Simoun

- The following review is spoiler free. -

It's rare to come across an anime series that's as well executed as Simoun. In addition to its beautiful animation and incredible use of music, Simoun has a deep plot line that draws from many different themes and invokes a lot of emotions. The story takes place in a war-torn world where the main characters are young maidens tasked with flying Simoun, mecha-like flying machines with devastating attacks called "Ri Maajon" that can destroy the enemy. The twelve girls who come together in this war effort to fly the Simoun make up a unit called "Chor Tempest".

By ... watching the struggles and triumphs of these maidens, we're able to touch upon the main theme of Simoun: love. Not all of the love explored in Simoun is romantic love, though a large part of it is. The rest is a friendship based love that is just as prominent as the former type. As young as these girls are (most of them are under seventeen), they've already realized the importance of protecting the people closest to them. But no matter how strongly they feel about someone, nothing is promised, nothing is for certain, and nothing is eternal. It's a truth that all these girls seem to realize, and it's because of that reason that they form such close bonds in an attempt to protect each other. Much of the show focuses on these relationships between the Simoun pilots, ones in which the girls try to figure out how to protect and save each other, and how sacrifices must be made in order to achieve their goals.

The other major theme revolves around growing up and becoming adults. In the world of Simoun, everyone is born a female and chooses to permanently become a man or woman at seventeen by entering The Spring. This is a rite of passage that everyone must go through in order to become an adult. However, with war efforts in full swing, the Simoun pilots are allowed to delay their decisions since Simoun can only be flown by those who haven't entered The Spring yet. None of the main characters are eager to make their decision, and flying the Simoun becomes as much about protecting themselves from this choice as it is about protecting each other.

Over the course of the 26 episodes, you'll see a staggering amount of character and relationship development. From forgotten childhood friendships, conflictive sisters, and experienced piloting pairs (two girls are required to fly a Simoun), to overprotective friends, an unlikely pairing of pilots, and troublesome new recruits, everyone gets their chance at growth and development. Each character and relationship is handled so well in this anime that every new twist, no matter how painful or happy, will evoke a fresh burst of emotions from the audience. This makes the show very satisfying to watch as it's so easy to relate to the characters and their lives. And by the last episode of Simoun, you're treated to an incredibly gratifying ending that ties up nearly all loose ends and will make watching the whole series worthwhile.

However, as with anything that's as rewarding as Simoun is, watching this anime requires a bit of effort from the audience. The one major flaw with Simoun is that the story is fairly complex. Starting with the first episode and lasting until roughly the third episode, you'll find yourself swimming in a pool of brand new terms, characters, and politics so large that you're literally going to have to muddle your way through the series for a bit until everything becomes familiar and starts to make sense. (You might also need that time to get used to the fact that all male characters are voiced by women...) However, once this happens, you'll be thankful that you didn't run away after episode 1. By the time you reach episode 4, or episode 5 at the *very* latest, the plot and character development will take off in such a way that you'll want to go through the final 20+ episodes in a straight 8 hour marathon. And really, a marathon is the best way to watch a series this good.

There's not much more that can be said without ruining some aspect of the story, so go watch Simoun if this review interested you in any way. Just be sure to watch until at least episode 5 before deciding to drop this series. You'll be glad that you did.

Simply the best anime title of 2006 (because the closest competitors, Akagi and Mushishi are technically 2005 titles that ran through the winter half 05-06.

And a woefully under-appreciated title it was.

The original fan-sub group that picked it up usually handles shoujo-ai titles; and the “key-turn” ritual for starting up the Simoun, the flying machines made it look like just another excuse for very pretty backgrounds and girls getting friendly together. But it turned out more complicated than that, and was left to languish in favour of more accessible highschool-romance titles, until picked up by the most dedicated and special-purpose group of fansubbers whose product I ... have followed.

Simoun-Fans, an essentially ad hoc grouping, put together the most polished translations and sub-titling (including credits for the seiyuu against the characters during the OP, rather than the usual self-congratulation; that was left for a brief screen at the very start, before the TV footage). Of course, the polish came at a price — episode 26 wasn't subbed until a year after the first episode aired.

OK, the story, and why you should watch this title…

On a world that is not ours — two suns in the sky, for one thing — a transcendent civilisation rose and vanished. In its wake, the remaining people could unearth the helical motors, the snail-shell parts of both the Simoun and other powered devices (trains,flying boats). But only the Holy Land of Simulacrum has harnessed them, and the casual flight it offers. Other lands have more steam-punk technology, and seek the secret of the simoun. So war breaks out…

In that world, all children are born as girls, and in Simulacrum choose to be man or woman at coming of age in their late teens. All the parts — even the men, are voiced by women; and, of course, young men are hard to tell from young women — the adulthood change is not instantaneous, as shown in the character of Wapourif, the chief mechanic to the simoun.

While lesser flying craft can be piloted by anyone, the simoun needs to be driven by two girls; and these pilots are drawn from the ranks of the priestesses of Tempus-Spatium. While two priestesses at the helm they can produce magical effects by drawing glyphs in the air called Ri-Maajon, as part of religious ceremonial aerobatics. And as priestesses, they are allowed to defer a while the choice to become adult.

So, a group of priestesses become, overnight, the necessary front line of the Simulacran fighting forces. Few can handle the mismatch between their vocation and their new orders — and when the new overwhelming forces of Argentum actually bring down a choir of simoun, many depart into adulthood. Only the latecomer, Aaeru, even refers to what they do in military terms, rather than liturgical ones.

So, it's a war-story; but it's character driven drama, of love, sacrifice, choices, and growing up (or not, as the case may be).

After 25 episodes of brilliance, I was anticipating the finale with some trepidation — too many series drop the ball at the end. This, however concluded with an understated and open ending which was as satisfying as could be, knowing that this story had at last come to its ending.

Watching Simoun seems like an exercise in how to discover and enjoy the latent sadist in yourself. You know that bit in the Shawshank Redemption where the old lags are betting on which of the new inmates will break down first, and the way Morgan Freeman says it, you totally get what he's talking about, even though you know it's horrible behaviour? This is kind of like that, but with gigantic eyes, inexplicably revealing pastel uniforms, unbelievably daft mecha and technicolour hair.

To explain (and there will be spoilers throughout this review, just so you know): we have this premise - ... that everyone is born female and can choose to become male at 17 - which is so outlandish that it's completely impossible to take seriously, but well realised enough to be a genuinely hook all by itself. Then we have the cast, who are a grab-bag of stock archetypes, and a plot which is also awfully familiar. And we have the characterisation, including the art, which by being almost aggressively shoujo seems entirely at odds with the action-ish setting, and the script and voice acting, which practically redefine "wet" in most cases. And the production design, a highly camp take on art deco which resembles the result of a collision between Last Exile and Escaflowne, particularly the made-of-spare-parts Simouns themselves. We have, in short, a show entirely built around an idea and a formula.

A Simoun is an aircraft of sorts. Its purpose is primarily religious, to draw geometric patterns in the sky which form complex prayers to the god Tempus Spatium, and it is piloted by two priestesses who have not yet made The Choice. Perhaps coincidentally, these prayers, called Ri Maajons, also act as a weapon; in fact they form the only real weapon the theocracy of Simulacrum has against invaders (apart from the army, who for unknown reasons are largely ineffectual). The invasion is due to other countries craving for the drive systems Simouns use, while they are forced to rely on polluting alternatives that poison their land and air. The practical upshot: naive, pampered, sanctimonious and hormonal young priestesses are the primary defenders of their country against devious and desperate, yet not entirely unjustified enemies, and experience the general destruction of their innocence as their friends, relationships, worldviews and lifestyles are placed under gigantic stress.

Basically, while the thing is wrapped in sci-fantasy window dressing it's a story of spoiled, obsequiously devout snobby teenagers getting what's coming to them, which in this case is a rude awakening. I couldn't help cackling with glee as one or other of the ensemble cast first sets themselves up and then gets knocked down a peg. This is where the audience sadism comes in; the story cannot truthfully be called one that easily permits suspension of disbelief, so since I can't quite take it seriously, I nonetheless rather enjoyed a lot of the series precisely because of the carnival of ghastly people suffering for my amusement.

But while this does have a fair amount of mileage due to the large cast composed of people whose suffering is highly amusing, it's far from enough to carry the series - and nor should it be. Once I came to terms with my newly-awakened sadistic side, I tried to take the story more seriously, but ran into trouble. For a start, this is supposed to be a war, and while there are odd interludes of capture by blood-vomiting enemy saboteurs among the snide carping about who's allowed to hang out in the ballroom, the whole thing tends to happen at this weirdly unworldly remove from the devastating war that appears to be happening. The use of religion, whether it's supposed to be or not, is a perfect cypher for the problems that hardcore religious attitudes create in reality; yes, people are dying in their thousands, but what about our rightful priveliges as members of the clergy? It's as if people out there on the front line didn't realise that prayers and love of god are much more important than their continued existence!! On numerous occasions, I started to get cross about the fact that people were being totally irrational, but then I realised that this series' depiction of religion correctly conveys that it is the most widespread form of irrational behaviour known anywhere. This is something which Studio Deen do deserve credit for, not least in that Japan is by and large not a devout country in any sense, and imparting to people raised in an atheist environment the sheer irrationality of religions in general is not easy.

