KOUKYOUSHIHEN EUREKA SEVEN

DESCRIPTION

CAST

ANIME ActionEureka Seven AO
SPECIAL AdventureKoukyoushihen Eureka Seven: New Order
MOVIE AdventureKoukyoushihen Eureka Seven: Pocket ga Niji de Ippai
MOVIE AdventureKoukyoushihen Eureka Seven Hi-Evolution 1
MANGA ActionKoukyoushihen Eureka Seven
NOVEL AdventureKoukyoushihen Eureka Seven
MUSIC PsychologicalSTORYWRITER

REVIEWS

• 

  Goukeban

  95/100
  An outstanding work of worldbuilding with some of the best character development you'll find.

  Besides poking fun at Christianity, one genre that seems to be a writing gold mine for anime is the coming-of-age tale. Taking a character who is in their teens, a period where they start to shape themselves to soon ingress into adulthood, and make them face reality in its different shades up until they become completely rounded figures is a setup that offers a vast range of opportunities for writers. The deal is that, the main character being a kid or a pre-teen, you can make them as immature as you can get away without making the audience hate the little twerp and slowly improve them into a better person. Also, being animation such a versatile media, you can deliver as much of that development in one full season without having to deal with the difficulties of live-action.

  So, which one is the best coming-of-age story in anime? Of course, that is not a question with definitive answer, if any question in regards to art is, but I’d like to offer my pick for the best one I watched so far: Eureka Seven.

  Story and Characters

  Eureka Seven (E7 for short) caps at 50 episodes, which is by no means a shy length for any series. Any anime packing that number of episodes can be an absolute chore to sit through if it doesn’t offer the content to hold the viewer and enough quality-development to justify its size. Luckily there’s no shortage of either for this series. During its running time, E7 builds its fantastic world and addresses multiple character arcs and themes, from religious conflict to environmentalism, leaving very little to be fully explained, and even in these cases it’s not anything that represents a driving force of the plot. Before we talk about that, though, let’s discuss the characters.

  Renton, the main protagonist, is unusually relatable for a character of this kind of story. He is immature, sure, but also displays grounded morals and is, at least initially, driven by an adventurous spirit. Being the son of the late hero responsible for saving the world, Adroc Thurston, he would have some pretty big shoes to fill, however, Renton doesn’t really want to deal with that kind of responsibility. Like many other teenagers, he wants simply to enjoy his younger years dedicating himself to his hobby and expanding his horizons, which primarily motivates him to join Gekkostate. That would lead him to face a reality much harsher than what he was originally prepared for and forces him to strengthen his ideals in order to push himself through the struggles he faces. So, yeah, Renton is amazing, quote me on that.

  The titular Eureka is Renton’s love interest for the story and the center of many conflicts both in the overall plot, as well as the tension between Renton and Holland. While not exactly emotionless, she has difficulty properly dealing with the emotions she slowly develops, and Renton plays a big role in leading her to understand how to better interact with others. She is naturally kind-mannered and loyal, but when it comes to dealing with failure or regret, more complex feelings in general, she has significantly harder time processing those emotions.

  Holland is the leader of Gekkostate, a cool figure outside, but a very contrasting person for those who get to know him closely. Jealous, easily angered, unusually immature and quick to lash out against weaker characters who dare to upset him, most of the time Renton and frequently with violence, he is possibly the one that goes through the most sizeable development in the series, and a very positive one. That development though, takes some time to manifest, so while he acts like an absolute asshole, don’t be surprised if you find yourself enjoying his suffering. I sure did.

  Talho is the main pilot of Gekkostate and Holland’s lover. Being the only person who Holland accepts to have challenging him, she is the main agent to his development, but before that happens she is also forced to grow and properly understand her role in the group.

  Charles Beams, along with his wife, Ray, is one of the antagonists, appearing mid-run in the anime. Even though he is technically placed on the “bad guys” side, he is still a very honored, responsible and loyal figure, which is why he plays a big role in Renton’s development. He is also Eureka Seven’s embodiment of MANLINESS. Seriously, I bet the guy had chest hair when he was 8.

