The Thrasher's Word
Argentosoma
Format: Series (26 episodes of 25 minutes each)
Genre: Science-fiction, Drama, Action, Mecha
Studio: Sunrise
Director: Kazuyoshi Katayama
The Evangelion clone is a peculiar subset of the mecha anime genre. Ever since Hideaki Anno’s heady, hallucinogenic 1995 treatise on the human condition, there has been a steady slew of similarly-minded series aspiring to that same mixture of obtuse mystery, domestic drama and good ol’ fashioned giant-robot ass-kicking. In these 13 years, between “Brain Powerd,” “Martian Successor Nadesico,” “Gasaraki,” “Blue Gender,” “RahXephon,” “Vandread,” “Fafner” and “Zegapain,” you would be forgiven for thinking that just about every possible permutation of that mixture has been thoroughly beaten into the ground. The simple-minded view to take would be that all such shows are creatively bankrupt hodgepodges of old ideas, telling competent but ultimately generic and safe stories, lacking Evangelion’s daring and scope. I don’t take this view, however. Progress, after all, is 1% revolution and 99% evolution, and nowhere is it written that derivative art can’t be great art. Put more simply, Evangelion clones deserve to be considered in their own right as much as anything else does. So, with that in mind, let’s look at an example: 2001’s “Argentosoma.”
The premise… well, stop me if you’ve heard this one before. The year is 2054. Aliens of an enigmatic nature – no-one knows where they come from or what their motivations are – have been periodically attacking the Earth for some years, and as we can see from the ruins of New York in one episode, their presence has taken its toll. Cut to Takuto Kaneshiro, a university student who discovers his girlfriend, Maki, is involved in a military-funded experiment. A variety of parts from dead aliens are being combined into a kind of Frankenstein’s monster of an alien (dubbed “Frank,” cutely enough) in an effort to better understand their foe. And as always with these things, Something Bad happens; upon Frank’s completion and awakening, he inadvertently destroys the laboratory where he was made, leaving no-one alive but a badly wounded and half-crazed Takuto swearing revenge on the monster he blames for killing his girlfriend. Soon after reconstructive surgery leaves him with an unrecognisable, asymmetrical face, Takuto is offered an opportunity at the revenge he seeks. And so he takes up the name of Ryu Soma and joins the organisation of FUNERAL, the first line of defence against the alien threat and who are also holding Frank.
So far, so Evangelion, then. “Argentosoma” doesn’t stray too far from the existing alien invasion format, and indeed it doesn’t really need to, as it manages to execute a very compelling narrative with the elements it has. The min twist to the formula that it does offer is a much more hard-science approach to the usual alien invasion standby, eschewing “RahXephon”-esque mysticism in favour of logical explanations. This gives rise to a very interesting dynamic in the plot where the show examines scientists’ attempts to unveil the origin and nature of the aliens, as well as the political ramifications of the war. While this stuff should, by all rights, be tedious, it’s so well scripted that it proves engrossing, as well as providing “Argentosoma” with a much more grounded feel than a lot of its contemporaries. OK, some of the science involved is questionable (claiming that the aliens can’t pinpoint an exact location on Earth’s surface from distant space just because we can’t seems a generous leap of logic at best) and some plot twists border on nonsensical, including one spectacular paradigm shift about twenty episodes in which would have been ridiculous had the show not spent an episode quietly setting it up. Overall though, there’s plenty going on, all of it exquisitely paced and written with a keen sense of drama that doesn’t lapse into unnecessary obtuseness or self-indulgence.
Arguably though, the biggest mark in “Argentosoma’s” favour is its protagonist. Ryu isn’t immediately likeable; he’s cold towards his teammates, he has some skewed ideas about how to treat mentally-retarded 13 year old girls, and his fundamental motivation throughout the series seems selfish and cynical. But he is developed in a manner that we come to understand him and the issues that lead to him becoming the jaded personality that he is. What’s particularly fascinating is the nature of his relationship with Frank. We quickly come to learn that Frank, much like his namesake, is really quite a gentle, passive creature, and that Maki’s death was simply an accident, and yet Ryu continues to focus single-mindedly on revenge. Perhaps then, (if you’ll permit me to wax Freudian for a moment) Frank is simply an object onto which Ryu focuses his self-loathing for his failure to save Maki. It’s a theme that’s pursued throughout the show, climaxing in a potent soliloquy from Ryu (“It’s hate that’s kept me going! So now who do I hate? Who do I kill?”). While we may not sympathise with him, we can empathise, and I respect “Argentosoma” for giving us a hero who demands something of the audience rather that your standard cookie-cutter angsty teenager.
The rest of the cast, consisting mostly of Ryu’s FUNERAL teammates Dan Simmonds, Sue Harris, Guinevere Green and Michael Hartland, aren’t quite so well developed, however. While the show does put an episode or so aside for each of them, detailing their backgrounds and personalities, we never feel quite as connected to them as we’d like. I suppose this is because the show characterises them with particular regard to their profession; we get to know them as soldiers first, people second. Domestic scenes of their day-to-day life are rare, and as such they never really attain the dimension necessary to get a sense of closure out of their eventual fate. That’s not to say that the supporting cast is weak, though. Between Dan’s volatility, Guinevere’s serenity and Michael’s charisma, they do prove vibrant enough to care about them and to worry about them when things get bad.
Overall, “Argentosoma” is a very well rounded show, which delivers the goods in every area that counts, save for one: unfortunately, it’s one of the ugliest shows I’ve ever seen. Backgrounds lack clarity and depth of field, character models are angular and lack detail (most of them only have noses in profile), animations are twitchy and unnatural, and from the moment you first see an alien which looks like it belongs in a show from the early 80s, the whole package is basically aesthetically cringeworthy. The situation isn’t helped by a soundtrack which is at best serviceable, and some of the most appalling sound effects I’ve ever heard committed to film. Case in point: the guns being used by the SARGS are of roughly the same calibre as tank cannons and can fire rounds over several miles. So why do they sound like they were made by Fisher Price? Really Sunrise, I realise that “Argentosoma” isn’t exactly a top-tier show, but considering it was made in 2001, I reckon audiences have the right to expect better.
Rather than being a condemnation, however, it’s a testament to how strong “Argentosoma” is in every other regard that it remains gripping even in spite of such abysmal presentation. With a story that manages to build an intriguing narrative and a powerful cast out of a generic premise, it deserves high kudos for its writing. Couple that with some incredibly tense set-pieces and you have everything a discerning anime fan could ask for. Check it out if you’re into mecha, or even if you’re not and you’re just looking for a good story.
I’m still knocking off half a star for the piss-poor animation though.
-Thrash Til’ Death
LAA Rating: ***
Rating System:
* - Horrible
*1/2 – Very Bad
** - Bad
**1/2 – Good
*** - Very Good
***1/2 – Excellent
**** - Masterpiece