Zegapain

I’ll admit I was quite biased when I heard that Sunrise was going to make yet another mecha anime. One day I said “why not?” and watched the first episode afterwards I knew this was something quite different than your usual mecha fare. One of the major things that struck me was the OP (disguised as the ED in the first ep), “Kimi e Mukau Hikari” sung by Akino Arai. This was not a fast paced song with intense mecha action in the background. Instead the OP featured a slow, beautifully sung ballad predominantly featuring the characters of the series, not ... the giant robots. This really sets the tone for the entire series.

Many people say that the beginning of Zegapain starts off very slow and doesn’t really start till a few episodes in. However, for me I was quite intrigued by the many subtle hints found in the first few eps. What is Shizuno’s relationship with Kyo? What was the deal with that scene? What is really going on? The story effectively builds upon itself and builds several layers of complexity. Each episode flowed quite well with each other, thus making many cliffhangers. Although, if I had to complain about the pacing it does somewhat falter a little in the midteens. In addition, the story features several classic philosophical ideal from Descartes to Berkeley (?). However, unlike other anime titles Zegapain doesn’t bog the viewer down with its ideas.

Animation-wise there really isn’t anything to complain about, it seems Sunrise put a decent about of money into producing this anime. CG for the fight scenes at least in the beginning was kind of weak however, they managed to fix that mid series.

In terms of sound, I really like the OST and it really accents many of scenes while not being too forward and in your face. However, it’s the OP and EDs which really stick out for me and are constantly appearing in my playlist.

In general there is an overarching sense of sadness throughout the series and quite a bit of drama. However, not so much as to make the viewer go numb. Do not watch Zegapain for the action, watch it for the story and characters. While the action scenes are nicely done there are far better shows out there if that’s what you are looking for.

Zegapain is a not so well-known sci-fi mecha show that is sci-fi first and mecha second. So if you're looking for some bombastic action-oriented anime and just want to see cool looking robots blowing each other up then steer clear, Zegapain isn't for you. However, if you're looking for a heavy sci-fi show strong in thought-provoking themes and a complex story and narrative then continue reading and maybe I can convince you to watch this.

Jumping into the first episode Zegapain seems like a generic Mecha show with high-school flavor but that's exactly what the show wants you to think as everything isn't as it seems. ... Our protagonist, Kyo, is living his normal life and starts noticing some weird occurrences and through a course of events finds himself piloting a robot and in an alternate game-seeming reality that after uncovering some truths will shake his very world and perception to its core. Existentialist themes such as Cartesian dualism, reality, identity, and some other minor themes such as natural vs. artificial are juggled without ever seeming pretentious, preachy, shoehorned, or unexplored; Zegapain is great at handling its themes to the fullest.

A typical problem a lot of similar shows have is collapsing under the weight of its complex story and setting because of plotholes, infodumps (or the opposite, lack of exposition), and plot contrivances, none of which are problems here. Zegapain manages to maintain a complex fully-explored setting and plot advancements without any of those, the show is really maturely handled, always evolving with its characters and plot developments, always rewarding, and never breaking its rules. I would talk more about the setting but it's a bit hard to delve into without spoiling things, just keep in mind that it's never as simple as it seems and there's always another twist to rattle it up. We may have some pacing problems here and there but it's nothing too bad, it's never painfully dull or too fast, it can just be a little erratic sometimes due to the frequency that plot-twists are thrown and dealt with, it's never unsatisfying or impedes with dealing with its themes though. I mention that the show has lots of twists but it isn't one of those shows that throws twists at you for the sake of twists, they're very pivotal to the setting and narrative and are all excused and heavily, subtly, and intricately foreshadowed. To top it all off we arrive at an extremely well-polished and powerful conclusion that leaves no loose ends and compliments its themes nicely.

Zegapain also delivers with its characters about as much as with its plot, no archetypes or one-dimensional characters here. Everyone is well fleshed out and receives a ton of backstory, that isn't to say the show goes overboard with its flashbacks but rather that backdrops fit extremely well into its narrative and always makes use of them. The characters evolve alongside the plot and revelations as they are forced to confront reality and their beliefs in a way that can totally rock their perception of life and their situations, aside from adding to the dynamics of their character it really makes for some thought provoking ideas and intriguing angles of growth. All the characters have a purpose and definitely add something to the show but some of the side characters can lack some presence once in a while and are rather forgettable despite being well fleshed-out and having solid development and backdrop. Something that can also throw a lot of shows off the deep end is a shoehorned romance or love triangle that just isn't well handled in general, Zegapain deals with its romance very well. There is sort of a love triangle in the show but it's perfectly excused by former and current relationships between the characters and plot advancements without ever seeming forced, melodramatic, or used for a reason that doesn't aid in developing it's plot or characters, infact it's very important to them.

One area where Zegapain doesn't deliver however, is the art and animation section. The characters all look really bland and the animation isn't the greatest (though it's definitely not bad), sure the show has some neat visual effects but it definitely doesn't excuse this sections biggest downfall for the show; the CGI. The mechs are designed fairly uniquely (albeit look and move a bit clunky) but it's put to shame by some poor CGI. It's definitely not close to the worst case of CGI i've seen but it really does stand out. Despite being a mecha show, and done by Sunrise for that matter, the action scenes atleast for the first half are very dull and unengaing. It's partly due to the early action scenes lacking context and exposition as we don't know what we're fighting, what our main characters are fighting for, and what the stakes are, just that they're fighting some ugly CGI grunt robots that all look the same. That isn't to say that they shouldn't be there, they are definitely important scenes, just a little taxing. Zegapain definitely delivers in a lot of areas but this is not one of them, good thing the show is more plot and character focused anyway.

However the sound section is another area that the show delivers for. It's certainly not one of the strongest soundtracks i've heard but the pieces range from average to incredible, there's certainly a lot of great tracks used that really add to the emotion and feeling of the scenes as well as just sounding great in general, especially a lot of the music in the latter half. I myself wasn't too fond of the opening but I didn't dislike it, the main ending theme however im really a fan of and it seems to fit the show perfectly. The voice acting in the sub is stellar and has lots of impact, I definitely recommend it over the dub which ranges from average to bad and lazily done.

