Divergence Eve

I originally went against the old adage with this one and judged a book by its cover. The gratuitously lewd shots and the water-balloon boobs (—I would compare their female "extremities" to the proportions in Lord Marksman and Vanadis), sent cold-shivers down my spine. But, fatefully, two years ago... the complete collection of Divergence Eve was on a clearance mark-down for around $10 on the Right Stuf sale, and we decided to give it a try and purchased it. Instead of a softcore hentai, I got a solid story that incorporated space-age physics and Lovecraftian horror... all revolving around a microcosm of existential, character drama! ... For $10, I would say that this series was a steal!

⚠️ This review will have spoilers ⚠️

—Story/Characters

Let me start out by saying, the pilot episode is an absolute disaster. It's almost completely rendered in PS1-grade CG graphics and is incomprehensible. In fact, it is so confusing and mind-numbing, that (upon Divergence Eve's original release in the US), I remember that the Newtype USA disc skipped it altogether and only had episodes two, three, and four on the sample disc. The first episode is something that a freshman-level programmer would make and give out for free at an event like Comiket, or something. You can watch it first, but don't let the pilot taint your outlook on the series as a whole!

The plot of Divergence Eve stands apart from any other anime that I've ever seen! A bunch of cute girls are part of a twelve-person expedition in an outerspace colony, called "Watcher's Nest"! In the same vein as a series, like Ripley Scott's Alien franchise, little-by-little the in sooth of their space-voyage becomes alarmingly evident. There are suspicious people among them, and the series calls into question who Misaki Kureha can really trust. All the while, Misaki is discovering that she may not be as human as she thinks she is!

Despite their "moe" shells, the girls are actually all intricate and relatable in their struggle for clarity. One of the girls even has to worry about being ambushed and replaced, because she's an android and her system can be easily hijacked—unbeknownst to her! The intrigue behind Misaki's veiled past and the secrets of the universe and their incumbent reality, kept me on the edge of my seat!

The Misaki Chronicles are strange, to say the least. Misaki Kureha pretty much becomes a god-like conduit between the slivers of all of space and time. Reminiscent of Rei Ayanami in Neon Genesis Evangelion or Nono in Diebuster. So, the crew of the "Watcher's Nest" time travel through various points in history, to fight off each Ghoul, in order to reach the dimension that their ship has been frozen into!

The plot focuses an abnormal amount of time, rehashing Misaki's relationship with her deceased father. It almost seems incestuous how fixated the series is on that particular bullet-point in the plot line. And although, Lyar has a romantic trysts with men throughout the time periods, she seems to actually be in love with the phantom-image of Misaki. This would be "ho-yay," but in the first series, I can't even recall one-single scene, that ever implied that! Maybe, I'm just daft.

The worst episode (off the top of my head) of Misaki Chronicles, was probably Episode 4 "1594: Grotesque Shadow." The animation was really choppy and sometimes dragged (like a Power Point presentation) across the screen, and the story in that one was just bizarre! Lyar goes back in time and falls in love with Ishikawa Goemon; the worst part about that was this, in the original series, Lyar was an ice-cold bitch! In trying situations, she would be practical to an intensely cruel degree, and then throw back a bottle of whiskey or something. In this arc, she's incredibly submissive. And it seemed really out-of-character! It was like I was reading a Divergence Eve fan fiction, rather than watching a canon story! It reminded me of Ryōko Mendō in the Urusei Yatsura OVA ("Episode 4: The Electric Household Guard"), where she switches personalities from being a cold-blooded sociopath, to a wooing maiden! Word of advice, do not watch any of the films or the OVA series for Urusei Yatsura, until you have finished the TV series!

Despite the low-budget time travel sequences, with PBS children-cartoon levels of writing, there actually is a satisfying conclusion. All of the characters are reunited, and the adult Misaki is able to make peace with her dissociated, child-self. All's well that ends well, I guess?

—Technical

Luna's Favorite Works by Each Respective Creator = ✅

Hiroshi Negishi (director for Divergence Eve), notable works:
* Ai Tenshi Muyō
* Bakegyamon
* Bounty Dog: Getsumen no Ibu
* Burn Up! W ✅
* Chōon Senshi Borgman
* KO Seiki Beast Sanjūshi
* Legend of Duo
* Makyō Gaiden Le Deus ("Ladius")
* Master Mosquiton
* Master Mosquiton '99
* Nanako Kaitai Shinsho ✅
* NG Knight Ramune & 40
* Saber Marionette R ✅
* Shadow Skill
* Shadow Skill (1996)
* Tenshi Muyō! ✅
* Tenshi Muyō! in Love ✅
* Tenshi Muyō! in Love 2: Haruka Naru Omoi ✅
* The Borgman: Last Battle
* Uchū no Kishi Tekkaman Blade ✅
* Vie Durant
* Yami no Shihosha Judge
* Yōseiki Suikoden

Commentary: Really underappreciated director in the industry, Mr. Negishi's releases have such a gravitas to them! They are charming, the same way a high-caliber B-movie is! Both Burn Up! W and Divergence Eve have a special place in my heart! Mr. Negishi has the rare ability to turn pure absurdity into a gushing goldmine!

