SIDONIA NO KISHI

DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA ActionSidonia no Kishi
ANIME ActionSidonia no Kishi: Daikyuu Wakusei Seneki
MOVIE ActionSidonia no Kishi Movie

REVIEWS

• 

  Revvie

  70/100
  Sidonia is one of those rare mecha shows that doesn't focus too much on the mecha. Worth a watch.

  When hearing the term mecha, one can’t be blamed if the image of gigantic mobile suits launching rocket-propelled fists at each other come to mind. After all, this is how many was first introduced to this bizarre genre. While many mechas still exhibit similar traits nowadays, every once in a while comes a show like Sidonia no Kishi, which downplays the mecha so much that even replacing them with something else entirely wouldn’t change the story by one bit.

  

  The story of Sidonia no Kishi is set in the far future, where mankind has been forced to retreat into “seed ships”, basically gigantic spaceships, to preserve themselves after the planet Earth was destroyed by a mysterious race of aliens known as the ‘gauna’. Nobody knows where the gauna came from or what they want from mankind, but the story mainly focuses on the efforts of a military team (dubbed the “knights”) to prevent the gauna from reaching and thus destroying one of the seed ships, “Sidonia”. They do this through the use of mecha units dubbed the “grades”, which in execution is very akin to a fighter jet.

  

  The premise itself seems very generic. We have the human’s mothership, an attacking alien race, and a team of pilots tasked to protect the mothership (which is where of course our protagonist is). Of course, premises don’t mean that much to an anime – true beauty lies in its execution – in which Sidonia no Kishi did surprisingly well.
  The crew did their best to make the setting as believable as possible. Even though most of the anime takes place in the ridiculous setting that is Sidonia, the anime explains everything sufficiently enough that you’ll never find yourself confused or objecting to any of the events that happen in the anime.

  You’ll also find that the show doesn’t fell slow nor dragged on. There’s always a new development – whether it’s a new gauna or interpersonal relationship problems – to keep the show going forward. There isn’t much of an overarching plot however, and due to this often times the development feels forced – like how a gauna always manages to appear at the right time.

  

  But by far the biggest flaw of Sidonia no Kishi’s story is its characters. They’re shallow, one-dimensional, and they never seem to do anything new. To make matters worse, our protagonist is too perfect. He never messes up, and even if he did, it was because of another character’s doing. He doesn’t react much to other people’s insult, and he doesn’t react much to their praises either. He’s not a Gary Stu or anything, but a human being must at least have a few flaws.

  Other than the story, the first thing you might’ve noticed when watching this anime is its very peculiar animation. Unlike many animes, Sidonia no Kishi is done in full 3D. I’m not talking about Pixar-esque 3D, it’s more similar to 3D JRPGs taken up a notch.

  

  As expected from 3DCG animation, the shadows are very well done. They are updated dynamically according to its light source, which is something very hard to do using traditional hand-drawn methods. In addition, POLYGON PICTURES opted to have the shadows to be very prominent, and this results in some very nice looking scenes. The 3DCG also allows for very impressive looking battle scenes. Whether its a dogfight or a gauna encounter, you’ll never find the animation in Sidonia no Kishi to be lacking in the action department.

  It’s not all flowers and sunshine, however. The animation in Sidonia no Kishi suffers from 2 major flaws that holds it back from truly being great.

  Firstly, movement, especially those of the human characters, seem very awkward. As many of you are probably aware, making natural-looking 3D animation is not an easy task. Many major 3D animation studios spend a crapload amount of budget just to overcome this one problem – budget, that POLYGON PICTURES certainly doesn’t have. You might think that I’m overexaggerating the magnitude of this problem, but trust me, it’s nothing small. There is a lot of screentime devoted to the characters in Sidonia no Kishi, and having their every little movement feel awkward really gets annoying. Yes, you might feel used to it after a few episodes, but the awkwardness won’t dissapear – it will always be there.

