MelodiousFunk

Off-topic, but wow. That cookie permission pop-up is pure cancer.

So, it took a lot of effort, but I cut it down quite a bit to what I think are the most important parts.

I related to this on a visceral level. Brevity is hard.

Agreed on like 90% of your takes. The “real”-feeling near-future sci-fi was excellent. And the thought put towards the physics was very much appreciated. Where we diverge a bit is on the romance track. I didn’t have an issue with the direction, and was actively rooting for them. Their affection felt organic and natural. But as you said, it derailed a bit and, combined with career choices, left me disappointed at the very end. But the good was so freaking good.

I’ve had a hankering to re-watch lately. I’ve got the DVDs, and they will do in a pinch, but it’s hard to go back to SD anymore. Last I checked the show was in rights purgatory, with no discs in print or a way to stream it. Maybe I’ll finally get around to reading the manga.

…TIL that Anime Corner Store is still around. Haven’t bought from them in over 20 years. It’s been almost all Right Stuf since then. Which means I don’t really have any other leads that aren’t the obvious big corps (Crunchy, Amazon, etc.), sorry.

I love that show. It hits all the feels, and the opening still gives me chills. I’ve had the manga on my shelf for quite a few years at this point. I should probably get around to reading it.

Having pushed Earth to the brink of environmental disaster and overpopulation, the central government segregates the populace. The wealthy and well-connected get to remain as they are, but billions of everyday working folks get forced into artificial, self-contained living spaces over the course of several decades. Some of those spaces remain relatively comfortable. Many are densely populated, and some of the most isolated don’t even get natural sunlight. None of them have any say in how they are governed. This breeds unrest.

In the most remote communities, there is a growing push towards being self-governed. In tandem, the idea that their half-century plus of environmental isolation is pushing a new evolutionary path for humans starts taking hold. The champion of this ideal is a charismatic politician, who uses the notion of a higher-evolved humanity as justification for independence. Amid tensions with the corrupt, complacent central government, the politician dies suddenly. Both movements are then co-opted by populist fascists, whose leading family has effectively complete control of the local military. This leads to the deadliest, most brutal war humanity has ever seen.

This is the setup for Mobile Suit Gundam (1979), and yeah, I’d say that’s still pretty relevant.