Eureka Seven

Eureka 7 seizes the day as my favorite story of all time. I've seen and loved many of the great anime: Full Metal Alchemist, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Cowboy Bebop, Code Geass, Death Note, Dragonball Z, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Rurouni Kenshin. Yet if I were to give any anime my heart, I'd give it to Eureka 7 (and rightfully so, because it did win it, when the other ones could only come close).

From the first episode I knew that I was in for something wonderful. Enigmatic is the essence of this bright yet dramatic story -- from the characters, to the setting, the plot, music, art, and dialogue. Every aspect is just so beautiful, especially Renton and Eureka's (the two main characters') relationship -- it captures the heart of young love (no pun intended, honestly) and melds in the very grim consequences of the war they have found themselves in. But despite the hardships Renton and Eureka endure, and despite Renton's realization of what Eureka actually is, the love between them bonds them forever.

Eureka 7 is the story that speaks to me. Everything just fits perfectly together into a mosaic of story and soul.

My final recommendation is to take the time and watch at least 5 episodes. It's a story that ages like wine; each episode is better than the last. I hope you enjoy Eureka 7 as much as I have.

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.

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.

Don't know how I found this show, but at one point I decided to watch a free streaming episode online. Since then, it started an Eureka Seven addiction that will probably continue unabated until I have all 50 episodes and I have worn my DVD and/or hard drive out. Character development is oblique and quite mysterious with a diverse character set with counterparts. Episode 26 is my favorite with the culmination of the reversal of the main character actions of Eureka and Renton, but honestly I think there is only one episode that I wouldn't watch many, many, many times again. My family and friends think I'm crazy. Yes I am. Crazy about Eureka Seven.

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.