Galilei Donna

Recently, anime adaptations of western culture have become somewhat of an outlandish trend. Not only are these adaptations capitalized by world-building over historical accuracy, but they are also filled with unremarkable plot twists that occur spontaneously. Instead of quality writing and a substantial narrative, one will find uninspired executions of characterization and pretentious attempts at making grandiose, explosive scenes seem more than they really are. Regrettably, Galilei Donna is an anime that exhibits the very shortcomings of this trend.

In retrospect, Galilei Donna had it all: gorgeous sceneries, splendorous mecha battles, and a bizarre but spectacular synopsis. It had the makings of a great sci-fi tale, ... an epic journey about finding and reconciling with personal insecurities, and an innocent slice of life series. However, because it lacked the patience to blend these elements together harmoniously, Galilei Donna ends up having something of an identity crisis.

Set in the future of metropolitan Italy, Galilei Donna starts by introducing us to the three sisters: Hazuki, Kazuki, and Hozuki. As descendants of Galileo, they are a trio of the Ferrari family, each bearing her own distinct personalities. One day, agents from an enigmatic organization show up to chase after the three sisters, supposedly seeking for a family treasure called the Galileo Tesoro. By the time these agents have encircled the Ferrari family, we find out that the youngest sister Hozuki, a prepubescent girl, just so happens to have a flying goldfish machine to save them from the perpetrators. Before we're given any other information, we learn that she also miraculously constructed the entire machine by herself. And very conveniently so. Thus begins a traditional game of cat and mouse and treasure hunting.

A story composed largely of coincidences is just a sorry excuse for poor writing. For some reason, this is an inference that Galileo Donna doesn't seem to understand. See a missile flying towards you?—No worries, a deus ex machina will nullify the belligerence. Stuck in the past?—No tears, an unexplained chemical storm will drain you back to the future. It is ludicrous how, by being so painstakingly unpredictable, this series has become so very predictable.

Moreover, it tries very little to explicate the premise beyond its plot elements, and even when attempted, Galilei Donna does it in a fairly half-baked and frivolous manner. In a way, Galilei Donna could be trying to immerse the viewer in another dimension, however, this usually works atrociously. For instance, whenever Galilei Donna introduces details or tries to add depth to its plot, it’s done so very capriciously, and due to there being little purpose to these gimmicks beyond their initial use, they become arbitrary rather than significant contributions—recyclable instead of irreplaceable characters and causes.

Likewise, there’s also a lavish amount of gratuitous scenes. In general, there are lots of events that occur nonsensically. One scene could present some semi-humorless drama with a dark overtone, while the next would present something completely irrelevant or dissonant with the mood. From one frame to another, Galilei Donna would jump from the cute sisters doing cute things, to a sequence of imposing mecha fights. Unfortunately, this not only creates many discrepancies, but also discredits the overall seriousness of the plot.

Following the lackluster plot, a vast majority of the characters are two-dimensional. Their personalities are mostly caricatured; and their backstories often hackneyed. Out of the three sisters, Hazuki acts dramatically; Kazuki acts conservatively but at times speaks derisively; and Hozuki acts impulsively, yet is given the heaviest duties of the three. Most side characters chiefly serve as caricatures or comic reliefs, and though as humorous as they are, their antics get old by the third—fourth—until which time? There is a decent amount of time spent developing Hozuki’s character, but all of that is annulled each time she regresses back due to her insecurities. Sure, the last episodes provide her with some flair, but even marrying Galileo couldn't convert a duckling into a swan.

In comparison, the animation is simply splendid. Altogether, the background frameworks and scenery presentations paint a stellar landscape of the setting, and while perhaps overly extravagant, they provide the audience with a stimulating backdrop.

Additionally, there are a decent amount of mouthwatering mecha sequences in Galilei Donna. Poor concepts and designs (a goldfish mecha, really?) aside, the action frames are usually coherent, fluid, and pleasant for the eye. Mecha and action junkies will unlikely be disappointed. In fact, this should be one of the only sensible reasons one should watch Galilei Donna: for the stellar animation.

Similarly, the music delivers some relaxing and vigorous tones. The background music is silent when no sound is required, and switches back on whenever appropriate. However, the voice acting cast appears to be lacking in some aspects, as there weren't many outstanding voice talents. Not that there needed to be prominent voice actors or actresses voicing the characters, but the lack of tonal variances and fluctuations made some scenes feel unexpectedly dull and underwhelming.

