ext_85909 ([identity profile] mumumugen.livejournal.com) wrote in [personal profile] taotrooper 2011-06-22 01:03 pm (UTC)

As an aside, you know what Martinez made me think about? Irreverent anime villains, and when and when they don't work. Martinez and his general "slightly goofy punk" demeanor isn't working for me, maybe because it's ordinary, maybe because it *is* pretty simple and bland (where villain + make him flippant about the horrible things he does) or maybe it's the godmodding, but he just didn't do it for me.

I could think of some examples of better, flippant/silly criminals from Japanese animation that worked better. Ladd Russo from Baccano, Gauron from Full Metal Panic, and - a borderline case - Ali Al-Sarchez from Gundam 00. Each had something that made their flippant demeanor work out.

Ladd Russo had style. He's a gangster-sociopath who you love to hate, and definitely love to watch on screen. Gauron was not only menacing, but he was creepy, and basically his flippant behavior came from him being very easy about his nature - which was animalistic and crudely driven. Ali Al-Sarchez was a Gauron lite: a mercenary who didn't take himself seriously, and is more easily remembered by his over-the-top, memetic nature. However, he had nothing special to him, and the only reason he wasn't like Martinez is because he was menacing without needing to godmode.

Also I don't like Martinez' visual design.

Let's visually compare Gauron,Ali, and Ladd side by side with this thing. Seriously.

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