Martintox Presents: Disorder Reviews
Rating System
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GARZEY'S WING
Rating System
I have a new album and a new Disorder Reviews blog. I have also recently had a stroke, but I feel better now.
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GARZEY'S WING
Director: Yoshiyuki Tomino
Script: Yoshiyuki Tomino
Music: Shiro Sagisu
Initial Airing Date: 21 September 1996 - 9 April 1997
# of Episodes: 3
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Long-time readers of Disorder Reviews will recall that I have suffered a stroke a few days ago; fortunately, my friend Neuromancer was kind enough to have his fourth wife Farida perform makeshift invasive brain surgery on me while he took the Disorder Reviews IP over, and I am happy to say this may have very well saved my life. However, while I am physically capable of writing once again (and obligated to do so to avoid financial ruin), Farida tells me I am still halfway brain-dead -- therefore, this is my prime opportunity to review some anime.
Garzey's Wing is one of those works of media that make you wonder how it's even managed to see the light of day, and how it has fallen so easily into obscurity. People will primarily know Yoshiyuki Tomino for his decades of work on the seminal Gundam franchise, but this is one of his rare excursions into an entirely different genre -- isekai. A very loose sequel to his show Aura Battler Dunbine, it follows the story of Christopher Chiaki as his spirit is suddenly transported to the world of Byston Well, in which a nomadic tribe known as the Metomeus attempt to rise up against the king that has enslaved them. To do so, they set out on a pilgrimage to the Barajew tree, an entity of great power that is a fixture of their faith. Once Chris realizes that his soul is oscilllating between Byston Well and his own world, he uses his modern knowledge to help the Metomeus in their quest while attempting to pass his college entrance exam.
While Gundam has served as the foundation for an entire branch of mecha anime, it's clear where Tomino's inspirations lie here: this is a take on Mark Twain's isekai classic A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. However, instead of merely elaborating on a clash between two distant ways of life, the director seeks to integrate his ambitious approach to world-building into this simple premise. This becomes all the more impressive when you consider that this is only a 3-episode OVA, totaling a mere 90 minutes. In this short duration, he covers not only the conflict between the Metomeus and King Fungun, but also Chris' entourage on Earth, the finer points of Metomeus philosophy on the human nature of humans, and a romantic conflict between the protagonist, priestess Hassan, and warrior Leelince, among other plotlines. At times, it's definitely a lot to digest, and due to the unfortunately incomplete nature of this series (it finishes before the conflict is even close to resolved), it begs the question as to why they hadn't made a full-length show out of it as with Dunbine. Even so, it's deeply satisfying to see these elements unfold and interact with one another as the OVA goes on, so much so that I would outright suggest a second viewing on the sole merit that you might not have caught all of the details (for instance, while Yamato Takeru no Mikoto plays a fairly important role in the story, his identity is only implied, never explicitly stated).
Garzey's Wing is no slouch in regards to its presentation either. The spartan look of the scenes on Earth contrast greatly with the vibrant, occasionally surreal natural landscapes of Byston Well. This difference is used to great effect in the handful of scenes where Chris transitions between worlds, as the lighting scheme changes in a stark fashion. The character and creature designs are diverse and quite memorable, and while the voice acting is off-putting at first, it helps further emphasize the fantastical atmosphere. (You can easily watch with the Japanese voices, but I recommend watching with the English dub to maximize the effect.) Most surprising of all is the soundtrack, made by none other than Shiro Sagisu! His compositions are a fascinating hybrid between modern classical -- mainly through the use of strings and chimes --, folk, and electronic, with cuts such as "Garzey's Wings" even dipping their toes in techno. It sounds like a mess on the outset, yet the result is an extremely inventive OST that perfectly captures Byston Well's otherworldly vibe. I'd go as far as to say his compositions here are outright superior to a lot of his material in the original Neon Genesis Evangelion show (though he still had yet to peak with The End of Evangelion at that point in time).
As surprising as it is that an anime that involves giants such as Tomino and Sagisu would have gone so far under the radar, it's also hard to call this a revelation in the director's catalogue, since it's outright incomplete. It's a splendid experience, and I listen to the soundtrack regularly, but in the end, it does not make me wonder if humans are just human, or how dull my sword is. As with Jeff Buckley's second album or the unfinished original version of the Beach Boys' Smile, there is only one question that comes to mind: "what if...?" Thus, I would mainly recommend it to fans of Tomino, or people who only know of isekai through shows such as Sword Art Online and need assurance that the genre does indeed have redeemable material.
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PERSONAL RATING: ****
RECOMMENDATION RATING: ***½
LETTERED RATING: BETA
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PERSONAL RATING: ****
RECOMMENDATION RATING: ***½
LETTERED RATING: BETA
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