Trojan Man on Cartoon Network, By Felix Serrano – Robot Dialog #8
I love animation, I love anime and I love Love LOVE giant robots and monsters. I just don’t love giant robots or monsters that wouldn’t make great toys. It defeats the purpose. I’ve held this in my back pocket for way too long, kind of like the first condom I got in middle school in hopes of being welcomed into the ranks of manhood. It was a Trojan, the wrapper was red and worn like a beat up paper back. It was hidden in my wallet for a pretty long time, however inspection of the leather exterior would reveal a worn ring, clearly giving away the contents of the wallet. Anyway, I think I eventually just discarded the wallet and its contents because I was moving on to high school and it just seemed a little lame, kinda like this show – Symbiotic Titan.
Genndy Tartakovsky is back with his homage to the giant robot vs monster anime. It plays out more like a high school teenage drama (which I get for demographic purposes) but it comes no where near the ground breaking animation of his master piece Samurai Jack. I can go on for hours about Jack from story, to animation to color design. I can’t do the same for Symbiotic Titan. Genndy showed us the true power of a Jedi in his Clone wars mini series which was amazing. He proved that Mace Windu was a Bad Mother Fucker and I ate it up! However, now he’s given me this little teen drama, with every high school archetype and a FUCKING CLEAR GIANT ROBOT! WTF!?!?! And it looks like the Trojan logo to boot!
I think he’s fucking with us. Every monster Titan has fought has been some sort of goop or glob that they have to defuse with some sort of pulse by “working together” or pulling out the sword for some surgical extraction. I think the robot may damn well be a metaphor for condoms combating sexually transmitted diseases in high school. I’ll keep watching Genndy, because I’m a glutton for train wrecks, but I’ll always tell people it’s no Samurai Jack or Clone Wars.
Moving on to some geekery. I think we all know that Star Wars is a huge part of our culture. George Lucas plans on re-re-re-releasing his space opera in 3d now. I think I may be in for episode 1 because the pod race may be pretty cool in 3d, and episode 3 for the crazy super crisp high def space battle as it opens (it also is the most polished of the 6, so we’re talking pure eye candy). In 2011 my favorite video game company Bioware (the creators of Star Wars:Knights of the Old Republic) will launch Star Wars: The Old Republic an mmorpg which maybe the game needed to topple Blizzard’s World of Warcraft. Also, last week LucasArts released Star Wars: The Force Unleased 2. It takes place during the classic Star Wars timeline (episodes IV-VI) and follows the rise and fall of Darth Vaders secret apprentice (played by you!). The first game was pretty badass and I’ve only played the demo to the second one it was better and prettier than the first. So nerd boner for this one. Lastly I’ll keep saying this until a studio listens to me, Why aren’t the writers and artist of video game intros making feature length films? Below is a cinematic from SW:TFU2. Tell me that’s not what we should have been seeing in every Star Wars movie released after Return of the Jedi. It’s probably the best I’ve seen a Jedi, Period.
-Later
-F
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November 2nd, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Not much of a Kikaida fan, I take it?
http://robotjapan.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=BandaiPowerRangers&action=display&thread=15863
Clear robots are at least as old as we are, but maybe the creators of SYM-BIONIC TITAN should’ve kept their nostalgia stateside and gone with a more SHOGUN WARRIORS-esque design? I have yet to see the show, but this is the second “burp-urp” review I’ve heard from someone whose opinion I respect.
November 2nd, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Yeah, I was never a fan of the clear robot, they always reminded me of a biology mannequin. Shogun Warriors would have went way further. I’ve always loved Mazinger Z, Gigantor and Gundam. Big O did a good job of paying homage to that.
November 2nd, 2010 at 2:05 pm
Yeah, you should always wear a Gundam on your Gigantor, or else you’re likely to have a Big O all over your Mazinger Z.
November 2nd, 2010 at 2:31 pm
This show is awesome. The Kid has fallen in mad love with it, as have we all in the house. I could point to plenty of giant robots with Grecian-style heads, as far back as Gigantor.
He’s doing some very nice work here. Genndy’s style is so recognizable, as soon as I saw the girl character, I knew it was him. I agree,he’s not going for the same level of style and tone as he did in Samurai Jack, but it’s more than a step up or two from Mighty Orbots, for example. It’s certainly the best American tribute to giant robot shows to come along yet.
November 2nd, 2010 at 3:23 pm
Vinnie, it’s not the Grecian style head that bothers me (thats probably the best part of the design). It’s more that the story and content have proven to be underwhelming. Many things were established in the first two episodes that seemed so promising have been put on the back burner to be revisited. It’s just taking too long to get there, and so steam is lost. Step up from Mighty Orbots!?! Hmmm dunno about that one, it’s hard to beat great hand drawn and hand painted animation with a large dose of nostalgia.