Otaku
A/N: Based on a sad, sad moment I just had recently…lol Names of animes slightly tweaked.
It was evening and while Lance was greatly amused, Hunk was automatically suspicious. Keith never grinned like a kid at Christmas, ever. "Alright, spill…what's got you so happy?" Hunk asked as Keith practically bounced around the kitchen making a sandwich.
"Remember way back in the 70's?" he replied, still grinning. "There was this kick ass anime? Space Epic Yamato?"
"I friggin loved that when I was a kid!" Hunk enthused. "What did they call the English dub of it?"
"Epic of the Argo," Keith replied. That immediately got Lance's attention.
"Dude, I was like this tall when that came out," Lance piped up, holding his hand just below his hip. "It was the greatest cartoon ever!"
"Uh-huh," Keith grinned.
"So what's that got to do with you being all happy, and dare I say it, genki," Hunk teased. Keith shot him a look.
"Genki?" Lance asked.
"Perpetually, almost psychotically happy," Hunk chuckled. "Japanese thing," he added, indicating Keith and himself. Lance just slowly nodded his head. "So?" he asked again.
Keith grinned widely again. "Last year they made a live action film version of it."
"No way!" Hunk bellowed.
"Eh okay," Lance added sceptically. "Cartoon to film adaptations aren't usually the greatest." He found Keith and Hunk staring at him in shock.
"In Japan they kick ultimate ass!" Hunk explained. Lance wasn't buying it and simply folded his arms across his chest.
"When they do the adaptations in Japan, the company that put out the anime in the first place, is in charge of the film making," Keith explained. Lance cocked an interested eyebrow. "Unlike in the States, where a big film studio gets a hold of the rights, hands the material over to some film noir director, and let's them have at it. Odds are you'll find original series creators on set of a live action adaptation in Japan."
"So in short, Japanese cartoon to movie translations are very true to the original material?" Lance asked.
"Uh-huh!" Hunk grinned. Keith simply nodded.
"I'm intrigued," Lance murmured.
"And I've got a copy of it upstairs, ready to watch," Keith grinned. "Care to join me?" he asked, stepping out of Hunk's way as the large man barrelled past him to make movie snacks.
"What language is it in?" Lance asked.
"It's got subtitles."
"Sold!" Lance grinned, slipping past Hunk for the refrigerator.
"Dare I ask," Pidge stated when he came into the kitchen with the others moments later. "What flick are you guys gonna watch?" he concluded, based on what Hunk, Keith, and Lance were preparing.
"Keith got a hold of a live action version of Space Epic Yamato made last year!" Hunk replied.
"No. Friggin. Way!" Daniel grinned, dashing for the cupboard where the cereal was kept. "My dad had me watch that!"
"Uh?" Space Epic what?" Vince asked.
"Came out in the States as Epic of the Argo," Lance informed the cadet.
"Damn!" Vince exclaimed. "That isn't even old school…that's ancient!" Pidge chuckled and stepped away from Vince as Keith, Lance, and Hunk all glared at him. Daniel looked up from his rummaging and started laughing.
"Old school or not Dude, it's a classic!" Daniel enthused. "And you have officially spent way too much time around me," he added.
Lance snapped his fingers and pointed at Daniel. "Points to you for being smart for a change," he said, turning his finger towards Vince. "And you've just earned five extra hours of hand to hand training."
"For not being able to appreciate timeless classics!" Hunk added.
"Say what?" Vince argued.
"This is an Earth thing, isn't it?" Larmina asked Allura as the two watched on in bemusement. Allura nodded as she tried to smother a giggle.
"It is, but I think you'd get a kick out of it Larmina," Pidge informed her as he grabbed a soda. "The original came out before I was born, but it is really good. Aliens and epic space battles."
"I'm in!" Larmina grinned. She butted Lance out of the way and hopped up onto the counter to rummage for the stash of potato chips.
"Might as well," Allura chuckled as she joined her niece and accepted several bags from her.
"Wait…" Daniel said suddenly. "If it's going by Epic of the Yamato, it's in Japanese right?"
"Subtitles," Keith informed the boy.
"Cool!"
"And two native speakers who can properly translate what the censors might have tweaked," Hunk added, pointing between himself and Keith.
They got their snacks and drinks and headed for the lounge. Keith held up the disc with great triumph before putting it into the player. He went back to where Allura was sitting and got comfortable next to her. Allura was curled up on the end of the sofa and decided that Keith would make the perfect leaning post. Larmina decided thirty two seconds in that Pidge was right about the film appealing to her. It had started with an epic space battle. Allura had caught on to what the story was about and watched with intense interest as it unfolded. Vince had to admit, that even though the original material the film was based on was nearly as old as his parents, it was good. Daniel, Lance, and Hunk had decided that it was perfectly okay to discuss the few differences between the cartoon and the film, much to the amusement of the others.
"They so needed to keep the hot alien babes," Hunk stated ten minutes in.
"Agreed," Pidge concurred.
"Actually, if I remember right, didn't they look kinda like her?" Daniel piped up, pointing to Allura.
