Concrete Revolutio / First Impressions

「正義／自由／平和」 (Masayoshi/Jiyū/Heiwa)
“Justice/Freedom/Peace”

I was thinking that Concrete Revolutio has been awfully well behaved these past few weeks, but alas, it is now back to its usual antics, i.e. being confusing via information overload. This time, though, it’s not because Concrete Revolutio is jumping around in its chronology—it’s managing to sit nice and still, actually—but rather because of the number of characters who decide to pop up and ldistract us by looking important but not telling us why. Let’s see all the ones we have here, as much for organising my own notes as anything else:

  • The new masked superhuman, Claude (what kind of super alias is ‘Claude’?), is obviously important. He’s the central antagonist of the episode, is connected to the Hitoyoshis, and has Jirou’s giant flames, but in yellow.
  • The Hitoyoshis had a maid? Was she around before? She’s going to die, isn’t she?
  • Not sure about the musical number. In the end they just floated about and did nothing. More important are their sponsors; the band’s presence shows their influence at work.
  • The detective is around so that his strict adherence to the law and Claude’s ideals can fight.
  • The blonde guy is in the OP, and showed up at the superhuman bar in episode 07. Not sure why I need to care about him, though.
  • The Sciencers, or at least their apparent leader, was also at the superhuman bar, and was the one who warned Earth-chan about Kikko being a witch. The Sciencers apparently follow Clarke’s Third Law of Science Fiction, or rather it’s reverse: any sufficiently analysed magic is indistinguishable from science.
  • Apparently Kikko has a superpowered dark side, future queen of the demon world, and part time lingerie model. This way she can play her own rival in a magical girl spinoff.

That’s a lot going on even for Concrete Revolutio, isn’t it? To put it positively, I suppose Concrete Revolutio has a lot of respect for its audience. ‘Exposition? Inner monologue? You guys don’t need that stuff’. I suppose I should be flattered. But while over-explaining things makes for asinine storytelling, too little explanation doesn’t make for much of a story at all. There is a very fine line between being clever and just being mentally disorganised. I hope Concrete Revolutio manages to maintain the right balance, because I do think it is mostly ‘clever’, but it has many things to say and perhaps not enough time to say it. I have heard complaints about Concrete Revolutio to the effect that it’s a mess and nothing is connected. I think differently; the thing about Concrete Revolutio is that everything is connected, which is what makes it confusing sometimes because we’re not always told exactly how. It’s a jigsaw puzzle being built patches at a time instead of from the edge first. But it seems fairly certain that there is a big picture.

So, what was this episode going on about? Well, Justice/Freedom/Peace. It seems to me that Concrete Revolutio is making a point that the three exist at the expense of each other. There has been talk of different concepts of justice clashing with each other before, and Claude went on a similar kind of spiel (especially in the preview), but I think there is no better example of this lesson than the Superhuman Bureau. On first glance, it is a very necessary thing. With all these superhumans running around, each with their own agenda and values and destructive powersets, someone has to bring order to chaos. And this is nominally the government’s job. The Superhuman Bureau wants to maintain peace, but must do so at the expense of justice (doing many shady things) and freedom (controlling media, populace, and superhumans). And really, when it comes down to it, it seems that the Superhuman Bureau does have ‘protect superhumans’ at its heart still (which, I assume, was the ideal on which Jaguar founded it in the first place). Sure, it does its political horse trading, but they seem to be the only ones in the government to stand against inhumanely weaponising superhumans. As shady as the Superhuman Bureau is, it’s entirely possible that they’re one of the less shady arms of the executive. Except for Dr Hitoyoshi, of course. He looks more and more the dark heart of the organisation with every episode.

Looking ahead ~ clouded horizon

I think it’s apparent by now that there’s no way in the thousand flaming hells that Concrete Revolutio is going to wrap itself up in just this cour. There has to be another, or at least another intended. Even at the warp speed at which this episode was paced, I can’t see a satisfying conclusion within 13 episodes. I think, at best, we’re going to find out how and why Jirou broke from the Bureau, and his crusade will have to be left for another season.

