(L) Eureka Seven: Astral Ocean

[ReddyRedWolf]

The bracelet is the Amita drive. Makes sense given Renton and Eureka goes in sync with Nirvash, their names showing on drive and an explosion of trapar waves. The Amita drive responds to Renton and Eureka's feelings.

Eureka once had this version of the Amita drive. Question is where did the three smugglers get it.

[lann]

I feel slightly deflated. i was expecting this to be a proper sequel with the same characters. Its not. Im not saying its a bad anime, its just not the same somehow. I saw Eureka and Renton as a couple that would never be separated in their adult life. Its makes me sad that this didnt happen. I now really really hope that this is a different universe to the original series, with no ties to that series whatsoever. I hated the movie so i dont mind it being a part of that universe.

[wandering-dreamer]

Found this on twitter today.

Spoiler for size:

[rpgman1]

Enjoyed this episode for myself. Felt like it did kept the references for E7. The Mark I IFO looks similar to Nirvash, but it isn't Nirvash anyway. It was last used over 10 years ago anyway. Sucks to be Ao for being discriminated due to his hair and eye color. It's more political with Japan and Okinawa being separate nations.

[Kaioshin Sama]

Pretty great start so far but unfortunately the choice of subtitles is extremely bad, ranging from poor to outright sloppy. It's kind of sad when gg is the best possible choice (their encoding is still an honest to god nightmare as is their extremely poor taste in script touch-ups) and honestly this is one of those cases where I would not mind paying a subscription fee to watch this on a legal streaming site even though I normally hate browser based anime watching. I can only hope it gets licensed and put on one so that I might be able to do that and watch this show properly.

[Guardian Enzo]

Sadly it's stuck in Bandai Hell, I assume.

[Kaioshin Sama]

By the way, in that second episode, if I'm not mistaken that was supposed to be a Phalanx CIWS Anti-Missile Turret that the Americans tried to use on those flying cars and if so it must have the lowest rate of fire and accuracy of any that's ever been built. Those things practically vomit bullets into the sky in swaths of 70 or so bullets a second that are next to impossible to slip past.

Just find it amusing that they were apparently able to dodge that while they were stuck to the ship, but hey it is anime.

Some other observations:

- Ao has IMO successfully dodged wussy mecha pilot lead syndrome so far. I was kind of expecting him to fall into that trap, but he actually reminds me a bit more of someone like Asemu Asuno from Gundam Age. Someone with guts and tenacity, but who also has to deal with some real personal problems that hinder him instead of imaginary ones. It also doesn't completely cripple him like say an Ouma Shu, but really leads to quiet reflective moments like at the end of the 2nd episode.

- Naru is earning groovy chick status pretty quick. I don't normally like the sickly girl thing, but again it far from completely cripples her and she and Ao seem to share this mutually supportive relationship that hopefully means we don't have to deal with any love triangle nonsense down the line. The fact that she appears reflected in his helmet visor in the opening (V Gundam style) seems to indicate that she's the de-facto heroine of the show and designate love interest.

- Fleur Blanc and Elena Peoples make a strange duo. The former is played almost completely straight as a moderately professional pilot and has some pretty good dialogue throughout the second episode while the latter comes off a bit cutesy and what is up with that pilot helmet? Admittedly where Fleur is concerned I'm a little worried that the one SDF guy mentioned she was "the idol". I can only hope that refers to her reputation as a pilot and that I don't have to sit through any silly idol-singing nonsense since I'm beyond tired of that.

- Ivaca's mustache owns!

[rpgman1]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin Sama

I can only hope it gets licensed and put on one so that I might be able to do that and watch this show properly.

It will never be licensed since Bandai Entertainment USA closed its operations here. People will wonder if we'll ever get mecha anime licensed at all. I'm just enjoying AO for the mecha and story.

[Guardian Enzo]

Ao>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Asemu.

And I defend Asemu from sort of his worst attackers.

[Kaioshin Sama]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Ao>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Asemu.

And I defend Asemu from sort of his worst attackers.

Those aren't really attackers, that's just the Gundam subforum in general.

As for who the better lead is, too early to call. Though both have won me over within a couple episodes, which is how it damn well should be. Glad we don't appear to have a Shu on our hands.

[Arya]

Originally Posted by morbosfist

As said in another series: "move these handles, and it goes!" That's a bit of suspension of disbelief that goes with most mecha series.

Yep, and I'm used to it, I was wondering if in this case there were a specific explanation, more than that

Originally Posted by Conan-san

He was flying the car fair enoguh, I assume he just winged it from that.

The way LFOs fly (sky surfing) brought and bring me to think that piloting them it's harder than the usual. But it is more a wrong unwilling deduction of mine, given by the fact that IRL surfing/snowboarding/whatever is more difficult than other things. But it is quite plausible that the AI translates the standard handle moves of Ao into the more complex commands.

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

1. This is the norm in mecha, isn't it? The inexperienced teen is always somehow magically able to pilot the great machine.

2. But in this case, Nirvash recognizes Ao by smell or blood or something, and thinks he is Eureka, and helps him.

So, in the end I think it a mixture of all, surely the IFO is easier to pilot than what I thought.
The IFO, intelligent flying object, is smart enough to keep itself stable and whatever. Well it's quite smart, he responded to Ao's direct vocal command
There are no hints yet that the Nirvash responded to Ao, except for having recognized him. Or maybe it happened when Ao yelled. But for now I will address that to the AI.


Anyways, great episode. About a general comment I quote Kanon that has already said what my impressions are, even the Ao/Naru part :

Originally Posted by Kanon

Not much to say that hasn't already been said. I can only praise this series so far. The plot is very well-written and directed, the characters feel natural (I can't get enough of Ao and Naru's interaction), the music is great, and the choreography as well as the animation of the fights are fantastic. I hadn't seen such orgasmic mecha action in a while.

