Sidonia no Kishi

Jun 27, 2014

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

Ragix (All reviews)

299 people found this review helpful

Sidonia no Kishi is truly a marvel. When I began the first episode and laid my eyes on the CGI, I felt a bit underwhelmed and my opinion began to waver on the show; However, SnK soon made me realize that I could have never been so wrong and I'm glad for that. Sidonia no Kishi is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi anime where everyday mankind lives in fear of being decimated, but continues to survive on an enormous ship known as Sidonia. There struggle is against an alien-species known as the Gauna which have brought humanity to its knees before and the only thing between them and Sidonia are the pilots of the Gardes(mechs) whom protect Sidonia. This setting is not necessarily new, but the way it is handled and presented can only be said to be top-notch.

Story (9/10):
The story sets itself for excitement, thrills and edge of your seat action which is all done masterfully in SnK. Considering humanity could be on the brink of being destroyed on a daily basis there should really never be a dull moment and there never was. Even at times when the scene was supposed to ease the tension or be a bit more heart-warming not once did it lose my interest. The sci-fi played a huge role when showing off technological advancements and it's thanks to this and the anime's emphasis on it which made it only that much more interesting. Every single moment had its intensity, the plot would constantly mesmerize you with excitement, but evens it out superbly with some comedy and scenes to ease the tension before throwing you back in the action again. The story has been done many times over, but not a lot could match up with what Sidonia no Kishi brought to the table.

Art (9/10):
The world is brought to life using CGI which is what gave me the first impression that it would be underwhelming. In-fact, I felt rather unsettled seeing the CGI, but moving forward giving the anime a chance I realized there would be no Sidonia no Kishi without it. The CGI is used masterfully for every scene and whenever it was time to buckle up and fly into the heat of battle the action was on a completely different level from anything else thanks to it. While it did take some getting used to for when we were simply watching our characters walking around, it became no problem soon enough and well worth it to just see the Gardes in action.

Sound (10/10):
The sound completely exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend if you have a pair of fantastic headphones, use them. The quality of the sound during the encounters versus the Gauna were some of the best I have ever heard. Once I put on my headset and listened, I was completely immersed. The engines roaring, weapons firing and so-on, you could tell the studio payed especially close attention to the details and it was phenomenal.

Character(8/10):
The characters in SnK were very interesting. While I cannot say they were completely original they each had unique characteristics to separate themselves from most other characters. Each character evolved in his or her own way and it was fantastic to see some of the interactions between them after the course of some events had taken place. It's really thanks to the sci-fi setting that allows for such diversity among them and while you may not appreciate every character; Each character we're introduced to have their own role in the story and I cannot deny that it's thanks to what can be created within the sci-fi setting which makes each of them only that more intriguing.

Enjoyment (10/10):
Sidonia no Kishi had done everything completely right in my eyes when it came to entertainment. Every episode had a huge significance and would leave you with an aching appetite for more. Every time the Gardes had flown off into battle I was completely overjoyed with excitement and even in the more relaxing scenes I was still just taken aback by all the twists the plot had taken along with the progression. For an anime to be able to succeed in capturing the audiences attention every single episode is a grand feat.

Overall (9/10):
Sidonia no Kishi is an amazing anime that should not simply be overlooked. The CGI, while may take some getting used to for some, is an integral part of the anime and those whom give it a chance will see why. Even for those with a dislike of mecha I'd recommend this to as the major focus on character interactions, fantastic sound and breath-taking action all put into one package makes this one of the greater Sci-fi mecha anime out there to look out for. Out of all 12 episodes there was not one that was uneventful and it continued strong from start to finish.

So what are you waiting for pilot? Suit up, it's time for the Knights of Sidonia to move out.

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Jul 22, 2014

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 5

jzmcdaisy2112 (All reviews)

162 people found this review helpful

So when I first found out that there was not only a manga but also an anime with the same title (yet spelled differently) as my favorite song by Muse, I felt the need to check out what it was. So of course when I first started watching the show I was pretty pumped to find the same kind of popcorn action that I would get while watching a film like the Star Wars saga or reading a novel like Ender's Game. I did get the show that provided me with that kind of action, but that's just it; I got EXACTLY what I expected and I wasn't blown away in any way. Knights of Sidonia is definitely that kind of blockbuster spaceships and explosions fun you would want in an anime, but it doesn't bring anything new to the table and ends up being a steaming mishmash of vapid and under cooked sci-fi tropes that were cool to watch but didn't light me up in any way along with a plot that moves to fast to fit everything in. However I am willing to overlook some of the production values that I consider subjectively bad if I get around to watching the recently planned season 2 or find copies of the manga.

The first aspect of the show that I was rather taken aback by was the use of 3D animation instead of traditionally drawn shows. I was really turned off by the stale looking world and characters at first, but I think it honestly grew on me and most reminded me of the corridors of the video game Dead Space (minus all the bone-cracking gore and alien enemies that experience provided) and the seed ship Sidonia, all its inhabitants, and the overall look of the set pieces has an interesting, pristine feel to them and it almost felt like it could be the real interior of a space vessel. In addition to that, the space battles were not only the best aspect of the show, but they looked really cool too, and I as the viewer really got the feel that the Gardes, pilots and commanders were not only fighting the Gauna, but the massive size of Sidonia and space itself. An area where the animation took somewhat of a nose dive would be in the case of the characters; they all look eerily the same, and it was highly jarring dealing with several characters that looked the same at first. Granted I could tell who Tanikaze was (but that was mostly because of JYB's voice), but until the characters were singled out and focused upon more, Yuhata and Norio were simply Green-Haired Girl and Sephiroth Wannabe. Then Hoshijiro got introduced with Izana to quickly follow, and there was a moment where I thought they were the same person, and so seeing them both on the screen at the same time was more jarring than it should have been.

So while the animation was here and there and the fight scenes were awesome, many elements of the plot and characters suffer from being cardboard cutouts and aforementioned sci-fi staple tropes that didn't make Knights of Sidonia stand out as much as I had hoped it would. But first lets talk about the good. Whenever the characters get lost or they encounter a Gauna, they need to make the trek through space using just the right strategy to get back or they won't survive, and they made up for some pretty intense moments in the show that weren't the amazing fight sequences. The other interesting aspect that the show expressed was how much pressure the humans were under in order to squelch and survive such as photosynthesizing instead of eating and putting on gravity belts whenever the ship turned were both useful and interesting elements to the show.

However, most of the plot and character personalities I feel were overused and have been done better in other places. Tanikaze is a very staple main character, and the fact that he's this 'chosen one' pilot that can use the 'best garde' really has no purpose other than the fact that he's the underdog and we as the audience were supposed to root for his struggle, I guess. The other thing that bothered me about his character is that he got in trouble trying to steal food and got caught meddling in top secret government stuff and didn't get prosecuted for either. This is why the 'chosen one' trope that is Tanikaze is didn't make the drive of the show interesting; he's boring, rigid and doesn't develop much at all. As for most of the other characters are those kinds that only have one personality trait or motive: Yuhata is smart, sweet, and likes Tanikaze. Hoshijiro: same, Izana: Same. Then there's the endless stream of Red Shirts that like Tanikaze because he's Tanikaze, and the immortal council members who are mysterious and cold for the sake of being mysterious and cold, and Norio is the cranky bitter guy. I'm listing them as such because I feel like that's really all there is to them. When they die there's no weight. When there's love, it's forced. When there's action, they just support Tanikaze.

