Apr 8, 2012
Attention, it seems that this criticism could contain pieces of real troll and fan-boy. Goggles, mask and gloves are mandatory.
Tired that we rebate your ears with the latest television half missed of Gundam? Tired of the deafening hype surrounding Code Geass? Annoyed by the dance of "moe"philes around Macross Failure, uh sorry, Frontier? Tired of the tasteless ersatz of Evangelion? If you dare speak of Mecha Anime, it will surely bombard you with the name mentioned above . Do not get fooled, I know what's good for you. What you need is Eureka seven.
Sorry for this introduction worthy of a carpet dealer, I wanted
...
to do it.
Now the critical :
The first thing you notice when you look at Eureka seven, of course, is the visual aspect. The only word that fits in is "wonderful". Everything is extremely neat. Thanks to Kenichi Yoshida for the characters design to Shoji Kawamori for the mecha's (the Nirvash, theEnd, the vessel or the Gekko-Go are all sublime) without forgetting the scenery. Eureka seven boasts one of the best artistic directors of the decade. Bones forces, the animation as the mecha's move in the air with incredible grace. Eureka seven humiliates not only his contemporaries as for example Gundam Seed (Destiny) but in addition this series would almost put everyone on their knees even if it came out as it is today. Here we are in the "heavyweight category", a series that as a Stand Alone Complex still shines for years after.
But if Eureka seven was a pretty empty shell, I would not bother to tell you. Far from trying to hide the emptiness behind a beautiful façade, the artists of Bones just wanted to create a setting worthy of their jewel.
The use format of 50 episodes is brilliant. Instead of spreading unnecessarily, to scrape by repeating the same pattern as a Gundam
The team made the opposite choice: because it has 50 episodes," we'll take the opportunity to change patterns, genres, tones. Thus we will find adventure, crazy comedy, drama, slice of life, romance, without forgetting the fighting mecha". Instead of repeating itself, the series takes the opportunity to be rich and varied, taking the time to portray the characters with the application and the world around them. No episode is unnecessary or free. This slice of life anime is a great tool for development, characters who will gradually discover and enjoy.
Indeed lets talk about the characters .The cast is rich and colourful as in few other anime. Renton the hero, is the boy we were all a little at a time. Living his daily routine in a quiet town, he dreams of adventure and lift, this precisely "surf" practised by his idol Holland and his band of dissidents, the Gekko-State. The adventure will come to him when he attends the crash of the Nirvash a white and red robot and Eureka a pretty member of the Gekko-State where Renton will immediately fall in love. With it, he can join this group he so admires, even if they turn out quite different from what he imagined.
Renton is an interesting character. Followed during the 50 episodes will help to bind him, as we see change in its relations with other characters, and their reactions towards events. We will thus see his mood change and move from its original state "I am part of the Gekko-State because I like Eureka" to the disappointment "I am part of the Gekko-State because I lead a war" and Finally, the acceptance and re-elect "I am part of the Gekko-State because I lead a war to Eureka." Unlike some anime hero who finish as they started, you really see Renton evolve into an adult. A process borrowed from shonen and Gundam but really applied.
Paired with Renton, we have Eureka. A little strange, mysterious and withdraw girl. Her relationship with Renton, far from giving me the buttons as I expected, touched me. We can say that those two are a beautiful couple. Eureka who "adopted" 3 children on a battlefield, give some of the most moving scenes in the series. One gradually discovers humanity and feelings behind the apparent coldness of the lady.
Behind the star couple we found many other characters just as successful. The crew of the Gekko-Go is a collection of colourful individuals with high capital sympathy. I think especially of a another couple, Holland and Talho. Idol of Renton, Holland proves to be a tortured man, a difficult and complex character . Talho, the charm of the series, is a much more worked than a bimbo at first glance. She is essential as a "support"to Holland. It's different from the couple formed by Renton and Eureka, less fantasy, more realistic, but also with its share of problems. The relationship between these two couples is also very interesting.
One couple remain, the most difficult and tortured, formed by Dominic and Anemone, which are among the opponents of the Gekko-State. Here it is an unrequited love, that of Dominic for Anemone, super soldier with an unstable psyche, forced to take drugs to escape her crisis, a real psychopath in charge of theEND in conclusion.. We can only admire Dominique for his determination to take care of this girl who can not return his affection, stuck in this pitiful condition to which we sympathize. Like the main couple, their evolution is visible, well-written and memorable.
It is difficult to talk about the story without spreading in spoil, but it is very rich. One of the prowess of Eureka seven was finally to resolve the question that arose since 1996 " how to make Gundam / Macross while integrating the legacy of Evangelion?" Thus the series will mix these influences while affirming its difference. Eureka seven is one of those series that are part of a tradition while adding a stone to the edifice. The story told here is rich, sometimes surprising, varied, rich in emotion, action and surprises. It's both intelligent and honest, never taking the viewer for a fool while launching the pseudo-philosophical crap to give the illusion of depth. It is a story of adventure and love, nothing more, nothing less, but that's a lot, because it is well done. The idealism of a little blue flower that runs through the series will perhaps make some cringe, but if you love it or you ignore that, it's a wonderful world that awaits you. Because it's one of the best anime of the 2000s. Do not wait. Get it by your hands, like Holland would say.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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