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I would have to say that I really enjoyed this series. I'd have to say it was something new and original, I've never seen a show built around this type of plot and that made it really worth watching in my opinion.

The art was..different. when I first started watching it I thought the show had a horrible sense of hair and body design; all the characters had big noses and receding hairlines, but I got over that quickly and started to enjoy what a unique form of art this show had to offer.
The character designs actually weren't that bad, they were quite good in ... fact! Though while some characters seemed to have issues with their hair and noses, quite a few of them were beautifully done and very pretty to look at. The colors were soft and well blended; It had a good feeling about it, and even though it took a while to get used to the designs I came to enjoy them quite a bit.
The art of the world they were in was different as well. The 3D effects blended well with the environment (though at times they looked out of place, it cant really be avoided). The ships, or Simoun, that the show was based on as well as the other things that were flying around has a nice archaic or Roman/French/Italian feel to them. This was a real surprise seeming that I never thought that such a design could be used in such a fashion. Not to mention the 'Colored Pencil' drawings that poped up every so often in the series during dramatic moments gave the show some sort of a blend between digital design and hand-drawn paintings. This served to reinforce the archaic notion that the show seemed to have as one of its motifs. Sometimes the scenery itself was drawn in such a manner; and in both effects it made the show feel more original and different, not just a cookie cutter war drama. Now don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the art for this show! The rustic drawings, the intricate designs of the machinery, and unique character art made the show a thrill to watch.

The plot was incredibly original. The main idea behind the show wasn't much different; a nation that I can only assume to be the French due to the music and how the art looked was fighting against (and everyone who saw it will probably agree with me on this) Nazi Germany with their 'How the hell can that fly?' aeroplanes. Actually, both sides had said airplanes but that doesn't matter, its anime and it looked cool.
Other then the main idea being easily pulled apart, for the plot itself such an idea was only the driving factor behind the story. Though, as I reflected upon it further you could probably compare the whole thing to a typical war drama, the fact that it was laid out in such a manner would make it seem as if I'm comparing a rock to a grilled cheese sandwich. But that's what I liked about it! The story was so different that it made it nearly impossible to say 'its been done before' until after you watched it and then tried to write a review on it (at least in my case). I guess to make a long story short I can say that the plot was over used, but the story, front to back, was a very well written drama, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys such shows.
Now one thing that I went into this show knowing was 'The music was fantastic.' and 'The characters were well developed.' I'll have to agree 100% on both matters. The characters were VERY well developed, and that made me incredibly happy. The development didn't delve too much into each characters background, but it went far enough to get the feeling. What the show really did do, however, was create the characters personalities. Each character was different in their own way, had their own problems and issues, and that kept the show interesting. Not only that, but I actually found myself liking all the characters to the point where I couldn't pick a favorite. For me that's unusual, I could always pick out an archetype I enjoyed but this time I really couldn't. None of the characters stood out enough to draw attention away from the others. Some of you out there might disagree with that but that's how I saw it.

The music was, as I stated earlier, spot on with what I heard someone else say. I really enjoyed it! The background music had a French-like taste to it, and the songs that played for the opening credits and every once in a while during the show were very pretty and nice to listen to. The ending theme didn't have the sound to it that I really enjoyed, but it was on par with the opening music so it didn't stand out too much when compared to the show. What I mean by that is every once in a while your watching a show and the opening is some kind of J-Pop and the ending is a sad waltz type of thing (for an example, see Kanon. The opening and ending had very different feelings behind them.) This show avoided that brilliantly, keeping with the same feeling that the show portrayed from start to finish.

Overall, I'd have to give this show a 9. Theres really nothing keeping me from giving it a 10, so if you want to say 'Mecheye gave it a 10.' Then go ahead. The only thing really keeping me from 10'ing it is when I compare it to other shows I've 10'd, this doesn't seem to be on par with them. If anything this would be a 9.6 or so.
That fact aside, this show was great and I'd recommend it to anyone who's into drama, romance and action.

this show was fantastic! not good enough to be called a masterpiece, but very close.

as to be expected, a mecha anime usually has action in it. this is no exception. you'll get all the action you want in the short 13 episodes it has. but lets break this series down a bit.

the art was very well drawn. the drawings seemed to be rather sharp, and a wide variety of vibrant colors were used so it never seemed to get boring.
in simple terms the art was great! the way the design team meshed the computer generated design of the ship with the standard art of ... the show itself was astounding. if your not really sure what i mean, there are several shows where your watching it and suddenly the robot comes on and its blatantly 3D when everything else is 2D. that fallacy was kept to a minimum here, i couldn't tell 99% of the time the main show from the computer aided design, and that made me very happy. aside from that, the design of the characters themselves were very well done. the lines seemed quite soft and the drawings were very pretty. the only real difference i can find between this show and the very picturesque art seen in Haruhi or Kanon was the lack or ambient lighting, some shading and a little detail on the clothes and walls but that didn't take away from how well it looked as a whole.

