"Even our favorite things in life have flaws. Even so, we continue to love them regardless."
As I thought of this generic, cheesy, probably already existing line, the first anime that came to mind was Eureka Seven. Not only because it's the main theme throughout the show regarding its characters and their relationships, but also because it perfectly describes my general thoughts on the show itself.
Let me start off by pointing out where Eureka Seven truly shines. In my opinion that would be the general lively atmosphere and vibrant color palette. Man, this show is the definition of fun! The character designs are award-winningly awesome, the
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animation (while still having dips and hiccups here and there) is gorgeous, the background art mesmerizing.
And don't even get me started on the soundtrack. Not only are most of the OP/ED themes memorable, but the OST itself is FILLED with absolutely amazing, memorable tracks, most notably including catchy techno beats that fit surprisingly well with action scenes on one hand, and captivatingly ambient experimental rock tracks which make you feel like you're lifting on trapar waves without a care in the world on the other.
Everything about Eureka Seven screams creativity, and you can tell that the whole project is filled with love and passion from its creators.
All of these components give it that special, nostalgic feeling that kicks in as soon as you start the show and never goes away.
I believe that this nostalgia in particular is what makes people love this show so much and sometimes even neglect the show's problems, which, if you manage to wake up from that ecstatic, youthful, pure fun feeling this show puts you in, you'll realize aren't that small.
First of all, I'd like to point out the show's length. It's 50 episodes long, which is not the most common length. Maybe one that you see once a year or once every 2 years. This relatively chunky length springs up 2 major problems.
The first one is the fact that the show is filled with unnecessary filler. I'd dare say almost half of the show is weird, out of place slice-of-life stuff that drastically slows the story down. Now don't get me wrong, I'd take the development of the characters (most of which are, mind you, surprisingly deep and realistic already) over awkward, badly explained politics/military/sci-fi shenanigans we will get into later. However, most of the filler doesn't even develop the characters much, but instead puts them in weird, one-episode gag situations which end up serving little to no benefits to the story later on (for example the mission where Renton goes out in the field as an in-disguise spy, or the infamous soccer episode).
The second problem which is sprung up by the length is the show's "identity crisis". What I mean by this is the fact that the show changes its core genre way too much. It starts off as a shounen-esque adventure story, but shortly after switches to an organization-based rebel story. Then, it starts really focusing on the characters' psyches and problems, which works fine until the show starts focusing on Renton's and Eureka's relationship, at which point the other parts of the story get more and more neglected and unexplained in order to focus on those two as much as possible. The show's final... let's say approximately third focuses on the sci-fi part of the story which still somehow manages to be outshined by the beloved Eureka-and-Renton part. That, combined with the aforementioned filler chunks make the pacing of the story feel like one big mess.
I saved the most glaring problem for last, that being the sci-fi/politics/worldbuilding part of the show. Let's face it, it's not the smartest thing ever. Most concepts that are introduced (and there's many) are either explained very briefly/poorly and not in the most understandable way, or just... not explained at all. It's not uncommon while watching this show to start thinking things like "Wait, am I supposed to understand what they're talking about? Did I miss something? Am I dumb for not understanding it?" only to realize that you indeed were not supposed to understand it, at which point a character just pulls out a bunch of info out of nowhere. However, you then realize that if they knew that all along, they could have done something about some situations that have already happened beforehand, which then makes you pull out your hair in frustration because of how dumb these decent characters end up looking because of weird directing decisions. And yes, I do blame the aforementioned two problems for this one to a certain extent. If only the pacing was better and some of the filler left out, they would have been able to explain and flesh out these concepts properly and make them feel less dumb/shoehorned in.
Final verdict:
Eureka Seven is not a perfect show. Far from one, in fact. However, its real charm lays in its characters, world, atmosphere and just sheer fun factor.
It's like that one game from your childhood that isn't anything amazing objectively, but it still feels special to you no matter when or how much you play it because it brings you back to those simpler, better times when you were just a daydreaming playful kid without a care in the world.
It explores themes such as family, love, jealousy, happiness, loneliness, etc. in such a way that really makes you invested in these characters to the point where they end up feeling almost like best friends to you.
When I look at the members of Gekkostate, I don't just see a bunch of fictional characters. I see a group of friends, a family, people who'll always be by my side no matter where I am.
Renton, Eureka, Holland, Talho, Stoner, Hap, Mattheiu, Hilda, Maeter, Linck, Maurice, Moondoggie, Gidget, Mischa, Jobs, Woz, Ken-goh, Gonzy, and last but not least, Nirvash. They'll always hold a special place in my heart and I'll never forget the fun times I had on Gekko alongside all of them.
That feeling is something that's really hard to find nowadays, even in the best of shows. That's why I think Eureka Seven deserves all of the love it gets, and why it should remain to be a timeless classic for all of eternity.
Thank you for reading.
Jul 24, 2018
Koukyoushihen Eureka Seven
(Anime)
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"Even our favorite things in life have flaws. Even so, we continue to love them regardless."
As I thought of this generic, cheesy, probably already existing line, the first anime that came to mind was Eureka Seven. Not only because it's the main theme throughout the show regarding its characters and their relationships, but also because it perfectly describes my general thoughts on the show itself. Let me start off by pointing out where Eureka Seven truly shines. In my opinion that would be the general lively atmosphere and vibrant color palette. Man, this show is the definition of fun! The character designs are award-winningly awesome, the ... 
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