gschmidt - 2016-01-03 05:07:51

I picked up this anime in a lull between Neon Genesis and my next long pick, and was hoping to watch something short and enjoyable. I found it.
This anime isn't necessarily something special. It doesn't have fan service or romance. There isn't an ultimate face-off between mortal enemies, really. But what really stands out in this anime is its storytelling.

Pretty much two stories take place. There is the big picture: a struggle between the government, a world military force (the GPP), and a rebel/terrorist organization fighting it (the BMA). And there's the personal story, of our main character Rin Ogata, as she comes to late terms with just what she wants out of life.

The unique storytelling I speak of is that the main character participates in events that drive the larger conflict around her. Rin even has a special rideback that has "chosen" her as its rider to make this journey with. Yet, nothing she does actually changes the outcome of the government/militia conflict. Her story is completely unique to her, and she grows and learns about herself through her participation in the conflict. The government/militia conflict itself is solved through a variety of main and supporting characters that interact in several ways that even they are not aware of.
The part that impressed me about his anime was how separate the big picture and Rin's story were from each other. A main character who had no actual impact on the outcome of the world, but still established something important in the eyes of those she close to her.

I highly recommend this anime largely because of this forked story telling technique I've never encountered before. Beyond that praise, the anime has few other things holding it up. Many characters have interesting back stories and their interests and agendas work together to form an intriguing string of events. But, there are several bland characters that we are somehow expected to care about. The characters that drive conflict between the government and militia are mostly one dimensional and do little other than move the plot forward in their scenes.

Several scenes were made to be either impressive or dazzling, such as Rin looking into sparkling light or her supposed beauty in how she handles her rideback, fall flat in expressing what was intended. The uniqueness of Rin's rideback also proves to be largely unimportant in the grand scheme of the show, and honestly feels a little disappointing one you finally get to the climax of it.

Still, those flaws are barely anything to assign value to. This anime is pretty much a joyride that picks up fast and doesn't waste its time delving into a worthwhile and multi-pronged plot with a satisfying ending.