Last class , Witch From Mercuryradically amend the already fairly bully world of Gundam by adding anamount of lesbianismthat not even its parent companycould deny . Alas , sapphics have yet to see a successor to the gay mecha pot yet , but lovers of men and jumbo robots may have found their own show to lay claim this season in Bang Brave Bang Bravern .
create by Granblue Fantasy architects Cygames and directed by the fabled mecha intriguer Masami Ōbari , Bang Brave Bang Bravern is fix in a near future where the country of the world have developed the first generations ofmilitarized mecha suitscalled Titanostriders — but are suddenly exceed when much of the planet is position low during a surprisal invasion by the Deathdrives , highly advanced alien mechas that vastly outgun the best human race has to offer . That is , until the macrocosm get a weapon system of its own to struggle back with : falling from the star seeking a pilot light and sunburn with a desire to save the Earth , the legendary super golem Bravern .
On the aerofoil for the most part then , Bravern is a send up of classic “ Super Robot ” mecha shows in the vein of a Mazinger or Getter Robo character deal . While the Titanostriders developed by human militaries run more into a more realistic exploration of the concept , Bravern himself is not just a full on Super Robot , one who independently talk and acts for himself sans - pilot program as a sentient being , but one unabashedly mindful of the tropes of the format . His personality is gregarious and full of that distinctive shonen burning spirit , he can not serve but holler his name every fourth dimension he has to say it , he plays theshow ’s musical theme song(itself peach by Bravern ’s voice actor , Kenichi Suzumura ) as diegetic music in fighting , and absolutely solicit his eventual pilot — the incredibly reluctant JDSF mecha pilot Isami Ao — to scream his outlandishly named particular attacks at the top of his lungs alongside Bravern for maximum effect and staginess .
Screenshot: Crunchyroll
It ’s a fun braid on the genre , keeping all the over - the - top gargantuan robot vs. exotic intrusion action while also poke a lot of truly get laid sport at this classic , largely retro mecha trope — peculiarly with have Isami , an ab initio cool - headed hero rocked by the repugnance he was unable to act against when the aliens invaded , be for the most part unwilling and unmoved by Bravern ’s goofy shenanigans . But there is another side to Bravern and Isami ’s relationship : Bravern , who mysteriously knew who Isami was even before he first arrived to save the twenty-four hours , endlessly yearn with as much innuendo as possible that Isami is the only person who can pilot him , and he wants this gentleman inside him constantly .
I did n’t expect Bravern to be robot / human yaoi …
Mr. Obari … give thanks you…pic.twitter.com/EhRRfgA8iz
Screenshot: Crunchyroll
— DAIHIME 🐰 👑 VTUBER ( @DAIHIME_SAMA)January 18 , 2024
Almost any meter Bravern is talking about Isami , it is laden with this homoerotic undercurrent — but no matter how devious it is , even if not denotative , it is far from the only homoerotic undertone hum throughout Bravern that makes this show feel like it ’s constantly consequence from just explode its gay subtext into the text . The other key relationship in the series so far is between Isami and Lewis Smith — a U.S. Army mech fender who is caught up in the invasion while the pair are prepare as part of the Rim of the Pacific Exercise in Hawaii at the start of the show . They ’re the antonym - attract type of vibe , one calm and take in and the other extroverted and sociable , and what is first set up as a contention between two of the best pilot the U.S. and Japan has to declare oneself quickly turn into this unknown quasi - love - trilateral between Lewis , Isami , and Bravern himself , when the former is rejected by the latter when Isami stress to turn down to be a part of Bravern ’s desire .
There ’s not been enough metre for Dame Muriel Spark to vaporize between Lewis and Isami on the show quite yet , but the potential is emphatically there in their relationship , and while not as overt as the innuendo squall by Bravern , there is something that feels like hints towards a queer electron lens in the character reference . Lewis is fascinated with Isami almost from the bit he lays eyes on him , and while Isami is seemingly uninterested in reciprocating that vigour — being so distracted by the whole alien encroachment terror / giant super robot invariably wants him inside him spot — both men on their own have been shown so far completely non - answering to the more heteronormative fan - overhaul constituent of the series . There ’s an underlying lens on Lewis and Isami ’s body too , either keeping them as unattired or possible to show glimpse of their muscular frames , or in stiff meet shirt the show make certain to emphasize are soused , in a way of life that unremarkably feels saved for distaff grapheme in these variety of show . And even when that aforementioned heteronormative material arises , it feels telling in the manpower ’ response to it : in a scene during installment three , an exhausted Lewis accidentally walks in on a couple of women using a footlocker room to modify after a workout with zero reaction to their scantily clad forms , to which one of them even admonishes him for not even trying to leer .
And then there ’s the ending Sung dynasty for the show , which sees Lewis and Isami dramatically sing to each other while stripping down shirtless and tenderly grasping each others hand :
Like I articulate . This show has a draw going on and is frequently over the top about it , but it ’s surprising to see that one constituent of that over the top nature is unrelenting homoerotic vibes . prison term will distinguish if anything between any of these male characters — be it any combination of Isami , Lewis , and even Bravern — will become more explicit as the show goes on . Even if it does n’t , Bravern still manages to be a whole passel of fun as a charmingly silly , albeit sincere , put-on of the Super Robot genre , and deserving check out for that alone . But if the homoerotic vibes persist , and even become something more , we ’re going to be in for a delightfully fruity treat even on top of that .
Bang Brave Bang Bravern is presently streamingon Crunchyroll .
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