  Dewey is Holland’s older brother and the main antagonist for the series. Initially very mysterious, his motivations seem to fluctuate as the anime goes on, up until they are properly revealed and sadly place him among the “Destroy the World” kind of villain, the least compelling kind. That was the only meaningful issue I was able to find in the series: villains of this category hardly ever work, and in cases they do work they often go for the type that is so crazy it doesn’t matter or so powerful that destroying the world isn’t a big deal for them. Dewey is mostly portrayed as a collected and calculating individual, so this motivation is all the more out-of-place. Lastly, there are Dominic and Anemone. Their role in the story is to serve as a parallel to Renton and Eureka’s relationship, but at the side of the antagonists, for the most part.

  Ok, tackling the coming-of-age aspect first, Renton’s development is triggered mostly by the use of an interesting contrast: without giving too much away, halfway through the series he gets separated from the Gekkostate, who at this point were not the most responsible folks to serve as an example. While in their company, it was difficult to side against him, as there was a clear lack of proper orientation from the crew. The point where they get separated is the moment his character-arc truly starts to shine, it’s the moment when he’s able to do his biggest mistakes and witness the impact they have. As an effect of that, Renton begins to develop higher respect for other’s resolve, as well as the importance of keeping himself loyal to the responsibilities he takes. When he finally reunites with the Gekkostate, he is better prepared to face the challenges they would find up ahead. His development doesn’t stop there, however, as there’s much work to be done in his relationship with Eureka and the strengthening of his values, but that is something you should witness on your own.

  In Eureka’s case, the development kicks in early on, since it’s not so much focused on maturing but in learning to deal with issues she was never forced to deal with in her blank-slate condition. Due to Renton’s influence, not only over her but also the Nirvash, she begins to be exposed to feelings she was not used to, not all of them positive. During the boy’s absence, she starts to understand that the reason why she misses him might be romantic feelings and the sudden need for his companionship also plays a huge part on forcing Holland to mature himself. All of this makes for deeply dynamic characterization, as in Eureka Seven characters don’t simply decide to change or shift on a whim depending on plot convenience (No, I’ll not make a “cough, cough” joke!), they influence each other, stumble, hurt themselves and make amendments, the way well-written interaction is supposed to do. The side-characters in the other hand have fairly straight personalities and stay pretty much the same along the series. Is that a problem? No. Keep that in mind, folks: a large cast doesn’t mean everyone should receive in-depth development, some characters are nice the way they are, just adding some flavor to the series

  Now, when learning that a series tackles subjects like religious conflict or environmentalism, many people would be immediately put off, in fear that it might end up featuring very preachy writing. Eureka Seven, however, gracefully avoids this trap. The subjects in question are all swiftly introduced as the plot progresses, and now and then play their role in the story by being naturally integrated in the arc, without any moralism being spelled out by anyone in ham-fisted manner. The environmental aspect, for once, is not directly brought up, but subtly conveyed throughout the series, as it’s an integral part of the overarching plot, and the series manages to do such a thing even as these themes become ever more present in the story. By the end, it’s not hard to grasp how such elements are a natural component of the world presented in the anime.

  Presentation

  By the Gods, that looks beautiful!

  Ok, professionalism dictates I have to be more specific. Made in 2005 by Studio Bones, Eureka Seven is, to this day, one of the best looking anime ever made. Bones is a studio used to make anime where characters are realistically proportioned, but still retain anime-like features and that allows them to have distinct expressions. You will hardly find a relevant character that expresses in the same manner as the others, tying perfectly with their personalities and demeanors. With the exception of some episodes of minor importance, like the soccer episode, the figures show steady consistency in their character models, retaining natural proportion even when seen from a distance. This is often the animation issue that is most noticeable in other works, but E7 manages to avoid it and deliver stellar animation with beautifully fluid movement without losing its consistency and detail.

  Character designs are striking and memorable. They follow the seinen logic of packing details that by themselves are nothing special, but when placed together form a design that is at the same time harmonic and distinct. Now, all of that aside, the real kicker that makes the series such a visual marvel is its use of colors. From the character designs, both human and mechs, to the machinery, the effects and explosions, E7 always brings the most vibrant and impactful colors. The shining green of the trapar waves, the perfectly toned shades of orange used for the sunset, the lightly flavored natural environments and even pink-colored explosions, everything immediately pops out on the screen, and coupled with the sharp use of lighting, it drives perfectly the mood of the scene, be it action or just moments of important dialogue. When you consider that alongside the number of episodes and characters, it only makes the work Bones displayed all the more impressive. There is nothing I can complain in regards to the visuals that doesn’t boil down to nitpick, as the overall package is consistently pleasing.

