I am 8 episodes into Shingu. This is a fun series, and I am very glad that (aside from some screencaps at Don’s) I stayed away from Steven’s lengthy series analysis a few weeks ago. I look forward to reading his posts once I am done. In the meantime, this series is a treat.
Some initial spoiler thoughts, and screencaps from Episode 8 below the fold…
The Zaiglian storyline strikes me as intriguing. The backstory, that their planet joined the Federation, then became embroiled in civil war, and now the government actively suppresses knowledge that the Federation exists at all, is convoluted to say the least. Yet somehow it works for me. But the allusion to the Zaiglians short lifespans (on par with Earthlings) and the offhand mention that events 2,000 years ago can become mythologized strike me as somewhat heavy-handed. They are trying to lend some gravitas to the idea that a Federation of worlds exists, by ranking it up there as a Truth that time distorts over centuries, but by implicationm human religion is a distorted truth from its founding millenia ago. That’s probably not a knock on religiousness; this is a Japanese series after all. But it was a bit clumsy. That said, its not even close to a damper of any kind on the fun. This series is pure fun.
Almost every character is charming in their own unique way, even ones who’ve only been introduced in the previous episode. Very few movies or TV shows, anime or otherwise, manage to balance such a large ensemble so deftly. (Galactica is another).
I must have that Hawai’ian shirt.
It just occurred to me that the business of the Zaiglian governments suppressing knowledge of the Galactic Federation might be an indirect reference to the way that the Tokugawa Shogunate locked up Japan starting in about 1625.
I think the series was making a quite different point: that secrets come out, sometimes in distorted form, even when those who know the secrets use all their power to suppress them. There’s a whole bunch of secrets in Shingu, and a good bit of debate over whether some of them should be revealed …
i just posted some screencaps from episodes 13-15, and am amazed at again just how even when secrets are revealed, new secrets sprout.
Of these, the most minor appears to be regarding Jiltosh and Setsuna. However since these are my two favorite supporting characters, I am looking forward to detail more than I am on other matters of more weighty import to the plot (like who actually sent Sanadon).