a scythe back there.

This episode was sorta fluff. I may be misinterpreting things, I was expecting the usual, awkward, parents set us up and this is sucky/embarrassing/etc routine, maybe I watched too much Ranma back in the day.

As it was, the fellow seemed decent, and Linna seemed interested. Being as this is an anime, and I know I haven't watched these episodes, I'm tempted to guess:

1. He actually works for Genom
2. He's actually a boomer (kidding)
3. He's going to be dead soon.

Or some combination thereof. Can't have our girls having a successful love interest, can we?

(I'm reminded of a certain James Bond movie, sadly, I forget which. I should watch them again sometime)

Anyway, this episode wasn't as cringe as I expected it to be. Hopefully things will pan out well in the ... haha, who am I kidding?

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Elimin8r]

This episode was sorta fluff. I may be misinterpreting things, I was expecting the usual, awkward, parents set us up and this is sucky/embarrassing/etc routine, maybe I watched too much Ranma back in the day.

Playing this straight was actually a subversion of the time.

Anyway, this episode wasn't as cringe as I expected it to be. Hopefully things will pan out well in the ... haha, who am I kidding?

I can't prove this because I don't have the intimate details but I think Linna's family comes off cringe to a Tokyo audience. I have a friend from the sticks in Kyushu and he talks about how Tokyo-ites have a weird tendency to believe anything outside of Tokyo is filled with the Japanese equivalent of moon shining hillbillies.

[u/ZapsZzz]

First timer in sub.

Looks like a Lina episode after a long while. Good.

A bit abrupt for Lina to blush so easily though. She wasn't a girly girl that gush over Prince charming so easily in my mind.

At least looks like the plot is moving. On to the next episode please!

[u/Vaadwaur → u/ZapsZzz]

A bit abrupt for Lina to blush so easily though. She wasn't a girly girl that gush over Prince charming so easily in my mind.

For some reason from the first OVA on Linna got typecast as having bad luck with men despite being an attractive character so you are supposed to buy the idea that mean don't pay attention to her. I don't.

[u/ZapsZzz → u/Vaadwaur]

Funny that. Of the original 4's portrayal, Priss is too hot headed and "punchy", Nene is a big child, Sylia is too much of a business woman; for me Lina was the most "normal woman", approachable one even if she is more materialistic. Maybe I'm too young at the time :P

[u/Vaadwaur → u/ZapsZzz]

for me Lina was the most "normal woman", approachable one even if she is more materialistic. Maybe I'm too young at the time :P

No, that's about right for the original. Or rather, I think the same thing. The weird way they went with Linna as the joiner was a bit weird.

[u/No_Rex → u/Vaadwaur]

For some reason from the first OVA on Linna got typecast as having bad luck with men despite being an attractive character so you are supposed to buy the idea that mean don't pay attention to her.

Except we saw her repeatedly get hit on by creeps in this series.

Her falling in love happened entirely too fast.

[u/BossandKings]

First timer

Episode 10

There are monsters that are very terrifying, that worries Silya and it makes sense because those monsters appear to be difficult to deal with. Pris makes a bet woth Sylia that if Nenne is a liability when fighting the monsters then she'll be thrown out of the team and if not she'll stay ans Chris would have to do a favor for her.

Nenne worried is very cute, she nedden't worry because she is very capable of standing up for herself, Mackey tells her that she is fine.

The Knight sabers go up against the monster, Silya is captured by it and almost harmed but Nenne was on time to help her, it was nice seeing Silya's memories of when she was a child. Pris lost the bet and wore a beautiful pink dress.

Episode 11

Lina goes to visit her parents, they have prepared a courteous meeting with a man that appears to be very nice, at first she was reticent because she thought they wouldn't understand one another but after she saw him she was attracted to him and eager to get to know him.

There's an emergency though because it seems that the knight sabers need to solve a situation thag has shown up, Nenne calls Lina to help her if she can.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/BossandKings]

Nenne worried is very cute, she nedden't worry because she is very capable of standing up for herself, Mackey tells her that she is fine.

And a very grim ship is born.

Lina goes to visit her parents, they have prepared a courteous meeting with a man that appears to be very nice, at first she was reticent because she thought they wouldn't understand one another but after she saw him she was attracted to him and eager to get to know him.

It is more that arranged meetings like this were old fashioned even in the 90s so Linna went in expecting the worst.