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Jul 6, 2012 8:23 PM
#1

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Apr 2012
845
THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE.
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Or Episode 2 depending what version you're watching.

Wasn't feeling the Japanese-business-dealings angle to start with but it tied in well enough. Just later thinking back on it I'd like to have seen this fleshed out more, but I suppose the evil corporation and their dodgy aircraft were just there to contribute to the downfall of Kanzaki.
(It also felt like Kanzaki had been helping supply the rebels to get Shin killed, or was this just an unlucky coincidence with Maxwell, moreso after abandoning civilian aircraft for military exports?).

The assault through the ravine was cool, I like those sorts of settings. Though again, thinking back afterwards I'd been expecting to hear about how the rebels had been tipped off about their plans. Not fatal, this was a good story for being crammed into an hour and a half, just could've used tightening up in places maybe.

All in all, an entertaining and underappreciated OVA, the dogfights were especially impressive.
Sep 28, 2012 6:59 PM
#2

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Feb 2012
4191
An amazing ending to a great series. I know my friends were all angry at how it ended but it seemed appropriate to me.

The ravine scene was a bit too farfetched for me, but the dog fights were superb. I am really impressed in just how cool Shin got at the end. There were so many things I enjoyed about this anime but this has definitely become one of my favorites.
Sep 28, 2012 7:17 PM
#3

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Feb 2012
3769
The show is definitely one of a kind. It kind of gives more of a war movie feel of the 80s, when they still had something to say. The end is... well, an artistic choice I guess. But I've seen something similar in Iron Cross and a few others.
Jan 14, 2014 1:10 PM
#4

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Nov 2008
640
This wasn't the kind of ending I could be satisfied with.
I was surprised, and dissapointed.
Jan 9, 2015 6:25 PM
#5

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Apr 2013
2282
Now this is what you can call a real war drama. No place for modern bullshit.
Jun 10, 2015 3:36 PM
#6

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Jun 2012
2592
This was really damn good. I shouldve watched this sooner :) Its been on my plan to watch list basically since i joined mal. I wish Shin wouldve been able to at least see Ryoko but maybe he didnt want her to see what hes become.
Sep 17, 2015 10:30 PM
#7

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Jul 2015
12542
KenShiRo-Sama said:
This wasn't the kind of ending I could be satisfied with.
I was surprised, and dissapointed.


Honestly, an happy ending would have made the show less interesting. Remember that almost 3 years have passed, Shin just isn't the same anymore. And there has been some pretty heavy foreshadowing (the mirage flowers in the desert that represent Ryoko, vanishing as he crawls his way back to Area 88, for example).
Nov 22, 2015 9:24 AM
#8

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Sep 2014
1279
darkreaver94 said:
LMAO, I realized that I already completed this OVA after watching episode 2 yesterday which is actually the final episode. -_-


Same thing here. Can't believe this is the ending.

Decent episode all in all but man the ending... I wanted drive my head into a wall when I experienced so much stupidity. Shin is finally free of his duties and is in somewhat of an emotional twist. So far I can understand and even relate to. But then he calls his love that he craved to see for so long and hangs up on her. Without seeing her which might have changed his feelings? After letting her wait and worry for so long? He just hangs up on her without trying to explain anything? What a fucking jerk.

After that, seeing all the stupid, fight-addicted idiots flying to their deaths gave me the rest. Yeah such glory, lets die together. Sooo good. Fucking morons.
Apr 23, 2016 6:35 AM
#9

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Sep 2013
1711
So they made me watch this emo cry and complain for 3hrs about a boring and stupid girl who is willing to sell her body to her lover's "biggest enemy" and wondering if he is going to be sad or not just to in the end he dumps her and goes back to "Hell" with this stupid little smile in his face? LMAO.
Aug 21, 2016 9:19 PM

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Sep 2013
3373
Great show! Now to watch the tv episodes!

I'm level on mal-badges. View my badges.
Jul 19, 2017 9:48 PM

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Jun 2013
578
Leaving aside the fact that he really changed over the years, he owed at least a encounter and an explanation to Ryoko. He was totally selfish.
Mar 25, 2019 8:13 PM

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Mar 2016
2038
It seems some people don't really appreciate the tragedy that is this story. I feel like it was pretty obvious from the beginning...

There is the idea that spilt blood is literally a poison, a sickness, that attaches itself to a murderer, and that those who have killed are contagious and as such dangerous to anyone around them. This idea can even go as far as saying that the body of a killer cannot properly decompose after death unless it is purified through cremation. I think this story plays with these ideas quite a bit, especially in the dialogue. A former soldier causes trouble for everyone around him etc.

Shin returns to Aslan to be purified, either by dying or some other such act ceremonial act. But to be honest, I think it's left up to the viewer whether he has gone purposefully to die or not. Personally, I think it'd be nice if he could find 'purification' of some sort for what he's done and be able to leave Area 88 without the stain on his mind.
syncrogazerMar 25, 2019 8:18 PM
Jul 7, 2019 8:12 AM

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Nov 2013
4313
Epic dogfights and a good war drama, classic 80's series. Pretty frustrating ending though, it wasted so much time with the romance just to leave it as a bitter ending, I was hoping for a bigger payoff for his revenge against the asshole Kanzaki too.

Worth watching, but quite a frustrating story with a weak payoff at the end. 6/10
Sep 15, 2019 12:30 PM

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Nov 2016
31357
The part where Shin prepared the ramen was so cute.

