Eureka Seven is a masterpiece plagued by flaws. What I have trouble understanding is why I enjoyed it so much despite this. On one hand, you have beautiful cinematography, a colorful cast, and a romance that makes Kirito and Asuna look like 5th graders handing each other cards on Valentine ’s Day. On the other, you have a profusion of plot holes, one of the worst antagonists I’ve seen to date, and a very rushed conclusion. I’m going to separate the good from the bad because I feel this is the best way to categorize everything. Here we go!
Before getting started, here’s a brief synopsis:
The
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series follows fourteen-year-old Renton Thurston, son of Adroc Thurston – a military researcher who was renowned for his efforts to protect the world. He lives in the boring town of Bellforest with his grandfather, Axel. He engages in a sport known as lifting, which is similar to surfing but with a medium known as trapar waves. He often reads ray=out magazines published by a member of the airship Gekko Go, and fantasizes about becoming a member of the infamous Gekkostate, led by Holland Novak, a former soldier of the military. By chance, a strange member happens to crash into his room – piloting the legendary Nirvash typeZERO – who goes by the name of Eureka, whom he immediately falls in love with. As the military closes in to capture Eureka, Renton’s grandfather tells him to deliver his father’s creation, the Amita Drive, to the Nirvash, which ends up releasing a powerful force known as the “Seven Swell Phenomenon”, destroying everything within its radius. Intrigued by Renton, Holland invites him to join Gekkostate, who accepts wholeheartedly only to find out that life aboard the airship isn’t nearly as alluring as it seemed. Little does Renton know, this is the beginning of a journey that will change the fate of the world. Will he be able to work alongside the mysterious pilot, Eureka, and the less-than-glamorous Gekkostate?
The Good (aesthetics, cast, themes):
The animation is done by Bones studio who produced series such as Soul Eater, Darker than Black, and Fullmetal Alchemist. They did an impeccable job. Aerial combat is very fluid and each battle scene is complimented by astounding background music. Character designs are fairly modest creating a sense of normalcy, even though the story takes place thousands of years in the future; there are no risks taken in this area with outlandish costumes, which can be very hit or miss – usually the latter. One of the most impressive feats lies in the setting. The producers clearly allocated a lot of time into creating an exceedingly detailed atmosphere with breathtaking results.
Eureka Seven features a broad collection of characters. They are all very unique and original. Their interactions with each other are enjoyable to watch and once the main protagonist, Renton, joins the fray he incites a lot of change in their behaviors. As a result, there is a hefty degree of character development in both the main and supporting cast; it is amazing to see them evolve over the course of 50 episodes, which is plenty of time to see significant growth.
The supporting cast is the source of most of the comic relief, a much needed sentiment since the plot can become Attack-on-Titan-esque at times. They even go as far as giving Renton an “important” mission just to publicly humiliate him on camera. He tends to be at the short end of the stick a majority of the series, which helps counter the intolerable aspects of his personality, namely his immaturity. Luckily, he has quite a few heroic moments and becomes more likable as the series progresses.
The plot touches on some very interesting themes such as the morality of war, religious persecution, and coexistence between species, but in the end it’s the relationship between Renton and his significant other, Eureka, that overshadows everything else while the others are barely delved into. These two build upon their relationship starting from the first episode all the way to the end; even when they’re apart they manage to strengthen their relationship through pure introspection. They don’t fall in love instantly either. In fact, it’s incredibly one-sided, initially due in part to Eureka somewhat lacking primal human emotions – unfortunately, I can’t expound on that without spoiling anything. Their relationship is definitely the driving force behind this anime and I enjoyed every second of it.
The Bad (underlying plot, main antagonist, pacing):
While Eureka Seven has some spectacular moments that deserve praise and that I absolutely cherished, they could not hide the undoubtedly large plot holes and poor execution of the main plot, which is a shame because there was a lot of potential. The set up within the first few episodes is vague in that it did not explain what the purpose of the vagrant group “Gekkostate” is nor did it introduce the main antagonist, Colonel Dewey Novak, very well (more on that later). It isn’t until over half way through the series that it becomes evident what they’re trying to accomplish, and even then it seems to lack direction until the final arc. At one point, Renton even explicitly states that Gekkostate doesn’t seem to possess a clear motive. It’s obvious they are fighting the military, but why? I found myself asking that question a lot. Often times, I was more focused on the antics of the supporting cast and the Renton-Eureka love story than the main plot because of this.
Many of the elements presented in the plot go largely unexplained as well (origins of LFOs, trapar waves, despair sickness, etc.) By the end, I had so many questions left unanswered. One in particular that really bugged me was the specifics of something known as the “Ageha Plan”, proposed by Renton’s late father, Adroc. It supposedly describes the truth behind the coexistence between humans and “scab coral”, but is only lightly touched upon.
Now for the enigma of a main antagonist. If it wasn’t the aimlessness of Gekkostate that mystified me, it was Colonel Dewey Novak. There are two huge issues with him: 1) He barely shows up throughout the series; aside from a scene of him smirking here and there, he isn’t important until the final arc. 2) His motives lack even more direction than Gekkostate’s; I wish I could say more without spoiling anything, but let me just say there is almost no basis for his actions or claims. The supporting antagonists are far more viable and interesting. He proved to be quite an underwhelming antagonist.
The pacing is good until the last few episodes. I wish they would have stretched out the conclusion into two or three more episodes because a lot happens – emphasis on “a lot”. The buildup happened so quickly I barely had time to process everything that had just occurred, which made me feel slightly less than satisfied with the conclusion. There were some loose ends along with the unexplained elements that would have made for a much better ending had they been clarified.
There was also one of the most random, pointless filler episodes I’ve ever seen. Episode 39 involves them playing soccer. Yes, soccer. In amidst all of the chaos, one of the crew members says something along the lines of, “Hey guys! I know we’re being chased by the military and the world is in danger, but let’s engage in a friendly game of soccer! OHOHOHO!” No reason behind it, or at least one that’s explained. It was definitely a surprise when it came up and I definitely could have lived without it.
Overall:
To love this anime, you’re going to have to overlook the main plot. It’s just stable enough to keep you engaged, but it will most likely come second to romance. If you’re looking for a complex and well thought out plot, you won’t be impressed with Eureka Seven. However, if you’re interested in an action-packed adventure with a romantic plot, this anime may be for you.
Although I had a lot of complaints, I couldn’t help but adore this anime. My eyes were glued to the screen the entire time and I would definitely watch it again.
I hope this review helped! Feedback is appreciated (:
Feb 4, 2016
Koukyoushihen Eureka Seven
(Anime)
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Eureka Seven is a masterpiece plagued by flaws. What I have trouble understanding is why I enjoyed it so much despite this. On one hand, you have beautiful cinematography, a colorful cast, and a romance that makes Kirito and Asuna look like 5th graders handing each other cards on Valentine ’s Day. On the other, you have a profusion of plot holes, one of the worst antagonists I’ve seen to date, and a very rushed conclusion. I’m going to separate the good from the bad because I feel this is the best way to categorize everything. Here we go!
Before getting started, here’s a brief synopsis: The ... Jan 4, 2015
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