Ranked #2178

Area 88 (TV)

I have been fascinated by fighter planes and dog fighting since I was a kid, and in that respect Area 88 was a treat! Top Gun fans will absolutely love this.

The plot revolves around a mercenary group of pilots fighting a war in a remote desert kingdom. In the midst of it all is an ace pilot Kazama Shin who was tricked into joining the squadron by his best friend - who also had eyes on Kazama's fiance. The only way to leave the war is to serve out three years or pay a $1.5 million fine - deserters are shot down by their comrades. It's not a spellbinding story, but has enough substance to allow the artwork and the spectacular animation sequences to hold your attention.

From the detailed drawing of various aircrafts - Mirage 2AE, Crusaders, F-14 Tomcats, Tigershark AE, to the brilliant dogfight sequences and explosions, for action junkies it's very enjoyable. The characters too are sharply drawn, and the quality of the fight sequences are captivating.

The sound, well, like the Gundam franchise, Area 88 uses a blend of electronica and rock for the aerial battle scenes, so we don't really get a taste of the sound of aircraft engines, it's like watching F-1 races on mute. However, the music choice is quite appropriate and adds to the pulsating effect of the dogfights.

There isn't a lot of character development. Except for Kazama Shin, we don't learn a lot about the supporting characters. Yes, through the emotional turmoil of a war, there's scope for cathartic outpouring, and portrayal of the horrors of fighting, but it stops there. Just when you think you might find out more about a character, the storyline stops pursuing the train of thought. Nevertheless, there are some interesting side characters who add to the tension and even laughter!

Personally, I really enjoyed this anime, and the OVA series. The fighter jets, the technical precision, the dogfights, are quite realistic but drawn beautifully and is a treat to watch with booming sound on a large screen. If you liked Yukikaze, you'll like this too. It's no masterpiece, but it's short and excellent for a weekend viewing. The only complaint is that there isn't any sense of closure. You'll need to read the manga to get that. A strong recommendation to action junkies, and airplane and mecha fans. read more

First of all, let me point to one thing I find important. This show is underrated.
Being ranked #1600+, it really deserves better spot.
That's not saying this show is greatest show ever, but it is really good at what it does.


STORY
When show first started I was kinda confused with happenings. It's about area 88, a base for mercenary pilots fighting in some war. Which war it is is never told. Some might find that stupid, but the whole war is only second to true story, which is about a pilot Shin Kazama and photographer Shinjou.


ART
Well, show is aired in 2004, means graphics could have been better. They are still awesome at some moments, when portraiting the sun, the deset and the emotions. Dogfights could have used more polishing though. Every fight seemed the same. There are few different scenes, but mostly repetition of the same.


Sound
If you like action-techno stuff, you will love this show. Show had great opening, and mediocre ending song. Soundtrack was mostly good, but suffered from same problem art has. Repetition. Also, I must point out to one problem with soundtrack. Sometimes it was completely out of place.


Character
Strongest part of the show in my opinion. Shin is portraited just as he should be: strong, smart, yet somewhat sad person. And art does its job on him perfectly. Other bigger and smaller characters grow more and more as show progresses. There are no sudden changes or unexpected turns from them. They are the same people they were from beginning to the end, with only their life experience changing them. There are no one-time speaches in this show to turn someone around. There are speaches, but nothing that would change a person. Much more like a real world situations.


Enjoyment
I enjoyed in this show most of the time. As always, I'll leave this category without saying much because each person has different tastes and enjoys in different things.


Overall
Great show with only some flaws such as repetitiveness, not so good art and missing story parts. If you like dog fights, not really realistic, but still, with characters which are great pilots but still need help when faced 1vs3, so they're not Gods, than this show is for you.
If you like main characters which are badass in what they're doing, but are still both nice, gentle and caring, this show is for you.

Give this show a try, you might find yourselves pleasantly surprised. read more