Still, if there was another season in the works, you’d think Concrete Revolutio could afford to catch its breath once in a while, rather than playing out like the crazy scrawls of a desperate writer scheduled to be executed at dawn. Perhaps it does have that much to say, and I hope it does give itself the chance to say it properly. We’re digging deep into the philosophical quagmire of Concrete Revolutio now, into why the straightforward idealism of Jirou does not work in his world. Justice, freedom and peace are all nominally the causes of ‘good’. But too often are they in conflict; what to do? I can already hear a masked vigilante yelling: never compromise!

 

Preview

15 Comments

  1. I hear season 2 is announced for april. Or rather, I think this is split cour?
    Finally a guy appears that seems really important. I hope the connection between things will be explained soon, but next week they might just go back and talk about a totally different thing altogether. I won’t be surprised, but I will be a little disappointed 🙁
    I think I was gaping at my screen during the Kikko transformation scene, because it was totally unexpected. Despite her being called a witch I always expected her to be more magical girl and less demon queen… but I definitely don’t hate this. I just wonder if she’s always going to need that root(?) thing in order to transform into her dark form, and how many of that root thing she actually has with her.
    The conversation in the car gave me hope for my JirouxKikko ship, but I doubt it’s going to happen, aww…

    ZJZJ
    Reply

    1. Indeed, it’d be truly baffling if there wasn’t another cour for Concrete Revolutio. So basically I’m glad it didn’t get cancelled.

      As for you ship, I wouldn’t count it out just yet. Dr Hitoyoshi seemed quite offended by even the slightest doubt about Emi and Jirou’s relationship, which just makes it more suspicious. There will be more to Jirou x Kikko, I’m fairly certain.

      Passerby
      Reply

    2. It wasnt that unexpected with Kikko. Her red “pet” already mentioned before that she has evil roots and that she is some kind of queen. So I just wondered when we get to see this side of Kikko and more background information. She appearantly commited some kind of error so she is banned from her home “planet” (?) right now. We still have to see what exactly she did.

      Libélula
      Reply

  3. latest update timeline :

    Note: Shinka Calendar seems to correspond to the Showa Calendar. Year 19 = 1944, or World War 2, etc.