Spoiler for Eureka:

So, it seems that Eureka is still alive, but her whereabouts are unknown. Probably after the coral burst of 10 year before, when she saved Naru. And so far nobody have mentioned Renton yet. Probably they are dosing E7 references. And I find a good choice, this is not E7. And for now Eureka's memos fit perfectly with the story. And are helping rounding an already good MC.

I'm glad that apparently they decided to get rid of all the things that I didn't like in E7. And it were the second time this year for such a change of a second season.

[Key Board]

Japanese net-uyo right wingers are starting an effort to smear this show

I guess they really hate episode 2

[Daniel Lind]

Japanese net-uyo right wingers are starting an effort to smear this show

And I really can't blame people for being pissed off.

That.... uh, let's just say "political commentary" is just goddamn unnecessary in this show.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Key Board

Japanese net-uyo right wingers are starting an effort to smear this show

I guess they really hate episode 2

BONES can wear making enemies of those people like a badge of honor.

Between this and UN-GO, BONES is getting rather political in the last year. And it's not the nationalistic stuff we usually see when anime tries to deal with politics.

[aardvark]

The first E7 was very political. Its not at all out of place really.

[Daniel Lind]

It was also very removed from real world. As far as pointing fingers goes at least.

[duckroll]

Aikawa tends to be a political minded writer in general, regardless of whether his scripts end up good or bad. Ayakashi Ayashi, Oh-Edo Rocket, Fullmetal Alchemist (especially the original content and the movie), Un-Go. All filled with political commentary. That part doesn't bother me. I just hope he's better at writing character dialogue and pacing story beats this time. That was the worst part of Un-Go. The actual story was interesting enough.

Judging from Ep2, it's a huge improvement at least.

[aardvark]

Originally Posted by duckroll

Aikawa tends to be a political minded writer in general, regardless of whether his scripts end up good or bad. Ayakashi Ayashi, Oh-Edo Rocket, Fullmetal Alchemist (especially the original content and the movie), Un-Go. All filled with political commentary. That part doesn't bother me. I just hope he's better at writing character dialogue and pacing story beats this time. That was the worst part of Un-Go. The actual story was interesting enough.

Judging from Ep2, it's a huge improvement at least.

how much of it is Aikawa, and how much of it is "Kakuto Takeyoshi" though?

[word sux]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin Sama

By the way, in that second episode, if I'm not mistaken that was supposed to be a Phalanx CIWS Anti-Missile Turret that the Americans tried to use on those flying cars and if so it must have the lowest rate of fire and accuracy of any that's ever been built. Those things practically vomit bullets into the sky in swaths of 70 or so bullets a second that are next to impossible to slip past.

Just find it amusing that they were apparently able to dodge that while they were stuck to the ship, but hey it is anime.

Some other observations:

- Ao has IMO successfully dodged wussy mecha pilot lead syndrome so far. I was kind of expecting him to fall into that trap, but he actually reminds me a bit more of someone like Asemu Asuno from Gundam Age. Someone with guts and tenacity, but who also has to deal with some real personal problems that hinder him instead of imaginary ones. It also doesn't completely cripple him like say an Ouma Shu, but really leads to quiet reflective moments like at the end of the 2nd episode.

- Naru is earning groovy chick status pretty quick. I don't normally like the sickly girl thing, but again it far from completely cripples her and she and Ao seem to share this mutually supportive relationship that hopefully means we don't have to deal with any love triangle nonsense down the line. The fact that she appears reflected in his helmet visor in the opening (V Gundam style) seems to indicate that she's the de-facto heroine of the show and designate love interest.

- Fleur Blanc and Elena Peoples make a strange duo. The former is played almost completely straight as a moderately professional pilot and has some pretty good dialogue throughout the second episode while the latter comes off a bit cutesy and what is up with that pilot helmet? Admittedly where Fleur is concerned I'm a little worried that the one SDF guy mentioned she was "the idol". I can only hope that refers to her reputation as a pilot and that I don't have to sit through any silly idol-singing nonsense since I'm beyond tired of that.

- Ivaca's mustache owns!

the captain says that they were warning shots


I think he even screams out "can't you tell they are warning shots?!?!"

[duckroll]

Originally Posted by aardvark

how much of it is Aikawa, and how much of it is "Kakuto Takeyoshi" though?

Considering how Aikawa is involved in writing 3 of the first 4 episodes, I would say he's probably very much involved in the creative process. It might or might not be he direct influence, but the fact remains that he enjoys fleshing out such elements and writing about them. A lot of the political commentary in Un-Go was based on stuff already in Sakaguchi's writings for example, but the way they were written into the show and expressed as direct and somewhat rambling opinions by the various characters in every episode was definitely Aikawa's work.

More interestingly, I think we should definitely put some more stock into the rumors of Aikawa's involvement on the show long before it was actually revealed. I didn't think it was very likely at the point of the rumors that he was the lead for the show, and BONES seems to agree based on the way the credits are, but regardless of who this mystery pen name belongs to, Aikawa's involvement has been whispered for months now, which indicates that he has quite a bit of creative input in the series since for a rumor to come out the way it did people would have had to know that he was one of the main people working on the production.

On another note, Aikawa is definitely not the ONLY stake holder in the show to have political commentary leanings. The MBS producer Seiji Takeda is also known to have strong political views (anti-American in particular iirc, apologies if I misremembered) and his involvement in the planning stages of Code Geass, Gundam 00, Blood+, and so on definitely had an impact on the evolution of those stories. In a recent interview, he seemed very proud of the fact that E7AO would be tackling heavy political themes which resonate with recent world events, so I'll bet that he had a hand in this plot element too.