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ムーンドギー (Mūndogī) |
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Human |
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Male |
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Moondoggie (ムーンドギー Mūndogī) is a character in Eureka Seven. He is a member of Gekkostate, as well as the Gekko's second pilot, replacing Talho.
Character[]
Moondoggie is the second-newest member of the Gekkostate (the newest being Renton). In the beginning, he was in charge of the LFO catapult systems and launch pads on board the Gekko, but later he becomes the head pilot, replacing Talho when she has to leave the post, as he is the group's only other licensed pilot. His pilot's license, seen in episode 34, lists his name as James Darren Emerson. His nickname is frequently shortened to "Doggie" by other members of Gekkostate, and Renton sometimes calls him "Doggie-niisan" ("Brother Doggie" in the English dub), referring to Moondoggie as his older brother. In the Japanese version, Moondoggie speaks in a strong Kumamoto accent whenever he gets overly emotional. In the English version, he occasionally talks in surfer lingo.
As one of the youngest members of Gekkostate, Moondoggie often has confidence issues when comparing himself to the other members of Gekkostate. Even though he presents himself as someone that dislikes Renton, he's just really jealous of him and holds no real malice. He eventually explains that he initially felt he couldn't offer much to the Gekkostate, and often is bothered by the idea that he's useless. After he and Renton patch things up, despite Moondoggie's protests, they become sort of like brothers. For a short while he even displays resentment at the fact that Holland's actions caused Renton to briefly leave the Gekko and instead of solving the problem, Holland sulks around feeling jealous of Renton and ignoring the effect its having on the crew. Moondoggie's jealousy towards Renton briefly resumes when he thought that Holland favored Renton for important activities after they put their differences aside. The chance to pilot the Gekko after Talho resigns from the position allows him to rediscover his usefulness, as he is the only other member with a pilot license. It's obvious that Gidget loves Moondoggie, but whether he loves her is somewhat unclear. The official US website says he has a crush on Gidget. In episode 16, the two had a small intimate moment. Although it is unclear if they actually had intercourse, he was seen in the next scene with no shirt on and Gidget wasn't with him. In volume 3 of the manga, when Renton inquires about the bandages wrapped around his hand, Moondoggie states that "...I at least want to protect the girl I love," referring to Gidget.
Throughout the series, Moondoggie is one of the few crew members who is curious about Renton's relationship with Eureka. While talking amongst the other Gekkostate members, he even ponders if Renton and Eureka are capable of having sexual intercourse, under the mistaken impression that their troubles at the time were because of that. In episode 38, Moondoggie and Matthieu decide to help Renton to this end by giving Renton a stack of dating magazines against Renton's will. Holland comes to the same conclusion due to a comment of Eureka's ("Maybe that is why Renton was so aggressive; maybe Renton really wants to become a dad himself") and subsequently beats the three for what he believes Renton did to Eureka. The situation is cleared up after the fact. Moondoggie's role was minimal towards the end of the series; he would generally only be featured piloting the Gekko, often making dramatic maneuvers to avoid attacks.
Video Games[]
In TR1: The New Wave, Moondoggie makes an appearance as a boy a little younger than Renton. He is involved in a dispute with the main character Sumner Sturgeon over Holland's defection from the military as well as a small incident in which Moondoggie's carrier-truck was (slightly) damaged during a search conducted by Sumner. In the same game, he showed the ability to operate an LFO with at least some skill. However, he needed Sumner's help just to destroy one enemy unit, which is probably why he decided not to be an LFO pilot after joining the Gekkostate.
In TR2: The New Vision, Moondoggie has a much more prominent role. Now a teenager who has recently become a member of the Gekkostate, he happened to run into Sumner during the final Bester lift competition. Since they ended up becoming friends in the first game, he decides to tag along with Sumner and help him out. During their time together, he pilots his very first airship, and helps Ruri and Sumner to admit their feelings towards each other, among other things. He revealed that he was pranked on by the Gekkostate members and hinted that he suffered abuse from Holland, just like how Renton was later on. He also reveals that he bailed out of the Gekko because he could not trust them anymore. This experience is very similar to Renton's in which they both left, joined up with two people who treated them much better, learned about the world and themselves, and eventually returned. Eventually, after flying the two main characters of the game to Thundercloud tower, Moondoggie's airship is shot down, and he decides to flee from the coming battle on his refboard and return to the Gekkostate.
Trivia[]
- Like Gidget, Moondoggie is based on a character from the Gidget movies, TV shows, and novel. The original Doggie was the boyfriend of the original Gidget and was a committed surf bum. His name could also possibly be a play on the song Moon Dawg originally created by The Gamblers during the "Surf Era".
- His real name James Darren Emerson appears to be a mash-up between American actor James Darren (who played Moondoggie in the 1959 movie "Gidget") and Darren Emerson, former DJ of the British electronica group Underworld.
- In Chapter 14, while Renton inquires the others about their past regarding scars, Moondoggie states that a while back, he had his appendix removed. His scar is a little to the side of his bellybutton.
- In Eureka Seven: The Day After, Moondoggie resigned from the Gekkostate on April 27, 12006. He helped turn the Gekko into a shipping business with Gidget, Jobs, Woz, and Ken-Goh.
- In the final chapter of the manga, he is last seen surfing at the new ocean with Gidget, Sturgeon, and Ruri.
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