britney.harber - 2015-01-13 07:54:51

At first, I only watched two episodes of this anime. I quit for a while because Rentom seemed annoying and the story seemed like it was meant for children. I'm glad I continued to watch this anime. The characters continued to grow on me, and then I fell in love with the story. The animation, sound, and characters were all well done.

abigale.ernser - 2014-09-07 12:32:28

Eureka seven is one of the few anime that left me with the void feeling after watching it. It is an amazing anime about change and love and the gekkostate is one of the best families I have seen in anime. 
One of the best parts about this show is how perfectly it mixes romance, action and mecha into one. I never felt that the show focussed too heavily on the action. That being said when the fight scenes did come along they were absolutely magnificent not only the animation but the feeling you get from watching was pure bliss. The fight scenes generally never went for longer than ten minutes but honestly they didn't need to and even when they did they were combined with other elements making the fights so much better.

The show is also great at displaying change. Most of the characters experience change in one way or another and I love how smooth it feels when this happens. It almost feels as if some of the characters like Renton and Talho are completely different by the end. 

The romance between Renton and Eureka alone would have been enough for me to tell you to watch this show. The romance they have is one of the few anime romances that feel perfectly natural. Seeing it just made me happy throughout the series.

Overall Eureka Seven is a great anime that has a mix of genres that I haven't seen any other anime pull off. It is one of my favourite anime and it really has something for everybody. If you are yet to see this anime then I would recommend that you watch it straight away. I'm sure you will love it.

yveum - 2014-08-03 09:33:25

It's been a while since an anime has managed to resonate so well with me by having everything I look for in a show. In fact, the last time was all the way back in 2010 with Tatami Galaxy. Lately I've been generally disappointed and uninterested in all the anime I've watched. Even the recent Ping Pong: The Animation goes unfinished by me because I just don't find it appealing. Because of all this, I decided to go back to my roots and revisit the genre that first introduced me to anime, the mecha genre, in hopes of reigniting my love for anime.

Eureka Seven is a show I've been saving for a rainy day for years, and recently decided to pick up after a good friend of mine recommended it to me for the thousandth time. An absolute army of people worked on it, however Satoru Utsunomiya, Tomoki Kyoda, Masayuki Miyaji, and Yasushi Muraki played the biggest roles in the project. Having been created by studio BONES back in their prime, it was pretty much a given that it would be great, but I have to admit I wasn't really feeling it at first. It seemed like a fairly mundane tale about a teenager that leaves his home in pursuit of a more adventurous life, but around episode five I was hooked.

So let's get into things, shall we?

Renton Thurston is a fourteen year old boy who lives in the quiet little town of Bell Forest. And when I say quiet, I mean quiet. There's absolutely nothing fun to do around there, and this fact is what drives him insane. In his little home town there isn't even a good place to "Lift", an activity in which people ride hover boards on invisible waves of energy called "trapar". This is especially hard on Renton, because more than anything he desires to become a good Lifter and follow in the footsteps of his idol Holland, a world renowned Ref Board rider.

But one late night during a heated argument with his grandfather a mysterious girl named Eureka comes flying down in a white LFO called the Nirvash, subsequently destroying Renton's room. He quickly finds out that this mysterious girl is a member of Gekkostate, the group led by his idol Holland, and that they are on the run from the military. Thus our story begins.

Now as I said earlier, I wasn't particularly impressed at first, this is basically the same beginning structure as every mecha series ever, however Eureka Seven had enough uniqueness behind it to keep me coming back and it wasn't long before I fell in love with the series. The sense of adventure portrayed within is simply amazing, the world around these characters is interesting to say the least, and there is so much growth in every aspect of its structure that it generates the most satisfying emotional payoff I have ever seen in anything. The story is well thought out and perfectly structured, many small subtle things very early on actually foreshadow and build up to later revelations. The story builds immensely on the details it drops everywhere, but the beautiful thing about it is you don't have to pick up on them. They are so expertly executed that you could consciously miss every one of them, but the overall affect they have on your subconscious while viewing is so superb that it brought me to tears when things came full circle. This isn't to say the it is filled to the brim with subtle details, as it's not. In fact it uses unneeded exposition to present some of its story elements. There's one moment where a character says "Do you have any idea what kind of a place _____ is since that's where the _____ are?". It just feels really unnecessary, especially since just two minutes earlier it had been established that the _____ were in fact at _____. Another example is very early on in the story when the on-board nurse Misha explains why she has joined Gekkostate to Holland in a heavily expositional manner, a person who can be assumed already knows her reasoning since he is the leader and he did let her on his ship. It feels really out of place to have her explain what can be assumed he already knows. This manner of informing the viewer should have been outright avoided, and would've been much better presented through some form of a flashback, but thankfully these are the only instances of truly poor exposition throughout the show.