  Secondly, it’s the framerate. The framerate of Sidonia no Kishi’s animation is very inconsistent. It might be fine for most of an episode, but it’s not rare for it to have a sudden drop. Some episodes even have most of their duration in low framerate. This is especially true during more complex scenes, such as gauna encounters, where the animation would feel so choppy that you can no longer shrug the issue off.

  

  In the sound department, I don’t really have much to say. Sidonia no Kishi has a lackluster OP and ED, and the background music aren’t really that memorable either. I’m not saying the background music are unpleasant, however – they do add to the mood – but you’ll likely just forget about them by the time the episode ends.
  About the voice acting, again, I don’t really have much to say. They get the job done, but they’re not really any better than any other anime, be it mecha or not.

  Now with all that said and done, that brings us to our final question: is the anime worth watching?

  Despite all its flaws, Sidonia no Kishi does one crucial thing great and that is swaying its audience’s emotions. You’ll likely find yourself thrilled, shocked, happy, or even angry according to the anime’s set rhythm. Many animes set in a similar setting fail at this and end up being 3edgy5me – Sidonia no Kishi masterfully doesn’t – so I say give it a shot. If you’re a sci-fi fan like I am, you’ll probably like it.

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• 

  DailyDays

  85/100
  Knights of Sidonia is an action-packed story that will constantly keep you on tenterhooks.

  

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  Introduction

  (Target audience: Who haven't watched)

  Sidonia no Kishi, or Knights of Sidonia, is an action-packed story which will keep you on tenterhooks in its entirety of the series. Designed in the long distanced future, where humans are capable of photosynthesizing and some whose gender are conveniently decided after a suitable partner is found, Sidonia no Kishi portrays a visually striking scenery of a futuristic land, or better put, spaceship, called Sidonia. As the genre is clearly sci-fi, you can safely bet that there are going to be extraterrestrial beings, called Gauna. Sidonia serves, therefore, based on a simple logical deduction, as a combat weapon and military base. However, it is also the place where a lot of civilians live in. And some of them are opposers of the so called system, which will be found out gradually by the viewer. Is it perfect? Can it be?

  Similarly enough, the plot dynamic also works in the way Sidonia can be described: heavy military effort, thus tense life-or-death moments flourishes, and then there are the so-called lull before the storm, when characters get to have a chance to interact on land, develop and dwell about the hardships faced throughout the constant threats of Sidonia's population being exterminated. These mood swings are greatly synchronized with the soundtrack.

  Nevertheless, the main questions remains: what makes this anime different from the rest? Is it worth watching? Primarily, you should know there is a main character; a hero; a knight. Hence, a major component to the show's success is if you connect with him. So, can you? Oh yes (at least I did): the anime does a good job at executing plot development and empathy. You should also know there is subtle romance and harem, but do not be alarmed, there is no excessive exposure and serves well to balance the mood. One should also be reminded that there is a dosage of realism, as real as anime can be. Should you watch it? Of course! No review can truly translate the show as it does in its own. You can be disappointed. But I'm telling ya it's worth the shot. Embark on this journey of compassion and emotion!

  

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  Analysis & Afterthoughts

  (Target audience: Who have watched)

  Caution: Spoilers ahead! But go ahead for those who wanna "live in the danger".

  Nagate's story is not only distressing, but heartbreaking as well. The premise of his somewhat tragic story is only aggravated by the lonesomeness he must have felt when his grandpa died and there was no one else in the world. The fact that the anime does not overdramatize this fact is a huge plus, because, frankly, that's reality. Of course, it is important to acknowledge the improbable circumstances in which the character is in: not only does he not die after so many "close enough's", but he also appears to be the ideal model. It is also worth noticing, however, that this is sci-fi, meaning the genre itself takes place in imaginary circumstances and the title is Knights of Sidonia. In addition, there are stories about true heroes in real life. Therefore, it doesn't seem nor feel far-fetched to have Nagate viewed as someone special. Another reason for that is due to his inevitable past: because he only interacted with his grandpa, hardships that could have been incited by fellow colleagues were inexistent, which further allowed Tanizake to push to his limits and compete with the best (his own grandfather). In short: I personally think we should cut the plot some slack.

