Title: Last Exile (2003)
Genre: Aviation/Action/Fantasy/Drama
Studio: GONZO
US Distributor: Pioneer (Now known as Geneon)
Grade:
Video: A
Audio: B
Story: B
Dubbing (if applicable): B+
OVERALL: B+
Every time I watch GONZO’s work, I am amazed by their effort on achieving 3D CGI perfection. Even when they are far ahead of the game, they never slowed down. And this is the statement of the next level to mesmerize the viewers, and putting pressure on the other studios to catch up even harder.
Let’s talk about a bit about their history. GONZO just turned 10 years old, and for those following them closely, 3D CGI has been their hallmark. From Blue Submarine to Full Metal Panic! (the first series), they found the way to do it better than anyone on the market. Only problem with their approach was the lack of good storyline to supplement the brilliant visual. While Hellsing, and FMP! were entertaining, their manga root limited them from deviating far, and their original works, like Blue Submarine lacked the great storyline. That was then… and this is now.
When this series launched, viewers from the oversea was not aware. Without marketing blitz, the original series are often known by mouth-to-mouth. Once it became widely known among the hardcore viewers, this series quickly became the most sought anime of the season. In fact, at one point, about 7 fansub groups were competing to bring out the latest episodes as soon as possible. (and you should know that the quality is what matters, not the speed…aka “no AnimeJunkies” - AJ disbanded awhile ago)
When
What would you do to stand out from the crowd? You try to differentiate from the rest. This is no exception in the anime market. Ever since Evangelion emerged, so many animes try to put endless spin and twist, with ever-so-depressing outlook in their storyline. When what was once an alternative story becomes the norm, then the norm becomes the alternative. To understand this, simply watch Gundam SEED now running in Cartoon Network every now and then. Many people praised the series for being pro-Evangelion…sigh.
This is not to say that EXILE lacks the twist. But it created a great storyline without being overdone. Great cast, heart warming story, with bit of twists to spice up the series, without traumatizing the psyche of the viewers, or asking them to do soul-searching. Later two can cause burnout (Evangelion resulted quite few suicides in
It opens up without giving much clue to the viewers. Watching two airships battling each other in imperial-age style intrigued me. Once a small airplane (called Vanship) flies through those airships, piercing through the clouds, I could not help myself but to watch more episodes, just to see what comes next.
It gets even better. Once viewers get used to the visual, the storyline sets up the pace and never let them wonder around until the end. Very likable main characters, Claus, the pilot of their Vanship who is kind and confident (and he is polar opposite of “Shinji”), and Lavie, the navigator of their Vanship who is even livelier and more level-headed (in terms of saving their neck), opens up the series by pursuing their dream to reach the greatest place any pilot can get. From there, their story slowly unravels to give bigger picture, until the very end. I will not reveal the storyline to be spoiler-free.
Introduction of the upcoming episode segment is very clever. Sometimes, it uses the script from the actual episodes, while others are free-talk, memoir, or plain grumble. Every so often, Lavie spits out her complaint on the matter, while typewriter is busy typing the title for the upcoming episodes. When she ends it with a shout, Presto! The typewriter rings and the title shows up. It is very funny segment.
The sound does not stand out. It does its job by being well-blended in the series to set the mood perfectly. Only when I accidentally mute the sound, I realized that there was sound in the series. Cowboy Bebop was never shy of letting individual tracks being known to the viewers, while this is the opposite. Quiet symphonic style is very similar to series such as Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Someday’s Dreamers, and Witch Hunter Robin.
Overall, this is one of few series that will be known to the viewers for many years. In the age where anime is overcrowded, and often forgotten shortly afterward, this will be forever remembered for the visual greatness, and one of the best series for the fans.