Overall though, Eureka Seven is a journey with a beautiful blending of romance and drama, and while the characters can sometimes come off as over-emotional it doesn't really take away from the experience due to just how well executed everything is. You can really understand why they are flipping their shit, even though Eureka Seven takes it's sweet time telling you where they are coming from. This just goes to show how well the drama is presented. You don't know where they are coming from, but because of the way their issues are presented it creates a legitimate and realistic feeling of pain. These characters are in pain from the events of their past, and with good reason too. Renton grew up in that quiet little town where nothing exciting ever happened, and he was constantly being hazed by his grandfather to pursue a career path he did not desire, all while living in the shadow of his father. He founds a heartwarming attraction to Eureka, the woman who crash lands in his home purely based on the mysterious aura around her. It gives him the sense of adventure he's been craving. But Eureka has her own demons, and while she goes fairly underdeveloped for quite some time when these demons are finally revealed she quickly becomes one of the most well fleshed out characters I have ever known. Then there's Holland, Renton's idol. At first he acts almost like a brother figure to Renton, but it's not long before Holland becomes jealous of him, a jealously that is rooted deep in his past and has little to do with Renton himself.

This in turn leads to Eureka Seven's biggest flaw. So many questions regarding the setting and characters are raised very early on and go unanswered for a long time, some of them aren't answered until the last cour of the show. A few are merely touched upon in very vague manners and left open to the viewers interpretation. On the other hand, I can't really deduct points for this due to the manner in which these questions are presented. It almost seems as though it's meant to be a metaphor for Renton's naïveté and immaturity, because as he grows as a person these questions are slowly answered in fairly satisfactory manners. However, this is still a flaw due to the fact that this may turn many viewers away. It could easily take you quite some time to get into the swing of things -- episode eleven is when things get interesting, so I'd recommend at least giving it until then.

One of the things I appreciate the most out of Eureka Seven is its overall understanding of good tone. This being a shounen, there is obviously going to be some comedy here and there. Thankfully, Eureka Seven understands that it is wrong to throw comedic relief into the middle of serious scenes, as there is a clear divide between them. This understanding of good tone is a breath of fresh air, especially compared to modern shounen who never fail to royally fuck it up (I'm looking at you Akame ga Kill). To add to this is a general sense of freshness, it doesn't lay on a blanket of tropes and clichés like a lot of other mecha anime out there. There are no static character archetypes here. While Renton can a bit whiny at times he really stands out from all the Shinji Ikari clones by being very well developed and not afraid to get in the mech. He shows many differing emotions from passion, guilt, selfishness, sorrow, to happiness, and by the end of the show he's grown considerably and is no longer that little kid naïve to the world around him.

Eureka starts off being very detached from social conventions in pretty much every conceivable way, yet by the end she is one of the most human characters around. Other characters, specifically Holland and Talho, also show considerable development just from their interactions alone. There is a strong family vibe present aboard the Gekko, and it spawns an overall feeling of sorrow within the viewer when things start to happen. The beautiful part about it however, is it's not the Clannad type of feels, it's presented so much more well than that. Their issues are grounded in fairly realistically presented origins that could in actuality happen to anyone despite the shows fictional world (with a few exceptions of course). Eureka Seven's ability to expertly bring the viewer to tears through its beautiful presentation of drama and character relations is something truly special.

If it sounds like I'm showering the characters in praise, it's because I am. This show is chock full of some of the most well rounded three-dimensional and human feeling characters I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. These beautifully crafted character pieces are quite frankly, what I live for.

But enough about them, let's move on to production quality.