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I was really surprised by the high level of writing this show presented, it's a great sci-fi mecha show that really pushes the boundaries of what the genres are capable of. It's a pretty heavy show and not easily digestible but it really stands out in the crowd and is one of the stronger hidden gems i've seen, definitely an underrated work that needs more appreciation. This really feels like one of the greater sci-fi show's of the medium and you should really check this out if it seems like your cup of tea and you can get past some bad CGI.

Story: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
Art/Animation: 4/10
Sound: 7/10
Enjoyment: 8.5/10

Overall: 7.5~8/10

Zegapain is yet another mecha anime done by Sunrise. It, in no way, looks like any Gundam show though. Zegapain is not only a show full of plentiful mecha action, it has a romance side and a philosophical side to it as well.

Story: The story starts off a normal day for Sogoru Kyo but it quickly escalates as he is placed in the cockpit of a mecha called Zegapain Altair. The story progresses at a fairly decent pace and has several twists in the plot that'd question what you know from before. As said before, aside from the mecha action, you'll be witnessing a romance ... story between several of the characters. The romance isn't too heavy but it is nicely done in flow with the plot.

Art: The art of the anime is one of its highlights. The designs are well done and the CG scenes are smooth but there are certain episodes which seemed to have several QUALITY scenes. The CG and 2D mixes in smoothly together. The mecha and enemies all look unique and are original from other mecha like Gundams. The opening and ending are both beautiful pieces of animation even though it seems like it stands out from an action anime like Zegapain.

Sound: The music is well done and well placed throughout the show. The OP and ED however, are the highlights of soundtrack. Combined with the animation, it'll leave you with a certain sense of peace and at times it'll put you at edge when battle starts.

Characters: The characters are not your typical cliched types bar a few of them. They range from the ever cool and arrogant ones to the loud and clueless protagonist. Kyo is caught in a love triangle with two of his female companions and the romance ensues between a few other characters as well.

Enjoyment/Overall: I enjoyed the show since I am a mecha fan but it's not the best show out there. It's unique in its own way. The sci-fi is well done and delivers a very apocalyptic setting as you watch the show.

Zegapain is one of those animes that lets you, the viewer decide what you think is truth. That kind of story basis is throughout quite alot of the episodes. It follows the main character Kyo throughout his appectance/denial of the evidence that reality to him isn't atall what its made out to be. This along with clues that the writers threw in made this a very interesting anime to watch.
Personally I found the main background story very compelling series and a slight urgency to see the next episode. There was a big drama side to zegain more of following kyo and his decissions and how ... he devlops as a person.
They have provided alot of cliff hangers in the series which could be described as moments where you think "did that really just happen?" , "wth is going to happen next!!".

As for the action in the series, you wont be disapointed the action is very gripping and well co-ordinated. The final parts of the anime is where the action excels tho. As you would expect of anime meca anime you would expect big overpowered meca with different battle abilties, it forfils these qualities in the fullest. As all good anime's do they throw in a couple of rivals that shows up later that are as equally skilled.

The animation is main CG work however they do incorprate the drawings to CG very well, The mec & ship designs looked orginal rather than a certain well known meca anime that every man and their dog seem to rip off.

Sound: The OST music throughout the series was perfect well suited to the situations given. The opening and ending themes were very good also.

Overall i can say i really enjoyed zega it did exactley what it set out to do tell a story while looking good doing it! I was impressed throughout and recommend to anyone. + there is a 360 game of zega id like to play :)

Zegapain is a show that contains all the elements of a show that should have met massive critical and commercial success both inside and outside of Japan. The latter is true, but the former isn't, which comes as a surprise of sorts if someone has actually finished the show. The show is complex, philosophical, very tightly written and has an amazing setting which is fleshed out in a spectacular amount of detail and has a lot of depth.

And yet, this show stands as one of the most underrated anime series of all time. This is in part to the show's seemingly weak beginning where a ... lot of elements that the show has are foreshadowed but never directly told to the audience, which leaves viewers with the misleading impression that it's just another generic mech anime and that the characters are simplistic and bland.

Neither impression is correct, as anyone who has actually finished the show would tell you. In fact, this show's biggest problem is that it doesn't show its true nature until most viewers have dropped the show and walked out with the worst first impression possible.

Zegapain is also well-known for the story and setting in itself being a massive spoiler for the entire show. It is recommended by most people to at least reach episode 7 before making a decision to drop the show, since the show doesn't show its true colors until that point.

The story is very tightly written and well-explained, and the setting is even better fleshed out than one would expect.
Presentation of the story is top notch and exposition scenes never insult the viewer's intelligence by bringing up things that the viewer already knows but apparently needs the show to explain.

The setting is very distinct by anime standards, and while many people will be quick to compare the setting with the Matrix, I found the similarities superficial at best and outright wrong at worse. The setting is incredibly crapsack by nature, so heads up for anyone looking for something easygoing and happy-go-lucky; you won't find it here.

The themes are very interesting and captivating from beginning to the end, well-explored and fully fleshed out. Mentioning the themes is a spoiler as well, so I will only say that even that shows its true colors after episode 7, though very carefully foreshadowed at the beginning.

The characters are simplistic, but are very dynamic and work extremely well and develop very well over the course of the show. No character is left undeveloped or unexplored, though the villains aren't as developed as well as they could have been.

The soundtrack is of a high quality, fitting the mood of the show and some tracks having hearing value outside of the show. The ending song in particular fits the show very well, and is easily among my favorite ending songs of all time.

Artwork looks alright, but I couldn't help but feel that with better animation quality this show's presentation would've been a lot better and it would have been nice to see where the creators could have experimented with it. The animation is consistent throughout the show, and there are no real quality drops, but even then the show was too good to have animation that barely gets an average score.

Overall, Zegapain is an exceptional show which doesn't play its cards properly instantly and saves the best after a certain point in the show. The story is amazing, the setting detailed and the characters constantly move forward from episode to episode. Patience will be rewarded while watching this show, and it certainly is a case where ratings don't tell the full story.

Zegapain is a mecha series created by Sunrise that aired around the time of it's financial success Code Geass. It just shows the priorities of the target audience when the series relying on random plot twists with no semblance of logic is the one the masses love and hype up as a masterpiece, whilst the one with actually interesting ideas is otherwise ignored.

