Review Unusual Invasion

8/3/2019 Review Unusual Invasion

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WONDERBEAT SCRAMBLE - ReviewReleased first in the Empire of the Rising Sun in 1986, and sired by the same author of Kimbaand Astroboy, this series premiered on both sides of the Iron Curtain in the 1990s, morespecifically, in Germany and Austria as Micronauts , and Russia and Ukraine as Unusual Encounters . It received a lot of praises and marked a generation in these countries.The premise is the classic Aliens-Invade-Earth story with a special twist: the aliens shrink downand enter Earthlings to investigate their internal workings, meeting resistance from both immunesystem and a motley crew of Earthly nano-surgeons nicknamed Team White Pegasus. Thenewest member of this team is teenager Susumo Sugita, eldest son of a missing space navyofficer regarded as a traitor by the government.The contrast between aliens (the Vishulyans) and Earthlings highlights the messages of theprogramme and its episode formula makes it easily recognizable. CONTRAST- US VS THEM

EARTHLINGS ALIENS (Vishulyans)

Ship and uniforms represent a white pegasus Ship and uniforms represent a black cobra

HQ on land, on top of a tall cliff surrounded bylush vegetation

HQ beneath the ocean, in abyss surroundedby underwater wasteland

have hair lack hair (piebald, beardless, smooth skin)

ethnically diverse, many nations represented one sole race and species, ethnically andculturally homogene

organicist view of physiology Cartesian view of physiology

value the human cost of research “all in the name of science”, without paying

heed to human costEmotion/Romanticism Reason/Enlightenment

The society of the supposed 2050s Earthlings is a one-world democratic government wheresustainable development has made humankind progress in synergy with nature, the Iron Curtainhas been dissolved and there are both literal and figurate “global villages”, like the setting of this 26-episode series, where people of all nations reside, work and thrive in idyllic suburbancommunities.The Vishulyan Empire is, on the other hand, a dictatorship where self-expression is tightlyrestrained and the military holds everyone in check, imposing extreme equality and conformity.Therefore, the invading Vishulyans turn to humans as role models, looking for clues to reshape

their future, as they have been sent by their overlord to document on the secret of humansuccess, presumably biological.The language barrier between Earthly koine (Japanese/German/Russian) and Vishulyan makestheir relations difficult and misinterpreted until the Vishulyan language is decoded. Therefore,mis-/communication becomes one of the series’ main themes.The human cast is rather multiethnic: under an Austrian’s or German’s leadership, a pair of Japanese teens, a non-Japanese Asian, a dark-skinned Belgian Congolese, a dashing Angloand a young Frenchwoman have allied as nano-surgeons under the codename White Pegasus.The victims are of equally different nations and occupations: throughout the series, aliens target



Anglos in episodes 3, 5, 11, 12, 16, 17, and 21 (seven Anglo individuals, four females and threemales), an Italian girl in episode 6, a French male in his fifties in episode 19, a non-JapaneseAsian (incidentally, the first mate of the ship) in episodes 22-25, the 50-something Germanicleader of White Pegasus in episode 26, and Japanese individuals in the twelve remainingepisodes (six males and three females, one of them for the three episodes 13-15).Of the sum of the victims, five members of White Pegasus are targeted (episodes 13-15, 18, 21,22-25 and 26) and most victims are in or below their thirties:

AGE OF VICTIMS NUMBER OF VICTIMS EPISODE NUMBERS

Above 30s 3 (one female and two males) 16(f), 19(m), 26(m)

30s 6 (five males and one female) 5(m), 9(m), 12(m), 20(m),21(m), 22-25(f)

Below 30s (including children,teens and young adults)

9 (four males and fivefemales)

1-2(m), 3(f), 4(m), 6(f), 7(m),8(f), 10(f), 13-15(f), 17(f),18(m),

Thus, most victims of the day are young people with aspirations and dreams of their futures.The three exceptions are perhaps targeted because of their “self-made” success, that has alsodistanced them from their peers and made them more realistic. Among these victims, someare put by Vishulyan infiltration into mortal threat (including the three above 39), others merelydisabled in a way that may hazard their careers:

INJURED AREA Number of victims More information (ethnic andage groups, and profession,of victims)

LETHAL: 11Cerebrospinal 3 -Asian teenage female,

episodes 13-15 (scientist)-Asian 30-somethingfemale, episodes 22-25(nanosurgeon)-German/Austrian 60-something male, episode 26(scientist)

To heart 2 -Asian 30-something male,episode 9 (scientist)-Anglo 40-something female,episode 16 (scientist)

To lungs 1 -Anglo 30-something male,episode 5 (scientist)

Septic 2 -Asian male child, episode 4(student)



-Asian teenage female,episode 10 (student)

To abdomen 3 -Anglo teenage female,episode 11 (student)-French 50-something male,episode 19 (socialite)-Anglo 30-something male,episode 21 (nanosurgeon)

DISABLING: 9

To limbs/movement 5 -Anglo female child, episode3 (heiress)-Asian teenage female,episode 8 (student/rhythmicsamateur)-Anglo young adult female,episode 17 (ballerina)-Asian 30-something male,episode 20 (craftsman)

To sensory organs 4 -Asian teenage male,episodes 1-2 (student,amateur footballer)-Italian female child, episode6 (heiress, music prodigy)-Asian teenage male, episode7 (student, amateur polevaulter)

-Asian young adult male,episode 18 (cadet)

The use of an episode formula, a device as simple as it is clichéd (Sailor Moon, Power Rangers,Scooby-Doo, A-Team, and Relic Hunter are only a few of the series known for employing it) alsocharacterizes this series. The formula in question is this one:1 Team WP meet victim of the day and conflict is introduced.2 Implicit alien invasion. victim suffers painful seizure and clutches infected part, displayingoccasionally other symptoms.3 Team WP shrinks and enters victim’s diseased region through laser.4 Said organ/tissue is described sentiently by team WP and Cartesianly by Vishulyans.5 Fight against monster of the day, first wave of attacks.6 Susumo renders the coup de grâce, at first reluctantly.7 Injury healed and conflict solved (but overarching mystery still veiled).8 Tezuka, himself a physician, comments on organ of the day in his own words.9 Preview of next episode. Each episode features a different victim, organ and monster of the day. Most plots are episodic,but there are three cliffhanger arcs.

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