The hard-hitting anti-war thing is another reason for me to declare it E7 Version 2, but like you I’m still considering that to be a positive thing rather than a hinderance.

Having a couple of anime characters whose relationship is somewhere past unrequited love is as refreshing as Renton and Eureka’s in the second half of E7, although maybe the distance thing amounts to the same unrequited feeling.

The parallels with E7 are getting stronger too (Haru’s empathy with the pregnant Xam’d reminds me of Coralians), but it doesn’t bother me because there’s plenty to differentiate it as well.

What kills me is that Bones is able to whip out 2 top-notch productions at the same time, plus a third (Daughter of 20 Faces) that’s cheaper but really not bad either.

The background gets explained a bit more in the eps that follow (just finished being in awe of ep #6 as I type this) and it gradually solidifies the politics and nature of the ‘humanforms’. The pacing is still quite brisk though, so I’d recommend a second viewing. I’m hoping it can keep its focus on the characters as time goes on, but for now my hopes are still high.

Ep1 sets itself apart, beautifully juggling the family life (The kid’s troubled parental situation provides an immediate emotional connection) and the sudden crisis with things blowing up. It’s great to look at, though I get irritated at the sometimes herky-jerky character movements, like they’re being OVERanimated. On the other hand, when Akayuki’s Xamd’ed character repels an enemy blast in the canal, and the water gushes up, my mouth fell open.

The background is confusing the hell out of me, but maybe I’m just a lazy viewer. I’m not crazy to go through several eps of Akayuki learning to fit in to life on the ship, and I don’t know how they’re going to get the boy back to Sentan, but they’re spending a lot of time developing the story for that island, so I’m not too worried.

@coburn: I’m judging Xam’d on the basis of every other Bones production I’ve seen, none of which have really disappointed me. Unlike, say, Gonzo whose better-looking shows lack a decent story (and vice-versa), Xam’d looks awesome but has a complex premise and endearing characters. There is the possibility of a rubbish plot but its other plus points might actually save it if that happens. My concern is that the fleshing out of the characters back on Sentan is all for naught if Akayuki doesn’t return home until much later in the series, but as you said it’s early days.

Probably just early days though. I’m at risk of expecting all-round genius just because it pulls off the basics with such aplomb. In reality any leap from cool to masterpiece will occur later on in the story. Like in your last paragraph I find myself thinking “am I wrong to believe in this show?”, but can’t quite believe that something this well judged can fail to hit new heights.

coburns last blog post..Kigeki: a brief examination

lbreviss last blog post..Macross Frontier 20