On the subject of popularity, this series becoming niche is surprising given how it's content could appeal to a specific but large audience. The story of Zegapain can be most easily described as the first Matrix film with mechas, that alone should be ... enough to hook someone. However, it can be seen why this premise isn't quite enough. The interesting ideas the series has are made to hide behind the blandness of a good deal of the story focusing on the school setting of the false reality which can be very disengaging when such is perhaps the most saturated of all anime settings. It also doesn't help that whilst having very interesting ideas and themes, it's exploration of the series' core ideals of what does reality truly mean and the happiness one can or can't gain depending on the truth of it are ones explored far better in the original Ghost in the Shell movie and Serial Experiments Lain and the commentary on the perpetual nature of life being done far better in The Tatami Galaxy, thus meaning it's far from the best in this field. Still, it's thematic content, decent world building and overall creativity allow it to be a fairly good story, despite flaws in having a slow pace and a lacklustre finale. It's also worth noting Zegapain is one of the few series to do a good job at the mantra of "show, don't tell", with the core information being gradually unravelled as the series goes on rather than having lazy infodumps.

As for the characters, there's little to say about them. The main character Kyo is your typical hotheaded teen protagonist you'd find in any run of the mill Shonen, though he at least develops a bit more than the standard due to his constant grappling with the nature of reality he becomes exposed to. His love interest Kaminagi is a pretty bland character, with her only real trait that couldn't have been simply passed on to make the secondary love interest of Shizuno more interesting being her asking questions to help progress the revelations of the series' world building that's befitting of her role as a fish out of water. Neither of them are particularly interesting outside of questioning the nature of reality, however, and the same can be said of most of the cast mainly just being there to serve their role in the plot. The only characters that I cared for were Chris and Arque due to their appearances in the plot showing the themes of life's importance and the sorrow of impending death, as well as helping present the stakes of the series early on. There's also Hayato being a good conduit for the themes the pseudo-immortality the Cerebrants possess, though his use in this role is but for one episode before being quickly put on the sidelines. Still, there is no character I'd say is outright poorly written and each of them serves their role in the plot, so I'd place them just slightly above average.

As for the superficial aspects, this is where I can see why the many more concerned with pretty visuals over a good story didn't pay much attention to this series. The art style really has no defining traits and whilst not being as the giant eyed, overly skinny designs in Code Geass, it doesn't really have much to allow it to stand out in a crowd in either signature stylistic touches or character designs. The soundtrack is also pretty forgettable and honestly not as enjoyable as most of the other works produced by Sunrise, which tend to remain strong in this department despite what other flaws they have.

Overall, Zegapain is a series which has a lot of reasons being niche, be it having themes presented better elsewhere or it not being the most aesthetically memorable. However, with it's competent script and creative ideas, it still ranks as an overall good series that stands out for a decent thematic piece and being Sunrise's swansong work when it came to producing good titles, at least until Gundam: The Origin.

Overall Ranking - 6.5/10

Three cheers for existentialist anime! Hip-hip....um, well you get what I mean. Following in the footsteps of it's predecessors such as Rahxephon and the monumental hit Neon Genesis Evangelion, Zegapain is a mecha-oriented anime that attempts to break the traditional shonen guidelines of being just another “shoot-em-up, blow-em-up” type action series and explore deeper philosophical themes. But while these concepts are sufficient enough to create a compelling story, I can't help but question; what makes Zegapain unique, what sets it apart from the other anime shows that have already gone down this path? Shows like Rahxephon, NGE and even the Matrix trilogies have ... already told this story and each one have had great success to the point of reaching legendary and even cult-hit status. So did Zegapain [and by “Zegapain” obviously I mean the creative force behind it] choose this path because it's a proven formula for success or do they bring something new to the table?

~ Art/Animation
If nothing else the animation was FIERCE! Yes, I said “FIERCE” that's how good it was. There's a well worn-out saying that advises against judging a book by it's cover, and though fundamentally true, the art sequences of the OP and ED themes were just heart-stoppingly stunning! I loved how they deconstructed the images of each character into swimming schools of fish or this fantastic explosion of feathers and birds in mid-flight. This is a post-millennial, mecha oriented anime so naturally you can expect A LOT of CG use...this is par for the course nowadays. If you have read any of my other reviews then you will know that I am not particularly moved by machine art, schematics, diagrams, holographic LEDs and such....impressive as they are, this show contains all of that and much more so if that's what you're into then you will not be disappointed. However, I prefer shows that focus on people and more “organic” themes as well as show off a little of the scenery or environment; I love seeing trees and deserts and meadows and swamps, flowers and bamboo forests, etc. There might be a little more of that in the final episode but in general, it's all about the mecha. So I can't fault the show for that.

~ Sound
OK back to the OP and ED once again [maybe I enjoyed them more than the show?] Beautiful music! I usually dislike techno with digitized voices and things of that nature however, I LOVED the music of this series! I don't know if the soundtrack is worth getting, since I very much like the sound of words and singing voices and most OSTs are just BGM tracks. I'm sure this is no different but the songs from the OP and ED were very well done and at least getting the singles. I did watch this show in English, no one's voice particularly jumped out at me. What I recall from this show was that there was some profanity and when Kyo blew up about the “effing” flowers, well that was classic.

~ Story
This is where it gets dicey...for me anyways. I liked it but I didn't love it, I didn't have any of that "OMG I MUST see what's going to happen in the next episode" feeling. I wasn't hooked but I did want to see how it all unfolded and I did like that it make you think. I'm a thinker by nature and over-analysis is one of my main tendencies, not to mention I've studied philosophy both formally as well as leisurely so this topic in particular is one of my favorite. There is no question that Zegapain wanted to align itself with the other anime giants like Neon Genesis Evangelion [NGE] and Raxephon, but while those two received a lot of critical acclaim and recognition, this show did not. It may be because this show cannot bring something new to one of philosophy's most rudimentary question that has no truly defining answer. Aside from the “cogito ergo sum” defense, you can't really prove existence beyond personal experience since all facet of the human experience is subjective from which you cannot perform objective analysis.

Zegapain tells you not to believe what you see, like in the Matrix it says “the world as you know it is not the real world” and to step beyond the looking glass and to truly "wake up.” But how does one truly "wake up?" Where this show departs from the others [I think] is that it clearly and boldly states that it's the experience that should be the main focus, that it's not just merely a by-product or consequence to being alive but rather by engaging in the human experience you not only define existence but become existence. In other words, instead of trying to prove you are alive....simply be alive. And that a life is a life worth living wherever the heart lies, this is reality and that is the splendor that is Zegapain! But in order to really lock that idea in place, Zegapain had to also counter-weigh the idea of human frailty with that of immortality, since the core meaning of the human experience is to both have a beginning and an end, as well as the ability to repeat that cycle.

