After watching one of the greatest shows in the later years, and knowing how overlooked it was due various reasons: the simultaneous arrival of new potentially more appealing series like Claymore or Lucky Star, the possibly not so appealing genre, and the unique art style; I felt compelled to right a review on Terra e.... A show that consistently climbed the ladder of my top shows the season, and that finally ended up in my top 3 of all time.
The review will be long, since the series deserve it, and since I'll try to look at it in detail (yet keeping it spoiler free).
Terra e...
...
is a remake of an old 80's movie that was adapted from a manga from the same year. It fits on a very specific sub genre of Science Fiction, referred to as Space Opera. So expect an outer space futuristic setting, large scale space battles, a large cast of characters, supernatural abilities, and one or two typical 80's cliche. While this may seem like a not so viable mix, the reality is that it works quite well.
To be honest, the show is a slow starter. It will not sweep you off your feet from the beginning. Instead, it will grow on you as it grows in quality itself, and at some point you realize your initial skepticism is gone and all you want is to see what the story reserves next.
The Story tells the tale of two races, the Human and the Mu (who though joined by blood, have yet failed to have a peaceful coexistence), and the events that led to their inevitable conflict. It is quite the emotional rollercoaster, and it starts quite light themed, with emphasis to friendship and peace. Yet as the show progresses, it grows darker and darker and death, sorrow, fury, vengeance, guilt and war become an integral part of the storyline. Storyline that is spread out through a wide range of years and concentrates attention in the life of the two main characters.(since their coming of age to their adulthood). The pot shifts it's focus from one to another from time to time, and it does so in the form of two separate arcs for the first ~10 episodes. As the anime progresses however, the alternation becomes less spaced and finally inexistent, as number of events draw the main characters and their respective races to the inevitable clash.
The characters and their development are without a doubt the best part of the show. Looking at such an extensive cast, I would never have imagined they could suffer so many changes throughout the series. The two main protagonists, Keith and Jomy (who are first presented as young teenagers), are the best example of this as they both undergo major character development.
They seem to be the two sides of the same coin. Each of them faces a large amount of heavy responsibilities and hardships since their youth to their adulthood. And each choses a different path as they climb to the top. Where one is respected the other is feared, while one created friends the other spawned enemies. Both filled with sorrow and grief for their losses, and yet the bearers of great determination.
But not only of Jomy and Keith lives the story. The primary supporting cast constituted mainly by Shiroei, Soldier Blue, Physis, Tony, Matsuka, Swena and Sam also undergoes great development. And surprisingly enough, also does some of the secondary supporting cast like Karina, Artela, Murdock or Zel. There will be characters to like, characters to dislike, characters you wish you had seen more of, characters you wish you could beat the crap of... but all in all, they all have their space and role on the outline of the plot, and it's hard to stay indifferent to them. Specially after the amount of events/hardships they are forced to suffer.
A few words to the ending now. To be honest, I think it was a bit rushed. But even so, it was one of the best endings that crossed my eyes, and yet I have the feeling that one more episode would have made it the best ending of all.
There were a small amount of plot lines that were only explored superficially, like the origin of some characters, past conflicts etc. And there's also one or two of inconsistencies in the storyline. But they're not enough to taint it. The overall storyline, and specially the characters and their development are top-notch.
Although the Art is certainly the most unique aspect of show it is also a double edged knife.
As I mentioned before the show is a remake of an old 80's movie with the same name. And as so, the producers decided to preserve the 80's feel in the styling of the characters and environment. Yet now reviving the "antique" style with nowadays animation quality and computer generated imagery. While some people, like me, will find this a plus, there will be a relatively large amount of audience that will be thrown off by it.
Still, the animation starts at a high quality level. That quality does indeed decrease a bit around the middle of the series, but quite surprisingly, after less shinny period it takes a turn for the best. Not only does it improve significantly, but actually surpasses the overall animation quality of the earlier episodes. And the art style evolves quite a lot in that period. Movement becomes more fluid, characters more detailed, and the 80's feel more faded. It is also great to see the characters physical appearance change, as they age during the storyline.
As I mentioned before there's a large use of CGI, specially in spaceships and space warfare. The CGI's may not be as shinny as those seen in shows like Last Exile, but they are still rather good and quite well used throughout the entire series.
