Blast From The Past


“Don’t beg for things. Do it yourself or you won’t get anything. / Get it by your own two hands.”

  About the Series:

  • Alternative Names: Eureka 7, Psalms of Planets, Joukyou Shihen Eureka Seven.
  • Production Studios: Bones, Bandai Entertainment.
  • Air Dates: April 2005 to April 2006.
  • Episodes/Duration Per: 50 episodes x 24 minutes per.
  • Premise: Renton Thurston is a 14-year old boy with grandiose dreams of piloting mecha known as “LFO’s” (Light Finding Operation) and joining the mercenary group led by the legendary Holland Novak: Gekkostate. Needless to say though, being a regular kid living with his mechanic grandfather in a town in the middle of no where…. those dreams are merely dreams, with no hope of actually being achieved. That is, until a young girl named Eureka arrives in the Nirvash typeZERO, the first ever LFO, requesting the help of his grandfather for repairs. Followed by the military, the Nirvash is forced to escape, and Renton given the mission to deliver an interface known as the “Amita Drive” in order to help protect it. After successfully fending off the military LFO’s, Renton finds out that Eureka is part of Gekkostate, and is requested by Holland himself to join the group. But, he finds out quickly that life as a mercenary on the run is nothing like he thought it would be…
  • Sequel: Eureka Seven AO
  • Alternate Version: Eureka Seven: Pocket Full of Rainbows
    		•
      A Little Bit of History:

    Regarding E7:

    Aired in 2005, Eureka Seven‘s origins began as an idea from Bandai Entertainment, who tried to enlist the animation studio Bones (Full Metal Alchemist, Wolf’s Rain, RahXephon, Soul Eater, Star Driver) for a mecha anime series. Initially, the proposal was rejected, but the decision reversed because Bones already had plans for a mecha series, with designs by Kawamori Shoji (creator of recent series Macross Frontier, Aquarion EVOL and AKB0048). In the end though, Bandai’s idea was scrapped for the most part, and Eureka Seven rose from Bones’ staff work on their own original series. The series premiered on television for the first time in April 2006, as part of Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, ending a year later in 07′, with some reruns in 08′. It’s sequel, Eureka Seven AO (Astral Ocean), recently started airing last season.

    Regarding how I personally got into E7:

    Going into 06′, I was at a point in my life where anime was still a relatively small part of my life. Mobile Suit Gundam Wing had gotten me into the anime scene years prior, but I didn’t really start watching anime in earnest (watching shows as they aired) until around 07′. Also, considering the quality of my computer and internet connection, my actual ability to watch anime was pretty hindered… so my only real way of doing so was via Cartoon Network, which I would skim occasionally to find some shows to watch. One day in April of that year, I would find myself going through the TV schedule, eventually stumbling upon a show named “Eureka Seven”. I don’t know exactly why, but there was just something about the name that really appealed to me. Granted it was probably because I was a pretty impressionable young chap back then and everything remotely unique sounded cooler than it was, but the fact of the matter is it ultimately led me to watch the episode airing later that day. And lo and behold, it just so happened to be the premiere of the series. The rest they say, is history.
      Impressions/Discussion:

    To say the least, Eureka Seven (to be abbreviated E7 from now on) is a hard series to talk about. Ghost in the Shell was difficult because of its impact on the anime in general, as well as philosophical aspects. Eureka Seven doesn’t have as much in terms of those aspects, but it’s similarly difficult to discuss because the series’ greatness lies in its intangibles, things that can’t necessarily be given a concrete description. What do I mean by that? I mean the feelings you get as you watch the series.

    See, E7 is a series that demonstrates what anime should be about. These days, we get too easily dragged into judging anime by factors such as animation quality, music, coherence/complexity of the plot, cast etc. It’s a valid system by which to do things, but it’s misses out and outright makes us forget the biggest factor: the reason why we watch anime in the first place. Deep down, I’d say most, if not all viewers watch anime not because of the factors I mentioned before, but because anime brings us into a world we wouldn’t otherwise be able to visit. It gives us something to immerse ourselves in, something to enjoy in a way other mediums do not allow. It gives a form to the fantasies we all have in our hearts, to the feelings we hold near and dear. And E7 catered to these intangible aspects, at least, it did for me. It offered me a spectacular world I could just sit there in awe of. It gave me a main character who was pretty average, but as a result was someone I could identify with… someone whose journey toward maturity I could root for and someone whose emotions I felt myself at one point or another. And it gave me some lessons that have been invaluable in real life.

    Yes, there are some negatives. For one, the series could’ve and should’ve been shorter than 50 episodes. The 50 episode format admittedly ended up having an impact on the story’s development and coherency… which is one of the more common complaints regarding E7. Furthermore, there was a whole thing about pacing issues as well. In addition, others pointed out that the fact that the series doesn’t necessarily break many molds in terms of originality in regards to some of the aspects it touches upon. Still others disliked the immaturity of the main character in Renton and the time it took for him to develop. And well, while they’re all fair critiques, there’s still no doubt in my mind that the positives outweigh all the negatives.

