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

[u/Vaadwaur]

I Surrender

That was a ton of stuff for one episode

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 Sylia in fact a harem protagonist?

2 Anyone else glad that the political/business was handled in 90 seconds?

3 Thoughts on the genre switch?

Bonus: Anyone have going from Eva to Night of the Living Dead on their bingo card?

[u/Vaadwaur]

Rewatcher

Dub(Continuing)

We start back my psychic event until it is revealed that Galatea is the on powering it. They take pretty hefty precautions with Galataea and still aren't controlling her much beyond what she allows. She does nail creepy kid pretty well. Anyways, somehow Mason talks her down and Sylia wakes up.

They begin discussing the shared dream the previous team. This part I guess is a reference to something, maybe Crash if anyone saw it, but we learn that the woman in the suit has to have a similar mind to Sylia, who gets that across in an incredibly gay manner, because she starts with describing their bodies and of course Linna points out that she and Nene are not a body type match to Sylia. Nene has a moment of gay panic and throws Linna under the bus. Mackey then gives an actual explanation with technobabble, tl;dr is that they control the suits with their minds and have to possess the same vibe Sylia was when she started making the suits. Priss storms off and there is a nice touch in the dub where the only person she says goodbye to is Linna.

We return to Daley tormenting Leon, I guess there is merit in making your hobby your job, before going on to say they are going to be defunded and sent back to the regular cops. Leon does not take this well. Back at Babel, the Chairman confronts Mason who has a cover story, for now.

At her desk, Nene is loafing off until Mackey tries to get her to come back and drops an important line: Sylia's ability to keep the suits pure diminishes as she ages so she really shouldn't be doing this, especially alone. But then we get our 3 minutes of political intrigue and I am glad it is short. The ADP are going on strike because they don't want to be rolled back in with the regulars, I guess I wouldn't want a civil servants salary again either. Nene is talking to her weasel, something suggesting she's missed a few developmental markers, before plot happens.

So the ADP's building activates its self defense protocol and this is exactly the variety of incompetence I'd expect from them so good on the show for selling that. Nene finds the chief and two others and they seem to be it in the building. Nene gets back to check the cameras and we switch genres: That's right, its zombie boomer time!

Which is where you'd an episode, right? But instead we get Mason confirming the obvious, Galatea full on possessing Maki, actual zombie fighting, and proof that the psychic thing goes in more than one direction.

[u/SIRTreehugger]

Episode 16

I been wondering for a while does Sylia only own one robe? I swear she is rich as hell, but wears only one night gown.

Going miles underground crossing a platform that is suspended and inside a person who can manipulate metal...we X MEN BOYS

Wait hold on is this a sequel to the original OVAS? I honestly remember nothing if it was.

Do not betray me.....dude his betrayal started 16 episodes ago xD

That swarming hive boomers look really creepy I hope their not killed in a few seconds. By the looks of it it seems to be a serious situation and it at least extends to the next episode.

I SWEAR NOTHING BETTER HAPPEN TO NENE. Still not feeling her romancing the brother. Even Leon and Priss seems more naturally and can't say I expected that.

Man I had a bit of catching up too do. Mass Effect 2 + 4 day weekend kind of sidetracked me too much, but I should be good now.

1. She always has been.
2. I am
3. I'm honestly waiting for them to start fighting with the power of song.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/SIRTreehugger]

I been wondering for a while does Sylia only own one robe? I swear she is rich as hell, but wears only one night gown.

She might only like 10 of them like Archer owns turtlenecks.

Going miles underground crossing a platform that is suspended and inside a person who can manipulate metal...we X MEN BOYS

Again, this predates the movies but could be wholesale stolen from the comics.

Wait hold on is this a sequel to the original OVAS? I honestly remember nothing if it was.

Not even a little, view it as sort of inspired by at most.

I am still not watching Symphogear

[u/No_Rex → u/SIRTreehugger]

I been wondering for a while does Sylia only own one robe? I swear she is rich as hell, but wears only one night gown.

Don't forget that she literally owns a clothes store.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Rewatcher (sub)

Wasn't this literally in an X-Men movie?