Itsuki Imazaki (※director for Divergence Eve 2: Misaki Chronicles), notable works:
* Choboraunyopomi Gekijō Ai Mai Mii
* Cosmo Warrior Zero
* Fushigi na Somera-chan
* Kawaikereba Hentai demo Suki ni Natte Kuremasu ka? ("Are you willing to fall in love with a pervert, as long as she's a cutie?")
* Recorder to Randoseru Mi☆

※Hiroshi Negishi is still cited as the chief director, but Mr. Imazaki seems to have had a big say in a lot of the stylistic choices. Mr. Negishi also gives episode directors more leeway for experimentation with the genre-roulette episodes.

Commentary: The directing in the second series is really sloppy, the first season was campy in a charming way, but the visuals in Misaki Chronicles are often confusing and remind me of some of the terrible cinematography in the television run of "Mahōtsukai Tai"! The animation and art style in Episode 6 "2305: Allied Military Naval Base" was particularly weird and jarring, but also kind of cool. In Episode 4 "1594: Grotesque Shadow" was the worst, the animation was really choppy and sometimes dragged (imagine a Power Point presentation) across the screen, and the story in that one was just bizarre!

- Side Note: The ADR director for this series is none other than Carl Macek! Mr. Macek is the original producer and storyline writer for Robotech. He passed away in 2010, but is cited as being "instrumental" in creating mainstream awareness for Japanese animation in the United States.

Hiroaki Kitajima (screenplay for Divergence Eve), notable works:
* Betterman
* Chikyū Bōei Kigyō Dai-Guard
* Gekitō! Crush Gear Turbo
* Kanzen Shōri Daiteiō
* Mobile Fighter G Gundam ✅
* Kidō Senshi Gundam: The 08th MS Team ✅
* Nekketsu Saikyō Go-Saurer
* Noein: Mō Hitori no Kimi e ✅
* One Piece: Taose! Kaizoku Ganzack
* Pandora Hearts
* Tenkū no Escaflowne ✅
* Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase
* Witch Hunter Robin ✅
* Yūsha Shirei Dagwon: Suishō no Hitomi no Shōnen ("Brave Command Dagwon: The Boy with Crystal Eyes")
* Yūsha-Ō GaoGaiGar ✅
* Yūsha-Ō GaoGaiGar Final Grand Glorious Gathering

Commentary: Mr. Kitajima is really good at establishing a tone with his writing! Series like Mobile Fighter G Gundam, Kidō Senshi Gundam: The 08th MS Team, Noein: Mō Hitori no Kimi e, Tenkū no Escaflowne, Witch Hunter Robin, and Yūsha-Ō GaoGaiGar... are ALL incredibly dense in atmosphere! There's an element of mystery, that sets Divergence Eve apart from many other space-centric shows, especially those with gratuitous amounts of "ecchi" — the unraveling of the story is similar to how Higurashi no Naku Koro ni unwraps its complex story! And truth be told, while not as long and character-centric, Divergence Eve has just as much thought and deliberation put into the plot! Think Steins;Gate levels of scientific knowledge and precision, entwined with a world-stage... comparable to the world of Fate/stay night! Obviously, it isn't a visual novel, but it's as close as a series can get to that level of depth, in a single cour!

Yasunori Yamada (screenplay for Divergence Eve 2: Misaki Chronicles), notable works:
* Absolute Duo
* Ai Yori Aoshi ✅
* Angel Heart
* Basilisk: Kōga Ninpō Chō
* Chicchana Yukitsukai Sugar ("A Little Snow Fairy Sugar")
* Comic Party Revolution
* Elf wo Karu Mono-tachi ("Those Who Hunt Elves")
* Ginga Tetsudō Monogatari ("The Galaxy Railways") ✅
* Hana no Mahōtsukai Mary Bell
* Hikari to Mizu no Daphne ("Daphne in the Brilliant Blue")
* iDOLM@STER Xenoglossia
* Junod
* Karin
* Kyūketsuhime Miyu (TV) ✅
* Ladies versus Butlers!
* Lost Universe
* Love Get Chu
* Mahoraba: Heartful Days
* Majutsushi Orphen
* Maken-Ki!
* Mamotte Shugogetten! ("Protect Me, Heavenly Moon Guardian!")
* Manyū Hikenchō
* Masō Gakuen HxH ("Hybrid x Heart Magias Academy Ataraxia")
* Maze☆Bakunetsu Jikū (TV)
* Motto To LOVEる ✅
* Net Ghost Pipopa
* Ōgon Yūsha Goldran
* Puchi Pri*Yucie
* R-15
* Sekai Meisaku Dōwa: Wow! Maerchen Ōkoku ("The World's Most Famous Tales")
* Shinmai Maō no Testament Departures ("The Testament of Sister New Devil: Departures")
* Slayers ✅
* Slayers Evolution-R ✅
* Slayers Next ✅
* Slayers Revolution ✅
* Slayers Try ✅
* Tsuyokiss
* Venus Versus Virus
* Yōkai Apartment no Yūga na Nichijō ("Elegant Yōkai Apartment Life")
* Yūsha Keisatsu J-Decker ("Brave Police J-Decker")
* Yūsha Shirei Dagwon ("Brave Command Dagwon")
* Yūsha Tokkyū Might Gaine ("The Brave Express Might Gaine")

