Back to Animaniac2020's Profile Animaniac2020's Profile

There is WAY too much hostility in some of the reviews for such a light and innocuous anime. If generic genre shows make you so angry, you really should not be watching them. Did you like the following anime?

Chivalry of a Failed Knight
Absolute Duo
Hundred
Infinite Stratos
Freezing

If so, you will likely enjoy this one. If not, or if you have grown fatigued by the typical "Kids With Superpowers/Special Weapons Attending A School With Competitions To Determine Who Is Best" type of anime, then you should probably give it a pass.

As required by the genre, all these anime have a ridiculous backstory as ... to how the world go to its current state. Each character has a mysterious reason as to why they are really at the school (such as to avenge their father, find their sister, etc.) The main character, as always, has a harem of lovely ladies vying for his attention that are differentiated primarily by hair color, breast size and level of flirtiness.

Personally, I found "Chivalry of a Failed Knight" and "Absolute Duo" to be superior but your mileage may vary. The similarities between these anime are quite astonishing. At least 3 of them start with the MC walking in on a half naked woman - apparently a very common occurrence in Japan.

What is nice about Gakusen Toshi Asterisk is that new characters are introduced frequently, preventing the type of boredom that can often set in with these storylines. As the stakes get higher, some of the hidden conspiracies begin to emerge that help round out the story and keep it from becoming too episodic.

I was inspired to watch No. 6 after enjoying "Freedom" and "Suisei no Gargantia." All these stories share the same basic concept of post-apocalyptic cities trying to survive while a greater mystery unravels around them.

Unfortunately, No. 6 fails to reach a rewarding conclusion. Whereas "Freedom" is remarkably satisfying with great cliffhanger OVA episode endings and "Suisei no Gargantia" portrays a beautiful lush Waterworld that is a pleasure to experience, virtually all of No. 6's plot centers on the mystery surrounding the city's creation.

Although I do not mind spiritual/supernatural elements to a story, the ones in No. 6 are simply forced and do not ... fit the hyper-technological world of the story. Also, the sub plot with the parasitic bees is never explained and again feels out of place.

For me, this would be a pass.

Berserk is the show that proved once and for all that an anime can surpass, out-class and exceed the emotional power and impact of even the best live action Hollywood film. I first saw the series in 1999, when the only way to watch it in the States was to buy a bootleg box set on eBay from China. I have since bought the officially licensed box set but never got through watching the DVDs. I cherish my two-decade old bootlegs like vintage wine in a private cellar.

Berserk is a masterpiece. Frankly, had Stars Wars Episodes I-III (released at ... around the same time) handled Anakin Skywalker's betrayal of the Jedi with the same gut-wrenching agony as Griffith's betrayal of the Band of the Hawk, Episodes I-III would have equaled the Original Star Wars Trilogy in popularity and emotional impact.

Unlike the many other reviews you have read, let's start in reverse:

THE ENDING
Many fans, especially younger ones, are understandably stunned - and frequently angered - by the ending. However, some turn on the series and criticize how the Berserk ends. I urge those of you reading this to gird yourself for the final episode.
You must accept the ending. You are meant to TAKE IT as a slap in the face, as an injustice to all you grew to love and admire in the anime. It HURTS to watch. And it's meant to hurt.

When I finished the series for the first time I thought I got cheated by the Chinese bootlegger who sold me the DVDs. "Where the #*!@ is Episode 26? There has to be more!" I screamed. "It can't end this way." Let me tell you. It CAN end this way and it DOES.

FLASHBACKS/ORIGIN STORIES
Throughout the series, we witness the dark, brutal and often disturbing origin stories of all the main characters: Guts, birthed from the corpse of his mother hanging from a tree and rescued by traveling mercenaries. Casca's origin story is magnificent and the way Griffith helps her - or rather gives Casca the opportunity to help herself - is wonderful to watch and sets up their difficult relationship perfectly. Finally, Griffith's early rise to power and the personal decisions he makes to quench the thirst of his ambition make him a very dangerous person and lay the foundation for his ultimate betrayal.

