subject: Eureka Seven Rocks [print this page] I don't normally go for mecha animeI don't normally go for mecha anime. It's not that I have an unreasonable hatred of the genre. Actually, there are a few titles I adore but they just usually aren't my thing. A mecha show really has to be outstanding for me to fall in love with it.
So with my high standards now acknowledged, you can understand why I was hesitant when a friend urged me to watch Eureka Seven, stating I would love it. There is nothing worse than having to tell a friend that the series they recommended is something you'd rather gouge your eyes out than watch. Thankfully he really does know me well and was right. I never thought I'd utter the words "Hey, that anime with the surfing robots is actually quite good!" And yet here we are. I think Eureka Seven rocks!
Eureka Seven's main character is a fourteen year old boy named Renton. He was raised by his grandfather, who has hopes of him becoming a mechanic like himself. Of course Renton wants none of that and wants to follow in his dead father's footsteps and become a pilot and a hero. His prayers get answered when a teal haired girl, the titular character, crashes into his house. After helping Eureka fix her LFO (Surfing robot) and winning a skirmish with the corrupt military, Renton decides to leave with her and join Gekkostate.
Gekkostate is a loveable ragtag band of anti-military adventurers who love wind surfing and fighting the establishment. After a really rough hazing, Renton soon discovers that they actually do have hearts and almost all of them are running from some sort of dark, tragic past. Of course this anime isn't just about first love with bonus mecha; there's a corrupt government that has to be taken down, a dying world that needs to be saved and a psychopathic girl with a hate for our two heroes who also pilots a ship eerily similar to their own.
Eureka Seven reminds me a tiny bit of a lighter version of Evangelion. It shares EVA's mind trippyness and also throws the audience into a world they have to struggle to comprehend fast, but unlike EVA, Eureka always remembers that the audience sometimes has more fun when they can actually understand the plot. Also I feel that Eureka Seven does a good job at aiming for a broad viewership while never forgetting who their true target audience is. Eureka Seven is aimed at the junior high/high school set, judging by the age of the main characters, the surfing robots and some of the humor. The show does throw a lot of bones to its older audience members though so everyone can watch and enjoy it.
I highly recommend this show, not only to mecha lovers, but for everyone who likes a good adventure/take down the establishment/coming of age story! Fans of Evangelion and Code Geass should definitely give it a try!
