Anime

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Vandread: The Second Stage

vandread2logojn1As state previously, any time there is an anime that has a second season that should be analyzed, I will take the time to break them into two different reviews. Much like I did with Valvrave the Liberator. Today its time to finish up Vandread and see if the series is able to bump itself up a bit and receive a higher rating.

The crew of the Nirvana is still on its way back to their home planets. Just as the group is starting to grow closer together some new crew members come aboard. The first is Misty, a young woman from a planet where Men and Woman coexist and Ezra’s baby, Karu gets delivered. Team members also start to grow and mature but stakes also get more intense. Can the crew save their homes or with the alien force beat them their first?

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There is a lot of growth in this series and that’s really key to any good series to have a lasting impression. Characters change and grow closer as the series progresses along. Whether its Bart’s cutting his hair in memory of a lost girl to Ezra having her baby in an trapped elevator, the second series if filled with a lot of great character moments that seemed to be lacking previoulsy. Its as if someone looked at what went wrong with the first season and did their best to improve upon it.

The series is really able to bring it home at the end. The last few episodes are an intense mix of emotions and action as the crew is broken apart, is brought back together, and just in time to fight in the final battle. Between the heroic speeches of Hibiki and the others professing that they are going to fight for their freedom and all the different friends and allies they have met coming to help them, the joy and intensity hits a high point.

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A new Mecha is introduced in the second season. A combination of three different dread ships and Hibikis Vanguard robot fuse into Vandread Hibiki (Also known as Super Vandread). The new robot is impressively strong but sadly doesn’t get to be seen more than twice in the entire series. Isn’t that how it always happens? The most destructive and powerful robot doesn’t get used as much as one would hope.

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Though this is the end of the series there is a light novel that helps to add as a prologue. Unfotunately, this book has never been translated into English so the only way to really know what happens is to read fan sites and Wikipedia. Shame too as it seemed to really have a very satisfying ending for Dita and Hibiki’s relationship.

Thanks to the fun ride with the last few episodes the series is able to come from behind and goes up in its rating. Over the course of the full run of both seasons, the show serves to be a great mixture of comedy, action, and giant robots. Check it out and see how much fan the battle between the sexes can truly be.

RATING: B

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Vandread

232094 Animes that have a lot of hype on their initial release but then fade into obscurity are not uncommon at all. Its a little surprising that this show has seemed to go that way as it had a huge fan following when it first came out. Still, its not exactly an essential series when it comes to Mecha so I guess I can see why it had that effect. It is worth discussing though so let’s dive in.

Men and women are from different planets and are at war with each other. Hibiki is a low class laborer who wants to prove himself to the rest of his fellow workers. He sneaks on board the latest warship to steal a Vanguard robot but the ship is attacked by women. In the course of the battle, the two flagships of both men and women fuse and are transported away. Now Hibiki has not choice but to work the alien obsessed Dita, the cold Meia, and flirtaous Jura and combine his Vanguard with their Dread ships to create Vandreads.

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The interactions between men and women that treat each other as aliens offers some very entertaining moments. Dita is cute with her quirk of calling Hibiki “Mr. Alien” and its adorable to see the two of them grow closer. The side romance between Duelo and Parfet is also interesting to watch but sadly they never get a really good romantic moment (not even in the second season). The series does well to showcase that it takes a combination of men and women working together to truly succeed in life.

The robots in this series are interesting but could have had a better focus. There really isn’t any data files or show moments that showcase each of the different Vandread’s full abilities. Instead each of the three has a generic specialty such as offense (Dita), defense (Jura), and speed (Meia). I personally prefer when a robots abilities are established rather than being able to pull out a special move from thin air as the situation dictates. Sadly they never thought to make technical specs for this series so each robot basically has the ability to do what it needs to when the story requires it.

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Again I won’t make the claim that the Gonzo effect is in place here. The series starts and ends on a good note with little in terms of a decline in quality of the art. This is probably right before Gonzo started to cut corners and work on getting the most anime out on as little budget as possible.