    See, regardless of the flaws in the pacing, development, and coherency, the story is still a good one. It wasn’t as great as it could’ve been per se, but it’s still one that made me feel strongly about it, and a story that did an amazing job tying together all the aspects of the series. It gives us themes involving religious tolerance/ideologies, war, politics, and cultural movements. It gives us tidbits about being a parent, being a family, and love. It emphasizes a combination of personal identity—knowing yourself and what you can do—and responsibility, of knowing when you’re obligated to use your skills in certain scenarios. And it gives us a heart-warming and emotional story about the rise and maturation of someone who’s just a normal person like you and me, as well as a romance that’s defines the term “naturally developed”. It’s just a complex story line that ties together so many aspects and one where practically all the character and episode names (see column on “musical reference” near each episode title) are all references to something. Furthermore, how can one go wrong with a world where both people and mecha fly on surfboard like refboards, using particles called trapar to fly in the skies? It’s just sci-fi at its greatest, and I haven’t even mentioned the interactions involving the non-human entities known as Coralians either.

    Notably, hand in hand with the story come a great cast of characters. Each of them might have their own unique personalities, fears, and goals, but they mesh together exceptionally well for such a large cast, and are the real power behind the series. There’s Holland Novak (Jujiwara, Keiji). The leader of Gekkostate, he’s a person whose calm and cool demeanor hides behind it an impulsive and slightly immature attitude, a result of past years in the military. There’s Eureka (Nazuka, Kaori), the mysterious girl who has difficulties expressing herself and understand others. And there’s Renton Thurston (Sanpei, Yuuko). The main protagonist for the most part, he’s your run of the mill normal teenager, with grandiose dreams of escaping an otherwise boring life. He’s someone you don’t really count on at the beginning, but ultimately rises up to the challenge toward the end… and well, it’s just a worthwhile journey to follow, regardless of how he seems at the start.

    Animation-wise, it’s Bones being Bones for ya, giving you some darn breathtaking visuals to go along with the awesome music by Sato, Naoki. Granted, Naoki doesn’t have many works that the typical person may have heard before, but I guarantee that you won’t regret taking a listen to em. The two soundtracks he composed for E7 are some of the more amazing anime soundtracks to have ever graced my ears. And phew, did my heart skip a beat when I saw he wasn’t going to be the composer for the sequel, Eureka Seven AO. But, that’s another story altogether. The overall thing is this. In a story such as E7’s, where surfing mechs take center stage and the focus of the story is one about coming of age and conquering obstacles, the world needs to be top notch animation wise and the music able to capture all the different emotions of life. Let’s just say they fit the bill.
      Overall:

    In the end, Eureka Seven is my second most favorite series, only under Ghost in the Shell. It’s not perfect from an objective standpoint, as it has its share of flaws… but you know what? It’s still what I’d call a masterpiece. The feelings you get from watching both Renton and Eureka develop, from seeing the natural progression of their relationship and the interactions between the Gekkostate members are just things you can’t even describe. And well, it all culminates in an outstanding experience that make you remember the series for years to come. It’s also something that just makes you feel like a kid again, that brings you back to your younger days, a time when you felt everything was possible and that you could do anything you wanted. And as I’ve mentioned previously, it’s everything an anime should be, something that goes beyond the objective measurements we use today to classify and compare anime. In the end, the term I stumbled upon a little while back, flawed masterpiece, is the perfect description for this series. Because despite its obvious flaws, E7 does the aspects it does well so good that it makes up for them and then some.

    Granted, I know there will be people who won’t feel as strongly about the series as I do. I know there will be some of you who won’t be able to get through the 50 episode length, who won’t be able to tolerate the occasional dips in story development and pacing. I know there are some of you who are still on the fence, despite my glowing review of it. But all I ask is that if you haven’t watched it yet, is to give this series a chance, and to try and get through its entirety before making a judgement call about it. And for those of you that do get through it and do like it, you guys get to go straight into the currently airing sequel, Eureka Seven AO, without waiting some 6 years! 😀 Oh and did I mention how great of a sequel AO’s been so far? No? Well, let’s just say if you were to make a sequel to a series, that’s how it should be done.
      Screenshots from OP1 and Episodes 1-3:

    67 Comments

    3. I remember watching this anime up until episode 20 or so. It was so boring. And the main character was so annoying I just couldn’t take it anymore. I heard it started getting better later on.

      Shimapan
      Reply

      4. I watched through the whole series years back and while I remember it being a decent show, I didn’t quite feel it was that great either. Not sure why but the characters just didn’t quite click with me :/. I can see that the production values were pretty good for its time but neither the premise nor the characters really sucked me into it the way some other shows have (like some of the older gundam series). To each their own I guess.

        disgradius
        Reply

    5. I actually started very late into E7, meaning I actually watched the original BECAUSE of E7AO. (so….give or take a few months)

      So it was a sort of late-bandwagon-but-i’m-still-interested sort of thing. I’ve heard mixed opinions about this, but I went head first, expecting something unique. And unique this certainly was. Some can argue or debate about its span of 50 episodes, but personally I enjoyed each and every single one. I also like how each episode didn’t develop not just Renton, but also others as well; Dominic for instance, we initiall see this guy as just some bitch to the Pink-haired Anemone, But in fact there’s actually much more as we see and we even epathize with these two to boot, whom we assume to be just antagonizing at first.

      Another aspect I really enjoyed were the visual progression of the female leads, Especially Talho and Eureka.