And of course while I adore sci-fi and the bright flashy robot and alien fights were the point of no return where the analytic part of my brain goes to die, the rest of what makes sci-fi interesting; cloning, ship building, prosthetic robot stuff, talking animals and human preservation technology, it's all cool, but it has to have a point. I ended up having more questions than I had answers about stuff the show made up itself, and for the use of sci-fi tropes that I had seen before, I had seen them being used in a better way. Some of the new stuff that was brought to the table was the aforementioned (and well done) photosynthesis vs. food idea, and the giant talking bear. Why? Why is it here? Why is the immortal council so cold? Why are they trying to hide the Gauna-human hybrid from Tanikaze even though they told him what it was when they asked? I had far too many questions left unanswered, and it put a damper on the enjoyment of the show as good writing to me is all about what to write and when. Of course all of this can be overlooked if the manga or season 2 will fill in some of these blanks for me.

Even if had a lot of complaints resulting in my opinion on Knights of Sidonia being average to good, it was still an enjoyable watch if you do like sci-fi. Sure a lot of the show can be criticized but if you're there to watch it for fun and not for analysis, I would highly recommend it to you. However if you're looking for something more that robot and alien flashy colors and lasergun fights with a pinch of melodrama and scifi cliches inbetween, I'd stay away.

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Jan 3, 2015

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 6

ZephSilver (All reviews)

123 people found this review helpful

When certain premises in anime are overused without variation they're quickly labeled as "run of the mill".. Like dystopian with mecha. Because of that many anime try to change minute details regarding the setting or premise to stand apart. However, if something normally considered "run of the mill" is executed with proper care it can be seen as rather refreshing. Knights of Sidonia is a rare case, not quite falling towards being called mediocre nor does it fall towards refreshing. Rather it all depends on the individual to make the judgement call.

Story: 6/10

Set in the distant future, the story takes place upon a spaceship read more

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Jun 27, 2014

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

mercury1980 (All reviews)

80 people found this review helpful

The pledge:

We, the knights of Sidonia.
Pledge ourselves as one united galaxy protectors.
Regardless of gender, race or religion.
To protect the outer space from destruction.
That is caused by Gauna floating in outer space.
So as to achieve peace, happiness and progress for
our universe.

I came up with the pledge which describes best of the Knights of Sidonia. This anime is directed by Kobun Shizuno from Polygon Pictures and it is an adaptation from Nihei's manga "Knights of Sidonia". As you may know, Nihei Tsutomu specializes in cyperpunk genre manga like for example, BLAME & Biomega.

This anime reminds me of Gravity the movie.

STORY (9):

The story takes place read more

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Jul 2, 2014

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

Schizoidmouse (All reviews)

63 people found this review helpful

Nihei Tsutomu is one of the leading manga authors of the cyberpunk genre. With his amazing artwork in pieces like Biomega and BLAME!, it was obvious he was on a roll by the time he got into creating Sidonia no Kishi. The problem became apparent though, in his most acclaimed piece BLAME!. People had a hard time comprehending the story. Though BLAME! was experimental and had beautiful atmosphere and artwork, the adaptation did not turn out well. This created a stigma with whether or not Nihei’s work could be adapted well. When a new animation studio decided to pick up Nihei’s newest work, Sidonia no Kishi, people were interested. The hesitation lay in the medium of animation, CGI. Now the question remains as to whether Sidonia no Kishi would wipe of the stigma brought on by the BLAME! Adaptation, or just follow in its footsteps.

Knights of Sidonia is a futuristic cyberpunk piece which is Nihei Tsutomu’s niche. The big change from BLAME! to this piece though, was the story. The story, rather than leaving it more ambiguous, was more straightforward. The human race is forced into space due to a predatory and mysterious enemy called the Gauna. In order to defend the last bastion of the human race, an enormous space ship called Sidonia, the humans make use of giant mechs called Guardes to do battle with the Gauna. This setting allows for more dramatic turns to take place as humanity scrambles to face off against an enemy they know hardly anything about. The technology is advanced, allowing for interesting views upon population control and reproduction—along with the scientific breakthroughs with a certain energy called, Higg’s Particles. This energy is in fact a real thing, and not out of the realm of possibility. However, proper utilization of it will not be achievable for many years to come. It is evident that a lot of research went into the creation of the way of life on the ship of Sidonia. The Guana alone have a mystique behind them that keeps your interest as you witness them grotesquely evolve during battles. With all this captivating lore aside, there is a lot of explanation which takes time to get through. However, this does not hinder the pacing, which is a really good thing because it allows you enjoy the story along with fleshing out their lifestyle.

The majority of the plot itself is character driven, and the environment takes a backseat to some more trivial problems that help flesh out the main cast. The melding of both the situation at hand and the character’s personal struggles is well played out, with little to no hiccups. Between the intense battling at times though, it seems a little too lax for my taste. Let’s say you are on a mission where you lose twenty five lives in the process and instead of mourning, you go to the beach or a festival. I know it’s to take away the stress of everyday life, but if that is going to be done, I don’t want to have a smaller struggle happen while they are on break. Just little nitpicks on the story. All in all, it has a solid base to segue forward from here into the next season.

I’ve already stated that the plot is more character driven than complex, but in order to do this successfully you need to have a dynamic cast. Tsutomu did this beautifully; through each relationship and each battle, the main cast continues to grow and become more realistic. Though making a cast too realistic could cause them to be boring, these characters did not have this trouble. Each character had quirks that allowed you to easily distinguish between them, even with the infinite amount of clones that are pilots. The clones show that despite being genetically similar, their experiences are what shape them into who they are. Though there are a few odd ducks here and there that makes you pause for a second, like the talking bear, all in all the cast meshes together well. The lead character is far from uninteresting, in fact, he is probably the most interesting character (besides one of the possible love interests, Izana). The cast are like everyday people and you can understand the emotions that they experience. This is war, and they are soldiers, not happy-go-lucky high school students, and they act like it.

The music is forgettable at times but is always ambient. It truly meshes into the beautiful atmosphere created by Tsutomu and Polygon Pictures. The song worth mentioning in full is, of course, the opening song. The opening is describing the thought process of those out there fighting the Gauna. They are soldiers, they are not only fighting for themselves, but also so that others may have a future. Even if they die out there, they will have given it their all. It even has a different feel than other openings and sounds like a war chant which pumps up the viewer each time they watch.

Now here we get to the sketchy part of the anime, the animation. Now I know Polygon Works is an upcoming studio and this is their first anime, but it actually wasn’t entirely bad as many people say. While at times, it is a detriment when you are trying to figure out who is who with the lighting at times, it also has a decent amount of pros. The grungy textures of the buildings give them a broken down feel, setting the atmosphere for the times. Things sometimes seem more polished, which makes them lose that same appeal. For example, the ship has been in commission for hundreds of years, it shouldn’t be in pristine condition anywhere. The Gauna look demented and terrifying and the action sequences are really well done. For a first time studio, it was pretty good CGI.

Knights of Sidonia is my favourite piece from Nihei Tsutomu. Though it is hard getting all the nuances in his drawing into an animated format, they did a great job. The characters were as strong as I remember them from the manga. The gravity of the situation is mediocrely communicated compared to the manga, but the overall atmosphere is very cyberpunk, playing well to its genre. While BLAME! might not have made a great impact, Sidonia no Kishi certainly showed us that there is a capability to adapt Nihei’s masterful artwork and story off of the page.

Story: 8.9
Characters: 9.2
Music: 7.8
Animation: 7.5
Enjoyment: 8.4
Overall: 8.4
Edited by: PhantomTigers, imabooterfly

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Jun 28, 2014

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

Stark700 (All reviews)

42 people found this review helpful

Imagine a world, waking up every day, and realizing that you could be exterminated any moment. In the world of Sidonia no Kishi, that’s a common trend for every single human who are still alive. The primary cause of this are the Gauna, alien extraterrestrials that have devastated humanity into near distinction. As the show takes place in an apocalyptic future, a journey with Sidonia no Kishi will be one of the dark ages.

