Quarantine Control #114: Dawn of the Top Bastard

DC Staff | June 9, 2022 | Animation, Features, Movies, Reviews, Television | No Comments

COVID-19 continues to swirl around with new variants that appear to manifest at the pace of one a week. Businesses and events, meanwhile, continue to force us into large in-person settings despite that remaining unsafe for many people, especially the immunocompromised. That is, unless they receive deserved backlash. The most remarkable recent example is Anime Expo, which abandoned its plans for a vaccine and mask requirement despite being a large attraction that brings together a massive crowd of anime fans. Doing this at all is bad, but dropping this decision less than a month before the convention was set to start, after a bunch of attendees locked in plans to go, was the worst move of all. This is why they reinstated it a little more than 24 hours later. At least the Anime Expo staff is listening, but consider the other organizations that won’t.

Geoffrey Barnes

Top Gun (1986)
Source: Amazon Prime Video
Episodes: 1 movie (with a sequel that just hit theaters)

I’ve seen and read a lot about Top Gun in the years since its release, considering the frequency with which it’s referenced through memes, and anime and video game content inspirations like Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 and Macross Plus for the former and Ace Combat for the latter. Yet, I’d never seen the original film. This may not be too surprising with how the film is very much a product of its time from its 1986 release, though it was difficult not to occasionally hear about. Now that top Top Gun: Maverick has finally hit theaters after several COVID-19-related opening delays, to massive success, there was not a better time to sit down and give it a watch.

Well, the best time to watch it would have been in the 80s. Let’s just consider this the second-best time.

Top Gun features an overwhelmingly heavy focus on fighter jets, the main character being an ace pilot of one in Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (a young Tom Cruise). Maverick, who he’s referred to as so much that anyone could be forgiven for thinking it’s his real last name, trains with best friend Nick “Goose” Bradshaw to become one of the United States’ best fighter pilots. The fighter planes and pilot training are big focuses in the film, but Top Gun is similarly a character drama detailing how these specific pilot and military official relationships develop. Even though I’d never seen this movie before, I was well aware of the relationship between Maverick and Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood (a young Kelly McGillis). The movie is hardly the most riveting I’ve seen, and is very, very much a product of its time, but it’s a fun way to spend nearly two hours.

The story is clearly advertisement for the US Air Force sponsored by the Pentagon, which reportedly worked extremely well. But my guilty conscience appreciated that it doesn’t beat the viewer over the head with jingoism. It’s, in turn, the frightening kind of propaganda where the film’s main attractions are the intriguing character relationships despite them being dated, incredible direction from the late Tony Scott (whom I mentioned a number of times in my review of Ambulance for last week’s Quarantine Control), and the great cinematography. The soundtrack is great too, even if some tracks (not Danger Zone, notably) are used a few too many times.

It’s a quintessential 1980s film not only through the beautiful nigh-perpetual sunset aesthetics and music, but also the not-even-subtle homoerotic undertones. Between the infamous volleyball scene and the unique high-fives, and the relationship between Maverick and top rival Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (a young Val Kilmer), I’m very hesitant to call them mere “undertones.” There was no need for me to know that the executives requested the relationship between Maverick and Charlie be added after most of the film was finished because it was — let’s be blunt about their intent here — too homo for them. It was extremely obvious by the movie’s conclusion. Note that I’m not stating the undertones as a flaw — far from it. It helps make the movie more fun to watch.

The Maverick and Charlie relationship was tacked on late in the film’s production, and very much feels like it through how unconvincing it is. (I absolutely believe those rumors about Cruise and McGillis not being able to stand each other during filming.) The execs wanted it there to even out the playing field compared to the homoerotic undertones, yet Maverick still has more tension with Iceman than Charlie by the film’s end. None of the character relations are too deep either, which could temporarily make a person wonder why the hell it’s considered a classic. That is, until you watch it and realize how driven it is by the spirit of the 1980s “glory” days.

Don’t let me fool you, though: I totally understand why Top Gun became a cultural phenomenon, one that still resonates with the public to the point that the new movie has made millions upon millions in theaters. (It helps that the sequel has a considerably better critical reception compared to the original.) It’s a fun film for anyone with nostalgia for the 1980s, real or ersatz. That is, if you can overlook the light sexism and macho attitudes that pervaded through entertainment works at the time.

Angela Moseley

It’s been a hell of a week in the news cycle. I don’t blame anyone if they find themselves needing a break from it all. Though I don’t know if my recommendation for this week will make you feel any better about current events. At least it will keep you informed in a darkly entertaining way.

Behind the Bastards (2019)
Source: iHeart Radio or any podcatcher
Episodes: 485 (as of this writing)

My podcast feed is as busy as ever, but every so often a new series manages to catch my ear. Normally, I learn about podcasts from other podcasts or an entry in our very own QC column might be interesting enough for me to check out. In this case discovering Behind the Bastards was as random as seeing a retweet at the right moment. In March someone on my timeline retweeted an episode called “How The Rich Ate Christianity” and I knew I had to listen.