Mindless entertainment—this is essentially what Galilei Donna is. A farcical story accompanied by insipid characters, Galilei Donna is a series meant to be taken at face value. Cheaply written narratives, convenient story resolutions, and lip-smacking visuals: these are what defines Galilei Donna. Be prompted to witness an in-cohesive mix of mecha battles, pseudo-mystery solving, and cute girls doing cute things. However, if any of those doesn't sound appealing, avoid Galilei Donna like the plague.

Galilei Donna. A world of that is filled with science and politics, a world in which space vehicles are a common sight in the form of goldfishes. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the series takes place in a futuristic setting. The technology is there. The conflicts are set. And in the center of it all are three young girls with nothing in common except their last names. They are the Ferrari family and no, they don’t come with a garage.

Noitamina has always been known to present unique series with all types of tropes. This time, they bring forth a new title ... out of their hats with this little scientific adventure. It’s a ride that started out well with the settings, characters, and themes. Yasoumi Umetsu whom is in charged with the directing is often more known for his work in the animation department. Memorable series such as Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, and Welcome to the NHK were all part of his work with his animation style. However this time around, he plays the role of a director. Unfortunately, that role didn’t go in a path of success. Instead, it dropped like a slippery slope faster than Ferrari ride.

Essentially, the series blasts off like a rocket. Even the first few minutes of the show is breathtaking with a devastating mecha engagement that puts many peoples' lives at risk. The extravagance of this start will easily have viewers’ eyes glued to the screen as we are curious to see what’s going to happen next. For what we may know, the Ferrari sisters have become targets by kidnappers that seemed to want a bounty on their heads. The Ferrari sisters themselves have almost nothing in common in terms of their intellect levels, personalities, or appearances. What they have in common is the blood pumping in their veins that signifies their ancestry towards a well-known physicist, Galileo Galilei. There’s definitely a legitimate reason why kidnappers want to target them from the very beginning. Although vaguely explained or elaborated, it’s easy to guess because of their ancestry and what they might inherit. But even with this set up, there’s interest because the way the story is set up. That’s what I thought at first anyways.

But the tragedy doesn’t stop there. We quickly find out the girls’ lives is no fairy tale. It’s a grim reality because what happens in their hometown changes their lives forever. There’s some odd twists, foreshadowing, but also predictable factors that constructs the story. By odd twists, I mean it in a way that tries to set up a sort of suspense for viewers. While this works out right at first, it takes away the more emotional factors later on in the show with certain revelations. At the same time, it become strange to realize certain characters’ roles have altered greatly from their original set up. There’s also suspense among the characters themselves in regards to what they inherit. For all they know, it’s important. Unfortunately, they don’t know themselves what their kidnappers want from them. It’s a decent set up to a mystery if the show walks on that route most of the time. However, it instead goes on a path involving a travesty of justice involving the ambitions of our antagonists. To make it worse, certain “good guys” in this show turns out not to be so good after all reflecting on an antithesis in their roles. It becomes absurd at certain points with the various plot holes and hard to absorb it in all at once. It's ravaging to see what direction the story will go. Given the previous experience of director Umetsu, he’s trying to create some sense of insanity in this show while creating a sense of mystery. That sense becomes a degeneration later on as there’s just too much to take in all at once. This doesn't also help with the fact with certain supernatural twists added to the series involving a bit of science travel.

As the main stars, the Ferrari sisters are the driving force of this show. Their oddly similarly names - Hazuki, Kazuki, and Hozuki have almost nothing in common. Hazuki is the eldest of the trio who has the dream of becoming a lawyer. Taking on the role of the elder child, she is supposed to be the guardian in the absence of her parents. Instead, what do we get? A young woman with high level drinking tendency fused with a wild personality and amazing brutality through the words of her mouth. Kazuki is the middle child that plays more of the cold role. She hides her emotions most of the time although deep down has problems of her own like skipping class. Finally, the youngest of the sisters Hozuki has a strong interest in science. Little do her parents or classmates know that she is behind the creation of humongous mecha. It’s odd since she plays more of a role in action than her siblings despite being the youngest. In this role, she goes against the typical ‘big sister should look out for her younger sibling’. In essence, these trio of girls mostly are isolated from one another despite being close to one another after their reunion. The only time they seem to coexist whole together is when their lives are truly in grave danger. Hazuki does display her role to protect her sisters but often lacks the direct initiatives. It’s only when danger comes the shove is when she takes direct action. To say the least, the Ferrari family is the like the wheels of an incomplete vehicle. It’s missing the steering wheel because of their parents.

