This anime series is centred on Kei Narutani, a Sino-Japanese boy who is evacuated from Shanghai to Japan when an alien known as the Xi attack. During the evacuation he witnesses a pink Gripen fighter engage two Xi craft before crashing into the sea. He instinctively goes to help the pilot and finds a girl in the cockpit. It later emerges that she is more than just a pilot; she is part of the plane's systems; an android known as an 'anima'. She is also faulty, this is what caused her to pass out and crash. It is noticed that Kei has a positive effect on her so soon he is flying in her back seat. She still isn't as effective as Japan's two similar craft; Eagle and Phantom but at least she now shows her worth in the war against the Xi.
When I read the description of this I thought it might be a bit 'Strike Witches' since the planes have androids resembling teenaged girls and alien invaders... actually it is quite different; and not just because it lacks the fan service. Much of the story is dedicated to Kei's involvement with attempts to improve Gripen's performance rather than just battling the Xi. Kei is a solid enough protagonist but inevitably the girls are more interesting as they are also warplanes. I was initially unsure about their vivid colours but as the series progressed that stopped bothering me... it did at least make them stand out from normal aircraft. The character designs are pretty good and in the case of the girls match their planes. The animation is top notch, especially during the highly dynamic flight scenes. Overall I'd definitely recommend this. The series concludes in a way that leaves things open for further episodes; I'll certainly watch if more are made.
These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.