Commentary: Even though I wasn't a fan of Divergence Eve 2: Misaki Chronicles, Mr. Yamada is by no means a "bad" script-writer. The "divergence" (so to say) in tone, is something that came from his area of expertise! Mr. Yamada clearly excels more at writing ecchi/comedy screenplays, rather than a megalithic space-opera; that has a lot of death, body horror, and a high abundance of "nightmare fuel" — entrenched in its vast narrative! Despite my qualms with the script in the second half, Mr. Yamada is still able to wrap the story up, with a decently concise and satisfying ending!

Yumi Kakazu as Misaki Kureha, notable roles:
* Marsha Rizarov, D.I.C.E.
* Shizuka Minamoto, Doraemon (2005) ✅
* Magical Sapphire, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya ✅
* Yuffie Kisaragi, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children ✅
* Lyra, Fullmetal Alchemist ✅
* Sadayo Suzumura, Gantz ✅
* Mir Lotus, Geneshaft
* Akari Fujisaki, Hikaru no Go ✅
* Sayuki, Initial D
* Ayame, InuYasha ✅
* Oshaki, Kamisama Minarai: Himitsu no Cocotama
* Mikan, Pokémon ✅
* Izumo no Okuni, Samurai Deeper Kyō
* Dakki, Senkaiden Hōshin Engi ("Soul Hunter")
* Muse, Shin Seiki Den Mars
* Hisui, Shingetsutan Tsukihime ✅
* Shizuru Fujimura, Shinkon Gattai Godannar!! ("Marriage of God & Soul Godannar!!") ✅
* Haruka, Sister Princess
* Silvia de Alisia, Sōsei no Aquarion
* Mikaze Honjō, Stratos 4
* Mint Aizawa, Tokyo Mew Mew ✅
* Dita Liebely, Vandread
* Anzu Mazaki ("Tea"), Yū-Gi-Ō! ✅
* Renais Cardiff-Shishioh, Yūsha-Ō GaoGaiGar

Commentary: Ms. Kakazu is really wonderful as Misaki! Not only in conveying the innocence and naiveté of the character, but also the dread and terror, when something horrifying is staring her right in the face. Often her own reflection! The character has a lot of versatility in her inflection; from the amount of energy and strength that Ms. Kakazu sunk into the role, it's nearly impossible to not have Misaki Kureha as your best girl!

Fumie Mizusawa as Kiri Marialate, notable roles:
* Smudger Moore, Chocolate Underground
* Ayako Mitsuzuri, Fate/stay night ✅
* Hikaru Minamoto, Otogizōshi
* Erika Kurumi, HeartCatch PreCure ✅
* Juliet Fiammata Asto Capulet, Romeo x Juliet
* Chastel Aiheap, Tales of Vesperia

Commentary: Ms. Mizusawa plays a badass, tomboy in Divergence Eve, and she's great at it! The only role that I can really speak about of hers, in great length, is her characterization of Erika Kurumi in HeartCatch PreCure. Parallel to her part in Divergence Eve, the character is energetic and has a tough streak, I would even describe her as a roaring spitfire! She has an interesting inertia that she exerts, in each character she plays!