The animation in Eureka Seven is on the strong side for what you can expect from 2005. The color palette is gorgeous, and the quality of the animation is quite high. Action scenes are breathtaking, especially when the Nirvash is flying through the sky swatting down enemies like flies. I do have to say however, they did reuse a few battle animations here and there, though this can be attributed to the fact they had to spread their budget out across 50 episodes. Corners obviously had to be cut. Many key frames were used, and occasionally it tries its hardest to avoid animating mouth movement. I personally think they managed to spread it fairly well though, especially since they only resort to CGI thrice throughout the entirety of the show. Even then it blends well and isn't jarring at all.

To accompany the generally splendid animation is a wonderful soundtrack composing of various different genres of music from orchestral, to rock, to stuff more on the EDM side of things. They all sound wonderful, never failing to set the mood perfectly, and are always a treat for the ears. In case you haven't realized yet, it's been playing in the background this whole time. How they managed to compose a soundtrack of such diversity and have it work so well is beyond me, but boy am I glad they did it. Sound effects can be subpar at times, however. While they definitely sound much better than what was present in other mecha shows that came before it, some of them are generic SFX or just sound fake. For example, a lot of the Ref Board noises sound exactly like the Super Saiyan power ups from Dragon Ball Z.

Voice acting is pretty spot on, though to be honest I didn't really care for Renton's Japanese voice actor who actually managed to make him sound extremely annoying at times. Johnny Yong Bosch on the other hand does a good job as our main character, he really sells the various emotions Renton portrays throughout the show. The rest of the dubbing cast are quite good as well. Stephanie Sheh and Crispin Freeman as Eureka and Holland respectively are some of the big standout performances, their voices were just icing on the cake. When you have a cast full of as colorful characters as these that range across so many ethnicities you just can't properly convey them with a language that is relegated to such a small part of the world. There are a few awkward lines and mispronounced names here and there, but they're generally dismissible and don't really take away from the experience. This is one of those dubs I can wholeheartedly recommend to anyone.

So did Eureka Seven succeed in reigniting my love for anime? Hell yeah. Will I be able to fill this void before the end of next year? Unlikely. Eureka Seven is an anime that defines what I look for in anime; a good story, likable characters, no fanservice, nice animation and OST. I fell in love with this show, which is ironic since it has a very "love conquers all" thematic feel to it. But that's not all, either. Eureka Seven presents a diverse array of themes throughout its story, one of the most prevalent being racial and religious tolerance and harmony, living within the characters' relationships as well as the their conflicts. Some of the more global themes that it covers consist of issues such as allegories of real world conflicts, war, political climates, as well as depictions of various subcultures and musical movements that cover many generations, often times tying to present day environmental ideologies. Eureka Seven also touches on many more intimate themes, such as parenting and family, along with a very innocent view of love at first sight from Renton and Eureka which is presented in a fairly realistic manner. Existentialism is another key theme throughout the series, personal identity plays a big role for both key characters, as they each proclaim "I am me" multiple times throughout the show. Responsibility and guilt are presented constantly with the repeating phrase "you're going to carry that weight". It's a commentary on religion and war, as well as how love, tolerance, and mutual understanding can conquer all. It presents these themes, as well as the theme of growing up and change, through a very well structured and realistic combination of juvenile and mature standpoints allowing for a wonderful structure that can be deep while still never confusing the viewer. Eureka Seven somehow manages to be both simple and complex, appealing to people of any and all intellectual levels and age groups. There is truly something marvelous to be found within by anyone and everyone, and it will forever hold a very special place in my heart as the anime that reminded me why I love anime.

"Eureka Seven is an anime that demonstrates what anime should be" — Random Curiosity

ledner.dominic - 2014-06-08 21:18:50

Eureka Seven is one of my first anime that I actually completed. To this day it remains one of my most favorite anime ever.Not only are the characters interesting and easily relate-able, the music and animation is superbly done and really allows the viewer to truly feel the many emotions on this feels coaster.It truly is one of the greatest love stories ever animated, Bones REALLY hit this one out of the park!

kwest - 2013-12-04 22:50:41

And now I remember why I love anime, why i get so much into it, why enjoy it so much, because of this tipes of shows. Shows that manages to make you fell joy while watching it, to make you believe that everything is possible if you are willing to make it happen, that love and frienship can beat anything that is in you way, no matter how bad thing are, there is always a way to keep moving foward, a feeling that i don't remember having in a long time. This is definitly one show you should watch and enjoy every chapter because is a really awesome Anime, something that you will never forget

florence52 - 2013-10-26 05:34:18

This story is a story of falling in Love, never giving up hope,understanding everyone around you, the friendship of others, and believing in others.

