(L) Buddy Complex

[Wandering Soul]

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

Nobunaga the Fool is downright one of the worst mecha shows in the last five years or so. It only has pretty art-designs and cool soundtracks going for it. Beside that, almost everything is worthless IMHO. And the WTF events leading to the lackluster ending is the final nail in the coffin. So yeah, compared to The Fool, Buddy Complex at least has better-written story and characters which are consistent, relatable and actually behaves like human beings instead of being overly eccentric or theatrical like most of the characters in The Fool.

I agree with almost all of this. Some of the side characters such as Hideyoshi, Mitsuhide, and Kenshin were actually pretty interesting and did manage to keep me somewhat invested in the show. Without them I'm not sure I would have finished the show considering what a bland MC Nobunga was.

[Flames]

Originally Posted by BladeEntity

So its like the final time travel loop attempts to restore itself to equilibrium by sending Hina and Aoba back to where they started looping, for Aoba its the time in highschool when Bixon appears and he gets sent to meet Dio, and for Hina its the coupling experiment thats why she reappears in the zogilla uniform, basically these 2 are just fated.

Basically Aoba return back to his timeline after the events of Bizon appearing. He live his normal life up to college in which he meets his timeline version of Hina. He says he doesn't know her because he never met this version of Hina. All the memories of time traveling he is most likely keeping to himself. While the Hina we know throughout the series returns to her original timeline she left from which has College Aoba crying over her disappearance. The meeting between College Aoba and Hina are at the end is different from the meeting we see in Hina memory sharing. I believe the Aoba we know won't conduct the coupling experiments this time because he knows the risks of it now.

[Divini]

You know what I really, really wanted to see happen in the end?

Mayuka catches the bouquet, wind blows flower petals up in the air... then back down landing on an 85 year old Aoba and Hina, who just made it just in time for the wedding.

If fucking Bizon can live that long stressed his whole life, they can too.

[cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by Divini

You know what I really, really wanted to see happen in the end?

Mayuka catches the bouquet, wind blows flower petals up in the air... then back down landing on an 85 year old Aoba and Hina, who just made it just in time for the wedding.

If fucking Bizon can live that long stressed his whole life, they can too.

I had similar thoughts. only maybe as Dio leaves the wedding he passes an aged Aoba and Hina. He pauses because he recognizes them. They face each other and it ends there.

I also considered that he already knows them before the series and that he is actually their grandson/great grandson. His father does look like he could be related to the 2 of them.

[Nvis]

Kinda like that INSERT song.

[jpwong]

Originally Posted by Dr. Dahm

The escalation to global level destruction felt like a bit much and had me wondering a few things like how is that cannon supposed to fire accurately on three locations at the same time and what are people doing not focusing their efforts on disposing of that Nectarium if it's so dangerous as to lead to continent wide levels of damage or total annihilation if there's an explosion in one of the mines.

Multi-targetting aside, how did no one notice a ginormous battle station being built before they finished building it? I think you'd be hard pressed to not notice all the shuttles it would take to get the construction materials into orbit.

Something interesting to consider, assuming that Aoba retained all his memories, does he go ahead and try to stop the time loop from starting in his world, or does he let it happen in order to not mess with the future he went to?

Also, seems a bit odd the valiancers didn't go back with them this time...

[whitecloud]

I guess it go back with them...they just keep them somewhere safe...it is supposed to be developed some time later after all

[FlareKnight]

Yeah, I'm not really sure if Aoba and Hina just get merged with their previous selves when they went back or if they just went back in the Valiancers. For all we know the ending we saw was just a kind of finishing where the story began kind of thing. In reality Aoba and Hina pop out where Aoba was taken into the future, find a place to stash their units and just live peacefully.

Kind of left open in a way that you can go in whatever way you want with it. Considering we are dealing with time travel and they only had 2 episodes it might be best to go that route.

[HtwoN]

Originally Posted by Flames

Basically Aoba return back to his timeline after the events of Bizon appearing. He live his normal life up to college in which he meets his timeline version of Hina. He says he doesn't know her because he never met this version of Hina. All the memories of time traveling he is most likely keeping to himself. While the Hina we know throughout the series returns to her original timeline she left from which has College Aoba crying over her disappearance. The meeting between College Aoba and Hina are at the end is different from the meeting we see in Hina memory sharing. I believe the Aoba we know won't conduct the coupling experiments this time because he knows the risks of it now.

