Dec 30, 2024
Main - 5.0/10
For one, this anime has zero nostalgic value for me. I don't watch old anime, and it came out from before I was born. As such, I can say with a clear mind that it's far from an extraordinary mecha series. The fights are alright, mostly because of the music. Nothing interesting is done with the mechas themselves: their designs are basic, and all of it is quite unimaginative. The sci-fi elements are lackluster, though I guess that is to be expected for an anime from 1997.
Story / Plot - 7.0/10
The plot is straightforward but manages to hold your attention. Earth has successfully
...
colonized space, but its colonies, known as Next, have gained independence and are now in a war with their home planet. On Earth, a faction called Terra is unhappy with the status quo, and that's about it. Unfortunately, the political tension never really takes priority and we're not shown much reason for as to why these factions are in conflict. We were given a single conversation about the relationship between Earth and Terra (which felt more like a collection of throwaway lines than something important), and pretty much nothing about the tension between Next and Earth. Instead, the narrative focuses on this rogue mecha, SAC (or S for short), causing chaos as everyone scrambles to capture it. What makes the story passable are the characters.
Non-Plot - 7.0/10
The show managed to make me connect with the gang, and there's a lot of pay-off once it sort of connects to the main-plot (like, for example, how we know some information about a character that others don't, which makes a subsequent development even sadder).
Humour - 7.0/10
Humor is sparse, and what little exists is moreso endearing than laugh-out-loud funny.
Fan-Service Toleration - 9.0/10
Luckily no fan-service, except for a really weird borderline pedo-bait scene which felt insanely out of place.
Dialogue - 9.0/10
Lots of really good, memorable lines. Character interactions were always really fun to watch, which is why I can only lament there not being any focus on the politics of the world.
World-Building - 5.0/10
The miniscule amount of focus the world-building gets is almost immersion-breaking. There was apparently some big war at some point in the story which all the side-characters took part in and which seems to kick-start the whole tension between factions thing, but it's just never expanded upon. Super weird, super lazy.
Characters - 9.0/10
As I said before, the characters are what make the show worth watching for me. While Jay isn't the best of main characters for the majority of the show, once he's actually given an opportunity to shine, he has some really cool lines. A common theme in this show is that it'll just decide to leave you in the dark on some characters' backstory, which is simultaneously a shame and something I enjoyed. For example, I really didn't care to know what EACH of the members of the gang was up to through the course of their lives, but for some (like Jay) it feels as though you're literally being limited. Like, I WANT to know what sort of experiences Jay had during the war, it's one of those defining experiences in a character. Especially with the show occasionally egging me on, making me expect backstory, just to not deliver any in the end.
Similarly, Balzak is a drunk, borderline depressed war veteran. His whole thing is making himself famous during the war, having PTSD due to the war, being depressed due to the war, so on. And yet, the war ITSELF is never expanded upon, so it feels super weird, literally like a handicap.
Camel is one of those edgy characters whose job is to smoke, drink, look cool and be horny. However, he surprisingly ended up being my favourite character, not only because there actually is some depth to him, but also cause the way he interacts with other characters is by far the most fun out of all of them.
The rest of the gang is likable, Rodney is mostly left out and completely forgettable though (save for his fucking GROTESQUE design). Terra’s leader and his advisor went through the most character development, and were quite fun to watch. Captain Aoi adds a fun dynamic to the mix. I liked it.
Visuals - 7.25/10
All over the place. There's a scene where 3 mechas descend into a shaft, so they have the animation of one mecha jumping down play three times. However, at other times there's scenes I genuinely LIKED, as in I found them pretty and well animated. Either way, even with stiff animation, the direction stays imaginative throughout. You'd expect dull angles or lifeless compositions in anime like this, but it's actually really well "directed".
Sound - 9.5/10
The soundtrack is nothing short of phenomenal. I'd give both my kidneys to be able to find it somewhere and just listen to it every day. It's honestly what makes the show work for me. The voice acting, while not extraordinary, gets the job done.
Enjoyment - 7.8/10
Despite its flaws, there’s something undeniably enjoyable about this anime. It may not be a masterpiece, but it has its moments, and the characters, dialogue, and soundtrack make it worth the watch.
"If I didn't like X, should I drop it?" Here's my guide on this.
If you disliked the goofy, campy tone of the ending to episode 1, you won't like the ending, but you'll probably like the middle portion. If you just cannot feel yourself connecting to the gang, then you should drop. Episode 3 is really good (save for the awkward portions with the kid) and if you didn't enjoy the soundtrack in this episode or didn't care for the characters, you should maybe consider dropping. Either way, I'd say Episode 6 is when the show becomes truly good, so at least try to watch until then.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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