  Eureka Seven’s soundtrack has its fair share of exciting, blood-pumping tracks to help make the action all the more energetic and even some to evoke a grandiose feeling, but what stands out the most are its emotional pieces. They come in at the exact moment to make you know that you’re about to watch a meaningful moment of character interaction or to highlight development that is about to happen. If you don’t find these tracks memorable, better look for a medic, you might have faulty memory or be lacking a heart. On the voice acting department (Japanese, off course), the most notable detail is Renton’s seiyuu, Sanpei Yuuko. Renton is another teenage-boy played by a female. Let that information sink in for a minute: does the acting, at any moment, denounce that the character is not played by a man? This is without a doubt the most convincing case of a female seiyuu playing a male role I’ve ever seen and can easily dethrone Paku Romi or Takeuchi Junko in this category. Not to say that the rest of the cast doesn’t range from solid to excellent. Fujiwara Keiji plays Holland, so if you are familiar with his work you know there’s no worry and Nazuka Kaori’s portrayal of Eureka reflects with no problem the image of a girl learning to process newly-found emotions, while maintaining a sweet vibe to her acting.

  Personal Ramblings

  Now, there’s an aspect I’d like to comment on this section specifically. Eureka Seven has some of those moments you could call “shounen moments”, where the logic is made to obey more the emotions the characters are facing at the time and the ones the anime wants to pull out of the viewer, then the internal rules established in the story. This might be just my bias speaking, as I have a soft spot for the shounen genre myself, but I believe these instances enhance the series instead of detracting from it. Sure, they may seem corny to some, but not just of logic you build a cathartic and fulfilling story, emotion is also important and as long as it doesn’t stretch believability beyond what the audience was accustomed to give, or contradicts other rules of the setting, I say “go for it”.

  If WattheWut doesn’t mind me borrowing his rating system for a while, Eureka Seven is a Must Watch. Sure, this review might not have convinced you, as I spent little time dissecting how the story unfolds, but trust me, it’s better that you experience that for yourself. Safe to say, I believe this series uses with effect its runtime, as there was a lot to be handled and the manner in which it did was very solid, paced out with no issue. You can call Eureka Seven a perfectly rounded series: it has a tightly fleshed out world with a story that fully utilizes its setting and dynamic, likeable and developed characters, fitting without a problem the universe they live in.

  I’m running out of things to say, so go watch the anime.

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• 

  planetJane

  90/100
  Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.

  I was **commissioned** to write this review. That means I was paid to review the series in question and give my honest opinion. All of my reviews contain **spoilers** for the reviewed material. This is your only warning.

  ---

  Sekai-kei, or “world story”, is a term of disputed origin. Held by many to be a westernism, invented by bloggers searching for a term to describe Neon Genesis Evangelion and stories of its ilk. Stories where the fate of the universe is tied inextricably to that of a central relationship and the mental state of its lead characters. NGE may hold the title as the series that inspired the term, but no anime has ever worn it as well as Eureka Seven. And no matter its origin, more than many anime the phrase is used to describe, “world story” feels like it fits Eureka Seven like a glove. Fifteen years after it began airing, E7 is capable of an astounding thematic and emotional resonance that hits as hard in 2020 as it did when the series ended in 2006. It’s matched by little else.

  

  Try to grab hold of it, and it breaks down into images. Blood on wedding rings, underground rainbows, Superflat monsters and sky-fish, mecha on surfboards, political intrigue, social upheaval. Love, war, death and more, all soundtracked to trance, house, pop, and soul. This is Eureka Seven. Wildly ambitious, flawed but magnificent. Riddled with paradoxes, it is gangly and perfect.

  

  It’s not hard to understand E7’s methodology. It combines an older, political strain of mecha anime with the metaphysical, psychological approach of the NGE* era. In this way, its closest contemporary cousin, funnily enough, might be another ambitious mecha series of the same era that attempted a similar approach; Code Geass. But while that anime traffics chiefly in camp, the minutiae of revolution, and shock value, Eureka Seven deals in much simpler, more universal substance. As promised in the title; emotion, politics, and the messy grey area that is their intersection.

