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Almost everything that has happened until now are on my "please don't let THAT happen"-list. I hate everything that has happened; in fact, I hate the whole show. But the sheer emotional impact each episode leaves me with is enough for me to want more, hoping for the "please let it end well" or something similar. Each episode has its own denouement, only to be completed by the best ED I've ever heard: Reiko Yasuhara's "Lullaby...". It's a true tear-jerker, I must say.

Whether or not you like emotional animes, concentrating on the character's psychology rather than immediate character development, this is an anime that will ... truly reach your heart, and open your eyes to what war really is, and that in a way that is sky-high in comparison to modern war documentaries "from the soldier's own eyes" and all of that. This pictures the soldiers, the victims, the perpertrators, the survivors.

Opening each and every episode with "Because ten billion years' time is so fragile, so ephemeral, it arouses such a bittersweet, almost heartbreaking fondness", it tells us simply why the characters continue to live, and exactly WHY they live.

The anime was done in 1999 and 2000. I must say: I can't tell the difference between usual stuff from the 2005-6 from this anime. The artwork is brilliant for its era, easily giving off its intended impact on the visual end.

Although the artwork is very good (note: VERY good), it is far from as good on the audio end. The sounds sound dated, and effects like gun fire and growling stomachs (yes, when you're hungry, y'know) sound like taken from the 80s western "Dirty Harry"-esque movies (except for the growling stomachs. That one sounds like a rubber band being stretched in a children's cartoon). But y'know what? The dialogue and the musical compositions are far from being dated, in my opinion. The voice acting is superb, again giving off the real essence of the situation at hand. This is coupled with a musical score that really knows when to leave you in utter silence, only to dwell upon the piece of emotional dilemma put before you.

As I am writing this review, I'm thinking "will this be enough?" and "will the reader get a good picture of what kind of anime this is?" and last, but most importantly if you ask me "Will the reader decide to watch this anime after reading this review?". I can simply answer to myself on the first one "No." Simple words cannot summarize this anime in whatever way it may be. Words can't carry on the dark and sad tones brought to you by the animes voice acting, art, sound effects and especially script. If you truly want to know what war does to everyone involved, then I ask of you to watch this anime. You will either hate it, or love it. I myself hate what is happening (only watched 11 episodes yet), but I hope for a good ending; an ending to the horrors I see here.

I am sure I've forgotten something vital in this review, but that'll have to do; no matter how much I polish this review, it'll still remain as an incomplete, imperfect representation of my thoughts about this anime.

Even though I say a lot of the anime is bad (sound, for example), the plotline, the characters, the voice acting and the variety of ways to make you say "Oh, no..." in a sad way truly makes up for it by far. This anime has earned my 10. The writers on this one aren't holding back on the punches at all. They're going all out, and you can really feel it. This is the kind of anime I love: the ones that give it all they've got.

Edit: Watched the last episodes now. I stand by my 10 with no regret whatsoever.

"War doesn't determine who's right, only who's left." -Bertrand Russel
A recurring fact throughout the anime.