I ended up listening to the two-part discussion with a mix of fascination, amusement, and horror. The details of the episode weren’t too different from the broad strokes I’d learned about through articles and guests on other podcasts (mostly stuff from NPR affiliate stations). However, the attention to odd and quirky details combined with host Robert Evans’ delivery really sealed Behind the Bastards as a regular podcast of interest. It would take me nearly a year of constant listening to catch up on every single episode, but I’ve listened enough to make this show a recommendation.

Behind the Bastards is a podcast that details some of the nastier famous people in the past and present. Robert Evans is usually joined by a rotating cast of guests that take a deep delve into the people who have shaped the world for the worst. This includes every fascinating aspect of their lives, their views, and how they were seen by others who knew them. The delivery style is both informative and darkly humorous. Such a style separates this podcast from the straightforward delivery listeners might expect from the History Channel or National Public Radio. Evans also has a silky smooth voice. Guest hosts run the gamut from rappers to fellow journalists, and the insights they bring during discussions are enlightening.

Again, I’ve not listened to all the episodes as they close in on the 500 mark, but I’ve gone back and listened to specific episodes. There’s just so much content especially at an average of two hours per episode. Some favorite episodes of mine include:

“That Time Britain Did A Genocide in Ireland”
“Tzar Nicholas II Was A Real Dick”
“Jeff Bezos and the Birth of Amazon”
“Behind the Insurrections- Mussolini’s March on Rome: The First Fascist Insurrection” “Behind the Insurrections- Hilter’s Munich Beer Hall Putsch”
“Mark Zuckerberg: The Worst Person of the 21st Century (So Far)”

As entertaining as Behind the Bastards is, the most important take away is that many terrible aspects of modern life have a through line that can be traced to the actions of one or many people. Every new controversy is rehash of some past event, and a few people really can have a huge impact on the course of history. The past is never truly settled, so it’s best to learn about that past in preparation for the present and future.

Joseph Daniels

It can sometimes feel like the whole world is against you, like you’re hated just for being you, but I like to believe that love will win out over hate. For how much bigots and other assholes try, the side of love and acceptance does win a lot of the time. It might take a lot of work, but the forces of hate can be defeated, as long as those that oppose them do not get discouraged.

The Dawn of the Witch (2022)
Source: Crunchyroll
Episodes: Ongoing
Tiger content: Mercenary (Japanese name: Yohei)

A couple weeks ago, I recommended the series Grimoire of Zero, one which I’d recently begun watching. For a brief summary of the plot that remains as spoiler free as possible, check out Quarantine Control #112.

Imagine my delight when I found out there’s a sequel series that’s currently airing in Japan. The Dawn of the Witch follows a brand new cast of characters, but which features cameos from the main cast of the first series. The ending of Grimoire of Zero made it seem like there might be more adventures in the lives of Zero and Mercenary, but another season was never made. Instead, the world has progressed ten years and moved forward from events that occurred in the final episode of Grimoire. Despite that the new series features characters like Holdem, Mercenary, Albus and Zero, this is very much not their story.

The Dawn of the Witch follows the magic user Saybil who is struggling in the Royal Magic Academy of Wenias. He can’t seem to keep up with his fellow students, so the headmaster of the academy offers him an alternate means to learn, and sends him out into the field for some practical lessons. His memories only go back three years, as that was when he was found with amnesia. Since then, he’s struggled to control his magic and has learned barely any spells. Although the headmaster recognizes that he needs a different environment to learn magic in, she gives him an ultimatum: he only has a limited amount of time to learn and if he still flunks out, he’ll have all memory of magic and the Academy erased.

Although Mercenary is present and representing tigers for me, the main cast this time includes a lizard beastfallen named Kudo, who tries his best to protect those around him, and a cute little mouse named Lily. I’ve been fond of mice since I was very young, so Lily appeals to me.

There’s a cast member who exists to be bait for those who swear that “really several hundred years old, but still young-looking” is an acceptable way to design a character, and that is the witch Loux Krystas Laos, who is at least three hundred years old and my first impression of her is that she looks like she was dropped into the world through a portal from the Disgaea universe. In fact, due to the difference in studios between the original series, which was adapted by White Fox, and this series, which is adapted by Tezuka Productions, it really feels like an entirely different series and not just a sequel.

I like what I’ve seen so far, although it feels like the series is falling into common anime tropes regarding teasing sexuality and nudity. The first series made jokes about it but didn’t sexualize the characters. The new series… well, episode three exists. That’s all I’m going to say. If the sight of the character with the largest breasts carrying two mugs of milk at chest level doesn’t speak for itself, then the instances of nudity covered by foliage do.

This is why I try to watch more than just an episode or two before recommending a show, but sometimes it’s unavoidable, like when a show is just beginning. Inevitably, there’s an episode like the third one of this series that strives to betray my trust in it. A sequel series this may be, but it’s clear that it’s a different studio in charge of adapting it. I’m actually quite glad that Zero and Mercenary aren’t the main focus of the series because I would be very disappointed in it if they were. I’m kind of glad the sequel series follows someone else entirely.

I’m also glad the sequel series is on Crunchyroll because it makes watching it incredibly simple. Unfortunately, not every series is as easily available.

There isn’t enough time to document just how bad things are for the world at the moment, nor is it easy to muster up the energy to do so. Still, it’s best to end these posts on a slightly positive note. Just, uh, try to think about the good people in your life, at least until the next entry.

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