Giant Robo - The Day the Earth Stood Still Review (spoilers)

Shout out to Stevie for the reccomendation.

Giant Robo was good. Real good. Every frame of this anime is a deeply beautiful work of art. Like you guys know that I am easily impressed by visuals, but this one really takes the cake as being one of the most (visually) fully realized work i've seen in a while. So much fun action sequences, fluid animation, and just breataking setpeices. Everything about this is just wonderful to look at. The story was actually way better than I thought it was going to be too, I saw the intro and was thinking "hmm idk i'm not really into battle shonen at the moment" but then i actually saw the show and was like ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh okay okay okay okay this is great.

Things that stood out to me:

• It is very satisfying, gratifying, and inspiring to watch Ginrei tumble and stumble down flights of stairs and other steep inclines. I will not explain OR defend my position.
• I found myself not caring about Daisuke or Giant Robo in the beginning that much. Daisuke was just some kid, and the robot was.. i mean yeah Giant Robo is a handsome devil, but he's kinda just big and scary. This is the first time I've sat through a mecha show that was comprised of super robots entirely (except like iczer i guess). I'm not totally used to it, but they made it work here and it was a lot of fun.
• I could totally see our favorite oil companies acting like big fire when the Shizuma Drive dropped. They just want that shit GONE
• I love the way this world feels, there was an emphasis in the beginning of Giant Robo kinda saving the day and Daisuke taking credit for the victory, when very obviously everyone has a hand in kicking the ass of the baddies. I love how the main characters aren't the only ones with special abilities, random people are all doing these crazy inhuman feats and it's just seen as a really normal thing.
• The ending was so beautifully tragic, old boy really just wanted to perfect the drive, not end humanity or get his glory back, but it ended in the absolute worst way possible for everyone. So many people died over this misunderstanding, it all just felt in vain i guess.
• What's the deal with Big Fire? Do i gotta read the manga now? I like how the magnificent ten weren't just slaves, but they all were able to see that things were going in a weird direction by letting Genya take over
• I love the way the anti shizuma drive glows in the case, it's just such a pretty thing! Hell if i was there i'd steal it from them. Gimmie that case!!
• What's the deal with big fire himself? Was he napping the whole time? mid. I do like how they kept up the mystery with his identity though, that was really fun.
• The scene where Daisuke was running to Giant Robo and he saw visions of Taisou and Youshi and then got pulled into Giant Robo was so fucking sad but the positioning of Daisuke inside the busted up eye of Robo was so beautiful. Daisuke's dad had a missing eye, but he gave Giant Robo to Daisuke upon his death. It sorta feels like they're supporting each other, and it's Daisuke's realizing that he was never really alone to begin with, despite having to constantly battle things with Robo.
• I don't really like how Robo is controlled, and I guess this was explained that he's kinda a sentient robot, but I'm more used to and intruiged by someone inside the mech controlling it. It felt kinda weird for there to be a kid saying "ok robot kick this guys ass" and then mass destruction + barely a win came after it. It was all fun to watch tho, and I am aware of the context of it's source material so it's just a matter of taste on my end.
• Everybody's superpowers and abilities were really fun to watch. I ain't gonna talk about them, but they were so lovingly depicted i really could not get enough. My favorite ability was that guy with the bell. Shame he got smoked so soon...
• The fact that everybody is afraid of nuclear power BUT AT THE SAME TIME wreak wanton destruction on each other is a little funny but understandable. Robo having a Nuclear Reactor was kinda cheeky but I get why they had to do it.
• I love how all the technology looks in this movie. So clever so awsome. The zappy electro wire ball things to try to contain the big black sphere were so cool.
• Where does Ginrei put her gun? genuinely asking
• The black eyeball in the sky... where have I seen it before? Neon Genesis Evengelion? Fullmetal Alchemist? Dorohedoro? one of those.
• The dudes with the mask and lips is a weird look that totally didn't look like something else at first
• Poor Tetsugyu man. He's gonna carry that weight i guess. Fumbled EVERYTHING and still came out alright, which is something to be proud of. Also watching him eat with his feet was pretty funny and cool.
• This show is very similar to big-o aesthetically, which make sense since it's based on a a manga freom the 1960s, but really i cannot get enough of the retro futuristic aesthetics. yummers!!
• The character development was really something here, everybody had an arc, no matter how long or how short.
• Imagine stealing like an apple or something and running out of the shop to find Giant Robo giving you the "im bout to step on you... mAGGOT!!" stare. I'd shit myself and then start crying after!! Please don't hurt me!!!
• The motherfucker with the eye piece and wind powers was cool af. A lot of characters in this movie are cool af
• The top strategy guy from BF with the moustache dimples, what was his endgame? To get the revised cores removed from earth??? I didn't get him. What was the end goal for BF again? It didn't seem all that thought through given that wassaname was going risk ending life on earth for this shit.
• The big robots all look pretty cool, and the intro constantly changing with more robots was a very fun treat. Looking back i did see Giant Robo for sale at Gundam Planet in Hackensack a few weeks ago, and it was a very awsome peice of kit. I'd probably have that one on my shelf if I had the space.

I think that's all the words I have for now.

Yeah watch Giant Robo it's good for your health!!! Watch it now!!!