Although story takes place during a war, it concentrates on the mental and moral aspect of conflict. The main characters are involved in a fight which leads to no benefit at all. Like in a game, the only result is that one party will win over the other. They become cogs in a warfare machine, their humanity is slipping away with every angagement with the enemy. Their life has no meaning at all, once they die new soldiers will be manufactured to fight and step in the same way as new planes are constructed when some get shot down.
The story may seems not to be told to the very end, which in most cases is a great thing. It gives the viewer the incentive to think of what more would happen in the conflict and therefore it makes him contemplate not only on the aspect of war but also on the aspect of what it means to be human.
The art is breat taking, it seems realistic, the air battles are a particular highlight to it. It is also worth to notice how the chracters travel to different places, all of which have been designed to the greatest detail, such as the writings on the wall of a building.
The only flaw of this gem is the fact that sometimes the chracter animation seems stiff. This is mostly the result of the poor eye animation. The eyes of all the characters seem empy, as if they had no soul left even in the moments whan that part of them is emphasizing its existence.
The sound is a masterpiece. It's melancholic, nostalgic and dramatic. Although the tones are simple they perfectly fit with the story, along with it they go to the root of the human soul. The voice of Ayaka which we can hear during the closing titles adds value to an already outstanding score creating a memorable experience.
Although the characters seem to be merely tools in a war machine, somehow the viewer develops a bond of pity with them, which I find to be a good thing since it makes the audiance want to learn from the story of the character they are watching. The tragism of who they are seems to be illuminating from them leaving an everlasting impression.
Despite the fact that the flaws of the movie are noticealbe to say the least, because of its philosophical value I personally enjoyed it to an extent which cannot be described with mere words.
If you are looking for something to stimulate your mind into thinking about what it means to be human, you have my word this movie is just what you are looking for. If you want only to kill some time, leave it for another time and watch something less engaging.
