Yeah, Max and Milia's split up still strikes me as an oddity: even if the correct info is that they're "estranged" and only for a really short period (what with their being together in Mylene's preteen years and the hint in the series that they're showing affection for each other near the very end), it still is a questionable addition to the story.
What, really, is the point of even temporarily undermining the fairy-tale romance of the first series?
And in spite of myself, I still find the older Milia to be a very annoying character, partially because of her slips into "nagging fishwife" mode, and the simple fact that many times she's treated as a punchline for simply being an older women who is sexual.
I think if I were to sum up my issues with the older characters as a whole, it's that it's highly questionable for them to be there at all, save to attract older fans (well, you could only say that about Max and Milia), because much of the time, the trio's roles seem like they could be filled by other characters cast in the same generic mould. Even Exsedol's "wisdom" doesn't come much into play at all, and Max's "genius" often seem like they could have been performed by another skilled captain, though of all the old guard, I say that Max comes off the best in various ways. He's not as aggravating as Milia or as uncrecognizable as Exsedol, though still seems a little too stiff and wooden.
What I just wonder is, how can fans be satisfied with these characters, when they seem to do so little that is truly *them*, and not in a way that feels like realistic ageing changing their traits.
I actually did watch the complete "solid" run of the series' 49 episodes, and found that a lot of material dragged or seemed wasted, with the "climax" being something that felt like it came out of nowhere. Sometimes I wonder if it was planned at 49 episodes to be 7*7, adding to the "7" motif which justifies the series' title.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2010-01-01 11:45 pm (UTC)What, really, is the point of even temporarily undermining the fairy-tale romance of the first series?
And in spite of myself, I still find the older Milia to be a very annoying character, partially because of her slips into "nagging fishwife" mode, and the simple fact that many times she's treated as a punchline for simply being an older women who is sexual.
I think if I were to sum up my issues with the older characters as a whole, it's that it's highly questionable for them to be there at all, save to attract older fans (well, you could only say that about Max and Milia), because much of the time, the trio's roles seem like they could be filled by other characters cast in the same generic mould. Even Exsedol's "wisdom" doesn't come much into play at all, and Max's "genius" often seem like they could have been performed by another skilled captain, though of all the old guard, I say that Max comes off the best in various ways. He's not as aggravating as Milia or as uncrecognizable as Exsedol, though still seems a little too stiff and wooden.
What I just wonder is, how can fans be satisfied with these characters, when they seem to do so little that is truly *them*, and not in a way that feels like realistic ageing changing their traits.
I actually did watch the complete "solid" run of the series' 49 episodes, and found that a lot of material dragged or seemed wasted, with the "climax" being something that felt like it came out of nowhere. Sometimes I wonder if it was planned at 49 episodes to be 7*7, adding to the "7" motif which justifies the series' title.