  It is again helpful to consider Eureka Seven as a series of meaningful contradictions. It bursts with music, but is punctuated by the shellshocked silence of war trauma. Dozens of opposites run through the show; love, and death, built things and natural things, Wide-eyed romantic idealism and stoic pragmatism, new life and disease, and so on. In this way, despite the fantastical nature of its soft sci-fi setting, Eureka Seven’s world is a lot like our own. This is important, because Eureka Seven is an anime with things to say, even if it takes a little while to get there.

  Eureka Seven opens presenting itself as a classic adventure story. That of Renton Thurston, son of the late war hero Adroc Thurston, and his encounter with–and eventual admittance to–‘terrorist’ group The Gekkostate. It never sheds the structure of a latter-day bildungsroman, especially since Renton’s romance with the titular Eureka is a key part of the series, but it does go significantly beyond it in several other ways.

  Other coming-of-age stories have dealt with the realities of growing up in a politically tense period. Few have depicted the rise of fascism with such polished, unsettling ease as Eureka Seven. The ascent of the dictatorial Dewey Novac ties to broader political sensibilities throughout the show. It is not a coincidence that Novac’s forces are generally clad in Nazi-evoking black uniforms, while the Gekkostate and affiliated resistance have a wide variety of looks, often inspired by musical subcultures. (The series overflows with musical reference, down to the name of Renton’s father. A namecheck of Beastie Boys member Ad-Rock.) Later, as Novac’s regime seizes power (complete with a by-the-fascist-book “big speech” to accompany his coup in episode 37) he launches a genocidal campaign against the scub coral. And plans involving surgically-altered super soldier children stretch back in-series years.

  

  Elsewhere, the plight of the Coralians and their complex relationship to the humans in the world of Eureka Seven speak to an environmental bent. The series’ use of what is essentially technobabble may seem campy or silly, but it belies an internal logic that maps cleanly onto many different real-world problems. The “Question Limitation” is not something we will ever have to deal with, but similarly ominous two-word phrases (such as say, “Global Warming”) seem quite certain to define our immediate future.

  

  The show’s long, rough middle third, meanwhile, where Renton is first hazed and then downright abused by many different members of The Gekkostate (but especially Holland) is a bleak, raw look at how such cycles of abuse perpetuate. Renton’s own journey to maturity is hamstrung by the existence of three malformed father figures; Adroc, the war hero who was never there for his own son, Holland, who grapples with his own complex feelings of responsibility regarding Eureka and often takes this frustration out on Renton in this portion of the series, and Charles, a loving father like Renton’s never had, but also a bloodlust-driven bounty hunter, whose conflicts with The Gekkostate eventually see him shot dead by Holland. It is only Renton’s ability to rise above all this–and to forgive–that allows these cycles to cease, and for him and Holland (the only one of the three still alive) to move forward.

  All of this only scratches the surface, but you get the point. You may ask what ties all of these disparate themes together, and the answer is shockingly simple. One of anime’s great achievements as a medium is the ease and sheer emotional intensity with which it is often capable of portraying the simple, necessary, terrifying joy of human connection. In Eureka Seven, all of these problems, to a one, can be overcome by communication. By mutual understanding. By love. The show’s final opening theme–“Sakura”–interpolating, in a genuinely brilliant compositional move, the hymn “Amazing Grace”, gives the game away. It seems to say; If God lives not above, then we must love each other in his place. We have a duty to see the worth inherent in each other.

  

  Indeed, Eureka Seven‘s greatest achievement is not any great subversion of expectations, any particular cut or shot (though many excellent examples of both exist throughout), its unique soundtrack, or anything else of the sort. It is this emotional core of empathy triumphing above all else that stands out. It is a spirit that persists in the medium to this very day, shining through from time to time in even the least of Eureka Seven‘s successors.

  By Eureka Seven‘s end, and the incomparably romantic imagery of Renton and Eureka cradling each other in their arms as they hurdle through the sky, the series has made its point. Fifteen years later, in a world that every day feels closer to falling apart, Eureka Seven‘s message that even in our darkest hours we must hold each other close feels more resonant, immediate, and heartfelt than ever. That it’s so beautifully put together feels like proof that it’s the truth. How sweet, indeed, the sound.

