Zipang

(All episodes watched):

I think I know where the creator(s) of Zipang got their idea--back in 1980 there was an American movie called "The Final Countdown", in which the modern-day nuclear aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is time-warped back to December 1941 and has a chance to prevent the attack on Pearl Harbor. That movie, however, had a runtime of only 103 minutes whereas Zipang is a full 26 episodes long, so I wonder where the plot material will come from if the JMSDF ship doesn't intervene in some way. The makers of Zipang have definitely done their homework, and the show opens with a fascinating (at least if you're a military otaku) look at life aboard a high-tech ship of the present-day Japanese navy. One thing that annoys me is that the character designs (the captain, for example) seem rather goofy for a show that is trying to be technically and visually realistic, and also a plausible science fiction story. But the first episode, which sets up the basic premise of the show, left me intrigued and eager to see where the show would go from there. Come to think of it, one thing this show seems to do well is to end each episode in a manner which leaves me wanting more. There are some holes in the logic of the plot; for instance, a plan is devised to hijack fuel oil from the Japanese Navy of 1942--but even if the plan succeeds, what then? Won't they have merely postponed the most important decision, namely what should be done with the Mirai and its crew? I never detected a well thought-out decision to become involved in the fighting with precise objectives, rather it's more a case of the crew of the ship wandering about with an vaguely defined goal to prevent a costly battle through surgical strikes (but again, what then?) and becoming provoked to defend themselves with their high-tech weaponry when something goes wrong. This is kind of frustrating; I'd have greatly preferred the officers of the Mirai to agree upon a well-defined course of action, their own "rules of engagement" you might say, which I think would have made the plot less muddled and confusing. I'm also impatient for somebody to notice the irony that the fantastic weapons that the ship is often using against the Americans (Harpoons, Tomahawks, Sea Sparrows, etc) are actually American inventions! Perhaps this show relies too much on technology rather than character development, and I have my doubts about the high-tech as well (like a anti-aircraft missile deflecting an 18" shell?). I feel I haven't really gotten to know more than one or two crewmen. With the benefit of hindsight, I think the series would have worked better if it had really concentrated on the conflict between officer Kadomatsu of the Mirai and Imperial Japanese Navy officer Kusaka, who Kadomatsu rescued early in the series, but who was then unwisely given an in-depth lesson on the history of the future, and became a threat when he decided to change the course of history. This battle of wills is an ongoing plot thread, but not a predominant element--at least that's what I thought. The final episode was kind of touching, to a greater extent than the remainder of the show, but felt distinctly incomplete. I asked myself, could there have been more than 26 episodes? What will happen to the crew if they carry out a plan they've devised? (you might want to skip the preview of the final episode, which gives this away). Why did they suddenly decide to do this? Has anything worthwhile been accomplished through their actions? What's the deal with Kadomatsu's pursuit of Kusaka? It's like, we get no real answers and are given a last minute attempt to end the show in an artsy and touching manner instead--very frustrating! I wonder if this is one of those shows based on an as yet incomplete manga, in which some sort of premature ending had to be devised by the production staff. I am distinctly disappointed, but all complaints aside, Zipang is still a neat show--if only for the action and delicious alternate history as it addresses an era which anime seldom delves into. Just don't get your hopes up too high about how the story will conclude!

P.S: You can learn a lot about the capabilities of the modern Japanese navy by playing the (non-computer) wargame "7th Fleet"!