Kôkyô shihen Eureka Sebun

I can't speak highly enough of Eureka Seven. Of the little TV I have time to watch, it's at the top of the list. There's something about the crafting of the characters that draws you in slowly and effortlessly. I started watching the show because of the high quality of the animation; now I'm completely hooked because I care about people in the story. And that's part of what is so beautiful about the series – the characters do become people, people you start to care about and want to see again. Like all good anime (Cowboy Bebop, Gunslinger Girls, Ghost in the Shell) and all good stories, the characters grow and define themselves, and that journey sucks you in and leaves you wanting more.

If you look around at reviews, you will see criticisms of the series – most of these boil down to "not enough robot battles", or too wishy-washy with adolescent love, or some other pick at one of the many minor themes. These jabs all miss the point though. The story is really about love and family. We are reminded of how difficult love and family can be, how they change and define us, and how very much they are worth all of that effort.

I'll wrap this comment up before I get too sappy. Just watch Eureka Seven. I can honestly say it is my favorite story in years. It's a fairy tale, but sometimes we need fairy tales to help us make sense of the world.

Most Americans are conditioned from birth to think "animation=cartoons=kidstuff." Those who know better won't even need this review, but for those who are just discovering that animation can carry dramatic and imaginative themes as well as any other medium, I'm going to make a few observations about Eureka 7 -- a somewhat underrated gem even within its own genre.

To begin with, this is no kiddie show. Yes, it's told from the standpoint of an adolescent protagonist, but then, so are Kidnapped, Catcher in the Rye and Oliver Twist. Renton's journey from naive and somewhat bratty boy to mature young man is gradual, entirely plausible, ultimately engaging and just as full of hard knocks as Real Life.

And it's certainly not kid stuff. There's deadly violence aplenty, real emotional conflict and (in the fansubbed version I saw, anyway) enough foul language to fill an army barracks. The gritty world of Eureka 7 is no jolly romp, either for Renton or for the crew of the renegade airship he falls in with.

Nor does the crew of the Gekkostate -- itself stolen from the militaristic Federation -- bear any resemblance to Robin Hood's Merry Men. They're a gang of moody misfits, all of them nursing some personal grudge against the world and all too often ready to take it out on the new kid who can't fight back.

And as if young Renton doesn't have enough trouble fitting in with this surly pirate crew, there's the enigmatic Eureka, beautiful but distant and inarticulate. She's surrounded by mystery, and as we gradually find out, it's nothing simple, either. Renton is fascinated by Eureka and utterly devoted to her, and in spite of her flaws, it's not hard to see why. She's both hard-as-nails tough and at the same time utterly vulnerable, and hence irresistible to a romantic like Renton. If any fictional heroine was worthy of the emotional and physical hard knocks that poor Renton endures, it's Eureka.

Don't expect to be pulled into Eureka 7 by watching one or two episodes, any more than you'd judge a Dickens novel by the first few pages. Give it a chance and let the epic-length (50 chapters) story weave itself around you. Once the complex characters and their interlocking motivations begin to spin themselves out, you'll be hooked. Eureka 7 is like a richly textured book that well rewards the reader for entering its world.

Oh, and don't be put off by the "giant robots," either. The mecha are roughly the equivalent of a combination tank and fighter plane in Eureka 7's world, and they have a humanoid shape for a very good reason, as you'll see.

For gorgeous animation, beautiful music (I recommend listening to it with a good pair of stereo headphones), three-dimensional characters and a genuinely moving story, you just can't beat Eureka 7. Anyone who can overcome a deep-seated prejudice against "cartoons" is going to be introduced to a whole new world with this series.

And by the way, let's also clear up the common stereotype that Japanese anime is only for the high-school set. I'm 59 and I find Princess Mononoke and Steamboy to be among the best movies ever made in any medium. And Eureka 7 hooked me from the start.

Eureka 7 is addictive, and rightfully so. Get your fix now, and find out what you're missing.

I have now seen a lot of animes (short series, long series, movies, OVAs), Eureka 7 was next on schedule. After seeing the first few episodes, the strange world of E7 coupled with surfing mechas worried me a little bit, because i was used to this fact (FLCL, TTGL,.. got also very good after seeing some episodes), but knowed, that although getting into it is quite a work.

However, i continued watching it, until to realize, that this anime has very intelligent and matured characters and the same goes for the humor. E7 has also good battles which are different from other mecha series, because there is always a focus on beautiful and colorful locations which impressed me, because of this powerful atmosphere of the pictures combined with one of the best score i have ever heard in animes.

