released 13 jan 07 / last mod 01 jun 07 / greg goebel / public domain
* I picked up the first DVD volume of the Studio BONES anime video series EUREKA 7 on a gamble, it appearing halfway interesting. At the outset, we meet Renton, a junior-high lad in a futuristic world who likes to ride a "sky surfboard" and wants to get out of the dull town he is living in. Partially he is propelled in his ambitions by the memory of his father, who "saved the world" in some unspecified fashion at the cost of his own life. Renton is restrained by his crochety grandfather, who he lives with and who is determined that no more of his family should become dead heroes.
However, there are battles going on, between the formal military and a rebel group named "Gekkostate", involving dogfights with mecha called "LFOs" flying on sky surfboards and led by a legendary but cynical sky surfer named Holland. The war comes to Renton's town with the crashing arrival of an early model of LFO, piloted by a pretty girl about Renton's age with blue hair and a somber manner. He is immediately smitten with the girl, and when the military arrives he follows after her, partly to deliver a device given to him by his grandfather that gives the old LFO incredible power. Now he becomes involved with the motley crew of Gekkostate while trying to become a hero and get the girl.
From what I saw of EUREKA 7, it looks like a fairly well-produced piece of work, and definitely a pleasure for action fans. I got two episodes into it and gave up. It seems at the outset like an almost formulaic anime mecha story, with a pile of off-the-wall variations thrown in, and the expected cast of characters plus some overblown, murky dialogue. Worse, knowing Studio BONES, I had the very strong suspicion that maybe about half the off-the-wall details would ever be explained. I've played this game before: "You haven't really thought any of this out, have you? You're just making it up as you go along."
I cannot condemn EUREKA 7, particularly since I saw so little of it, and I can certainly not rule out that it picks up in later episodes. However, what I did see was not promising. My judgement is that EUREKA 7 appears to be a competently-made, action-oriented, basically familiar mecha adventure, and if you don't have any problem with that, you may enjoy it. Anyone wanting something more original and interesting should probably pass.