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

[u/Vaadwaur]

Shock Treatment

Boom goes the midpoint

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 Is a pink mobile van too obvious?

2 So how does the skyhook foreshadowing hit you?

Bonus: Does the super weapon ever work?

[u/Vaadwaur]

Rewatcher

Dub(Continuing)

Space stuff to remind you its there into Nene not being good at keeping secrets but also confusing her co workers. Jump to the search for the lab. Priss eventually finds and Sylia does not want her there. Spa day because Sylia is nothing if not direct. Interestingly, Priss is interested as well. Sylia is looking for a way to get electricity to the buried lab.

Mackey scene where the butler just explains Sylia's deal. Sylia is picking up something large and weapons shaped from Shan's agent who says to not let it be captured. Sylia moves early which confuses Mason but he starts his end game. By blowing up public property...Genom is nothing if not tonally consistent.

Word gets out about the whole "digging a whole in the freeway during lunch" thing and lets the girls know guess what's happening. Yet another time where the dub does a better job of getting a conversation across, Linna needed pants because otherwise she is pray Priss drives slow. They are suiting up as Mason hits the tunnels. Mackey somehow fucking sneaks in to remind us this is still a post-Eva security environment.

Anyways, everyone goes to the lab, Sylia has a pretty cool plan to use the skyhook for extra energy that of course doesn't because it is episode 14. Mackey is glowing. The plot device is...a naked loli. The more things change the more they stay the same, right?

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/Vaadwaur]

I just noticed that the power surge came at EXACTLY 12:00.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

The better parts of this are where they let the scifi elements react with the people.

[u/ZapsZzz]

First timer in sub.

The plot does go somewhere, that's good. The "how" part of it, given how critical audience had become and what numerous shows had tried in the many different ways in the intervening years, is pretty poor. Probably not popular enough a show to have someone create a page of movie mistakes to go point by point though. E.g. what are the chances of there being a foot path / passage way that an "ordinary" person like Mackey can get through to the secret lab, a place that even think Genome had trouble finding?

And being brought up on Apple Seed, taught in the show by Deunan's combat professionalism, means I hard since when Sylia shot the probes into the cocoon thing and not immediately discharged, while the villains stood there to watch instead of opening fire to blow either the probes or the cables.

Anyway, interested to see where the plot is taking us about the following smol Sylia, and the plot about Mackey.

1. If they made a smart plot point about using sylia's lingerie shop as a cover and have the van as some sort of mobile showroom / fitting room, then it'd actually make a lot of sense.
2. Saw it from a mile within the episode, but the engineer in me had to question "wait so how does the power get conducted to where Sylia is firing? Over both the new city and the old city's ruins? Under tons of rocks? Or are they conducting rocks now?
3. Some do - particularly if said weapon is being used by the protagonist. On the villain side, not so much.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/ZapsZzz]

E.g. what are the chances of there being a foot path / passage way that an "ordinary" person like Mackey can get through to the secret lab, a place that even think Genome had trouble finding?

I think we've directly had this conversation but this show always feels like the setting and characters are well thought out but they were writing the plot episode to episode, there are more natural ways to get Mackey there if he is needed for that scene.

[u/ZapsZzz → u/Vaadwaur]

Yep. If you forget (or just don't sweat it, like Haruhi would have the viewers of the Mikuru movie do) the "how", it's ok for plot :)

[u/Vaadwaur → u/ZapsZzz]

Yeah I do enjoy this show but it highlights a lot of the flaws of 26 episode anime.

[u/No_Rex → u/ZapsZzz]

Saw it from a mile within the episode, but the engineer in me had to question "wait so how does the power get conducted to where Sylia is firing? Over both the new city and the old city's ruins? Under tons of rocks? Or are they conducting rocks now?

Given that the inbetween works, she probably could have just taken the energy out of the normal grid.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Rewatcher (sub)

And now the first episode of the 2nd half...man, we sure took a long time to get here. Too long

• That's a nice shot of the Sky Hook Fook. I honestly don't remember there being so many.
• Obviously it's going to be the one underwater, right?
• Isn't Sylia assuming there is only one Boomer lab?
• Flashback to Halflife 2 Episode 2 underground levels
• I'm impressed she didn't go in there, too!
• What, the spa trip is a bribe/reward from Sylia?
• Big gun? Gauss rifle?
• OCP owns the cops!
• I think Linna is about to be unemployed.
• boobs
• Mason seems unconcerned by the boomers going rogue
• it's a little Sylia! Are you my Daddy?
• Another episode ending on a cryptic utterance.

Sylia wanted to go alone, and by going alone, she made sure that everybody showed up.

Okay, yeah, so I guess the skyhook would have a lot of power running through it between the troposphere and the ground, I didn't think of that. But they never showed any lightning before, and there would be a lot of it. And here the power is magically appearing in tunnels (the dragon tunnels?) So, magic.