Among the 12-strong main cast there are just three people I actually like, one whose pleasing "I'm not sure what's going on but let's do our damnedest to have fun with it" attitude exists because she's voiced by Mizuki Nana, and another who's interesting mostly because she appears to have wandered in from a role as manipulative femme fatale with a slight S&M twist in an H-game (not least because she's called Dominura; you can also see the S&M in the fact that among all the completely non-uniform variations of skimpy pseudo-lingerie that purport to be uniforms, hers is the only one to incorporate fishnet stockings). The other likeable character, thankfully, is one of the main protagonists, Aaeru, because she's the only person on the whole ship with real drive, who actually seems to have any idea what she is doing, what she wants and when to stop tutting and gasping and wringing her hands in ecclesiastical angst and take action; the fact she's not bothered in the slightest about religion and just wants to fly helps hugely here. The remainder of the ensemble cast are similarly familiar character archetypes, but less pleasing: several are neither objectionable, nor particularly appealing, but specially aggravating characters include a gossipy airhead called Floe, the sergeant-like Paraietta who is bossy, curt, indecisive and basically totally rubbish, and the sisters Kaimu and Alti, who are singularly annoying because of their insistence on not getting on with each other for totally absurd reasons.

These are however secondary annoyances beside the other main protagonist, Neviril. Being unnaturally talented at Simoun flying and thus particularly holy, everyone instantly forgives her inability to cope with stress, or in other words, her extended bouts of sulking. Adored by all, she is blessed with a life normally free from insight into anything
(allowing her poorly-written comrades to provide it to her, and simultaneously to viewers) and avoids the curse of complex sentences or outward displays of emotion that might make people think she's normal; nonetheless, she manages to come to some highly generic and familiar conclusions about
being true to her own feelings and so on and so forth. A poker-faced, monosyllabic protagonist almost never works, and this is no exception. However, while I generally found her bothersome, there's a certain amusement to be gained from how unrealistic a character she really is, for example a perfect moment of unintended comedy about halfway in, when Aaeru mentions the death of her former pair in characteristically down-to-earth terms, prompting a lollercaust of gasps, horror-stricken looks and emotional overload.

Her look is part of it. Character design varies massively across the series, with other primary heroine Aaeru for some reason resembling a manic Kyoto Animation character, to me at least, Floe looking like a castoff from Sailor Moon, many others looking like off-the-peg Gonzo characters. Against all this, Neviril seems inappropriately ultra-shoujo in style, her perpetually waving pink hair, pink lipstick and unusually round eyes putting me in mind of Nana (note: I've nothing against Nana, it's just a very distinct style that, to me, clashes in this context with the others around it). Moreover, relative to others, her undemonstrative demeanor is seemingly at odds with her supposedly emotional temperament - the above-mentioned unintended comedy moment is partly as funny as it is because by this point it's by far the largest display of emotion she has exhibited for something like a dozen episodes, and it just shows up how little she seems to actually emote most of the time. This lack of theme is beneficial in that it makes the whole cast easily recognisable, but it does nothing to make the series as a whole look coherent. This is also severely hampered by the inconsistency of the art; I suspect an in-betweener had some out of date reference materials, as in once instance the entire cast gain enormous noses for an entire half an episode, and in certain shots thereafter. This is the worst problem, but not the only one; at times the animation gets very cheap and undetailed as well.

A thing or two must be said regarding Simouns themselves, which sound like TIE fighters and move with the total disregard for G-forces that only CG can actualise. They are desperately silly things; imagine a cross between Escaflowne, an Mi-24 gunship and a flying snail, complete with incongruous gold ornamentation, twin bubble cockpits, chin cannons and silvery trail. Then there's the fact that they are variable geometry craft without reference to actual geometry at all, which is to say the pieces stay together and rearrange themselves without actually being connected together in the first place. And those chin cannons? They get used about once ever; I suspect they're a leftover from an earlier design stage where the concept still retained some plausibility. The silvery trail is the only true weapon, and it seems to work by producing blue light that makes enemies spontaneously explode. Oh, and they seem to be powered by kisses.

Music is a mixed bag. The opening theme is by Ishikawa Chiaki, and as such is predictably excellent; the ending is too anodyne and mediocre for me to have watched enough of it to catch who sung it. This excellent/mediocre disparity continues through the BGM, some of which approaches excellence while other parts reach annoying territory. Also predictably, there's no real consistency, flavour or theme to the music, mixing electronic pieces, orchestral pieces and things of many other stripes in a way that seems to want to be Kajiura Yuki and clearly isn't managing to be.

The central gender-choosing premise is, as I say, a major hook into watching; but it's mostly wasted, with the series becoming a sort of soup of mixed sexualities. There's a theme of putting off choice running through the series, as the protagonists are basically allowed to indefinitely postpone the normal gender choice if they'll continue flying a Simoun - but have to make the choice if they want to quit. Obviously, the gender choice is a half-allegorical single focus for all the changes in sexuality/loss of innocence/responsibility that adulthood represents. Credit is due for adhering to and emphasising the idea that, in serious relationships, people are naturally attracted to characters rather than to gender per se; however, on one level, all it really does is introduce an air of sexual ambiguity, making it an exercise in tame, vague sexually suggestive behaviour. It all appears aimed at the tastes of young adolescents who find themselves turned on by women kissing women, something that just doesn't match the seriousness with which the series takes this theme of taking choices seriously. On another level, it does tend to suggest that the gender a person finds attractive is your own free choice. Conversely, all of the gay people I know have never seen their sexuality as a matter of choice, any more than I can say I chose to be straight - they see themselves as having been born gay. I mean, I dare say some might disagree with this, but the point is, Simoun seems fairly invested in painting sexuality as a subjective choice, which seems a bit out of order to me.

To cap it all, there's plenty of unblemished femininity on display, with none of the dozen protagonists appearing at all masculine, even though some profess to have already decided to become male, but nowhere is there a masculine male to be seen - no facial hair, no muscles. All the young males around look highly effeminate, 'bishie' and Ouran-ish, and even the older male characters, who one might expect would be more traditionally masculine, possess some feminine characteristics, a delicate ear-stud or a flick of ornamental hair. Most of the voice actors for male characters seem to my ear to be female, too. Nonetheless, whatever the cause, the effect is of depicting a world in which there's actually only one gender, female, and various degrees of distance from it, the furthest people from female being termed male, without wholly qualifying by what I understand male to mean. It all seems like a careful and deliberat design decision, rather than simply the programme's style, as if there's a standing instruction to make all males slightly feminine, but having never 'got' shoujo, I can't tell if this is trying to make a point about men and women, or whether it's simply the design ethos of a heavily shoujo-minded art director.

The purpose of messing about with the significance of gender in Simoun remains, at least to me, unclear. Thought-provoking though it is, it does not end up explaining itself. Simply having all these priestesses face leaving the priesthood and becoming ordinary women, some gay and others not, if they give up flying Simouns, would surely work just as well. When you just ignore that side of Simoun, though, you start to see a funny thing (spoilers coming, so skip this paragraph if you wish); there's a war over resources, it escalates and the former superpower becomes the underdog when faced with military might, and then there's a highly unfair peace treaty, wherein the Simoun pilots are forcibly demob'd and the country demilitarised. What the gender-choosing thing is actually for, aside of acting as a fairly superficial gimmick, is to disguise the fact that the plot is an allegory of Japan's history, 1930-1945, as written by the ultra-nationalists who are once again on the up in Japan today. Japan, they'd contend, was the major power in East Asia in 1930, but an alliance of China and the US managed through a mix of sheer numbers and military superiority to turn the tables on Japan and force the country to accept a peace treaty that disbanded the Japanese military and demilitarised the country. While there are many inevitable differences, not least because of the difference between settings, the similarities are striking.

And therein, perhaps, lies the meaning of Aaeru and Neviril's superficially baffling disappearance in the last episode, and all the rhetoric about another world actually being the same one in a different time; they are the embodiment of Japan's fighting spirit, a mixture of Aaeru's plucky determination and Neviril's sacred inviolability, shifted through time to where they are needed - presumably, by this rhetoric, in the future. When you take this reading on board, and add in the highly defined and divergant masculine and feminine images and ideals that exist in Japan, one final possible interpretation of the whole gender choice mechanic is that it symbolises the emasculation of Japan, and that people must choose whether to become male and fight for their country or stay female and remain passive non-actors. Perhaps this is how the approaching war at the end of the series should be interpreted. I recall starting to watch Code Geass and being turned off by that series' overt nationalism, a trait that always rings alarm bells for me. This, however, seems like it could be construed as covert nationalism, which to me is a more out-and-out disturbing trend.

But enough politics; Simoun is supposed to be entertainment primarily, and for me, it succeeds in that aim to a limited degree - but not in the ways it originally intended to. It's serious moments are frequently hilarious, and its sense of importance is out of proportion to support its ideas with storytelling skills, but like many things that genuinely are so bad they're good, it tries earnestly. And there's the whole viewer sadism angle, which will doubtless appeal to many. I'm glad I watched it, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed; the expectations I'd formed by the halfway mark were not really satisfied at the end, and the faux-enigmatic ending was neither satisfying nor suitable. I'm not fond of using genre to create expectations, but really, a series that starts out as a story about combat pilots and makes a big deal of aerial sequences surely NEEDS an aerial battle as a finale, rather than four episodes from the actual end. As for the characters, at least none of my favourites ended up annoying me overmuch; the muted tone of the end and the eventual fates of the characters, including their shared lack of certainty about anything, also bothered me. One thing I can definitely say in Simoun's favour is that if, like me, you're given to compulsive analysis of whatever you end up watching, this series will certainly give you plenty to get your teeth into and chew over.

