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.

Eureka and Renton make easily the most endearing couple I've ever seen in anime or elsewhere. I'm not typically a fan of romances, but this anime captured my heart and lifted it right along with those two. And it's not just them; every one of the major characters commands your emotions in one way or another, whether it's adoration, pity, or anger. It does kind of start slow, but I was finally hooked by episode 26, while my interest had been steadily rising until then. Perhaps the most powerful part of this anime is the character development; each of the major characters seem to 'grow up' as the series progresses, even those who seem to already be 'grown up.' My ONLY complaint would be that some of the more minor characters don't receive as much attention as they deserve in the later episodes. Still, beautiful doesn't really do the series justice.

Being an fan of anime and especially the writer Dai Sato(creator of samurai champloo,cowboy bebop)I've seen many shows and truth be told there are few shows that really make you go 'wow'!. This is one of those shows, most shows end either too early or carry on too long, this show starts and ends exactly where you'd want it, and when it ends it seems like they've lost track of where they were going with the story, Eureka Seven begs to differ! The pilot gives us an insight into the character development of the protagonist, the story as a whole unfolds well through the 50 chapters, including great mature humor that isn't there with regular anime shows, the action sequences are very new and unique, keeping viewers thoroughly entertained, and one of the best things about the writer is how he incorporates music to blend in with each scene be it action, humor or emotion.

For the most part the show tells us about life in the circumstances aboard the crew of the show, eventually a bigger picture is revealed, where the story picks up pace and helps you dive right in to the fascinating world created. The animation is amazing where it really matters is the fight sequences- there are no still screens! From start to finish the show captivates you and entertains till the very end.

Music, action, humor, animation at it's best and 50 episodes of it, what more could an avid fan or a person new to anime require?

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.

Eureka Seven is far and away one of the greatest works of fiction in existence. From the captivating world to the seamless characters (and not to mention the bad-ass mechs), this anime series transcends its medium. When I first began watching Eureka Seven on Adult Swim it was an interesting new series to me, but nothing more. I didn't want to wait an entire week between episodes, however, so my impatience led me to download the entire series in Japanese with English subtitles. I watched the entire series in three days and it immediately became the opiate of my mind for at least that much time afterward. Eureka Seven has a beautiful art style, an entrancing world, absolutely phenomenal high speed fight scenes, and an excellent story that is absolutely full of twists and turns, shocking moments, and profound surprises. Nothing, however, compares to the masterpiece that is the character cast. Renton is the main character who is at the beginning of the series a bored and whiny kid who is oblivious to the nuances of adult life. After he meets the mysterious Eureka in the first episode (and immediately falls in love with her), his character sets off on a true adventure and by the end of the series Renton truly becomes a man. The fantastic romance between Renton and Eureka is the center of the storyline and will undoubtedly cause at least half of Eureka Seven's audience to burst into tears at multiple points of the story (yeah, it really is that powerful). The other characters in the story are no less interesting and many go through extreme changes just as Renton did. The cold, hard, and reluctant leader Holland morphs into a compassionate and strong hero by the end of the story and many people who watch this series start out hating Holland but absolutely love him by the end. I could go on and on, but just take my advice: GO WATCH THIS SERIES RIGHT NOW.

Eureka Seven is a marvel to behold, a true work of art.