where I get feels Gungrave ep01 recap
Were we wrong?
Did we make a mistake...?
I can't remember where it all went wrong...
Ah Gungrave! Currently one of my top titles for favorite anime. So wonderful in so many ways. To be honest when I first started the series last year(?), I didn't think I'd care for it, but ahhhh! Masterful and poignant, it captured my heart, which is the reason I'm going to do a recap/rewatch of it starting with episode one: Destroyer of Twilight. Cool name, no?
The beginning starts out dramatically with heartbeats pulsing in a liquid chamber with our unknown protagonist going into the a self-seeking monologue as written as the intro to this post. Even at this early point, the show reveals itself as smart and meaningful and hopefully memorable, since remembering these few lines will shape how the rest of the story will frame itself in your mind later on...
...which is why the strange screeching of the alien monsters and the shounen-hero music that we shift to isn't too great.
...but then this is forgivable since this is a shounen series, or meant to be one. Thank the gods it exceeds all expectations. So at this point ignore the action fanboy shots or admire them.
After this blurb, the OP comes on and off to shift the scene.
You're given the background that the current time period is oppressed by an administration and that crime, violence and poverty run rampant. You're, also, introduced to Brandon by a scientist/doctor and a young girl, who remain nameless at this point and are apparently wanted fugitives.
Our gun-wielding protagonist is supposedly unconscious, naked and hooked up to machines sustaining him/resuscitating him form his slumber. The doctor renames Brandon 'Beyond the Grave'.
We learn the girl's relation to Brandon is that she is the daughter of a woman who use to be his friend as well as the mysterious 'Big Daddy', as she talks to Beyond the Grave. Her mother, however, is now deceased due to a Millenion's leader, known colloquially as Bloody Harry, or formally as Harry McDowell. At the sound of the name, Beyond the Grave flexes his fingers in recognition.
Scene cuts and shifts again to a car vrooming towards an office building. The driver enters a business meeting tardy. The faces of each of the participants are shadowed. They are discussing the dispatched and annihilated Orcmen, the aliens mentioned previously. Also, Koyasu Takehito's awesome voice acting skills are heard. Yes, I fangirl.
Moving on, Koyasu's character hands the boss of the meeting a note, which was apparently a photo that he crushes angrily. In the crumpled photo was a young Brandon and an older man. The supposed Harry MacDowell stands against the sunlight in the anticipating Brandon.
Back to the protagonists, our poor girl is at odds with a beer can trying her best to hit it while the doctor continues to supplement Grave. Flashbacks of her mother being captured and her escaping play in her mind, as Mika grows distraught and frustrated at her failure of not being able to manage one shot on the can.
Somewhere else--most likely close-- by a homeless bum is mauled by more monster Orcs.
Returning to Mika, she has ran out of bullets. Grave walks out of the hideout and she approaches him. Not exactly Mr. Wonderful, he ignores her and walks off, which depresses her. Nonetheless, poor Mika trails after him with her injured leg dragging behind her.
As Grave wanders and Mika continues after him, Orcs begin to track them.
Grave finally stops in front of a dilapidated building amongst more ruined buildings, where he collapses onto his knees and has a mental spasm from which he recovers rather quickly.
The scene skips to a cemetery filled with graves. There is special interest in three informal graves made up of rocks and dirt mounds that Grave stands before.
Mika realizes that she's been an unfilial daughter who spent more time seeking revenge on her mother's killer, instead of properly mourning, while Grave remains silent. Crying she gathers rocks around her into a mound to imitate the two headmarker mounds next to her.
In sympathy, Brandon lifts a boulder sized rock to help her.
Suddenly, he throws the boulder past Mika and reveals the Orcmen following them. Men in a black car and black suit follow with guns and bullets. Impervious to the bullets, Grave shields Mika from harm and flees to safety with her.
One of the men in black convulses and transforms into another monster before Grave. The two battle, while Mika watches form the sidelines. Grave's superhuman invincibility is further displayed as he withstands the monsters attacks.
The doctor comes to the rescue supplying Grave his weapons, which he uses to blasts the Orcman. Fearful for their safety the men in black flee in their car.
The monster ressurects and begins to beat down Grave. While fallen, he sees Mika's mound dedicated to her mother and screams the name Maria in his head. The name gives him the power to gather the resolve to defeat the monster.
The news of the defeat reaches Millenion upsetting the Boss. Also, a photo of Grave causes the boss to rage in angry anguish.
The preview of the next episode spares a few words about how life in the slums wasn't so bad. A non sequitur but...
End.
Thoughts:
Honestly, when I first watched this episode, I was rather turned off by the series. It had the makings of a stereotypical shounen series: A superpowered, inhuman protagonist; a weak and useless female lead; weird monsters to shoot and kill. With the exception of the beginning, there was nothing amazing about it at all. I, originally, stopped halfway through the episode and skipped to the end. That ED was what saved this series from being scrapped for me. And I'm fortunate it did, since the series as a whole is amazing.
So this is my third time seeing this episode, and I appreciate it more. Second time happened after watching the thirteenth episode, since it brought upon the relevance of this one. How very smart the whole series is, as it connects all the episodes in some way.
Going onto my point, I do appreciate and notice the little things more now. Like Harry's passionate anger and how tightly he has held onto that anger for all this time as well as Brandon's acknowledgement of Harry's name. Even after being frozen in sleep, the name still reverberates with him showing the strength of their bond. Also, Brandon's resolve at the memory of Maria, fills me with a sort of melancholy happiness.
The title of the episode Destroyer of Twilight brings to mind the Twilight of the Gods. Like the allusion assumes, it foreshadows the bringing of an end. Just a little thought, I wanted to share.