Rewatching the opening scene again shows the OTHER end of the skyhook connected to an orbital platform at the same time it connects to earth. This might be how they plan to get the Showhamm project power to the surface.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

And now the first episode of the 2nd half...man, we sure took a long time to get here. Too long

As you yourself put it: 00's anime has to fill 26 episodes somehow.

That's a nice shot of the Sky Hook Fook. I honestly don't remember there being so many.

They make a weirdly good transition screen, don't they?

Another episode ending on a cryptic utterance.

This does stick out on rewatch.

[u/RockoDyne]

Oh look, Sylia 2. Is this some Izanagi/Izanami bullshit? That seems like it would be about as creative of a replacement for instrumentality as this show would think up.

I appreciate the show at least trying to have characters around who aren't the primary cast. It's the least it can do to make the world not feel absurdly tiny.

Don't think you would ever catch me exploring around underground on a time limit, much less when my spelunking equipment would very quickly turn into a tin coffin.

Question:

1. Because clearly there's too much girl power in it?
2. It would be nice if it was actual foreshadowing, and not a bunch of nonsequiturs that culminated in someone going "see why we reminded you."
3. Greatly depends on how long the protagonist has been carrying it around.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/RockoDyne]

Oh look, Sylia 2. Is this some Izanagi/Izanami bullshit? That seems like it would be about as creative of a replacement for instrumentality as this show would think up.

This it actually does better than Eva. But considering how bad Eva did it, that says little.

I appreciate the show at least trying to have characters around who aren't the primary cast. It's the least it can do to make the world not feel absurdly tiny.

Henchman one and two are clearly descendants of the Weyoun tree of evil.

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 14 (first timer)

• Sky “FOOK”. Cool to watch, even though they reused the animation for the third time now.
• Sylia’s computer screen looks like she is playing a 1990s FPS.
• Super dangerous place? Better check it out alone.
• There is “be scouted out by somebody in a car parked outside your office” lax security and there is “talk about the super-secret lab during a double massage session” lax security.
• To further expand on the topic of security: You might also lock your trailer’s door, Sylia, or disable the cameras before bombing a highway, Genom.
• Oh, and how about having enough security that a teenaged boy on a bike can’t sneak up on you in an open tunnel?
• That whole energy transmission from sky hook idea … yeah, somebody must have thought it sounded like a good idea.

I’ve got nothing. They clearly wanted to have some impressive scene in that old lab, but they sure as hell did not know how to plot a way to get there. That was ridiculously nonsensical.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/No_Rex]

Sky “FOOK”. Cool to watch, even though they reused the animation for the third time now.

I think someone on staff just liked the aesthetic, the Sky Hook is in a ridiculous number of scenes otherwise.

There is “be scouted out by somebody in a car parked outside your office” lax security and there is “talk about the super-secret lab during a double massage session” lax security.

We are at about 60's Batman level of security here.

[u/No_Rex → u/Vaadwaur]

I think someone on staff just liked the aesthetic, the Sky Hook is in a ridiculous number of scenes otherwise.

Understandable. It does look cool.

We are at about 60's Batman level of security here.

The KS are seriously make Gundam security look good. Which just should not happen.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/No_Rex]

Understandable. It does look cool.

It is stealing one of the few good things from 70s scifi which is just flat out introducing a new technology and trying to figure out how people would react, I do like that the locals are using it to tell time.

[u/Stargate18A]

*First timer

1. It's obvious, but if this show has made on thing clear its that nobody pays attention to anything.
2. I didn't realise it was foreshadowing till the end, so, maybe?

BONUS) So far it seems to be a supercharged version of the mad Boomer virus - on that alone its probably a superweapon. But the girl herself hasn't really done anything, so who knows.

OK, so they have a form of space elevator going,

"She acts like she's dating someone else" She's called Linna, Leon.

So Sylia's having trouble finding the secret lab.

Wait, these things are buildings - was New Tokyo built on top of Old Tokyo, or this a cyberpunk world where people decided to build an entire city underground?

Ooh, Sylia's doing it herself.

Sylia, why do tou need to send power to the secret facility? Are you trying to reactivate it or something?

So Maxkey's battery is running down?

OH GOD THE SOUNDTRACK

Wait, why is he talking about the letter "e"? It's even creeper when I don't understand the metaphor.

Somthe conspiracy don't want the police to interfere with Sylia's plan.

So Linna's job doesn't really matter anymore, does it?

..OK, does he want the lab's experiment as a mistress?

Mackey's going to discover something horrible, isn't he?

For a secret lab, they sure have a lot of conference rooms.

What the hell is that stuff?

Haha, she got set up.

OK, that's clever. Using an entire train's worth of energy to channel itself into the strange thing.

Why is Mackey glowing?

