A short, 5-min episode series that presents itself as a comedy should probably avoid trying to instill any kind of moral values. Null Peta disagrees. Here is a show that attempts to mine comedy from not only having to put up with a overbearing, naggy older sister… but actively wanting to subsume your life to her desires even if it kills you. Especially if it kills you. It’s infuriating on every level, particularly when it tries for drama/pathos near the end.
As a follow-up to Yamato 2199, Ai no Senshi-tachi is a pretty much complete disappointment. It has all the negatives of a Yamato work (idiotic character behavior, random plot developments, space mysticism, toxic nationalism/hero worship, etc.) without any of the surprisingly engaging combat encounters 2199 pulled off. All of the battles here seem to both start and end in arbitrary manners with inconsistent power levels and destructive potential. They come across like empty setpieces.
Having at most watched only one Yamato-related episode from the very first series (which I enjoyed), I nevertheless applaud shows–especially nowadays–that actually have the ‘nads to feature “nationalism/hero worship”. What’s wrong with wanting to live with others like oneself, and with admiring and wanting to emulate historical figures? It’s hard to create from scratch without examples. I haven’t seen this show. While its presentation of nationalism may very well be toxic, I don’t remember the nationalism of the original Yamato series as having been so. Also, I believe that healthy national pride not only is not, by definition, toxic, but… Read more »