I would have to say that I really enjoyed this series. I'd have to say it was something new and original, I've never seen a show built around this type of plot and that made it really worth watching in my opinion.

The art was..different. when I first started watching it I thought the show had a horrible sense of hair and body design; all the characters had big noses and receding hairlines, but I got over that quickly and started to enjoy what a unique form of art this show had to offer.
The character designs actually weren't that bad, they were quite good in ... fact! Though while some characters seemed to have issues with their hair and noses, quite a few of them were beautifully done and very pretty to look at. The colors were soft and well blended; It had a good feeling about it, and even though it took a while to get used to the designs I came to enjoy them quite a bit.
The art of the world they were in was different as well. The 3D effects blended well with the environment (though at times they looked out of place, it cant really be avoided). The ships, or Simoun, that the show was based on as well as the other things that were flying around has a nice archaic or Roman/French/Italian feel to them. This was a real surprise seeming that I never thought that such a design could be used in such a fashion. Not to mention the 'Colored Pencil' drawings that poped up every so often in the series during dramatic moments gave the show some sort of a blend between digital design and hand-drawn paintings. This served to reinforce the archaic notion that the show seemed to have as one of its motifs. Sometimes the scenery itself was drawn in such a manner; and in both effects it made the show feel more original and different, not just a cookie cutter war drama. Now don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the art for this show! The rustic drawings, the intricate designs of the machinery, and unique character art made the show a thrill to watch.

The plot was incredibly original. The main idea behind the show wasn't much different; a nation that I can only assume to be the French due to the music and how the art looked was fighting against (and everyone who saw it will probably agree with me on this) Nazi Germany with their 'How the hell can that fly?' aeroplanes. Actually, both sides had said airplanes but that doesn't matter, its anime and it looked cool.
Other then the main idea being easily pulled apart, for the plot itself such an idea was only the driving factor behind the story. Though, as I reflected upon it further you could probably compare the whole thing to a typical war drama, the fact that it was laid out in such a manner would make it seem as if I'm comparing a rock to a grilled cheese sandwich. But that's what I liked about it! The story was so different that it made it nearly impossible to say 'its been done before' until after you watched it and then tried to write a review on it (at least in my case). I guess to make a long story short I can say that the plot was over used, but the story, front to back, was a very well written drama, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys such shows.
Now one thing that I went into this show knowing was 'The music was fantastic.' and 'The characters were well developed.' I'll have to agree 100% on both matters. The characters were VERY well developed, and that made me incredibly happy. The development didn't delve too much into each characters background, but it went far enough to get the feeling. What the show really did do, however, was create the characters personalities. Each character was different in their own way, had their own problems and issues, and that kept the show interesting. Not only that, but I actually found myself liking all the characters to the point where I couldn't pick a favorite. For me that's unusual, I could always pick out an archetype I enjoyed but this time I really couldn't. None of the characters stood out enough to draw attention away from the others. Some of you out there might disagree with that but that's how I saw it.

The music was, as I stated earlier, spot on with what I heard someone else say. I really enjoyed it! The background music had a French-like taste to it, and the songs that played for the opening credits and every once in a while during the show were very pretty and nice to listen to. The ending theme didn't have the sound to it that I really enjoyed, but it was on par with the opening music so it didn't stand out too much when compared to the show. What I mean by that is every once in a while your watching a show and the opening is some kind of J-Pop and the ending is a sad waltz type of thing (for an example, see Kanon. The opening and ending had very different feelings behind them.) This show avoided that brilliantly, keeping with the same feeling that the show portrayed from start to finish.

Overall, I'd have to give this show a 9. Theres really nothing keeping me from giving it a 10, so if you want to say 'Mecheye gave it a 10.' Then go ahead. The only thing really keeping me from 10'ing it is when I compare it to other shows I've 10'd, this doesn't seem to be on par with them. If anything this would be a 9.6 or so.
That fact aside, this show was great and I'd recommend it to anyone who's into drama, romance and action.

Welcome to Robert's Too Late Reviews! Today we're only running 13 years behind, so Simoun here falls right in our wheelhouse. This series is beloved by many, easily noted by skimming reviews, and the fact that this show appears in many different 'best of yuri/shoujo ai' lists to be found on the internet. The quick of it is, I think this anime is a waste of time, nothing more than teenage girls pouting over childish issues while using the name of religion to massacre insane numbers of enemy pilots. There is no weight to the war aspect of the series, and the melodrama suffers greatly ... for it. Will there be any flying snail shell pilots on the RTLR wall of drama? Let's hop on this thing like the Easter bunny.

To note as well, I have agonized for a month or possibly more about writing this review. I have no problem writing reviews on shows that had potential that gets wasted, but I find it much harder to be truly negative in all aspects. Of my 40+ reviews, I think I have only a couple that truly let me down, that I could not find aspects to like. I tend to go into anime with the idea of 'this is good until proven different' and Simoun did NOT take long to sour that attitude. In fact, I'm not even sure why I finished it, as it was quite a chore for me. I wanted to find something to like, I truly did, but just could not. Therefore it's been quite hard for me to put these words to 'paper' so to speak.

Story: 4
The biggest issue that I find glaring in the series is that these people are at war, as explained in the synopsis. In fact, one flight of Simoun had been nearly wiped out by the enemy. This should place a great deal of stress on our teenage pilots, but the most 'trouble' we see out of them is the leader of the primary squadron moping over the death of her previous copilot. The copilot doesn't even die in battle, she dies when they try to attempt a forbidden magical spell (I'll explain more in a bit) and it backfires, killing the copilot. Yet, instead of seeing the weight of combat affecting this leader, and even the other girls, is glossed over.

The leader literally pouts and refuses to leave her room because her copilot who happened to be her lover as well, had died. She doesn't seem shocked per se, nor does she mourn in a manner one would expect in warfare. Instead she is a brat, and even though it's her responsibility to lead the squadron, she could care less and continues to ignore her duties. War is hell, and people die. Even worse when they die trying to do something forbidden in the first place. There's a reason exist, and the pair had no right to break them. Their defiance of obvious orders is yet another area where they show any lack of regard for military structure.

Which brings us to the point fans point out: the girls weren't military, they were priestesses. As long as they put off the gender ritual (mentioned in the synopsis) they are allowed to continue being pilot-priestesses. Yet even in the ecclesiastical authority that exists in their religion seem to have no control over the leader and her hissy fits. The real rub is that these girls, some as young as perhaps 11 or 12 (Lemone) or appearing in their 20's or later (Dominura) are not taught that they are fighter pilots flying advanced aircraft. They are told they are priestesses flying 'chariots of the gods' and with these ships they produce a magical contrail that when a certain shape is achieved a HUGE amount of devastation results. Instead of calling a spade a spade, the girls are taught that these are 'prayers' to their god. It just happens that their 'prayers' kill dozens upon dozens of enemy fighters. But because they don't consider themselves as combat pilots, they spend their time bickering over which squadron uses which room for their recreational time, and dealing with interpersonal drama that would seem over the top if it was in high school, not on an aircraft carrier launching constant fighter engagements.

But killing in the name of God has been something humans have done since time immemorial. So to these maidens, they're not sending hundreds of enemies to their deaths through their sorties, they think they are praying to their god and everything is hunky dory. Then, even when reprimanded or given orders by the heads of the church, hissy fit girl ignores even them. This reminds me a bit of Maverick from Top Gun. When Goose died, Maverick fell apart, but he also tried to quit flying for the Navy and had a true personal crisis. Our hissy girl has no such thing beyond 'boo hoo my girlfriend is dead". She doesn't even seem interested in gaining any true revenge against anyone that might be related to the accident. She might seem tormented about flying again, but she does not relinquish her leadership position. Instead she makes the entire squad suffer over her foolish actions. All she had to do is go take the gender ritual and that would have been that. Instead she remains listed as 'active' but refuses to fly for a long time.

Nor are the enemies properly explained. They are said to have come from lands surrounding the girls' home countries that are polluted and vile because they do not have access to the Simoun technology. Never once do they explain why one nation holds all the Simoun engines or why it's evil for the enemies to want that tech shared, especially if it could spare the environment (as it seems to do, their nation is pretty where the enemies live in nasty conditions). Also, where is the ground troops for any of the nations? Why does it seem like everything is decided by 5 or 6 Simoun fighters? Especially knowing the Simoun fighers can make the special 'prayers' which are nothing more than spells with insane destructive power? Why send in wave after wave of highly inferior aircraft when you know almost certainly they are going to be cut down piecemeal? Where is the strategy in that? There's a time or two the enemy ships do make a little progress, but they never hold an advantage for long at all. It seems rather stupid to devote massive man power and industrial output when you know that a hanful of the enemy Simoun can wipe out dozens if not hundreds of fighters in mere moments? In fact, one of the most effective attacks launched by the enemy is a number of cruise type unmanned missiles. In that instance, however, the Simoun suddenly have chin mounted guns and still repel a good amount of the explosives.