So that’s Vandread, or at least the first half. Fun bit of romantic comedy mixed with giant robots. Its worth a look but I wouldn’t spend hours trying to track it down or anything.

RATING: B

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Gurren Lagann

tumblr_mmz1cqDrNV1qi6b5eo2_1280 When I started this blog I knew there was a lot of posts that I would have to do if I wanted to prove myself as a true fan of Kaiju and Mecha. There were a lot of reviews that I knew right off the top of my head I would have to do if I wanted to showcase that I had not only seen great shows but really taken the time to analyze them. This is one of those shows. A show that every Mecha fan needs to have seen and taken to heart.

Simon is a digger who lives in an underground city and is content with working the day away drilling holes. His best friend Kamina dreams of the surface world, saying their is more to life than what they have been told. Their lives are thrown for a loop when a giant robot crashes through the roof and exposes their is a world above and its filled with creatures called Beast Men that pilot giant robots. The pair is saved by a girl named Yoko, a sniper from the surface. Simon returns the favor by using an artifact he found earlier to operate a smaller robot and save the day. Afterward, the three set out on a quest to defeat the Beast Men and prove their worth.

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Gurren Lagann isn’t just a good Mecha show but a Mecha show that reminds everyone just how entertaining the genre can be. Those who are true fans of Mecha know that sometimes after watching show after show it can often get repetitive and sometimes dull. You need a show that re-energizes your love for watching giant robots kick the crap out of one another. That’s what this show offers. It showcases giant robots, combining with other robots and getting enormous weapons just by taping into the internal power of awesomeness that lies dormant in all of us.

There are a few points that I would like to talk about with this series but I fear dropping spoilers. I pride myself on doing my best not to give too many spoilers (after all Wikipedia is stock full of them). Still I will say that the colossal events that take place are shocking and will leave you questioning whether to keep going at a certain point in the series. I urge all who watch this to finish it until the end as it is worth the ride that you take. The ending does feel a bit off but again no spoilers here. Go watch it and come back to see if you agree or disagree with what I have to say.

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This show is fun. Sometimes that’s all an anime has to be. Yes there is more to it then that and the messages that its trying to convey  such as believing in yourself and never giving up are very poignant. Still, sometimes a show just has to be fun and entertaining. And this show is that in spades. Ro, Ro fight the power.

RATING: A-

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Knights of Sidonia Season 2

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It’s time again to return to the space colony of Sidonia as it traverses the heavens in search of a new home for all humanity. The entire time they find they must fight against the alien race known as the Gauna whose mission seems to be the destruction of all mankind. This is the plot behind the series Knights of Sidonia, a show that easily won me over with its first season. Now the second season has been released but does the story keep up with the intensity it had previously?

After the events of the first season, Nagate Tanikaze is now known through all of Sidonia as an Ace Pilot. Elsewhere his rival, Kunato becomes infected with a Gauna parasite in the lab of the legendary scientist Ochiai. Under its control Kunato kidnaps the Gauna recreated Hoshigino and begins running experiments on her. The pair soon emerge as a pilot and Gauna the size of a robot who now calls herself Tsumugi. Tanikazi must continue to fight against the enemies invading outside and the growing threat inside the colony of Sidonia while learning more about the incredibly friendly giant Tsumugi.

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The second season doesn’t waste time. That summary comes from only the first two episodes of this new season. The Gauna/Human hybrid who talks like a polite young lady is introduced in the first episode in the heat of battle. The ending of the second episode alone is jaw dropping and is so intense I dare not any spoilers talking about it. We also see Isane choose a gender but considering she was set up a long time ago to be Tanikazi’s love interest this should be no surprise to anyone. There is character growth here and I am all for it.

The newest cast member to be introduced, the Hybrid, Tsumugi really steals the show. She’s a sweetheart, innocent girl who happens to be as big as a giant robot and uses a penis shaped appendage to interact with others. I know how odd that sounds but trust me she really is a fascinating character. Her innocence adds to the charm of the show and allows a much needed break from the intensity of parasites plotting a conspiracy that will affect the future of all of Sidonia.