As for the story and plot, i though that it was surprisingly well written and entertaining. i found myself very drawn to it. something about the series made it very easy to get enraptured by. the story, plot, maybe both mixed with the characters. either way i found it very enjoyable and thats all that matters.
the plot was well organized, so confusion was kept to a minimum. which is good for a short show like this one. it didn't leave you with nagging questions, and any nagging questions you did have were cleared up posthaste in some way or form.
as for the story, it was...well...rather dark. not sad enough to make you cry over it but the emotion and story were so well put together that i got hung on it very quickly. you could almost taste what the characters were feeling.
THAT brings me to character development! the characters weren't developed to the point of learning their amazing back stories, the show wasn't really long enough to allow it. but what they did give you was enough detail to understand the character and what kind of person they were without the need of a detailed history, just enough to develop a liking for a character without drowning you in back story. it also managed to create a true sense of emotion that i felt had been lacking in action shows for the past few years*. when something happened, the characters let you know how they felt. you didn't have to guess what the macho hero was feeling. the emotion in that sense was so incredibly realistic that the characters developed themselves without the need of a life story.
the humor, however, could use some work. it often timed seemed misplaced or overworked. really just timing issues. several times i hand to shake my head at the attempts to make a funny. however it wasn't horrible, and it didn't ruin the series at all.

aside from that, the amount of realism used in this show was astounding. the concept of physics and space-time relativity was implemented fully. the fact that the design team put their understanding about the structure of light speed and how it effects time made me extremely happy. I'm an astronomer so thats mostly why it excited me.
but don't get me wrong. even though it was a mecha anime they went through the trouble to add a very good level of realism to the show and thats pretty awesome.

the music was normal. nothing new here. the opening, and to an extent the ending, theme was smooth and catchy (the OP is still playing in my mind as i write this) and seemed to tie into the show well. i don't listen to the lyrics. no offense but most of the lyrics i read seem silly. i listen to the music itself and how the voice meshes with it. to that extent it went good with the theme of the show.
i want to make an effort to point out the sound. i'm trying to think of a good word for it, but i have to settle for "awesome." not so much that the explosions and what not were deafeningly loud or well used, but that every sound was different. i didn't hear the same crackling noise every time something sparked, and the sounds that were used repeatedly were changed and bent to fit the situation, so you never recognized it from before and if you did it made sense for that situation. very well planned!

what else...ahh. the only real complaint i have is that i wish the series could be longer. i would have liked to see more of it and learn more about the characters.

overall, i give this a 9/10. in essence it should be a 10 but it just didn't seem to reach high enough, granted how very close it was. all it was missing was a little more detailed artwork and a few episodes longer and it would more than qualify.

*my experience with mecha shows really only extends past Gundam Wing, 8th MS Team, and a few episodes here and there. so i'm not sure what to expect from new ones like SEED or...what have you. the mecha anime types doesn't really interest me that well and, honestly, i started watching this show completely in the dark about what it was about. i knew nothing. boy was i surprised! but don't let that dissuade you, i loved this show!

I felt that this series was fantastic!

The art, however nothing like KyoAni or most other design groups, was very colorful and easy to look at. it also had many classic and very humorous anime-esqu elements that made it extremely fun and a joy to watch.

The plot, if it can be called that, was nearly nonexistent and changed constantly from episode to episode. However, this put emphasis on the really well developed characters and gave us a chance to understand them more and more as the show progressed, so by the end you feel as if you can really understand how everyone is feeling.

The music ... was good. i liked it, the tunes were catchy and although i cant understand Japanese at all the music itself was good enough to have me watch the credits every time.

Lunar did a good job subbing the series. although the sound quality for the few times a piano was played was low quality for some reason, and some of the subtitles sped by too quickly, it didn't take away from the series itself.

overall, my impressing of the series goes beyond the scope of this short review. there isn't really much i can write about it, and i feel that the short bits i did say don't really cover my true feelings about the series. i can say, however, that the series was extremely enjoyable. if not for the story or plot, of even the art, the comedic value and the development make up for it 100%. i'd recommend this to anyone (if you like comedy). 10/10!

Kinda slow, but overall a very touching story.
The plot was substantial enough to keep it interesting and on your toes, it was difficult to find a location to stop watching for the day since each episode kinda left it open to the next one, but that was okay. theres more than just one plot line going on at once too, with multiple characters acting out different situations at the same time.

The art was good, not KyoAni standards but it was better than some others. the colors were duller and details were not as prevalent (at least in the sub i watched). however, it didn't take ... away from the story and development, if anything the lack of sharp colors added some depth to the main storyline.

The character and plot development was pretty good as well. the plot was a little slow to develop, and a few things were easy to point out. but then again i was surprised at the way a few things turned out and just at how everything was played. as for the characters, theres a very good variety of them, each holding some form of an archtype, but not blatantly so. the differences were subtle, and not cookie-cutter. unlike the plot development, the character development was a lot faster; you can tell what kind of person the characters were usually within the first few episodes after they were introduced. it didn't delve into the back story often, mostly concentrating on the present and the situations occurring now. so the development as a whole was a little lacking, but the delivery was well enough to make it enjoyable and easy to understand.

the music was repetitive. though the opening and ending changed halfway into it, the music within the series was static, much like Madlax. (if you have ever seen it. if not, then its basically one lyric song played about 5-6 times through the series.) the regular BMG was nothing new either. but the impression wasn't a bad one, and it didn't take away from the series at all.

overall, i'd give the show a solid 8/10. it didn't have the real attention grabbing ability of a true masterpiece, and i felt that a few characters were neglected too much. but other than that it was well worth watching!