As far as action goes, there’s plenty of opportunities for that. The scientific inventions in this futuristic worlds sets off a decent balance of motifs and warfare. The mecha designs reflects a style of what futuristic spacecrafts looks like. Taken for granted however is the shape of Hozuki’s choice of vehicles as they take shape of goldfishes. It may be the symbol for peace and hope as their hometown have become infested with bounty hunters. The aerial combat otherwise is played out in a fantastic fashion with added aesthetics. The way the world is crafted also resembles a bit of a steampunk style that paints a more elaborated meaning to the aircrafts.

On a more negative symmetry is some of the absurdity of the series. Not only do they open up plot holes with weak characterization but they also creates too much twists. In fact, some of the supporting characters and even antagonists such as Roberto gets more insight. The weakness also deals with a lack of historical backgrounds involving Ferrari’s family. What we get instead is whom they are now rather than whom they were in the past obliterating a sense of relevant characterization. Some other characters also shines more than the Ferrari family such as the flamboyant leader of the air pirate group, Cicinho. Later on, there are also sudden tragedies and violence that comes into play to sent some sort of message. It feels a bit senseless since there are stages of interlude that degrades the overall story. Other times, sudden events feels rushed and makes little sense in essence.

The artwork of this show is brilliant with constructed talent. Noitamina’s animation brings out a sense of uniqueness especially with the space vehicles. A1-Pictures crafts the Ferrari sisters’ charms to relevance. The backgrounds is gorgeous along with the gadgets that forges the installation of the settings. The setting also makes sense since it takes place in a futuristic world. The artwork reflects that and conveys it with a purpose. An example is how the sisters looks quite different in appearance despite their blood relations. Most of the characters also has their designs that matches them. The stage of the series also gives off an Italian like feeling with its backgrounds. Fan service is minimal and completely omits the typical onsen/beach episodes so you can save your headaches for those fillers.

Soundtrack wise, the show is well balanced. OST is performed fashionably during action scenes. When emotional moments takes the stage, the soundtrack backs it up to convey the tone. There’s also bits of comedy but most of it sets forth a more mystery like atmosphere. The Ferrari sister’s voices matches well that matches each of their characters whether it’s confident, stoic, enthusiastic, joy, or sorrowful. Both the OP (Synchromanica) and ED (Innocent) gives off a feeling of scientific creativity, charm, innocence. Additionally, it creates a sense of unity as we see many shots of the sisters together like actual siblings.

So ultimately, how do I describe Galilei Donna? It felt like watching National Treasure with a less emphasis on mystery solving. Because the show defies common sense at various stages, it’s hard to take it seriously sometimes despite the way it started. The characters are hard to get used to at first and some might not ever be in your favor by the time the show ends. There’s a lack of characterization and plot holes here and there surrounded by inconsistency. On the other hand though, the technical aspects courtesy of A1-Pictures demonstrates a superior presentation of the futuristic world that the show takes place in. Some of the tragedies and emotional factors might also hit a nerve for viewers. And being labeled as a show with galactic star wars extravaganza, the action of the series is well performed. So sit back and enjoy that when you witness crafty vehicles and fish shaped ships fire away. Now with only 11 episodes, this show will be a breeze to get through as long as you’re aware to what you signed up for.

This is an adventure series with a studio Ghibli meets The Da Vinci Code sort of feel. Unfortunately it never establishes a believable or consistent tone and it feels like the writers were really struggling to bring it all together, so even when they have good ideas, they were awkwardly executed. Plot stuff seems to happen not for logical reasons, but because it has to happen to wrap everything up.

The first two episodes were really good... the rest did not live up to the high standards set by those early episodes. I'm not the only one that had that reaction, ... a lot of people on the forum said they only stuck with the show because of the strength of the first episode. I'll probably be re-watching the first episode to reflect on how strong it was.

*TINY TINY SPOILERS*
I feel I have to write a review because of the terrible scores this anime is getting. I'll list my complaints in the beginning then mention the plot score and character score.

Complaints:
There were times when I was watching this anime, and I felt things do get repetitive. The whole evil corporation after them though many of the episodes. HOWEVER, this is part of the plot and I very much enjoyed how the girls had to visit several different countries with different settings to get the sketches. I would have enjoyed the anime a tiny bit more if they changed up some of the ... action a little. The BIGGEST COMPLAINT is that there are plot holes in the anime. One episode I wondered, "Well if their mecha was just severely damaged, and it looked like it would never fly again...how is it able to fly in the air after crashing into the ground?" It's pretty easy to say that the youngest girl probably might have done quick repairs or something, but it just goes unexplained.