Sanae Kobayashi as Suzanna Bluestein, notable roles:
* Pi, .hack//GU
* Mai Minase, .hack//Liminality
* Shamrock, .hack//Quantum
* Ennis, Baccano!
* Tōne Requiem, Bōkyaku no Senritsu ("The Melody of Oblivion") ✅
* Cha-Che, Buzzer Beater
* Allen Walker, D. Gray Man ✅
* Namie Yagiri, Durarara!!
* Asuka Atsukawa, E's Otherwise ✅
* Lucy, Elfen Lied ✅
* Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, Fate/Aprocrypha ✅
* Ao, Freedom
* Maya Kitajima, Glass no Kamen (2005) ✅
* Kitten, Gravity Daze the Animation
* Kumi Mashiba, Hajime no Ippo
* Rahzel Anadis, Hatenkō Yūgi
* Akira Tōya, Hikaru no Go ✅
* Satsuki Kitaōji, Ichigo 100%
* Miyuki Tanokura, Kaze no Youjinbō
* Ogin, Kyōgoku Natsuhiko: Kōsetsu Hyaku Monogatari
* Catherine Glass, Macross Frontier ✅
* Sara Nome, Macross Zero
* Madlax, Madlax
* Reinforce I, Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha A's ✅
* Madara and Reiko Natsume, Natsume Yūjinchō ✅
* Kiyori Miki, Nodame Cantabile
* Kotaru, Papuwa
* Yuzuriha Crane, Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas ✅
* Chun Hyang, Shin Angyo Onshi
* Yakumo Yūrakutei (child ver.), Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū ✅
* Christopher Thorndyke, Sonic X
* Kanon Memphis, Sōkyū no Fafner: Dead Aggressor ✅
* Reika Ko, Sōsei no Aquarion
* Ilia Silvestri, Star Ocean: Anamnesis
* Physis, Terra e... (TV) ✅
* Lilith, Yami to Bōshi to Hon no Tabibito ✅
* Asuka Tenjōin, Yū-Gi-Ō! Duel Monsters GX ✅

Commentary: Ms. Kobayashi doesn't have much of a spotlight in Divergence Eve, while important in the over-arching plot, Suzanna Bluestein is more of a supporting character. It's nice to see that she went on to have a fruitful career, after her part in Negishi's series!

Reiko Takagi as Luxandra Frail, notable roles:
* Yamato Daiwa, B-Legend! Battle B-Daman
* Yori Yūki, Boku wa Imōto ni Koi wo Suru ("I'm in Love With My Little Sister")
* Sakura Kusakabe, Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan ("Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-chan") ✅
* Silvia Kakihana, Gundress ✅
* Kanade Kohinata, Kiniro no Corda: Blue♪Sky
* Kahoko Hino, Kiniro no Corda: Primo Passo
* Kaolla Su, Love Hina ✅
* Bonney Jewelry, One Piece
* Genjō Sanzō, Patalliro Saiyūki!
* Tadase Hotori, Shugo Chara! ✅
* Masashi Edogawa, Sora no Manimani

Commentary: While Luxandra's life is short in Divergence Eve, I have enjoyed her characters on other shows! I would say that Ms. Takagi is particularly good at playing young male characters, I really liked her in "Shugo Chara" and "Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan." Which I suppose would make sense, since the character of Luxandra Frail is really masculine!

Reiko Kiuchi as Lyar von Ertiana, notable roles:
* Beet, Bōken Ō Beet
* Daisuke Motomiya ("Davis"), Digimon Adventure 02 ✅
* Genki Seihikari, Happy☆Lucky Bikkuriman
* Dark Aqua, Yes! Precure 5 Movie: Kagami no Kuni no Miracle Daibōken!

Commentary: The only role I really know Reiko Kiuchi as is Daisuke from the Digimon Adventure series, and she was my favorite male character, other than Takeru, in the franchise. Lyar is easily one of the best characters in Divergence Eve; she's grumpy, with a chip on her shoulder, but she's unquestionably wise and has a soft side. Ms. Kiuchi really delivered on this role!

Miyu Matsuki as Kotoko-01, notable roles:
* Hisui, Carnival Phantasm ✅
* Natsumi Yagami, Chō Henshin Cosplayers
* Flora, Claymore ✅
* Magical Sapphire, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya ✅
* Choppy, Futari wa PreCure ✅
* Cthuko, Haiyore! Nyaruko-san ✅
* Isumi Saginomiya, Hayate no Gotoku!!
* Yoshinoya, Hidamari Sketch ✅
* Kisa Misaki, Kagi Hime Monogatari: Eikyū Alice Rondo ("Eternal Alice")
* Asami Igarashi, Mezzo DSA
* Harumi Fujiyoshi, Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei ✅
* Hitomi Onodera, Shichinin no Nana ("Nana 7 of 7")
* Anna Nishikinomiya, Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai Shinai Taikutsu na Sekai ("A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn't Exist") ✅
* Shōko Hazama, Sōkyū no Fafner: Dead Aggressor ✅
* Hikari Konohana, Strawberry Panic ✅
* Kumi Tanaka, Yurumates

Commentary: Ms. Matsuki is really good at being both cute, and sensual characters; she has a depth of range in her roles! I didn't know this until I researched this series, but Ms. Matsuki died an early death; she passed away at age 38. Weirdly enough, it seems that the aforementioned seiyū, Yumi Kakazu (the voice of Misaki Kureha) replaced her in her roles as Hisui in "Tsukihime" and Magical Sapphire in "Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya." It's tragic for someone to die so young, especially when they've played a handful of really memorable roles! Rest in peace, Miyu Matsuki.