The brainchild of the series and idea is Tsutomu Nihei, known for his other manga works such as Blame and Biomega. In Sidonia no Kishi, he spawns the idea of sci-fi and packages it with war themes. For instance, humanity is at war against the mysterious Gauna. Their means of survival depends on a generation skip known as the Sidonia. Since Earth have been annihilated, there’s little hope besides working together in unity for survival. We get the very sense of despair with our characters as they live in near hopelessness. One particular character named Nagate Tanikaze stands out as a top ace in the series as result of simulator training from underground. But one day, he comes out from the layers of Sidonia and witness reality.

From the first opening moments of the show, it’s easy to tell that humanity is in a path of despair. The fact that their previous home planet Earth no longer exists serves a testament for their solitude. But for what’s worth, the show still depicts humanity as a fighting group, resilient and with articulate sense for payback. The show illustrates this with Sidonia being the most prominent ship, perhaps because the others have been gone for over eight centuries. With Sidonia though, the show portrays them as the sole resistance. Calling them knights is probably a better term that fits with the title of the show by translation – Knights of Sidonia. It’s important to realize the show reveals secrets and plot twists relating to Sidonia and the population itself. Startling twists tells stories and controversies gets people talking.

Reality bites Nagate as he realizes how grim it is. Throughout the show, Nagate is shown as a normal young man despite being isolated. He is selfless, compassionate, caring, courageous, and has tons of potential to become a savior as result of his training with his grandfather’s Guardian simulator. What he possesses though is more than just his raw skills but his instinct and will to fight for what he believe in. He believes in hope and strives to survive with the people he built connections with. And from that, he also puts others’ well-being before himself. One of those characters is Izana Shinatose, a transgender human. Among others he befriends includes Shizuka Hoshijiro and Yuhata Midorikawa, both who shares a relationship with him among all the chaos. It’s from these relationships that expands on Nagate’s character as we get to know him more. The show cleverly balances the atmosphere of despair and humor with their interactions. More so though, we see more of Nagate’s personality as well and can appreciate him more as a person. But as a Guardian Pilot, he also possess a sense of pride. This is clearly seen through his rivalry with Norio Kunato, another top trainee. However, Kunato is a cold man and looks down others for their inferiority. His idealism and ego often defines his character as the complete opposite of Nagate.

It’s clear that the show has its mysteries relating to almost everything whether it’s the Gauna, humanity, or just reality itself. It invites questions with twists, some more startling than others. For example, the captain of the Immortal Ship Committee is seen throughout the show as a mysterious individual with a mask that hides her face and possible intentions. Some of her missions and abilities to command the crew has led to death and sorrow. Other mysteries recalled in the series includes the methods that humanity uses to survive. Science has broken boundaries like never before with concepts such as human cloning, photosynthesis, and asexual reproduction. And throughout the show, these concepts are explored in small yet fine details.

Despite the pessimism, the show does have space for some heartwarming moments and even comedic scenarios. The show isn’t designed for comedy but its humorous moments can unintentionally spawn laughter with its gimmicks. The more heartwarming moments include Nagate’s relationship development with certain characters. Unfortunately at the same time, it also raises death flags for certain characters as no one is immortal. For Nagate, he must overcome the struggles of loss and deal with reality. Thankfully, he has friends and they create memories that serves as his motivation to annihilate the Gauna. Some of these friends even develop a seemingly romantic interest towards Nagate, which seems to be depicted as an innocent story. On the other hand, the show also crafts tragedy from such connections with devastating executions completed with aftermath sorrow. Needless to say but it’s a tough world they are part of now if Gauna co-exists with humanity.

As a show of the sci-fi and mecha theme, expect abnormal attributes to be inserted in. For the Gauna, they are epitome of abnormality. They are the executioners of humanity and are designed to as such. But besides their outer appearance, secrets and their fighting methods can raise eyebrows especially after seeing the results of their powers. Meanwhile, we have the way humanity fights back through the usage of Guardian, powerful mechanized weapons of war. It’s explained that Hyggs particles are the power source for these weapons. There are also various typed of these weapons as we see them in action. In fact, Nagate becomes a pilot for one such prototype where he demonstrates why he is an ace pilot. And by presenting itself with both sides with these themes, the show becomes like a professor for science fiction along with the previously mentioned concepts.

The show looks strong overall on paper but does suffer a few bits when it comes to overall execution. Some bits of the story (while adapted well) is still predictable. The comedy and drama sometimes seems forceful and inappropriate, sometimes executed at the wrong moments. Some concepts and ideas of the show also feels static when it comes to originality. The way it adapts itself often sees humanity as the underdog. It becomes sometimes aching to see just how much humanity can take with hopelessness. The Gauna themselves lacks characterization because of their mindless depiction. For all we know, the show only throws hints about their true origins but still leaves its true visage in the dark.

The artwork could be a hit or miss for viewers. Polygon Production studio crafts the unusual structure of the series with CGI. The artwork in fact defines the way Sidonia should be like with its starships, character designs, and Gauna. It would take some hard time to get used to but overall fitting for a post-apocalyptic era. The starships doesn’t just look technological but also innovatively crafted with solid details. Character designs shows most characters with albino features but this is because of the photosynthesis, a concept that is honest to the show. When it comes to horrific, the Gauna species speaks for itself with their design. Their fetus-like structures with tentacle, size, and eldritch behavior all paints the grim image of death; a common theme that is present throughout the show serving as a heart breaker. But overall, the action is fluid with intensity and delivers solid coordination when it comes to its warfare. The various mecha designs shows how advanced technology has come with a high-key consistency.

Soundtrack is no pushover either when it comes to delivery. The OP and ED songs aren’t just for show but also illustrates creativity. The eerie-like tones is like an echo for the overall thoughtful concepts. And to get the job done, it also goes to lengths to heighten interest with its OST. Indeed, the background music and soundtrack is vigorous with energy. On the other hand, character voice mannerisms is moderate. There’s nothing too special about any of the character tones. Perhaps the Honoka sisters are worth mentioning since their voice contradicts their age. But that’s not really a big drawback considering its stellar voice mannerisms overall when it comes to duty to action. During climatic and emotional scenes, characters’ voices goes full throttle to demonstrate empowerment and credibility to this show’s reality.

Nihei transcends his thoughts and formulates them into this show, one that I find to be captivating. The characters are dynamic, the story is thought-provoking, and the overall premise has high class style. As a sci-fi adventure mixed with all sorts of little ideas and concepts, it’s something to take in all at once. But the show cleverly divides and conquers with these ideas as if it’s all planned. The result is a success and thrilling piece of work, one that is memorable not for its deaths and tragedies, but for its fascinating journey with appreciable thoughts.

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Aug 20, 2014

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 7

keragamming (All reviews)

35 people found this review helpful

Sidonia no Kishi, I heard a lot about this series and how it's similar to Attack on titan. So me as a big fan of attack on titan came in to see what all the hype and talk about this series was about.

Story 6/10. The story is about Gauna a alien race that has destroyed the solar system and now humans are on the brink of extinction and are now forced to live in giant seed ships. Nagate Tanikaze is the main character of this series, he's entrusted to pilot the legendary unit known as Tsugumori. So basically this series is a survival series with some Gundam themes in it. The only similarity between this series and attack on titan is that humans are on the brink of extinction just like the other thousands of anime that has this theme. But I guess people reference attack on titan since it's a very popular series and that's a easier way to make more people become a ware of this series by mentioning its similarities between them.

Art 6.5/10. At first I was very turn off by the art, but I gradually got use to it and it wasn't as bad as I initially thought. The cgi looks good when it comes to space battles. I'm still not a big fan of using cgi in anime period, but this wasn't too bad imo.

Sound 8/10. Now the sound this was one of the things I like in the series, the soundtracks are really good and memorable and it made the fight scenes even more intense.

