PLOT: This series was an absolute joy to watch! Extremely well put together with a multi-layered plot, memorable characters and inspired pacing – every episode was used well and contributed something to the entertainment value of Eureka Seven. The concept and studio was what attracted me to this series, and it really did not disappoint. I like mecha series in general and of course Eureka Seven contains many of the standard cliché’s of mecha anime, yet somehow this series made everything feel fresh and new. Turning the sky into an ocean and using so many familiar concepts in new ways was exciting and made for very enjoyable viewing – of course it helped that the characters where so very likeable! The amount of character development in this series was just wonderful – there are lots of characters but they were all given their moment to shine, none are superfluous and everyone has something to contribute to the plot by the end.
Eureka Seven has two clearly defined parts to it – the 1st part is mostly concerned with setting up the world, characters and making sure the viewer is comfortable with all the terminology, the 2nd part is where the main plot comes into play (and it is epic) building to a thrilling finale and a satisfying conclusion. It's difficult to fault anything really – the plot twists are well timed and I didn’t see a number of them coming (which was nice for a change!). The series has a clear message about growing up, finding your place in world and love; yet it doesn’t shove its message down your throat, instead letting the viewer form their own opinions. In short Eureka Seven completely draws you into Renton and Eureka’s adventure on board the Nirvash and Gekko-Go and I was quite sad to see the journey end – but it was an excellent ride!
ANIMATION: Fabulous production values throughout the run of this series – quite an accomplishment given its 50-episode length! BONES are one of my favourite studios as they consistently produce wonderfully animated shows – this is no exception. The LFO fights are dazzling – having the mecha surf in the sky was an inspired decision as it makes for jawdropping action scenes. Everything is fluid and there is minimal recycling of footage. The mecha designs themselves are striking and had plenty of movement. The character designs were also excellent – all the characters are very well planned and visually memorable with lots of expression. I can’t really fault anything about the visuals of this series!
MUSIC & VOICE ACTING: I adored the soundtrack. All of the OPs and EDs are great and the background music is an exciting mix of orchestral pieces and electro beats! Voice acting was excellent throughout – every character was well cast, it’s quite difficult to pick out characters, as everyone seemed to be giving their all in this show.
So all in all an excellent series, and one I’d highly recommend to all! A superior mecha series with a good balance of comedy, drama and romance – I’d urge you all to watch it!