Rina Satō as Prim Snowlight, notable roles:
* Kaoru Tanamachi, Amagami SS
* Shura Kirigakure, Ao no Exorcist ✅
* Naoya Tōhara, Astarotte no Omocha!
* Ibuki Ikaruga, Asu no Yoichi!
* Kakunojō Yuyama, Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto ("Intrigue in the Bakumatsu") ✅
* Satori Azuma, Bamboo Blade
* Rei Hino ("Sailor Mars"), Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon Crystal
* Rin Asano, Blade of the Immortal
* Isanami, Brave 10
* Gundula Rall, Brave Witches ✅
* Ema Hinata, Brothers Conflict
* Vert, Hyperdimension Neptunia ✅
* Naomi Nakashima, Corpse Party
* Punie Tanaka, Dai Mahō-Tōge
* Nagi, Eve no Jikan
* Saki Kasukabe, Genshiken ✅
* Rappa Momochi, Gintama
* Akane Sakurai, Girlfriend (Kari)
* Listy El Da Sherfied, Hagure Yūsha no Aesthetica ("Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero")
* Shiori Makimura, Hayate no Gotoku!!
* Ayano Yamada, Keitei Shōjo
* Mana Kamishiro, Kishin Taisen Gigantic Formula
* Honoka Maki, Kiznaiver ✅
* Ryō Machiko, Kōfuku Graffiti ("Gourmet Girl Graffiti")
* Gekka Midarezaki, Kyōran Kazoku Nikki ("The Diary of a Crazed Family")
* Negi Springfield, Mahō Sensei Negima!
* Tsutako Takeshima, Maria-sama ga Miteru ✅
* Haruka Minami, Minami-ke
* Midori Aikawa, Mitsuwano
* Mudie Holcraft, Kidō Senshi Gundam SEED C.E.73: Stargazer
* Tōru Taki, Natsume Yūjinchō ✅
* Kureha Akabane, Night Wizard
* Shiina Amamiya, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu
* Kaede Kagayama, Non Non Biyori ✅
* Makoto Niijima, Persona 5
* Yū and Satsuki, Quiz Magic Academy
* Mora Chester, Rokka no Yūsha ✅
* Charu, Saru Getchu: On Air
* Yoshiteru Ashikaga, Sengoku Collection ✅
* Ayaka Sunohara, Sunohara-sō no Kanrinin-san ✅
* Velvet Crowe, Tales of Zestiria ✅
* Kiyō Littner, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
* Chihiro Senkawa, The iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls ✅
* Yūki Kusakabe, To Heart 2 ✅
* Mikoto Misaka, Toaru Majutsu no Index (series) ✅
* Ange Ushiromiya, Umineko no Naku Koro ni ✅
* Rinko Sakuma, Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san.

Commentary: When I first started watching Divergence Eve, despite Misaki clearly being the best woman in the show, I found myself unnaturally attracted to Prim. And I'm not usually into feminine, megane (眼鏡, "glasses") characters, but it's because of the fact that she's voiced by Rina Satō — that she's so attractive to me. Ms. Satō has such a prolifically sweet voice, even when she's voicing the tomboyish Mikoto in the Index series! Is it any wonder, though? Her stage name literally mean "sugar"! Prim is a character that becomes pivotal, by the end of the series, and it really gives her seiyū, a little time to shine! Immensely talented voice actress!

