Forum - View topicGunparade March
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Randall Miyashiro
 Posts: 2451 Location: A block away from Golden Gate Park |
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I did a general forum search on Gunparade March and found very little mention of this series. When the series has been mentioned it is usually because people thought the series waas either overlooked, or didn't live up to expectaions. I find this odd since I'm in the "love it" camp for this series.
What baffles me is how much more popular Full Metal Panic is, since Gunparade tends to be more my speed. I love the moody atmosphere in Gunparade and the wonderful ensemble of characters. The contrast between the lighter moments and the darker moments reminds me of series like Figure 17, and Starship Operators. Full Metal Panic didn't (have yet to see 2nd raid) have as many dark moments where I felt that the characters might have something really horrible happen to them. I always had the feeling that FMP would have a nice and happy end with all of the characters live and well while I watched the series. The sillier moments of FMP also seemed a little too loud for my taste, as opposed to Gunparade which had a more subtle, and sweeter side which made me smile at times. I love the music and general atmosphere of the series. As someone else has mentioned the series reminds me of Christmas and the passage of time (like in Azumanga) really appeals to me. The drama made me care for the characters and had me concerned for them when they went into battle. The music for the series is both emotional and uplifting. The characters' rich backstory gave them an extra depth without having to resort to flashbacks. The best arguement against the series that I've seen is that it was not what people expect it to be. For me this series (like Shura no Toki and Galaxy Railways) will always be one of my favorite R1 releases that is so rarely mentioned on this forum. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18446 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Gunparade March is a series which has a lot going for it: great technical merits, appealing character designs, and action scenes that are well-executed if unoriginal. The writing is occasionally brilliant, especially when dealing with the protracted death scene of one important character (In ep 5, I think?) and I found the ongoing use of the princess/wizard fable to illustrate various points within the series to be a nice touch. I also liked the closer, especially the way it is slightly expanded for the last episode.
There are two main problems I had with GM, though. One is that it struggles to find a proper balance between battlefield elements, slice-of-life content, romance, and humor. (This was also a problem for the original FMP, which is one reason why Fumoffu is usually regarded as the better and more entertaining series.) The other is that too much about the series feels forced. Nonomi feels like she's just there to put an element of cuteness into the series and the whole "Japan as the last bastion in a world overrun by aliens" gimmick rings false given how utterly normal civilian life looks. Also, the alien baddies are so generic that they feel like they were inserted in just to provide an opponent for the mecha battles. Although Gunparade March does have better dramatic peaks and a bit better technical merits, FMP is funnier when it tries to be funny is more interesting both in its characters and its action scenes. It also doesn't feel as forced. That's why it will always win out for me in a head-to-head battle of these two titles. |
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