    Unknown Time – Jaguar (Yoshimura Hyouma) forms the Superhuman Bureau. Episode 10.
    October 14 – Jiro’s father meets GaGon in the Pacific Isles, loses “Maria”, a native shapeshifter? A month after World War 2 broke out. Episode 4.
    December 16 – Mironu of the Japanese Immortal Family is captured by the American forces on Hawaii after his submarine is sunk. He joined the Japanese army in order for his family to avoid the family census. He’s been experimented on and tortured for decades. Episode 9.
    August 17 – GaGon faces off against American Superhumans in the Pacific Ocean. 9 months after Pearl Harbor.
    Year 19 – A war of some sort (World War 2’s equivalent). Referenced in episode 3.
    November 29 – Invisible Kaiju appears, Emi chooses to appear as an adult, Jiro’s father finds him naked and unconscious. Episode 4.
    January 34 – Flashback sequence. Giganto Gon breaks Jiro out of the laboratory where he’s held. Jiro wants Giganto Gon to destroy everything. Episode 5.Robot-GiGantor defeated by Rainbow Knight who saves Jirou (Episode 8), baby GaGon meets his adoptive brother. Episode 4.
    March 38 – Rainbow Knight kidnaps Daitetsu Maki and other superhuman kids, to protect them and/or gain money for their release. Dies for it. Episode 8.
    Unknown Time – Jaguar (Yoshimura Hyouma) forms Infernal Queen, also known as IQ, or Advocates of Free History to better the future by removing evil. Episode 10.
    July 40th – Judas is part of the criminal organization The Diamond Eaters, confronts Earth-chan and vows to become good. Episode 7.
    January 41 – 6 months before Kikko joins. Grosse Augen first appears as a Kaiju vanquisher. Call for “more magic” instead of science within the Bureau is made. Episode 4.
    June 30th 41 – The Beatles play in Japan, their powers bring forth more superhumans, or at least open the potential for some. Mountain Horse group becomes superhumans. Episode 6.
    July 41 – Kikko joins the organization, Jirou goes against orders and saves Grosse Augen. Episode 1.
    Between July and August 41 – A month after Kikko joins, just before Fuurota joins. More Kaijus appear, various superhumans fight them off. We meet Earth-Chan and Kaiju-using robbers. Grosse-Augen “replacement” takes up the burden. Episode 4.
    August 41 – Fuurota joins the organization, kills the bug species. Kikko with the organization for one month.Episode 2.
    November 41 – 3 months after Fuurota joins, humans confirmed as creating Kaijus. Mini-GaGon and Kaiju-lovers introduced as Fuurota’s friends. Episode 4.
    February 42 – Bombing incident with android detective. Episode 3.
    June/July 42 – Master Ultima returns from Mars, Bureau leaders revealed non-humans, expose their own Kaiju-creating ring. Jiro unleashes his arm. Episode 4.
    July 42 – USA throw away a Space Kaiju’s remains near Okinawa. Kaiju-sympathizers grab remains and begin agitating against the establishment and the Superhuman Bureau. Episode 5.
    August 42 – Protests by students begin, Jiro forced to become a Kaiju, faces off against Mega GaGon. Mega GaGon killed. Episode 5.
    September 42 – The Immortal Family cause an explosion, which they emerge fine from, and escape, apparently to alert Mironu who has been missing. The Superhuman Bureau find out the Americans are aware of immortal Japanese, and they know they’re missing a member. Episode 9.
    October 42 – Mountain Horse group tries their luck as superhumans and quits it. Fuurota infiltrates the Sugimoto media group. Episode 6.Same time – The superhuman Bureau recruits Judas after his release from prison. Face off against Earth-chan and try to get her aid in changing public opinion to sway protests against Japan joining the Earth Defence Force (against evil space-men). Earth-chan is given the ability to dream. Ullr (Kikko’s familiar) plots with Emi. Episode 7 (References October 8th 1967 Haneda protests).
    November 42 – Mountain Horse band brings down Sugimoto Media Group’s plot to block superhumans’ powers. Dee of Mountain Horse band dies. The Bureau now knows of the Sugimoto group as their enemy clearly.Episode 6.
    January 43 – Daitetsu Maki, now Otonashi Yumihiko and the other kidnapped kids (presumably) are an unregistered superhuman group, BL Club, who stage thefts by “The Eye of Lucifer”, Rainbow Knight’s old nemesis. Yumihiko and Jirou speak of morality. Superhuman Bureau is asked to stop opposing the FDE. Episode 8.
    April 43 – IQ (Infernal Queen) appear to take out the Superhuman Bureau who they deem evil for controlling superhumans, working with Americans, and lying to the public. Jaguar (Hyouma) #3 takes kills his #2 version, IQ’s leader, and his Time Patrol watch becomes the basis for the Time Travel research program. Episode 10.
    June 43 – USS Antares, a superhuman-powered submarine is brought over by the USA over to Japan. Turns out it makes use of enslaved superhumans. Phantom Sword Claude destroys it, revealing said fact. Jirou turns down an offer by Imperial Ads who say they only want human Superhumans. Protests and revealing to the public the American wrongdoings, a scheme to officiate Superhumans as part of law enforcement agencies is pushed forward by the former Defense Minister who’s behind Imperial Ads. Episode 11.
    August 43 – Kikko sees Claude killing medical personnel, turns into devil form, finds out she knows Claude.Episode 11.
    ~Year 44 – Kaiju wave of attacks dies down. Episode 5 reference. Likely a reference to the 990 days of the protests following the Haneda Protest ending. Episode 7.
    September 44 – Mironu of the Immortal Family is released by the Americans who follow him to try and eliminate the family. The Superhuman Bureau and Jirou try to defend them but are defeated by the American robot, the family survive on their own. Jirou clashes ideologically with the Bureau members. Chief Akita’s absence is noted upon. Episode 9.
    October 44 – Jiro tries to recruit Mountain Horse and they decline. Jiro’s quest is revealed as gathering superhumans to take on the Superhuman Bureau. Superhumans appear to be illegal. Fuurota goes and meets him. Episode 6.
    ~Year 45-46 – Osaka Earth Expo, relevance unknown. Episode 6 reference.
    April 46 – Jiro is an enemy, ex-Grosse Augen helps him, Kikko declares love. Episode 1.
    February 47 – Male android returns. Android detective now fugitive. Episode 3.
    April 47 – Judas, Jirou, and Megasshin (fused android) more break into a lab to retrieve Earth-chan’s stasis/broken down form, vowing to return her to her former glory. Episode 7.
    October 47 – Jirou fights Yoshimura (time-controller, “Jaguar”), Restored Earth-chan intervenes, and then so does Daitetsu. Episode 8.
    August 48 – Bug lady comes back for Fuurota, he learns what he’s done, gets saved and comforted by Jirou. Episode 2.
    25th Century – Jaguar (Yoshimura Hyouma) is sent back in time, as a member of Time Patrol. And as someone who tries to save superhumans, and as someone who tries to build a different future. Episode 10.

