name_not
Excellent watch for both newcomers and experienced anime viewers alike.Although it has a 3d animation which is not so common in anime, it is still put to good use in the battle scenes, but also in regular drama moments as well.Most characters can easily be categorized into classic anime tropes, but this show doesn't pretend it is reinventing the wheel. It is doing the hero-saves-all thing in a very satisfying way. The hero is of course the center of a harem, but that theme is done quite tastefully here as not everyone drools over him. The battles are top of the notch. Dynamic, intense, with plenty of cool moments, not just your regular what-the-hell-is-going-on-here battles.And maybe my favorite part is the mystery and the many questions it presents the viewer, which are not to be taken lightly. It wonders about gender, love, friendship, and then delves into some more heavy themes like cloning, calculations with death as collateral damage, and some other ones( shouldn't spoil anything :) )I give my humble recommendation. You are not gonna regret watching this!
ajrcvr
First, there are many good things about this series. At the top is the story, which is one of the more interesting ones you will find in anime. There are many clever devices and inventions which provide additional interest. Next, there are many battle scenes which offer up action and drama, along with the essential problem of Sidonia - a huge space ship on which live people that have survived Earth's destruction by the guana creatures hundreds of years ago - which is survival against space itself, their aloneness in the universe, and the attacking guana. On the down side are some really stupid and impossible things that are strewn about in an otherwise great adventure. Primarily, there are the guana; they are simply impossible creatures that just couldn't exist any way at all in any universe or reality, ever! They are, apparently, stupid things, essentially blobs of who knows what, unable to communicate, they can manage sophisticated propulsion and space travel by no scientific means whatsoever, as well as utilize complex weaponry to kill their enemy (Sidonia), which is their enemy for no known reason. They can also occasionally transform into something that looks human-like, especially after they've eaten a human! Making relatively tiny Sidonia their enemy in an enormous universe where they could go anywhere (since they travel easily in space by who knows what means), is just dumb! Additionally, there is nothing that the guana creatures - or the Sidonians for that matter - do that is actually possible, which is where the series deserts sci-fi and becomes pure fantasy. This is okay, if the series is going to be pure fantasy, but it treats the storyline as sci-fi, which it isn't. Asking where does all the fuel to power everything come from, offers no answer - it's just there: magic! Which is not supposed to be what this series is about; and yet they employ it liberally because there is no even REMOTELY scientific way any of these things could happen.Moving on, the characters are mostly decently portrayed, although, yes, you could develop them a little more, but that is not a major complaint for me, since the drama is not driven by the psychology of the characters; rather, it is the action that does it. The animation is okay, although not startlingly good (like a Disney or Pixar offering), and could use more coloration, instead of the drab grayish-bluish hue they cast over everything. Yes, I know everything's in space, but still, you can have color in space, and they do have a few scenes where they employ it.Like most of these Japanese anime, having characters which are paralyzingly shy about their feelings for one another, or seeing each other partially nude, gets old; it's silly and unrealistic. No reason for it.Tanikaze, our main main protagonist, is a strong pilot and soldier who shows the same spirit and bravery that our fighter pilots show today. He is charming in his own way because he is not an average alpha type male, but always maintains his shy & humble demeanor throughout, regardless of what he accomplishes; understandably, the women are attracted to that, along with his heroics. There are a few women he is close to, and that provides further story development.Overall, despite the impossible "science," propelling things around by employing magic power and unlimited fuel, the story is a good one, and does pull you into its matrix. There are fairly attractive characters, good animation, and plenty of battle scenes utilizing mecha for those folks who love that sort of thing. Too many mysteries work against the storyline - what the guana are, where are they from, why kill people they don't even know and have never interacted with - but they don't completely destroy it, and so despite some of the scientific irritations, it's a worthy story to follow and a pleasant anime to watch.
Hassan_Scarborough
I gave this a 7, which is 'my go see this' rating because the animation is incredible and the overall story-arc is pretty good. Some of the subplots however, are cringe worthy.Anime is hard to factor at times because it's difficult to determine the age range, in terms of target audience. This has adult themes and violence that I don't think is really intended for children.It has the teen angst, that is usually prevalent with anime series and films. Action is top notch, and the pacing is pretty good.For hardcore Manga fans, read the Manga first, then watch this. The Manga, of course, gives more detail and insight into more of what happens. Which is too be expected.Although the action is great, this is a space opera of sorts. Toward the later episodes there is more moments of the teen angst, where there is a lack of strong dramatic moments.So just keep that in mind. This isn't wall-to-wall action. In terms of gender diversity, this film is very well balanced. The star of course, is male, but there is a better balance of female characters that are key elements to the story.If you are a Manga/anime fan, then certainly check this out.
hivort
Well, this is short review that old anime fans might find useful. This show is basically some sort of Neon Genesis Evangelion remake, or at least strongly based on, I'm surprised that few people noticed that, and no, this is far from being intense as NGE, but it's a really good show and definitely worth being watched. I giving it a 8 out 10 because the main character lacks of some development, I'd say that 50% of Nagate's(which would be Ikari Shinji in NGE) sentences are "hmm" literally. This show also have some very provocative scenes that makes me want to watch some hentai and some sort of gore scenes.I'll finish with: the show leaves some unanswered mysteries and questions, a really nice hook for a sequel, which is great, many of best animes out there leave you alone and feeling deserted since they have only one season, this is not the case.this is my first review on IMDb, i hope you find it useful, I tried to do my best without giving any spoiler.