Takehito Koyasu as Jean Luc LeBlanc, notable roles:
* Katsumi Kanzaki, 18if
* Shin Kazama, Area 88 (TV)
* Luck Gandor, Baccano!
* Optimus Primal, Beast Wars
* Lamia Betterman, Betterman
* Phi, Beyblade Burst Chōzetsu
* Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo
* Takuto Izumi, Bronze: Zetsuai Since 1989
* Taiyō Sorano, Buddha Saiten
* Kojirō Hyūga, Captain Tsubasa: Road to 2002
* Kaito Kosaka, Chance Triangle Session ✅
* Ranma Hinamatsuri, Cinderella Boy
* Andrea Farnese, Code Geass: Akito the Exiled
* Kyōhei Kannazuki, Date A Live ✅
* Loran Martinozzi, Dog Days
* Kapaeru, Dororon Enma-kun Meeramera ("Ghastly Prince Enma Burning Up") ✅
* Hotohori, Fushigi Yûgi ✅
* Lion-san, Futatsu no Spica
* Bruce J. Speed, Ginga Tetsudō Monogatari ("The Galaxy Railways")
* Shinsuke Takasugi, Gintama
* Sir Isaac Cavendish, Ginyū Mokushiroku Meine Liebe
* Tabiusagi-san, Happy Happy Clover
* Luke Valentine, Hellsing ✅
* Il Palazzo, Heppoko Jikken Animation Excel♥Saga ✅
* Riser Phenex, High School DxD ✅
* Ryōsuke Takahashi, Initial D
* Tate Masanari, Jikū Tenshō Nazca
* Dio Brando, JoJo no Kimyō na Bōken ✅
* Keiki, Jūni Kokuki ("The Twelve Kingdoms")
* Fool, Kaleido Star ✅
* Arimasa Tsuchimikado, Kashō no Tsuki: Aki Kyōgen
* Kururu, Keroro
* Hand Demon, Kimetsu no Yaiba ✅
* Bud Mint, KO Seiki Beast Sanjūshi
* Kōmei Shōkatsuryō, Kōtetsu Sangokushi
* Gamlin Kizaki, Macross 7
* Ayanojō Aburatsubo, Mahōtsukai Tai! ✅
* Neuro Nōgami, Majin Tantei Nōgami Neuro
* Alucard von Mosquiton, Master Mosquiton
* Mu La Flaga, Kidō Senshi Gundam SEED ✅
* Zechs Marquise, Kidō Senshi Gundam Wing ✅
* Snufkin, Mūmindani no Suisei
* Kyōji Ogami, Nanako Kaitai Shinsho
* Adam Blade, Needless
* Shigeru Aoba, Neon Genesis Evangelion ✅
* Justin, Ningyohime Marina no Bōken ("Saban's Adventures of the Little Mermaid")
* Kuzan, One Piece
* Ryō Kanzato, Persona: Trinity Soul
* Yuri Mihalkov, Planetes ✅
* Kosaburō ("Butch"), Pokémon ✅
* Serious, Quiz Magic Academy
* Happosai, Ranma ½
* Kage Otoko, Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace ✅
* Roswaal L. Mathers, Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu ✅
* Hervé Girardot, Red Garden
* George Horsoi, Ryūseiki Gakusaver
* Rhadamanthys Wyvern, Saint Seiya: Meiō Hades ("Saint Seiya: The Hades Chapter") ✅
* Sasuke Sarutobi, Sengoku Basara
* Johann Faust VIII, Shaman King ✅
* Kenshirō, Shin Hokuto no Ken
* Shō Shishimaru, Shinpi no Hō
* Prince Richard, Shirayuki Hime no Densetsu ("The Legend of Snow White")
* Gin Dōjima, Shokugeki no Sōma ✅
* Tōga Kiryū, Shōjo Kakumei Utena ✅
* Excalibur, Soul Eater ✅
* Haruto Tsukigami, Starmyu
* Sora Hashiba, Suki na Mono wa Suki Dakara Shō ga Nai!! ("Sukisyo, I like what I like, so there!") ✅
* Jade Curtiss, Tales of the Abyss ✅
* Lunarre, Tales of Zesteria ✅
* Gai Kuroki, Tenkū Senki Shurato
* Keith Anyan, Terra e... (TV) ✅
* Zastin, To LOVEる ✅
* Seishirō Sakurazuka, Tokyo Babylon ✅
* Kayin Amō, Tōshinden
* Pulse, Twin Signal: Family Game
* Ran Fujimiya, Weiß Kreuz ("Knight Hunters") ✅
* Bidō Granmarie, Yūkan Club
* Radium Lavans, Zone of the Enders ("Z.O.E.")

Commentary: I'm not exaggerating when I say this, but this may be Mr. Koyasu's best "bad guy" role! I know Dio Brando is obviously his most iconic villain character. But, his insane monologue at the end of the series is so damned good! It's unadulterated uproarious, eccentric, mind-bending lunacy! Takehito Koyasu was, like, born to play Jean Luc LeBlanc! The character and the seiyū, compliment each other perfectly! The last couple of episodes, of the first season, are some of my favorites because of Mr. Koyasu's delivery with that character. Powerful! A truly, one of a kind voice actor!

Conclusively, Divergence Eve is a really intense experience; one that isn't easily quantifiable with fancy descriptions or juxtapositions. The main takeaway from this review should be "don't be deceived by the cover of a series" and please check this anime out; give it a try, I can't be one out of the very few who have seen it, to actually think that it's pretty darned good! With all of that said, I give Divergence Eve a 7/10 and Divergence Eve 2: Misaki Chronicles a 4/10!

Rankings:

Divergence Eve ★★★★☆
Divergence Eve 2: Misaki Chronicles ★★☆☆☆

Whoever was reponsible for the marketing of this series was on drugs. It’s as if two teams were given the same characters and told to run with it. The marketing team decided to give them swimsuits that only cover the nipples. The storytelling team decided to take the route of every good Sci-Fi story.