      And finally the theology of the world of E7 itself, again is very fascinating, despite the rabbles here and there you see regarding “bursts” and “scub coral” you actually end up giving a sense of belief that these sort of things COULD happen in our distant future.

      as far as the movie goes, I honestly didn’t mind the whole “swap” it was very interesting, especially right after I finished the anime. Seeing these characters you traveled with for 50 episodes worth, only to see them again in this paradoxical yet parallel world, only for them to become something unthinkable that Renton himself had a hard time grasping. On a side note; It was sort of endearing seeing the Nirvash as something…..well, smaller so to speak.

      in terms of Subs of Dubs, really either one works. I say this because some people still have difficulty watching subs while the opposite is just the same. Props to Keiji Fujiwara and Crispin Freeman as Holland, and Johnny Young Bosch and Yuko Sanpei as Renton.

      All in all, if not for the little flaws, I actually find this to be almost flawless. This was a series I enjoyed and I might find myself going back to after E7AO ends. (implying I survive the mindfucks THAT show hasn’t given me already.)

      Acario
      Reply

    6. Eureka7 is one of the best anime ever made. Personally its my favorite anime but the love story is one you won’t forget for a LONG TIME. The openings and endings were all amazing as well espically with FLOW behind a few of them. Also has anybody noticed that the background animation looks slightly better than AO?

      Allen Walker
      Reply

    7. I personally didn’t like Eureka Seven very much,if at all, and I’ve always been rather puzzled why a lot of people seem to think it was so great. Not trying to start a hate rant or anything, just stating my personal opinion. I think the main factor that contributed to my lukewarm response to it stems from just how much I detested Renton, and if you don’t like the main character, it’s gonna be a tough order for you to feel any attachment to the anime. The story was also rather confusing, and I just couldn’t find it in me to invest the time or the brainpower to follow and decipher it. In fact, halfway through my first and only watch, I even put it on hiatus for a few months because I reached a point where I could hardly get myself motivated enough to watch the next episode. Granted, I think that the middle parts of the original anime series had a stretch of some of its worse episodes, and when I somehow managed to continue watching after my break, the anime felt much better and Renton started to annoy me less whenever he does do something. Still, to me it wasn’t a great anime, and even if I wanted to, I don’t think I could ever summon enough will power to re-watch it in the hopes that my older age can give me a new perspective on the Eureka Seven anime.

      gandalf8
      Reply

      2. Renton’s annoying?
        You know… for the life of me I don’t see it. I actually really liked him, and can think of many characters who are worse.

        Now I’ll be the first to admit that most of the world-building aspects of the show where kind of boring to watch, but to me that’s forgivable because it was necessary. Kind of like Roran’s story in Eldest at first.

        I like Renton. I think he’s one of the better MCs.

        TitanAnteus
        Reply

      3. Lol, if you watch the whole anime, everything comes together. The anime is pretty easy to sum up once you watch the whole thing. It’s confusing because it’s supposed to be. It keeps you guessing till the very end. And Renton is a character that matures as the series progresses. He becomes a bad-ass later on. Overall, it’s hard to pass judgement on an anime you haven’t finished! Give it another whirl and maybe you’ll like it!

        Megaman
        Reply

        1. I’ve watched it several times and there’s some things I still don’t get.

          Among them, why would the Scub Coral destroy the universe when the Limit of Questions was reached? Also, what the hell is the Limit of Questions?

          Da5id
          Reply

    9. Disagree with a few things:

      1) I thought the series would have benefited vastly from more episodes. Not like 100 episode, but if ES went into greater depth on Dominic and Anemone’s relationship—which I was really disappointed the producers didn’t do—I think the series might have just been flawless.

      2) I found it kind of ironic how you brought up that Eureka Seven had an immersive feel to it, that the show gave you a sense of adventure and pseudo-reality, but then go into detail on how the show was dragged out too long and had poor pacing. Hmm?

      All that said, this series is amazing, and I hold it at the same level you do, Zephyr.

      DovahkiinGGGGG
      Reply

      1. Well, after writing it and reading it over I mean… I feel like I struck a nice balance of saying what I loved about it versus what people found negative about it. I guess it’s ironic a little bit, but it feels like to me the fact the story was immersive and the fact it had some slight flaws are two kind of independent things ya know? Like, the flaws were there, but I still loved it.

        Zephyr
        Reply

    10. I love Eureka Seven and it was the series that reintroduced me to the scene after a period of anime drought. I have to say though, while amazing, Eureka Seven is not an easy show to watch. It’s incredibly complex and elaborate, not to mention too convoluted at times for the faint of heart. But I agree with Zephyr, ultimately the positives outweigh all the negatives and I highly recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of mecha and sci-fi. Bones did a spectacular job with the series and the OSTs are simply amazing. Sakura and Niji are songs I still listen to today and it seems like E7 AO’s on track to become one of my favorites in 2012 😉

      Seishun Otoko
      Reply

    11. “Don’t beg for things do them yourself, or else you won’t get anything.” I remember that I also watched E7 when it first aired in adult swim, and the words that I would use to describe this show is “fresh and cool”. This show served as a huge inspiration for me, thanks to E7 I learned about Kenichi Yoshida who is the character designer and who has influenced greatly my style of drawing, I would fangirl about this show all day, but that would be annoying. So I’ll just say to those of you who haven’t watched it, I feel sorry for you, because you are missing out.

      パメラ
      Reply

    13. You said Eureka was your 2nd favorite anime. You know how Dewie and Holland are reading the same book “The Golden Bough”?