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The show does increase its comedy incidents but the drama increases as well. I mean the moments with the ever growing love triangle can be frustrating at time but then in the next scene the Gauna are attacking and people are getting destroyed because the menace is just too great. It does feel like a roller coaster at times though with all of the up and downs that you go on as the viewer which is a negative against it.

Unfortunately, the season finally doesn’t wrap up any thing and still hints that there is a lot of story with these characters left to be told. I’m looking forward to more but sadly I don’t know when the 3rd season is coming. The series is a lot of fun and with a solid finale it could very well be one of the greatest Mecha shows in the history of anime. For now though it still has some faults and gets the same rating as the previous season. Watch it but its still missing the bump needed to call it a masterpiece.
RATING: B

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Macross II: Lovers Again

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A bad sequel is nothing new to any franchise. A sequel that is so bad that people wish it isn’t exist at all isn’t uncommon at all. Few shows are so terrible that they are never referred back to again even when series set after it are made.

Hibiki Kanzaki is a reporter out to find the truth behind the next big scandal and tries to look into ace pilot Silvia Cena. Just as he thinks he’ll never find that one big story, a new race of aliens known as the Mardook invade earth. The new UN Spacy is quick to counter their invasion with their tried and true strategy, the Minmei defense. Unfortunately, these invaders have their own songstresses whose singing throws the pilots into chaos. As Hibiki gets lost in the battle he comes across one of the alien singers named Ishtar and takes her back to Earth. Will Hibiki be able to show Ishtar that human culture shouldn’t be exterminated?

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There are a lot of good reasons why this series is not popular with the Macross fanbase and Mecha fans in general. First off as a Macross sequel the show feels very sloppily pit together without much thought on world building (and you reader know I love my world building). This is evident in the fact that despite 8- years passing the Earth still seems to be centered around the decommissioned Macross fortress. Shouldn’t the humanity/zentrati society have redeveloped more of the earth by now? Silvia mentions that her grandmother was Zentrati so that means that it has been many years already but there isn’t many shots of other locations that would help the watcher to know that the world is bigger than the one city that the story take place.

Also can we talk about the the Minmei defense for a second. Why is this the only means of protecting the Earth? I know it can work for when a series has never experienced culture before for shock factor but is that really what they are banking on? Shouldn’t they have created some kind of high tech laser defense grid or something? Maybe had a few different Macross class cruisers on standby just in case the appearance of a malevolent alien fleet appears.

The movie/OVA (not like it matters, neither way of watching this things makes it any more salvageable) does introduce one interesting feature and that is a new Mecha. The VA-1SS Metal Siren is a one mech with the super mode which is cool but seems out of place.Still it is pretty interesting to watch this new machine tear through the battlefield destroying the enemy fleet.

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Also the love triangle feels rushed and not done properly. The entire series seems to be pointing to the idea that Ishtar and Hibiki should be together but then at the last minute they decide that he and Silvia should be together instead. If that had gone with the better love story of Ishtar and Hibiki then the show might have been saved. I said MIGHT.

Also to add a cherry atop this crap sundae, they also destroy the Macross. The Macross!? The original, unbeatable fortress is destroyed except for the bridge where Ishtar is singing to reach out to her fellow songstresses and get them to change sides. The power of music protected her and somehow keeps the floating head of the destroyed robot fortress together. Sure, whatever as long as it helps this anime end faster.

If it hasn’t become apparent by now, you should probably not watch this series. I cant even recommend it to the die hard Macross fan as they already have the less than interesting parts of Macross 7 to get through. I still have to sit down and watch that series myself. Might have to watch something else with jets that transform into robots to wash the taste of this out of my mouth.

RATING: D

 

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Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet

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Fish out of water stories in Mecha animes usually follow a specific formula. What happens is that a person from a “normal” world falls through a portal and arrives in a world where Giant Robots are more common place. This series is much different. In this show, the character brings his own Giant Robot to the party.

