Speed Grapher

[moonwise]

Finally worked my way to the last ep of Speed Grapher.



angstymcgoth introduced the series as "porn and crack," and what a long strange trip it's been. Aside from the copious amounts of freakyness - that dentist Euphoria still gives me the willies - the plot was fairly standard, only instead of Hollow-of-the-Day or Youma-of-the-Day, it was Euphoria-of-the-Day.

I didn't feel that the different threads hung together all that well. Suitengu wants to take revenge for his dead sister by blowing the wealth (and the Diet) of Japan into space? Sure, Sephiroth Suitengu, the whole world is better off now that you've destroyed the government and the banks! And your former flunky is now engaged in the same kind of loan sharking that killed her in the first place. Love the wings, though. Get yourself a nodachi and some bondage gear, and you'll be all set.

The biological experimentation subplot petered out as well. The Tennouzu group, like the Joker, puts Smilex into all their products... for what? Did that ever get a resolution, or is it a moot point now that Kagura has gotten her period and been cured of her brain tumor? (As an aside, I'd be happy if getting my period cured what ailed me like that!)

If Saiga went blind eventually after using his Euphoria powers too much, why aren't we shown other Euphorias overdoing it like that? The mermaid-lady was a suicide.

I wonder if Suitengu shared music box maintenance tips with Vicious.

Saiga and Kagura... I wasn't sure whether to like them as a couple or not. I felt too bad for Ginza to cheer for them too much. She was badass. Her relationship with the doctor was kinda pastede on yey, but eh, they'll have kinky sex.

I adored Bob, though. Comic relief or not, he was hilarious.

Comments

[arafel.livejournal.com]

True, I agree with everyone else saying that they didn't go into the sexuality of the Saiga/Kagura relationship. In fact, it would have ruined the dynamic, because Saiga is the one "club member" who treats her as a person who wants to be free and not as the Goddess (of sex.) I would say at fifteen, she's more hero-worshipping him than anything else.

I think the implication was that Saiga had lost his Euphoria powers due to overuse. And yet he's still taking photos. Um, right.

[angrybee.livejournal.com]

Okay. I've only watched like the first 2 or 3 episodes of Speed Grapher.

I don't think I will watch any more.

[arafel.livejournal.com]

Not too inspired to continue by my summary? ^_^;

[yankeerose69.livejournal.com]

The dentist fucking freaked me out and it didn't help like the week after that eps came out, I had an appt for the dentist.

I think in some ways, this series could've had potential but it totally petered out mid way. So many things that still were uncovered that could've been brought to light.

I had a silly thought run in my head during the last few eps for Suitengu (though he already had those wings before, this just hit me then), lets just say it involves earning your blood wings *lol*

That did suck that they didn't even show us what Kagura had done to cure herself and all the stuff that came with it, for it being 5yrs later, she sure didn't age much STILL.

If Saiga went blind eventually after using his Euphoria powers too much, why aren't we shown other Euphorias overdoing it like that?

Hard to say since Saiga had to constantly use his powers to fend off the bad guys whereas, how often did the bad guys use their powers that we didn't see? Perhaps not very often. Maybe Saiga's gene was a tad different than the others and his had a different side affect.

Yeah, I'm a bit in between of liking SxK as a couple or not. But either way, it wouldn't bother me. I really didn't see anything sexual between the two though, I don't think Saiga would be like that since probably somewhere in the back of his brain, its telling him that she's still a young girl and it wouldn't be right. But hey, if the need calls, go for it. (I can see her putting the moves on him though instead of he to she).

OOOH! Here is the thing that we didn't see or told about is why Ginza had such a hold on Saiga to where he couldn't leave the country. (did they say anything in between that I might have missed??) I have mixed feelings about Ginza, I wasn't too fond of how she raped Saiga, I'm still wondering if he was able to get hard even with all the work she was doing to him. That was a shocker about her and the doc, I wasn't expecting that but its cute. I'm just glad that he survived the whole ordeal. Oh god, the sex between those two would be hilarious. She being wild and all and he probably trying to tame her down a bit since he doesn't seem the kind to be into all that she does.

Bob was a hoot! Especially near the end.

I won't be buying the dvd not only cause I don't feel that it'd be worth to have in my collection but I'm also scared to see how Funimation will handle the dub.

The only thing I have hope for is that the manga will be able to cover areas that the anime didn't. I heard the first release of the manga came out in japan. It'd be nice if someone would pick it up for translating.

[arafel.livejournal.com]

I agree that the Ginza/Saiga dynamic wasn't explained much, but I'm not sure it needed to be. Everything you needed to know was laid out - she is a highly-placed police officer who is "above the law," she has a major boner for Saiga, and she doesn't share well.

Not that I understand what the brain tumor had to do with anything, but it seems the implication was that the scientists who worked on her knew about it and that with puberty her powers (and ostensibly the tumor? which is shit because any actuator it would secrete might not cross the blood-brain barrier) would disappear.

The series was weird enough in Japanese - I share your apprehension regarding the dub.

[tiggymalvern.livejournal.com]

And your former flunky is now engaged in the same kind of loan sharking that killed her in the first place.

I really loved that bit of the ending. Because the SO and I had been sitting there for like the last 10 eps figuring out what Suitengu was planning to do re teh economy, and saying, "But it'll never work!!" And lo and behold, it didn't. No fixes to be had here, and Suitengu couldn't see it, but then he was crazy. I adore the cyclical nature of Suitengu creating that which he loathed.

I wonder if Suitengu shared music box maintenance tips with Vicious.

Yeah, that was a bit of an obvious reference XD

Ginza and the doctor was so tacked on, it made everyone go major 'Huh?' You'd expect a doctor to recognise creepy stalker mental problems when he sees them! But I guess people liked her too much for her to be just left abandoned and alone. For a back-stabing blackmailing psycho stalker, she turned out surprisingly sympathetic towards the end.

I never saw Kagura and Saiga as a sexual thing, but I guess it could become that when she returns as an adult. I'm really glad the series didn't head off in that direction.

[arafel.livejournal.com]

I guess an anime series wouldn't be complete without a vengeful villain with a tragic past who wants to take his angst out on the world, would it? Ah, Suitengu, you're so played out.

Ginza seemed to have her epiphany when it became apparent she was way over her head, about the time of her confrontation with the tattooed Euphoria. She could continue her Machiavellian manipulations, or she could end up dead. Crazy bitch or no, I liked her (tho I am deathly afraid of who's going to end up cosplaying her.)

[tiggymalvern.livejournal.com]

That's the funny thing with Ginza - everybody ends up liking her, despite her obvious problems!

Oh, hell, don't mention the cosplay... 0_0