These origin stories have the dramatic effect of expanding the world and timeline of Berserk so that by the end of the series we feel as if we have lived their entire lives along with them. When done well, nothing is more effective at bringing a fictional universe to life. By the end of Episode 25, you will feel as if you have fought, bled and died alongside Taka no Dan.

The only time I have ever seen this done better was in a single episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The episode, called "The Inner Light," was from way back in 1987 and starts with the Enterprise encountering an ancient space probe that appears to attack Captain Picard and put him in a coma. In reality, the probe is from a long-dead civilization that failed to avoid a global cataclysm. A scientist from that world uploaded his life experience to the probe which compelled Jean-Luc Picard to live every detail of the scientist's entire life over the course of a few days. Throughout the melancholy life of the scientist, he raises a wise daughter he knows will be the last generation on the planet and learns to play a mournful song on a flute. When Picard finally wakes up and realizes he has the emotional experiences of another man's civilization within him, he feels blessed by this gift. And the final scene will bring tears to your eyes. (Sorry for the side-track but great drama inspires fans to remember the best works they've ever seen and Berserk is no exception.)

CHARACTER
For an anime that people love to watch for its brutal action and uncensored violence, the character development and interpersonal conflict are staggeringly well developed. Not only that, they are very original and nuanced. With Griffith, Guts and Casca being the main characters, you would expect a love triangle, right? But instead we get a RESPECT triangle. Instead of Guts and Griffith fighting for the romantic affections of the female warrior, we have Casca jealous of Griffith's respect and admiration of Guts. Truly wonderful! Best of all, there is no silly homoerotic interplay between Griffith and Guts - as if two men cannot be eternally bonded simply by mutual respect, friendship and a common cause.

Of course, the greatest conflict is between Griffith and Guts and their relationship shows how different personalities can experience the identical emotions in diametrically opposite ways. Case in point: Guts is captivated by Griffith. Guts has never met any man like him before and despite their contentious beginning, Guts' admiration of Griffith is so great that it inspires Guts to want to better himself. Guts wants to be Griffith's equal, even if it means leaving the Band of the Hawk.

Griffith is equally captivated by Guts. He has never met a warrior like Guts and takes great personal risks to ensure Guts' safety - something he has never done for any other member of Band of the Hawk. Casca's jealousy of Guts is directly related to this. But whereas Guts' respect for Griffith inspires him to be more, Griffith's growing dependence on Guts' ends up destroying his decades-long plan of becoming King. Griffith's selfishness and blind ambition cannot afford deviations or distractions of any kind and his need - his love - of Guts is his downfall.

This character dynamic is not the "B-plot" of Berserk. It is integral to the main story. Like all great fiction, Character drives Plot. Without it, Berserk would just be a series of increasingly bigger battles. When was the last time you read literature or saw a $200 million dollar movie or HBO series with this level of character nuance? Especially one where the main character decapitates a horse AND rider with the single swing of his sword! (Something for everyone!)

MORE TO COME...

I am very hesitant to criticize an anime like this despite the fact there are a lot of things about it that I don't really like. The reason is because a show like this could never even be contemplated in the United States. It would be self-censored out of existence. So I commend the Japanese people for fostering a culture of tolerance that would allow such an insane, crazy, gross and masochistic show to exist.

As with all good light anime, there is a nice, universal message running throughout. In this anime, Charger Girls use huge plugs to charge up depressed humans ... before their hearts give out. The organization they work for is run for profit and strives for efficiency and volume. But Plug, seemingly the worst employee of the bunch, has a different approach. Simply "charging" someone stuck in a rut will not solve their true problem. Plug realizes that if she waits patiently for the right moment when inspiration, resolve and passion coalesce, her charging has far more lasting effects. This takes far more time and leads to many complications but Plug is willing to risk her life for others and sees her work as a calling, not a job.

Not bad for a ecchi anime with girls whose outfits are designed to expose the inner half of both nipples.

Now, if this were just ecchi, I would love it. The females are beautifully drawn, their outfits are jaw dropping and the lack of true overt sexuality gives it an air of innocence that makes Charger Girl a fun, light, fantasy show to watch in between serious anime dramas. Also, the anime-within-the-anime is also well done and exaggerates the already heightened elements of Charger Girl. I really look forward to those snippets.