Ledo is an Ensign with the Galactic Alliance who is paired with the giant robot, Chamber. Together the two of them work to destroy the alien race called Hideauze who’s goal is to eliminate humanity. During a mission he is knocked into a wormhole and awakes up on Earth. Here, the people live a much different life and are at first hesitant on welcoming the strange visitor with a giant robot. A young messenger named Amy helps him to adapt to their way of existing and shows him that their is life outside of the battle field.

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The set up of this anime is the most interesting part of the series. Here we see a world this is basically a more pleasant version of Waterworld (Yes, the Kevin Costner flick). Unlike that film though everyone is very vibrant and full of energy and color instead of dirty, drab, and antisocial. The world also has kind of a steampunk feel to it which I know will get a lot of people interested in knowing more about

The characters in this series are very fun and offer a unique perspective. Ledo who only knows how to be a giant robot pilot for combat but for the most part such skills are not needed in this world. He now has to learn how to get along in this new world and be able to help the new friends that he makes. Amy is the energetic girl who helps Ledo to get accosted to this new world, teaches him compassion, and also thinks that he is pretty cute. There’s is a more sweet than passionate romance. Also, support characters like the feisty salvager Bellows helps to give support to our two main characters and are also interesting on their own. A viewer will easily walk away from this series with a favorite character.

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The robot of this series is a character himself. Chamber acts as a translator for Ledo as he gets used to the language on the planet. He also offers the whole, “AI learning about humans” aspect that is sweet in this case. He kicks a lot of butt but is sadly overpowered on this new planet. Its only later in the series that he actually gets a decent opponent but it takes a while to get to that point. One more fight where he actually had a challenge would have been nice.

What I really like most about this series is that its so self contained. Yes 2 OVAs have been created since but they aren’t necessary to fully enjoy this series. Its a simple 13 episode series that tells a good story about a young solider, his giant robot buddy, and the cute messenger girl that wants to be his special someone. Its the kind of mecha series that is approachable even to those who aren’t fans of giant robots. One of the biggest difficulties that anime fans (and more specifically mecha anime fans) face is being able to recommend a show or movie that isn’t heavy or requires explanations before watching. This one is easy to pick up, enjoy, and its currently on Netflix. Grab a friend and check it out.

RATING: B+

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Colossal News: Adult Iron GX

Hmm. That title sounds like some kid of vitamin supplement. Anyways a lot of articles have surfaced for once again its time for COLASSAL NEWS.

CJaFt2SUsAAqIvFirst up, the cult film and childhood favorite of many, the Iron Giant will be returning to theaters this fall. Fathom events will be having special screenings of the film and this release will apparently include new scenes. I still have to review this movie for the blog but let’s be honest. This one is an automatic A.

Next up is information on the new Mobile Suit Gundam series has been released. The new show will be called Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans and is set to debut in October 4th of this year. There is also talks of streaming it here in America but I hope they figure out a better way then the YouTube channel of GundamInfo which won’t let me watch the English Subs of Reconquista in G here in the states. keyvisual01-144503

Also, if anyone was wondering about where the Gundam Review are on this site and how I can keep calling myself a Mecha fan without ever touching the Franchise I have good news. I am working on making “Gundam Month” where I will have an entry everyday covering a series or movie in the Franchise. I’m still working on getting all those review together so give me a bit. They are coming I promise.

News has also surfaced of a new Transformers cartoon that will be directed at adults. Gaming and media website Machinima will be helping to create the show which will air on their website. The cartoon is said to be based on the IDW comic series, which has helped to produce some of the best Transformer story lines ever. Trust me if your a Transformers fan and not reading those comics then you are missing out.

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Finally in a historical first Crunchyroll will be simultaneously broadcasting a Tokusatsu show as its running in Japan. The show is the latest entry into the Ultraman Franchise, called Ultraman X. Check out the Facebook for the usual small comments about the episodes as they come out.

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That`s all for now. Untiil next time, GO BIG OR GO HOME! Still working on my sign out.