  ---

  ---

  *NGE of course did not invent this particular sort of mecha series, it merely popularized it. I’m inclined to suspect a shared lineage dating back to perhaps Macross. But without having seen that series myself it’s hard to say more, definitively. Eureka Seven is flooded with shared DNA both between and directly from other mecha anime and other sci-fi in general. I spotted more than one point of homage to another Gainax series; Gunbuster, and have been informed of several that draw from sci-fi novels. Director Tomoki Kyoda has called the series an “homage to his rebellious phase”, a sentiment that tracks with its empathetic state of mind and general feel quite wonderfully.

  ---

  **Notes & Disclaimers** Usage of Anilist's review feature does not constitute endorsement for Anilist as a platform, the Anilist community or any individual member thereof, or any of Anilist's policies or rules. All views expressed are solely my own opinions and conclusions and should not be taken to reflect the opinions of any other persons, groups, or organizations. All text is owned by me. Do not duplicate without permission. All images are owned by their original copyright holders.
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• 

  bonnorcott

  90/100
  Eureka Seven speaks in a language of other art and scenes to speak of its own passion

  In my short tenure as an anime fan receiving recommendations from sources far more well versed than myself, I have come across several shows which seem built out of parts of other shows, a creative exchange that becomes more apparent to me with each new Gainax anime I watch in particular. Eureka 7 is possibly the most dramatic example of this kind of exchange I can imagine, a show that pays homage to dozens of classic anime in names taken from Leiji Matsumoto, allegedly countless Gundam references that flew past me, and a final episode containing shots mirroring every single major Gainax project I have seen to that point, from End of Evangelion to FLCL. The show also endlessly harkens to its director’s lifelong obsession with European dance music scenes, and punk-tinged surf culture, with almost every technical term in the show referencing some synthesiser like the TB-303 or related terms like LFO and KLF. Eureka’s creative language lies in these homages, utilising references to other shows and to real subcultures as a shorthand for the finer details of narrative beats and character dynamics, as well as commenting on the personal impact of these subcultures.

  The imagery of punk, rebellious young groups of artists and talented spectacle sports, is used to introduce Gekkostate, a group proclaiming counterculture through the magazine ray=out, and inspiring a teenage Renton through images of talented lifters. From this perspective, very little is revealed about the underlying political conflict driving Gekkostate, or the nature of Eureka 7’s surprisingly complex world. For someone as inexperienced as Renton, the cast of powerful figureheads and the freedom presented in their media is enough to motivate his joining the crew, ignoring any details of their real mission, or nuance of the individual crew members. This quick characterisation of Gekkostate through their referencing of real transgressive media sets up their role as the show progresses, as Renton becomes disillusioned with the violence hidden behind the printed images, recognising his own lack of concrete ideology to stand behind as he travels with Gekkostate. What brings on this disillusionment is nothing but a clearer image, revealing the flaws of each member of Gekkostate and the reality of the war they are fighting.

  Renton’s disillusionment is the catalyst for the show’s exploration of possible reasons for the attraction of a young boy to this culture, and how to reconcile a failing ideological motivation with a personal motivation. Renton finds in Charles and Ray Beams the image of a family he failed to see in his own missing relatives or in the dysfunction of Gekkostate. Renton finds them while lost and despairing over Eureka, and perceived abandonment by Gekkostate, the group he first found a home in. Renton’s second feeling of betrayal, however, when Charles’s real role is revealed, allows him to recognise a much more powerful motivation in his transitory teenage life, to act on his own and be with Eureka.

  As the show progresses to its finale, the importance of love as an abstract ideal replaces the flawed interpersonal relationships that characterise the earlier parts of the show. Renton’s task is to overcome the barriers of difference present in all of these relationships, truly becoming an image of pure love, one with Eureka. This is what carries the cast to real victory, destroying the baggage and flaws blocking perfect harmony with each other, Renton becoming the impossible protagonist he previously could not be. The show again uses the imagery of other media to shift the focus to this lofty and idealistic climax, stating that the inhabitants of this planet have a duty to overcome our differences and preserve this world by protecting each other, and believing there will be a day when perfect harmony is achieved. The type of music and culture referenced in this show seeks to unite the world, and after the difficulties of this are examined, the show comes to the conclusion that this truly can be achieved.

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