This teaches us all to love, even if the person you love is not the same being as you. When you put your faith into someone believe in them and never stop. Friendship is an eternal link among people that bonds us together, always.

Eureka 7 also teaches you about how important family is and too always be by each others side no matter what happens around them or to that person.

You also have to forgive about the things that happened in the past and look towards a bright and warm future to come. No matter what happens just keep on pushing forward and never look back.

The sound in Eureka 7 was outstanding. They put the right music at the exact right times to make you feel sad, happy, excited, ect. The soundtrack kept me dancing in my chair the whole entire time and just kept me wanting to hear more of the songs to come.

The characters in Eureka 7 were embracing, believable and attaching. When ever there was a exciting scene your face would be attached to the screen like super glue, whenever there was a sad or heartwarming scene you felt like you were actually right beside them and watching how everything developed in the story. The art was very good for an anime that was made over 5 years ago and very well done.

The story will keep you attached and aching for more episodes and whats going to happen next. For an anime with 50 episodes it is far better then i expected it to be. The action in the story was all in place and made you feel like you were actually participating in the battle or watching from afar.

In conclusion, i think that Eureka 7 was a masterpiece and was well thought out and very very well done with everything that happened, If you are looking for an anime that has strong love connections, giant robots with feelings and family then this is the anime for you. Go check it out!

ward.ashley - 2013-09-23 13:46:37

Spoiler Free!

So for the longest time I've wanted to watch something like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. I wanted a shounen-like series that had great character development and capped it all off with a decent ending. It also had to have a hearable dub. And as I was looking through my anime folder I stumbled on to Eureka Seven, and boy am I glad that I did. :)

Story

I'll say this right off the bat, Eureka Seven's story is not the reason why this is a good anime. You might think that it is, but in actuality the story is the show's weakest aspect. It is as par for the course as possible, with predictable outcomes and plot conveniences. Not to mention that the pacing for the first half of the show is cringe worthy.

The plot also tries to focus on a lot of things, and frankly it tries to be too much. At times it references war, at other times it talks about the human psyche and then it goes into romance. I'm not saying this is badly executed, but it could of been much smoother.

If you're familiar with shounen stories, then this should be familiar grounds. This show at its core is a shounen (which is great for me, because I enjoy well done shounen), even if it has elements that most shounen lack, it shouldn't tick you off in the slightest.

The story although nothing special, is far from bad. Even though it tries to set up all thee different factors, the factors never overstay their welcome, and at points add needed spice to the show. I'm just saying that it could of been done better. As it is now, it's a good story that won't keep you guessing much. As average as it gets.

As for the shows ending...it kinda differs on a person by person basis. I've heard people that loved the series and hated the ending, and vice versa. As for me, I felt like it was good enough to warrant a passing grade. But I would not disagree if you said that it let you down, because I can certainly see how.

Animation

As with every other review on this site, I will assume that this rating is for botch art and animation. As such I will add em up, then average them to get the final score.

The animation is typical Bones quality (which is high if you didn't know). It knows when it needs to up the ante, perfectly. The air combat scenes are crisp, the ground combat scenes are crisp, all in all it's a very crisp show. Definitely well animated for it's time.

The character design kinda varies, with a bunch of well drawn characters, followed by another group that just looks....weird. It doesn't take away anything from the show, but it sure as hell doesn't add anything. The mech designs on the other hand are one of the best that I've ever seen, and the whole 'lifting' idea only adds to the 'coolness' factor that the show tries to show off with it's mechs.

The color pallet is also vast, with some parts of the show using totally different pallets than before. A definite beauty for it's time.

Sound

The OST is also rather well done, with a bunch of tracks that remain stuck in your head. It has a large variety of song types and genres, which i always like and respect. All the while keeping with the theme of the show.

The show is also farther famous for never slacking on the openings/endings department. Each one is great in it's own right. And a show that allows its fans to debate over which opening/ending is better has done it's job correctly.