That said, there is apparently a certain sub-genre of anime that associates urine (pee) with sexuality and I have to say I find it kind of gross. It's quite jarring in an otherwise light ecchi show like this so be forewarned.

There are also a lot of female beatings - often with a baseball bat. Now, I totally agree that men getting annihilated by females for lulz in anime is fine so the inverse should be true. My real problem is that it gets redundant, boring and is really out of character.

Case in point: If you were a single guy in your 20's and two Perfect 10's from another dimension floated into your room wearing skin tight clothing, would you repeatedly attack them with a baseball bat on sight? Would the visual of Plug floating on all fours in your living room send you into a blind rage? Hell no. That's the true problem with the violence. It makes no sense.

If you can excuse some of its more extreme elements and are looking for a light show to watch, consider plugging in to Charger Girls!

Infinite Ryvius (IR) is NOT "Lord of the Flies" in space - which is frankly the lure that got me to start watching the show.  It is a confusing collision of multiple genres concepts and tropes that only gels into an engaging character drama in the final three episodes.  That's a long wait!  In short Infinite Ryvius has a B+ concept executed in a C- fashion.  The only reason I watched every episode is because I am a writer and want to understand why this high concept story fails to make the grade.
 
That said, if you LOVE in-depth character studies and are willing to ... slog through a lot of superfluous and confusing plot complications, then Infinite Ryvius might be for you.  But please know this going into it: no matter how many episodes you watch, you will never understand why these kids are abandoned in space, who, or even how many, factions are after them, what the Geduld phenomenon is (apart from a plot complication), what the life forms within it are, what the Sphix is or how they relate to each other. And that lovely lady in pink? Your guess is as good as mine.

IR's biggest weaknesses are as follows:  boring execution, inexplicable delays and poorly explained character motivations.

BOREDOM FACTOR
Imagine if before every space battle in Star Wars, Luke and Han had to spend hours typing up computer programs (known as solids), running thousands of simulations and remaining behind in safety as robotic "Garders" went out to do the pre-programmed fighting for them.  Pretty boring, right?  Probably 20% of all screen time in IR is taken up by kids behind keyboards typing.  This is all they do during the slow moving battles, just type and yell at each other, as if the technology to pull a single trigger to fire a shot has not yet been developed.  This is done in an attempt to make space battles more realistic but instead they become insufferably boring.

This is a real tragedy because it undermines the otherwise creative action sequences.  When the Ryvius ship does battle with other space crafts, the gravitational weapons and tactics used are quite unique.  Imagine an enemy firing thousands of magnetic mines at your spaceship making it impossible to shoot down each one.  But with a gravitational weapon you can warp space ahead of the ship to create a gravitational well where all the mines fall harmlessly into a singularity.  In another episode, an enemy traps the Ryvius in a gravitational field and attempts to crush it into oblivion.  The method of escape devised by the crew would have been exciting were it not for all the typing and real-time computer programming involved.  (I'm getting bored just writing that.)

ENDLESS DELAYS & CONFUSION
Nothing builds suspense better than a slow reveal - where the mystery unravels like a blooming flower.  But when this is done poorly it can be quite insufferable and undermine confidence in the storytelling.  This is most evident with Neya, the mysterious girl in pink known as the Sphix, who wanders the ship repeating sentence fragments uttered by the crew.  People see her walk through walls, then show no further curiosity as to who she is.  I'm up to Episode 23 so far and she is still barely acknowledged despite her great and magical importance.  The purpose for this is because the creators of the show are not yet ready to tell the audience her secret - but they have long since worn out their welcome.  I still do not know her purpose and with only 3 episodes left, I don't care anymore.  [I finished the show and her existence is NEVER explained nor did she play a significant role in the outcome.]

For all 26 episodes, the Ryvius is never able to successfully send a single message or distress call to a colony, moon or planet - EVER - despite countless attempts.  Turning mundane issues like communication into an unexplained impossibility is a plot device designed to force the kids to stay on the ship, but to use such an elementary problem to keep the story going is lazy, boring and repetitive.  Were the kids on the Ryvius able to send out a single radio transmission, much of the conflict in the show would cease to exist.  Again, I am on Episode 23 and I still do not know who the various factions are and why they are trying to stop or capture the Ryvius.  What makes this even worse is that the kids on the ship would be more than willing to give it up in exchange for getting to return home - making the conflict of the show manufactured and based on misunderstanding - not a real threat.