    Credit to Geekorner

    Shinkirou
    Reply

  4. “Apparently Kikko has a superpowered dark side, future queen of the demon world, and part time lingerie model. This way she can play her own rival in a magical girl spinoff”.

    That was very funny XD

    That talk, about justice, freedom, peace, and those looks… Lelouch vi Britannia, is that you? If not, man, your Zero cosplay is spot on.

    “They seem to be the only ones in the government to stand against inhumanely weaponising superhumans”. I’m not so sure they are, and that’s one of the reasons Kikko got angry in the car. During the incident, the Bureau was more worried about how the incident was leaked than about the poor superhuman slaves. Then politics forced them to go against Claude. And when Jirou said that he would have tried to protect those superhumans if he had known, my question (and I think Kikko’s too) was: and what happens if you are left in the dark?

    Mistic
    Reply

    1. There was a single line by Jaguar, when talking about how Claude’s aim was probably to expose the US military exploiting superhumans, that it was supposed to be ‘their job’. The new Superhuman Law that the Bureau sponsored also bans pressganging superhumans.

      The funny thing about Kikko is that while she’s no less idealistic than Jirou, and also his junior, she’s let in on a lot more than he is. I wonder why they shield him and not her.

      Passerby
      Reply

      1. Exactly, if it is supposed to be their job and they aren’t doing it, they are either corrupt or inefficient. After all, despite their words, every time there’s a joint venture between the American and Japanese governments regarding superhumans, the Bureau is always on the government’s side. No matter what, not even after discovering horrible human experiments or covert ops episode after episode. Which is natural, since they are a state agency, but that makes their statements hypocritical.

        I think because Kikko has proved to be easier to manipulate or convince even after witnessing some ugly truths. I think I mentioned it with discussing Earth-chan and why she was deactivated in the future while Kikko was still around in the Bureau.

        Mistic
        Reply

      2. The Bureau is just a small part of a generally rotten system, I think. And if you take out Professor Hitoyoshi, they look significantly better. At least they’re trying, I suppose, to change the system with the Superhuman Law, though from what we see of the future they probably fail spectacularly—which is the story of the Superhuman Bureau, overall.

        Passerby
        Reply

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