      If you haven’t, you should read it, a very large amount of the subtext of Eureka Seven is taken from that mammoth anthropological work.

      For example: The book covers the archetypal beliefs of some tribes in southeast asia. Across the board many believe that braiding hair to be taboo, or evil, reason being that it is an obstruction in the flow of life, the natural way of things. The obstructor of the series, and the only person with a braid is Dewie, the antagonist. It is perfectly fitting that right before the end of the series his braid comes undone, remember that scene with holland and dewie on the burning ship?

      There are many other references like the taboo of killing the king and the natural secession of power from one individual to another. I highly suggest you read the book if you’d like another view of Eureka Seven =)

      Stefan
      Reply

      1. Cool to see that someone actually noticed the importance of the book to the plot, i can say that its presence (even from the very first OP of the show) foreshadows the story of Holland and his brother and what happened with their father and the whole “sacrifice” business that was going in their family.

        When i first watched the show i thought it was a fictional book, then half-way through the series i decided to look it up, and Da-dum .. i then read about it (didn’t get teh chance to read teh full book yet) and understood it’s significance to the plot of E7.

        HunterWulf
        Reply

    15. I have AO in my anime queue while I finish up E7 on crunchyroll, but my biggest problem with it is that so many episodes just feel like filler. For most of the series, I can skip two or three episodes (or more), and miss almost nothing. I’m getting to the end (10 episodes to go), and I’m finally getting interested in it again.

      Shiden
      Reply

    16. While I can’t say that this is a masterpiece, E7 is for sure, a flawed classic. Looking back, you can draw a lot of connections in Renton’s journey and progression as a character to Joseph Campbell’s classic monomyth/hero’s journey outline. Many of the outline’s elements are there in some form (Death of the mentor, Supernatural aid), and there are a lot of fascinating connections. But what makes series truly succeed as a whole is that the characters are all interesting and Renton, while sometimes annoying, is a character who is easy to sympathize with and actually comes of age.

      In regards to the relationship between the two leads, Eureka herself probably put it best in E7:AO’s episode 13. Renton was a crybaby and sometimes, even useless. But she loved him. Every bit.

      Click
      Reply

    17. Ahh Good ol E7 ^^ I share in your opinion and “flawed masterpiece” fits the bill rather nicely when describing it. even if you might say the series is inconsistent, The journey is well worth it and is a series i remember most fondly and still keep close to the heart. And with AO performing as good as its doing, giving breadcrumbs of answers but also giving more questions. One can’t help but wonder how it continues to connect to the original season and movie for that matter. I see the potential for truly great twists in the story ^^

      ps. And you really can’t go wrong scifi-wise with the idea of “robots surfing through the air on particles”

      Mr C
      Reply

    18. In my opinion a masterpiece isn’t about the technicalities, like pacing, individual episode quality, art, whatever. it’s all almost irrelevant. In the end I think what defines a masterpiece is its legacy, and the impression it leaves behind even after many years.

      I remember when I first watched the show, it went really slowly at the start, and honestly I didn’t like Renton or Eureka at all. Renton was just whiny and Eureka was for the most part a stone block to me. I gradually came to like them, though, because even among the fantastical plot and amazing world, the characters, especially Renton, were human, and the writers never once forgot that, flaws and everything, and I came to appreciate and respect that. The sole exception would of course be Eureka, who I would jokingly (but fittingly) think of as how 14-year-old boys would see girls in regards to Renton’s relationship with her at the start; alien existences, with no knowledge of their inner workings, cooties and all.

      Many years down the road I still think of the series as a whole. Everything that I enjoyed about it, and a few things I didn’t enjoy about it. I still remember many of the characters and their names, and wonder about their lives after E7. What happened to the three kids? Holland, Talho, and their child? I am desperately hoping for something about them to appear in AO, even if it’s highly unlikely.

      In the end, I don’t regret watching it one bit. It defined some part of me, and I can look back at it and think, “that was great”. Even if E7 had provided a conclusive end to the threads of their characters and closing the book completely, it would still be just as memorable. And, after lasting with me for so many years, I can safely say it was a masterpiece.

      Now I just hope AO does everything right.

      Nitro
      Reply

    19. Definitely one of my all-time favorites. I still get chills when **Slight series spoilers** Show Spoiler ▼

      The music accentuated the story wonderfully and acted as emotional punctuation for powerful scenes. Also, I’ll throw out the obligatory comment – “that soccer episode had a purpose, but was weird nevertheless.”

      You know a show is great when long after the show is over, you still wish you could see more of their world and how their lives continued. Eureka and Renton. Anemone and Dominic. Taiga and Ryuuji (Toradora). I would watch a 12 (or 24) episode slice of life for any of them.

      7godeohs
      Reply

    20. Sigh, that brings back some sweet memories, i really loved that show and it indeed resides at the top of my most fav anime (right after Cowboy Bebop) .. wait a sec .. *puts Euerka 7 OP1 and OP2 on his playlist* .. we can continue now .. where was i ? .. oh .. indstead of writing a wall of text i’ll try to keep it brief .. i’ll list the reasons of why i loved the show and why i consider it one of the best animes of all time (despite some of its flaws, nothing is perfect anyway).