So I ask the question again, what makes Zegapain unique and does it bring something new to the table? My own answer is yes and no. Both the question and answer that Zegapain proposes are not new, they just applied a more “Eastern” answer to what people consider “Western” philosophy...Oriental Philosophy generally does not possess the same kind of dualism that the Western [as well as the cultural identities born from Western ideology] does, Asians are more about “don't think it, be it” especially in Buddhist thinking. What I do think is unique to this series is the fact that this point is delivered more clearly than it's predecessors. NGE—though it was a magnificent and powerful story—was actually very nihilistic and if anyone really wanted to be honest with themselves it was kind of depressing, it offered very little hope or understanding to the human condition. Rahxephon to me was even worse when it came to clarity, to me it's all fine and good to wax existential from time to time...if you have a point to prove, but if you lack a cohesive argument what was your point? I may have to eventually revisit Rahxephon in order to fully understand it. And the Matrix, even though not an anime, was the one to truly establish the landmark precedent of introducing existential thought to the masses and setting the bar in modern pop-culture with it's jaw-dropping special F/X and iconic imagery.

CLEARLY Zegapain was influenced by the Matrix, but that being said, I might dare to say it attempted to challenge the Matrix, perhaps to provide a counter-argument or alternate viewpoint. Meaning, the Matrix dallies with religious and messianic ideas attributing true control and power away from mankind and to an external source...with salvation ultimately coming through Neo. While Zegapain on the other hand, tells us that true power is NOT found without but from within the heart of man [mankind], that we ourselves have the potential to become the masters of our own domain and harness the power of gods within the “spheres" of our own existences.

~ Characters
The design for the characters are great except for the faces, it's hard to put my finger on it except to say that sometimes their faces seemed simple compared to the weight and detail given to their bodies. Maybe it's because I study men more than women [*OH HUSH* it's already a known fact anime females get way much more critical attention and a larger appreciative fan-base than their male counterparts] but one can easily see that the men in this series are more muscular and beefy looking body-wise and yet still possess that traditional anime [somewhat fem-looking] face. It could also be their noses or eyes or eyelashes. Sunrise is very good at mecha but not humans or rather, the tiny nuances of human facial expressions. Either way something prevented me from bonding with the characters right up until the very last episodes. It could be that they were too preoccupied with keeping the integrity of the story intact that they did want to distract the audience by focusing too deeply on the characters.

Lu-Shen definitely stole the show in my opinion, he's beautiful, mellow and level-headed. I also appreciate Kyo as the lead character since it's rather apparent the Japanese have this tendency to glorify fairer skin tones, Kyo's red hair and tanned skin is not unique to anime [actually a lot of shonen anime offers this archetypal image as their lead] but it's still nice to watch. And even though Lu-Shen was the one on the pedestal [once again, gracious beautiful and fair-skinned] they did give a lot of appreciation and grace to Kyo's form as well.

~ Worth it?
This good anime to watch, it isn't as emotional or ground-breaking as NGE or Rahxephon however it's themes are more precise and there is greater clarity than the other two. I also like the fact that this show is considerably more optimistic. Even though this show is newer than the other two, I would recommend watching this show first since it's not as complex and does not get entangled with trying to define life's deeper meaning.

Fundamentally, there are mecha anime, and then there are Sunrise mecha anime, and the TV Tokyo/Sunrise mecha anime "Zegapain" is no exception. Sunrise has a tradition of bringing top rate animation, evocative themes, beautiful girls and complicated plots to its mecha anime, and we have all those and more in this new series.

In the near future, first year high school student Kyou is trying to start a competitive swim team at his school, but his former teammates from middle school are mad at him and no longer want to swim with him. Never-the-less Kyou continues to go to the school's swimming pool to practice, where ... one day he sees a stunningly beautiful girl make a perfect dive off of the high board. But the girl disappears after hitting the water, and when Kyou dives in to find her, she suddenly reappears, kisses him, and Kyou then finds himself in what appears to be a very realistic mecha fighting game, with the girl, Misaki, sitting behind him, telling him how to control the weapons of the mecha. But the more that Kyou plays the "Zegapain game", the more he realizes that the world that he lives in seems to be less real than the game.

Thus starts a mysterious, touching and bittersweet post-apocalyptic story of love that survives death and life that survives time. Nothing and no one is what they first seem in this story that is equal parts a story of human hopes and dreams, a story of the end of time and beyond, and a story of the power of love. And at the same time this is also a rousing tale of heroic action. Zegapain is an outstanding anime that is definitely "not your Father's mecha series".

Romeo and Juliet IN SPACE!!!

But seriously, that's what it is. Expect a lot of heart-wrenching twists and unexpected subplots.

Story: 10/10
The story is excellent and lacks any obvious plot holes. More importantly, the anime studio actually saw it through to the end, which means the ending is proper and finished. None of that "Come back next season!" crap. We get a real resolution with a few thematically unimportant questions left unanswered. Perfect for a sequel if they decide to make one.

What really impressed me was the anime's lack of attempts to "make sense" of the use of quantum physics. Aptly quoted at one point: "What's that ... magic circle-looking thing?" "It's a quantum barrier, and it might as well BE magic." This is a novel use of real concepts which keeps the story in the forefront rather than trying to flesh out concepts that the average viewer won't understand anyway. What happened to said barrier later on made me laugh, because it made sense in retrospect, which is startlingly unusual in fiction.

Art: 10/10
The art team did an excellent job here. The scenery properly conveys the current "sense" the story is trying to convey, whether that be togetherness, despair, awkwardness, fear, etc. The character's reactions seem like all-too-real renditions of what an actual person might say or do when faced with the environment they're cast into.

More importantly, the titular Zegapain are stunningly designed and rendered, evoking the memories of past Mecha anime while still putting a futuristic spin on things. The attacks used by both sides feel more "real" than your usual fare because the concepts involved in the art direction just seem to "make sense."