If you have seen a preview or trailer from the show, it appears as if it takes place in some strange star system with a bizarre gaseous nebula stretching endlessly.  We are actually in our own solar system and the gaseous nebula is known as the Geduld phenomenon.  This is a deeply confusing concept that is never fully explained.  If I understand it correctly, a strange neutrino burst from the sun caused this thick layer of miasma that spans the entire solar system.  Within it are strange new life forms which, unbeknownst to most, have been harnessed into a special class of ships called Vaia, of which the Ryvius is one.  Apparently, these life forms manifest physically as the soul of the ship, called a Sphix.  Huh?  On top of that, despite being a gas, the Geduld is a place of unimaginable gravitational pressure that can destroy a ship.  This is a very complex, confusing set up with little rewarding payoff.  Solar phenomena do not create life forms.  Gaseous nebulae do not create astonishing gravity.  And if the Geduld is a disk of dangerous gas, then why not just fly above it instead of forever dwelling within it? 
 
CHARACTERS
The only parts of the show done well are the interactions between the characters and factions on board the ship (with the sad exception of the main characters - brothers KOUJI and YUKI).  Early on, the adults and supervisors are killed leaving only 500 kids on board.  The most well trained youth are the ZWEI BRIDGE CREW who do their best to save the ship.  However, there is a crew of hooligans led by AIRS BLUE who gets his hands on a gun and inserts himself at the top of the hierarchy.  This leads to some interesting dynamics between those who are most equipped and trained to lead (the Zewi) and those who covet authority and control (Blue's Gang).  As their power dynamics shift, the effects ripple down through the ship's passengers.  This is where the meat of the character drama resides.  Some kids prefer less freedom in exchange for more security while others resent being told what to do for any reason and just want to lounge around to await rescue.  Over time, "social classes" emerge, with those who are the most productive being rewarded the most ration points.  As the differences between factions increase, we see resentment between the classes that start to form.  Bridge Crew get unlimited ration points while everyone else has to work for their food. 

There is a fascinating exploration of gender dynamics in the story, especially among women/girls.  Some may erroneously consider it sexist but when the laws of the jungle descend on a group of people, the artificial gender constructs we foster and tolerate give way to reality.  Many of the female characters are strong like Juli, a Zwei Member, who has a stint as captain, as well as Aoi and Cullen who do their jobs diligently.  These girls are respected by their peers and earn their keep with their intelligence and maturity.  But many of the girls, including those in Blue's Gang rely solely on their sexuality and feminine wiles to get their way, trading up from one gullible boy to the next all in the hopes of attaining the greatest power and influence they can.  When the Blue Gang falls out of favor after being revealed to be opportunistic traitors, they are thrown in prison and there are implications the girls are sexually assaulted in their cells.   

The most vivid example of this gender dynamic is between the most attractive Blue Gang member, Criff, and the meekest beta-male from the Zwei Bridge Crew, "Charlie" Turtleland III.  Charlie is picked on, beaten and humiliated by Blue and his male friends, immediately followed by sarcastic sexual attention from Criff, making him the most malleable and gullible boy aboard the ship.  After Criff gets everything she wants out of Charlie she dumps him, leaving him heartbroken.  But when the Blue Gang is overthrown and imprisoned, placing Criff at risk, Charlie returns to defend her.  When she is finally released from the brig, Criff decides to stay with Charlie because he is the only one who ever stood by her.  Although this is an unhealthy, manipulative, co-dependent relationship that may turn the stomachs of many viewers, it is as real as it gets and very well executed.  Later on, Criff finally comes into her own (briefly) when her nursing skills are put to use saving an injured Kouji.

The dynamic of girls getting what they want via sexual manipulation contrasts with boys who use force and violence to get what they want.  After a few months in space, it is no longer safe for girls to walk the halls alone.  Gangs of boys harass girls and weaker boys, desperately trying to get more food, prestige and luxuries.  It gets so bad that martial law is declared and one of the more manipulative characters separates the kids by ability, keeping less useful passengers locked away behind bulkheads. 