The dub at the time was done by BANDAI (which is good), so if you are a dub fan do not threat for you will not be disappointed. So I am happy to say that this show is really down to preference.

Character

I am finally able to talk about what made this show such a pleasant journey for me, and that was its characters.

As I said in the intro I was looking for something like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, more specifically I was looking for a (battle) shounen that at least comes close to the character development that Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood had, and Eureka Seven delivered in spades.

The entire cast undergoes serious development, and by the end of the show you feel like these are not the same characters as in the beginning. And that is so rare for an anime, let alone a shounen. The show's pacing does take a hit in order for the show to flesh it's characters out, but for me it was worth it. By the end of it, I looked back at the earlier episodes of the series and I just went "Wow, look how far we've come..." and that was an amazing feeling to have.

A minor gripe though is that at times it tries to hard to spoon feed you into the idea that these characters have changed. With certain characters constantly repeating that they've changed, as if the audience wouldn't notice. At the time I was watching it, it really annoyed me, but for the love of God they stopped doing that and evolved.

I doubt that this show would remain as memorable if it didn't have the characters that it does, they really make the mediocre story look better than it actually is, and that's something that few shows could brag about.

Enjoyment and Final Verdict

Eureka Seven is one of the best shounen that I've seen, and one of the rare anime that I actually cared enough to marathon.

With the exception of the first quarter (which couldn't have been made slower) it was a fun and fulfilling experience and I would recommend it to almost anyone.

I really wish that AO wasn't such a disaster, and that they just left sleeping dogs lie, as this show didn't need a sequel in the slightest. They should of just left it alone....but money corrupts the creative mind, and they couldn't do it.

At any rate, Eureka Seven is a good time guarantee if you can grit your teeth through the first cour of this 50 episode series.

keely60 - 2013-08-16 09:23:43

Title: Eureka Seven

Manga: Eureka Seven
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Psychological, Romance, Science fiction, Mecha, Military

Episodes: 50

Summary:

Renton Thurston is a 14-year-old boy who lived with his mechanic grandfather in a backwater town. Every day he dreamed of being with the mercenary "Light Finding Operation (LFO)" aircraft pilot group "Gekkostate" and riding "Trapar" particle waves —a sport called "reffing"— with their charismatic leader Holland, especially when faced with his father's acclaimed past or his grandfather's desire to protect him. When a young girl named Eureka riding the original LFO, the "Nirvash typeZERO", asks his grandfather for a tune-up, she inadvertently brings the attention of the military to the garage; as a result, the garage is destroyed and Renton is forced to deliver a new type of interface —the "Amita Drive"— to the Nirvash. After a heated fight in which the Nirvash destroys the military LFOs by unleashing an immense amount of power, Renton is invited into Gekkostate. However, he quickly realizes that behind the facade of a traveling group of mercenaries is a very bitter reality.

Story: 8.5/10
I haven't watched an anime this long in a while so it was tough comparing it to something recent.
Eureka Seven.. Just gonna lay out the truth. I couldn't stand it until around episode ~20. The story didn't kick-off at all until then, it was all just "filler" getting to know the character episodes... Even though I know those are necessary, 20 episodes seemed like a bit much.. Plus you don't really find out what you really want to know until the end. So in short, until episode 20 I was like, "Why am I watching this..." and then after I was like, "FINALLY! Some action!~" And it only went uphill from there. All in all it was a pretty cool story, though I'm still uncertain about some things that happened at then end, it's fine I'm not super-persistent about finding out.
Nice anime about humans and other lifeforms co-existing together~

Characters: 9.5/10
You don't find out everything about all the characters and almost nothing about the side characters, but you do find out the basics and what's important. In short, "The gist of it." There were times where I found myself hating certain characters (some more constantly than others) and times where I loved some and wished for more screen time. Eureka Seven did a really good job of having the characters "develop" though. By that I mean, aging, changes in personalities, complex emotional tangents and all that stuff. I do wish I knew more about the thoughts of some though...

Music: 7.5/10
The openings and endings weren't really to my personal taste and the background music seemed unfitting for the anime. Especially during the battles, the fight-music was disappointing.. IMO. But to the "normal person" who isn't obsessed about music unlike me, I guess it's fine.