  With regard to the main girls and Izana, it is evident the artificial typical harem is created for comedic and lightening-the-mood purposes. I honestly didn't mind it, but rather appreciated it and went along with the mood. I believe there are much more of those in the second season, but seeing as I may not write it, I'll just consider it as an extension to the first one. As to everyone else, it is a pity to consider them somewhat shallow, even though they do serve to be believable, at least. I can think of two possible explanations. One is because the show kills a lot of people, and as sad as it is, most of them do not hold a real connection with Nagate. So, maybe that's a way to stay faithful with the main standpoint. The second one, and I believe it to be more persuasive, is because the main focus of the show isn't the psychological perception of each individual, but rather the mindstate of imminent danger that the human being can be submitted against their own fears, awareness of their fragility and the terrifying atmosphere that the external world can show us to be. It is disappointing, as I wanted to get to know more about the characters, but at the same time understandable.

  Aesthetics are beautiful in the sense that they are unique both in form of presentation and elaboration. Soundtrack is fine and solid.

  All in all, I not only believe Sidonia no Kishi to be enjoyable entertainment, because we are pulled into the story and its trainwreck of emotions, but more importantly, because it can also serve as a lesson when it comes to delving deeper into the fear of the unknown and, perhaps, even the future of mankind.

  

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• 

  TheRealKyuubey

  50/100
  This is a parody review. It is done in the style of Bum Reviews.

  And now, Bum Reviews, with your host Grover C. Bum… Tonight’s episode, Knights of Sidonia.

  Spoilers included.

  OH MY GOD THIS IS THE GREATEST ANIME I’VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!

  It’s an anime on Netflix, called Nights of Sit On Ya, and I clicked on it because I thought it was anime German porn, but what I got instead was so much more awesome! There’s this guy… named Nagitotty… And he’s running around a futuristic looking society all confused and stuff. You can tell it’s futuristic because everything’s bland looking and white. He’s running and running and doing parkour and base jumping, and screaming about how he doesn’t want to get recycled!

  He’s right, you know. In Japan, you’re supposed to separate the burnable trash.

  He gets caught and arrested, because he comes from underground and doesn’t know anything about their society… Even though this story takes place on a space ship, and how the flying fluff can there be uncharted areas on a spaceship… But he escapes confinement by hiding on the ceiling!

  I told them it would be a bad idea to install monkey bars.

  But then they let him go because they’re being attacked by a discount space titan, and he apparently has had a lot of pilot training in the underground slums that have been set apart from society. On a space ship. He’s had flight training on a space ship, but he’s from the underground, so nobody knew he was training. Did I really see this anime, or was that leftover chinese older than I thought? Yah, that’s gotta be it. The nurse is a giant talking bear. I’m definitely hallucinating.

  So Nagitotty succeeds in his Attack on Space Titan, and as a reward, they start telling him things about their society. Like the fact that they’re all plant people, who use photosynthesis to eat straight radiation from any nearby star that they come across! Or maybe just the sun, I don’t know, I don’t recall their location being specified.

  I… Wanna Soak up the suuuuunnnnnn… Wanna tell everyoooonnnneeee to weed my balls…

  And then a girl on the ship tells him she’s genderless, despite the fact that she’s clearly designed to be a feminine character. She says that she has no penis or vagina, and won’t get one until she falls in love with somebody of the opposite gender.

  And Nagitotty is like “If you don’t have genitals, how do you pee?”

  And SpaceTranny is like “I don’t. I’ve been holding it since birth. If I don’t join some bland guy’s harem soon my bladder is going to explode.”

  And Nagitotty is like “Do I call you a ‘he’ or a ‘she?’

  And SpaceTranny is like “Just call me one of your many love interests.”

  So he gets taken to a classroom where a teacher tells him… And a bunch of other people who are clearly his age… About how their society came about.

  I was in a class like that once! I can’t believe they waited until college to teach me that Columbus discovered America.

