Moretsu Pirates: Bodacious Space Pirates

[Buffalobiian]

Who told them to be ready to intercept?

The energy beam attacks got their attention, I'd gather. Not sure about all the high-energy targeting radars they were dishing out.

Didn't they say a few episodes that the navy patrols around and stuff, and that's why Lightning11 did this all sneakily from a relatively invisible part of the Odeus's course?

[David75]

The navy appearing was probably already on hold, and the Bentenmaru sent the signal.
Why/how?
Well there's a little confusion around the differences beetween a Corsair and a Pirate.
I don't know for other nations, but in France what distinguishes Corsairs from Pirates is the Letter of Marque that gives them the righ to attack any ennemy ship anywhere around the globe to help their country.
Something like Mercenaries or local militias of the seas. When your navy isn't strong enough, or does not compare in number, you have to resort to sending alternate crews. In French history, it was mainly ships sent against english cargo ships to retrieve goods of value.
From England of course, Corsairs were only pirates.
From France, Corsairs were allies in the effort of war.
It's no wonder that there are some French culture references in the way Marika's familly lives.

Thing is for translators, in Japanese there probably isn't distinction for Kaizoku between the ones you hire for your war efforts, and the one working for themselves or another nation.

I guess that in their peace age, Corsairs would be needed against pillaging pirates, or undercover Corsairs from other nations.

I wonder if what I just wrote is correct in the context of that anime and if translator should pay attention to that detail.

[Kraco]

If the navy can normally appear that fast, it would have been better for the enemy to just turn around and sail away once it was evident the yacht club wouldn't surrender and the ship wasn't under their control. If the navy appears in minutes after the first beam discharge, they would never have enough time to board and loot/kidnap anyway. But perhaps the crew of Lightning 11 wasn't from the brightest stock, despite the name of the ship.

[David75]

If the navy can normally appear that fast, it would have been better for the enemy to just turn around and sail away once it was evident the yacht club wouldn't surrender and the ship wasn't under their control. If the navy appears in minutes after the first beam discharge, they would never have enough time to board and loot/kidnap anyway. But perhaps the crew of Lightning 11 wasn't from the brightest stock, despite the name of the ship.

My guess is that the Lightning 11 was already under the scope.
After all they already tried to sneak into the Odette's system when they were at the station.
It's safe to think logs were sent (by Marika's mother, considering her job...) to the navy and they had days to decide to send some ships and prepare a course of action where the bentenmaru would act as a front line. Corsair ships are also useful for that purpose.

[Kraco]

Corsair ships are also useful for that purpose.

We have yet to see if they are in any way the kind of Corsairs you guessed in your previous post. I guess they can't be all too horrible cutthroats or Marika's mom would never let her daughter anywhere near them, but I'd still say it'd be a stretch for the navy to automatically count them in unless from a purely tactical point of view (knowing they would defend the yacht club no matter what due to Marika and Chiaki being aboard). Even if they nominally are sanctioned by the government, they are still criminals with a criminal state of mind. They wouldn't be in such a business otherwise. A business of violent piracy.

Oh, well. At least I hope they are in such a business and aren't just some scifi born to be free space motorcyclists living on the edge but not being guilty of anything worse than vagrancy. That would be a letdown.

[David75]

Well, I guess sending the logs to the Navy would be sufficient for them to send ships and check the area.
Then, the Odette flashing its radar multiple times, the L11 using hiding and other ships appearing and disapearing from the radars and/or changing identity would be enough to have them under alert. These are all ideas explaining why/how they can be there so quickly when L11 starts firing their lasers.

[Ryllharu]

Marika and Chiaki will be rivals, then. It's yet to be revealed just what licensed pirates can do and can't do, but one would assume they aren't bathing in gold coins. No matter how vital they were to the indepence of the planet in the past, they went around robbing every ship, no government would stand them, despite dusty old treaties. If they mainly attack foreign vessels, it's a different thing, but I at least hope in this show lone pirates aren't stronger than navies backed by whole worlds of industry, research, military academies and whatnot.