Sound: 10.5/10
Without question, the sound was one of my favorite parts of the series. The sound team chose to put in funky sounds in all the right places, really helping the viewer get involved in the setting. Real life isn't a series of explosions and exposition! The sound team made sure that even a couple of seagull cries didn't go unnoticed. Not much else to say except that you should hear it yourself.

Character: 7/10
While the story was great, I was less enthused about the characters themselves, at least early on in the series. Very little they did seemed to make a whole lot of sense. Up until episode 6, the main character did a particularly poor job of conveying his state of mind, which was a bit bothersome. Once we get past that phase it makes sense WHY everyone was acting that way. Still, this makes the early episodes harder to watch than they should be because the viewer is absolutely clueless about the story's real setting until episode 7.

Further, one important plot twist was obvious many episodes before it was revealed, which made me wonder why they even left the viewer in the dark for so long. If it was going to be so obvious then why try to keep the characters mysterious?

Enjoyment: 10/10
Excellent anime. Excellent! So much was done right. Even when I was frustrated early on in the series, it was still enjoyable to watch.

Overall: 9.5/10
If the early characterization had made more sense, it would be easier for me to give this a 10. Aside from that, so much was done right in this anime.

My average score is 9.5/10, and that's exactly what I'd give it. 9.0 is a little too low. This is the kind of anime I hope to see more of!

Zegapain is a strange show to watch and a stranger one to recommend. The delicate opening ballad, the goofy mecha action, the character designs which are not only derivative but swing between plain and tacky, the disappointing backgrounds which are especially frustrating in a show which frequently attempts to set mood and even communicate information via landscapes and the weather, the generic bits of fanservice amid truly compelling dramatic scenes... To be perfectly honest, it's a bit of a mess. Luckily, said mess is greater than the sum of its parts, and it has something that a lot of prettier, sleeker shows don't: a story ... strong enough to draw you in, and if you have any interest at all in concepts such as artificial intelligence, transhumanism, and the ghost in the machine, to make you stick around till the end.

There's not a lot that can be said about Zegapain without spoilers. There's a necessary big reveal very early on, though it's possible to work out the basic premise for yourself even earlier. Things are never quite what they seem, though. The world the characters inhabit is as elusive as their memories and impressions of it.

While none of the characters stand out as particularly original or interesting on their own – the hotheaded boy who's just sensitive enough to feel bad about his insensitivity towards others, the mysterious older girl, the adorable childhood friend, the student council president (whose glasses might just strike you as a hilarious choice at some point); we've seen them all before – it would be unfair to dismiss them as lazy writing when a major goal of the story is to explore how malleable yet resilient these seemingly “simple” personalities are.

Our personalities are by no means static; they are constantly changing, shaped by our experiences. Two people might come together under a specific set of circumstances, but not under others. Zegapain not only recognizes this, but uses it to its advantage to spin an intriguing psychological/philosophical/romantic tale within a solid sci-fi/action one.

Zegapain is definitely a hidden gem. If you enjoyed The Matrix then I believe this anime can offer you an experience as deep if not deeper than that trilogy, personally I'm leaning towards Zegapain.

The episodes do a great job of plunging you from slice-of-life happiness into despair, and every single episode has unpredictable plot twists that will push the symbolic knife deeper into your heart, inch by inch. Usually, I don't appreciate how nihilism is portrayed in anime and manga, but Zegapain portrayed hopelessness beautifully and dealt with it in the only proper way it could've been dealt with in the context of the world ... of this anime: not through fancy theories and flowery words, but through the protection of the person loved by the protagonist. Sometimes simple works best. In the oppressive world of Zegapain, where our protagonist is carrying innumerable burdens and a heavy duty, this simplicity was really a breath of fresh air. A very much needed breath of fresh air at that. Oh, and I don't mean "dumb" by saying "simple" by any means.

Unexpectedly, the character development was absolutely excellent. I'm saying "unexpectedly" because the main character is a loud rowdy type of guy. Annoying, right? Except he actually thinks about stuff pretty deeply and the changes to his character are really felt by the viewer and by the people around him. His childhood friend also has great character development at one point, but I can't say the same thing about everyone else. They kind of feel "complete", however there's a very good reason for that feeling, and it makes sense from the perspective of the plot, so the fact that everyone else doesn't get character development ends up making the story better. Amazing, huh? It's the first time I've seen something like this.

The scientific concepts were used very liberally, however the explanations were plausible enough nonetheless. At the end of the anime there were barely any plot holes left, and the ones that were left weren't serious enough to warrant criticism from me. Without spoiling anything I can say that the ending was conclusive enough on all aspects, romance included, and it left me satisfied. But I felt that it wasn't big or epic enough. We're saving the world from a mad-scientist, you know? Why not go out with a BANG?

As far as the animations go, it's above average for 2006, but it's nothing special either. I can't say that I appreciate the way the post-apocalyptic world was portrayed though. Everything is in ruins, everything is grey. I wish there were more colors, more greenery growing on the buildings, more wild animals and not just birds that pop up occasionally. Yeah, the world is supposed to feel dead, but it's just too dead. The mecha fights were meh at best too. Definitely not the strong point of this show.

That being said, if you want an interesting story that will keep you on your toes, then this is a great anime, probably approaching the levels of a masterpiece, especially if you can appreciate character development and a protagonist that grows stronger mentally and not "physically", as he's already the best pilot around from the start. But if you just want to watch robots fighting and don't plan on paying too much attention to the plot, then this isn't for you. The plot is definitely what makes this anime good, the mechas and the fights are just there for some tension.

9.4/10, best girl won (watch the post-credit scene of the last episode). MAL ratings really can't be trusted, I put off watching this for so long...

Giant robot anime where the only really bad part is the giant robots. First five episodes couldn't hook a worm. If you watch episode 6 and 7 and still don't care, then this isn't for you.

Overview:
Hard not to spoil anything, What can I tell you that isn't a lie?

I'll say the English voice actors thought they were doing an Animatrix series until episode six. You can hear the boredom in their voices go away at that point.

I'll tell you the robots and the organization wielding them are fighting a pointless war. A lot of Sogoru's struggle is to find a point and not get ... drawn in by the desire for revenge or simply to protect those he loves. I call him cyber-Buddha sometimes.

Premise:
Guy, Sogoru Kyo, is high school student. Girl appears in his apartment. Takes him to the future where giant robots fight aliens and the earth is in ruins.