Sound and Music are one of the best things the show has to offer. Great sound effects, and solid voice acting as normal nowadays. The creators put together experienced voice actors like Takehito Koyasu, Tomokazu Sugita, Mitsuki Saiga with less experienced ones like Marina Inoue or Motoki Takagi, creating a balanced team that ended up fitting the needs of the show quite well. Each seiyuu performance is quite good, and fitting to the character. But even so, some performances exceeded the overall great voice acting quality. This is the case of Jomy, Keith and Tony's voice actors for example.
Still, neither voice acting nor sound effects are the shiniest aspect on this category. It is yet the Music. Terra e... put together some of the most epic, well devised themes and choral pieces I've heard. The music not only superbly supports the show, borrowing sorrow, cheerfulness or thrill to events, but at times even becomes the full back-bone of the scenes. The music made my skin crawl (in a good sense) a good amount of times. A truly outstanding work by Yashuharu Takanashi, who is also the author of the OST's of Gantz, Jigoku Showjo Series, Mononoke and Seto no Hanayome. Surely, the music genre may not appeal to all if listened outside the show, but it could not befit anime's identity more.
The music brilliance does not stop merely at the instrumental themes though. It is also present in the OP/ED themes. I had not seen a single series in which all of them appealed to me. Yet that fact changed after seeing Terra e.... All 4 are great on their own style. Granted, not everyone will enjoy the all four, but there will be at least one song that will appeal to you. And leaving appeals aside, the songs where clearly not left at random. They strategically mark a shift in the series. From the lighter and cheerful beginning, to the darker and more dramatic ending.
The Enjoyment is the most subjective rating not only in this but in any anime. Great storytelling, epic music, unique art and story line, and a large cast of interesting characters culminated to give me an outstanding amount of enjoyment. Outstanding enough to be in my top 3 overall.
Granted, it will not be the same for everyone else. And Terra e... is more likely to appeal to older audiences. But I'm sure that no matter the age, if you can defeat the initial skepticism towards the animation and maybe the story, you'll find things to like within the show, be it the characters, the storyline, the music or even the animation. I believe most people will be in for a solid enjoyment and I'm sure, if you ever come across a show of similar story or genre, you'll be reminded of Terra e...
So in Conclusion, it's after seeing series like this, I'm glad I watch anime. It's good to know that there are still series that can sweep me off my feet when I less expect them too, and take for a memorable ride.
What awaits you in Terra e... is an epic, unique, dramatic storyline, telling the tale of two races and the events that led to their inevitable conflict. With a great and wide cast of characters that undergo the most dreadful events and suffer major character development. Outstanding music that supports the series superbly and shines on it's own. An Art style with an 80's feel to it, that can either hook you from the first moment or, more likely, throw you off at first... And yet, given the chance it will probably win you over in due time. With a good rewatch value, specially if like myself, you've seen the series as the episodes aired.
I recommend Terra e... to every fan of the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre, and to a general older audience as they are more likely to appreciate the brilliance this show holds... Defeat your initial skepticism and you'll be taken for a unique ride no other show has to offer
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Terra e... (2007), Terra he..., Chikyuu he..., Towards the Terra...
Japanese: 地球へ…
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
24
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Apr 7, 2007 to Sep 22, 2007
Premiered:
Spring 2007
Broadcast:
Saturdays at 18:00 (JST)
Licensors:
Bandai Entertainment
Source:
Manga
Demographic:
Shounen
Duration:
24 min. per ep.
Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Statistics
Ranked:
#8262
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#2785
Members:
62,177
Favorites:
854
Available AtResources | Reviews
Filtered Results: 24 / 24
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Your Feelings Categories Sep 24, 2007
After watching one of the greatest shows in the later years, and knowing how overlooked it was due various reasons: the simultaneous arrival of new potentially more appealing series like Claymore or Lucky Star, the possibly not so appealing genre, and the unique art style; I felt compelled to right a review on Terra e.... A show that consistently climbed the ladder of my top shows the season, and that finally ended up in my top 3 of all time.
The review will be long, since the series deserve it, and since I'll try to look at it in detail (yet keeping it spoiler free). Terra e... ... Feb 23, 2008
Title: Toward the Terra
Manga, Movie, Anime: Toward the Terra (known as Terra E in Japan) was originally a manga created by Keiko Takemiya (famous for her work on Andromeda Stories), and originally ran in Asahi Sonorama's Gekkan Manga Shoen from the January 1977 issue to the May 1980 issue. The manga was licensed Stateside by Vertical (who also licensed Tezuka's Ode to Kirihito and Buddha), and the third and final volume was released on June 26th, 2007. Toward the Terra won the Seiun Award (a Japanese sci-fi award) in 1978, and won the Kodansha Manga Award in 1979. Fumino Hayashi did a ... Jan 5, 2009
As long as I live, I'll probably never understand those people who rave about Terra e as if it were a great piece of literature, or indeed, good enough to be considered a piece of literature at all. For something that whose source material won the Seiun Award, and whose manga won the Kodansha Award, Terra e manages to be.... I'll be honest here. It's really, really bad.
