Yeah, I'm sure a lot of you gamers out there who have played the game Uncharted 2 and enjoyed it have also heard the whole "Uncharted 2 ripped off Firefly" claim. We'll there is quite a bit of backing to it, and if you aren't familiar with this rant from various brown coats I suggest you watch HAWP's take on it.
However, I'm here to bring you a more in depth Otaku Guru take on it. Uncharted 2 is Outlaw Star! In case you haven't watched or heard of Outlaw Star it was an anime made by Bandai's Sunrise division who were responsible for awesome shows like, every series of Gundam, Cowboy Bebop, Witch Hunter Robin and Esclaflowne. Outlaw Star is a much different breed than the others. To speak in bias it's one of my favorite science fiction anime with beautiful artwork and soundtrack as well as a dark and gritty universe, but that all is for you to figure out when you watch it. My statement here is that if Uncharted 2 is Firefly then its only because Firefly is Outlaw Star.
My reasoning are, that Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds is Gene Starwind. Both are smart ass captains who drive an old cruiser/cargo ship with a reluctant rag tag crew many of which are outlaws. Okay, so maybe that has been done elsewhere also before either of these stories, but hear me out. Both Gene and Mal get shot in the abdomen, both take odd jobs and bounty hunting jobs while running from the government and searching for treasure.
However the primary reason is RIVER! Who is MELFINA!
Both are girls who were constructed/brainwashed. Both have secret powers, memories that they themselves don't understand and are being hunted down by their enemies for the knowledge they possess which might be the key to everything. But the worst rip off is the fact that they were both found in a cryogenics sealed suitcase.
Here is River from Firefly.
Now here is the original: Melfina from Outlaw Star
There are many many more similarities. However, I don't want to steal someone's thunder so I suggest you read Wikipedia member Staxringold's article if you find yourself as intrigued as I did. He does a wonderful job.
Also I implore anyone with a bit of free time and cash to check out Outlaw Star. It's one of the best anime classics out there.
-Otaku Guru
Ummm, I agree with your comparisons except 1.
ReplyDeleteOutlaw star is *not* an old or raggedy ship. Remember, Hilda not only stole Melfina, but also the XG-1(the actual name of the ship), which was a technological breathrough in terms of grappler ships and one the fastest, most maneuverable ships in the galaxy. So yes, rag tag crew, mysterious girl in a box, yes. But the Outlaw Star is more analagous to an alliance cruiser than Serenity.