Sadly, the most unsatisfying and confusing character interactions are between the three main characters, brothers Kouji and Yuki as well as best friend Ikumi.  The rivalry between the two brothers never truly makes sense.  When it is revealed halfway through the show that they both care for the same girl, Aoi, I was shocked.  There is no indication either brother truly loves her and their fights have nothing to do with her.  The two fight over anything, everything and at the drop of a hat.  Kouji is most often portrayed as having a "wait-and-see" - "get-all-opinions-first-then-reach-a-consensus" type of personality while Yuki is more of a take-charge, "act-first-think-later" kind of guy.  Although these are very different personalities that might inevitably clash, the fights don't seem to be about this.  They just start yelling at each other the moment they're in the same room.  

With regards to Ikumi, he starts off as Kouji's best friend but the relationship goes off the rails later on.  Ikumi ends up shooting Kouji and installing himself as supreme leader of the ship (all while brother Yuki watches on).  Ikumi vows to punish even the slightest infraction, threatening to destroy any part of the ship where lawless behavior occurs, regardless of how slight.  Even more disturbing, his motivations are later explained as overcompensation to make up for "losing his sister".  I put that in quotes because Ikumi did nothing that ended up costing her life...Ikumi was sexually attracted to his own sister, forcing her to leave him.  So Ikumi projects this loss onto one manipulative girl on the ship and does anything and everything to keep her safe, including killing, incarcerating and abandoning people he deems unfit.

Episode 26 ends up being a coda episode that takes place six months later.  With the kids finally rescued, the government realizes that the ship is dormant without the kids on board and needs them back on board.  Most of the main characters (inexplicably) agree to another tour of duty and they ship out as if nothing had happened.  Apparently a clumsy way to ask for a Second Season that was never made.

Planetes is a show I wanted to love.   If I step out my front door, turn left and throw a tennis ball as far as possible, it would land in the parking lot of JPL, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, where virtually all of America's unmanned spacecrafts and probes were designed and built including Voyager, Viking, Mariner, Galileo, Cassini plus all the Mars rovers. 

My father was the Chief Scientist of JPL for almost 15 years and I love all things relating to space exploration.   I was supposed to love this show. 

Watching great anime is like feasting on your favorite dessert, savoring all ... the delicious flavors (characters) and then looking forward to the next scrumptious bite (episode) when you're finished. 

But watching Planetes is like reading the printed recipe for that favorite dessert in a cookbook instead of eating it.  

Fans of the show universally say, "the first 10 episodes start off slow, introducing you to the individual characters, then later episodes build on that as the relationships grow."  

In reality, each of the first 10 episodes feel like a line from the list of ingredients:
1 overly optimistic wide-eyed female MC
1 brooding abrasive male MC  
2 inept managers who act as comic relief
1 chain smoking female supervisor who fills the void left by the inept managers
1 mysterious Russian with a sad backstory hinted at.
2 eggs
1/4 tbsp salt

The next 6 or 7 episodes feel like the recipe instructions on how to combine those ingredients:

Combine secondary characters into a low regarded debris removal section and stir until thoroughly mixed.
In a separate mixing bowl combine optimistic female MC with brooding abrasive male MC until the later is softened.
Heat 1 inept manager until he is forced to stand up for himself, thus winning the approval of his family and co-workers.
Take mysterious Russian and flash back to his tragic past until sympathy is thickened.

But by the time we get to the heart of the story, when the combined ingredients should be tossed into the oven to bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, the whole recipe just falls apart.  The ingredients never fully mix and end up separating like oil and water.  After taking so much time to develop the crew of the Debris Removal Section as a cohesive unit, they just drift apart in angry, mean-spirited ways. 