Best explanation for me. Thank you.

Also, Hina at the end has a deja vu.

[Divini]

Still a little salty. You can see what they wanted to do with a season 2.

Aoba's kouhai and Zogalia's coup would've made interesting plot points. Gallant and his crew's struggle with the new regime would have been something to watch, in addition with fighting their former comrade Hina. Maybe they rebel before the final battle and join them in taking out that space weapon from the start instead?

Hina's revelation would have gotten A LOT more screentime. Maybe the revalation to everyone in the special would've been the same, but it might've been revealed the Aoba earlier. I wouldn't mind seeing a whole past episode of Hina from the start going back in time. (sort of like episode 10 of a certain mahou shoujo series)

Most of all, the missed opportunities with both Hina integrated herself with the crew, and HinaxAoba moments! The romance development between the two was something I sorely looked forward too and that had to get shafted because had to get all the plot resolved in a limited time frame.

They were both heroes to each other and both did everything they could to protect one another across time. The two weren't tsundere at all toward the other either. Really could've been sweet. Throw in an awkward Dio who has their memories and maybe some jealous bridge bunnies... it could've been great.

Ah well...

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Divini

You know what I really, really wanted to see happen in the end?

Mayuka catches the bouquet, wind blows flower petals up in the air... then back down landing on an 85 year old Aoba and Hina, who just made it just in time for the wedding.

If fucking Bizon can live that long stressed his whole life, they can too.

85 year old Aoba couldn't be there in that timeline. They looked for his relatives, and found none living. They certainly would have found an old him.

[jpwong]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

85 year old Aoba couldn't be there in that timeline. They looked for his relatives, and found none living. They certainly would have found and old him.

Perhaps they're all secretly in hiding from Bizon so until he's defeated in the future by past Aoba they won't reveal themselves

[bakAnki]

Originally Posted by Flames

Basically Aoba return back to his timeline after the events of Bizon appearing. He live his normal life up to college in which he meets his timeline version of Hina. He says he doesn't know her because he never met this version of Hina. All the memories of time traveling he is most likely keeping to himself. While the Hina we know throughout the series returns to her original timeline she left from which has College Aoba crying over her disappearance. The meeting between College Aoba and Hina are at the end is different from the meeting we see in Hina memory sharing. I believe the Aoba we know won't conduct the coupling experiments this time because he knows the risks of it now.

But then won't he trigger time paradox if he didn't do coupling experiment with Hina? Or the other timelines won't be affected anymore no matter what changes Aoba and Hina do now?

Seriously buddy, time travel is complex

[ReddyRedWolf]

Temporal mechanics give me a headache.

First timeloop Hina was a scientist and spouse of Aoba, the experiment they had sent her to the future where she met Dio and crew. She was Dio's Buddy and Bizon's nemesis in that timeline. Singularity happens she gets sent back earlier and she enters the same high school as her hubby Aoba. Then Bizon shows up... Not to kill her but Aoba! Why? Cause he isn't Bizon that she met before.

The singularity sends Aoba in her place and she gets sent to Zogillia de-aged and no memory becoming a Zogillia soldier and Bizon's childhood friend. (Note Hina's first time travel indicates she always de-ages to her teens.)
Hina always repeats this over and over until finally Dio lets Aoba go to get her.

Hina returns to her original timeline or quantum she leaps back to her younger body with vague memories.

So what happens to Aoba? Did his consciousness also leap or even retain memories a bit? If so would he even continue the experiment?

[Wild Goose]

Well, that was a good pair of episodes. Not great, by any means, and really rushed, but still, it was a good ending, explained shit going on, and managed to give everyone closure.

Not as bad as the Aldnoah finale. Well, maybe not bad. More satisfying.

And it leaves things open-ended enough for fanfic writers.

But yeah, you can really see there was plenty of stuff they could have covered in another season. Oh, well.

