As an individual who was not a fan of its predecessor, Last Exile - Fam, The Silver Wing proved to be a surprising catch.
Episode 1 spent no time bogging the viewers with details and opted to nab the attention of the viewers first. Starting with Fam , the female lead stripping down to her undies and jumping off the craft. Sweet.
The story then progress on to show how Fam and her group goes about their daily pirating in the skies. With an exciting spite and ambush attack paired with awesome background music, it was hard not to get lulled into the excitement! Gonzo have also done well in animating the flying scenes. So much that it makes you feel like you could feel the wind!
8 years after its predecessor, Last Exile - Fam, the Silver Wing have noticeably up its game in terms of CGI and the difference is especially obvious in the flying vessels. The (even more advanced) usage of 3d models for the vessels adds an unbelievable touch of surrealism while the details of the craft are a feast for the eye!
Some reviewers felt the 3d models were sticking out like a sore thumb but I thought they merged in well enough. The majestic-ness of the battleship and their realism coupled with awesome dynamic angles made the show look more like a movie than Anime!
Many of the background sceneries were so intricately painted you hold your breath when you see them O_O.
The episode pushes to a climax when the evil Ades Federation goes all out to conquer the peace loving Turian with an overwhelming amount of battleships.
The cinematography experience at this section was dynamic, breath-taking and very well executed! I love how the storyboard was designed to highlight the vastness of the conqueror battleships and the helplessness of the Turian Kingdom. Again, making you feel like you're watching some Sci-Fi space battle movie!
But the whole experience would not have been complete if not for the wonderfully composed background music that greatly amplified the grandness of the battle scene. My only complaint is the overly simplistic battle strategy employed by the Sky Pirates against an entire fleet of professionally trained soldiers =_=;; But then again, dynamic angles, swift storyline and grand orchestral BGM, they tripped your heart before your brain could reject!
As a fellow female, I don’t deny that having an energetic and capable female pilot as the lead gives an extra 'oomph' . It's interesting to see how Fam takes on a task usually associated with the masculine gender. And watching Fam and Giselle work hand in hand further pushes the cool factor as it empathize the amount of skills and knowledge the duo possess. Definitely not your usual airheads!
As a fellow female though, I am also highly amused by the fact that Fam and Liliana can be so comfortable in their skin they have no reservations showing it, bare. Fan service much?
Oh.so.wrong//_\\
Other than Fam, the other characters appear less significant but as this is after all a first episode, only time will tell. Personas aside, the character and costume design of Silver Wing just screams Cosplay. As a cosplayer, it is hard to watch an Anime and not wonder at the back of your mind who you want to cosplay as! Steampunk’s like the new drug and the artist did a fabulous job with everyone’s costume! Darn, I even love how evil and sexy Luscinia and Alauda looks!
It is understood the producers wanted a different colour theme to differentiate Silver Wing from its predecessor hence the much brighter colour theme this round. While I really like the warm and earthly colours in Last Exile, it does get a little somber and dull after a while. The brighter colour theme this time round helps to brighten up the mood, which is more appropriate for the ostensibly upbeat and audacious nature of Last Exile - Fam, Silver Wing.
In an attempt to capture the audience’s attention though Gonzo have sped things up by a little too much and some parts of the plot just flies past you.
Many reviewers comment against the overly simplistic direction in the storyline and question the revival of the series. Though I agree that the foundation of the story is predictable and stereotypical, I have no qualms about it. The Cinderella story has been used to death but it still works just as magically as before. It’s not what but how it’s done.
But I guess the problem comes when it is compared to the original and is overhyped. Comparing with a classic always puts one up for a hit, whatever you do is questionable and never good enough.
Personally, when Last Exile first appeared on my TV screen, I was really excited! The artwork and colour theme was unique and alluring to say the least while the ‘Steam Punk” concept totally rocked my boat.
But 5 minutes into watching it, I fell asleep.
I apologise to all the fans and admit that I’m not exactly the most patient person around. It could have just been a lousy episode I randomly caught that did it in but truth was I never tried picking up Last Exile again.
Jumping straight into the visual climax with the first episode may be an old fashioned strategy but it works, for me at least. The direction Gonzo is taking this is irrefutable and easy to predict. And while it doesn’t unveil itself to be a blockbuster series like it was marketed, it is definitely a very entertaining and exhilarating watch. And while I don’t foresee the series to introduce any ground-breaking or mind smashing plots, I hold hope for complex character interactions and heart moving development.
So don’t forget to catch Last Exile - Fam, The Silver Wing Same day as Japan on Animax Starting Oct 15, Every Sat, 8pm!
More information here: http://www.animax-asia.com/shows/lastexile
I’m kinda interested to know why the title is “The Silver Wing” though XD Is it meant to be her Vespa or implying something bigger in the future? I hope they give Fam a mechanical wing like Suu (Clover)’s or something =X Anyone’s with me? Comment and share your thoughts!
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