But something isn't right. It's hard to tell if it's the animation style or just a thing, but weird stuff keeps popping up visually around Sogoru's school. Though neither he nor anybody else notices it. He tries to tell people about the future, but as it turns out there is a video game the girl and her organization put out which depicts the future she showed him, so people think he's just talking about the game.

Not much of what I just told you is altogether true, but you can believe it until episode six.

*SPOILER* - skip to end spoiler

Aliens are not aliens. There is no time travel. Also, no high school. Sogoru is living in a quantum computer simulation. He and everyone he knows are the digitized remnants of the human race which was wiped out by a genetically engineered plague. Guy who made the plague wanted to perfect humanity by giving them immortality in his Quantum Computers. Unfortunately, he couldn't save enough people and the computers have serious memory limitations. He moved on to trying to engineer a new human race, the Garz-Orum, and left humanity trapped in the simulations. The girl is a Cerebrent, part of an organization of rebel programs that seized control of Garz-Orum factories and weapons and are waging a war of revenge against the man who annihilated the human race and is now worshiped as a god by the Garz-Orum.

*END SPOILER*

Characters:
I usually describe these characters as stock characters taken to unusual places. Sogoru is a pretty normal jock, though he has an unusual interest in philosophy.

I remember thinking Lucien was just another brooding lancer character, and he kinda is, but he serves a special purpose here trying to tempt Sogoru to join him in his meaningless quest for revenge.

Ryoko, the childhood friend, is kind of sisterly, but she gets to go interesting places with her character that I can't tell you about. It has to do with stuff like suicide, reincarnation and brain damage. Some of that is a lie.

Really hard not to spoil anything, but the dialogue and the interactions with the characters and their relationships, are really what drives the series. The robot fights are kinda just the boring filler you wade through so you can get back to the dialogue and character arcs.

Conclusion:
I cannot believe Sunrise made this. The giant robot look kinda stupid and their fight scenes feel clumsy, slow, and soulless. I like the English version because they added in a bunch of cursing so at least it's funny to see how they changed the combat dialogue. Really, if you want to understand where they went wrong, look at the best of Gundam, 08th MS Team.

In 08th MS Team, we know the enemy and sympathize with them. The war is a battle of ideas. the future direction of the human race is at stake and no one is necessarily right. Good people defend bad causes and bad people and good causes and good people have bad people defending them. This is present for the good guys in Zegapain, but they do a very poor job of characterizing the bad guys.

You have to really dig to get something thematic out of them, and even then, they are still cartoonish. The problem is most of the enemy pilots are depicted as mindless drones, and the ones with minds aren't exactly hard thinkers who can justify their cause. Not even Naaga, the big bad can really defend his cause. Though I guess that's supposed to show how he's completely lost touch with his humanity. We could have seen a bit of his back story or something.

Here I am complaining, when in reality I really love this anime. Its hard to say why without spoilers, but I'll agree with another reviewer and say the sci-fi is its strong suite. This doesn't show up until episode 6, but I was curious about how the girl from the future could so freely manipulate time and space. That's why I stuck around. But I still put it down after episode 5 and only came back to it months later.

This series is what really got me started on things like the Philosophy of the Common Task. If you like this series I recommend reading Hannu Rajaniemi's Quantum Thief series.

So I really don't expect anyone to know what this series is cause no one knows what this series is...But you should, it is one of the best underrated mecha shows available.

Set in a Maihama (Urayasu, Chiba, Japan) our main character, Kyo Sogoru, is the leader of the swim club, and is determined to keep it part of Maihama High.

One day, he stumbles across a young girl preparing to dive into the pool, anxious to think she wants to join his dying swim club, he approaches her and she utters something unintelligible and dives never to resurface.
As the day continues he asks others of the ... girl atop the diving board, his peers assure him she doesn't exist and with video proof further proving her non-existence, he confides in his neighbor and best friend, Ryoko Kaminagi.

Later that evening he his transported to alternate dimension and forced to pilot a giant, fluorescent colored mech named Zegapain. At first he is hesitant but quickly finds himself incredibly comfortable and familiar with controlling and piloting the mecha.
After his first mission is a success he is returned to his world and his life is changed forever...

Driven into a world reminiscent of his own and he is his stricken with memories of the people he met in the other dimension, he need to piece all this together as well as protect one world to protect the other...

Reviewers will say nothing but great things about this series, basically: "...Matrix in anime form..."

I couldn't agree anymore with this statement, it really hits the mark. With quite a few twists and turns and incredible character development for a short series, it's a rare gem, in an already dominated genre. If you can find it, please watch it and share in the brilliance that is, Zegapain...!!

An anime filled with a mysterious feel to it and a neverending feeling of sadness. Those are the words i use when thinking about this anime and why is that well now i will tell.

So why do i feel that a sadness filled anime is great well because of it more of less i feel like it. The story is well made in my opinion getting a step away from much of the mainstream but also introducing a new consept to the entire anime world. What is real what is fake what are we might be something even those who watch this anime think ... about as they start delving into the story and if thats so then its great. The opening and ending to the anime is also something i dont think i can get enough of due to how it captures much of the anime in it. Well it should i guess considering all but the music just couldnt get much better in it. I do love the characters in a way since they bring out what it is about this anime that makes it so nice to watch. They give you the feel for it in every way. Also having a mc who has a selfish side on the almost negative way is also one point i like considering he shows a certain originality in some ways that i feel sorely lack in some anime.

Since this is a personal opinion overall i will say that if i had something to dislike then it would be that it somtimes tend to be a little overly dramatic in dialoges and show but that would be the only thing. And the reason i dont give it a 10 is because there isnt that feel to it that this can be given a grade that high.

But i will say this at the end that if your looking for something different and which might give you a slight mind and heart ache then this is deffinetly an anime worth watching. You might expect what will happen or you might not watch it and find out.

There are thousands of anime and movies dedicated to the philosophical questioning of reality and most famous in them are Ghost in the Shell and Matrix, those two are the ones who bought this genre into the mainstream and made it popular. Zegapain follows the same principle as them and yet it is more appealing in the philosophical and storytelling sense. In its core, Zegapain is a philosophical anime.