The storyline suddenly shifts from debris removal to the first manned mission to Jupiter and all the subsequent political machinations, office politics, terrorist threats and astronaut competitions end up feeling like they substituted salt for sugar in the desert recipe.  It just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

STORY
It is a uniquely Japanese concept to explore "the mundane within the extraordinary" and Planetes, aka "Garbage Men in Space" bills itself as another prime example.  Combined with the near universal praise for this series and I was really looking forward to it.   Many fans of the show say how much Planetes makes you think about the social implications of space travel and the cost/benefits of exploration.  Unless you are an infantile socialist, this could not be further from the truth.  

The characters hold childish, petty and often violent perspectives.  In the world of Planetes, there are a few wealthy countries like the U.S. and Japan that explore space while poor, 3rd world countries are all but excluded from participating.  Citizens of those third world countries who rise through the ranks and become astronauts end up being terrorists-in-waiting because they believe that the money being spent will only benefit first world countries.  Therefore they seek to destroy the Jupiter spaceship, kill everyone living on the moon and end space exploration once and for all.  

PHILOSOPHY
First of all, the United States and Japan can spend their own money on whatever they want.  The idea that a third world terrorist thinks that the U.S. and Japan are morally obligated to feed the poor and solve the social ills of all other countries first before exploring space is absurd.  Second, all the terrorists want to do is destroy the human space program, as if crashing a prototype spaceship into a lunar colony (killing 120,000 people in the process) will somehow help their suffering countrymen.  Finally, the idea that the space program only benefits the few countries involved in it is an embarrassingly naïve misunderstanding of reality.  For the creators of this show - who display an incredible depth of knowledge of space crafts, rockets and famous astronauts - to not grasp how patently wrong this premise is defeats the purpose of the show and its so-called philosophical explorations.

I recall a friend of mine telling me his belief that the Apollo missions to the moon were a waste of money because, "What did we discover on the moon that was worth the expense?"  The answer is simple: absolutely nothing.  Nothing ON the moon truly helped mankind as a whole. But GETTING to the moon drastically improved the lives of billions. Without the U.S. space program the world would not have cellular phones, micro-processors, satellite communication, GPS, cutting edge medicines, freeze dried foods, (and most importantly, pens that can write upside down). 

These advancements have helped the entire planet.  Third world countries would never have been able to build out cable or fiber optic networks buried in the ground to provide fast, reliable communication to every remote town and village.  It would forever remain an impossibly expensive dream.  But today, these countries currently rely on wireless and cellular satellite technology that would not exist without the space program.  In fact, some of these poorer countries have BETTER communication systems because they have one single, ultra modern standard using the same satellites and tech that first world countries use, while wealthier countries have a blend of 80's era cable, 90's era phone lines as well as modern wireless - all competing for subscribers.  To those poorer countries, upgrading their "infrastructure" is as simple as getting a new phone, while in the U.S. legacy systems remain after decades.  (You want proof:  As I type this review from Los Angeles, I have mediocre cable TV, slow DSL via ATT's copper phone wires and Verizon 4G cellular.)  

I have no problem with philosophical debates on controversial topics and enjoy unique perspectives I may not agree with.  But the terrorism and violence espoused in Planetes as a valid means of effecting change is beneath the dignity of a pro-science show about realistic space exploration.

[MILD SPOILERS AHEAD...but only ones that reveal how annoying the show can be.]
    
CHARACTERS
AI TANABE (FEMALE MC).  Tanabe starts off as so self-righteously annoying that I almost stopped watching after episode three.  In an early episode, the debris removal team retrieves a casket belonging to an old astronaut buried in space that failed to break free from Earth's gravity.  The astronaut's surviving daughter asks that the casket be sent out into deep space as initially planned.  But even though it's Tanabe's first week on the job, she violates direct orders (and the relative's wishes), goes back out in space without permission and threatens to burn the casket in the atmosphere if her team doesn't agree to return the casket back to Earth for a proper burial.  Why?  Because of LOVE, silly.  She believes the corpse in the casket changed its mind and no longer wants to drift in space alone forever, even though we learn in flashbacks that the astronaut was a distant, aloof man who barely spent time with his family.  And with eyes filled with tears, holding the casket above her head, while floating in space, Tanabe proclaims that people are supposed to be together.  You and I would be fired if we did someting this stupid...but Tanabe melts everyone's heart and her 'demands' are agreed to.