Plot Score 7
So the plot is about three of Galileo's descendants who are part Italian and Japanese. The world is in an energy crisis and the girls are sudden charged for being the culprits. This results in them going on a quest to hunt down moon sketches left behind by Galileo in order to discover what his inheritance is that everyone wants. The plot is totally original in the sense with the whole Galileo quest and being his descendants. Though this anime is more adventure, then followed by action, I did enjoy how they managed to put hinted romances in the anime.

Characters Score 7
I liked how each sister had a different personality. The youngest is a happy-cute girl who has an amazing ability to build stuff (The Mecha Fish, a stun gun, an energy adapter), then you have the middle child who is denying the whole situation and simply wants to return home. The oldest child is in law school, with the dreams of becoming a lawyer to uphold the law. By the end of the anime, the youngest has become braver, the middle child has learned to accept everything and has a strong resolve to want to protect her family, and the oldest has learned to use what she knows as an aspiring lawyer to help her family out.

Review #1

Story 6/10
The show had a rather decent story. The characters would move from one location to the next looking for the Moon Sketches. The problem with this format is that it gets quite repetitive and some scenes feel needlessly rushed

Art 8/10
The art was beautiful. Some of the "mecha" (using this word REALLY lightly) is creepy at times but overall the art was a pleasure to look at

Sound 7/10
Nothing special. The music completes the atmosphere nicely and isn't overwhelming.
...
Character 5/10
Here I have a REALLY big problem. Hazuki and Hozuki (Law and mech) sisters were enjoyable to watch but they were rather flat as they receive hardly any development. Kazuki does get development, however her wimpy character makes her very unlikeable. Anna gets a tiny bit of character development and is somewhat likeable but the rest of the supporting cast are flat, clique and awfully designed.

Enjoyment 6/10
Although the show does not have any super strong points it was something nice to watch, contrasting between the action/drama heavy animes like Valvrave and Golden Time

Ending 3/10
*No Spoilers* but that ending -_-

Overall 6/10
The first few episodes seemed to have tons of potential, but this show did not realize half of it. The later half quickly descended into a train wreck.

A series with great potential, let down by a lack of run time.

One of the few things that can ruin a series or turn a series lackluster is that the story they wish to tell does not fit the time frame given to it. That is exactly the problem with Galilei Donna, while the series is pretty enjoyable to a start it gets more and more notable that the shows pacing and development took a severe hit because it was limited to an 11 episode series.

Galilei Donna tells the story of the Ferrari sisters as they travel the world searching for Galileo Gelileis lost sketches, ... the series tries to to fill itself with stories of sisterly love, loyalty, emotion, corruption and drama but it's all once again let down by lack of development and rushed plot points.
It also sports a big cast of characters who all could have been great but in the end became one of its biggest faults. All the characters except the main sister gets very rushed or overly convenient development, which is sad since at times the series shows how great it is but because it needs to fit the 11 episode margin, the pacing, development and tone was all over the place.
Also in terms of story it feels like it just played out just like you though it would. The story takes no risks nor does it do something amazing, it started out as a journey story and played out just like one. For you people who wishes for something mind blowing, you will be disappointed especially since the series shows signs of being able to be much more.

Though I would still give this series a recommendation since the animation is superb. A-1 Pictures are certainly great animators and the CGI used withing the show is seamless blended in, reminding me of series like Last Exile. The character designs and art direction is gorgeous and is probably among A-1 Pictures best work with a really wonderful cinematic orchestral soundtrack that accompanies the series perfectly.

All in all it's a rather lackluster series for what it's trying to pull off but even with what it's trying to pull off it wouldn't have been anything fantastic but still quite enjoyable for it's beautiful production values. If you want something to enjoy while not thinking to much give Galilei Donna a go.
P.s Hazuki is like cutest thing ever.

Set in a fictional future, the world of Galilei Donna is faced with an impending ice age where there is not enough resources to supply the populace. The world now depends on methane hydrate for fuel and is desperate for new power sources. Enter our protagonists, three descendants of Galileo, who in this world is held in regard akin to Einstein. A chaotic series of events forces these three, very different, girls to work together and find Galileo's inheritance.

This adventure is a short but interesting ride with some pretty unique themes and an interesting take on history. I definitely don't recommend using this as a ... last ditch guide for AP History as other than Galileo's rejection of the Heliocentric universe model and his sketches of the moon, nothing is historically correct. If you're looking for a relatively tame sci-fi adventure with a fairly interesting setting, give this a go.

