Project Otaku Powerlevelling: Part 6
No need for the opening song, I'm starting the show without credits today. Subject: Variable Geo.
Variable Geo is regrettably, the first series replacement we've had for our project. The plan (if you want to call it that) was to watch V.G. Neo, and we planned to make it the back-up plan in case Pretear sucked. (Of course, we didn't find OUT Pretear sucked until 9, after which point the time sink effect took over...) But as I found links for V.G. Neo, I saw screenshots, and the opening seconds of the opening episode had some guy raping one of the fighters.
...Yeah, not in MY Variable Geo. It was not until I got the chance to do this re-watch that I realized...V.G. is a *very*...not, female-oriented, but, its a universe where the women are plainly in charge. There's no question about this. Even traditionally male roles are given to females.
The protagonist is a female. Her best friend is a female. The first opponent in series like this is generally a dumb-as-a-brick powerhouse male. In this series, while Jun is no idiot, she's STILL the very typical "My First Opponent" character--with a lot more curves. She's even a grappler!
Even though the premise involves defeated opponents stripping, the head of the company who started this tournament isn't some lecherous Jii-san, its a woman--a participant in the tournament herself (who also appens to be abnormally powerful and never loses).
The few males IN the series use female agents (who then take over, pushing the males out of the series to take the star roles), and the one guy that has a significant role in the series is carrying out the will of (guess who) ANOTHER woman. (I'm certain a feminist somewhere could spin this into a series ladies should be highly offended by...but I'm choosing to view the show in a more positive light...sorry.) Even the end credits, filled with nude shots of the fighters, is a bit different. Instead of blatant fanservice, there's a...tastefulness to the images that also does a great job of being representativeness of each character's personalities.
And don't even get me STARTED on Reimi Jahana, who goes through the series with her own personal bishounen sextoy. (I never noticed how domme-y Reimi was until this rewatch. O_O)
To see men have control over a woman--even some no-name fighter--feels too contrary for the Variable Geo franchise I'm so used to. (Even if that franchise is only three episodes long.)
In any case; I love this series. Its three episodes that are rapidly paced, with the action not slowing for even a moment. The OVAs link together so well that they actually could have easily been one movie, Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz-style. Its packed with a crapload of fights, and it actually watches like a composite fighting game plot, though I never realized it until this re-watch. You notice little things, like how the characters have their own "defeated" phrases, and how the plot makes absolutely no sense at all but would work perfectly for some fighting game. (Finding the perfect warrior to place your spirit in, and you're holding a tournament to do that--what a coincedence...)
In any case, VG definitely cleansed my palate, and it was nice to see a series put its animation budget to use for something besides bouncing boobies.
Variable Geo is regrettably, the first series replacement we've had for our project. The plan (if you want to call it that) was to watch V.G. Neo, and we planned to make it the back-up plan in case Pretear sucked. (Of course, we didn't find OUT Pretear sucked until 9, after which point the time sink effect took over...) But as I found links for V.G. Neo, I saw screenshots, and the opening seconds of the opening episode had some guy raping one of the fighters.
...Yeah, not in MY Variable Geo. It was not until I got the chance to do this re-watch that I realized...V.G. is a *very*...not, female-oriented, but, its a universe where the women are plainly in charge. There's no question about this. Even traditionally male roles are given to females.
The protagonist is a female. Her best friend is a female. The first opponent in series like this is generally a dumb-as-a-brick powerhouse male. In this series, while Jun is no idiot, she's STILL the very typical "My First Opponent" character--with a lot more curves. She's even a grappler!
Even though the premise involves defeated opponents stripping, the head of the company who started this tournament isn't some lecherous Jii-san, its a woman--a participant in the tournament herself (who also appens to be abnormally powerful and never loses).
The few males IN the series use female agents (who then take over, pushing the males out of the series to take the star roles), and the one guy that has a significant role in the series is carrying out the will of (guess who) ANOTHER woman. (I'm certain a feminist somewhere could spin this into a series ladies should be highly offended by...but I'm choosing to view the show in a more positive light...sorry.) Even the end credits, filled with nude shots of the fighters, is a bit different. Instead of blatant fanservice, there's a...tastefulness to the images that also does a great job of being representativeness of each character's personalities.
And don't even get me STARTED on Reimi Jahana, who goes through the series with her own personal bishounen sextoy. (I never noticed how domme-y Reimi was until this rewatch. O_O)
To see men have control over a woman--even some no-name fighter--feels too contrary for the Variable Geo franchise I'm so used to. (Even if that franchise is only three episodes long.)
In any case; I love this series. Its three episodes that are rapidly paced, with the action not slowing for even a moment. The OVAs link together so well that they actually could have easily been one movie, Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz-style. Its packed with a crapload of fights, and it actually watches like a composite fighting game plot, though I never realized it until this re-watch. You notice little things, like how the characters have their own "defeated" phrases, and how the plot makes absolutely no sense at all but would work perfectly for some fighting game. (Finding the perfect warrior to place your spirit in, and you're holding a tournament to do that--what a coincedence...)
In any case, VG definitely cleansed my palate, and it was nice to see a series put its animation budget to use for something besides bouncing boobies.
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