That’s a smart move. Divergence Eve wouldn’t work as ecchi. The breasts look oversized and pointy. They don’t look natural. Looking at them is interesting because you can have fun trying to figure out how they connect. It has none of the elegance of Freezing.

Someone has described the series as “a good ... sci-fi story with breasts drawn on it” and it’s dead-on. The breasts don’t even affect the story. They’re just there, being too big but never attracting any attention. The camera rarely lingers on them. While the designs aren’t as good as Freezing, it also doesn’t sink into that fanservice. No panty shots or the like during serious scenes.

The story itself comes from the same scene that gave us Nine Inch Nails, the Matrix and Neon Genesis Evangelion. It’s technological paranoia all over again. Human experiments and space exploration are here to remind us the world is a frightening thing, and technology causes problems and not just solve it.

Space remains a weird territory that we can’t make sense of yet, so there’s room to explore this in fiction. What’s important is making sure your story is about how the characters go on about the whole exploration thing. It’s hard to invent new territories, even if they’re a meaningful symbol. Character interaction with the symbols is more important.

The story is, thankfully, driven by the characters. Anyone who’s looking for explosions and machines banging against each other will be disappointed. The reason the show doesn’t stop to show you the breasts is because it cares more about who these characters are.

It’s a good approach, but the creators don’t know what to do it. There are moments of psychology that try to reveal something, but characters rarely become more than their basic shape. The girls never become more than their archetypes. Sure, Kiri is a tough girl but what else?

At least these archetypes feel like they have purpose. The actions make are consistent with it, and they’re dynamic enough. Suzanna’s arc is a highlight, taking her character to its logical conclusion. The series never pretends that these archetypes don’t exist, which is great. But It never shows an understanding of them.

EVE‘s main problem is that it has a sense of purpose, but no concrete purpose. No scene feels out of place. Nothing exists to kill time or to flaunt the big tits. Every character modifies the the scene its in. Even the techno-babble has purpose. It makes no sense, but the words are cool enough to create a sense of techno-paranoic-tension.

If the series had a theme to revolve around, it’d be able to lead its ship somewhere. The ending hints at grief and death, but they only appeared sporadically before. Human experimentation and moving civilization to new frontiers are also addressed, but they don’t do anything with them at the end.

The series didn’t just borrow Evangelion‘s strengths, but its main flaw. The difference between the two is Evangelion‘s characters are outlandish enough to make their psychology apparent. They’re all exaggerated portraits, but they have more life in them. I appreciate the attempt to tone it down. Divergence Eve does come off as more realistic, but also with less life.

Two things that give the show some uniqueness is the fact it managed to make zombies actually scary. They’re not an important part of the plot. It’s another idea that’s addressed and abandoned but the brief moments are scary. The focus on characters helps makes the danger feel real. The focus is on the reaction, rather than gore.

Divergence Eve also boasts a killer soundtrack. The OP is called “Nine Inch Nails” for a reason. Someone finally realized that orchestras have no room in outer space. The soundtrack’s buzzing riffs, hard drums and industrial sounds capture the feeling of being in unknown space, where the only natural things are hostile. Maybe if they took more than just Nine Inch Nails’ basic sound they could’ve written a story to match it.

It’s not a great show. It lacks a theme to connect everything and the story always feels like it lacks direction. It tries its best to get over it. There’s no bullshit and the focus on characters make the story engrossing enough. There are some powerful moments. The series’ heart is in its right place. It just didn’t have the right minds who could take it to the next level. Still, it’s a lot of fun, doesn’t insult your brains and doesn’t pretend to be anything else. If you’re into stories in space it’s worth a look.

3 necromancers out of 5

Divergence Eve aired in 2003. It was created by Tsukumo Takumi and produced by Radix before the studio shut down in 2006. I don't know what to expect from it. I've never reviewed a Radix work before. The only Radix production I'm even vaguely familiar with is Amazing Nurse Nanako and, I have to say, that does not inspire confidence. But that also came out three-four years before this one and most studios have their good and bad moments. So, let's see if Divergence Eve is worth looking into.

Story:

We open with a group of buxom women, and one flat-chested android, being briefed before getting sent ... in robot mechs to fight some kind of bizarre CG monster. We see one, Misaki, in some kind of pod attached to a bunch of cables while also being on the battlefield, somehow. Then the version of her on the battlefield turns into its own CG monster form and they both explode. It's at this point that you start wondering if this is a sequel to something since there seems to be a lot going on that you've just been dropped into. The next episode takes us back in time where four cadets, Misaki, Luxandra, Suzanna & Kiri are being sent to some kind of space station to join a military force s potential replacements for its retiring Commander. We then spend all the episodes except for the very last one getting to the point where we started.

