Topic: Avenger Analysis

[MartAnimE]

 I didn't perceive any sort of gender discrimination in Avenger myself. Females are shown taking positions as political leaders or gladiators without anyone making a big deal about it, treating them condescendingly, or considering them any less capable than males.

 There seems to be a stronger hint of racism, expressed in the social stigma towards Barbaroi, Dolls, and even the Earthlings from the spaceship Layla was in.

[noirlax]

I didn't perceive any sort of gender discrimination in Avenger myself. Females are shown taking positions as political leaders or gladiators without anyone making a big deal about it, treating them condescendingly, or considering them any less capable than males.

 There seems to be a stronger hint of racism, expressed in the social stigma towards Barbaroi, Dolls, and even the Earthlings from the spaceship Layla was in.

Yeah I agree discrimination in Mars was more about where you live, where you're from and how strong you are.

[Mireille]

and how strong you are.

I think that last bit is discrimination by Volk.

[noirlax]

I thought I take another angle on Avenger by taking into account factual information about Mars.

Mars: (From Wikipedia)

Gravity: 0.376G (37.6% of Earth's)

Temperature: -143 deg C to 35 deg C

Soil: The Phoenix lander returned data showing Martian soil to be slightly alkaline and containing elements such as magnesium, sodium, potassium and chlorine. These nutrients are found in gardens on Earth, and are necessary for growth of plants.[50] Experiments performed by the Lander showed that the Martian soil has a basic pH of 8.3, and may contain traces of the salt perchlorate.[51][52]

Streaks are common across Mars and new ones appear frequently on steep slopes of craters, troughs, and valleys. The streaks are dark at first and get lighter with age. Sometimes, the streaks start in a tiny area which then spread out for hundreds of metres. They have also been seen to follow the edges of boulders and other obstacles in their path.

I think this translates into the following:

Firstly the lower gravity means people move in very different ways http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15856558

Secondly people born on Mars are a lot weaker
http://www.livescience.com/33082-would-humans-born-on-mars-grow-taller-than-earthlings-.html

Temperatures and soil mean its going to be hard to live and grow food though not impossible. The dust storms seem to be accurate outside the domes.

Funnily enough the anime captures the movements and landscape of Mars quite accurately. In my opinion people who grew up on Earth will seem to have miraculous strength compared to people who grew up on Mars which is consistent with the characters in Avenger. One other note is the oxygen level and radiation level on the planet must have changed to allow people to survive without the suit.

[Mireille]

A lot of sci-fi makes use of the idea that Mars may have had an atmosphere at one point. The concept of heavyworlders having greater strength than people from worlds with lighter gravity is also a sci-fi staple. What hasn't been explored in the sci-fi works I have seen and read is how much of that is the product of increased exercise as opposed to genetics. Genetic adaptation of a species takes a very very long time. Athletes are known to train at high altitudes to buy themselves an advantage from increased oxygen intake when competing at low altitudes, but the effect isn't permanent.

I don't necessarily think the child Layla would be genetically stronger and faster, and to me it's an unknown as to whether or not she would retain any strength advantage she developed as a child on the earth.

Also unless something contrary is published somewhere it is implied in the series that the earth survivors were on the moon when the earth ceased to exist. I don't think we know either way in Layla's case, but she could just as easily grown up in the light gravity of the Moon. (Unless I missed something in the anime which is possible.)

I do like the fact that they created Mars in a realistic fashion. There is something about Avenger's Mars that makes me think of 'The Martian Chronicles' by Ray Bradbury. It's pure science fiction for the most part and worth a read if you haven't read it.

[MartAnimE]

I think it was stated in the official site that the gravity on Mars was modified due to both terraforming and natural causes, so the gravity issue wouldn't necessarily apply.

See here and here.

[Mireille]

I haven't watched Avenger enough to be familiar with all of the little dialog details. My overall read of the series is that it is more a parable for Japans population issues, birth rate, abortion, the value of young girls, etc. The series uses martial arts as a vehicle more than it uses science fiction, but there are certainly sci-fi elements. The Dolls and reproduction problems are a much larger element to me than the Moon crisis, and in the end with Nei's emergence as a human child the Dolls themselves sort of fall by the wayside.

The revenge element as well as the need for Layla to adapt her martial arts in order to overcome Volk makes me think of the classic Bruce Lee films which often had similar elements.

Please understand I haven't seen a Bruce Lee film in 30 years, and the ones I saw were badly dubbed in English. I have no idea how true they were to the actual dialog, and my memories are more vague impressions rather than specifics. Someone who actually saw them in the original Cantonese might have a totally different read.