I'm not so certain. While Chiaki was certainly sent to watch and observe Marika in action, it's not so clear if they will actually be rivals. I get the feeling that Chiaki will be forced to apprentice under Marika as her first mate. Chiaki's father is obviously alive and well, so she won't be inheriting the ship until he retires. What better place to train her for her own captaincy than under another novice captain with an experienced crew? It would be hard for her to distinguish herself on her own future vessel, but she may be able to get some varied experience on another, similar ship. The Barbalusa appears to be a similar model to the Bentenmaru.

In French history, it was mainly ships sent against english cargo ships to retrieve goods of value.
From England of course, Corsairs were only pirates.
From France, Corsairs were allies in the effort of war.
It's no wonder that there are some French culture references in the way Marika's familly lives.

This seems like a bit of a slanted judgment due to an education by a particular country with no love for England. Francis Drake was a Privateer who operated under the orders of the Queen. The purpose, to harass without committing to all-out war. To the Spanish, he was a Pirate.

[David75]

I think I stated

I don't know for other nations,

Then I should have written French Corsairs in both sentences.

I was just caught in the Letter of Marque and french details to really broaden my ideas, my bad

But I meant no harm.
To anyone offended, I deeply apologize.

[Ryllharu]

Actually, I thought it was pretty amusing. Rather, I took it as the perfect picture of exactly what you were (ultimately) trying to say.

[David75]

So tell me what you think I was ultimately trying to say?

[Ryllharu]

That depending on who's side one is on, Privateers/Corsairs/"Legal Pirates" are either Most Foul Vagrants or celebrity Heroes.

On Marika's planet, the Bentenmaru are heroes (or at least welcome). To the galactic commonwealth, they are evil opportunists.

[David75]

Thanks
I don't know if this will be useful info later in the anime. But I guess that those with Letters of Marque probably did have pride in it and felt dishonored when compared to your average pirate.
I don't know if they'll get into that detail later in the show.

[Kraco]

But I guess that those with Letters of Marque probably did have pride in it and felt dishonored when compared to your average pirate.

They were average pirates before they received the legal status. Some of them could have been real monsters but were enlisted nonetheless, as long as they were efficient at waging war in space. If the planet was desperate enough to try to get pirates to fight for them, I don't think they could afford to select those with honour and good manners... In fact, if they acted like corsairs out there somewhere, remorseless killers could have been all the better.

[Buffalobiian]

HorribleSubs - Episode 06

[Ryllharu]

I was greatly amused that Marika had to spend the entire day with Misa filling out paperwork. [Legal] Pirates may be tolerated, even enjoyed for their rarity by the galactic citizenry, but they still have to regulations to follow. I also enjoyed that the pirate operation counted more as theater. Of course insurance would cover it. I wasn't sure if Chiaki was troubled because Marika wasn't doing well, or if she was jealous that she hadn't tagged along.

But does that count as Marika's first pirate operation or not? The cruise liner certainly had fair warning they were coming.

There are two things I really want to know about. The first are the respective crews of the Bentenmaru and the Barbalusa, certainly the former far more than the latter. I hope they spend some time for Marika to get a feel for her bridge crew, and become close with them. They felt like...wallpaper in this episode. Not the way the yachting club had a strong camaraderie aboard the Odette II. Aside from Misa and Kane, they felt a little cold toward her. As the episode title stated, you're not really alone when you're in space. Marika doesn't have to do it all, she needs the faith of her crew.

I also really want to know is what exactly the major conflict will be. That's what keeps me watching. Will it be new outbreak of war, fighting off a new breed of space bandits, or an abrupt change in bureaucracy that attempts to invalidate their letters of marque?
edit: I love the metered pace so far, but the lack of even a hint at any major conflict so far has me curious as hell.

[Kraco]

fighting off a new breed of space bandits, or an abrupt change in bureaucracy that attempts to invalidate their letters of marque?

Those two could be one and the same. Like Misa said, due to having a legal status, they need to be professional. If new, illegal and unprofessional pirates appear, it may doom the legal ones as well. All the bureaucracy with the strict time limit suggested, at least to me, that the goverment only barely honours and tolerates the historical pirates anymore. So, they must follow the rules and also be active. If some scumbags appear to shake that rather precarious situation, it could be all over for everybody.