Animation:
Galilei Donna is nicely drawn with nice coloring and adequate backgrounds and shading. There is heavy CGI usage for the mechs, which annoys but doesn't detract too severely from the experience. While the atmosphere isn't anywhere near as rich as Kaminai, the setting is interesting in its own way. The world is convincingly depicted as a cold, bleak place. I found myself having difficulties placing a date at which the series takes place; old cottages and villages seem like an anachronism next to flying mechs and almost-sentient AI - very similar in nature to parts of Fractale.

As for character styling, A-1 pictures definitely does a good job here presenting a varied and unique cast. Hozuki definitely hits the moe mark with almost Kyoto Animation levels of accuracy. Characters using their hair as a pocket is also a novel if rather (realistically) cumbersome technique.

There is quite a bit of action in this show with a lot of mecha-based missile and gun spamming battles as well as rampant killing in the everyone-for-themselves fight for resources. There is definitely a supernatural or magical aspect to Galileo's gifts, which (maybe for the better) is never explained. Don't expect much ecchi with this predominantly female cast.

Sound:
The show starts with an ambient, light rock piece. It's a bit of an odd piece with a meandering melody, but fits overall with the tonality of the series. The ED is a pleasant, uplifting piece; one that invokes a "hope for a better tomorrow" feeling. The BGM doesn't stand out as much. It is used frequently enough but the orchestration lacked cohesion and identity, utilizing way too many different instruments.

The VA cast is composed of relatively fresh talent with the exception of Marina Inoue. The main cast does a fair job overall though I have harsh criticism for the antagonists who are given the standard villain voice, totally killing any chance for depth of character. The standout for this show for me is the humorous, smooth, and witty AI voiced by Misaki Kuno.

Story:
The plot follows the Ferrari sisters as they drive, er... fly around searching for Galileo's inheritance, whatever that is. They find clues in Galileo's paintings, which for some reason are scattered around the world much like Dragonballs. Along the way, they bump into rowdy sky pirates and are constantly harassed by a corporate army led by an emotionless assassin. It's a fairly engaging story overall with quite a few tense moments, so much so that you actually grow weary of the story selling how the girls have yet again cheated death. The story has one main central plot thread that builds to a final climax in the final episode, where all the pieces are neatly tied into a cohesive knot. The story did a great job giving foreshadowing that, for once, didn't give away too much.

There were also small touches to the story that helped differentiate it among the crowd. First off, there is a constant theme of goldfishes. Hozuki is obsessed with them and apparently others were as well. There is actually a purpose behind all the fishy madness but the story conceals it well until the tail end of the show. Another noticeable point is Hozuki's obsession with Japan. The sisters are half Japanese, but they talk about Japan and its culture in such quantity that you'd half think this was sponsored by the Japanese tourism board.

Despite the many positive qualities in this production, there were definitely significant holes and underdeveloped aspects. Though some may blame it on the short length of the show, I counter that there are plenty of shorter works that have more complete executions. In many ways, this is one of those stories where thinking is only going to be detrimental to your overall enjoyment. Yes, it doesn't quite make sense historically for Galileo to have discovered flying. Yes, it seems impractical for a pre-teen to have built a flying mech the size of a house without anyone noticing, and possessing a spirited AI for that matter. And yes, it seems completely illogical for a huge conglomerate to target three girls over a completely unproven hunch. Accept these as given faults and go on enjoying the other aspects of the show.

Character:
The weakest elements of the story are compounded by the underdevelopment of key characters. There is little exposition in the story, it basically thrusts you into the middle of the action immediately. I seriously question the decision to show the antagonist's past over that of the main protagonists. You get why the antagonist has no emotions but struggle to understand the sisters and the decisions they make. This is made even worse by the fact that the protagonists are supposed to be dynamic; growth is hard to measure when only given a vague starting point. Sure, the sisters and escorts are lively and have semblances of personality. But Hozuki aside, you never really get a chance to know the others. And that's a real shame since you aren't terribly attached when their life is in jeopardy. Likewise, despite the exposition, expect cookie cutter antagonist personalities with no depth.

Value:
I had little expectations coming in to this show, and likewise recommend that you do the same. This is not going to be the standout show of the season, but it definitely is one of the better, if relatively obscure, adventure-based shows. The plot continuity and successful integration of themes definitely helped in overlooking the woeful lack of character focus and development.