HACHIROTA:  The male MC is...a dick.  After a poorly crafted pseudo-romance with Tanabe, his outer shell is melted away revealing...an even bigger dick.  He has a massive chip on his shoulder that only grows larger as the story progresses and he pushes everyone away.  Frankly, we never truly learn why.  He's just...a dick.  Despite his romance with Tanabe, when the Jupiter mission is announced he resigns from Debris Removal to apply for a coveted astronaut position without telling anyone.  And that's the end of his relationship with Tanabe and his affiliation with the section.  We never again have an episode where Debris Removal works together.  And when Tanabe calls to ask him how he is doing he treats her like she's a nuisance.  

I can see where people who watch all 26 episodes (like myself) can feel a little better by the end.  The last 2 episodes wrap up most of the storylines in rather sappy, melodramatic ways, but they are totally unmotivated.  Imagine your boyfriend or girlfriend bails on you without a word, disappears for six months, then you almost get killed in a terrorist attack trying to visit them one last time to make sure their last hateful comments to you weren't true, only to be ignored for another several months as you recover from nerve damage and have them show up to say they finally realized that the two of you are "connected" because "all things in space are connected."  Would you accept their marriage proposal?  Didn't think so.  

FEE:  Fee Carmichael is a fun chain-smoking character who really keeps the Debris Removal Section together.  She pilots the ship, aka The Toy Box, and makes sure everyone does their jobs.  Unfortunately, she is not given much of a storyline.  She basically acts as the glue that keeps the other crazy, selfish or lazy characters from causing too much trouble too quickly in the show.  Character change in Planetes almost always means changing into a worse version of yourself - so Fee's lack of change means we still like her by the end of the story.

YURI:  Yuri Mihalkov is another great secondary character with one of the best story arcs in the series.  He is very quiet, private, rarely laughs and works as if he is actually looking for a particular piece of space debris.  Over time we learn his secret and the reasons for his pain.  We then watched him overcome these hurdles and move on as a better, stronger person.  At first I thought the entire show would follow his example.  Had they done so, it would have made for an excellent series.  

The premise for Planetes is that in the near future, there is so much space junk in orbit that it is effectively clogging the interplanetary lanes to the stars prompting the formation of debris removal teams.  In the prologue, we see a commercial spacecraft destroyed as a result of a single screw traveling at high velocities.  [SPOILERS AHEAD]  A woman watches in horror as the  screw shatters her window, killing her and almost everyone on board.  We later learn that she is Yuri's wife, and he had just given her a small compass as a gift.  Yuri spent the next several years searching for that compass in space - trying to find some final link to his wife.  The episode where he finds it - and the risks he takes to retrieve it - is one of the most emotionally rewarding in the series.  After finding it, Yuri's personality changes, but he still feels trapped by his past.  In a later episode when they take a trip to Earth to the home of Hachirota, the compass is accidentally destroyed by Hachirota's brother.  Instead of being angry, Yuri feels relief and launches the compass back into space on a small rocket he helps Hachirota's kid brother build during their vacation.  This is Yuri's final  step in the healing process.  He honored his wife by finding the compass but let the pain of her death go by sending the broken compass back into space.  It's the perfect way of saying, "I just needed to see my beloved one more time, hold her in my arms and say a final goodbye to her."  Sadly, once Yuri's character traverses his arc halfway through the series, he - much like the broken compass - just floats around in space doing nothing until the series ends.

NONO:  Nono is a sweet teenage girl who was born on the moon and can never live on Earth because her body has permanently adjusted to the Moon's low gravity.  She lives in the moonbase hospital, constantly undergoing tests because she is one of the few moon babies.  Because she is a minor character who is not given her own storyline, she is loveable and kind.  That said, her kindness doesn't really rub off on anyone - especially Hachirota - who has the most screen time with her.

CLAIRE RONDO:  One of the worst parts of the writing is how many of the characters' personalities and morals turn on a dime to fit the inconsistent whims of the story.  For 23 episodes Claire is written as a hard working woman from a third world country who scrimped and scraped her way to the top.  She volunteers for difficult assignments just to keep proving herself and climbs high up the corporate ladder.  But after taking on too much work, she starts making mistakes and is then demoted to the Debris Removal Section.  Next thing you know, she's a bitter terrorist, not caring whether she kills the very co-workers who stood by her side during her demotion.  She's then inexplicably painted as a sympathetic character who Tanabe risks her own life to save.  In her final scene, Hachirota visits her in prison where she is given a 10-year prison term for the attempted genocide of 120,000 moon residents.