"Longer hair and more risqué wardrobe," Lance added. "But yeah…they did." Allura cocked an eyebrow at them.
"You would have needed double sided tape to hold the top of the dress on," Keith informed the princess, indicating how it was cut.
"That would require a miracle to keep it up," Larmina piped up. "Not tape."
The film continued along with the fanboy discussion until it arrived to a point where there had been a marked change from the original material. "Damn! No way!" Lance and Hunk both enthused.
"Holy…" Keith grinned.
"Didn't he take a real chance there?" Allura asked.
"In the cartoon there was indeed a machine waiting for them on the planet," Lance explained. "Damn…"
Vince had remained fairly quiet though out the film, just letting the others talk as he watched, but the scene unfolding struck a nerve with him. "Okay…that's kinda creepy."
"So how…never mind," Allura started to ask as the plot hole was filled.
"Okay…cheesy much?" Larmina snorted during a scene between the romantic interests in the film a few minutes later. Hunk and Keith shrugged.
"That's Japanese drama for you," Pidge said.
"You're screwed," she muttered towards her aunt. Allura laughed at the dark look Keith shot the younger princess. The film continued towards the final climax and the ones familiar with the source material all let their jaws drop.
"That's…" Daniel gaped.
"Exactly how it was done in the original," Keith finished. He placed his arm around Allura's shoulders when he heard her sniffle.
"Dude, that scene left me wrecked when I was a kid," Lance stated solemnly. "Like wrecked for a week."
"Totally," Hunk agreed. A few more minutes passed and Larmina rolled her eyes as the romantic interests had a final scene together. Then she started howling in laughter.
"Ha! I love that!" she howled. "I love you…goodbye…*bang!*" Larmina wiped at a tear attempting to escape.
"The cartoon was actually cheesier during this bit," Daniel admitted, laughing along with her.
"That can't be possible," she stated through giggles.
"Oh yes it can," Lance intervened.
"I was like four or five when this came out and the scene Daniel's talking about still stands out like I just saw it five minutes ago," Hunk said. "Trust me, it is way cheesier."
"Oh Gods," Larmina groaned. "You guys have to show me what you're talking about."
"Not a problem," Lance grinned. "I…Whoa, hang on," he stated suddenly.
"They did not go the kamikaze route," Keith gaped.
"I'm guessing there isn't gonna be a sequel," Pidge added.
"Oh no," Allura murmured, holding her hands to her lips as she watched. There was a final explosion and then the credits began to roll. Stunned silence filled the room as an aftermath scene showed in the credits.
"Wait what?" Hunk suddenly piped up when he saw the small child.
"When did he get the chance to knock her up?" Lance laughed.
"Lance!" Allura groaned, throwing a pillow at him.
"I'm guessing they needed something to do during one of the warp jumps," Pidge cackled. "Ow!" he added when Allura reached over and back handed him across the back of the head.
"Okay, I'm sorry about the 'ancient' comment earlier," Vince laughed. "That was good!"
Lance glanced at his watch and smirked. "Oh it is still early!" he stated, getting up and jogging from the lounge. He returned a few moments later with a box set of the original cartoon. "I have the entire series on disc," he stated. Keith had just removed the film disc from the player and Lance gladly placed the first of five discs in. "Watch this ladies."
"No reading required," Keith chuckled, when he saw that Lance had the English translation of the anime.
"It's still a faithful translation though," Hunk grinned.
The film had already hooked Larmina, and it didn't take long for the cartoon to do the same for Allura. It was decided that they would convene in the lounge every evening to watch the whole series. For those who knew the series, it was a chance to relive their early childhoods. For those being introduced to it, it filled in a lot of gaps from the film. Four nights later, they finally reached the finale of the series and those new to it saw where it deviated from the film.
"I can't believe you guys were right," Larmina groaned as she hid her face in Daniel's shoulder.
"Told ya!" Daniel laughed.
"There has to be more like this," Allura said.
"They need to do Robogear," Lance stated. Hunk and Keith both looked puzzled for a second, before figuring out what Lance was talking about.
"This is true," Keith smirked. "If ever a translation was taken, adapted to suit an English speaking audience, and blow everyone away…that one is it!"
"I remember when we moved to the States and I saw it for the first time," Hunk grinned. "I was all like hey…wait what? Damn this is better!" Keith and Lance laughed along.
"Wasn't that three completely unrelated series in Japan, turned into one big multi generational story in America?" Vince asked.
"And done brilliantly," Keith nodded.
"No. You know what they need to make a live action film of?" Daniel grinned. "Five Tiger!" A solid minute of silence followed before the rest of the guys agreed emphatically with Daniel.
"Five Tiger?" Allura and Larmina both asked.
"The story line would look really familiar to you two," Keith smirked.
FIN
A/N 2: The animes I'm referring to in this are Space Battleship Yamato, aka Star Blazers. Robotech, which was adapted from 3 completely unrelated series. The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Super Dimension Calvary Southern Cross, and Genesis Climber Mospeada. And Five Tiger would be referring to GoLion, better known in the English speaking world as Voltron…the Lion one. ^^ But then most of you old timers like me already know this.