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Beast King Go-lion


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I’m going to go retro on this review. I mean really retro to the point that this anime came out before a lot of people who read this were even born. This was one of the first animes I ever saw and it became a classic to many. Americans recognize it more under the name Voltron: Defender of the Universe. Though I’ve seen a great of the American adaptation I will instead be looking at the original anime, Beast King Golion.

After they return to Earth and find it destroyed, 5 explorers (who go by the nicknames Chief, Quiet, Moody, Shorty, and Hothead) get captured by the evil forces of the Galra Empire. Escaping to the planet Altea, the 5 five find a castle and the planet’s ruler, Princess Fala. Entrusted the keys to the five robot lions by the Princess, the explorers set out and fight against the invading forces of Galra. When they need more power, the lions combine into the ultimate warrior, The Beast King Golion.

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I’m taking a different approach with this show and I’m gonna focus more on the steps to adapt this show for an American Audience. On the plus side, the original has a few things going for it. First off there is death. Quiet (Sven in the original), that monster that Shorty (Pidge, who had the worst adaptation name ever) befriended, and even Lady Hys all buy the farm. This really raises the stakes of the battles they fight. Also there is no Galaxy Garrison as this was an added feature that would later be used to connect the series to the Vehicle Voltron Series (originally known as Armored Fleet Dairugger XV). The Garrison isn’t needed as the team was originally just explorers who came back to and found earth destroyed by the thermonuclear war. The human race destroyed itself and the bad guys just happened to show up to collect anyone alive for their entertainment. Also the team gets to watch Earth get destroyed. Sorry Earth. You had a good run.

The are some negative aspects that were changed by the shows conversion when it came to America though. For starters the company added some songs. The original anime used the opening song (which was lacking to say the least) over and over again, especially when the robots combine. meanwhile, Voltron was overflowing with 80s synthesizer goodness. Also, the voice over during the combination is not there and feels missing with it. I found myself saying “Form Feet and Legs” as the fusion took place. Its a small missing piece but give that it happens every episode it becomes very noticeable.

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The robot is iconic even to this day. Made up of five lion robots each powered by a different element, these machines come together to form an impressive warrior. Seems like every other episode this combined machine is pulling out a new weapon or power. Still, to finish the monster of the week off, Golion forms the Juoken (10 Kings Sword) aka the Blazing Sword to slice the monster apart. This is cool but can get a bit old considering its the only finishing move used and it almost never fail.

The series does get a bit repetitive but still there is something to enjoy here as long as a person can get over the aging animation. Still, I can understand where people would be hesitant to come back to this show. Without my nostalgia for the series I found myself finding it difficult to keep watching. Somethings just aren’t as awesome as we remember them.

Rating: B

 

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Space Dandy

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With the way that anime is aired these days there are usually two seasons of a show with a break in between them (unless said show only gets 12-13 episodes). If a lot happens in both seasons then I will take the time to review the seasons individually (much like I’m doing with Valvrave the Liberator. Season 2 review comes later this year folks). If the story just continues to the point you can’t tell when the new season starts then I’ll simply review it as a whole. Today’s series fits right into the later category. A series that takes place…IN SPACE.

I’ll just let the opening narration do the job of summarizing the series.

Space Dandy. He’s a dandy guy in space. He combs the galaxy like his pompadour on the hunt for aliens. Planet after planet he search, discovering new creatures both friendly and not. These are the spectacular adventures of Space Dandy and his brave space crew in space.

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Space Dandy is best described as being random. Each episodes focuses on him with his pals QT (a cleaning robot) and Meow (a cat alien who loves his phone) looking for rare aliens. The characters experience a lot of random and often character changing events including being turned into zombies and destroying the universe they were residing in. These changes never stick though and the characters reset every episodes as if nothing happened at all. It makes it a series you don’t really appreciate as a whole but more appreciate for its individual parts. There are single episodes that are fun and memorable such as the one where Scarlet and Dandy go on a date or when the team meets alternate versions of themselves from different universes.3984178-1123055438-72594

The series does fall under the category of mecha as Dandy does a space ship that turns into a giant robot wearing a Hawaiian shirt. You read that right. Of course thanks to the randomness that the series experiences it crosses the lines of a lot of different genres including high school life and time travel.

