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--- Red Impulse Team Week (http://www.gatchamania.net/threadid.php?threadid=2219)
Posted by tatsunokofan on 23-11-2008 at 23:49:
Hi all!
Maybe I watched too much Speed Racer as a kid, since some aspects that people seem to dislike about Red Impulse were traits that were virtual duplicates of traits displayed by Racer X. Let's be honest here, Red Impulse really is little more than a retread of the Racer X concept. Think about it, both characters are an older relative of the series lead who left when that lead was young and have come back wearing a masked disguise and do not reveal their true identity. Both do essentially the same job as the lead, and do that job better than the lead. Both often push the lead to his limits, but always in an effort to make the lead better at that job. When I saw Red Impulse, and Ken, it was very familiar because of what I had seen with Racer X and Speed Racer. So it never bothered me that the Red Impulse were the "cool" guys who were better at doing the Science Ninja Team's job than the Science Ninja Team was, because I'd already seen it done before.
Of course, if you want to look at things from a practical perspective, it does make sense that Red Impulse would be better at their job than the Ninja Team was, since Red Impulse had been doing that job 14 years longer than the Science Ninja Team had. That could also explain why you would need the Science Ninja Team. Assuming Kentaro Washio was roughly the same age as Dr. Nambu, and that Masaki and Oniishi were in that same general age bracket as well, these guys are all pushing 50 years old. How much longer could they have been expected to be able to pull off the stunts that they do? After 14 years, and with no end to the struggle against Gallactor in sight, it makes sense that Nambu would need a second team to take over the battle.
As for Red Impulse abandoning his family and leaving them wondering what happened to him, that really wasn't the case. Don't forget, he faked his death, crashing a plane into the ocean. As far as his wife and Ken were concerned, he should have been thought of as dead. Obviously, Ken didn't accept that he was really dead, but we are never told exactly why Ken believed this.
The idea of faking his death may seem like a cruel hoax to pull, but he did it to protect his family. And for 14 years, it worked. Look what happened the instant Gallactor figured out the identity of the spy operating in Hontwal. They tricked Ken into coming to Hontwal so they could capture him and use him as bait to lure Kentaro Washio out in the open. And that's real important to remember: They weren't going after Ken, the Eagle to get Red Impulse, they got Ken Washio to get Kentaro Washio. If Kentaro hadn't taken the steps he had, both Ken and his mother may have been made into targets years earlier. So, it seems to me that Kentaro faking his death and abandoning his old life really was the right thing to do for the safety of his loved ones.
But hey, that's just a few rambling thoughts from me on the subject.
James
Posted by clouddancer on 24-11-2008 at 01:28:
I like that view on things James, and I have to admit in my AU I had come up with the idea that the team could not operate a peak efficiency much beyond 40 years of age. That is when I went back and started introducing new teams into the mix.
Our team training new recruits, between missions. Each of our members leading, in some form, teams until the new "fledglings" were able to take on missions and work as teams of their own.
As for RI, I still do not like the abuse he is shown subjecting Ken to as a child, but I am sure he would explain it as toughening up the kid so Ken would survive until adulthood.
__________________
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.
Posted by tatsunokofan on 24-11-2008 at 02:00:
Hi all!
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Ummm, the only scene I can think of at the moment that could potentially be qualified as "the abuse he is shown subjecting Ken to as a child" would be Ken's dream of his father dunking his head underwater. That was pretty clearly shown as being done in a playful manner, not one intended to "toughen him up."
Admittedly, if the sequence of events and their duration is to be taken literally from what is shown, I'd have to agree that he held him down longer than he should have for it to be considered "fun" for Ken. Some Japanese fans have cartoons regarding that scene that I ought to dig out and post here sometime. Still, the fact that the scene is shown from the context of a dream, with added emphasis on certain portions of it, makes me question exactly how long this event actually took. Of course, regardless of whether it lasted 3 seconds or 30 minutes, it certainly left an impression on Ken.
James
Posted by Transmute Jun on 24-11-2008 at 15:12:
Don't forget RI beating up Ken in ep 40 or throwing him across the room in ep 52. 
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Posted by Barrdwing on 24-11-2008 at 18:33:
I always figured he threw him across the room to buy time to get into the ship without Ken following him. It might have made more sense to just belt him one on the jaw and try to knock him out, but the whirl-and-throw was more dramatic.
Posted by Transmute Jun on 24-11-2008 at 18:48:
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Not to mention so much more embarrassing right in front of his team.
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Posted by shamrokchick on 24-11-2008 at 21:41:
I don't think it would be as memorable if Red Impulse just punched him...
__________________
"They say the Titanic sank because it hit an iceberg, but that must have been Galactor's fault too." 
Posted by clouddancer on 24-11-2008 at 22:28:
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That is what I thought it was as well, but I do agree it was or would have been a great embarrassment with his team standing right there. Perhaps RI was using it as a final insult to the Eagle in font of his team and friends. *shrug*
__________________
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.
Posted by tatsunokofan on 25-11-2008 at 06:49:
Hi all!
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Well, Heather covered Red Impulse throwing Ken across the room pretty well. In context, it works and adds to the dramatic effect of the scene.