Still, I wouldn't count out a bigger war either. If they are all under the rule of a military empire, of all things, it alone bodes instability. The only thing missing is an autocrat ruler and we could be sure it's going to fall apart. Although the distinct lack of oppression and the happiness of populace tells another story. Who knows.

Hard to say what I expect from this show. This episode was a bit offputting with the skipped introductions.

[Buffalobiian]

Am I the only one who found it strange that the letter requires them to conduct a minimum number of raids within a given time frame? If anything, I would have expected a maximum limit instead. But then the raid turned out like an amusement park ride... so maybe the government and cruise companies find the attraction profitable..

Not the way the yachting club had a strong camaraderie aboard the Odette II. Aside from Misa and Kane, they felt a little cold toward her. As the episode title stated, you're not really alone when you're in space. Marika doesn't have to do it all, she needs the faith of her crew.

At first I thought that some of the working class didn't know she was going to be the new captain and was just any old trainee. But yeah, the lack of respect they had towards her was uncomfortably odd. The difference between this and the sailing ship too is the size of the crew. With the Yacht Club, everyone did the work and everyone sat on the bridge. There's clearly a hierarchy system on this ship with the highly individualised officers at one end and the uniformed mechanics at the other.

[Kraco]

At first I thought that some of the working class didn't know she was going to be the new captain and was just any old trainee. But yeah, the lack of respect they had towards her was uncomfortably odd.

She hadn't at that point done anything to deserve their respect. She's just a n00b who has inherited the position, which is, let's face it, the worst manner of acquiring a position of authority, especially in space where a minute wrong decision can doom the whole crew and there's no escape except during the port hours. Misa and Kane already have some respect for her, having witnessed her potential and skills firsthand.

She'll only gain the full respect of the crew by being a kickass pirate captain, make them note her extraordinary skills, make them earn nice money, make them fear the idea of getting in her way, and she even has the extra option of making them fall in love with her since she's a cute girl.

[Ryllharu]

Am I the only one who found it strange that the letter requires them to conduct a minimum number of raids within a given time frame? If anything, I would have expected a maximum limit instead. But then the raid turned out like an amusement park ride... so maybe the government and cruise companies find the attraction profitable..

It made perfect sense for me. They found a new captain, a position that must be inherited, and renewed their letter of marque. To make sure it isn't a scam, they were given a probational period. Only instead of a business making sure a new employee isn't incompetent at their job or stealing supplies, the government is making sure Marika isn't an incompetent pirate and is stealing.

I didn't take the language used as something she had to do every seven weeks. It was just that to make the letter of marque official, she had to actually be a pirate within seven weeks. I could be wrong, correct me if so.

[Buffalobiian]

It made perfect sense for me. They found a new captain, a position that must be inherited, and renewed their letter of marque. To make sure it isn't a scam, they were given a probational period. Only instead of a business making sure a new employee isn't incompetent at their job or stealing supplies, the government is making sure Marika isn't an incompetent pirate and is stealing.

I didn't take the language used as something she had to do every seven weeks. It was just that to make the letter of marque official, she had to actually be a pirate within seven weeks. I could be wrong, correct me if so.

I felt it could flow either way (probation, or requiring continual pirating). It sounded like the former at first since they specifically referred to it as being "new".

My reaction towards it is that the government wasn't tolerating pirates as much as encouraging them with this.

She hadn't at that point done anything to deserve their respect. She's just a n00b who has inherited the position, which is, let's face it, the worst manner of acquiring a position of authority, especially in space where a minute wrong decision can doom the whole crew and there's no escape except during the port hours.

That is true. I'm one for having someone earning respect vs expecting it too.

Their attitude ticked me the wrong way though since I'm also one who encourages growth and training of noobs at a workplace when the first start off fresh. If they're hugely incompetent or lack any will to learn/work, my attitude will turn from neutral or warmish/positive to negative. The guys looked like they chucked at her being a "kid", and defaulted to that until she somehow proves she's a pro. Perhaps I took that the wrong way and they were merely enjoying her struggle.