**THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS**
I’ve never actually been compelled to actually sit down and write a review, until now. I simply cannot fathom how a seriously flawed movie such as Wings of Honneamise could have pretty much universal 9s and 10s here on MAL.
For the positives: the animation is top tier and holds up even today; on level with works such as AKIRA. The art and design also seems to have had a lot of care taken into them, with distinctive designs for especially the clothing and vehicles. The sound for the film is also great, although unfortunately, apart from a few pieces of music,
...
such as during the OP, the soundtrack leaves a lot to be desired, and fails to swell the emotions. The film also has one scene which was nothing short of phenomenal -- this would be Lhadatt flying an airplane for the first time. In this scene, the sense of sheer speed from the airplane is conveyed better than I have ever seen done in any anime, and I was yearning for more scenes like this, however, unfortunately it is the only scene in the film like it. Even the climax doesn’t match it in my opinion - while the climax itself is undeniably well-choreographed, it felt undercooked, i.e. out of a 2 hour film, only a mere 7 minutes is dedicated to this scene, and this honestly isn't enough to build up the tension.
I can’t deny that the film has a lot of relevant commentary on political corruption and war; however this doesn’t necessarily make for an engaging movie, which leads to my biggest gripe with the film. There are few thrills to be had, which would be fine, but it needs to engage the audience in a different way such as with compelling characters and character development, that make you care about each scene that is happening. Unfortunately, this is the area in which Royal Space Force is lacking the most. While the characters can be amusing in a comedic way, they rarely reached the status of becoming truly likeable which is what would make a movie like this shine.
Lhadatt, who starts out of a character with absolutely no interest in space travel, (so little in fact, he arrives late to a dead comrades funeral), runs into a girl who spends her free time preaching on the streets. After a meeting with her, he suddenly has all the motivation in the world to actually do something. I'd perhaps get what the movie was trying to do if this motivation was a gradual thing, but here it comes out of nowhere, and it makes you wonder why the words of this girl had such a profound effect on Lhadatt.
It does mention in the prologue that he had always wanted to fly, but it doesn’t exactly give a lot of explanation as to why he lost this desire; and giving his character a complete 180 twenty minutes into the film cheapens the development that he could have had, and makes him seem more of a joke than when he actually didn't care about anything.
Later on in the film, Lhadatt does go through a small crisis over whether or not it's morally right to fly into space when people on the ground are starving. Which is an interesting dilemma. However Lhadatt doesn't seem to come to much of a rebuttal except running away from his problems and seeking refuge with Nondreiko so he can rape her.
Now the main girl of the film, Nondreiko, similarly offers very little character development or reason to like her. Her main characteristic is that she is shown as a devoutly religious girl, however there’s no debate or discussion occurring with her beliefs.
A tragic event happens to her midway into her film, which she brushed it off, stating that the church would help her, depicting her strength of character and belief. However, I was expecting during the film for her to crack and have her beliefs be tested, (provide some actual conflict, due to the shit the world kept giving her), but when Lhadatt finally returns her generosity during his crisis by attempting to rape her she didn’t snap at all but rather forgave him, and pushed the blame onto herself. Strong character development, yes.
Additionally, the child she takes care of, Manna, is annoying as fuck. While her unwillingness to smile is funny at first, it grows tiresome very quickly, and becomes borderline frustrating. However, at least when she does finally smile, due to Lhadatt, there is some symbolic nature, but it's ultimately a pretty poor development, especially when it comes right off the heels of trying to rape Nondreiko.
Meanwhile, the movie is trying to convince the audience that these characters are struggling in the face of condemnation; everyone thinks the Royal Space Force a joke. However, it doesn't do much in the way of making us actually want to root for these people for a good portion of the movie (besides the inherent fact that space travel is awesome.) They're often displayed as incompetent, unenthusiastic shmoes.
The other side characters, while amusing, are also complete baboons. The movie constantly tries to build up ideals only to destroy them later on. For example, during a chase scene, where Lhadatt is trying to be assassinated, his friend, rather than help him, yells at Lhadatt to stop following him, as it was putting him in danger. A character, who supported Lhadatt during the tussle with the pilots has to sully that integrity for comedic affect by acting like such a cock here. Here is a scene that could have been serious, and further shown the resilience and comradery of the characters ends up divulging into silly comedy, made even more stupid when the assassin appears to be an old lady.
There is enjoyment to be had with this film, I wasn't particularly bored at all during the film, but I wasn’t exactly thrilled either, with the truly exciting moments coming few and far between. Ultimately, its true let down are the disappointing characters. This definitely isn’t the pinnacle of storytelling or anime, especially considering other films surrounding its release. However, it does hold historic merit as it is Gainax's first film, and because of this I can recommend it to those who are interested in other Gainax productions. For others that only have a casual interest in anime or a plot of this kind, you won't be missing out if you skip this one.
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Wing of Royal Space Troop Honneamise, Star Quest
Japanese: 王立宇宙軍 オネアミスの翼
More titlesInformation
Type:
Movie
Episodes:
1
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Mar 14, 1987
Producers:
None found, add some
Studios:
Gainax
Source:
Original
Duration:
2 hr. 1 min.