Characters 5/10. Now for me the characters were very flat and bland, so when a character died I didn't care at all, the main characters and most of the supporting characters are cut out cardboard boxes, the cgi also made the characters have a robotic like movement which made the characters look even more bland, "beep beep I am a robot" What's worst is that everyone looks identical and I know that it's because of the cloning machine, but that still doesn't change the fact that I mix up characters sometimes because they all have similar facial expression, the only thing that makes everyone looks different is the hair style/colour of hair, and I'm talking both male and female it doesn't matter give the main character a female hairy style and he will look like a girl.

Enjoyment 7/10. With all the negatives, I still enjoyed this series a lot and it was really good, I enjoyed the action and the harem romance as well. ;)

Overall 7/10. Overall it was the good soundtrack and enjoyment is what made this series a 7/10 for me. This series doesn't bring anything new to the table, but the series did a fairly good job in what it was aiming at, and that's to be a good survival series. So my final thoughts give this series a shot even if you don't like the cgi still give a shot, the cgi isn't as bad as you will initially thought. Thnx for reading my review if you have made it this far.

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Jul 22, 2014

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

NeverKnowsBest26 (All reviews)

29 people found this review helpful

High-concept sci-fi is hardly a rarity in anime, in fact it is integral to the medium as a whole. Apocalyptic struggles for the survival of humanity are also quite common, and giant robots are synonymous with anime. However, as well tread as these elements are, they can still feel fresh and like they’re on the cutting-edge when done correctly. Knights of Sidonia, adapted from a manga by acclaimed author Tatsomu Nihei of the same title, is a prime example for this. If taken on their own, the plot elements that the show uses are not breaking any new ground, and yet they come together to create an exciting sci-fi actioner that is distinctive despite all the familiarities it shares with other shows of its genre.

A large part of what makes Knights of Sidonia so distinct is the thoughtful and well realized sci-fi world that Nihei has created. It is a world rife with super-science, enveloped in deeply intriguing mystery, and haunted by monstrous abominations. There are tons of fascinating concepts which are interwoven together to make a well detailed and convincing post-apocalyptic universe in which the last of humanity is forced to live on a space colony, and must defend itself against inhuman beings called the Gauna. Grand scale tragedies and dire circumstances have forced significant change onto mankind; both social and biological. Humans have been genetically modified to photosynthesize after a food shortage crisis. People wear belts that latch onto designated safety ramps in case of gravity instability. Some humans are born gender neutral, only becoming male or female after finding a mate. Mankind lives in a constant state of war, essentially under military rule. Anti-war protesters claim that if mankind lays down its weapons, the Gauna will leave it be. Every concept adds a little more detail which makes the world all the more believable, and very little feels extraneous or unnecessary. That said, the world is so expansive in detail that there are many things which are left vague or unexplained, but since the show’s 12 episodes only covers a small portion of the on-going manga’s material, these will presumably be elaborated on in later instalments.

The story itself follows Nagate Tanikaze, a human who has lived most of his life in the underground tunnels of Sidonia and has not been genetically modified to photosynthesis, but none the less is a talented pilot. After arriving on the surface, Nagate joins Sidonia’s military force as he learns more about Sidonia and its society. In a way, Nagate acts as an audience surrogate, as much of what we learn about Sidonia is revealed through his experiences. His relationships with his fellow pilots and other citizens of Sidonia is also at the emotional core of the show. His instant friendship with gender-neutral Izana, attraction to fellow pilot Shizuka Hoshijiro, the one-sided grudge Norio Kunato holds against him, all of these give the show a human aspect that keeps the show from being as cold and concept driven as it could have been. This is especially true when the plot takes some tragic turns that put Nagate through the emotional wringer. Nagate himself might not stand out as wholly unique when compared to other protagonists in the mecha genre, the talented misfit pilot is a well-worn trope, but he is a likeable lead that is easy cheer for, and human enough to relate.

The rest of the cast is, more or less, equally well developed. Izana in particular is a very likeable character, though admittedly is suspiciously feminine for a character that is supposed to be gender-neutral. Her relationship with Nagate is refreshing and highly endearing, and her developing crush on him is frankly adorable. Shizuka is just as endearing, being a sweet and unimposing love-interest for our protagonist. Kunato is decidedly a self-righteous jerk (putting it lightly considering the consequences of his actions), but has enough of a human-edge to make him understandable in his disdain for our protagonist, though by no means justified. Though not explored very deeply, the Gauna are an appropriately intimidating and mysterious menace that mankind rightfully fears. Even many of the bit players get just enough personality to get attached, though in some cases it is pretty apparent that they are there to be fodder for the body count.

The plot moves at a brisk pace, not wasting much time, if any at all. Veteran screenwriter Sadayuki Murai and the rest of the writing team must be commended on adapting Nihei’s expansive sci-fi world to the screen without relying too heavily on information dumping, while giving ample time for relationships to develop and having a substantial amount of action. Admittedly all is not perfect, with some plot points being overly obtuse, and some of the character interactions and dialogue can feel kind of phoned in. There are times when the show feels too close to being a harem, with so many of the girls taking an interest in Nagate, which does feel pretty unnecessary and a bit like a power-fantasy. However, as a whole, the writing here is rather impressive stuff.

On a technical standpoint, Knights of Sidonia looks pretty good, but certainly has its rough spots. Most of the technical shortcomings come from the show’s use of CG models, usually for the battles, but sometimes for character animation as well. By no means is the CG work here bad, in fact it is rather good for a series. However, it does have its bouts of awkwardness from time to time, and they are rather noticeable. By in large, the CG mecha battles fair better than when the CG is used for character animation. Granted, the former has moments of awkwardness, but at its worst the latter can be emersion breaking. That said, Kōbun Shizuno’s direction compensates for most of the show’s technical deficiencies. He knows how to frame a shot, and can choreograph action extremely well. All of the show’s action sequences and other set-pieces are executed cleanly and in spectacular fashion; never getting too busy or muddled. It also has a small amount of fan-service added in, albeit slyly using the concept of photosynthesis, but it is telling that we never see any of the men stripping naked to photosynthesis. The music by Noriyuki Asakura is fitting for a space sci-fi and used well to support the show’s content, though the battle music will likely be what you will remember the most.

Overall, Knights of Sidonia is an expertly made sci-fi mecha action show. It does have a fair amount of shortcomings, most notably the sometime awkward CG animation and the rather needless harem element. Nor does the show really break any knew ground, for as polished and well thought out as it is. However, the show has a surplus of positives that compensate for its flaws. The sci-fi setting is rich and well detailed. The characters are interesting and likeable, for the most part. The plot is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging, and the action is exhilarating. It might not be the absolute best of the mecha genre, but it is certainly an impressive addition.

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Nov 5, 2014

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

Touka (All reviews)

27 people found this review helpful

Knights of Sidonia is a science fiction action series adapted from renowned mangaka Nihei Tsutomu. The series - which is arguably more accessible than the authors other work - has received a favourable adaptation from Polygon Pictures, though unfortunately certain elements fail to avoid banality.

The narrative is an enthralling romp through outer space and Sidonia - the series' giant intergalactic city, complete with Tsutomu's famously captivating architecture - though at certain points it loses its way (or rather, its appeal) as it devolves into a generic harem. This element could have been better portrayed - perhaps displaying the characters' desperation in trying to find love during their limited lifespan in such a dangerous time - but instead takes a more comedic route, which does well to balance the series and prevent it from becoming a lifeless action set piece, and is also a more light-hearted way to explore and develop the cast, but unfortunately it does little to challenge convention. It’s not as big an issue as it could have been, as the plot is often redeemed through its pace and sci-fi focus, not to mention some twists, which keep the plot fairly engaging, but overall it suffers at times from rather formulaic writing.

The characters are relatively conventional, with each displaying little more than a single trait. These familiar archetypes don't necessarily ruin the series, but their motivation and back-stories become - at times - rather predictable. Like the harem elements, it would have been nice to see more originality, though certain plot twists do sometimes steer the characters away from their moulds. The main character - Tanizake - is at times stupidly aloof, but the cast are an interesting ensemble, despite cliches.