The final complaint I will leave is the yuri/shoujo ai tag. One of the big ups I read about this show beforehand is that the Simoun are powered by girls kissing. This is true, but they are not romantic kisses, they are more like quick pecks then they kiss the dome containing the 'gem' motor, and it lights up. These kisses are shared by pilot and copilot, but there is no romantic connotations to them. In fact, pairs change on occasion, and each new pair repeat the kissing process to fire up the Simoun's motor. So it's not 'Sakura Trick' kissing, it's locking lips just to start the ship, and nothing more. Now there are a few girls who have love interests in other girls, hissy fit girl for example, but there's another girl that loves hissy girl, but plans to become a man in the gender ritual so she can marry the hissy girl, which kind of curtails a same sex relationship.

So we have some cheesy high school level drama set against the backdrop of a horrific war. The girls care not for the lives they take, it seems for the most part, and are more interested in their own internal dramas. Not a single girl bothered by the wanton killing they perform as 'prayers'.

Art: 4
Pastels everywhere. The uniforms are overly complicated and too busy. The leaders of the military and church are groan inducing, and do not appear appropriate for either organization. There seems to be a constant wind blowing, even indoors, especially anytime the hissy girl in on screen. Her pink hair seems to never stop fluttering as if she has her own personal breeze. The Simoun themselves are ugly, looking like snail-shelled wheels that apparently drive not only the aircraft, but at least one train as well. There is one character (Dominura) who appears to be into S&M, complete with fishnet hose for her uniform, and with such a look I figured at some point she was going to betray the group or do something else terrible. She doesn't but boy does she have the villain vibe going. The entire artwork seems odd and out of place.

Sound: 6
I admit I did like some of the voices employed in the series. Dominura was very interestingly played, and Lemone sounds appropriately young. The mean girl sounds mean. The only problem is that older men in the series sound as if they are all voiced by women. I understand that all people start female before the gender ritual, but to attain a position of authority, one would think that would take long enough for a properly male voice to develop.

The opening theme is light and airy, which is in direct contrast with the fact this is a story about girls flying fighters to destroy their enemies. The ending theme did nothing for me. The sound effects were acceptable but nothing to write home about. The Simoun flying sounded kind of weird, but they look weird so I guess that matches.

Character: 5
I'm been over a lot of the girls personalities (or lack thereof) in the story section, so there's little more to say here, other than the ensemble cast can get kind of big, and seem to be there to take up space more than anything. Sure there are two sisters, there's a rich girl and a former servant of hers, and the girl filled with determination, but they all seem to be single note characters.

Enjoyment: 4
It was hard to keep watching this one, as the frivolity of the girls just clashed so hard with their mission to kill their enemies, even if it was in the name of their god. They did not have any regrets or difficulty in knowing what they were doing. They were instead, for the most part, blinded by religion. There are other subtexts they try to shoehorn in, such as a discussion on gender issues, but they all fall flat when the actual story they are telling isn't interesting enough to care about any subtext being presented. By the middle of the series, I just wanted it to be over. I kept hoping for something redeemable to happen, but I was let down.

Best Girl: Dominura for sure, and others may hotly debate this, but I believe she becomes and/or is Onashia. Any mean looking women in fishnet stockings can catch my eye.

I wanted to like this anime so much, I really did, but I couldn't bring myself to that point. It wasn't the art, it wasn't the sound, it was the inanity of the story that just blew my mind. And then in the end when they throw in the time travel angle, I just wanted to punch my monitor. No new RTLR wall entries, not even for Dominura, and I sure as hell recommending a complete pass on this one. All four thumbs down. I wont be surprised if this ends up being my only review with 0 'likes' on it. Sorry, just have to call them like I see them. Thanks for reading.

Lots of Spoilers

Schroedinger’s cat and Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle? Anyone? Bueller?


Chor Tempest is composed of sibyllae, priestesses who offer prayers when they move the magical flying machines known as Simoun through the sky to form Ri Maajons. Ri Maajons are geometric configurations that activate the power of Tempus Patium, the deity of the nation of Simulacrum (and probably of the entire planet of Daikuuriku).

Confused yet? That’s okay, because the mystery of the Simoun is not well-understood, even by the Sibylla Aurea, Neviril, who is also the leader of Chor Tempest. What she does know is that when she and her pair were confronted with ... the overwhelming attacks of a mechanized and polluted neighboring nation, they activated the most powerful magic of all by forming the Emerald Ri Maajon; they vanquished their foes – for the moment. But something went wrong: her Simoun was left a crippled, smoking, twisted wreck, her pair vanished who knows where, and Neviril received a wound within her psyche that left her down and almost out for the count. And that’s all within the first episode.

Enter Aaeru. Aaeru is a soldier. She is not a priestess; she flies the Simoun to avoid going to the spring, remembering the words of her grandfather regarding the irrevocability of decisions. In Daikuuriku, everyone is born female, and gender and adulthood are chosen after going to the spring at age 17. From the moment she joins Chor Tempest, Aaeru wants Neviril. No, not that way: sure, she’ll be by Neviril’s side; she’ll kiss her full on the lips, because that’s how sibyllae activate the Simoun; she’ll pursue her, vandalize her doorway, and even try to shame Neviril out of her funk. But Aaeru is Aaeru because of her desire to fly higher, and she senses that she can fly the highest with Neviril, The problem is that Neviril is sure she does not want Aaeru.

One act of violence has the potential to change everything, and for Chor Tempest engaged in a war, there are two above all. For Aaeru, the first brings her to her knees. The second strips her of confidence. For Neviril, the first proves that she is Aaeru’s pair, and she helps Aaeru rise. The second proves that she wants to fly higher, too – and that she can fly highest with Aaeru. When the changed Aaeru and Neviril pair, this time, it is seamless – as perfect and powerful as the Dandelion Ri Maajon.

Back to Schroedinger’s cat and Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. As war moves forward with an undeniable momentum, what is the position of Simulacrum in Daikuuriku? Once the mystery of the Simoun is ripped open and bared, the hammer comes down and Simulacrum dies. But if the mystery of the Simoun is that it has another, different state simultaneously, then Simulacrum lives even as it dies. This is the uncertainty that the members of Chor Tempest embrace, leading them to place all their dying (living?) hopes on Neviril and Aaeru. This is the “higher” that the two grow to desire together. The beauty of the story is the paradigm shift it creates in consciousness.

Three obligatory remarks:
The first is a comment about the animation. Neviril is eye candy. The Simoun are fluid and mechanistic in an other-worldly way. There is the pastel purity of Simulacrum and the dingy putridity of the nations around her. The Ri Maajon were singularly awesome in concept, and dull in actualization.

The second is music. I like classical music, and the soundtrack was close enough, stealing from Mozart and Hayden effectively (think Symphony #40). The use of sexy-cello for the dance sequences worked, and the accordion was nostalgic.

The third is voice characterization. Only female seiyuu were involved, even for the male characters. It’s quirky, perhaps too much so. It was fun to guess which characters were voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi.

Grade: A- because the Simoun were perfect, and the Ri Maajon disappointing.

This is gonna be fast: this is my favorite anime, so take me as biased about it.

Simoun is that rare gem that appear once in awhile in the business, making we remember why we love the art on animes to begin with.

Many have come to hate it, while speculating with their silly scrutiny, the things that are clearly almost obsolete in Simoun, and even those, are so very well constructed that it's jaw dropping.

Simoun doesn't take place in the real world, and as such it's set its tone from the start as pure artistic fantasy.
It is mostly a character study and those characters are of ... such depth and their development explore so many things about the human nature and even the very sense of everything around us, that it's unbelievable.

The anime starts of from the perspective that is generally the one that everyone roots for, some underdog country that suffers from pollution due to their poor technological level, as in the world of Simoun, everyone is born a female ( aka to any high school student that ever read a book in their lives, as not having sex, like you probably heard before "we are all born without a sex", hence we are all born a female, without definition, without domain over others, or desires of control, mirroring our real world; the female, who have almost no space in it, little to no voice sadly, and lives under an unnoticed spell of imagetic slavery ) in a theocratic world, but as sudden as a heart attack, it quickly changes its perspective to the country that have the biggest technology and live in peace and vanity, in contact with their sanctified entitie ( which is called Tempus Spatium, or Time and Space ), they can control the sexuality change in their community, unlike all the other country's that have to resort to prejudicial methods, and never again changes back to the underdogs, clearly, life is not fair gents.

It is in the characters of such a wealthy country ( see, you should hate them, but that's the point, they have the way to develop what the anime have to say ) that you'll explore so many things about life and death, in such a blatant and open way, but as subtle to the point that you might lose it, that soon you'll notice the artistic care put behind this show, as those that made it ( unlike those that paid for it, that at some points you can even feel their strings, in the few scenes that try to cater to pure yuri fanservice on the first episodes ) knew, it was going to be a failure even before it started to air, and here it is, one of the most beautiful failures ever.

Subtlety in what it delivers is key here: At one point you have an older character say to a very young one after "promising to do something very important just for her", something that she actually needs the younger one to active:

"I wasn't trying to force you into anything, it's just that right now, I need to think that I'm doing it for someone else... or I can't get anywhere with it."