Rating:
R+ - Mild Nudity
Statistics
Ranked:
#18872
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#3224
Members:
46,666
Favorites:
304
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 20 / 21
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Your Feelings Categories Jan 3, 2016
**THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS**
I’ve never actually been compelled to actually sit down and write a review, until now. I simply cannot fathom how a seriously flawed movie such as Wings of Honneamise could have pretty much universal 9s and 10s here on MAL. For the positives: the animation is top tier and holds up even today; on level with works such as AKIRA. The art and design also seems to have had a lot of care taken into them, with distinctive designs for especially the clothing and vehicles. The sound for the film is also great, although unfortunately, apart from a few pieces of music, ... Apr 16, 2008
Wow. I can't believe no one has written a review for this movie yet. I'd have to say that, based on its current 7.8 rating, it's slightly underrated. I myself would call it a masterpiece, but keeping other people's tastes in mind, I give it a conservative 9/10. (See bottom for a quick summary)
STORY What makes this movie stand out is its spot-on storytelling. For me, there's not a single dull moment from beginning to end. Fans of action may be put off by instances of character development in the middle, but the movie always picks ... Jun 24, 2008
Wings of Honneamise is a perhaps one of the most underrated and under-appreciated animes ever made. It is clearly made for adults, not due to vulgarity or gratuitous violence, but due to its moral ambitions and its seriousness.
STORY Ahead of its time. Amazing storytelling, a cut above almost every other anime out there, save for maybe Miyazaki and Satoshi Kon. The young director of this film really knew his stuff. ART The art style is a bit old, but by no means is it bad. It is extremely detailed at times, and the animation is very fluid and stunning. I'd say it's around AKIRA quality. SOUND Sadly, the weakest link ... Dec 1, 2011
I...I just don't understand. I went in to this movie on the backs of dozens of glowing reviews expecting to be, if not blown away, at least in agreement that this was pretty good.
It absolutely was NOT. This movie is unique in that no scene has ANY effect on the ones after it. None of the characters are developed at all and none of them have any identifiable motivations. The main character suddenly goes from a bored, lazy guy to CAPTAIN GUNG HO SPACE MAN. With NO explanation as to WHY. I simply cannot fathom the praise for this movie. It is simply awful! For your own ... Mar 5, 2018
Overview:
Wings of Honneamise is a great film, but it also has some serious flaws. For me though, an anime can do lots of things wrong if it also does some things really well. Wings is a loveable underdog story. It's an anti-war film. It's a coming of age movie. It's a steampunk, alternate history retelling of the early Space Race from the POV of the Soviet Union. It also has at least 2 plainly stupid scenes that detract from the film and have no business being there. It can be more than a little sappy and it is happy to trade realism for emotion, which ... Mar 17, 2017
Honneamise is a country at war. It’s conflict with a neighboring country has been going on for longer than anyone can remember, and the ongoing battle has shaped it’s society as well as it’s economy. Many lives have been affected by this war, but a certain unit called the Royal space Force likes to think of themselves as above the conflict... So above it, in fact, that their lifelong mission is to break through the sky and take mankind to the stars! And they’re so enthusiastic about that... Well, that they have no drive whatsoever. It’s unclear why they
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Dec 28, 2008
Main
This is a real treat for people who are into vintage anime! Wings of Honneamise [WoH] is very much like a Miyazawa anime [Nausicaa, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Castle] except instead of dealing with fantasy WoH is sci-fi. Art-Style I love the art style, the animation and the character designs. I have the lower-grade fansub version and I know that WoH was just released in Hi-Def and Blu-Ray so I can only imagine how awesome it looks now! But in all honesty, as with Akira, I don't think you would have been able to tell this show was from the 80's were ... Sep 28, 2018
In order to actually explain why "Wings of Honneamise" is an absolute cinematic masterpiece I shall have to delve into the main features which it does outstandingly-and those would be the worldbuilding,characterization and themes.
To begin with the worldbuilding,I have to say that the way the setting of this movie is presented and shown makes it look normal and casually everyday,regardless of the fact that it's outlandish and alien in how it looks and cannot be reliably related to any contemporary culture on Earth(except in its' purely human aspects,and its' human goals),thus displaying originality without attempt. Every single little detail is tailored and customized towards showing ... Jun 21, 2016
Personally, I would like to fly some more into space. I like flying. My biggest wish is to fly toward Venus, toward Mars, which is really flying. - Yuri Gagarin the first man to go into orbit around the earth
On my quest to watch every available Gainax work I first stumbled upon Ouritsu Uchuugun or Royal Space Force. A social commentary on various things but most of all our role in the universe, and what our role has been until this very moment, quite surprised that unlike other works like gunbuster or EVA not much is known about this little gem. Story The story isn't hard to ... May 27, 2012
Shiro Lhadatt is an average guy who wasnt able to fullfil his dream of being a pilot .Instead the road of life placed him in the the Royal Space Force (RSF),an organization that very existance is a enigma and is a source of much ridicule and scorn and is seen as a huge waste of funds in a country with so much social problems.Shiro Lhadatt live day to day with no real expectation or hope for the future,as he see's nothing that can change his state of mediocrity.