Let's talk about non-linear story telling for a moment, shall we? In a good non-linear story there are plenty of sources of tension that might get hinted at, but won't be spoiled and there's a compelling reason why they story works better when told in a non-linear fashion. A perfect example is the classic novel, Catch-22. There's also A Prayer for Owen Meany. Even Venus Versus Virus managed to use its non-linear elements decently. So, with that in mind let's look at what this series accomplishes by putting the twelfth episode chronologically at the beginning. It successfully destroys all sense of tension in the series. That's basically it. The main attempts at tension throughout the series are the mystery surrounding just what kind of mysterious power Misaki has that these shady scientists are interested in. Which we already know involves turning into a giant CG monster so that plot line quickly becomes very stale and predictable. They also try to have tension involving whether Misaki will survive various scenarios and whether she'll stay with the team when she considers quitting. But we already know that she'll live and stay with them because we saw her in the first episode, which takes place after all of this stuff. It isn't even tense about whether or not her comrades will survive since we see most of the ones who are going into danger in that first episode, alive and well. They also try to have an emotional moment involving the death of a character. Except that they talked about her being dead in the first episode so you were expecting it by the time it happens and it does nothing.

The gross misuse of non-linear narrative isn't all that's wrong with the story telling in this either. The pacing is awful. We get long stretches where nothing of value happens and a bunch of pointless flashbacks that are there solely to give you information that you already know or to spell out information that was already obvious. They just assume their audience is a bit thick and needs the help. The ending is also pretty rubbish. I will say, to Divergence Eve's credit, there are some concepts with potential here. If the execution was competent they could have led to some decent stuff.

Characters:

The characters in this are a group of stock tropes without much in terms of originality,personality or development. They aren't the worst group of characters. None of them are egregiously annoying or anything like that. They're just a boring group.

I do want to talk a bit about the character death that they spoil in the first episode. It is a really bad idea to open a new series telling you that a certain character will die. Not just because it lessens the impact, but because it's really difficult to get the audience invested in a character when they know that they aren't going to last. It certainly requires better writing than is on display here. You want to give your audience time with that character and reasons to care about them. A good example is the excellent western cartoon Beast Wars. They pretty heavily foreshadow a particular character's death and it culminates in the greatest episode of any Transformers series ever, Code of Hero. But by the time the foreshadowing starts you know this character really well, he may even be your favourite character. You have the investment and that gives the scene impact. In this, you know the character is going to die before you've heard her speak and the series does nothing to develop her. As such, you don't bother getting invested in her and her eventual demise means nothing.

Art:

You may remember last October when I talked about the Galerians OVA and its CG artwork that looked like it was from an early Playstation title. Divergence Eve suffers from a similar problem. They use CG artwork for the monsters, action sequences and some tech shots and it's roughly on par with the CG in Galerians. It's awkward, stiff, blocky and just looks laughably ludicrous. Although, this series has plenty of scenes that use more traditional animation too. Incidentally, there is a major problem with those scenes as well. Namely that this series is almost as bad about shamelessly using exploitative fan-service as Highschool of the Dead was. The female characters, save the android, look almost Liefeldian in their proportions. They have massively over-sized bosoms and overly thin waists that don't look like they could house internal organs. They aren't quite as bad as Liefeld's abominations, though. Since they have pupils and don't constantly stand awkwardly on their tip toes.

Sound:

Radix did get some talented actresses for this. Kakazu Yumi (the voice of Yuffie and Aizawa Mint) takes the lead as Misaki. We've also got Kiuchi Reiko, Koyasu Takehito, & Kobayashi Sanae among others. But this is one of those series where they don't have much to work with so the characters sound pretty generic in spite of the talent behind them. The music is also pretty mediocre.

Ho-yay:

There might be a bit. It's hard to judge because the character interactions are so listless. The girls certainly spend more time with each other than they do with any blokes and they seem to like each other more. There's also a line from Suzanna that may indicate that she has romantic feelings for Misaki.

Final Thoughts:

Divergence Eve is tripe. It's a bad action series that had some good ideas that they didn't feel like doing anything interesting with. The artwork is pretty awful, the characters are dull and any story moments that could have had an impact are ruined by the baffling way they elected to make the story non-linear and butchered the execution. That being said, I have seen a lot worse. It's bad, certainly, but it's not horrible. As such, My final rating is a 3/10. It's kind of sad because I had a bit of a combo going with three good anime, Death Parade, Nanoha A's & Love Live, in a row. Next week I'll look at Ice. So, that should be good fun for everybody. Although, I haven't started it yet so it may very well turn out to not be fun for me. We'll see how that works out.