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You know, I have to assume that you're both just kidding here, because I would find it very disheartening to think that anyone, no matter what their opinion of Red Impulse, would come away from watching that scene believing that Red Impulse would be trying to humiliate his son.
As for the scene between Red Impulse and Ken in episode #40, well, that one I'll have to give you, partially at least. While Ken certainly needed someone to knock some sense into his head, Red Impulse didn't need to do quite as much knocking as he did there. I'd chalk it up to writer Takuji Umetani falling back too much onto Japanese writing cliches, and like most cliches, it plays poorly.
Regardless, what Red Impulse says to Ken afterwards, in particular how Ken should quit feeling sorry for himself and either confirm that Jun is actually dead or find where she is and save her, since that is what a true teammate would do, makes sense. As a Leader, Ken was setting a bad example for the others, and someone needed to call him on it.
On that same subject, it's somewhat annoying that no one seemed to be willing to listen to Nambu when he told them that the capsule Jun was wearing would have protected her from the flames. They trusted what Nambu said every other time (Even when he wanted to use a centrifuge as a surgical instrument...), why not now?
Of course, there is another notion as to why Red Impulse could have been a little crabbier than he might have been normally when Ken arrived home, courtesy of a Japanese fanzine...
James
Posted by lborgia88 on 25-11-2008 at 14:17:
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A lot of things RI did seemed designed to have a dramatic effect, and even come off as a bit "over the top." Look at episode 11, when he shoots at some goons and then, purely for show, spins his gun around in his hand. Or, earlier in that episode, his hand-to-hand fight with Ken has Ken looking nearly incompetent. Things like that have me thinking "Hey, the show's called Gatchaman, not 'Red Impulse' -stop one-upping Ken all the time, or trying to impress us with how cool you are!" I can believe that the older and more experienced RI team might be better at some things than the younger Science Ninjas, but I guess because I'm so biased in favour of Ken, Joe, Jun, Jinpei and Ryu, I can't help but resent RI a little...
Does this make any sense?
Posted by Transmute Jun on 25-11-2008 at 14:56:
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I can't speak for CD, but that's always the feeling I've had when I watched that scene. I know I'm not the only one to feel this way, but I respect that you see it differently, and that your understanding of Japanese cultural norms (and Tatsunoko animation) allows you to be more open-minded and understanding than I am.
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I agree with you on both counts. I do find it sad that RI had to beat the cr*p out of Ken in order for Ken to listen to him, though.
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I have often wondered that myself! I think the idea is that Nambu didn't realize that the others were thinking this (he seems genuinely surprised in his lab to hear that the others think she's dead) and by the time he brings up his point they've already mentally accepted her death. I agree that it's a bit weak, plotwise.
Besides, why wouldn't Nambu bring up this issue when they were firebombing the flowers to begin with. Everyone was refusing to do it because they thought they'd be killing Jun. Why not bring up the protective capabilities of the suit THEN? I maintain that Dr. Nambu isn't always the best at reading other people's emotions.
Thanks for the cartoon, James! That was amusing!
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Posted by shamrokchick on 25-11-2008 at 19:28:
Thanks for the cartoon! That was great... 
For episode 40, I thought Jinpei had brought up the fact that Jun was wearing the suit earlier.. so maybe that's why Nambu didn't bring it up and suggested burning the field.
__________________
"They say the Titanic sank because it hit an iceberg, but that must have been Galactor's fault too."
Posted by lborgia88 on 25-11-2008 at 19:49:
The cartoon is funny -I especially liked Masaki and Oniishi's contribution!
I suppose one possible way to "fanwank" the fact that everyone thought it would kill Jun to set the field of jigokillers on fire, despite the fact that Dr. Nambu said the suit would protect her against flames, would be to assume they feared she might suffocate in the fire or die of smoke inhalation, rather than actually burn.
Posted by clouddancer on 25-11-2008 at 23:27:
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I feel very uncomfortable during what is going on and what is being said during that scene, so maybe it is more my own embarrassment being projected onto how I "think" Ken would feel.
BTW: Love the cartoon James, it does explain it all
__________________
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.
Posted by tatsunokofan on 26-11-2008 at 00:00:
Hi all!
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Episode #11 in particular emphasized the "showy" side of Red Impulse, an intentional emphasis to be sure. Even though it was the fourth time the character had been in the series, that episode was designed as more-or-less a second introduction for Red Impulse, as well as being the first time we see him outside of his jet.
A lot of the "Ain't Red Impulse so cool" stuff reminded me of how Racer X was in his first "Speed Racer" appearance (In "Challenge of the Masked Racer," in case you cared to look it up), so it probably bothered me less than it might have otherwise.
I am curious, though, is it only over the top when Red Impulse twirls his gun, or is it also over the top when Ken twirls his Boomerang or Joe twirls his Air Gun?
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Jinpei did mention this in episode #39, before they decided to burn the field of Jigokillers. It isn't until episode #40 that Nambu brings up that Jun should still be alive if she was wearing the capsule.
James
Posted by lborgia88 on 26-11-2008 at 00:25:
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Good point, but Ken and Joe are teenagers!
Posted by Barrdwing on 26-11-2008 at 04:15:
I laughed the first time I saw Red Impulse twirl that gun, because my immediate thought was, "Like father, like son!"
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