As expected of Enokido, the story of Star Driver is one that can be appreciated on multiple levels. At its most basic level, Star Driver is about a teenage boy, Takuto Tsunashi, with an infectiously positive personality who ventures to an island off the coast of Japan in order to find his father. On this island, Takuto, who reveals himself to be “the Galactic Pretty Boy,” finds himself caught in a series of mecha (or Cybody, as they're known as in the show) battles that take place in an alternate dimension, known as Zero Time, against other teenagers, who make up a group known as the Glittering Crux, with the purpose being to protect, or destroy, the Cybodies of the island’s shrine maidens, which upon their destruction would allow Cybodies to be used in the real world. The series tends to follow an episodic “villain of the day” format. Some viewers may dislike the episodic nature of the series, but it's this structure that allows us to know the cast much better, and the moments that break the formula become all the more impactful for it. Although the Glittering Crux are our antagonists, they aren't evil, just high school students struggling with growing up in their own ways. On top of that, the focus of Star Driver isn't the Cybody battles, which are as beautiful as they are brief, just like how Utena wasn’t about sword fighting duels, it's the high school students that pilot them and the inherent struggles of youth, with close attention paid to the phenomena of love. Like in Utena, everyday life segments that make up Star Driver vary in tone; some are as flamboyant and satisfyingly-ridiculous as those you would see in Ouran, while others take a dramatic turn. Ingrained in the story is the conflict of being born and raised on a small, isolated island; in such a setting. Character struggle to determine whether they have a duty to follow tradition or are free to follow their aspirations. On another, deeper, level, the story is about the experience of trios. Many characters of the cast make up their own respective trios of friends, and one of the most subtle but engaging aspects of Star Driver is observing how these trios differ. The dynamics and personalities in these groups cause them to experience different struggles, and seeing how they overcome the conflicts that arise as a result of their relationships is one of the most engaging parts of the series. The characters of Star Driver tend to be fairly well-written, although some are expanded upon more than others. The show has a very large cast, so some members of the ensemble are more-or-less deemed insignificant compared to their peers. Star Driver isn’t perfect. At times, the story and lore can be confusing, there is a fair amount of terminology, although it isn’t overwhelming by any means, and some things you may think are important the plot or lore of the series are ignored. The ensemble cast may have been too large. But at the end of the day, Star Driver’s story is still comprehensible and the flaws don’t detract significantly from the experience.
The designs are great throughout the series. The designs of the characters are as vibrant as their personalities. The characters of Star Driver are birthed from a diverse color palette, and it’s interesting how the colors swap to fit the setting, such as the bright colors during school-life scenes or the darker purples during Glittering Crux scenes. The costumes of the Glittering Crux in particular are pretty cool. When it comes to mecha anime, however, the designs of the mecha are vital. In this regard, Star Driver is quite unique. Some viewers may be put off by the slender frame of most of the Cybodies, which differ heavily from those found in Gundam. However, I found the designs very refreshing and visually-appealing. That’s not to say there are some weird costumes and Cybodies, but they’re easy to overlook given how strong the other designs are, and if anything, they not-as-good ones will make you laugh (like the torso-sections of the costumes of a certain duo that appear in the later half of the series).
Star Driver is produced by Bones, so it's not a surprise that the animation is well above what you would expect from most anime. The animation is generally very good. Lines are clean and movement is fluid. Cybody fights in particular are beautifully animated, even if they are short. Because of the show’s episodic nature, animation does get reused. Typically, before a Cybody fight begins, the viewer will see about 50 seconds of the same footage in which the “villain of the day” enters their Cybody and Zero Time opens. During part of this sequence is some noticeable CG, but it isn’t there for very long and the anime is generally pretty free from the intrusion of noticeable computer-generated animation outside of some effects to make Zero Time more unearthly. Also, even though this sequence is formulaic, it is nonetheless exciting, as the different pilots will change the sequence slightly, and throughout the series these sequences are accompanied by great music with vocals. The animation for some of Takuto’s attacks also gets reused, as well as the sequence in which Tauburn, the name of Takuto’s Cybody, enters Zero Time, as well as that in which he transforms into the Galactic Pretty Boy, although they are animated so beautifully I can’t fault them for getting their mileage out of these sequences. I never got tired of them, but their status as recycled is noticeable to any observer.
Sound is a category in which Star Driver excels, whether you are speaking about the voice acting or music. Miyano Mamoru does a fantastic job as Takuto, but it doesn't stop there. The most important members of the cast are also voiced by talented individuals. The soundtrack for the series is also great. Each of the 4 maidens has their own song which they sing throughout the series. The songs do a good job of hyping up the viewer for the battle that immediately follows. The non-vocal background in the series is also quite good. Not every song is memorable, but they never detract from the experience and convey the tone and atmosphere of the scenes they accompany very well; they blend in very well. Star Driver also has fantastic opening and ending sequences. The songs chosen do a good job of enhancing the animated scenes they accompany, particularly the openings which are fantastic. The great opening sequences really embody the energetic and youthful nature of Star Driver.
In short, Star Driver is entertaining and engaging because of how these different components come together. It isn't a perfect show, and some may be turned off entirely from decisions like the episodic formula, reused animation, or Enokido’s writing style, but for others, Star Driver will be a show that will resonate with their souls just as strong as masterpieces like the Tatami Galaxy because the elements may combine in a way that turns out to be exactly what the viewer wants from an anime, as it did for myself.