The animation and art is vastly computer generated, the style of which has been fully embraced by the anime staff. Unlike the lapses in originality in the plot and characters, the art style is incredibly fresh and surprisingly befitting of Tsutomu's work. Certain scenes are a little choppy, but the animation staff have brought Sidonia to life and animate some wonderful scenery, along with extremely compelling, hyper-fast action sequences, with good use of slow motion here and there. The cinematography could have been better executed, however; the setting offers many opportunities for some wonderful, breathtaking shots, which are unfortunately overlooked most of the time. There are also a couple of repeated shots and the unfortunate inclusion of some lewd, questionably framed fan-service snaps, which are completely unnecessary. Overall, however, the animation and art is admirable and a welcomed change to the norm.

The sound is an absolute stand-out element. Sound design and editing isn't often incredibly notable in anime, with feature-length productions often displaying the best in the business, but it's nailed to a tee in Knights of Sidonia. A high quality sound system or headphones are recommended; the sound team create some thoroughly immersive, cinematic work, with the sounds of the monstrous Gauna and the impressive mechs being of particular note - brilliantly produced and edited. The music, too, is very immersive and blends extremely well with the visuals and tone of the series. The sound and music are exceptional; entirely worthy of praise.

Overall, Knights of Sidonia has remarkable style, but flawed substance. It’s an enjoyable series with great potential, but a formulaic tale with a narrative and characters seen all too often. Nevertheless, it’s entirely worth watching, with the art style and sound production being huge redeeming qualities. If you can overlook the conventional aspects, you may well hold out for the second series, which - here’s hoping - brings the substance in line with the style.

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Jul 2, 2014

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

silentkaze (All reviews)

24 people found this review helpful

This review may contain minor spoilers.

Knight of Sidonia is a raw diamond of the recent anime seasons. General fan could be easily dispelled away by the show's odd art style and initial confusing story (at least in my case). However, once you get past the use of 3-D drawing and the lack of narrative, Knight of Sidonia (for short KoS) will amaze any patient audience with its frank manner of storytelling and brilliant space atmosphere.

What set KoS apart from other space/mecha anime series is that it is not giving a damn in pleasing fan with flashy battles, human living in beautiful spaceships or "escaping" stories that one can insert himself into. KoS tells its unique story and stays honest to the terror of space with tons of deaths, brutal horrors, and human ugliness when forced to survive in a confine place.

Story 10/10:
It's the same struggles of humanity against alien race in space. What make KoS outstanding is that it is a shine example of a show-not-tell story. Rather than having a narrative explaining all the underlying problems, audience are forced to learned the story bit by bit in conversations, character actions and background environments throughout the 12 chapters. For instance, audiences in one chapter may notice production scarcity by human adaptation to photosynthesis, and population crisis through the introduction of a third gender in the next. Along with lots of unexpected deaths and dark twists, KoS is bound to keep the story fresh and captivating.

Art 6/10:
If familiar with well-known and eye-candy space shows such as Space Ship Yamato or Macross Frontier, audiences may have difficulty adapting to the 3-D and "bland" colors of KoS. I personally find the 3-D character designs somewhat dull and lifeless. The background colors sometimes disjoint and seem like a mess. On a positive side, the series portrays extreme details in its mecha, weapons, human community and especially the vastness of space. In KoS, space ships and even the monstrous alien races are minor to the endless darkness of the universe. The 3-D drawing also effectively made the light of the stars seem much real and distant, rather than some simple white dots in a black background.

Sound 9/10:
The thumping machine sound of the big space ship engines, the grand fanfare when all the mechas joined together in a rescue mission and the soft music while some characters enjoy a romantic moment could give a chill to any fan. While I do not find the OP/ED particularly special, the care KoS took in its background sound is significant. Personally, these background sounds gave me a sense of a "big, cold and quiet" space.

Character 8/10:
KoS characters cast is very distinguish from other space shows in that they are generally mentally strong and willing to accept the cruel fate of space. When their comrades die, some completely break down, some lament quietly and keeps moving on with determination. There will not be a scene of bumping fist in a wall or long remember speech to induce cheap sympathy. While there are some generic archetypes, most characters are memorable with their own sense of pride and belief.

Enjoyment 9/10:
I immensely enjoy Knight of Sidonia. Its show-not-tell technique treated me like a smart audience, forced me to think. Its realistic space concept, for example, what moving keep moving in space, made other shows childish. KoS does not comfort when we learn some inconvenience truth about human struggles. Though there are some mesmerizing peaceful scenes, death remains death, space cruelty remains as horrify as it can be. And by staying true to itself, KoS has respected me.

Overall 9/10

With the recent anime seasons, some shows start out strong with beautiful animation and promising plots. Somewhere along the line, they compromised their stories for a comfort twist, avoiding conflict for the sake of entertaining a wider range of audiences. Thankfully, Knight of Sidonia does not resort itself to these means.

In conclusion, if you are looking for a mature, dark, and realistic space series, Knight of Sidonia is a must choice. The characters inner struggles are great, the background sound will give you goose bumps, and most importantly it tells you an unforgettable tale. I sincerely hope anime fans or general movie watchers could give this show the success it needs for a second season.

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Sep 9, 2014

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 6

nth256 (All reviews)

22 people found this review helpful

I've gotta say, I'm not one to let some janky animation get in the way of a good story, but the animation was just horrendous. I'm a fan of good CG animation, but this was not it. The character design was okay - typical anime fare - but the characters were animated in this really choppy, static manner. Ugh. I tried to like it, but i just couldn't.

The overall story was interesting, and not having read manga yet, I'm interested to see where it goes. I like the main character's origin, however inconceivable it may be. I don't like the harem aspect of the story, read more

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Dec 17, 2014

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

Gonzo-lewd (All reviews)

22 people found this review helpful

Imagine a Sci-fi epic with the tenacity of becoming something of a psychological journey into the deep unknown. Many movies have captured the feelings of being out in the far reaches of interstellar travel in space rockets, or in this case, giant mechas. With the help of talented writers, that dream can become real, in order to prove to the viewers that it can retain that sci-fi glory and be significant to the genre. All it takes is something like Sidonia no Kishi to show that the genre is far from dead.

What sets Sidonia no Kishi at the top spot along with many great space epics in anime is how beautifully crafted it sets up the premise. Rich, with a well-developed lore that organizes the tension that we feel with the dilemma that the characters are facing. It’s clear from how the writers put all of their effort into crafting a great narrative to capsulize the drama to make us root for the characters, rather than apathetically rooting for their deaths. This includes genuine tragic emotion and a heart pounding climax that puts it on overdrive to appease the action fans. Even with its shallow ending that feels rather abrupt, that is only a minor issue to a story that has more things going for it on a larger scale.

Not only does Sidonia no Kishi nail it on the narrative aspect of story, but it enriches itself with a very deeply layered lore that feels relatively fresh. Sure, humans who are near extinction going out to settle in open space may not be “new” in the strictest sense. However, Sidonia no Kishi offers a slightly different approach to this setting. Rather than make a narrative that’s over encompassing with large factions and political strife, it’s more personal and first-person, following our hero Nagate. Through this approach, we have a relatively intimate experience with the characters and the story that helps navigate towards their dialogue and interactions with the world and other people. It’s here where the show sets a nice bar pretty high for a genre that hasn’t delved into this type of narrative, and doing it well no less.

What it has to amount to is how the characters portray themselves in the narrative to have a huge impact. Unfortunately, only a few of them standout as accomplishing this. The few that do are the main protagonists, Nagate and Izana. This is the fact of how they have a nicely written bond towards the halfway point into the plot, but also how they develop overtime, whether it’s their relationship or their own individual roles. Nagate is portrayed as dealing with the turbulent lifestyle of Sidonia’s poorer sub-culture and his growth is developed gradually and with intelligence. Meanwhile Izana starts out as a plain-old character that will be the obvious love interest, but they actually take a few risks in being written as a guide for Nagate. She isn’t just a love interest and nothing else, she has a hand in the development of Nagate and doesn’t appear as useless to the show.