Yes gents, here you'll have a brashing poetical dialogue of a woman using a child, telling the child that with honesty, while trying to convince herself, but in a scene that if led by the mood and atmosphere alone, one might lose the sense of it all completely. It's dramatical artistry at best, truthful and painful, and just like this one described scene, all the rest ensues, with complete brilliance.

The art is second to none, while with clear budgetary problems. Just search up the art director, the master of his craft, Shinichiro Kobayashi list of works, and you'll have an idea of what's in store for you on this marvelous gem.

About the music, there is simply no words to describe it, from orchestrated pieces to tangos, all fitting together to create one of if not the best OST's ever in any anime.

Simply a masterpiece. May it get more attention as it deserves, and as such, the anime industry might carve its path back into brilliance of pure artistry.
Everything in this one is made with a poetical and artistic meaning behind it, the characters fly in machines that have no engine, and are operated by two empty shells, with which they draw lines in the sky to pray to their God ( again, a punch in religion here folks, as their God is called "Time and Space" ), and just from their prayer and the lines they draw, a huge destructive force is generated, annihilating their enemies ( see ? ).
But it never shows or imply anything: if the characters you follow for instance, are destroying their enemies, to them it's a moment of victory, and as such the mood and music will play out, it will be in fact a glorious scene; Only when the characters themselves notice the atrocity of their acts, further ahead, while looking at the faces of their enemies, will the mood accompany them, and with, again, the masterful music, a more gloomy atmosphere will be shown, while still retaining always, the subtlety of never for a second, trying to tell the viewer what he is supposed to feel.

Story: 10
Art:10
Sound: 10
Characters: 10
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 10

Thrillingly beautiful, enchanting, exceptional writing and pacing.
Fascinating storyline in an inspired setting.
Deep enough character relationships to bring pshychological dept to the story.
Beautiful art and extremely pretty charachter design. Background art is scandalously poor, but luckily not disturbing.
A magnificently bewildering and addictive anime, hypnotic at times, a true original.

It should be noted that I'm not the type of person who will often voice their opinion in a way such as a review; however, here I am. And this series, Simoun, is a very odd one indeed, in that it continues even after it is well over to walk the line in my mind between love and hate. I will delve into the details later, however I have to say that there really is no other series like Simoun. It is completely unique, and I think at the end of the day that really speaks for something. Because in many media mediums, most especially ... anime, true originality is a concept we rarely see. However, I digress.

Story; 9. Quite honestly, I almost dropped this series; had other reviewers not urged me to continue onward so militantly, I probably would have dropped it. The first five episodes of this series are an agonizing romp of unexplained teenage angst, stagnant plot development and needless details. You will never watch a show which starts off worse, unless you happen to be a long standing Inuyasha fan. However, in spite of this most monumentous failure, around the sixth episode this show took off running, and fast. I will avoid a plot summary, but suffice to say that in an oddly inexplicable way, the show continues to with each episode draw you into the universe that has been so wonderfully crafted yet still retains it's beautiful standing as piece of fantasy fiction. Really, there aren't proper words to describe it; I have seen a small handful of shows I couldn't get out of my head after seeing them, and an even smaller number still that really impacted me on a psychological or philosophical level. And Simoun is neither of these; rather, it left me with a feeling that isn't meant to be put into type. And trust me when I tell you that this is a good, mysterious and enjoyable feeling.

Art; 6. I feel lied to when I look on the back of this DVD case and see claims made that Studio DEEN handled the art for this show. Clearly, they were not predicting great popularity for this series, and it shows all too much. Or they lost a bet. Let's get one thing clear right away; This does not look like Code Geass. Rather, this is quite poorly done in a number of aspects. A handful of characters have terrible models,and mid series the battle art took quite a nosedive. However, there were also a handful (albeit smaller) of characters who were wonderfully designed, right down to the outfits they wore. What else saves this score from the one or two it would deserve without them, is the landscapes. They appear to be mainly watercolored, but the various landscapes captured across the world these five girls traverse is truly breathtaking. These are not the landscapes on your gym teacher's motivational posters. They really help draw you in, which is why I really couldn't give the art a failing grade. It is quite terrible, but a small number of terrific character designs and breathtaking landscapes cannot be ignored. They increase the shows effect so much.

Sound; 7. I will not lie, I have only ever heard two anime themes I could normally listen too; and both of these were english (the OP and ED from Ergo Proxy, if anyone is curious) and both songs I had already heard. However, Simoun's tracks that were used during the various parts of the show itself were perfect and tolerable. They had a very eloquent, quaint feel about them, and as small as a detail as it would seem, they are actually vital in creating that inexplicable experience I was talking about. Much like the beautiful backdrops, the music makes this show an experience you simply won't get anywhere else.

Character; 9. Neviril is a perfect example of the aforementioned terrible character designs; looking at her, in near ever setting, was impossible and painful. And this may have been, looking back, an intentional decision, as this artistic depiction reflects her personality perfectly. I could not stand this girl, at all, at any point. She was whiny, useless, and quite emotional. She was everything I can't stand about REAL girls, stuffed into my anime. However, with the exception of Kaim and Alty, the utterly pointless twins, every other character both main and side was perfect. They were developed, interesting, and enjoyable. My favorite characters, without a doubt were the captain and commander of the Arcus Prima, Anubituf and Guragief. From their incerdibly cool character designs, to their battle ready, cool headed actions and wine drinking awesomeness, these two were the most entertaining male leads I have seen in a long time. Wapourif, the mechanic, was also a character I really liked; I have not often seen a show with side characters that I liked. And never before have I seen them so well developed that they could very well replace the stars mid show and still pull off a masterpiece series. Aer was the most enjoyable of the girls, followed by Yun and Mamina. Morinas was also a very entertaining character. All in all, Simoun has a cast befitting a ten, but I can not give it one in right mind knowing that Neviril is part of that cast. But that should not overshadow the fact that I quite honestly believe no other anime has achieved the characterization and inexplicable connection that Simoun has. If not just to experience this cast, you need to watch this terribly underrated show.

Enjoyment/Overall; 8. This is not an easy show to review. I can imagine that, and it's lack of all forms of advertising are the reason there are so few. Because in spite of some production and execution flaws, at it's ore and end, Simoun is an experience more than a show. The only other anime I have ever felt this strongly about is Elfen Lied, which is essentially me saying this show truly is like no other in a way that my simple opinion and review cannot describe. The enthralling journey of Chor Tempest from it's rise to it's downfall is one that you cannot get out of your mind. It is a high flying, gripping adventure told through a cast of characters that you simply will love. I cannot say this enough, but at the end of the day, I can almost promise you beyond a doubt that you will be thankful you gave this show a chance. Because it is the only show of it's kind.

In all honesty, this is not my most favorite series. Far from it, even. There are many other anime that I enjoy watching and re-watching time and again. However, this is _the_ best series that I have ever seen.

At first I have dismissed it. I took a look at character designs, then half-read the reviews from different sources... Someone has described it as heroic. I thought that they were being ironic, because heroic isn't what usually comes to mind when you're watching cute lolis run into battle.
Then, couple of months later I decided to give it a try. Yuri has lured me in.

And then, after ... I started watching it, I realized how wrong I had been about it. It is nothing but heroic, brilliant and completely and utterly fantastic. It made me fall in love with all the characters, every single one of them. The story imprinted itself in my mind and made me appreciate every single twirl and twist.

The music... The music is fantastic. The opening song is very moving. "As long as it is beautiful, it is fine". Ever since I heard that phrase, it was my motto in life. The ending song was considerably less awesome, but still very much appreciated. As for the soundtrack, there are only few things that come close to it. That one melody that was usually used for battle has a very distinct tango feel to it, and I fell in love with it the moment I heard it. The only thing that I regret is that they didn't play it more often. The other melodies may not be as noticeable in the series itself, but it is completely different level of enjoyment to listen to them separately.

The art style has left me feel at peace. I can't add anything else to that.

It is a very hard series to watch, though. On more than one occasion it rips your soul out and stomps on it leaving you to collect the pieces. After the first half I cried uncontrollably for the rest of the series. I wanted, no, needed to finish it, and yet it was very painful to do so. And then I was depressed about it. And then for a very long time even thinking about it has left me in tears. I still often cry when I remember the ending. I never thought that I will ever be able to rewatch it again. I did, though. And it stirred the same emotions I felt back then, only this time it was even more beautiful than before.

At first view "Simoun" is a extremely mediocre science fiction story about a bunch of teen age girls in multiple sexy outfits who kiss and caress each other in each episode? If that's your idea of a good time then you don't have to read the rest of this. - If you're still with me "Simoun" is an amazing set of stories about a compelling cast of characters stuffed inside unexceptional story about war and political intrigue.

The fact that almost all the characters are female is genius. Developing a concept based on the fact that humans are basically female until about six weeks after ... conception, in this reality sex choice is conscious and happens when you turn 17.

Even without the Y chromosome the stories are so complex and involved that the last four episodes are devoted to telling you what happened to everybody once the plot beat itself to a logical conclusion.

You won't get many of the nuances until you start thinking about an episode after you've finished watching it. Like the use of music and the difficulty a writer would have without male/female sexual tension or male/male confrontations to fill out an episode. The little discoveries all build up and soon you find yourself watching various episodes out of order just to see the interplay between characters.