Pacing is what sells the show for me, it is much more practical storytelling than exposition which is spread throughout the series runtime. Story structure Zegapain is like a philosophical lesson, never in its entire runtime, we ... know everything about the world. The World slowly reveals itself through questioning by the main character and answers following an action or an enlightenment. This creates a perpetual urge to learn about the world and philosophy behind it and slowly it reveals itself by answering those questions by showing it to us rather than exposition. This allows everyone to understand even if you find this type of anime hard to understand hence opening it to a wide audience. It creates a unique experience where you get to learn every episode and not a single episode feels wested. This pacing allows Zegapain to explore Philosophical questioning of Reality without getting lost in its complexity. This pacing is, however, can feel slow if you do not like thinking or you understand everything in lighting speed which was the case for me.

Characters of Zegapain are there to support the pacing which is especially true for main character Kyou Sogoru. Kyou is what you may call a viewer protagonist, as like major Shounen main character he is dumb, friend loving, brave and does not ask questions quickly which allows series to have that sweet-sweet pacing. And there is Ryouko Kaminagi who is loving, openminded, asks questions quickly and finds the answer to them herself and she is my favorite character in Zegapain. Others are not worth to mention because they rarely drive the story forward and are there to support these two. In total, I can say that Zegapain does not have impressive characters but they do support story pretty well, In the end, Zegapain is not a character driven show but a story-driven anime.

Visuals do not impress me, they are clunky, messy and have the feel of mecha to them which I don’t like though mecha lovers will find it likable. Again the Visuals exists for sake of existing. Music, on the other hand, is a completely different story, Op and Ed are amazing though OSTs are mostly forgettable.

In the end, Zegapain is very unique anime which revolves around philosophy and in the philosophical department, it stomps every famous thing I have ever seen. there are anime which can beat it in it but those are obscure once and are not easy to understand while Zegapain makes this subject much more enjoyable and easy to understand. If you liked anything like Matrix then Zegapain is a must watch as it will destroy everything you have watched and I recommend it to everyone even if they are not interested in this type of subject.

I started this series without really expecting anything and I was completely taken off guard. The first few episodes are a little confusing, but not enough to deter you from continuing, in fact it's the opposite. I had to know what was going on. The story is about a kid, Kyou, who realizes things aren't what they seem to be in his world. He then follows a beautiful girl, Shizuno, to another world where the earth is seemingly destroyed and the leftover's of mankind fight against some alien race with mech's called Zega's. There is some good love story throughout ... this anime, and that's usually a staple for me. Along with that though, the character development between even friends is entertaining to say the least. Along with a crazy sci fi story-line that is unique and colorful, and art that i can't really compare to another anime this series did not disappoint me in the least. Way better than i thought, and towards the end, it even had tears rolling down my face!

English review made by French speaker !

Zegapain. It's really hard for me to describe this anime. I will try to make my review by criteria :

Stroy:

The story talk about a group of young poeple, who is battling against "evil" robot. We don't know what are these robots. I can't say much without spoiling. It's, in fact, a cliché mecha story. All of it is very predictable, and all the characters and the death too. It's really sad. The ending is good, but not really awesome in it's utilisation. But why did I put an 8 to ... the story ? Because of it's philosophy and it's universe. Zegapain, even if it has a really annoying shonen universe (hero caracter always yelling...), it has a beautifull, unique and captivating philosophy about why are we human, want to leave. The question are really interesting and many are originals. Too, there is a good utilisation of the characters, and their evolution are well made. That's the only reason why the story is so good. Not for its passing or its utilisation, but for its ideas.

Characters :

The caracters are well made, but not really brillant like the idea of the universe of the story. The anime have a strong shonen type, and it's, for me, horrible. There is the principal characther, strong like iron, who can do anything and will never try to give up. The little children friend of the hero who is secretly loving him, the other girl who is too loving the hero who is just yelling, the too strong and badass character and everything like this. BUT. The caracther are well made. Personnaly, I hate shounen type, so it's hard to love these caracthers, but their utilisations are quit intersting. The link between the hero and its childhood friend is very brilliant and well made. All characters have a surprising story, more or less original. But, all is very good. That is why I put a 7. The characters are not bad, they are juste based on cliché and are very shonen.

Art :

Beautiful art-design, but the CGI animation is meh and not realy intersting in these borings actions scenes

Conclusion :

So, if you want an intersting sci-fi anime that is talking about what is reality and the place of the human in this, this is for you. But, the philosophy is only good if the viewer want to ask himself these questions. The anime wont really try to answer them, and that is a good thing, the show don't want to make yourself think in a way, it is trying to give you idea for that you could creat your own thought on this. And if you like action, well passed, little romance and shounen anime, this is for you. If you don't like shounen, maybe you will find this good, or maybe not. But if you want to watch a mature anime, with mature caracthers and without to many cliché, this is really not for you.

A must see for sci-fi or mecha anime fan.

In the early stages of the series, it is extremely easy to dismiss it as not only derivative with how the main character is dumped in the pilot seat of a mecha without any preparation or warning, but also grotty with the off-coloured, sparsely detailed visuals. However, deception is a major theme in the story and as the plot unfolds at a confidently steady pace, it truly becomes a staggering quest for survival for a human race that was at a crossroads with their evolution. (And the artwork is arguably justified. I’m sure from watching the series it’ll eventually make sense that it could be ... down to ‘system limitations’.)

The series is actually rather elegant in its delivery: The focus is kept firmly on the protagonists’ earnest defiance for free will. This is signified by the notably small amount of IDENTIFABLE enemies. In addition, the action, psychology and philosophy are reasonably present so that they don’t lumber the story. This makes for a tender piece which at the end—in the post-credits scene of the final episode—is very touching.

Wow is the beginning of this show terrible. I considered dropping this show so many times for the first ten episodes. The only thing that kept me going was all of the great reviews about this show. After sticking it out, it did get significantly better.

At first it appears to be just a dumb mecha/high school anime, but it dives into deep questions of reality and perception. The concept is honestly pretty cool after you get into it.

I gave this anime a six mostly because of the concepts and ideas. The deployment of them was so-so. This mixed with the slow beginning almost ... made me give this show a five. The action is also pretty lame. I wouldn't say not to watch it, but I would never give it as a recommendation. I don't ever plan on watching it again.

Warning this review may contain spoilers.

First impressions, so zegapain when I first heard about this show I was kind of hesitate to check it out because it looked really boring.
But eventually my interest got the the best of the me and I decide to check it out.


