Gungrave 4

[timepiececlock]

And so it begins. The road to hell is paved... well, with old fashioned ambition, violence, and misguided loyalties, it turns out. Good intentions? Hardly.

So. What is it Harry really wants? I think it's power and security. For him the idea freedom equaled security, but after all this and having to choose between letting Brandon die alone or dying with him, he spontaneously decides that power is another kind of security. His eagerness to join is kind of sad... he's like a puppy. But you know he's going to turn into one mean pitbull.

Already we see the difference between Harry and Brandon. Brandon has no problem with committing violence, but doesn't seem to particularly relish it. I think for him it's probably like John Cusak's character in Grosse Point Blank: it's not good or bad, enjoyable or unenjoyable...it's just something he does. And he's good at it, and he's not afraid of it. Clearly this incident of real violence that personally affects both him and Harry brings home the realities of their situation... both at this point still have the capacity to be horrified by violence. I'm sure that'll change.

Harry wants the organization, Brandon doesn't. He doesn't necessarily NOT want it, but it wouldn't have even occured to him to join if Harry hadn't made it possible. It's not about what the organization can give him, because the organization has nothing Brandon wants; Brandon's only going for Harry and Maria. And Brandon, having nothing else left, decides to follow the path that will keep him close to the two people he cares about. I find it interesting that Brandon seems to be the harder hitter in the fisticuffs, the more in-your-face one when it comes to the fighting, but Harry is the one more willing to go directly to killshot, skipping the foreplay. Without Harry, Brandon could probably be a club or restaurant bouncer all his life and be satisfied with that fate. Too bad he'll never get it now.

Brandon's monologue while watching the funeral says he feels like something's wrong... is that a feeling of grief? Or perhaps a premonition of where their lives are headed after this turning point? Does Brandon already sense that this has started to change Harry-- and himself--forever?

I like the ending theme.

Damn, I can see the Trigun style influence in the animation.

Comments

[yankeerose69.livejournal.com]

His eagerness to join is kind of sad... he's like a puppy. But you know he's going to turn into one mean pitbull.

I couldn't have said that any better myself. And when you see how he does turn out, its oh so true.

I find it interesting that Brandon seems to be the harder hitter in the fisticuffs, the more in-your-face one when it comes to the fighting, but Harry is the one more willing to go directly to killshot, skipping the foreplay.

Exactly! The way I saw it was Brandon was Harry's bitch-boy, "I don't want to dirty my hands unless I have to, so until then, Brandon will do all my dirty work." And he can do this too cause he knows that Brandon won't say no. They all depended on poor Brandon to get the job done even back in their early days.

As for Harry, its funny how you can see him change once he pulled the trigger for the first time. He knew that he could grasp power now by just pulling the trigger, let *it* do the talking for him to get what he wants gradually. But of course, for a bit, Brandon seemed like he was against having to use a gun till his life was on the line (and of course the new ppl that came into his life he wanted to keep safe aka eps. 6) After eps. 6, everything went downhill for him in my eyes, cause not long after is when he starts to become a gun slinger.

Without Harry, Brandon could probably be a club or restaurant bouncer all his life and be satisfied with that fate. Too bad he'll never get it now.

Yeah, I could see him doing that for a job. Though if Jester would've given him a chance, I would be curious to see what kind of job he could've offered Brandon as well but I'm still curious as to what Jester's job was unless it was something small on the side and nothing big like what the head shits at Millennion did.

As for the ending bit above about what Brandon was feeling, he has surprised me on more than one occasion when it came to his thoughts. Its like he could tell that either something was wrong or that their life has forever or will forever change. Even to the point of knowing things that he even fooled others into thinking that he was well, dumb or that "if we keep this just to ourselves, Brandon will never know whats going on."

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

this is just a late comment to
a) thank you for the long comment, which I much enjoyed reading
b) say taht unfortunately I can't think of anything to say in reponse, because I pretty much agree.