  Then Nagitotty meets four fighter pilots who are touted as being the best and most talented warriors on the ship. And I bet he feels safe, knowing his safety is in the hands of four soldiers who’ve fought together and experienced hell, side by side, and that their continued service will in no way end tragically.

  Then one of those pilots little sisters is like “You’re really cute!”

  And Nagitotty is like “I have no idea what your advances mean.”

  And then SpaceTranny is like “I’m turning into a woman because of you!”

  And Nagitotty is like “I have no idea what your advances mean.”

  And then one of his fellow pilots is like “I’m the hottest one!”

  And Nagitotty is like “Let’s go see the Gravity Festival together!”

  Yes, there’s also a gravity festival, because the Japanese will celebrate literally everything at some point or another. But then all of a sudden, another discount space titan attacks the ship. But it’s okay, because they’ve got four elite soldiers on board… Holy shed, they’re all dead!

  So the ship jumps to ludicrous speed to get the fluff away from the rampaging space titan, which turns out to be a great idea, because the titan catches up with them anyway, and the turbulence caused way more death and destruction on it’s own than the monster could have caused. I mean, wouldn’t want the poor thing to strain itself.

  So instead of running away like pansies again, they send in a bunch more pilots, who are all paralyzed at once, but it’s okay, because Nagitotty flies in and gets revenge for them by being all awesome and victorious and Mary-suey and stuff! He exposes and attacks it’s core to kill it, and… Wait, I’m confused. Are they ripping off Attack on titan or Strike Witches now?

  He goes to search for the hottest piece of ass in his harem, who floated away like a Modest Mouse song, and finds her lost in space, drifting in the frozen nothingness… Oh, my bad, it’s not that cold. Science lied to me. They’re together for a few days before she takes off her clothes… Still a better love story than Twilight… And absorbs some kind of sunlight, although I can’t remember if they were near a star or not… And there is no possible way that small ship they’re stranded on can hold sixty days of oxygen, or filter the radiation out of the light she’s eating…

  Science! Why u no tell me more truth?

  And they drink each other’s piss until they’re rescued. Personally, I would have eaten her by then. I don’t mean I’d cannibalize her, oh no, that would be terrible… but we ARE all alone out in space, and she DOES keep getting naked. There’s bound to be some sexual tension.

  Upon returning home, Nagitotty meets his harem. The dead guy’s little sister is like “I’m done grieving, I want your bone now!”

  And Nagitotty is like “I have no idea what your advances mean.

  And then SpaceTranny is like “Surprise, my intentionally feminine voice hasn’t gotten any deeper…”

  And Nagitotty is like “I have no idea what your advances mean.”

  And then Plant Nudist is like “Oops! We’re in an enclosed space by accident!”

  And then Nagitotty is like “Kay babe, let’s look at the ocean together.”

  Yeah, there’s an ocean on this ship that’s inside of a giant rock. I was inside of a giant rock once! It didn’t end as well as 127 hours did.

  And then another space titan shows up, and the hot one dies, only she doesn’t die, she just becomes one of the titans! Oops, I meant space titans… Wait no I didn’t! Either way, she’s a gauner now.

  And then we find out that Nagitotty is an immortal clone of his grandfather, who’s a really important historical figure, and because of that, he was destined to become the most powerful soldier on the ship. Because being a personality-deprived harem lead with an evil rival who has long white hair wasn’t generic enough. He also has to be an unwitting chosen one who was born into destiny, like Ichigo, Naruto Uzumaki, Yusuke Yurimeshi, and so on and so forth.

  It got really hard to follow after that, and I fast forwarded through the last three episodes. I will say, though, for a gritty sci-fi action drama that takes itself super-serious and has a high body count and way too complicated of a plot, Nights of Sit On Ya was surprisingly adorable.

  This is Grover C. Bum saying… CHANGE? Ya got CHANGE? C’mon, give me some dollars… Or at least give me some cents, because this series sure as hell didn’t make any. Help a guy out here!

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