So what is wrong with the rest of the cast? Nothing entirely major, it just all comes down to how much of an impact they have in their individual presence, which only range from decent to below average. The obvious choice for decent is Hoshijiro and how the writers treat her tragic role. All that comes down to for the rest aren’t that they are uninteresting, but all I can see in most of their archetypes are Characters A, B, C and nothing else. They don’t issue more of a response other than just look at them as tools to forward the plot. However, once the tragedy settles in either character, it still gets a reaction, but that’s only because of how well the atmosphere is created.

Where things get a little heated is the animation, particularly the CG-ness of Sidonia no Kishi. Following on the footsteps of the glorious CG shlock called, Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio: Ars Nova, it decides to implement its animation into the CG format that had a divided reception in recent iterations of anime. However, unlike Ars Nova, the CG is actually well-made in this instance simply by the fact that the movements, for the most part, feel very fluid and smooth. Because this is set in a mecha environment, it does feel more appropriate implementing CG into the mix so that the artist can do more with what they are given. I wouldn’t go far as to say it’s groundbreaking, but it’s as close to greatness as one could get from it.

Since this is a mecha after all, it would be fair to critique the action sequences, since that’s what most fans of the genre look forward to. For someone like me who hasn’t delved into the genre as much as the next person, I found myself actually on edge throughout most of these sequences. This is thanks in no part to the animation and sound department and how intense they make the scenes, which are so kinetic and focused on what is going on. The final battle sequence alone garners needed praise to how greatly directed it portrays it with tight coordination and timing with how the characters try to overcome this dire dilemma. So if you have been waiting for an anime that is akin to past Gundam action sequences, this blows most of them out of the park.

Overall, we don’t get nearly enough anime that tries to attempt being basing around an intelligent story woven enough to where it’s actually coherent, while also being entertaining to watch at the same time. While I won’t consider this an instant sci-fi classic that many will appreciate for generations, it does have the hallmarks of leading some to treasure it. The two main leads definitely own their roles and are worth the watch for them alone. What will come of how they will continue this great trend and respect the source material, only time will tell. Either way, I’m happy to wait for that inevitable continuation.

Grade: A-

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Jan 21, 2016

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 2

JaegerDanger5 (All reviews)

19 people found this review helpful

Ok, I don't write many reviews, but considering how bad this anime was I feel it can't be that hard.

This was probably spelled out in the plot synopsis, but Knights of Sidonia (or シドニアの騎士) is a science fiction, mecha action anime where humans have fled Earth a thousand years ago on a giant space ship called 'Sidonia' fleeing from the threat of unknown origin known as the 'Gauna'. Protagonist Nagate Tanikaze in search for food stumbles out of the vast inner workings of Sidonia and out into the open society where he is selected to be a Guardian Pilot defending Sidonia against the Gauna threat.

I've never been a fan of CGI in anime since it definitely isn't Japan's strong suit (though I commend them for trying something new) and they'd be better off just sticking to what they already do best and focus on other aspects of storytelling. So I came into this anime with a hesitant mindset, but I soon got entranced really quickly when the first space battle happened. The 'gauna' are awesome in my opinion. They can take many different forms and can evolve to increase their efficiency at countering human technology. On top of that, they are horrifying. Not the most scary thing I've seen, but I wouldn't want to tango with any of those.

Although, I think what captured me most about the beginning of this show was space; everything space. I love space, and anything that takes place in space is sure to capture my attention. Also, I was impressed how the concept of space wasn't just a setting, but was also a factor in the story and the battles. And the life on the titular space ship 'Sidonia' was well thought out as well with interesting differences in society affected by advanced technology such as human photosynthesis that allows a independence of food and water for a week. The main character didn't grow up in the society of Sidonia and as a result he can't photosynthesize. I liked this distinction in his character. And herein lies the first problem: that's the only thing I like about this character.

So for the first episode, Knights of Sidonia is going in a pretty good direction in my opinion. And honestly, this had me tricked for the next few episodes. It took me awhile before I realized it steadily got worse. It started when I realized that this anime is almost the exact same plot as Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人). First off, a main character that doesn't know his origins joins the military when the enemy reappears after a hundred years without a sighting. The main protagonist quickly becomes the spearhead of the military when he is discovered to be a special asset that could almost single handedly win the war; a war in which humanity has been waging as long as they can remember and threatens the very existence of humankind. A war with an enemy that is bent on the complete eradication of humans without determinable rhyme or reason. Humans built a special base to defend and counteract against the enemy that is led by questionable leaders that could prove just as much a threat as the outside enemy.
The baseline of this story is extremely similar to Attack on Titan with different setting, characters, and plot twists (very poor and predictable plot twists I might add).

So I started comparing the two, and I began seeing very clear distinctions in what Knights of Sidonia was lacking. As I said before, I despise the protagonist. Not just because he is awkward, annoying, bland, and holds no true character flaws besides being socially inapt, but mainly because I have no idea why he is fighting the gauna so passionately. In Attack on Titan, Eren held a very powerful grudge against the Titans because of his past experiences with them.This is what allowed us to sympathize and connect with Eren as a character. Nagate has absolutely no past experiences with the gauna and suddenly because somebody just simply asked him to become the 'Knight of Sidonia' or some prophetic hero destined to save Sidonia he becomes determined to eliminate all of the gauna and dedicate his life to protecting the society and people that he 'loves'. When you read it, that would at least make a little sense, but keep in mind that he decided this after being in this society for only a few days! How can he claim to love something he hardly as any knowledge of? Worst of all, whenever he is not fighting gauna or speaking with Sidonia's commander, he seems to completely forget all that. The motivation that is meant to drive him as a character hardly affects him at all, and I end up forgetting what his role is in the story. And I'm going to go so far as to say that I forget what the story even is about anymore whenever their not fighting gauna.

This show doesn't seem to know whether it wants to be an awesome scifi, or if it wants to be a mediocre harem. Honestly, the harem aspect takes 75 percent of the screen time, and almost all of it is completely useless. There was only one time when the harem part of the story affected the actual plot. I attribute this to a misunderstanding of (or just pure apathy to) the concept of character development. Knights of Sidonia seems to interpret that as 'sexual tension' and 'love drama'. To make it worse, sometimes this sexual tension/love drama is so poorly written and cheesy that I started to think I was watching a porno. Dialogue is bad, characters are one dimensional and unappealing, and its just overall disappointing to see this interesting society getting plague by these cardboard cutouts of overused character archetypes. The protagonist is terrible, the female characters are worse because they are head over heels for this guy for absolutely no other reason than a 'because I said so' attitude by the author, and this other male character who seemed to be important had promise since he was the protagonist's opposite and was willing to make morally ambiguous decisions to get his way; however, when he started to see some of the effects of his decisions, he quickly became a wimp, quit being a pilot, and was kicked out of the story never to be relevant again. Honestly, the best character in this show is the Benisusume, whose identity is a spoiler so I won't reveal anymore than that except that this character has only about four lines that are almost exactly the same. And the worse part of this is the portrayal of women. I know that the anime industry usually targets adolescent boys who can't focus on anything that doesn't have breast the size of jupiter, but this is ridiculous. Also, this show can't possibly be intended for young boys, because it clearly attempts to make itself dark and gritty like Tokyo Ghoul or Attack on Titan but can never stick to that tone. So I don't know what audience the author is writing to and what he is trying to say with his story. It sounded like mindless babbling to me.

