Demographic: Shounen
Genre: Sci-fi, Adventure, Mecha, Romance
Plot Synopsis
"Giant robots that surf in the sky on things called Transparent Light Particles"
Sure the premise to Eureka Seven is quite sketchy... but don't let yourself be fooled... This is probably the best anime released this decade.
The storyline takes place 10,000 years in the future, after humanity has made a mass exodus into space. At the start of the series, we see that humanity has settled down onto what is called "The Promised Land".
The story is of Renton Thurston, a 14 y.o. "punk" who's looking for a life bigger then the one he has. He dreams of joining the Gekkostate, a group of counterculture outlaws, and pilot an LFO, the large robots described above. He gets his oppurtuinity when the typeZERO LFO, nicknamed the "Nirvash" crash lands at his grandfather's garage. Piloting it is Eureka, a young emotionless girl, with a blood stained past. But to Renton, she is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. Soon after, Renton gets his chance to join the Gekkostate. However, he soon learns that the life he reads about, isn't actuality. Renton's journeys are solely fueled by his crush on Eureka... however these feelings quickly become something more...
Personal opinion
After watching the first 5 episodes, I felt i was watching a happier version of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Then by episode 10, it had eerie similarities to Fullmetal Alchemist. These similarities soon end and Eureka Seven takes off.
The first thing I did when I heard about this anime was read it's Wikipedia entry. Unfortunately it wasn't detailed at all. Following that I decided to watch the openings for the show and make out what i could of the plot. The first opening was enough to convince me to watch it. From battle scenes to the grand setting, it's an ideal opening for a series like it. I watched the first episode and was hooked right then. I'd never had watched a show that had gripped me that much from that early on. And it only got better.
A common complaint I got was that it takes too long for the main plot to start (all the way to episode 26), and that the first half of the series moves too slow. While i can see the former... it didn't affect me at all. In my personal opinion, the first half of the series, although slower then the remaining season, was still quite entertaining. Had the series ended there I would've given it decent reviews (3.5 ish). However upon entering the second half... the pacing picks up and the plot becomes much darker. By the final 10 episodes... Eureka Seven becomes legendary.
As a few words of warning, romance is a core theme in the series... so if you're not into lovestories... then this isn't the anime for you. Also, there aren't great extended battles, however... whatever battles there are, are quite amazing. They aren't disorienting (like in NGE and Blood+), but they are still quite grand. Eureka Seven is unique in this way; having a central romantic theme in an action based anime. At times it felt more like a shoujo (animes aimed at girls... has more romance, ie Sailor Moon) then a shounen (animes aimed at boys... has more action, ie Bleach, Naruto). An easy of putting this... Shoujo meets Shounen and Eureka Seven is the result.
Somewhere between the romance between Renton and Eureka, the dark and amazing storyline, and brilliant animations... i realized that Eureka Seven is the best and most beautiful anime i've seen thus far.
Rating: 10/10
Similar to...
- Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Fullmetal Alchemist
- D.N.Angel