      -World building, the way they introduce us into the world of E7 with all its unique terminology, factions, tech and backstory was really fantastic .. also the same applies to the way we gradually delve deeper and deeper into the mythos of that world until we discover the surprising truth about that world in the final third of the series .. simply fantastic.

      -Characters, not only are the designs quite unique and lively, but their personalities, goals and motivations are all different .. it brings the characters to life even if the had a simple role in the story … character interactions where top notch too (specially those three pairs of relations .. Renton & Eureka, Holland & Talho and finally Dominic & Anemone).

      -Attention to Detail, oh my .. that show really reveled in that .. not only in terms of designs (the designs of Nirvash and the Gekko-State ship) but also in terms of references to both cultural and religious themes .. the way for example the book of the Golden Bough keeps showing up many times during the show (with it’s fancy sensual cover that even shows up in the first OP) and how such little detail actually foreshadows the story between Holland, his brother Novak and their father is simply amazing (for those wondering how .. the book of the golden bough is basically a research book about myths and religion, it covers tribal religions and sacrificial rituals among many other things).

      -Candy !!! .. no not the type you eat, but Eye Candy and Ear Candy … the visuals, animation and music all have top production values .. at their best they rival full feature anime movies in terms of quality and at their worst they are still ahead of most of the other show at their time (and even till today) .. the vivid visual coupled with the animation and the interstign deigns of both the mecha and the characters really make this show one unforgettable visual trip .. the music also played a very big role in the setting the mood and also was sometimes incorporated into the world itself (the arc in which Renton escapes the Gekko-State ship and meets up with the bounty-hunter couple is a great example of that).

      As for the flaws .. well i’ll start by saying that i don’t think it really had any pacing issue or that i wasn’t annoyed by the so-called filler episodes .. for me they helped flesh out the world and the characters and were a good chance to relax between the action and twists the series keeps throwing at us .. it also gave us a chance to the see the characters doing daily activities that any normal people would do .. that made them IMO feel more human and believable that if they were riding robots all the day and blowing up stuff 24/7 .. long story short .. not every freaking episode has to advance the plot (even forcefully) .. some slow and relaxed episodes are ok from time to time.

      Oh .. the flaws.

      -Well the first flaw is that the story is pretty hard to follow as soon as it kicks into full gear .. too many factions get involved .. too many lies mixed with myths and speculation make it hard to understand what’s really going on until much later (after watching the show again or reading some discussions about its plot) .. despite that .. the sense of mystery and foreboding the plot manages to evoke sometimes more than make up for the mess it can become sometimes (i’m not saying that the whole plot is a mess, i’m just saying some aspects of it could have been explained better .. it took me a couple of years after watching the show to fully understand the whole story XD)

      -Some characters never actually get enough time despite being important to the plot, for example .. i think it would have benefited the plot if Novak got more time in which we can understand his motivation and thought process (i always like villains that have a meaningful cause behind their actions), there are many other characters like that … maybe Dominic and Anemone are of those characters who didn’t get enough time to be fully appreciated.

      -The ending aftermath .. i just hoped the had a longer Epilogue that explained the effects of what happened on the world (showing some of those effects to us) and also involved more of the characters and what they did after the events of the story was over .. but i guess Eureka 7 AO will handle that .. not a real complaint .. just a wish i had XD

      Well .. that’s all .. it did turn into a wall of text … anyways .. thanks for bringing up this series again … indeed it is an anime masterpiece that’s not easily forgotten.

      HunterWulf
      Reply

    23. I half-agree with the “flawed masterpiece”: it’s terribly flawed, but no way I can consider it a masterpiece. Renton was the most annoying character and I understand it was an accurate portrayal of “What would happen when you give a boy a mech”, but BONES you took it way too far.Eureka was pretty boring IMO. I would have appreciated Renton’s character if he said more things besides “I LOVE EUREKA” “I’ll PROTECT EUREKA” “Nobody understands me” and his typical emo moments that ruined my impression of him. The worst would have to be his meeting with his sister…there wasn’t any build up for this at all. You know, could have taken that soccer episode out and done some build up for meeting Renton’s sister…but this is why I’m glad the sequel is only 24 episodes. The pacing in E7 was just awful, the soccer episode is a shining example of it. And this show loved focusing on Eureka’s kids, who reminded me of three mini Rentons. Why, BONES, why?

      On to the good:

      I’d much rather have Dominic and Anemone as the main characters: I felt ‘something’ for these guys, especially the last few episodes because to me I loved how their romance was portrayed and Anemone had awesome character development. Personally the best part of E7 was with Charles and Ray Beams. Now THAT’s how you make awesome supporting characters and Renton wasn’t as annoying as usual. And boy I freakin’ love Holland because like everyone else has said…he’s a badass. The other reason: I love how he always beat the crap out of Renton, ah it’s good to see a badass character beat on an annoying character. This show had very high highs and extremely low lows, thus I gave it a 6/10. Now if I were to grade the first 28 episode, to the end of Charles/Ray beams arc I’d give this show a solid 8. The middle part probably a 4 (this is where the pacing issue is huge IMO) and the end maybe a 5 (way too cheesy, but definitely better than the middle part)

      Eureka Seven: Very nice ideas, very imaginative but the awful pacing just ruins it. And yes, 24/25 episodes would have solved these problems as there would have to be a consistent narrative. Animation and music is definitely worth an “A”. Overall, a 6/10 or to be nicer around a D+/C- score.

