Second Opinion: Eureka seveN (A, 94.00%)

Original: Gekkostate vs. The United Federation of Predgio Towers (October 7, 2010)

With the first episode of Eureka Seven AO just recently released, a second opinion on the original season is in order. Looking back, I was kind of harsh when I first reviewed Eureka seveN for AP Comp. Thankfully, even now, Eureka seveN remains as one of my favorite series ever.

I remember one late night in 5th grade switching through the channels until I eventually landed on Adult Swim's run of what I understood to be "Yu-ri-ka Seven." The blood and robots that appeared before my eyes had me instantly hooked, but after that day I could never find the show on television again. Freshman year was my chance to see what I had missed.

I am not going to try and fool you, Eureka seveN makes no sense. I could not even try to come up with a coherent way of describing what is going on in this show if I had wanted to. From "compac drives" to "scub coral," there are so many obscure references in this show that you will have to learn to let things slide or keep the Wikipedia page open when you watch.

SECOND OPINION: Uh, I don't know why I said a lot of what I did here. Maybe my opinion just changed a LOT over the past few years or maybe I was just mad when I originally wrote it. Eureka seveN definitely does toss you into a very comprehensive world with unfamiliar jargon, but it does a decent job at explaining what is important and ignoring what really isn't. However, it must be said that a comprehensive explanation of for example Eureka's past with Holland would have been appreciated.

The beginning of Eureka seveN is usually what draws viewers away. The first 10 episodes of this show are BORING. I only found myself hanging on because of my perfectionist need to complete every episode of an anime. However, this long introduction is deceptive. Once you get past this first section the show really picks up. You will be thrown into groupings of abstract scenes that will leave you feeling disturbed and hungry for more. A lot of the scenes dealing with "dreams" were some of the most creative I have ever seen.

Perhaps the greatest problem with Eureka Seven is pacing. At some points this show develops questions that force the view to wonder about what will happen next. How the show goes about actually answering these questions is the problem. Eureka Seven has a habit of going off on tangents, introducing and dismissing pointless new characters until you are forced to wonder what even happened in the previous episode.

SECOND OPINION: While I do believe the beginning of Eureka seveN is a bit slow, Eureka seveN doesn't have very bad pacing problems at all apart from it. Given the myriad of pacing train wrecks in anime, Eureka seveN does a really good job of filling 50 episodes and giving viewers a lot of time to connect with the characters in a way which few series can match. The beginning of the show, which features the gang going on episodic adventures does feature some wtf filler, but the cliffhangers in the second half are well done.

The reason why these small details disturb me is because Eureka seveN is a show capable of brilliance. The fighting in this show is beautiful. Robots spin across the scene performing aerobatic maneuvers while smoking missiles hone in from every angle. If there is one thing that Studio Bones does well, it is missile animation. Some of the scenes between Renton and Eureka brought tears to my eyes where others made me want to through my laptop on the ground.

My comments here serve as a forewarning, but they may distort how you perceive my opinion of the show. Eureka seveN is complicated. The story elements require the viewer to go deeper than most animes and sometimes you will be presented with truly controversial material that will leave you feeling offended. Eureka seveN is constantly making statements about topics war, society, our relationship with nature, human action, love, and dehumanization. For these reasons I love Eureka Seven. If you are a lighter anime viewer I would not recommend this show for you.

SECOND OPINION: Ms. Cardona's class really must have improved my writing. Eh... I should rephrase what I mean here. First of all, Eureka seveN is a brilliant show, period. There are, however, a few narrative hiccups along the way which is understandable with a massive 50 episode show. Second, Eureka seveN is very enjoyable for light anime watchers as well. Eureka seveN shines in a subdued manner by showing instead of telling. It doesn't need to hold up huge signs for viewers in order to portray the messages I described above, but rather fleshes them out with fantastic character interactions which makes Eureka seveN feel both more real and genuine.

One of Eureka seveN's most redeeming qualities is how it treats characters. The amount of time spent in developing every character's story helps build full fledged personalities that will not disappoint. The character development is simply phenomenal. The way that characters interact with one another and interact with situations is completely believable and the whole ride it was easy for me to identify with the characters.

What Eureka seveN portrays best in my mind is love. While many shows will develop love as a simple entity with the classic boy meets girl algorithm, Eureka seveN takes that one step forward. Relationships like that between Talho and Holland, and Eureka and Renton,are developed in such a way that we get multiple angles. The fact that the show focuses on the hardships caused by love most of the time allow the moments when the beauties of love are shown to stand out that much more. All I could ask for is more information on some of the minor characters. I have no idea why Stoner looks like Che Guevara, and never will.

SECOND OPINION: For the most part, I wholeheartedly agree with this section. The best part of Eureka seveN, without a doubt, is its dynamic cast. This is what makes me so worried for Eureka seven: AO. While I remain somewhat upset that a lot of the gang don't get a lot of screen time, I feel like dedicating that time to more important characters was a wise decision now. The chemistry between the members of Gekkostate makes every scene when everybody is gathered together a treat to watch.

This show has a top-notch soundtrack. Everything from the OP and ED themes to the background music give you a collection of some of the best music I have ever heard in an anime, second only to Code Geass. The musical timing in Eureka Seven helps establish the mood, easily making up for scenes when the characters and plot cannot deliver.

In terms of animation, let me just say Studio Bones has done it again. Highly imaginative craft and captivating scenes make up Eureka Seven. The amount of detail that goes into every "amita drive" or "Seven Swell Phenomenon" are marvelous to behold. The character design is truly unique. Every character has a distinct feel and shape to them that is hard to find nowadays when many anime characters are cookie-cutter models.

Eureka seveN is a fantastic show which deserves a watch. Hopefully Eureka seveN AO will not damage the good reputation the series has with me.

Story: 8.5/10 - Compelling, but somewhat hard to follow occasionally; The ending made me feel like a lot was relatively unresolved, but was satisfying; Never a dull moment, save for the soccer episode.

Characters: 9.5/10 - The best part of the show hands down; Best character development I have seen in an anime; The romance between Eureka and Renton and Holland and Talho feels real and genuine.

Animation: 9/10 - While not as top notch as recently made shows, Bones delivers with fantastic fights and character models; Very few recycled frames.

Music: 10/10 - Every single OP and ED were fantastic in my opinion; The background music is beautifully orchestrated and the edgy pop thrown in is a nice touch.

Goodnight, Sleep Tight Young Lovers,
Noel