HAKIM:  The exact same thing happens with Hakim Ashmead, a top ranking security officer who befriends Hachirota early on.  Both were tutored by a great man named Gigalt who taught them to be hard working, professional, upstanding gentlemen.  Hakim helps the crew of the Toy Box out of many close calls and ends up resigning along with Hachirota to try out for an astronaut position on the Jupiter mission.  Oh, yeah, I almost forgot...he's actually a terrorist who badly damages the ship with explosives.  Even worse, Hachirota is in a position to stop him not once...but twice, but can't seem to pull the trigger to disable or kill him.  For the record, Hachirota never displayed this sacred view on life when it came to helping or saving innocent people, so for him to be so haunted by the prospect of killing a man hellbent on murdering tens of thousands is ridiculous.  Even more absurd is how Hakim ALWAYS escapes.  Remember, he is on the Jupiter spaceship which is under tight security.  He plants a bomb, detonates it as Hachirota hesitates then magically shows up several episodes later on the moon where he recruits Claire.

GIGALT:    Much like Fee, Yuri & Nono, Gigalt is a great (minor) character who stays true to himself.  He ends up contracting cancer from radiation exposure (a common occurrence in space) and pleads with Tanabe not to tell his pupil, Hachirota.  Before his death, Gigalt finds out his other pupil, Hakim, is a terrorist and the look of devastation on his face is truly tragic.  But in a later episode, Hachirota is given a camera with Gigalt's final recording  where Gigalt gives him the most important advice possible:  Every man needs a home port.  In the end, Hachirota visits Gigalt's grave before leaving and promises to take a photo of Jupiter with the same camera so that Gigalt may experience it.

WERNER LOCKSMITH:  This guy makes Elon Musk look like Mother Theressa.  This is the guy in charge of the Jupiter spaceship.  He is a sociopath who doesn't care how many hundreds of people die as long as his Jupiter mission stays on schedule.  He deliberately puts the lives of all the astronaut-trainees in jeopardy.  He lies, covers up the deaths of hundreds, refuses to be transparent with the world about what his true intentions are and cares only for himself.  In all honesty, people this corrupt and morally bankrupt just don't exist (well...other than in the White House from 2016-2020.)    

I am not a contrarian who like to hate on popular shows. I am truly baffled by the high ratings and look forward to hearing other people's opinions.

If you're still on the fence about watching this show, just believe in the me that believes that you will enjoy it immensely.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is wonderful. Just wonderful.

I am an "Anime Old Timer" - someone who grew up with Akira, Ghost in the Shell and Macross who ended up seeing this gem much later in life.

What is truly remarkable about Gurren Lagann is that the limitless reserves of Spiral Power appear to be real - and proven true with each episode. Whenever I think things can't get more exciting, they do. Whenever I think there's nothing more Simon can combine ... with, I'm proven wrong. The show is all about the limitless power of imagination, believing in oneself and good old-fashioned bravado.

Some critics of the series say that whenever a situation gets worse for the characters, their power magically increases to meet (and defeat) the challenge. The key, however, is this: how do we, the audience, feel experiencing this constant escalation of conflict and power. Answer: Wonderful. Just wonderful.

To watch the various characters grow, live, die, leave, return, transform, betray, reconcile and love is the key to this show's success. If the characters remained unchanging (like many anime lineups) this may very well have been a boring show. But each Dai Gurren "power-up" has an emotional cost - a matching sacrifice the characters must make. Characters learn from one another, then teach the next generation in their greatest moment of need.

When I think back to Episode 1 where Simon is an underground digger just hoping to see a crack of daylight, to Episode 16 where civilization has been rebuilt to Episode 25 when they are fighting for survival in deepest space I am amazed at the breadth of the journey I have been taken on.

So, dear reader, throw caution to the wind and enjoy.