      And here comes everyone down-rating me for my opinion…oh well.

      webkid94
      Reply

        1. *raises hand* i’m responsible for one of you “down” votes and since you asked for explanation i’ll speak for myself then XD

          I did down vote you because i completely disagree with you, you are being way overly critical, even if we admit that the faults you mention are true no way it would bring the score of the show down to C- or 6/10 (which is a very average/meh score) .. you found Renton annoying and you mentioned some pacing issues .. how does that bring the score down to 6 or make the series “terribly flawed” .. this doesn’t make any sense at all IMO.

          Like many agreed, the show isn’t flawless, but the good points far out-weight the bad ones, Renton is a kid, you have to accept that fact .. the way he acts in the first half of the series fits with that pretty well .. that said he does mature along the course of the series and by the end he is almost a different person, and calling Eureka boring is down right criminal, she is one of the most interesting anime female characters in recent memory (no wonder everyone was happy to see her again in E7 AO), her character grows significantly and she does go through many phases (don’t forget she is an alien as well so her circumstances are not normal) .. first when she was with the military she acted cold and robotic, then when she joined Holland and the Gekko-State she started opening up to other people (specially when she met Renton), later on when she acted desperately and tried to go back to the Colarians and was saved by Renton her character changed even more along with her looks (we have Talho to thank for that XD).. just because she isn’t talkative, or trying to seduce the main character like in many crappy anime (well she did try this once and it failed miserably) or making a big scene every five seconds doesn’t mean she is boring.

          As for Renton’s meeting with his sister (and father), it was foreshadowed earlier in the series, i expected it to happen at some point and was looking forward to it .. and removing the football episode wasn’t needed at all .. which in turn brings us to the whole pacing issue .. for me there was no pacing issues .. i enjoyed every episode equally .. those that progressed the plot or had some twist or a big battle as much as those which had the characters playing a match of football or goofing off .. because these episodes helped flesh out the characters and the setting .. which was so well realized that i enjoyed just spending time with the characters and seeing them interact within that setting … i would understand this would be an issue if we for example had an entire long arc dedicated to a something that has nothing to do with the plot or character development (i.e like with Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water filler arc which lasted around 9 episodes) .. but that isn’t the case here at all.

          That’s why sir you got my down vote (now i made myself a target for you down vote counter attacks .. what have i done XD)

          HunterWulf
          Reply

      2. you found Renton annoying and you mentioned some pacing issues .. how does that bring the score down to 6 or make the series “terribly flawed” .. this doesn’t make any sense at all IMO.

        HunterWulf: You have to understand how I grade things which is a lot stricter than most people who throw out 10/10 scores like it’s free candy and especially if those series are flawed like E7 (perfect example: Angel Beats). A six is still above average, still above the many cliche and repeated types of series that we see every season. It’s flawed because it had a lot of potential but it blew it on episodes like the soccer one which you say was important to flesh out characters. But tell me, this show had 50 episodes that’s more than enough time to properly develop a cast like Eureka Seven’s and by that time I felt the cast was properly developed. The priorities in this show weren’t established: sure we had a feeling Renton would meet his sister eventually, but how it was portrayed was suddenly out of nowhere, there wasn’t even a small hint in previous episodes that she’d make an appearance. And that happened at the end of the series, which didn’t sit right with me when it should have been more in-depth about the history and nature of Coralians rather than: *history of coralians, the coralians were—” “And now here’s Renton’s sister!” <—That's the kind of problem this show had, and whether you want to believe that or not is up to you but I see things more analytically.

        Renton is a kid, you have to accept that fact .. the way he acts in the first half of the series fits with that pretty well .. that said he does mature along the course of the series and by the end he is almost a different person, and calling Eureka boring is down right criminal, she is one of the most interesting anime female characters in recent memory (no wonder everyone was happy to see her again in E7 AO), her character grows significantly and she does go through many phases (don’t forget she is an alien as well so her circumstances are not normal) .. first when she was with the military she acted cold and robotic, then when she joined Holland and the Gekko-State she started opening up to other people (specially when she met Renton), later on when she acted desperately and tried to go back to the Colarians and was saved by Renton her character changed even more along with her looks (we have Talho to thank for that XD).. just because she isn’t talkative, or trying to seduce the main character like in many crappy anime (well she did try this once and it failed miserably) or making a big scene every five seconds doesn’t mean she is boring.

        I said that Renton’s character was realistically portrayed (which is a good thing), but I just couldn’t bring myself to like him. Just because his portrayal is accurate, doesn’t equal to being likeable. He just rubs me the wrong way, even after he ‘matured’ which I never really saw that much but whatever I assume. Eureka being boring, I wasn’t being clear on that. I mean sure she had a pretty sucky life before the Gekko, but I never really connected with her struggles. Perhaps being non-human is the reason, but I didn’t really emphasize with what she was struggling with particularly with her affection towards Renton. I was just ‘bored’ by seeing a girl for 50 episodes that never really connected with me was what I was trying to say.