Did we make a mistake...?
I can't remember where it all went wrong...
Ah Gungrave! Currently one of my top titles for favorite anime. So wonderful in so many ways. To be honest when I first started the series last year(?), I didn't think I'd care for it, but ahhhh! Masterful and poignant, it captured my heart, which is the reason I'm going to do a recap/rewatch of it starting with episode one: Destroyer of Twilight. Cool name, no?
The beginning starts out dramatically with heartbeats pulsing in a liquid chamber with our unknown protagonist going into the a self-seeking monologue as written as the intro to this post. Even at this early point, the show reveals itself as smart and meaningful and hopefully memorable, since remembering these few lines will shape how the rest of the story will frame itself in your mind later on...
...which is why the strange screeching of the alien monsters and the shounen-hero music that we shift to isn't too great.
...but then this is forgivable since this is a shounen series, or meant to be one. Thank the gods it exceeds all expectations. So at this point ignore the action fanboy shots or admire them.
After this blurb, the OP comes on and off to shift the scene.
You're given the background that the current time period is oppressed by an administration and that crime, violence and poverty run rampant. You're, also, introduced to Brandon by a scientist/doctor and a young girl, who remain nameless at this point and are apparently wanted fugitives.
Our gun-wielding protagonist is supposedly unconscious, naked and hooked up to machines sustaining him/resuscitating him form his slumber. The doctor renames Brandon 'Beyond the Grave'.
We learn the girl's relation to Brandon is that she is the daughter of a woman who use to be his friend as well as the mysterious 'Big Daddy', as she talks to Beyond the Grave. Her mother, however, is now deceased due to a Millenion's leader, known colloquially as Bloody Harry, or formally as Harry McDowell. At the sound of the name, Beyond the Grave flexes his fingers in recognition.
Scene cuts and shifts again to a car vrooming towards an office building. The driver enters a business meeting tardy. The faces of each of the participants are shadowed. They are discussing the dispatched and annihilated Orcmen, the aliens mentioned previously. Also, Koyasu Takehito's awesome voice acting skills are heard. Yes, I fangirl.
Moving on, Koyasu's character hands the boss of the meeting a note, which was apparently a photo that he crushes angrily. In the crumpled photo was a young Brandon and an older man. The supposed Harry MacDowell stands against the sunlight in the anticipating Brandon.
Back to the protagonists, our poor girl is at odds with a beer can trying her best to hit it while the doctor continues to supplement Grave. Flashbacks of her mother being captured and her escaping play in her mind, as Mika grows distraught and frustrated at her failure of not being able to manage one shot on the can.
Somewhere else--most likely close-- by a homeless bum is mauled by more monster Orcs.
Returning to Mika, she has ran out of bullets. Grave walks out of the hideout and she approaches him. Not exactly Mr. Wonderful, he ignores her and walks off, which depresses her. Nonetheless, poor Mika trails after him with her injured leg dragging behind her.
As Grave wanders and Mika continues after him, Orcs begin to track them.
Grave finally stops in front of a dilapidated building amongst more ruined buildings, where he collapses onto his knees and has a mental spasm from which he recovers rather quickly.
The scene skips to a cemetery filled with graves. There is special interest in three informal graves made up of rocks and dirt mounds that Grave stands before.
Mika realizes that she's been an unfilial daughter who spent more time seeking revenge on her mother's killer, instead of properly mourning, while Grave remains silent. Crying she gathers rocks around her into a mound to imitate the two headmarker mounds next to her.
In sympathy, Brandon lifts a boulder sized rock to help her.
Suddenly, he throws the boulder past Mika and reveals the Orcmen following them. Men in a black car and black suit follow with guns and bullets. Impervious to the bullets, Grave shields Mika from harm and flees to safety with her.
One of the men in black convulses and transforms into another monster before Grave. The two battle, while Mika watches form the sidelines. Grave's superhuman invincibility is further displayed as he withstands the monsters attacks.
The doctor comes to the rescue supplying Grave his weapons, which he uses to blasts the Orcman. Fearful for their safety the men in black flee in their car.
The monster ressurects and begins to beat down Grave. While fallen, he sees Mika's mound dedicated to her mother and screams the name Maria in his head. The name gives him the power to gather the resolve to defeat the monster.
The news of the defeat reaches Millenion upsetting the Boss. Also, a photo of Grave causes the boss to rage in angry anguish.
The preview of the next episode spares a few words about how life in the slums wasn't so bad. A non sequitur but...
End.
Thoughts:
Honestly, when I first watched this episode, I was rather turned off by the series. It had the makings of a stereotypical shounen series: A superpowered, inhuman protagonist; a weak and useless female lead; weird monsters to shoot and kill. With the exception of the beginning, there was nothing amazing about it at all. I, originally, stopped halfway through the episode and skipped to the end. That ED was what saved this series from being scrapped for me. And I'm fortunate it did, since the series as a whole is amazing.
So this is my third time seeing this episode, and I appreciate it more. Second time happened after watching the thirteenth episode, since it brought upon the relevance of this one. How very smart the whole series is, as it connects all the episodes in some way.
Going onto my point, I do appreciate and notice the little things more now. Like Harry's passionate anger and how tightly he has held onto that anger for all this time as well as Brandon's acknowledgement of Harry's name. Even after being frozen in sleep, the name still reverberates with him showing the strength of their bond. Also, Brandon's resolve at the memory of Maria, fills me with a sort of melancholy happiness.
The title of the episode Destroyer of Twilight brings to mind the Twilight of the Gods. Like the allusion assumes, it foreshadows the bringing of an end. Just a little thought, I wanted to share.