His life changes when he meets a young god-fearing woman who encourages him to look beyond ... Feb 28, 2021
This is without a shadow of a doubt the single most beautiful looking movie I've ever seen.
It cost nearly 1 billion Yen (In 2021 money) to produce and it REALLY shows. Unfortunately I can't say quite as much nice stuff about the rest of the movie. The characters are bland, the music is so awkward its actually painful to listen to. The story is very cliche, boy meets girl. Girl changes his world view and he undergoes some kind of deep seated change. Very standard stuff, just with a heaping tablespoon of religion and moralizing. Honestly though, the art is so outstanding. It more than makes up ... Mar 4, 2012
Everything about this just oozes art and creativity - the slightly alternate world to our own is so intricate it is utterly believable - little details like how the strips in the middle of the road are painted differently show the attention Gainax threw at this masterpiece. The costumes, backgrounds and even the car design are all 'believable' alternative entities to our own. In my opinion, this film is worth watching even if only for those elements, but on top of that it has a great plot, and utterly believable characters.
Absolutely perfect. May 11, 2013
Rewatched _Wings of Honneamise_, which was as excellent as I remembered. I noticed a number of things this time around that I hadn't the first time, like the protagonist employing his sword training in dealing with an assassin - echoing the general theme of him drawing on the training & space program he had previously considered useless. I also think I understand his attempted rape better: throughout the movie appear dichotomies between peace & war, good and bad - the space program is peaceful but used to spark war, technology is what lifts up man but also used to hurt and kill, etc. The protagonist
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Nov 8, 2018
Royal Space Force is one of the most unique animes I've ever seen. It's certainly flawed, and narratively it didn't really come together for me, but it has this outstanding quality as a pure creative endeavor that allowed me to enjoy it regardless.
The art is just spectacular. The level of detail, vividness, and imagination is something rare and special. The strongest part of this movie, for me, was probably its visual design. How often do you get to see a unique and thoroughly imagined alternate world portrayed so faithfully? I wish the story had told us more about that world. Unfortunately, most things are left ... May 12, 2018
I was staring at the new season TV simoucasts trying to decide what to watch with my brunch when a spontaneous "archealogical dig" led me to royal space force. finished to two hr movie in one sitting in awe, can only say that they dont make'em like this anymore. the art is of superb quality, the kind that appear in but a few cuts in todays commercial productions, and sustained throughout the work. the presentation of the story have room for improvement but i shallent complain. Also it is important to know that GAINAX may have been disbanded should RSF was a commercial success, and
...
Aug 30, 2022
The animation and designs are amazing. Those are really the only good things I can say about the movie.
The story is remarkably boring and doesn't seem to go anywhere or have a point to it. I suppose you could say it was unpredictable though as I had hoped it would go somewhere at least. Other than Shiro, I can't even remember the names of any of the characters. They're all forgettable. Shiro's motivations seem unclear and I don't really understand why he does any of the things he does. The relationship between two of the main characters is confusing and completely uninteresting. The music is ... May 1, 2017
Best known as Gainax's first commercial work, Wings of Honneamise is a peculiar movie that acts as something of a commentary and retelling of one of mankind's boldest undertakings - sending our own into the great void of space.
The method of storytelling is quite unique and makes you consider the perspecitve of someone living far into the past where the idea of going into space is considered unnecessary and foreign. The film has its own surreal little world set in a time that's something like the economic expansion following the WWII era. In this world the "Royal Space Force" are a group of people ... Sep 21, 2020
"When I was a kid, I wanted to be a navy pilot. For me, there could be nothing better than flying."
Royal Space Force is the debut film of the legendary studio Gainax. Probably best known for their later success (and massively overrated mess) Evangelion. Originally a box office flop it later went on to become regarded as a cult classic due to the success and reappraisal it had on home video. Taking place on an alternate world where a disengaged young man, Shirotsugh, inspired by an idealistic woman named Riquinni, volunteers to become the first astronaut, which becomes a decision that draws them into both ... Apr 9, 2024
REVIEW WRITTEN ON 29 SEPTEMBER 2022
"Like the oceans and the mountains before, space too was once just God's domain. As it becomes a familiar place for us, it'll probably end up as bad as everywhere else we've meddled. We've spoiled the land, we've fouled the air". A technical achievement if there ever was one, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. It doesn't feel like a stretch to call Honnêamise one of the most elaborate and creative settings of the medium. Yeah there's its own currency, unique architecture and transportation, but there's also its own units of time and length, as well as neat little ... Jul 15, 2020
Spoilers I guess
How the story is structure and how the story is told reminds me the 80's, in that it is too long. Even the Movie "Never ending Story" was only 94mins so no excuses but whatever. The animation is very good at least and being 1987 it is even better than some of today(2020)'s anime looking at you Real 3d Girl. Here's the Spoilers: A different reviewer said the characters won't developed enough. But that is very wrong because in fact they were very developed. Riquinni the religious "nut" stood her ground meaning she never stop ... |