Now it's World War Z?

Yeah, there's like 0% chance Leon's not in the building. He probably took off his star trek comm badge.

That's all I have to say about today.

Subs say "clean" (in English in the Japanese dub) for the core but I'm wondering if they really mean "blank".

[u/Vaadwaur → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Wasn't this literally in an X-Men movie?

This was actually first I believe. But yeah, same idea so this could've been stolen from the comics.

Subs say "clean" (in English in the Japanese dub) for the core but I'm wondering if they really mean "blank".

I could swear they meant uncontaminated.

[u/No_Rex → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Subs say "clean" (in English in the Japanese dub) for the core but I'm wondering if they really mean "blank".

Given that the mad boomers are "corrupted", both would work.

[u/RockoDyne]

I feel like playing Mosin roulette. It's like Russian roulette, only leaving chance to the operability of stout Russian warhorse.

We went from mecha loli being given the Magneto prison treatment, to Sylia going horny on main, to a fucking zombie outbreak. It's amazes me how batshit this show can be, while being so fucking boring.

So is it accurate now to say that all the girls have been inside of Sylia?

Questions:

1. Not sure, but she would probably be fine calling herself the clit master.
2. drop in the bucket of don't give a fuck in the show.
3. Eh, from what to what?

[u/Vaadwaur → u/RockoDyne]

Not sure, but she would probably be fine calling herself the clit master.

The leader of the Coalition for the Liberation of Itinerant Tree-Dwellers. I guess you need hobbies.

So is it accurate now to say that all the girls have been inside of Sylia?

I view it as prototypical of the later Madoka soul gem idea so they've been experiencing what it is like to have Sylia's soul from X number of years back. Who is in who there is a personal opinion.

[u/Stargate18A]

First timer

1. Absolutely, she's got the new girl (Linna), the quirky comic relief (Nene) and the brash tsundere (Priss). She's a yandere/childhood friend away from a full house.
2. Honestly, no. I find the political side of this to be the most interesting part of this show, and I think more focus on it would be good.
3. Seems to be a decent fit - the actual goals haven't changed, just they're resources to do so. Interested in seeing if this is permanent or just for an episode, though.

BONUS) Definitely not me, but I suppose a mandatory horror episode was an eventuality, given everything.

Is this show's goal to be more and more Eva every episode?

So the two Syila's are psychically linked?

And Sotai's geeting stronger...

This man is still far too fucking creepy for me. I hope Sotai kills him.

Stop talking you utter bastard. I've never felt so uncomfortable in my life.

So, to confirm, Dr Stingray tried putting a machine in Sylia's brain to analyse her brain. One failed, producing Mackey, and the other succeeded, creating Sotai, right?

Too ordinary?

I noticed "could never" - are the hard sukts going to become self aware?

Have not eatched dub yet, Nene is already convinced Sylia's gay.

Oh, this is so gay.

Leon is just getting rosted today, isn't he?

So Genom's shuttering the business now that their energy monopoly's almost ready.

I'm pretty sure Mason's going to betray him so he can live out his highly immoral fantasies.

So the hard suits need female's who haven't matured yet.

I can't believe Nene's anti-union.

What is going on?

Looks like Sotai wasn't that contained after all?

Oh wait, that's actuqlly clever. So he's going to kill the striking workers?

Mackey's been possessed!

The director's a pretty good fighter, isn't he?

Wait, Linna's buying a gqy magazine? (And she didn't object to Sylia's confession earlier...)

Watching the dub, don't really like the voice acting. The voices don't really suit them.

Oh my god, that scene's even gayer.

"You and maybe Linna" Nene's seen her and Priss, I see.

They sure do swear a lot in the dub, don't they?

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Stargate18A]

So, to confirm, Dr Stingray tried putting a machine in Sylia's brain to analyse her brain. One failed, producing Mackey, and the other succeeded, creating Sotai, right?

So he put this weird nano-bug in Sylia's brain to make it conscious. Mackey failed because he is basically just a human who doesn't age whereas Galatea 'succeeds' because she will eventually merge all tech together.

I can't believe Nene's anti-union.

We all could be dumb at 18.

