Welcome to Winter Watch, a look at the latest anime season. This time we continue to watch and observe Bodacious Space Piratesand its motley cast of girls and pirates in their latest space adventures!
Episode 3: The Final Battle is at Midnight
Summary: The Odette II continues on its journey, but as it nears the opposite side of the sun, the ship's communications are suddenly cut off by what Marika suspects is a "ghost ship."
Air Date: 02/04/2012
Run Time: 24:10
Warning: This article contains spoilers. We recommend watching the episode HERE first.
Remember when I said that the hints of techno babble in the previous episode were a bit disorienting? These hints are starting to become more of an issue with this episode. The dialogue for first five minutes of the show involved the characters talking about random ships appearing and then disappearing from their space radar. The problem is that the information was presented far too quickly and was way too technical for me comprehend all of it at once. What is decipherable is that yet another mystery ship is disturbing the Odette II’s communications which causes Marika to more seriously contemplate a retaliatory attack. As to be expected her second in command in investing this problem is Chiaki who is quite obviously becoming “The Spock” of the show. Using their spaceship radar (that looks like a spaceship orgasm when used) they pin the communication disturbances to a ship that apparently disappeared 120 years ago…meaning we have ourselves a ghost ship.
Marika quickly tries to inform the club about the disturbances but ends up getting one upped by the club president who announces to the entire class that Marika is the primary candidate to become the captain of the Bentenmaru, and she’s surprised that the club president knows this. Why? I would think that after your workplace was attacked, your father’s will was made public, and the other pirates publicly called a truce on you specifically that you know…it would become common knowledge that you’re going to be a pirate captain. After this with the support of her fellow students and friends Marika sets the Odette II to confront the ship. Because war is for teenagers and reckless abandons of violence are a perfect time to bond with your friends. Anyways Kane and Misa know what’s what and are impressed by the attack plans that the girls have all developed. Using their research skills they also provide some background information for other members of the yacht club that haven’t been established yet. Of course you have your uptight and high class president as well as your internet hacker/computer expert all of which may be tropes but it’s nice that there’s some sort of buildup of the secondary cast though their unflinching support for Marika's does seem a little naive. The episode ends as the set up for a confrontation with the ghost ship seems all but imminent.
Verdict
This episode was fine but things are getting a little repetitious. For one Marika needs to stop acting surprised when she hears other people mention her heritage as a pirate captain. Look as a part time history teacher for high school students I speak from experience that kids read the news, and thinking that none of your peers would have figured out that you are some heir to a pirate ship makes you look like an incompetent fool. However more importantly is at this point this show is desperately in need of some sort of substantial action sequence. The pacing so far harkens back to Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the problem is that that was hard science fiction, and this is clearly not that. This show feels more like a “science fiction-lite” or “Firefly-esque” show which needs at least one act of adventure or swashbuckling per episode for things to feel interesting. That said it looks like we'll get our epic action sequence in the next episode.
-- ZombiePie is a moderator and community director at Giant Bomb. You can follow him on Twitter @GiantBombSquad.
I did enjoy Star Trek: The Next Generation a lot. Seems like I would enjoy this too. I really need to get around to this show.
Great report, Zombiepie! Wish I had some time to try this anime out.
@sora_thekey said:
It does go for that but only vaguely and during veiled attempts for the same aesthetic.
@Marshal Victory said:
I agree and feel like they should have decided on one or the other much earlier in the series to prevent any genre confusion.
@ZombiePie:
ya but the cross genre thing is well the thing these days...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMzdmtYxvpg&feature=player_embedded
@Marshal Victory: That doesn't mean it is a good thing though...
Still the idea that star trek the next generation was hard sci-fi is laughable. I suppose for a TV show it might be but for books. Not even close. Hard sci-fi reads more like a technical manual than a story. Try Arthur C. Clark (not movies the books) and Asimov for hard sci-fi.
@zaldar said:
I could not disagree more. The science isn't all there but Gene Rodenberry and Gene Coone both were in constant contact with NASA when writing Star Trek and I think their care shows. The elements of spirituality and certain characters such as the half black half white people being used as a metaphor aside things are structured in a hard science fiction matter. We could debate about the various degrees of hardness in science fiction but Start Trek deserves to be in the same category Asimov and Clarke in my opinion.
@ZombiePie: Then we will have to agree to disagree. For the record the inclusion of metaphor and spirituality are NOT what make it soft science fiction it is that the science is not included and is not realistic. Why exactly were we able to use warp drive? What is dilithium? Hard science fiction would have talked about these things. For it to be hard science fiction all the science has to be there. Now is it somewhat harder than say star wars well yes but not up to 2001 level.
@zaldar:
True. it may not be. the show tho seems like its gona take a lighter tone.I think thats the thing its thing will be..ahem.
probly as serious as say
http://www.animevice.com/rinne-no-lagrange/11-6267/
still its not bad just maybe not as serious as some would like.Thought the ships an the solar sails tho were a nice touch.The space walks were good to .Some of the shows "science" seems well thought out.im up to
http://www.crunchyroll.com/bodacious-space-pirates/episode-6-marikas-first-day-at-work-588914
an design still seems to be good .Its just gona be one of those shows you cant just pigeon hole at 1st i think.