Setting Terra e is a sci-fi piece. That is about all one can describe, because the setting is indeed quite plain. Although earlier episodes would have you believe that it takes place in some sort of... Orwellian nightmarish environment, ... Mar 9, 2008
This anime shocked me in many ways. Firstly, it's a freaking 1977 manga story which already leaves a big generation gap between us. Secondly, it's omg science fiction which I have never liked before. Thirdly, what's with that weird drawing.
Little did I know that all the above factors matter not at all. The superbly crafted storyline coupled with that awesome character development easily let this anime to be one of my top favourites. Gotta mention too that the opening and ending songs for this series were well-chosen and fitted the story nicely. It's therefore very hard not to let your emotions be tugged along. ... Dec 20, 2008
Watching nowadays' anime, many tends to forget, what sci-fis really are. It's not just something about future, about robots or mechas, about time travel or the twin paradox. Terra e is a real sci-fi - I can assure you - it's the anime this genre should be proud of. Indisputably Terra e is one of the best science fictions ever made. What makes this anime good or bad, will be discussed in this review and I would like to warn you, that the review contains a good amount of spoilers, so try not to read it, if you haven't finished the series yet.
Story: The story ... Sep 12, 2010
Terra e... (Toward the Terra in English) is one of those anime's that are great but never got attention they deserved. So what does this hidden gem of Spring-Summer 2007 have to offer?
STORY: the unique setting is interesting and intriguing while the plot, with many timeskips, is interesting and easy to follow. In short, we have a conflict between humans who's society is controlled by computers on one side and the Mu, evolved humans with telepathic and other powers on the other side. However, unlike most series, the humans are the antagonists here, more because of their ideals and opinions then because of computers who ... Mar 17, 2008
I finished this wonderful anime hours ago.. now i'm to share my terra e.. experience to you guys. XDD
Story : The story is well done, although there arent that many twists in this anime, one strong plot holds this anime at a wonderful pace. There are many flashbacks and the time really flies away in this anime. Terra e is a story of two opposed races thrown into one universe, the humans hunt the Mu's down but the Mu's wanted to co-exist with them. Animation : The animation is wonderful, it is refreshing because for example, the character design stands out of this era, ... Feb 3, 2010
It would seem I’m not the only one who has been compelled to write a review for this series after having just watched it, and who can blame me? It’s the type of series that you feel compelled to tell someone else about even if it doesn’t do everything flawlessly. It’s not necessarily the best show out there in either the sci-fi, shojo, or sci-fi shojo drama, but it’s such a good watch with nothing else quite like it that you rather want everyone to experience it once.
Plot: 9 The plot is the strongest point in the show, it has a few time skips as important ... Nov 15, 2008
Toward the Terra is an emotionally charged science fiction drama about the conflicts within a technologically advanced society that's somewhat reminiscent of 1984.
The characters are all beautifully designed, there's no question about that. If there's one thing this series isn't lacking in, it's the art. The models are all animated quite skillfully. The visual style is a call-back to the original manga, which was written and drawn (around) 30 years previous. These magnificently drawn characters retain their charm, but are also updated to appeal to the modern generation of viewers, the ones used to the flash and sparkle of ... Feb 13, 2013
I ended up marathoning Terra E in one day, and I never really intended to but it had me hook line and sinker by the end of the first few episodes. Now don't get me wrong, Terra E has definitely won a place in my heart not least because of how well it addresses social constructivism v technological determinism BUT it suffers from clichés that I can't find it within me to forgive, especially considering the show is very recent (Yes I know the manga is much older).
The show begins by introducing us to Jomi who appears to be just another whiny reluctant protagonist ... Jan 30, 2009
Toward the Terra is a 24-episode anime series by Wellthink-Aniplex. It’s a spectacular space adventure (based on the hit 1980 movie) that’ll thrill, enthrall and charm you into continuing to watch it.