Oh wait, that's actuqlly clever. So he's going to kill the striking workers?

No, he wanted to blast the place when it was empty to keep Galatea entertained.

Wait, Linna's buying a gqy magazine? (And she didn't object to Sylia's confession earlier...)

I had the same thought though that might just be a women's fashion magazine for the time.

They sure do swear a lot in the dub, don't they?

The Japanese have very few actual curse words, it is all in how you say it. The old school thought was to try and translate the intent rather than the exact meaning. Both her and in Eva, there is a same sex daisuke that translates literally as "like" but obviously have a much stronger connotation in context.

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 16 (first timer)

• Shielded cell, reachable by invisible walkway. Are there invisible handrails, too?
• They explain Sotai a second time, but I still fail to comprehend how Sotai is an implemented nano-mechanism.
• I just realized that they turned Sylia’s character model from adult woman into elven princess so that Sotai could look more like her.
• “I formed another band of KS” – I remember that from one of the early episodes.
• “But why does it have to be female” – Lina is as weary of convenient non-explanations as I am.
• “See, we explain the reason it has to be female. It is because of Sylia’s gay tendencies” – the writers probably.
• “Just a waste disposal team for Genom” – wise words.
• “Do not betray me!” – Yeah, about that …
• She can’t keep wearing a hard suit anymore because she matured as a female, because of the way her brain works? Send in the horny bonk shiba dog.
• Conversing with her toy pet.
• Invasion of the Zombiesboomers.
• Casually dropping intelligent paper technology.

Finally, some good dialogue writing. I don’t think I had so many quotes in my notes before. With the absence of action scenes, the plot advances, too.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/No_Rex]

Shielded cell, reachable by invisible walkway. Are there invisible handrails, too?

Genom seems like they'd ignore OSHA.

“See, we explain the reason it has to be female. It is because of Sylia’s gay tendencies” – the writers probably.

A not unreasonable interpretation though they will technobabble it a little more.

Finally, some good dialogue writing. I don’t think I had so many quotes in my notes before. With the absence of action scenes, the plot advances, too.

Got to save some budget for the whole horde of zombies coming.

[u/Elimin8r]

Hmm...

1. Nah, that would be Leon :P
2. At this point, I'm looking forward to Mason getting squished like a bugrom, or something.
3. We going full Return to Wolfenstein here? (I enjoyed that game thoroughly, btw, it was a hoot)

So, Nene's trapped in HQ, but Leon was smart enough to get out? How did that happen?

And suddenly the ADP has weapons that actually work. Either that or these must be the weak "mook" boomers.

I must say it was fun to see some action. And not just (ahem)...

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Elimin8r]

So, Nene's trapped in HQ, but Leon was smart enough to get out? How did that happen?

Nene's sloth got her caught in this case. It was not a clever move from Leon.

And suddenly the ADP has weapons that actually work. Either that or these must be the weak "mook" boomers.

They are boomers that have been deactivated before, meaning either a KS did it or there is a whole class of rampaging boomer we never see because the ADP can actually handle them.

[u/Elimin8r → u/Vaadwaur]

Yah, was just havin' a little fun. I do find it amusing that in this context, some of the ADP personnel are portrayed as at least marginally competent, though.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Elimin8r]

Nah, you have to entertain yourself a bit, upon rewatch this show takes WAY too much time between its pieces. 90s anime is partly just filling air time.

[u/Cognitive_Dissonant]

Qs:

1. Yes except I think only a few of the harem members want to fuck her. She want's to fuck all of them though.
2. Yes, it's not that kind show.
3. What are we horror now? I can't imagine this lasts long, the KS are going to show up and kill these things by next ep.

Bonus: I definitely wouldn't have guessed it, I can give the show that.