The series is the one of the latest (found out about the series Terror in Resonance as I was writing the review) from Shinichiro Watanabe the legendary director of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo. Does Space Dandy measure up to the director’s previous work? Yes and No. No, it isn’t as ground breaking as Cowboy Bebop or as dramatic as parts of Samurai Champloo but that doesn’t mean its terrible. It seems like it has a purpose. Some of it feels like Watanabe was using Space Dandy as an experiment. As if he was trying to figure out which genre he liked most so he know what type of story he wants to tell next. Worst series have been produced by directors being experimental Let us not forget Shoji Kawamori’s Earth Maiden Arjuna. Wait, most of the fans already forgot about that. Dandy_Zombies

Space Dandy is fun at the very least. It’s not a total failure from a great director or his finest hour but it is entertaining. We can only hope that this experiment has helped to train him to deliver another masterpiece that will be stored forever in the halls of anime fandom. Hopefully something with Giant Robots in it.

RATING: B

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Valvrave the Liberator

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You’d think Sunrise as a studio wouldn’t need to make any more robot series. After all they are the studio that makes all the Gundam shows. Still, despite a near monopoly on mecha, they eventually make other series in an effort to launch a new franchise. Though they may never be as enormous of a franchise as Gundam they are still entertaining in some extent as long as they have a draw that sets the series apart from others, memorable. The draw of this series: LOTS of blood.

Haruto Tokishima is a boy who is just trying to live an ordinary High School life and let his crush, Shoko, know how he feels. His world is thrown upside down when enemy forces from Dorssia attack the Module that he lives on and almost kill Shoko. Thinking she is dead, Haruto enters into the Valvrave, a mysterious red robot that allows him to fight off the Dorssia horde. After the battle is over, he is approached by the Dorssia spy L-Elf, who shoots Haruto repeatedly in the chest killing him. Haruto revives a few minutes later and sinks his teeth into L-Elf’s neck…which ends the first episode.

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This show starts out extreme and doesn’t slow down at all. It has something of a “Game of Thrones” feel to it, a series which has a reputation of killing of large portions of its cast dying in order to advance the story. Likewise, the anime doesn’t mind killing a few of its characters quite often to advance the plot (a lot more in the second season but that’s a review for another time). The new form that the Valvraves (yes there is more than one) gives to their pilots allows them to be hurt a lot but survive from it, which explains why Haruto is able to survive after being shot in the chest in the first episode. That aside, there are characters that won’t even make it out of the first five episodes.

The robots are very unique. Much like a series like Gundam Wing, each of the suits is a powerhouse on its own with its own special abilities that distinguishes it from others. Haruto’s own robot does an impressive energy attack that allows him to destroy an entire fleet of ships with a swing of his sword. They are also given an interesting weakness in even though they are self powered, if the robot gets too hot it will shut itself down. Very interesting way to cap very powerful machines.

The use of social networking is actively addressed in this show. From the students using it to gain support to Haruto’s phone being overrun with friend requests after its revealed he is the pilot of the giant robot, the anime does a nice job showcasing what would happen when a world with giant robots has something like Facebook. One of the other pilots, Saki, uses social media to help to restart her career as an idol once after she makes her transformation. The show uses social media to also point out how fast information can travel and how the world can be aware of what is going around at a moments notice.

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The show, especially its first season was an intense ride that had me going the entire time. I was watching this show as soon as it dropped on Crunchyroll. The show is action packed and has some very interesting Mecha designs. I do wonder though if the series has truly become noteworthy though. I mean the show ended back in January of 2014 and I haven’t really heard that many people scream their love of it since it ended. Was it just a flicker in the dark or are more people holding it close to their hearts then I know?

Rating: A-