Title: Eureka 7

Genre: Action/Romance

Company: BONES

Format: 50 episodes

Dates: 17 Apr 2005 â€“ 2 Apr 2006

Synopsis: Young Renton Thurston, son of acclaimed and disappeared contemporary hero Adrock Thurston, lives in a boring town with his grandfather, a skilled mechanic. One day a mysterious girl named Eureka crashes her piloted robot, (the Nirvash,) into their workshop, asking for repairs. The story starts here as Renton leaves his home to embark in an adventure with the outlaw members of the â€œGecko stateâ€.

The Highlights

Animation: Mostly fluid and impressive, as to be expected from a BONES production.

Sound: Fitting music, great sound effects, and for the most part excellent voice acting.

WTF?: Something you will say a lot throughout the series, especially towards the end.

Drama: Brilliant at times, forced at others.

Plot holes: Too conspicuous to be ignored.

Episode 39: Probably the most pathetic excuse for a filler episode Iâ€™ve ever seen.

What never ceases to amaze me about Eureka 7 is how much I enjoyed it despite all of its evident flaws. On one hand, I have an action and romance packed adventure with stunning aesthetics, some brilliant symbolism, witty references to pop culture and a marvelous setting; on the other, I have a myriad of plot holes, a protagonist that cries an average of about three times an episode, a villain that makes very little sense, and the most out of place, uncalled-for filler episode Iâ€™ve ever seen.

The predominant themes of Eureka 7 are not new concepts by a long shot. Humanity’s maltreatment of that which it doesn’t understand, the inability of people to cope with othersâ€™ differences, etc… Regardless of originality, Eureka 7 executes these themes in a very effective and touching manner. The storyâ€™s execution, however, is a completely different animal. Plot holes run rampant, and innumerable ideas are left not fully explained. What really is â€œdesperation diseaseâ€? The â€œzoneâ€? What exactly did Adroc Thurston propose in the â€œAgeha Planâ€ to coexist with the scrub coral? These are only some of the minor questions left unanswered. The more major and pressing questions I canâ€™t directly state for they would be spoilers.

Eureka 7 displays a wide array of characters, most of which are developed to a certain extent. I must state that at first I was charmed by every single character. They were all so varied and original. The relationships between them were so entertaining. As the series progressed however, a few characters and relationships exhibited some major shortcomings… Although he has his heroic moments, Renton is such an overly dramatic crybaby. I understand heâ€™s been through a lot but he even cries when he canâ€™t make a pass in a soccer game for goodness sake. The fate of the world rests on the shoulders of a teenager who weeps enough to make my little sister seem as tough as Chuck Norris. Eurekaâ€™s three children, while crucial to the story, can be a group a ranting brats that are almost guaranteed to irritate the viewer. The grand victim of character malfunctioning however is without doubt, the villain, Colonel Dewey Novak. After watching Eureka 7 I thought I missed something; but after re-viewing some sections I realized I hadn’t. Colonel Dewey Novak, what he becomes, and what he turns out to be is an unexplained, illogical mess. As for Eureka and Rentonâ€™s relationship; it is, while touching, replete with repetitive and forced drama to the point where it mirrors a soap opera. I actually ended up enjoying Dominic and Anemoneâ€™s love story more.

Despite all these blemishes, Eureka 7 is one of the most memorable animes I’ve ever seen, and here’s why. Top notch animation to go along with fantastic background music and one of the most detailed settings youâ€™ll ever see. A handful of some of the most touching and epic scenes I have ever come across; such as Captain Jurgenâ€™s speech, Anemoneâ€™s realization, and many more. Not to mention some of the greatest symbolism through reference to culture I have ever beheld in an anime. â€œEurekaâ€ being named after Archimedesâ€™s famous exclamation meaning a great discovery; â€œAnemoneâ€ named after the character from Murakami Ryuâ€™s novel, â€œcoin Locker Babies,â€ who, as anyone who has read the novel would know, is just as emotionally unstable and also has a pet named Gulliver; â€œStoner,â€ the laidback pacifist (needs no explanation), and my personal favorite, â€œMaurice,â€ â€œMaeterâ€ and â€œLinck,â€ which, when combined, spell â€œMaurice Maeterlinckâ€, the Nobel Prize winning play writer who wrote mainly about death.

I would never trade my time spent watching this anime. My eyes were glued to the screen episode after episode. As an anime fan however I can’t help but wonder what this anime could have been if the creators would have planned a bit more thoroughly and avoided all the plot holes. This series is truly hard to define in terms of quality. As much as the following may resemble an oxymoron; â€œEureka 7â€ is a masterpiece with an abundance of flaws.

The Rating: 8



Reviewed by: MK