In a just world (or the 90s) we would have had 50 episodes of ridiculous Bravern antics, so it's hard not to feel that the 12 episodes we did get barely scratched the surface of the concept's potential.
However, what was on offer in these 12 episodes was hot-blooded Obari mecha at its finest (albeit condensed). Bravern gave viewers fantastic mechanical designs, engaging characters, and enough tongue-in-cheek nods to older series to fill the Mariana Trench.
The world truly feels like a different place when Obari's men get to have nipples, idk what to tell you.
(The signatures are supposed to be a joke in the sense that both Isami and Bravern hand wrote their own signatures, except that Isami's looks handwritten, meanwhile Braverns looks like a font because he can write VERY precise 😂😭)
Bringing a tied and naked Isami in the room of his departed “boyfriend” veers toward romantic, erotic and melancholic. I feel for Isami. I feel for him.
A day before the Bang Brave Bang Bravern finale I finally found peace with the one thing that stopped me to completely believe the "Smith is Bravern" theory before it was confirmed:
'If Smith is Bravern, why didn't Smith as Bravern save Isami in episode 2 when he was waterboarded?'
Because if Bravern already lived through everything as Smith he would know about the water boarding and he would've saved Isami.
And the answer was right there.
Bravern didn't save Isami because him as Smith had to be the one to do it.
This was the moment that changed their relationship and gave a solid base to the development of their bond. This part, as cruel as it sounds, had to happen. Because without this happening the two wouldn't have felt that strongly towards each. One wouldn't defeat death itself and travel back in time to save the one he loves. The other wouldn't accept the role of a hero in memory of the one he loves.
In Isami's darkest moment Smith was his knight in shining armor (HAH!) who saved him.
This was the moment Smith became Isami's hero.
Smith said several times that he always wanted to be a hero. And him becoming Bravern is a realization of that dream.
But what he needs to understand is that he doesn't need to become something so extravagant to be a real hero. A hero doesn't need to save the world to be a hero.
A hero can be a person who pulls someone out of a situation they don't believe they can ever escape.
So that's why Bravern didn't save Isami in episode 2 :D
And for the next 24 hours I'll be living on hopium because I really want this to be addressed in the last episode and I want Isami to convince Smith that he was already his hero ಥ‿ಥ
And I now found peace knowing that my problem with the "Smith is Bravern" theory has a narrative importance (◔◡◔)
One thing I hope gets expanded upon in Bang Brave Bang Bravern is how complicated the relationship between Isami and Bravern really is.
Like, imagine yourself in Isami’s shoes. You find yourself battling massive alien creatures that have come out of nowhere. People you know are dying left and right. And all of a sudden, this robot shows up and demands you become his partner in this war. And this isn’t just a one-time thing. The robot’s here to stay. He’s not leaving you and you don’t know how to make him leave.
It’s overwhelming. It’s terrifying. And to make things worse, Bravern does not treat Isami well. He basically carries him around like an extension of himself, with no regard to the fact that Isami is clearly panicked, in shock, and scared.
I get this anime is clearly meant to be comedy, but I think these are darker tones that can really add to the quality of the show. Expand more on how Bravern has unknowingly traumatized Isami. Show the way the mech terrifies him with his constant talks of keeping him inside of him and how he fears the horrifying consideration that one day, he might climb into Bravern and never be allowed to come back out.
The power dynamic between the two is clearly unbalanced and that is harming Isami’s mental state. The relationship is unhealthy and I want to see more of that. I want to see Bravern and Isami navigate through this with the mech slowly coming to the realization over the course of the show that shit, this human he’s chosen is terrified of him, and it’s mainly his fault. I want Bravern to work on himself and gradually go from this loud, obnoxious guy who doesn’t consider Isami’s self-autonomy to someone who is trying to be better, who gives Isami a choice and genuinely wants to have a good relationship with him.
Just. Let the man and his giant robot boyfriend have a heart to heart. And then make them kiss.