Once again, it’s probably because I’ve watched too much of this stuff,
but… I’m really eager to see some show finally follow through on the premise of
a violent asskicker getting permanently dropped into a peaceful setting where her
martial arts are no longer useful - - and then learning how to deal.
The first show I ran into that really teased that set-up was CASSHERN
SINS. In that, the ultimate cyber-warrior doomed the world to slow ruin by
mistakenly murdering a robot messiah. There were still plenty of bots to bash,
but the point of defeating was them long since moot. Ultimately, the show kept
showing us super-battles, though, even as it stressed that they were pointless.
The second show that played with the concept was GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUOUS
PLANET last year. The first few episodes pretty much boiled down into a GUNDAM pilot crash-landing into a Miyazaki adventure. After wiping out his hosts’
vastly under-classed foes, our hero had no way of getting home and literally nothing
to do but clean ships and learn the niceties of human relationships. Eventually, conflict reasserted itself, and he had to
save the day against other mechs.
I realize that my wish here is more-or-less unfulfillable. I might want
to see this premise played out, but that’s because I’ve watched hundreds of
shows. Your casual viewer isn’t going to get that meta-angle. He’s going to
pick up a show like this with expectations of action and adventure, and he’s
going to be pissed if those expectations aren’t fulfilled.
So… this episode plays with that premise to the extent that it
can. After flitting with pacifism in that earlier episodes, our warrior goddess
finally lays down her sword and picks up a broom, reinventing herself as a
housecleaner now that her friend’s death has left her disillusioned. We get
another angle on her being a being of another class, because she doesn’t
really seem to know how to handle even these pedestrian tasks.
Of course, conflict has to rear itself eventually, and this episode
ends with Alka finally coming to blows with our blonde madam. Nevertheless, even this
little taste of what I’ve described really demonstrates how Gonzo is truly
considering this set-up from every angle.
Watch “Moon” and
decide for yourself, then read my comments on the previous episode.
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