Ok... this one's gonna be tough. Hmm perhaps it's wise to divide it
in three parts and give GML some time to simmer in between. Part I:
posing the question, Part II: my answer/opinion in Gundam context
(esp. in Victory, Turn-A and Seed), Part III: translating to real
world.
I've been wanting to writing something even before Seed finish in
Japan, but I kind of wanted to wait until I saw the ending of Seed
myself. But now everyone else had already finished Destiny and I am
still stuck in the first half of Seed :{
Anyway, it seems Seed and Destiny both got a mishmash of other
concepts mixed in. So... let me stick with the main idea and see
where it (should) lead. (boy, this is probably the most eandering
intro I've ever written, get to the point, damn it!)
So: What if there really is a Master Race?
If there is a Master Race (aka Coordinators, Newtypes, Psychickers or
Moonrace), and if nature should be allowed to take her course, then
the Master Race ought to end up in the dominant roles of the human
species. Isn't that the central idea of Zeon Zum Daikun, before some
shithead Oldtypes (the Zabis) up and fubar everything?
But Tomino (bleeding heart liberal that he is) can't face the
inevitable consequence of the Newtype concept. So he take the
cheating way out: (1) He gives the Oldtype a champion defender hero,
who happens to be <drum roll> the strongest Newtype in
the Solar System, (2) he plants at least two offensive and
reprehensible villians (oft times even an Oldtype, e.g. Gihren Zabi)
to make the eventual defeat of the Master Race seems moral and
rational.
Sometimes the story gets a little out of control, as in CCA, when the
Master Race, for once, get a strong, no bullshit, pureblood leader.
And the Loser Race takes an exordinarily stupid course of actions and
came a hair from snuffing out their only hope of survival (in the form
of Londo Bell, a band of Newtype traitors). Tomino totally painted
himself into a corner with CCA, putting the Master Race on the verge
of both moral* and military victory. And then to get out of it, he
fabricated one of the most irrational endings in Gundam history. (not
judging as bad or good ending, but it's irrational, in the same sense
that "How the Grinch stole Christmas" has a good but highly irrational
ending).
CCA's ending is a complete fantasy, as the extinction of the Oldtypes
was only prevented (or delayed) thanks to an extraordinarily awesome
showing of Newtype Power.
* one might wish Char to show more sympathy towards the flora and
fauna. The Earthlings deserved what's coming to them, but the
biosphere didn't _choose_ to side with the losers.
Otherwise, Gundam generally avoid the problem by keeping the number of
Newtypes down (as low as a handful or even zero, in the OVAs). Gundam
X even straight out denied the reality of the Master Race. So
Newtypes can't step out of the masses and say "behold in awe, we are
the Master Race". Until Seed, Gundam only did it twice: Victory and
Turn-A. Both times the story turn out great (IMHO) as entertainment,
but as a logical/philosophical dilemma, Tomino cheated his way out
again by making the Master Race artificially offensive and giving the
Losers a traitor (Usso and Loran) from the Master side. As if for
good measures, Tomino delivered his "Moral Lessons" from the mouth of
the most helpless female characters (Queen Maria and Shakti, Queen
Dianna and Kihel) of the show, and in the most feminine language.
Some people might be excused to question Tomino's masculinity.
Now Seed finally takes on the big task. The Master Race get
themselves organized into a self-sufficient economy, goverment and
military (PLANT). But alas, they have to copy 0079 again, so you get
your Coordinator-traitor Kira and the Master Race Bad Apple Patrick
Zala. So ignore all that. Let's ask THE QUESTION:
What if the species Homo sapiens is really divided into a Master Race
and a Loser Race, what would be the most natural course for history to
take?
To make it more Gundam relavent, let's make the Loser Race the
majority in numbers, and the Master Race a newly developed /
discovered bleed that is gradually growing in numbers.
The floor is open.
--
Dr. Core
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