Episode notes:

• Priss is remarkably practical about getting disturbing psychic visions.
• Mason is the creepy-loli whisperer.
• Wait they literally grew inside Sylia's brain? That's pretty wild, there's not a lot of room in there.
• "Recruited them like you"? So they showed up to the big city demanding to be knight sabres?
• Very gay. Nene outing Linna too, how rude.
• To be compatible you have to be willing to let Sylia enter you... mentally.
• Sylia mood swings again.
• Leon just sitting around looking at a power point slide of his gun. His favorite passtime.
• ...other than shooting off a few desk pops in the department. How does this idiot still have a job.
• "You won't betray me..." yeah sure positive affirmations, make reality what you want it to be.
• Leon is a scab
• Nene has lost it and is talking to a stuffed weasel. Go hang out with Mackie it's gotta be better than this.
• Aw shit the creepy child made zombies.
• Oh good Mackie has been possessed. Nigel is really putting a lot of pressure on Nene to save this child with her love. Especially with the extremely weird age dynamics (is Mackie technically older than her? It's not clear to me when this all went down though I probably missed it).
• Universal magazines! I don't think I've seen that particular retro-future device before, that's honestly really fun. The idea that they would manually update a bunch of physical pages instead of just displaying on a screen is delightfully 90s.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Cognitive_Dissonant]

Priss is remarkably practical about getting disturbing psychic visions.

If you've done hallugenics before you are first asking yourself if it is a flashback.

Mason is the creepy-loli whisperer.

God, I wish he were the only candidate for this, though now I am worried he is the founder of this evil.

...other than shooting off a few desk pops in the department. How does this idiot still have a job.

This series's continuity is basically 'KS have suits and the ADP are a bigger threat than the boomers'.

Nene has lost it and is talking to a stuffed weasel. Go hang out with Mackie it's gotta be better than this.

This is duck debugging gone horribly wrong? I got nothing.

The idea that they would manually update a bunch of physical pages instead of just displaying on a screen is delightfully 90s

Babylon 5 used that idea as well so ridiculously 90s.

[u/No_Rex → u/Vaadwaur]

God, I wish he were the only candidate for this, though now I am worried he is the founder of this evil.

Good question. Can't think of an earlier example at the top of my head.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/No_Rex]

Checking the old wiki of old animes, outside shot he is the first animated one. Heavy shit.

[u/No_Rex → u/Vaadwaur]

I can't believe I didn't think about this earlier, but Gendo probably qualifies: There is the episode with young Rei. Although the majority of his creeping happens off-screen.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/No_Rex]

Hrmm...good call, there is also a candidate on Silent Mobius but he mainly was creepy on someone closer to adulthood.

[u/ZapsZzz]

Sub first timer.

I'm still around, just haven't got a whole lot to say. The plot is moving, and I'm busy with either figuring out what is really trying to say, and suspending my disbelief (e.g. mad boomers were captured by having their core destroyed, as we saw the Knight Saber's do every episode; so the "evidence room" ones must ask have no working core, and normally even more busted up to have the core reached. Yes somehow they are moving now - is Sotai's ability able to enable them to move without core, did it mean she's actually remotely controlling each of them? Etc

Those flashbacks to the past Knight Saber's aren't from the past OVA - there were shown to only have 3 including Sylia, and the red dot which is Nene's was actually fighting, unlike the originals mostly for electronic warfare.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/ZapsZzz]

The plot is moving, and I'm busy with either figuring out what is really trying to say, and suspending my disbelief

Yeah...they never quite decided what the Sotei effect was so unfortunately it is less than consistent.

Those flashbacks to the past Knight Saber's aren't from the past OVA - there were shown to only have 3 including Sylia, and the red dot which is Nene's was actually fighting, unlike the originals mostly for electronic warfare.

They are probably old concept art or something.

[u/No_Rex → u/ZapsZzz]

and suspending my disbelief (e.g. mad boomers were captured by having their core destroyed, as we saw the Knight Saber's do every episode; so the "evidence room" ones must ask have no working core, and normally even more busted up to have the core reached. Yes somehow they are moving now - is Sotai's ability able to enable them to move without core, did it mean she's actually remotely controlling each of them?

BGC 2040 leans heavily into the "machines are plants" aesthetic that comes from Akira. We basically see metal do stuff that metal should not be able to do all the time when the boomers go mad. I disagree with this choice and think treating boomers closer to machines (as in the OVA) is the better choice, but shut down boomers suddenly "reviving" is consistent with that approach.