Standing the test of time

Sup,

I like to re-watch things. In my book, things with re-watchability are generally good. When I buy things, I like to think that my purchase will not be a 'one time wonder'. I like things to 'stand the test of time'. I don't want the things I've spent my hard earned money on to sit gathering dust on some shelf. Not only will this of been a waste of my money, but I'm not getting the most out of my purchase.

On occasion, however, after either listening to a foolish recomendation, or seeing a trailer that makes something look way better than it actually is, I have let the occasional series slip through the net. In this instance, it was the old scenario of 'awesome trailer, not so awesome series'.

Enter 'Silent Mobius'.

So imagine, it's 2001 and I'm waiting for my NTSC-VHS version of Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz to fall through the post box. I'd spent nearly £40 to get it imported and I was major phyched. It arrives, and like all VHS tapes there were trailers before the main feature. Silent Mobius was one of these trailers.

The trailer was basically the opening credits with a voice over and a few extra clips thrown in for good measure.



WOW! TALK ABOUT AWESOME!! Magic circles, a huge sword looking thing, lasers, guns, space ships, and hot women kicking some alien ass! All set to some freaking awesome tune. Cool? Yes sir, yes indeed.

Like a flash, I rang up the local anime shop. Ordered the full series, and like another slightly slower flash, one month later the full 26episodes of awesomeness arived. Watched it, enjoyed it, put it to one side, forgot about it.



Fast forward eight years to 2009. It's credit crunch time and the chances of buying new anime is looking pretty slim. I come across Silent Mobius in a box, lying there like a tramp in a subway, looking up at me begging for spare change, or in this case, the chance to be watched just one more time.

I made it to disk three of six. I think episode 12... maybe. I didn't care, I'd lost all interest. It was something to do the main character not wanting to face her destiny, and her father opening the gate to another world, and the recapping of stuff we'd already seen... yada yada etc etc...

This series isn't bad, because I remember it being good. But... I don't know, it's just not as good as I remember it. The characters were just a little bit shit, and the story is slow. Really, really sloooow. Perhaps I should pick up the manga?

I mean the manga was released in 1991, the TV anime had it's run in 1998, and then was released by Bandai in 2000. So when picked it up in 2001 it was already quite old, but now its almost 20 years old, and to be honest, it's just not managed to live up to what I remember. For me, I think I'm bugged by how Mobius has tried to take too many genres and mash them all together. Magic, the occult, sci-fi, comedy, romance. Silent Mobius is like taking a little bit of City-cyber: Oedo 808, a chunk of Ghost in the Shell, a smidgen of Tenchi Muyo, a dollop of Neon Genesis: Evangelion, taking out the good bits, chucking them in a blender and snorting what ever freakish concoction is left. A real bad trip.

@BenGP02