Art: 8/10
The art was definitely unique and nice for a 2005 anime, though it seemed like the quality changed (for the better) as I progressed. Around the middle of the anime after a certain event occurs I did find it hard to look at certain characters.. XD But that problem was fixed by the end so it's okay~
I liked the style and the facial expressions of the characters was really well done.

Overall Enjoyment: 8.5/10
Looking back, I guess I did enjoy this anime even though the first 20 episodes were REALLY painful. Can I recommend it though?... Hmmm.... Only if you want to see a mecha-romance anime. If it's not in that specific criteria I probably wouldn't since I know several superior romance anime, and several superior mecha anime.

FINAL RATE: 42/50

(8/10 on MAL)

The first 20 episodes were pretty boring, but after that it picks up and ends nicely.
Apparently there's a second season so I guess I'll be watching that somewhere in the near future~

Pretty cool story, but got went kinda weird at the end with rainbows/hearts/sparkles and stuff..

derek.rogahn - 2013-07-25 08:08:28

In my best words, Eureka Seven belongs to those "In the distant future" sci-fi animes. Now yes, it was made waaaaay back in 2005-2006, but that doesn't affect the quality and emotion which comes out of it. So in the far distant future, a 14 year old boy named Renton Thurston runs away from his boring town to join a rebel force called the Gekkostate. he only joins the Gekkostate because he followed a beautiful turquoise haired girl called Eureka there, and many of his 'idols', belong in this group. It's a story which plays on a typical teenage boy's problems of growing up, and yes, I can relate to it pretty well. Kind of. Because the boy deals with his problems while trying to save the world. How I will assess anime is by giving it a 10 out of 10 and then deducting one mark for every major aspect which hindered my overall enjoyment.Story & Setting (1/2): -The general problem with many "In the distant future" animes is that there is a lot of context to establish for the audience. Social, political, economical and historical context all have to be quickly built up in a short amount of time so that we, the viewers can quickly move onto enjoying the anime. Now with Eureka Seven, half of the work is cut out for them because we follow the journey of our protagonist, Renton Thurston, and his journey in discovering the wider world, and all its dark secrets and such. But the producers still have to find a way of incorporating the mechas, lifting (how the mechas fly and etc) and the Coralians (alien species which co-exist with the humans in the story). For me it was very confusing so I had to search it up on google and wikipedia. And so for other viewers, this might have also been just as confusing. So I'll deduct one mark from this aspect. However after reading about the story I understood much more and my enjoyment was no longer hindered.Art & Animation (2/2):Yes, being a 2005-2006 anime means that the artwork isn't really 'top-notch' quality compared to animes being made 7-8 years later. But for its time, Eureka Seven does incorporate some pretty neat animation and artwork. I doubt many viewers would be 'annoyed' with the artwork and animation. Sound [Voice Acting, OP + ED, BGM etc] (2/2): -In this category I'm going to be half-sure because I watched the Dubbed version and the Dubbed version was all I could find. Sometimes, yes, I did find the voice acting a little bit annoying, but sometimes really hilarious (I couldn't really hold my laughter in when Renton confessed that he 'loved' lifting and that lifting was his life. I really couldn't hold it anymore) But I think viewers would appreciate this anime more in subbed. -My assessment of the OP and EDs will be subjective here, but I loved the first two OPs for the anime. The next two were alright. I didn't really pay much attention to the EDs, because I watch the next episode when that happens. But if you're one of those people who listen to the EDs just to relax or something then that's okay. -The BGM or Soundtrack in this anime, is probably one of the unique things about this anime. It provides a range of music tracks from orchestral to electronic. There will be some BGM which will stick in your head and some which compliments the emotion or feel at that point in the anime. The music here is really distinctive. Characters (2/2): -The use of characterization in Eureka Seven is the most defining part of the anime. You'll remember it as the crybaby boy who turns into a man, the lively crew of the Gekkostate with every member having a distinct personality you'll probably remember all their names and their personalities. I just had to admire the chemistry between all the characters in Eureka Seven. Throughout the anime many of these characters change as well, and towards the end of the anime you'll really appreciate all the work that's been done to make this happen. Overall Enjoyment (2/2): -Overall I enjoyed this anime thoroughly, from beginning to end. The story is well balanced but very character driven. If you really don't like mechas though it's okay. Most of the focus of the anime is on the mystery of the Coralians, and I enjoyed discovering the dark secrets of the Coralians although I was confused as to the number of forms they take. But still. I really enjoyed the anime. Not more I can say. The only overall aspect which let this anime down is the setting and how it was set. 9/10, although in my heart I really should have given it a 10.If you loved Eureka Seven then there is a sequel to it, called Eureka Seven AO.