I don't talk too much on the story in comparison to the characters, but that is because the story was interesting and held promise; though, it was quickly overshadowed by every other terrible thing that it completely lost its appeal. I watched this show to the end in hopes of rekindling that promise and maybe the story would once again have the majority of the screen time, and I was given at least a fraction of reward with a season finale in both seasons that were done fairly well and proved that if this author had simply stuck to what he does best instead of this harem garbage this could have been a good thing.
Not to say that I don't think harems can be good. I have watched a lot of harems and enjoyed a few. I'm just saying this is a very bad one.

Since sound is an area of critique on this site, I'll mention a little something about that. There isn't much that stands out about the soundtrack and nothing leaves an impression except for the opening credits. I imagine that these openings were meant to be exciting and with a hint of patriotic-like pride just as the Attack on Titan openings were. However, these fail terribly at replicating this. The animation for the opening is literally shots from the rest of the show dreadfully edited together with a very underwhelming song choice that lacks energy, emotion, and impact.

Overall, I didn't enjoy Knights of Sidonia despite the very interesting concept behind it simply because it didn't allow me to enjoy it by shoving other things I don't care about in my face and trying to get me to accept them. This show really has an identity crisis, trying to wear the clothes of a harem comedy while also trying to be a gritty, realistic scifi. If a harem comedy anime wants me to take it seriously and realistically, then it either needs to not be a harem comedy or try harder; a lot harder.

In conclusion, don't watch this show. It is horrible, and it is the definition of what is wrong with the anime industry that can't seem to let go of its horrendous cliches and characters archetypes. When will they start trusting us to be interested in a story that doesn't have kinky sexual comedy and breasts the size of jupiter?

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Jun 27, 2014

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

Ferax (All reviews)

19 people found this review helpful

Sidonia no Kishi/ Knights of Sidonia is:
the cool kid that everybody ignore and flying below the radar of a lot of people

SnK or KoS if you want, is probably one of the best series for this season but also the most underrated

Story 8/10: Makind fighting some kind of alien/monster thing, and a lot of people are comparing this with Attack on Titan, you know humans vs monster that are trying to kill them but in space and starting to be annoying that they do that
SnK/KoS has a great sci-fi story how they do literally anything to survive at any cost from the enemy, like killing read more

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Jul 29, 2015

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 5

ggultra2764 (All reviews)

19 people found this review helpful

Knights of Sidonia is an anime that pushes a hard sci-fi storyline mixed with elements of "real robot" mecha in exploring the Sidonia fleet's struggles against a mysterious alien threat in space that has nearly driven humanity to the brink of extinction. The major element of Sidonia that sticks out prominently is the meticulous detail it provides to showing off the world of the Sidonia space colony. The series devotes a great amount of effort in detailing varying elements to the civilization of the series as humans aboard Sidonia have undergone genetic engineering that provide them with differing abilities to adapt to the space colony environment they live in that include utilizing cloning to increase population size and giving humans the ability to perform photosynthesis to reserve on food supplies. This meticulous detail also went into the mecha and technologies of the series as limitations of their capabilities, the zero gravity of space, potential for casualties and ammo/ energy reserves are factored into missions and battle tactics seen throughout the series a la past "real robot" titles like Gasaraki and Patlabor.

The other prominent element to Sidonia that sticks out is its high quality visuals. Milking use of 3DCG animation, the use of the technology helps to give more realistic detail to its character and scenery designs with subdued color tones to compliment the title's serious storytelling. Movement is very fluid throughout the series, best highlighted in showing off the realistic effects that gravity has on the human pilots and the intense action scenes that take place between the Sidonia mecha and the alien threat they are dealing with. The only setbacks with the use of 3DCG with Sidonia are that its use give character designs a somewhat plastic feel that can be rather noticeable in some camera angles and facial designs are poorly animated with limited range of expression.

When it comes to the story and characters of Knights of Sidonia as a whole, the series is a bit on the generic side in these areas. Sidonia mostly relies on story elements and character archetypes typical of sci-fi titles to carry along the series and it doesn't really offer anything new for the genre that I might have already seen before. The gifted teenage pilot and uptight, jealous rival seen in the form of Nagate and Norio's chemistry has been a recurring character dynamic of past titles and this dynamic is rather shallow since both characters don't get much in the way of dimension or depth. This issue also applies to the majority of other characters seen throughout the series as they mostly exist to fill specific tropes found in sci-fi anime, from the doomed love interest (which the Gundam franchise milked enough for many of its titles) to the secret group of superiors having ulterior motives hidden from the majority of those within their ranks. The whole "post-apocalyptic future where humanity struggles against an alien threat" premise is also nothing new and Sidonia offers nothing new to let it stick out from other titles milking similar plots.

There were also some noticeable issues I took notice of with the anime's plotting. Due to the limited depth given to much of the cast, the character deaths seen lack any impact and Sidonia makes a half-assed attempt to force viewers into caring for them by having characters aboard the Sidonia bond with Nagate on the episode they die in. One particular incident that happens during the middle of the series is a bit dumbfounding in how the perpetrator behind it can get off scot-free without any repercussions nor suspicion of it thoroughly investigated by the military, leading to a pointless case where Nagate is reduced to a depressed state and lashed out against by the Sidonia populace. I also have to wonder where in a series that is as meticulously realistic with its sci-fi depiction as Sidonia is, why it has a talking bear with a robotic arm in the form of Lala Hiyama as there is nothing revealed over why she appears as she is while everyone else aboard the Sidonia is human in appearance. In addition, the series ends inconclusively as there are lingering mysteries unresolved with several plot elements within Sidonia.

While Sidonia is pleasing enough with its animation and implementation of realistic elements for its sci-fi, the series doesn't offer much new to the sci-fi and mecha genres that have been seen from similar titles of its ilk, which made it hard for me to care much for the story and characters it had to offer up. Action and sci-fi fans may enjoy this if they overlook this problem. But Sidonia had me feeling like I seen the stuff it offered up too many times at this point in my 13 years of anime fandom.

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Jul 11, 2014

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

colonelpanic (All reviews)

19 people found this review helpful

Sidonia’s quiche is probably best described as “dumb but fun.” It does a lot of stuff that doesn't make sense. The pilots are all idiots, especially early in the series. None of them follow orders. Whenever a fight starts it turns into chaos as they all do random things. In fact, that’s basically how their whole society works. Most of the jeopardy in this show comes from people's stupidity, which makes it very hard to understand how they managed to avoid blowing themselves up for so long.

In particular, I found it hard to suspend disbelief during an incident where a quick look at mission read more

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Dec 26, 2014

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 7

TheAzureSky (All reviews)

17 people found this review helpful

A butt-clenchingly tense alien sci-fi with an interesting setting only held back by bland characters.

★★★☆

Do you know what makes great entertainment? When there’s something at stake. When there’s tension. When the main characters could actually lose and fuck up.

This is my biggest issue with the superhero genre. You know Superman or Wolverine are never going to lose. If they die they’ll just come back because nobody stays dead in comics. Your toast getting burnt is more inconvenient.

When you know your heroes will win or won’t die then any excitement is gone. What’s the point of watching? It can still be entertaining, but it would be read more

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Aug 22, 2014

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

Jambatti (All reviews)

16 people found this review helpful

Sidonia no Kishi i rate 10 of 10. It 'been long since i watched something with such enjoyment.
I often rate some good animes 8-9 ball, but 10 i give almost never. But this is exactly that situation.
This is, a perfect mecha story. Mecha_as_it_should_be. And one of the finest pieces of action/adventure anime at all(much better than, e.g., overrated by dumb kids "Attack on Titan").

Let me explain why at every point:

1)Atmospherous music, not only the exatly compositions, but the timing and appropirateness of sound to very each moment is perfect.

2)No cryings, stupid emotions for half the episode in "IWILLKILLYOUEVILLLLAAAAAA" style, and also no reflections read more

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Aug 16, 2015

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 5

themegamancave (All reviews)

15 people found this review helpful

“Attack on Titan in space? Well…. not quite.”