But then, after some episodes, i suddenly checked it: Eureka 7 is a lot, but its true nature is to be the most dramatically breath-taking, heart-touching love story i have ever experienced not only from animes, from all media in my life!

This tremendous tension, which is build up from episode to episode, embedded in a amazingly captivating story, will not end until the last second.

Do not compare it with other animes, it is not comparable. Its a masterpiece which stands, because of its originality, far away from everything else, therefore don't expect another Neon Genesis (epic story and mechas) or fullmetal alchemist. E7 is with its amazing picture language a shiny piece of art and art is the way the story is told, the characters are growing and the background music is written.

All this facts melt into the fate of Eureka and Renton, the main protagonists of this anime, which, in a now-time of superlative-language, has no fitting word left for explanation. But when you are not cold blooded and have no hamburger instead of a heart, then you tears will drop on multiple scenes of the series (and especially at episode 26).

Do you self a favor and GO WATCH THIS. One hint: E7 has such a fantastic background music, which is so important for the atmosphere. Watch it with a lot of bass or take good earphones! And do it loud!

The first time I watched Eureka Seven, I was in a mood of "meh, this is going to suck," it didn't but I definitely didn't love it either. After watching the first two episodes and failing to be interested enough to continue, I forgot about it. Some weeks later, on a forum I regularly visit, people were gushing over it. I was wondering what the hell they were on about; they reassured me that it got better and better and better and better….and then even better. "Mecha just isn't my thing" I said "especially when said mecha rides on lame surfboards through the sky". WRONG. The mecha aspect is such a miniscule part of the show that placing it into that anime genre is a crime against humanity. Instead the show becomes one of the most compelling dramas I've ever seen, anime or not. So yes I continued to watch, the next few episodes were nothing special, humorous in parts, interesting in others. I was growing impatient waiting for an arc to form. And then it happened and everything changed, by episode 30 I was proclaiming Eureka Seven as the best anime I've ever had the pleasure of watching and by the end of it all, Eureka Seven had solidified it's place in anime history as possibly the most beautifully written anime ever.

So what is it about it that makes Eureka Seven so refreshing and wonderful? For starters it's nothing like the general mecha anime, if you look at all of them, they are all named after the mecha: Rahxephon, Evangelion, Gundam etc. Eureka Seven set itself up from the very beginning as a character drama and by naming it after the main female character they achieved this. Eureka Seven is all about the characters. Occasionally there are no mecha battles for episodes at a time, when there is one, they are there to compliment the story and the characters own development. At first I felt Renton was rather annoying and I continually found myself saying "shut up" allowed, whenever he was on screen, however by the end Renton had undergone such an excellently written change, he wasn't the annoying kid anymore he was instead one of the most endearing male leads in any anime I have ever seen. Technically Eureka Seven is an achievement. Every aspect, the music, the animation does its job with finesse. The music by Sato Naoki is superb and at time compels you to tears in even some of the happiest most uplifting of scenes. It weaves itself into the anime and never feels out of place. The animation is mostly consistent but at time it drops in quality, however the high level of art is maintained throughout. The arcing story is always interesting and doesn't fall into boring clichés and contrivances which plague most anime today. The writers indict war and it's meaningless with beautiful tact and subtlety. The mysteries are well told and answers are littered throughout, a lot of them leaving the viewer to ponder over and think about, rather than having them shoved in your face.

Sadly Eureka Seven has slipped under most peoples radars; brushing it off as the same thing I felt it was when I first watched it. Fullmetal Alchemist another offering from Bones animation Studio has managed to make a dent in the anime community, even though I liked that anime quite a bit it pales in comparison to Eureka Seven. Hopefully as word of mouth spreads Eureka Seven will find itself as widely acclaimed as it deserves to be.

Eureka Seven is what every anime, no every TV show aspires to be, something original, intriguing and always fun. It's a rarity to have such a uniquely told story that is full of lovable characters and wondrous technical achievements. Eureka Seven is the best anime of 2005. No, the best anime in years.

This anime has a surprising story that goes through all 50 episodes from start to end. To be understood it would be better to see it over only a few days not 50 weeks as i did this past weekend even if I had already seen it before. It helps the story as a whole because you get to see it evolve without forgetting what happened a few episodes back. It teaches quite a few things if you look a bit deeper in the story, like about religions, how people can be different and still be in love and more. It is simply a must see not as anime but as a series instead because it isn't like most anime its got a beautiful love story as well as a whole package encircling it.

I love many different kind of animes but having seen this one again put it way up my favorite list, but still won't miss naruto or any other shows i like!