The story of Toward the Terra is the strongest point of the show. Coming as it does from the Wellthink-Aniplex stable (another gem of which is Jigoku Shoujo), this anime is spectacularly designed and conceptualised. I don’t know if it’s based on a manga or not, but if it is, it’s going on to my must-read list. What a delightful story! The creators weave an intricate tale and tell it with gusto-as is ... Nov 8, 2012
Towards the Terra, released among the hoard of other April animes, was probably one of the most overlooked and underrated in comparison due to the 'old school' look it gave plus character designs that appealed more to the shoujo genre (which in fact had little to do with it), thus unable to target the specific audience most likely to appreciate it. In fact, this anime is one of the best space opera sci-fi gems to be released in recent years and should not be missed for fans of this genre.
Animation: Yes it may appear old school but at closer observation, you'll realize that it is very ... Sep 27, 2008
Story (8.9) - Its a great story. Strong plot, fast pace, with action and sci-fi. Really solid from start to end, always keeping the anime interesting.
The story tells us about 2 races: Humans And Mu (those who have special powers and can read others minds). Those 2 races are oposed to each other, Humans want to exterminate the mu at all costs, while the Mu want to find planet Earth and co-exist with the humans. The story goes around this fight, with some flashbacks telling us some aspects of the characters past and scenes that make the whole plot much easier to understand. A ... Jul 20, 2010
I don't usually watch outer-space sci-fi animes. To me, most of them are geared toward a male audience, and are filled with space ship battles, cheesy dialog with forced emotions, and scantily-clad female officers. Or they are very dark, dystopian, and have a cyberpunk theme and maybe some mechas.
"Toward the Terra" defies the mold. It's a surprisingly sensitive sci-fi that focuses on the human factor. I'd classify it as an adventure drama. It deals with discrimination and genocide, defying a "big brother system," and ethics in war. And I HIGHLY enjoyed it. I've added it to my top ... Jun 29, 2016
Well, this is my first review, and I'm not a native english speaker, so sorry for eventual mistakes... I choose to write it in english because I thought the review could reach a higher number of users.
I've watched anime a lot, and there are pretty much anime that I really enjoyed, but I never wanted to write a review. Terra e is awesome, in the deepest way of the word. The Story is great, there are few plot holes, the universe created is amazing. I really liked how each character's story was built: all of them were somehow bonded. I love this way of developing ... Apr 13, 2015
Toward the terra is a must see sci-fi action anime. The plot sets in a distant future where humanity is dominated under a supercomputer. Prior to this, humanity concluded that earth aka Terra is no longer uninhabitable and so had to migrate to colonized stars. To survive this journey and guide the next generation they created a supercomputer and installed it with laws designed to prevent human kind from destroying themselves. So everytime a child turns 14 he or she has to go to an “adult exam” where the supercomputer inspects the child’s genes and brainwashes them to conform into society. This system following strictly
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Jul 24, 2010
This is my all time favourite anime. It is is ONLY anime (or book, manga, movie, ect) to EVER make me cry. I found such a connection to the story and the characters, and few animes can do that to me. Even though this story is futuristic, it still sends out deep messages concerning things that matter today. I reccomend watching this anime for anyone and everyone: it is good for both genders, and all ages. It has everything; drama, sci-fi, romance, action. I admit that I was skeptical of this anime at first because of the art style, but I came to like the
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Jul 5, 2023
Story: 5
Animation: 7 Sound: 8 Characters: 7 Enjoyment: 7 Total: 7 Terra e has some interesting bits here and there, which is especially extraordinary given the source materials time of 1974, a few years before the very first Star Wars. I mention it, because it is often mentioned as a prime example of how to write a hero's journey. And the first 4 episodes are very clearly that outline. However after that the basic story structure divulges as another main character becomes the focus. And with that modern conventions do no longer apply here. But to row back a bit. Terra e (2007) is a serialized version of the Terra e ... Apr 12, 2010
*not native english speaker
ok, i got introduced to this series searching in this site as it was recommended from other serie but well at fist sight it seem like a pretty un popular old style-new anime. however i was very curious to one of the phrases in the reviews which said something like this was a real sci fi or something like that. so well i decided i wanted to try it as the very few reviews there was at that time told me was good. by the way yeah its GOOD xD Story: 10/10 This is were the serie shines its not only focused on one character ... Jan 23, 2019
Whenever i went to half priced books on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2019, i did not expect to get an anime that would prove to shatter my expectations.
you could say that i had less then stellar expectations of an anime like this. I thought. Oh this anime has not much popularity, and it isn't even ranked that high, how could it possibly be better then some of my favorite anime. well let me tell you how. i dont want to spoil anything about the story. which is wired for me, because i personally love spoilers, but let me tell you there are a ... |