        Now had I watched this show as it was airing, I would likely be in the same boat you are and probably would rate it much much higher. I wouldn’t have minded these flaws, but because I’ve seen so many anime series I’m just more strict on criticism that most. For example, I watched Code Geass as it aired and I gave season 1 a 9 (when now it probably should be a 7) and season 2 an 8 (when now it should be a 5-6). It just depends on how many animes you’ve watched that influences your opinion on what you consider a ‘masterpiece’ or just ‘average’.

        webkid94
        Reply

    24. I don’t understand why people say E7:PoP was confusing as I never was.

      I accepted the fact that there were things that were not revealed from the get go and I trusted in the fact that they would be explained OR THEIR MEANING IMPLIED in the unfolding of the story.

      Moreover, I don’t see much of a flaw with regards to the pacing as I viewed it as appropriate. There was enough time given for character development, world exposition, background, and plot development for anyone who actually paid attention. At its core, E7 was not a kiddy-show.

      I don’t believe “spoon feeding” everything to your audience is helpful to anyone, especially to mental development. We’ve got to remember that E7, and any BONES series for that matter, has an inherent philosophical thrust and in order to comprehend them, you would have to think critically (a.k.a. read between the lines).

      Maybe I was part of a different generation wherein we actually read books FOR LEISURE.

      When I re-watch E7, I treat it as “watching” a book. A lengthy book it may be, but it’s in the journey (a.k.a. the story) that we find the joy.

      Ddadain
      Reply

    25. E7 is definitely in my top 10, although I’m not sure if it would make top 3. I’ve never understood people’s attraction to Dominic and Anemone, they seemed fine, but I was never really interested in them. When people say they wished they were the main characters I think yeah, that would make it more like most other shows, which seems to defeat the point.

      What I loved (one of the things) so much about E7 was the relationship between Renton and Eureka, and that given Renton’s emotions and tantrums, we didn’t really have a traditional main character, which was a nice change.

      I’ve also never felt the show was too long. So often we fall in love with characters and then they are taken away from us so quickly. Even if some of the episodes seemed misplaced or didn’t address the actions immediately, it was always nice to “spend time” in the world of E7 and get to know the characters more.

      This is one of the reasons I’m so frustrated with E7-AO, so much of the focus has been placed back on the main characters and so much less on the world around them. E7 did a great job of balancing this and while it seems AO occasionally tries to bring in third parties, it hasn’t done nearly as good of a job (Like the amount more I care about Holland than “Gazelle” (had to look up his name…) is phenomenal).

      foofiebeast
      Reply

      1. “it was always nice to “spend time” in the world of E7 and get to know the characters more.”

        Spend time in the world of E7 you say .. hmmmmm .. i was trying to figure out how to phrase that feeling i got when watching the series specially episodes like the Football one that people tend to hate .. thanks for putting it into words .. cheers ^_^

        HunterWulf
        Reply

    26. The character development, animation, and ESPECIALLY the music attracted me the most to E7. Actually, all the OP’s and ED’s of E7 got me into Japanese music back then. As a matter of fact, I still loop “Niji” from time to time.

      But yeah, E7 is definitely one of my favorite anime of all time. True, it was kind of slow in the beginning, but once you get over the 20ish episodes, the middle and end are worth it.

      beeboobeeboo
      Reply

    28. E7 was the first show that I ever considered my favorite. It probably helped in making me watch anime more. Even though since then I watched a bunch of shows that I loved like Clannad or Madoka, this show has a special place in my heart

      xephx
      Reply

    29. I agree that the character development was hands down the best thing about this show. The animation and music were top-notch as well, and for the most part I feel like I should have liked it a lot more than I did. But a bunch of things grated on me more and more as the series wore on, particularly Renton and Eureka’s characters. Maybe I’m just incapable of appreciating just how well the show incorporated two children into the scenarios it presented, but I got tired of Renton being childish about halfway through the same season. I know it was all part of the development, but I was also extremely uncomfortable with the scenes in which a fully-grown ex-special forces soldier beat the ever-loving shit out of a young boy. A lot of elements kept jumping in and confusing me right when I was beginning to latch back onto the story, which made it hard to burn through 50 episodes.

      This isn’t to say I wasn’t invested. I thoroughly enjoyed the Anemone/Dominic storyline, as well as the development of the crew aboard the warship they were posted on. Dewey was rather underwhelming as the villain, but he was still interesting to watch. The crew of the Gekko were a fun bunch as well, but I still feel the overall story didn’t do them justice.

      At the end of the day I can’t find anything about E7 that condemns it as a series; I just never got onboard with the story and characters as much as I have in other mecha animes such as the Gundam series and Full Metal Panic (both of which I will heartily agree are the lesser shows when compared to E7–I just happened to enjoy them a lot more). One thing I did think was funny was that when I watched the dub Renton was voiced by JY Bosch and the captain of the ship he wound up on was Crispin Freeman, a casting choice that mirrored the dubbing for Last Exile, which one could argue is pretty similar to E7. I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but it’s still an interesting parallel all the same.

      Actene
      Reply

    31. Great series! I feel in love with it after the first five or so episodes, but I watched it with the fantastic English dub they seriously did an amazing job with that! Also the OST is amazing! Damn there are some great tracks that take me back to the best moments of E7 <3

      foshizzel
      Reply

    32. First of Zephyr, thank you for reviewing the series. As I explained in a previous E7A comment, I really fell in love with the world and feeling of the Eureka Seven series, and I’m incredibly happy that one of RandomC’s writers feels almost the same way about the series as I do. I completely agree with every one of your points. The ending felt a tad sluggish and pacing would occasionally change in an instant, but that doesn’t deprive the show of it’s almost, magical euphoria.