If you're a fan of anime with excellent characters and character development this is a must see anime.

If your a fan of cute teenagers in sexy outfits this is pretty much a must see, also.

It's been 3 years since I last watched Simoun. I remember it being exceptional, and I've considered it my favourite since not long after watching it. But as I went through my rewatch, I was ready to nitpick and find as many flaws as I could. I now realise that there are few shows that even come close to Simoun's level of quality throughout, either as a character-drama, a war-drama, a sci-fi or the subtle social commentary peppered throughout.

Ah yes, I suppose I should mention that Simoun plants itself heavily within the war-drama category, with a heavy emphasis on its characters and set in a ... bizarre world (that admittedly takes a few episodes to get comfortable in). Despite how much time is reserved for the characters, the war is always at the forefront of every action, and the character subplots are always moving throughout, at steady intervals. It really is quite amazing how, in 26 episodes, it never once deviates from what's most important while building up 7 or 8 extra subplots naturally, and letting them simmer until they boil without ever being forgotten.

The war is more impressive than I remembered. There's a real sense of organic leadership and genuine hierarchy within the complex world of Simoun, throughout each of the factions (Simalcrum, Argentines and Plumbum). Intense strategies are formed and vary to the whims of the characters - comparing the strategies of the Arcus Prima's Captain to Chor Tempest's Regina to its standin leader during a crisis is incredible in itself, and that's before the battles even occur.

The battles are generally straightforward, but often twist and turn. I won't mince my words - this is an anime from 2006 that probably doesn't have the most amazing budget, even if it looks very good for the time. While there are no real art or animation hiccups (which is impressive), some of the sky-battles can be quite visually refrained. The designs of the Simoun prayers - or lines in the sky drawn by their trails - are very creative, and their effects equally so, but they sometimes feel a little copy-and-paste.

That's not to say the battles aren't tense. Far from it. The line between life and death is drawn many times - for both sides of the battle. "Don't look into their eyes," one Sibyallae (a Simoun pilot) says to another in their first battle, "you won't be able to kill them if you do." Early on, one pilot must cut up a hardened corpse to get back into their ship. Simoun is nothing if not full of surprises.

And those surprises continue into the most important aspect, the cast.

Simoun has an unusually large cast, but somehow manages to develop and change 10+ characters more than shows with double the amount of episodes could only dream of doing. Picking a favourite character is difficult as one will probably change down the line, or you'll see them in a different light.

What's more, each character is refreshingly human, unique, and are so well-rounded in all of their actions. There's a leader who actually has traits of leadership, there's significantly varying levels of maturity in different ways, there's a surprisingly real bitchiness, romance or lack thereof, friendships and problems. Everybody gets the spotlight all the time in Simoun, even when seemingly nothing is happening, or when everything is happening.

As the show goes into its latter half, that beautiful character development pays off. Many of the characters are pushed into decisions they never would have been able to make at the beginning of the show, and fail tests they earlier would have passed. They become totally irrational in the most rational of ways. They cling to what they believe or they lose it along the way.

The setup of Simoun, that is, a world where everybody is born sort-of-female initially, sets up for an incredibly subtle, yet also incredibly brave discussion of gender (even if it is offputting that every character, including male, has a decidedly feminine voice). It's almost hilarious to think that there is still a patriarchal society at work in the background of the show (one character even alludes to becoming male for "job prospects"), but it's also harrowingly real. The show portrays a sort-of innocence of youth alongside the gender struggles of the world - including considering nonbinary genders, transgender issues and intersex controversy. Few anime is willing to even consider these ideas, but Simoun takes them as if they are real, but not ever overbearing.

I am forever impressed by the refrains from fanservice throughout (in fact, considering this and the intense character drama makes me consider Simoun is probably aimed at a female demographic). Despite the fact that initally powering the Simoun requires its two pilots to share a kiss and then to kiss the ship's core after, most of the kisses in the show are just that - ritualistic, and mean nothing. The other kisses in the show are really very beautiful and convey more meaning than words every single time. The romance in this show is definitely among its strongest subjects, and maintains its high level of writing for a good 5-6 relationships with multiple sexualities (even if most of this show is 100% yuri).

The idea of religion is thoroughly tested. Two powerful scenes come to mind; when one character loses faith in his country's ideals, and one character who believes them wholeheartedly enough to give their life in their name in a fantastic inferno. Across the series, everybody considers why they are fighting and who they are fighting for, and consider giving up many times. The non-worldly religions obviously make the discussion leaning towards very atheistic-agnostic (it is amusing when a brief discussion between two opposing priestesses yields that their God is probably the same one or had the same name at one point).

I suppose at this point, I should discuss any of the nitpicks I found.

Floe's voice is very annoying, though it's inherent to her bitchy personality, and her honestly makes her quite likeable in spite of this.

The music is superb throughout. In fact, the most gorgeous soundtracks I've heard, and it's used very effectively for the most part. However, the first 5 or so episodes had some jaunting use of the music, occasionally at ends with the scene. Following that there are no more hiccups.

It's very addictive.

With it's incredible final crescendo, the ending of Simoun is perfectly tied up. Every character's arc is finished along the way, and the universe is at peace, but there is still a clever twist as the ending credits roll.

If there's anything that bummed me out about the finale, it's that I have to bid farewell to my favourite cast.

*Warning* Contains some spoilers.

~Overall (5.91/10)
Personally I would say that Simoun is an okay anime. The main focus of this series is about the characters and their interactions together. To a fault at that. It takes an incredibly long time to get into, more so than my usual standards, and had I not been watching this as part of a group or been watching something to review I would have ditched it after 4-6 episodes in. The characters, while I do not like their designs, are all mostly interesting and you can easily gravitate towards or away from a couple, however you'll still be left with ... a few you care nothing for. I had major issues with the excessive usage of still frames that they pan over, it was wrong and ruined a lot of moments. There are a lot of parts I disagree with how the incidents should have happened in a world that would make sense. If you don't mind guys sounding like girls then the voice work and sounds are all mostly decent and enjoyable. I would say that this anime in particular didn't tickle my fancy but others seem to adore it. As always interests are subjective and my opinion states this to be "meh" due to a variety of complaints throughout this series. Even with those issues, it rates at an average-okay view.

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~Story (3.0/10)
Plot (5/10)
The plot of Simoun revolves all around character development and some minor conflicts/battles most episodes due to the war they are in. Along with the nature of their world, their purposes, and truths about Simoun and Sibyllae. Actually what purpose the conflicts serve is usually to affect the characters and their development. The battles themselves are not very interesting for the most part, also instead of feeling the pressures of the enemy it's still about the characters and what they're doing together or how they're doing it most of the time. Apart from that we have Sibyllae who are the pilots (and navigators) of the "chariots of the gods" called Simoun, and the main focus of this title is around Chor Tempest which is comprised most of the time by 6 pairs of 2 girls each. This is a world where there are no males born, only females and when they turn 17 they are allowed to go to "The Spring" where they choose which gender to become, male or female. For the pilots of the Simoun during war times however, it is not necessary that they go to "The Spring" as long as they are needed for the conflicts. The plot really boils down to a yuri love story and all of the obstacles that the pair of Neviril and Aaeru must overcome to find and realize their love for each other which leads them into the "Land of Hope." The way that this series ends, the entire thing boils down to Aaeru and Neviril, the rest of the time when it does not focus on them, it is on the back up characters and their bonds between each other. Nothing good to say about the plot, and nothing bad.

Progression (1/10)
The progression of Simoun was abysmal, in all honesty it was incredibly hard to bear with and it took a real kick in my ass to even finish the series. Firstly there are minor conflicts and loads of character development during the first few episodes, it isn't enticing and it didn't draw me in to wanting to watch more. My thoughts for a 26 episode series, if the first 5-6 episodes did not grab you then it has progressed poorly. This series did not become interesting for me to watch until episode 16, and even then it only lasted until about episode 20 or 21 then I became disinterested in the content again. It takes you so long to get into, they have a large cast (10-12 girls most of the time + outside minor characters) that you have to develop and go through that it just takes too long to get into the series, too long to become interesting while they develop characters. Then they kill off, exchange, and add in new characters that you have to learn about and get a feel for replacements and new girls. It is a really slow anime for me personally.

Logicality (3/10)
I find myself constantly questioning this Anime and the way that it progresses. Always questioning the content and a lot of which doesn't make sense to me for that universe or for those characters. Just for example in the first episode when a pair steps up from their controls on the Simoun, open their hatches, and in the midle of a huge fleet ready and trying to kill them, they kiss before performing a powerful attack. Now logic dictates at this point in time as they were sitting ducks, they would be shot and killed thereby killing off 1/2 of the main characters. Then the tactic that these cannon fodder used in the first episode is rarely if ever used again, erasing the trails of the Simoun so that they could never perform a Ri Maajon. One more thing is the flying airship, I have severe disagreements with the logic used aboard that giant air ship and how that whole thing played out. Of course they couldn't do what made sense in it because then it would ruin the character development. Flawed. I honestly can go on and read through my episode reviews and reflections to find every litle bit that I question, but that is unessessary. I find a lot of the content questionable.