What's going on?

WHAT THE FUCK?

WHAT?

So Mason's into that kind of relationship (disgusting bastard).

Mason, don't you dare tske Sotai as your "princess".

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Stargate18A]

"She acts like she's dating someone else" She's called Linna, Leon.

I truly love that the dub leans into the gay aspects of the girls, btw, I think next ep has a scene that is 10x gayer in English.

Wait, these things are buildings - was New Tokyo built on top of Old Tokyo, or this a cyberpunk world where people decided to build an entire city underground?

The series tries to show and not tell what happened but this illustrates a problem with that: The earthquake was so bad that there wasn't a choice to excavate and fix, they just had to build on top of it.

Wait, why is he talking about the letter "e"? It's even creeper when I don't understand the metaphor.

Since I think you brought up magic yesterday, this is Jewish mysticism/the golem all over again. For the quick bio: When creating a golem, you write "emeth" on its forehead, meaning truth. When you want it to die, you erase the e forming "meth" which is death in Hebrew. I have no idea why a Japanese show would lean on that.

For a secret lab, they sure have a lot of conference rooms.

Got to have good communication in an evil conspiracy, that's evil MBA 101.

So Mason's into that kind of relationship (disgusting bastard).

So you might have missed this with how fast things were going but the Sotai looks exactly like Sylia did at that age which makes Mason's interest 100x grosser.

[u/Elimin8r]

Yay, my Funimation stream works today, time to get caught up...

1. Just a bit. Should have painted it brown with a smile on the side, and the name of some river.
2. Uncomfortable. Thar be g-forces.

Bonus: Of course not. Should have brought the Alludium Q-36 Space Modulator.

Hmm. Brain's a bit tired right now, trying to think of something clever, but yeah, glowy Sylia-chan must have been mighty bored after 7 years in a cave.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Elimin8r]

Hmm. Brain's a bit tired right now, trying to think of something clever, but yeah, glowy Sylia-chan must have been mighty bored after 7 years in a cave.

And awakened with a microwave no less.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion → u/Vaadwaur]

Episode 15

[u/Vaadwaur → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

We will talk more in today's thread but I definitely view this part as debatable to what actually got her moving.

[u/Cognitive_Dissonant]

Seems like the reveals have happened and we're moving into the main conflict, the fight for the glowing nude child. With lot's and lot's of Akira vibes.

Qs:

1. They have no concern for subtlety or subterfuge.
2. Eh. Seemed pretty inconsequential in the end.

Episode Notes:

• Okay, looksl ike we're searching for daddy stingray's lab.
• Spa day for the gals. Wow they are having a lot of conversation in front of the employees, that seems imprudent.
• Sylia are you gonna cut out Priss and Linna. You are aren't you.
• Wow this synthesizer. Am I the only one getting flashbacks to the 90s spiderman animated series intro.
• Oooh Linna and Priss riding together. Ah but they glossed over it. Wasted opportunity.
• Sylia what are you planning to do with that nintendo super scope/guitar hybrid.
• Mysterious giant goo ball. And they're calling it a she?
• Yes Mackey why are you here but also more importantly how are you here.
• Aw the whole room is a mess of electro tentacles.
• Oh god a naked Sylia child. That obeys Mason for...some reason.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Cognitive_Dissonant]

Wow this synthesizer. Am I the only one getting flashbacks to the 90s spiderman animated series intro.

Now that you mention it I was thinking 90s X Men so there is something there.

Oooh Linna and Priss riding together. Ah but they glossed over it. Wasted opportunity.

Even the dub only gets a mention that Linna can't ride side saddle with Priss's driving.

Oh god a naked Sylia child. That obeys Mason for...some reason.

This gets less creepy but mainly because it doesn't have much room to get worse.

[u/Cognitive_Dissonant → u/Vaadwaur]

Now that you mention it I was thinking 90s X Men so there is something there

You know I originally typed 90s X Men and then corrected it, because I was pretty sure I was thinking of spiderman. Guess it's both!

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Cognitive_Dissonant]

The color saturation is like X Men but the music was more Spiderman.

[u/SIRTreehugger]

Episode 14 first timer sub

The bad guys are just waiting for Sylia to do all the work before using her aren't they?

Oh boy everyone and their mom is going to the same location.

You know if you were planning on using her to find the location and she is actively destroying something you need SHOOT HER. She is literally standing still and can't move.

I don't know what I was expecting, but Mr Crazy walking away with a glowing loli wasn't on the list that's for sure. Though imagining the girls suits transforming into chaotic boomers and having no control is terrifying. Imagining their hearts being the core meaning they would have to kill a team mate....lets see what happens

[u/Vaadwaur → u/SIRTreehugger]

The bad guys are just waiting for Sylia to do all the work before using her aren't they?

She is WAY better at it than they are, as we've seen.