      You should also point out that Eureka Seven had some of the most original and creative anime openings of all time. I don’t ever think I can forget the awesomeness, and individuality that was opening 2 and 3. The music also settled and sparkled so well in every aspect of the show.

      As for the people who don’t like Renton, he’s a 13 year old child who tosses himself into something much bigger then he ever imagined. He’s a loner, who essentially, has a problem with self esteem. But he wasn’t a weakling. Besides him crying and being slightly useless at times, he separated himself from those “useless” main characters by always and usually, following his heart. How many 13 year old boys would thrust themselves into a military battle for the simple desire to protect a pretty girl? And that’s also, essentially one of the strong points of Eureka Seven. We watch a young and frightened boy mature into something more.

      I also adored the small spices of romance thrown around the entire series between Eureka and Renton. Nothing will ever make me forget episode 26.

      Thanks again Zephyr, for doing this.

      Rin-kun
      Reply

        1. The reason I loved the past RC (2005 to 2007) was because the animes this blog covered were all quality. Well not all, but most, like E7. Now it’s all moeblobs or ecchi anime being covered … a drop in choice quality.

          But at least someone remembers what it was like watching E7.

          Kirito
          Reply

    33. This show is probably in my top 20. But not my top 5..
      I grew up with shows like
      Cowboy Bebop
      Trigun
      rurouni kenshin
      Inuyasha
      neon genisis
      rahxephon
      amurai champloo
      gundam
      fullmetal alchemist
      ..
      the list goes on..But i’m sure you get the idea

      fullmetal alchemist

      BlackStealth1989
      Reply

    34. Reading this brings back fond memories of the show. I fell in love with E7 from the first moment I heard Flow’s song and saw the opening animation. It was unlike what I’ve seen in anime before that time. I agree that the show has its flaws and its good points. Renton was annoying but then again, so was Naruto and E7 has a lot of other characters to love aside from him. For me, it was the story and the characters and music which made a huge impression on me and kept me watching until the end. E7 was flawed, yes but it was also an amazing show.

      foscari
      Reply

      1. Actually, I have to admit Gurren’s been on hold for a bit. Been saving it up for a good binge session. -_-

        Evangelion’s a tricky one to place actually. I mean, there’s just so many factors to consider… ranging from its influence to having to consider the Rebuild movies. But if someone asked me for some recommendations to get into anime and/or some shows that were pretty influential/classic, this would definitely be high on the list.

        Zephyr
        Reply

    37. the first anime that really got me hooked was ‘princess mononoke’ which i watched at a friends house on a vhs.

      @Zephyr – its like you say. What really attracts me to certain anime is the intangible sensation i get when watching.

      I tanned through E7 in one hit… (thankyou era of student luxury /laziness) and so much in this anime clicked for me. It is definetly a special example of anime storytelling.!!

      Blink o_0
      Reply

    38. Hey, I’m watching E7 again too.

      Yeah, first episodes are kind of boring and slow (like the beginning of Ao) but that’s because Bones want to flesh their characters before the main plot kicks in. But when it starts, you won’t want to stop watching this.

      For people who complain about Renton, don’t worry, like many characters he get a lot of development. Same with Eureka.

      Watching E7 again I have found many similar scenes between the original and the sequel.

      Linkark
      Reply

    39. Oh man, I remember that E7 was one of the first shows that animenewsnetwork legally streamed so I gave it a shot, didn’t have much to do at the time since I was stuck in the countryside on vacation, and as much as I did end up loving the show I don’t think I would’ve stuck through it if I had to watch it on a week to week basis. That middle stretch until around episode 38 was hard, I’ve always wished the show had been 39 episodes instead of 50 to help with the pacing trouble, but in the end I think it was worth it and have been meaning to rewatch for a while (and I’m already watching AO so don’t worry about that xD).

      wandering-dreamer
      Reply

      1. I think that the episodes airing on a weekly basis actually made it more fantastic, your not drowned with episodes giving you little time to analyze what just happened, you actually get to ponder over and wonder what’s gonna happen next, prolonged reward gives you the best feeling, though only in certain cases. And Eureka Seven is definitely one of those cases it’s just so well paced in my opinion. (fan overload)

        Majadi7
        Reply

    40. I don’t really know why people dislike some of the middle episodes so much. I’ve always thought that the beginning dozen episodes and final dozen episodes weren’t all that great, about average.

      But some of those episodes in the middle, those episodes numbered in the 20’s or so, were just some of the most compelling episodes I have ever seen in any anime. They had little to do with the actual story, but they were great.

      Maybe if people rewatched it without waiting impatiently for the main story to go ahead, they would see how gorgeous those episodes are.

      Tre
      Reply

    42. Eureka seven and ghost in the shell are easily two of the best series ever created. Anime or otherwise. Personally I dont find renton annoying I actually like hium quite a bit. Other than perhaps the soccer episode the series writing was terrific and AO is proving to be excellent. Absoluley agree with just about everything you say!

      Cyrus
      Reply

    43. This is my alltime favorite anime. I’ve literally seen it over 20 times in full, and while it is flawed, I still think it is a beautiful work of art, and I never get bored watching it. I can only hope that AO can continue being as amazing as it has been so far, and hopefully end a little less over the top than Eureka Seven did.

      Genesis
      Reply

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