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~Sound (6.3/10)
Background Music (7/10)
For the most part the background music was really good. Much of the time it fits the circumstances and situations well, much of the time it is very appropriate to play. However there are points in time where I hated the choices in background music and felt that it was a poor choice to play it there. Along with that, the background music can become repetitive, always using the same track over and over at different points in different episodes. So yeah it was good but I have a few issues with the music.

Sound Effects (9/10)
The sound effects of things like the Ri Maajons, ships explosions, banging on doors, etc all that good stuff. I really don't have anything much negative or positive to say. Nothing ever wow'd me though, and maybe I'm forgetting a few negative instances but at the very least for the most part all of the sound effects were spot on. That 9 is there because I likely forgot about something and there's a lot to look through in my notes but I'm sure that I had issues somewhere.

Dialogue (3/10)
I became increasingly confused irritated and agitated at the character voices and dialogue in Simoun. There isn't a great deal of action, it revolves mostly around characters and how they are together. I have major issues with the male cast, I don't care that they were once girls, when they became male they should sound like men. No, nearly every male character sounds female or feminine an it was a huge turn off to this series. Having to listen to it was frustrating at times, having to deal with the way the characters sound. Other than the males, Floe's voice is incredibly annoying which makes me want to punch her every time she talks, especially when she becomes a man. Men aren't supposed to sound like that. Aside from this, most of the character voices I liked, but it isn't enough to get over my problems with the male cast.

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~Animation (7.0/10)
Facial & Body Movements (10/10)
There is plenty of time in this series for up close shots of facial features and their bodies to look at their movements. Nobody was really stiff or their expressions mismatched what was happening often. I especially like Paraietta's twisted expressions around the mid-late part of the series, when she begins to have issues and break down. Well done mates, well done in this regard. I'll put in the Simoun movements here since that's an extension of their bodies. The Simoun fly smoothly through the skies, gracefully murdering all who oppose.

Settings & Backgrounds (8/10)
I did very much enjoy the animation for the settings and backgrounds. The world this takes place is interesting and the ships are nice. The only minor issues I have is that, the settings and backgrounds are repititious. Yes, a lot of the content and development happens in the same rooms or places, from different angles, and things like that. Granted it is a ship and they are set to certain places that the progression can take place, but most of the time even the battle fields look similar. Overall I did enjoy the settings.

Animation Style (3/10)
I have to give a low grade to the animation style. They cut a lot of corners when they would use the still frames. They used those to an excess which made unimportant points in the series less interesting because that was supposed to be for dramatic effect, or they used them during critical points but the frames over stayed their welcome. It is a major complaint and if you didn't notice all the awkward and downright wrong placement for these frames then if you rewatch the series you'll begin to notice them now. Apart from that flaw, the animation was good. The colors and vibrance along with smooth scenes was a plus keeping this rating from going lower. I also have an issue that at times there is an exaggeration of characters' hair or clothes that I dislike. I felt those instances were unnecessary.

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~Characters (7.3/10)
Character Designs (3/10)
I have my issues with the character designs chosen for this series. There is an issue with some characters, how they have big round eyes, which for me in anything outside of an anime whose target audience is 10 or less, is unacceptable. I have an issue with the hair + eye color combinations that are unnatural and awkward to see on a character. The main example of that is Neviril with long pink hair and bright blue eyes, the character looks bad and awkward to me. To go with that are the clothes of a "priestess". Now the Sibyllae are priestesses but their clothes do not reflect that, they are scantily clad especially during Maaju pool training which is offputting for who they are supposed to be.

Character Development & Insight (10/10)
Oh boy there is a wealth of character development and insights into their past in this Anime. The creaters spend a great deal of time introducing the characters and developing them throughout the series while also giving insights into their own pasts. That is afterall what this series is about, development and relationships. You will spend every episode around the characters and learning of their bonds and how they are being formed. A great deal of time is spent on massive development throughout, although a few of the minor members of Chor Tempest do not receive much development they aren't very important. Actually there is so much development that it is done to a fault, and it takes forever to get into the series, to make it intriguing.

Character Gravitation & Personalities (9/10)
Character Gravitation is here to show how easily people can both connect and reject a character. How well they make an impact on you whether you love them or hate them. And personalities shows what kind of variety in the cast do we have, if there are just boring clones around or if everyone is different and interesting. For the most part I could easily gravitate towards a few characters, Paraietta and Aaeru. Those are the ones I liked in this series, and Paraietta not for obvious reasons probably, but I wanted to see her personality go from that strong leader to a broken mess, unfortunately her perverted and twisting actions came to a close and did not continue after trying to rape Neviril. And Aaeru, just because she was the character that was different and saw what they did as missions or battles instead of praying, the religious topic got boring when they kept repeating it and Aaeru wasn't a part of that. I hated characters like Pinky and Floe, oh yeah Pinky was my name for Neviril. Instantly I had emotions and feelings drawn towards these characters. Everyone else, not really, they were just around. However much I didn't care for all of the characters, they all have unique and at times interesting personalities. Mamiina while her appearance was short, had interesting bits here and there for example. the reason for not being perfect is that while they did take time to introduce and develop everyone, not everybody was always interesting.

overall Review 9

The storyline or plot is clearly understandable until we reach the final episodes that somewhat leaves the story in pieces. what happend to the Neviril and Aaeru? did they go to the past or to the future? Is Dominura and onashia the same? What happend to Limone and Dominura in episode 26?

in short the story leaves us in quite possible theories that the author wants us to discover.

this anime really leaves me in a lot of questions,, I don't even know if the ending was supposed to be a good or a sad one.

But overall I love how they Introduce ... some characters in a careful manner and how they see the simoun in their perspective. also showing different kinds of love: sister love (a.k.a Incest i guess) Love love and other kinds of love ( i Forgot some of the points I've written) how they slowly develop as a pair and as lovers.

in the beginning tho I was confused on what is happening but as the story progress You'll quite understand it.

I found the story to be ok and enjoyable but not fantastic outside of the amazing music that was scored for it.

What really set me off was the overdramatization of the trauma that Nevril suffered during the first episode of the series. In later episodes this trauma is brought up on a number of occasions that basically leaves her completely out of commission. When you start the series you believe that she'll be the backbone of the group of girls but instead only realizes that role later on in the series after seemingly coming to grips with her trauma.

The story itself was pretty decent. The ... premise was easy to accept and follow through to the end. I can't say I enjoyed the ending though. It's one of those open ended kinds of endings that really doesn't resolve anything at all...but if you like those kinds of endings then you're in for a ride.

But this anime does have an amazing redeeming quality to it. Depending on your tastes, the musical score created for this anime is utterly fantastic. Very few musical scores from an anime series stand out as much as this one does to me. I heartily suggest that anyone reading this at least get the music to this anime even if they have no intention of watching the anime itself.

Overall I gave this series a "Good" rating. I doubt I'll rewatch it though I won't say that with certainty. But for the time I spent watching it, I enjoyed it and I'm glad I did watch it.

Beautifully put together original melodrama with tons of character development.

PLOT: Simoun has a highly original concept and a really interesting setting. The idea of a world where everyone is born female and can then choose their sex at the age of 17 is an interesting idea and its very well executed in Simoun as the characters all agonise over if they should become men or remain women. The plot focuses on a group of priestesses who can fly the titular simoun – aircraft that can draw patterns in the sky that can be used for attacks or as prayers, the priestesses are young girls who ... have not yet chosen their sex. Since their country is currently at war with its neighbours, these priestesses are used as frontline soldiers as the Simoun are highly effective weapons.

The plot is mainly concerned with the characters, the war setting merely used to provide the drama. And is there ever drama! Each of the girls receives quite a lot of development over the course of the series – some more than others, but all are highly individual with their own set of problems. Conflicting personalities, confusion caused by the war, grief of losing friends to war or adulthood, romance, the mysterious nature of the simoun – its all in there and it all adds up to gripping viewing.

I loved this series – yuri isn’t really my thing, but the romance aspect is dealt with in a mature fashion and isn’t just there for the sake of fanservice. The characters are all likeable, the setting is wonderful and the drama enjoyable. The only criticism I have is that there are plot holes – not everything is fully resolved, although more time is given to the epilogue than normal, it mostly deals with the individuals rather than resolves the overarching plotline – not that that’s a bad thing, after all its the characters that are the focal point of the show.

ANIMATION: Although inconsistent at times, the overall animation quality is wonderful. The character designs in particular are beautifully executed – lots of variety and I really liked the colouring of the eyes. The set design was gorgeous too – striking and original, it helped to really set Simoun apart from its counterparts. The design of the simoun themselves was fantastic – they are really pretty machines. The CGI was well handled – its a bit obvious on the simoun, but made the battles pretty interesting to watch. The eyecatches in the episodes were really pretty stills too.

MUSIC & VOICE ACTING: The music was pretty – it sounds vaguely french, filled with accordion motifs. At times I sometimes felt that this style of music didn't fit with the tension and drama of some of the battle scenes, but it isn’t jarring and the score is very consistent and ties the series together well. I loved the OP – have it downloaded, the ED is pretty too.

Voice acting was excellent – an entirely female cast, women voice even the adult males. This took a little bit of getting used to, but makes perfect sense when you consider the world setting.

Overall a highly recommended series – I took away a point because of the minor plot holes and animation inconsistencies, but Simoun was still a wonderful series!

