[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Xam’d 3-8: yes! I am a long way from home
It’s not often you’ll hear me say this but I wish I was an American who owned a PS3. This feeling only really occurs to me when I’m waiting for the next episode of Xam’d: Lost Memories, mind. I could go into the pros and cons of the system set in place that allows those lucky bastards who own American PS3s to watch it first the show to be distributed internationally but the fansub debate is a whole different can of worms so I’d rather write about how much the series rules instead.
In terms of those minor details, check out the VALVE-POWERED radio
In my first Xam’d post one or two commenters noted that this still feels like Eureka Seven all over again but I’m in agreement that right now it’s hardly a bad thing; nevertheless there are enough original ideas to make the familiar-feeling ones come across as exciting rather than tired and recycled out of laziness. It’s as much familiarity in themes and ideas as more obvious but minor details like VAs and other studio staff; the deft way in which hard-hitting issues are handled is one reason why I loved E7 and why I’m already feeling the same way about this series too. The strangeness, vibrant colour and beauty of the worldview and the equally colourful personalities on show go hand in hand with the tantalising sense that there’s so much left still to explore. Akiyuki may not have returned to Sentan yet but this is one hell of an adventure.
When you see a huge, alien creature restrained in a bunker and subsequently escape, the gut reaction is to destroy the threat…and yet after learning how the said huge alien was carrying a baby of its own I actually felt really sorry for it when Furuichi killed it. I mean, when you think of that incident as a soldier gunning down a captive mother and her unborn child, it stops being a cool-looking mecha battle with an alien and becomes something darker and much more serious. The way that the series deals with issues such as ignorance and prejudice giving way to violence is interesting in itself but it’s never heavy-going because the presentation and characterisation are so, well, fantastic.
What do you do when all your enemies are friends?
The issue of Furuichi and Akayuki is a chilling reminder of how events can turn friends against one another: the betrayal is shocking yet I can see how easily it happened. I don’t think Furuichi is being built up merely as a character viewers love to hate either - he’s an indicator of the problems that his world is facing. Confronting an old friend when in a position of responsibility and when the said friend may also be an enemy, he wastes no time in letting fear and jealousy take over his better judgement. How could he possibly turn his back on Akiyuki and let Haru suffer the consequences afterwards, ironically calling Akiyuki the coward? These are pertinent questions but also highlight what this show is already proving itself to do so well: character development.
“It’s you who’s changed, Furuichi.” Those words stuck with me as much as the showdown with the humanform, even as much as the glorious background art of the mine and the plight of little Kio and her father. The encroachment of the war onto Sentan inevitably affects everyone, but it’s particularly interesting to see how each person reacts to the incidents that have blasted their daily routines to smithereens. Like it or not, Akiyuki is in the thick of the events that he barely understands, but cannot return to his family and friends until he finds the answers to the questions concerning the Xam’d within him.
Humanforms have feelings too, you know
The characters really do go a long way to explaining why I’m so eager to catch the latest episode - Nakiami for instance is, simply put, utterly fascinating. I’m sure her obvious good looks, her inner strength, her spirituality and above all the resemblances to the quintessential Miyazaki heroine type of character helped me warm to her straight away but she too has layers of personality and complexity. Why has she distanced herself from her own people? Where does she get that sense of compassion and harmony with nature from? Why does she have such a keen sense for the feelings of a Xam’d or a humanform when others will instinctively blast them to hell?
The rest of the crew, including that Raigyo guy who turns up at the end of episode #8 are varied and entertaining too: they never fail to raise a smile and give Akiyuki a sense of support and belonging while he tries to come to terms with what’s happening to him. I daresay we’ll discover their backgrounds in due course since the storyline wastes no time in moving things along and answers questions (as well as posing an equal number of new ones, it seems) at a pace that suggests that the writers have a reassuringly clear idea of what they’re doing.
I have to admit that the glass containers filled with various flora and fauna reminded me of another certain character who also had a fascination with nature
Meeting Kio and her father (or rather, her adoptive father) was one point however where I was reminded in stark fashion at how this is still a serious show, for all its laughs and jaw-dropping moments of action: this is a world where people suffer, more often than not through thoughtlessness at the hands of fellow humans. The military want to perpetuate the idea that humanforms are destructive monsters (an idea that Furuichi is sadly not hesitant in adopting) but much of the pain and suffering I’ve seen so far has been caused by people misunderstanding, or not understanding at all, those around them. Their treatment of humanforms reminds me of the old adage that states that you can get a better grasp of someone’s personality by observing how they treat their enemies than how they treat their friends.
At the heart of it all though is a fantastical tale of one young man who has embarked on a journey that’s showing him, and the viewer, more about himself and the world he lives in than he could possibly have imagined. Where it will take him is anyone’s guess but despite the seriousness of the situations Akiyuki sometimes finds himself in, it’s this sense of adventure that ensures it will continue to make me check for the latest episode each week. It makes me want to take to the skies, ride a hoverbike or adopt a rabbit creature that doubles up as an emergency pillow…even more than wanting an American PS3.
And to the reader who contacted me asking where I got a certain banner image from, it was indeed from this show. Because Nakiami is indeed awesome. ^_^
Posted on September 7th, 2008 @ 5:57 pm
It seems you are not the only one in the world who thinks Nakiami is like Nausicaä, hehe. Funnily, I find Nausicaä strong, beautiful and kind while I find Nakiami to be rather emo and she makes no sense to me. She doesn’t even care to explain, and finally, I despise this religiousness you like so much ^^;;; Although she saved Akiyuki, I don’t see her trying to open herself up to anybody and I have always disliked that (in fact, I have disliked Eureka for the first episodes until her feelings and actions became more transparent to the viewer).
Anyways, I do think that the treehugging message of Xam’d is a positive trait of the series so far, and I even hope that this might delve into greater depths than Eureka 7 already did (considering that the characters are older, stronger and less emo).
Sasas last blog post..Fall season preview - I need a strategy to restrain my anime viewing
Posted on September 10th, 2008 @ 6:12 pm
@Sasa: I don’t always understand Nakiami’s actions either, but I think that’s because she hasn’t been given much background yet (I felt the same way about Eureka at first too). I’m a but biased as far as Nausicaa’s concerned of course - she’s possibly my all-time favourite character in anime! Even so, her situation and motives are outlined really early on in the film so you get a grasp of why she thinks and acts the way she does. Time will tell I suppose if Nakiami is indeed emo or whether her angst is justified.
I like the way you describe the ‘tree hugging’ message as a good thing - it could have so easily come across as preachy or insulting, but the story is so well written you can become completely immersed. The fact that the characters are slightly older is also avoiding the problem E7 had when Renton’s character development took so long. It was worth sticking with but his teen whininess did bog the story down a little during the middle section of the series.
Posted on September 30th, 2008 @ 4:38 am
PS3 users have to pay US$3.99 for a HD rental, which works out to $103.74 for the whole series ($77.74 for SD), and you end up owning nothing in the end. Plus, you’re already broke, because you bought a PS3!!!
Excellent anime though.
Posted on October 1st, 2008 @ 7:02 pm
@BayozXXII: I was wondering how the system for PS3 owners worked. Yeah, it does seem a bit pricey and you really need an HD setup to get the most out of it, but I think pay-per-view is a viable alternative for those of us who want their anime without having to wait for DVDs on rental but are concientious enough to pay for it. I would still get the series on DVD though, just because little details come out on a re-watch.