I was terribly hesitant to delve into another dystopian anime with mechs, as I feel it can be one of the most overused plot elements in any anime, but at the strong recommendation of a friend I tuned into Sidonia no Kishi (Knights of Sidonia). What I found was a CGI-infused space epic of sorts, which I even later found out to be compared often to Attack on Titan. It’s a show I wanted to like, but turned out to bland in a lot of ways, hindering its overall successes.

Knights of Sidonia takes place years after unidentified creatures known as “Gauna” invaded Earth, forcing the population to seek refuge elsewhere in space aboard Sidonia, a massive, self-supporting deep space vessel. Tanikaze, the MC in this series appears to have been living in the depths of Sidonia his entire life, practicing blowing Gauna away in a spacefighting simulator created by his Grandpa. His grandpa passes away and is left to venture out into the real world for the first time. Honestly, he ends up adjusting to never interacting with other humans before quite well. For initially unknown reasons, the captain of the Sidonia military takes a liking to Tanikaze and puts him into pilot training. There also seems to be an instant harem element present, as the academy’s vice president and other random girls blush at every glance from Tanikaze… of course they would.

The biggest gripe I have with the story in Knights of Sidonia is the actual lack of plot depth. You see battle after battle with lots of pilots dying, but no one seems to know anything about the Gauna or where they came from. You would think that after several centuries of fighting with these things… that SOMETHING would’ve been uncovered, just a little clue. Also, we come to find that there is an immortal council devised of Sidonia residents who seek immortality and provide general guidance to their figurehead, who just so happens to be the military captain. The only problem is, their formation is alluded to but never fully explained. And, to make it better… there’s also a chick that is a bear for some reason. In a ship full of humans, just one bear…. with a robotic hand. Nice. You think at one point Tanikaze would ask… “Hey Lala, why is it that you’re a bear?” Nope, of course it’s normal.

Tanikaze literally seems like the only intelligent pilot in existence. Despite the amazing amount of preparation that the other members of the military had to fight against the Gauna, their best four pilots get wiped out almost instantly in their first battle. Seems legit. To top it off, by the third battle or so the mediocre pilots are slaying ten to twenty of the Gauna at a time. All the battles seem to play out the same way as well, which makes the detailed and flashy battle scenes less impressive. Don’t worry though, Tanikaze will end up pulling through in the end! The story isn’t all bad though, the relationship between Tanikaze and Hoshijiro blossoms well, and the outlook of the dystopian society is well written… just not enough to make up for the blandness. I also didn’t notice a large amount of similarities between AoT and KoS, except for the low amount of people remaining from Earth and some unexplained entity that they’re fighting to survive against. I feel that archetype is presented in other animes as well.

An even weaker part of Knights of Sidonia is the characters and the writing of dialogue. Tanikaze is the stereotypical haremy badass of a protagonist, but his inner emotions and history are never really expounded upon at all. It would help me relate to the character more if these areas were explained… at least a little bit. Due to the heavy CGI used in the animation style, it can also be tasking and difficult to decipher proper body language of the characters themselves. If it weren’t for the random blushing redness on their faces, a comment could honestly be taken way out of context. The character’s movements made me slightly nostalgic to older shows like Reboot on Toonami, as they seemed to all move similarly. If you listen closely you can hear their bleeps and bloops.

The rest of the characters are so boring that when they die, I feel apathetic to the whole thing. If that’s the effect they were going for, they hit the nail on the head. I did feel Kunato got some development as the series went on, and I actually kind of felt bad for him from the stress consuming him from being a pilot and throwing Tanikaze under the bus regarding Hoshijiro. It’s a spark of some development but not much.

Some people say the CGI makes or breaks viewer’s experience with KoS, but I’m not quite onboard with that mentality. Sure, it is rather hard to watch at first, because it is different. And yes, it does detract from the static conversations between characters, but the action scenes are actually beautiful and well constructed. And they’re plentiful in the anime, which made me actually anticipate what would come next. The sound is also pretty good. The opening theme does remind me of Attack on Titan with its fanfare, and the sound effects of the Gardes are cool to say the least. The OST in general never lacked, and the dramatic openings of battles were orchestrated very well. Voice acting is alright, but nothing noteworthy. I had a hard time differentiating between some of the female cast.

Aside from the plot holes and unoriginal or bland characters, I did enjoy KoS. It was nonstop action which allowed me to watch almost the entire series in one sitting. The special effects were great, and I am a sucker for space mechs with oversized guns.

Knights of Sidonia could’ve been improved in several ways, and I think the CGI art style may have been a bit too ambitious for the writers to counterbalance with the plot and characters. Although I enjoyed it, I don’t think it would be for everyone. If you have some time to kill, and you’re looking for a lot of fast paced action, this one is for you. Thanks for reading!

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Oct 14, 2014

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 6

Playbahnosh (All reviews)

13 people found this review helpful

It's quite a weird story how I came to watch this series. One day I was browsing anime series as to what to watch, and "Knights of Sidonia" caught my eye. Something immediately clicked in my mind. I just knew I've seen this somewhere a long time ago, but the description of the anime didn't jog anything, besides, it was a brand new series and I remembered seeing this title many years ago. It was bugging me to no end, but I just couldn't remember. So, on a whim, I decided to watch Knights of Sidonia, in hopes to uncover the mystery. All I can say, this is nothing I expected...

Basically, Knights of Sidonia is a quite average mecha anime with some pretty interesting ideas in art and direction. First of all, the story is blatantly bland and doesn't even worth discussing. It's your standard mecha action-schlock: Armageddon du jour threatens humanity with total destruction, humans fights back with huge mechas. Take unassuming "Bland Hero No#12628" who rises from nowhere with an uncanny ability to control said mechas better than even seasoned veterans, rising from zero to hero in an instant, pissing off the enemy, making other male pilots jealous and making all the girls wet their panties with joy. Then force in a totally out of place "highschool love triangle" romance subplot, throw in a handful of typecast side characters as plot devices, season with tragic backstory and shady government conspiracy, and finally marinate the whole thing in fast-paced shooty-explodey action scenes. Viola, Knights of Sidonia. It's not bad, but it's nothing revolutionary either, it serves it's purpose as far as story goes, nothing more, nothing less.

Where it gets interesting, is the art direction and the animation itself. For better or for worse, aside from a few parts, the whole thing is made using cell-shaded 3D CGI animation. Because of this, the whole art style uses really thin lines, incredibly bleached/desaturated color palette and significantly higher framerate, which can be pretty jarring against the hand-drawn backdrops sometimes. Also, it doesn't lend itself very well to individual characters, especially facial animations. All the characters, including the protagonist, look completely unremarkable and borderline devoid of emotions. When they do try to force emotions on the characters, it slides into Uncanny Valley territory pretty fast. Not to mention the (thankfully) few goofy/over-the-top fan service and comic relief scenes, where it comes off as downright jarring.

Criticism aside, the same CGI makes it possible to present some pretty detailed, jaw-dropping action scenes, particle effects and tech eye-candy. The higher framerate and the smooth animations make for some incredible, adrenaline-pumping action scenes and effects, that rarely ever been seen in anime before. The sci-fi/cyberpunk art direction is very well suited to this animation style, and creates some of the best looking scenes and landscapes I saw in ages. There is an obvious focus on realism regards to the tech, the animation and the story too, which gives the series a sense of consistency in place of the lacking characters.

While I was watching the last episode, I finally realized where I heard the name before. It was back in 2007, I played "Guitar Hero 3: Legends Of Rock", where I had to play a (then) relatively fresh Muse song with the title, yea you guessed it, "Knights of Cydonia". I remember it quite well, since it was a nightmare to get through that whole song on Expert. Funny enough, it has many common attributes with this anime: a pretty bland piece with bad pacing and plastic "instruments" but some pretty impressive technical flair that somehow makes it all worth it in the end.

According to the news, the second season is in production, so I'll be waiting. I'm pretty intrigued as to where this path will lead.

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