weber.theodora - 2013-03-29 15:07:31

There are many different viewpoints on Eureka 7, from an amazing masterpiece that has everything an anime can ever dream of having to a plain Evangelion rip-off which tried to be (in the eyes of the Evangelion fan boys) everything Evangelion was but failed miserably, or everything Evangelion should have been in the eyes of Eva-haters. You're wondering why I'm even mentioning Evangelion, right? Well, this is because there is a large sector of the viewers who watch Eureka 7 without knowing what it's about instantly dismiss Eureka 7 as a clear Evangelion rip-off. And while Eureka 7 had several elements equal to(to some people) or similar to Evangelion, it is nonetheless an amazing series that needs to gain more love than what it currently has, and less hate due to it being inspired by Evangelion.

Onto my review: Story (9): The story for Eureka 7 follows the adventures of Renton Thurston, a 14 year old boy who one day meets a girl called Eureka. Typical burst of power happens, he joins the group she's traveling with (the Gekko State) and long story short, the first 15 or so episodes were simply typical shonen. Nothing really happens to most viewers' eyes for this to be any different from your typical "shonen/mecha inspired by Evangelion" anime. Those first 15 episodes are the point at which most people, ESPECIALLY Evangelion fan boys, dismiss Eureka 7 as some stupid shallow plot inspired by Evangelion. Oh, how wrong they were! Without spoiling too much, Eureka 7's story takes a drastic change in tone and events around 20 episodes in, at which the story becomes a fantastic coming of age story (similar to Evangelion, but done differently) and deals with a wide variety of different themes, from racism to military discrimination to love. It appeals to a wide range of audiences, and stands out, at a time when the anime industry is struggling to find the right balance between genres. Eureka 7 manages to place almost all of it's ideas correctly and while the story doesn't end without a few plot-holes, it is enough nevertheless to impress any casual anime fan.

Art/Animation (10): The art is stunning and beautifully drawn; the characters look fresh and interesting, and does a spectacular job of getting the viewer into the setting. The animation, considering it was done in 2005, is absolutely gorgeous with very few repeated frames while maintaining a clean, crisp look. It looks even better than some anime that are currently airing, 8 years later! Naturally, studio BONES have done well in making sure that this anime looks absolutely amazing even to this day.

Sound (10): Eureka 7 is one of a rare breed of anime where I can recommend both the dub and sub equally; both voice overs sound absolutely fantastic, with various voice actors doing a splendid job in voice acting the characters. The soundtrack composed by Sato Naoki sounds absolutely amazing as well, perfectly fitting with the tone of the series. The various openings and endings are plain amazing, with Shonen Heart by Home Made Kazokou being my favorite opening of all time.

Characters (10): The originality of the characters was questionable to a lot of people, with several members of the main cast being reminiscent concept-wise to the characters of Evangelion. However, to lay everyone's doubts to rest, the characters of Eureka 7 are developed in a different manner to the characters of Evangelion, and were extremely developed in such a manner that set them apart from their archetypes. The characters of Eureka 7 were amazingly well-written, complex and likable characters who strayed away from their archetypes and were able to prove themselves over the course of the show.

Enjoyment (10): This anime is an extremely enjoyable anime, which was entertaining all the way. From the beginning to the heart felt, tear jerking ending, there was never a dull moment.

Overall (10): While a lot of people would beg to differ, this anime was an unrivaled masterpiece of it's time and a fantastic shonen classic. Was it inspired by Evangelion? Yes, character concept wise. Is that a reason to drop the show? NO! This anime restored my faith in anime and it's ability in telling a story like no other form of media can. It was one hell of a ride all the way to the end, and this must NOT be missed out by anyone. This is my first review, so kindly provide feedback.