[Eidolon Sniper]

Originally Posted by Demongod86

However, you have to realize that Lacus's influence is just that...INFLUENCE...if you want an example of a Lacus type of person, loved by all, beautiful, influential, pristine, kind, etc... then here is one: princess Diana. Sadly, tunnel+car+paparazzi+bad driver>princess Diana. But Kira doesn't suck at driving, and if Lacus ever died in a car accident like that...also, Mia's influence was complimenting Durandaru Gichou. Think of Durandall as a sort of Bill Clinton-like guy, minus playing all the wrong holes. He was a politician that was basically loved by the commonwealth people. Lacus was ALSO held in high esteem. Up to this point, she was the daughter of the leader, and a songstress that was NOT oversexed and didn't sing corny songs. (Gee...the concept is almost impossible to conceive in our day and age here in the US of A). Her reputation as a moderate young politician was well-earned, as was her influence.

No way. Princess Diana is NOT Lacus. Princess Diana >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>...(stretch to infinity) Lacus. She made it on her own not just because she had a title of the Princess of Wales. Princess Diana actually did something too, not just sit around in a deserted island with a zombiefied person and uttering one-line sentences while at it...

Lacus didn't earn any reputation as a young politician, if ever, she earned a reputation as the leader of a rebel alliance, which is not the way for one to be trying to earn his way into the political big league, isn't it? She never showed any political magic, just some of her Lacus dust spiels. Lacus dust spiels NOT political magic. It takes more than pixy dust to make entire political systems go crashing down just for the hell of it. Unfortunately, most of the so- called "politicians" in the CE universe are just as dumb as the populace who elected them.

Kira being unrealistic? I think he was being an ideal big brother, gentle guy and all, that doesn't really want to hurt people, but wants to help his friends and family out, and is an all-around genuinely good guy. In fact, if I ha to pick any anime character to relate my best friend to, it actually WOULD be Kira. Kira is perhaps somewhat exaggerated in some of his traits, like the rapid pace at which he can learn a mobile suit, but that's what makes him exemplary. His brain, and gentle heart. I'd say Kira has very realistic traits, but perhaps some of them are taken to an unrealistic extent. But in order to be willing to believe a story, we must give some leeway for the writers to do something extraordinary with the characters.

Which became a tad bit exaggerated now, didn't it...

I'd rather be with psychotic, angsty types. They're much more interesting to be friends with. And besides, it's boring to be with the same friend who always stared at the sea for 2 long years...

Overall, it was the reused scenes and actually Shinn that ruined it for me, the reason being the utter FAILURE of a character he was. Fukuda had MULTIPLE opportunities to write Shinn's scenes out better, and to have Shinn think about Athrun's words more. Shinn NEVER did until the VERY end when it finally penetrated Fukuda's thick skull to actually have Shinn just STOP for a second, detach himself from the situation, from his angst-on-two-legs self, and think about things in the bigger picture. In fact, I think that in episode 34, if Shinn actually felt he LOST that fight, that he could have become a much bigger character. Because the way GSD went, Shinn won a battle nobody else possibly could have--and lost the war for his character to become anything decent.

And you seem to keep missing the instances wherein Athrun could've said something to Shinn, but always come out like he needs a respirator everytime he sees his friends on the other side get blown off or whatever.

Athrun had a million chances to try to get some sense into Shinn, but he failed miserably at it.

I don't think I want to see Final Plus...

Overall, I think the writing for Kira and Lacus was bang on. They stayed consistent to their idealistic characters with the power to change the world (and went and did it). It's just that Fukuda screwed up with everyone else. Durandall went from being a well-meaning guy to "Athrun isn't being my pawn, let's kill him. DIE, LACUS CLYNE!!!" in episode 36, which was a real "WTF?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" for me, and then he's somehow magically behind EVERYTHING, from the Junius 7 drop, to sending out terrorists against Lacus Clyne, to staging the armory 1 heist, to knowing Jibril has Requiem and letting him fire that shit on the PLANTs for more public support.

No. They weren't consistent. What they did was no different than what was Dullindal was planning to DO, but since they're the "good guys", they're entitled to being "right" all the time, no questions asked.

How could you seriously change the world when you try to correct every single person you meet on the street for doing the "wrong" thing to do something?! And contradicting yourself at that, saying they were fighting for freedom, but actually they're fighting so that they could get a hold on the entire universe themselves? A universe that actually kowtows to their every whim? And when they find someone who was doing something "wrong" against what their views as "right", they instantly proclaim him as an evil parasite/beast/whatever that deserves to be cleansed and punished for going against their Infinite God and Goddesshood?!

Dullindal's descent to the Dark Side was very badly done, and all those you stated were only revealed to be the truth in magazine interviews and never were shown explicitly in the series.

Overall, I just think that the writers of GSD wrote themselves into a hole. Because they failed to have Shinn change and tempted people with Kira, they split the fandom, had people wanting Kira Kira Kira, so they just said "screw the new cast" and essentially trashed them. A FAR more INTERESTING ending would have been for Lacus and Durandall not to actually come to all of these huge blows and have Durandall turn to Darth Gichou with his two deathstars, but to invite Lacus Clyne to a conference and talk out a plan that has compromises from both of the idealists--Durandall's belief that humanity would be much happier with a system that would organize them, and Lacus's belief that humans should just be free to do whatever the hell they want.

But they can't really go against Lacus sama now, can they, because they'll get Strike Freedomed.

Besides, how could Lacus agree to such a conference when in ep 13 they already labeled him as EVIL?!

I mean considering that Durandall's system had in mind to structure all of humanity, perhaps a Destiny+Lacus plan would have people be free to do what they wished to do, but strongly suggested based on their genetics what to do. The funny thing is that both of my grandfathers were engineers, and my dad was also an engineer in Russia. And now guess what? I'm majoring in Information and Systems ENGINEERING. So if I had to look at myself, I could say that I'm proof that Durandall's Destiny Plan CAN work to a slight extent.

So Dullindal wasn't entirely wrong after all. See, you're contradicting yourself here.

I just think that the writers had great ideas, but COMPLETELY fucked up in the presentation. I really wouldn't put the blame on Kira and Lacus. They stayed true to their characters, and though a bit godly, I happened to appreciate them far more than the unthinking Shinn or Darth Gichou.

You say you're a writer, right? Shinn and Dullindal's complexity far outweighs the unbelievable goodness of Kira Yamato and Lacus Clyne. Think about it. If you were to create a story wherein all the cast members are a bunch of Mary Sues, where would that take you to?

And Shinn isn't unthinking. Shinn had shown several instances wherein he was acting confused, doubtful, ACTUALLY thinking. Too bad "Darth" Dully beat Athrun to him.

I'm not a fan of flat characters. Why do you think I liked Mia so much?

Meer for me >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Lacus.