In many ways, Simoun surprised me. I don't know what I was expecting-- I hadn't ever really watched anything too similar to this before. But I heard some nice things about it, mostly combined with other less nice things. For example "Simoun is really poorly animated at times, but the story is really interesting." So, I timidly gave it a try. And it was actually totally worth it!

What it is about Simoun that makes me forgive its many flaws Sometimes the animation is REALLY BAD! Like, hilariously bad. Sometimes it feels like the entire point of the show is fanservice (girls kiss to power ... their special airships), sometimes it feels like the plot is paced really slowly or is even nonexistent. Sometimes I hated the main characters.

So what is it that I like so much about Simoun that I am willing to ignore the fact that I would give it a 4/10 for art, a 6/10 for character and story?

1) Everyone is born a girl and when they become adults they go to a magical spring and choose their gender. Gender stuff like this really interests me on a deep, personal level. I really wish they had gone into this and how it impacts the characters and society more. Even though it didn't go as far into this as I would have liked, this was the initial thing that made me choose to watch Simoun over everything else on my watchlist.

2) The side characters. I honestly love all of the characters besides the two main characters. Oh, and Floe. She kind of just annoyed me. My interest in the other girls of Chor Tempest and the characters outside of their team was what really kept me watching whenever I would get frustrated with Neviril or Aeru. Mamiina, Wapōrif and their friendships/love interests were my two favorites. I could honestly have watched a show about either of them.

3) How serious this show is able to get. I admit that I have not watched a lot of yuri. In fact, before this show... like none. I really did almost expect that it would be all about the fanservice. There is quite a bit of romance between the girls and we do get to see them in revealing clothes and there are shots of them in oddly sensual poses that serve as the commercial break divider things??? But despite all of that, Simoun has a story to tell about the psychological effects of war on young priestesses who are torn between their beliefs about and their duties, who have to choose whether to continue fighting or move on to adulthood, and who have to make huge, scary decisions like WHAT GENDER THEY WILL BE. It is great. You can tell that a lot of the girls actually struggle with realistic emotions in this show even though their situations are highly unrealistic. If there is one good thing I can say about Aeru its that I totally understand why she doesn't want to grow up. And I appreciate a show that feels like it is about that just as much as it is about girls who kiss and fly around in crazy airships that can make special lights in the sky to take out enemies.

tl;dr- I never expected to actually like Simoun this much. If you are unsure about it, give it a try. It starts out a bit rough, but the second half is really touching.

A bit surprised that this series has been under my radar for a while now. Ignoring its promotion as a yuri title briefly, Simoun is quite focused on the various character developments of the young members of Chor Tempest as they find themselves coming of age. From sibling rivalry to moving on from personal loss to feelings of inferiority, there are a diverse number of ordeals that are tackled from the girls of Chor Tempest explored to great length as they get involved in protecting their country from foreign invasion and being the only major defense available through their piloting of the Simoun planes.

Moving back ... to the "yuri" element, Simoun is quite notable for its gender-swapping aspect being a prominent part of the Simulacrum culture where the girls in the world of the series get to choose their gender in a coming-of-age ceremony when they turn 17. This adds some interesting elements to the series involving growing up and relationships between those among Chor Tempest's ranks. Because of their status as sibylla capable of piloting Simoun, the members of Chor Tempest are allowed to avoid the ceremony for as long as they are trying to halt enemy advances with members of the group having differing thoughts on approaching the issue. Some characters at points desire to attend the ceremony as their escape from the responsibilities they've gained in fighting a war beyond their control, indicating their lack of maturity in handling complicated affairs. Some other characters desire to become male because of their desire to become romantically involved with one of their fellow pilots, an aspect which (along side kissing between those of the same sex to run the Simouns) had many folks assuming the series to be a typical yuri title at first glance. However, all the girls have enough personality and self-control to comprehend when their actions would be wrong and not spiral things into a mindless yuri delight, even when having inner conflicts over the gender they desire to become.

The exploration of the world of Simoun is a bit hit or miss though. On a basic level, you come to understand that Simulacrum is a theocratic nation with a strong belief in the divine, despite their technological superiority over other nations at the start of the series, and you come to understand a number of aspects to the country's culture influenced by their divine beliefs. Some characters who are strong followers of the divine teachings that they are taught find these beliefs challenged when confronted with the reality surrounding their country's past origins not being as they would think, especially concerning the Simoun.

On the other hand though, there is limited to little depth you come to learn of the enemy nations desiring to attack Simulacrum thanks to much of the show's focus being on the developments of Chor Tempest. This same issue also comes about with the revelations discovered about the Simouns as either there is limited information on what to learn about them or the show doesn't bother exploring the "hows" to said elements.

The visual presentation to Simoun is a bit of a mixed bag as well. The series features good-looking character designs of its cast and great-looking CG animated renderings of the Simoun and other aerial vehicles which move about fluidly both on the ground and in the air. On the other hand though, a good number of the show's background designs look washed-out in quality and the show usually likes to mix in sketch-like still shots of the girls in certain key scenes which are not consistent with the animation style used throughout much of the show.

Despite my minor issues though, Simoun made for a surprisingly solid anime featuring the coming-of-age developments of the young members of Chor Tempest as they dealt with differing issues and being involved in a heated war, all with little actual dabbling in its so-called "yuri" element.

Simoun takes place in a world in which god loves yuri so much that he made everyone female to start out with -- people can choose their sex later -- and made magic aircraft that only work in the presence of yuri. The magic aircraft can be used to cast spells, which can be used for warfare. If that's too weird for you, then you should probably go elsewhere.

The be honest, I'm not entirely sure whether or not I myself enjoyed Simoun. I definitely had my palm on my face too often for me to unequivically call it "good." For example: a young girl becomes ... a man, and the voice actor is the same. Facepalm.

Simoun should have been shorter. Stuff happens, but there's a lot of nothing happening, and repetitions of earlier bits. You can probably skip ahead to the next scene if you get bored without missing anything important. I probably would have enjoyed it more just watching 1 to 4, 8, 10, 11, 14 to 17, and 19 to 26.

The enemy in Simoun is more humanized than usual. It's hard to tell, but I think the foreigners speak reversed japanese.

Sound was good. Voice acting was good. Animation was OK, but with lots of pans of stills and the 3d and 2d don't fit quite perfectly. Reminds me of Last Exile's.

Shows that come to mind as similar are Last Exile, Fantastic Children, and Noir. I did not particularly like any of those. If you did, and you like yuri, this might be the show for you.

Lesbian Powered Airships: Why Did It Go Wrong?

Simoun is a rarity in anime: A series with a unique premise and excellent quality across the board that nonetheless fails to impress me. Why this happened is somewhat unclear. I'm a huge fan of yuri, the aesthetic quality was superb, the concept was refreshing, and I felt myself spellbound by a couple of episodes. Yet, I just had no drive to continue watching after the halfway mark.

However, this would be a rather short review if I didn't go into the details of why I was left disappointed. Simoun exceeded expectations in every aspect except one: The characters. ... The huge and varied cast all had personalities of varying interest, and all stood out well enough. There was one crucial problem though.

For me at least, the characters all had... well, problems dealing with each other. I don't mean the kind that develop the plot or allow for interesting conflict. I mean the kinds of problems that only occur when back stories are thought up on the fly with unnecessary elements thrown in just because, and the characters are as good at dealing with each other as a duck and a Balrog.

Maybe I needed to watch a couple more episodes, but none of the relationships between the characters felt genuine or natural. Most, at least to me, were stilted, and developments that had no prior standing on the story often came out of nowhere.

The story doesn't really disappoint, though it's not breaking any new ground and does get predictable at points; the idea that certain teenagers can pilot a nation's only means of defense against an overwhelming outside force was done in Evangelion with arguably better results. The occasional cliche thrown in (Of course there will be an outside love interest at some point) doesn't allow for much originality, but it's far from detracting.However, this is docked since characters are essential to keeping a story fascinating and captivating to an audience.

The actual combat in the simouns is well choreographed and beautifully animated, but is usually quite predictable. In some cases, it's also rather lackluster. One episode in particular gave off the impression that the storyboard forgot that there had to be a fight an episode, so just threw one in for the last 30 seconds. It had no impact on the story whatsoever, and just seemed to be a way to fill the quota.

To wrap up this short review, Simoun isn't bad by any means. A lot of other people found enjoyment in it, so I don't see why the possibility isn't in store later on. As it stands, this is an incomplete review of a series which I would love if the two most touted aspects (Character interaction and lesbian airship dogfighting) weren't complete letdowns so far. I've put it on hold for other series that I'd rather watch, and I don't see it coming off that list anytime soon.

In short, a potentially excellent show marred by sparseness in the character and action departments. Regardless, I recommend Simoun as an example of a possibly great series.

Pros:
- Refreshing, if not entirely original, concept
- Stunning visuals and fun soundtrack
- Well developed setting
- Lesbian powered airships

Cons:
- Uninspired character interaction and relationships
- Sometimes forgot that it was also an action series
- Too much unnecessary material


Constructive criticism is welcome, as well as explanations as to why people like this. Really, if somebody gives me an example of how it's beautifully written and the relationships are interesting, I'll consider giving it another shot. I want to like Simoun, but I just can't.