Story, 7/10

So the story of zegapain starts off with are Main character kyo who is a highschool student and wants to try and keep the swimming club that he enjoys still going so it doesn't close down because he the only member at this time.
One day while on his way to the pool as usual. He comes across ... a mysterious girl named misaki.
who after he tries to talk to her and try's to invite her to the swimming club she disappears in mid air leaving are main character mind fucked as all hell.
And to make a long story short. Missaki though a series of events gets are main character kyo to play some sort of video game/simulation/ Virtual reality sort of thing
where he is piloting a robot named zega pain and has to fight some sort of alien robots with an organization named Celebrum who are fighting these alien robots like the whole world hangs in the balance even though it just a video game or is it...........

Now by the sounds of this premise some of you are probably thinking here we go again.. Another mecha show about people fighting alien robots this sounds like the most generic mecha plot I have ever herd of.
Well if you think that then probably get ready because I am going to drop a bomb on you laps. Now before a go into detail.
I would like to ask if any of you have ever heard of the saying don't judge a book by its cover. Because that is definitely a phrase I would associate when talking about the story of zegapain.
Because for the first 5 eps it doesn't seem it offer anything interesting. Well I wouldn't say interesting because there are hints of something interesting here it just takes a while to pick up on that.
Because for the first 5 ep it's basically just missions and slice of life nothing really happens.
But what if I say that around ep 6 is where shit really starts to pick up.
So to go into details we find out that the video game that the main character finds out that the game he has been playing is actually not a video game but actually the real world where humans are actually extinct well extinct isn't really the right word for it more like we don't have a physical body's anymore and what's left of humanity is basically data on computer servers
Which these aliens are trying to destroy.
This is where the story steps away from the norm and says you know what I going to do this myself.
And from here on out the story becomes a psychological slice of life mecha.
Which is in itself is quite interesting.
We have characters coming to terms with the fact that the reality they were living all there life was a false one and also even questioning why they should fight In the first place if the world is all ready fucked.
Like What's the actual point if we are just going to keep on losing people to an almost endless horde of aliens robots that have pretty much backed humanity into a corner so tight that we would need the biggest asspull in history if we ever wanted to make some dent in their forces.
So by the sounds of this you can probably tell that zegapain covers some very interesting topics like for example...... (A where is my dam philosophy book so I can explain this shit oh here it is) materialism, Nihilism, existentialism. And also makes you question your sense of reality.
Which even forces you the viewer to even question your sense of reality. Are you real or heck am I actually real or am I just some data in a computer.

Which I find every interesting.
Plus in this show when they give you concepts they actually do something with it.
Like they expand and explore which helps adds some layers.
It's not like some shows where there like oh here an idea and only have it as a foot note, cough cough psycho pass cough madoka magica.


But to go into more detail.
Basically what happens after the bomb shell was dropped.
We basically have the character continue to do their mission where every battle they continue to lose something or come close to losing something.
Because death isn't the only thing that can happen to you.
Oh no there is much worse, for example you could lose your memories or if you not lucky you can lose you entire personally and become a soulless robot a former shell of yourself.
And after the day to day missions are done what is happening well fluffy life slice of life monuments. Which I found kind of boring.
But what it does very well is that it makes you actually care about what's going on.
because you have seen the world in a sense of a stable environment and when shit hits the fan it's a lot more impactful. And when something happens it stays that way there are no if or buts about it. So there are no asspulls or deus ex Machina.
Which help the show end in a very satisfactory way.

Now a few negatives I would have to say about it.

Is that it's very dry in pretension and pacing is pretty slow and it lacks a certain punch to really get in going.
But overall it pretty good.

Characters, 7/10

The main character kyo at first seemed like your average happy go lucky high school student. Who happens to really enjoy swimming and at first that is what I got from him. But as time went on I could see that there was more than meets the eye when it come to his character. Because after the big reveal
I see him slowly starting to break down, well brake down isn't the right word it's more like trying to rap is head around the questions that now plague his mind.
With him starting to use his happy go lucky persona as a mask in order to hide his true feeling.
And that is a pretty human reaction.
Now even personally kind of two dimensional but he starts to branch out and he gets some development.

The side characters just like the main they start off kind of two dimensional.
But like the main they also branch out With the psychological and mental problems that they have or could have.
So basically all these characters in some way is damaged.
They don't go though as much development as the main character dose.
But we do get to know these characters so it makes up for the development that was kind of lacking in some areas.

I also quite like that when something
Bad happens to a character like for example they die or the loose something it stays that way.
There are no coming back to life or getting back what you have lost.
There are ways to get it back to an extent.
but it will never fully replace 100% what you have lost.
And I think that something that quite a few people can relate to including me.


Art, 5/10

The artwork is quite mediocre and very choppy and it looks very dated especially for the time it came out.
Because when zegapain came out it was the year of ergo proxy and nana and other show that look good even today. And plus this was done by sunrise who have made shows in the 80s that look better than this.
Now I am not a hater of CGI in anime but the CGI looks really choppy and sometimes looks a bit off model at times.

The action scenes are also kind of choppy with not much a flow going through the battles

The character design where kind of bland.
I like the fact they have some cool colours and style for hair .
But other than that nothing really stands out other than some of the outfits.

The mecha design was pretty interesting not going to lie it was definitely different from what I have seen before.

Sound, 5/10

I quite like a op and ending songs.
But in retrospect it didn't really stand out to me much.

I was never like I got to find the full version of this.

And that also my thoughts on the ost has a whole.
Like there are some parts where the ost is really on point.
Which I quite enjoy.
But at the same time it never really got my full attention.


Enjoyment, 6/10

I really had a pretty interesting and entertaining ride overall when watching this show.
Because it not every day you come across an anime that makes you what to question your reality. Because generally you watch anime to get away from reality.
So seeing something like this was definitely different experience from what I am used to. But what really brought down my enjoyment is that it is very dry and that the ost and art could be way better if the people who worked on this put in Some more work into it.


Overall, 7/10

Now when it comes to zegapain you need to forgive it for lot of things like,
It's dry as sand pretension or its snail pacing and overall lack of punch.
But if you can look past that And see the the diamond in the rough then check it out.
Because it has interesting ideas, good characters and over all pretty good.

But if your they kind of person who really wants some sort of style or punch then probably stay away.