Another awesome episode and a fitting conclusion. One minor gripe, tho. The soundtrack at times really takes you out of the experience, especially that upbeat insert song during the bombardment. Shins charactersitation and the disturbing nature and grittiness on the other hand were portrayed with great care.

One Piece episode 914 & 915 & 1027 were a mistake and 957 brought the salvation - FMmatron


Apr 26, 2020 1:28 PM

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Aug 2012
446
What an incredible ending to an incredible Movie/Episode. This is my 4th rewatch of this OVA and it just gets better and better each time.

One thing that jumped out at me more than prior viewings was the (in hindsight) obvious product placement/ads for Coke and that Cup Noodle brand lol. The bit where Mickey hands the Coke to Shin, the pose he has going on is hilarious and not the least bit subtle lol. Same for Shin's face when he waits for the noodles to cook and his eyes glisten lol.

While I can understand it wouldn't be to everyone's taste I really like the open ending of this episode. Shin goes back to fight with his friends in Area 88 to aid them in their last stand. To finish what is unfinished business. Does he make it on time to help his remaining allies and if so do they escape together? Does he join the fight to just die with them? If they did escape does he just follow Mickey into another war somewhere else? Did he get there on time and was the last survivor of the battle, hence being in the clear?

The remaining theory could be he goes back, finishes business and returns to Ryoko, though in terms of this version I feel this is the least likely option. He made his goodbyes in Paris of sorts. Though speaking of, while I understand Shin's transition from civilian to soldier gives him doubts, I'm still really surprised he spends like less than 24 hours in Paris before deciding to go back to Area 88. I mean he'd waited 2 years and 5 months for that moment and didn't even sleep on it lol.

Apparently bloodshed is more alluring to Shin than Ryoko, poor girl.

Anyway yeah I adore this OVA, an eternal favourite that is in my opinion the best OVA ever made. I wish the Manga would get a proper English release one of these days or at least a full translation.
Aug 20, 2020 8:06 PM

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Jul 2014
34
I watched this after watching the tv series, and this was way better.
Mar 18, 2021 3:40 PM

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Aug 2017
2977
Nguyen's machine gun used the same sound effects as seen in SDF Macross! It also made its way to Megazone 23, various Gundam and Macross series, maybe even more.

Shin's time was almost up, I think. Half a year of training plus his 2 years and 5 months...almost 3 years.

Ryoko looks a bit different in ep. 3, I'd say. Especially her eyes.

Shin acting on sort of utilitarian grounds throughout the OVA (not entirely voluntary, though) made me think of another "utilitarian" character voiced by Shiozawa - Oberstein. There're also interesting connections to make between Tomiyama's character here and in LOGH.

By the way, kinda strange to see that a realistic series like that makes the protagonist, who's a military pilot, have his right eye closed by his hair. Isn't that a bit impractical and dangerous? Well, whatever, it looks cool after all. While the ending is definitely sad in many ways, it was foreshadowed by Shin's change of attitude.

The ravine scene was a bit too farfetched for me

Any media involving planes or any kind of hovering vehicles just can't do without such a scene, now can it?
The soundtrack at times really takes you out of the experience, especially that upbeat insert song during the bombardment.

The lyrics weren't exactly optimistic though.
BlaizeV said:

The remaining theory could be he goes back, finishes business and returns to Ryoko, though in terms of this version I feel this is the least likely option.

Had a wild thought that Shin might want to destroy Area 88 after it's abandoned by his comrades. Still, that's all it is - a wild thought. Would be pretty anticlimactic though.
St0rmbladeMar 18, 2021 4:57 PM
Nov 24, 2022 7:02 AM
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Nov 2022
1
excelente anime!!!!!
Dec 5, 2022 6:53 PM
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Dec 2022
3
What an amazing anime! I can’t believe I waited so long to watch it. I love the artwork and soundtrack.

That ending though. From a storytelling stand point it’s great, but it’s a little heartbreaking for me.
Jan 8, 2023 5:59 PM
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Nov 2018
85
the ending, or more like the lack of an ending felt dissapointing, i find this open ended bullshit infuritating, tell us, show us what happens to shin and the rest of the pilots of area 88, do they make it? do they die?, besides that i really enjoyed the ova, the fights are really well animated and are very explicit, more than a couple of times we get to see the pilot themselves being filled with bullets. 
Feb 21, 2023 1:03 AM

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Apr 2020
385
Ryoko should've started off by saying 'I've been waiting for you all this time", although it probably wouldn't have altered the ending...I'm surprised that France allowed Shin to fly off again since he wasn't part of any military organization anymore so having a freelance fighter jet in their air space might be too risky.
ow + nw = 90-2000s


Feb 22, 2023 1:06 PM

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Feb 2019
6
Liked the series but it kind of ended on a whimper after building up a bunch of tension, that just never got resolved properly. I’ll have to watch the 2004 series or read the manga (if it ever got a full translations) to see if those ones are better. 

Other than that my main gripes are that no one ever uses any sort of counter measures, and when Bucksey’s F4 pulls positive gs, they experience a red out (which you experience in negative gs) instead of a black out. 

Also in hindsight the capabilities of aams are greatly overstated, but since the Cold War was still on going when this released and no one but military and military contractors knew the true strength of these weapons it’s understandable. 
Jul 1, 2023 2:16 PM

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Jan 2016
511
What was she drawing?



Also, I hope Coca Cola and whatever Cup Noodle brand was that paid them good because what a big ad they inserted lol

... and wtf... Area 88 is the 1488 anime... did nazi that coming...
PxHCJul 1, 2023 3:29 PM

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