[Flames]

For any one who didn't notice about symbolism of the Pink Petals that flows through Aoba and Hina meeting at the end. It means they are going to get married in the future. The flowers in the bouquet on wedding Hina card in the mobile game is the same as the one we see in the final chapter. Plus they made it more obvious by showing the petals of the bouquet flowers of Elivira wedding flowing through the wind which switches over to the pink petals that are flowing through Aoba and Hina meeting. Both Aoba's and Hina's are going get married.

[Dr. Dahm]

Originally Posted by Wild Goose

Well, that was a good pair of episodes. Not great, by any means, and really rushed, but still, it was a good ending, explained shit going on, and managed to give everyone closure.

Not as bad as the Aldnoah finale. Well, maybe not bad. More satisfying.

And it leaves things open-ended enough for fanfic writers.

But yeah, you can really see there was plenty of stuff they could have covered in another season. Oh, well.

Two really different kinds of mecha anime if ever there were ones to have finales almost in the same week. Aldnoah's plot developments and resolutions are generally driven by spite, fucking over the heroes while trying to illicit an ultra-dark atmosphere and deathly serious melodrama. Buddy Complex's plot developments are generally driven by good old fashioned cornball fun, getting to see the ridiculously dickish villains get taken down once and for all in rather satisfying and amusingly fitting manners (Aldnoah had this for half it's run too to be fair), and what feels like tongue in cheek melodrama. Aldnoah honestly just tries to hard to be as dark and depressing as possible whenever and wherever it can only largely without thematic purpose and almost like it's reveling in it rather than depicting how horrific the violence and war is and showing how it affects people. It's honestly it's biggest downfall because it's unrealistically so IMO while Buddy Complex is well aware of how unrealistic and cliche it is and just rolls with it for better or worse. Much better fights in Buddy Complex too that the whole cast is able to contribute to in their own way as opposed to just the main character. Hell even getting to see that Alfried Gallant fellow play a role in the finale and show that he is indeed the reasonable fellow everyone thought he was fighting simply for pride, country and his men was nice. Aldnoah doesn't really have a sympathetic character for it's villain faction or at least not ones done nearly as convincingly as the Gallant Team.

[DragoonKain3]

LLLOOOLLLZZZZZ. I haven't laughed as much as these last two episodes in a mecha anime for a very long time. What's that couple system? No, coupling with yourself is supposedly stronger! But what's even stronger than coupling yourself? Three way coupling! And to top it all off, in order to get a happy ending with everyone, let's have this time singularity wormhole appear yet again! We're not finished yet, let's troll Mayuka in her catching the bouquet when she doesn't have any love interest OR Mr. MC is an old man by then. XD

[Tiberium Wolf]

Insert song Twin Bird is Awesome.

Ok. I really wanted a 2nd season. Still this ending was satisfying. After a lousy summer season I think this was the best we could get.

[Dextro]

So I've watched the final episode and it managed to be even more rushed than Gundam F91. That's impressive

Anyway it was a great ride. Everything got boiled down to the absolute minimum required from a "full" 13 episode season and yet it still managed to work. I think it's a testament to how solid the plot for Buddy Complex was even when you factor in the slightly wonky time travel mechanics in play. They played it as safe with the story as possible with just enough sprinkles of different ideas to make it work and I for one loved every second of it.

I'll even go as far as saying this: Buddy Complex was the best mecha show from Sunrise I've seen ever since the first season of Gundam 00 ended (with a giant exception put in place for Gundam Unicorn but that one's special simply due to budget). Sadly I think that a poor naming choice really killed this show before it even had it's first teaser aired. Calling something Buddy Complex just had to kill interest in quite a few potential buyers*. If they had just added a few tropes and made this into another one of AU Gundams it would probably fit right in. The OP even reminds me of SEED.

But you know what's really bad about this show having flopped in sales? It probably means that Sunrise will be less likely to do this kind of original mecha series with a relatively by-the-numbers approach to the story. People voted with their wallets and the votes said that this wasn't the kind of show they wanted to buy. Sad really.

*In fact I think that Buddy Complex even had LESS yaoi shipping fooder than some of the Gundam shows.