Anime: VanDread

ANIME MINOR JEWELS SERIES
Full list of the review series can be found on this page, 3rd post from bottom:
http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?uid=251338&show=userpage&do=blog&blogid=29009&page=0

TEASER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbUGbO6taAo&feature=related

NOTICE: This review covers both seasons, as they are part of the same story.

THE STAFF
- Animated by that piece of shit studio GONZO. But hey, even a broken clock is right twice every day and even GONZO makes a watchable anime once every one hundred attempts. An example of which is VanDread.
- Conceived and directed by Mori Takeshi, and stands as his best work. Meaning, the only watchable show of everything he ever made.

STORY
When it comes to this show, I was mostly fascinated with its premise rather than anything else. It was stupid and captivating at the same time, something that I rarely fall for. It’s just that it came out at a time when the sircumstances were right and thus managed to win me over.

So the story is about a world where men and women live apart and are even hostile to each other. Reproduction happens artificially and practically everybody is homosexual. And then weird aliens attack and one ship from each side crash and combine with a mystical force to form a new power for fending off the aliens. They now need to work together in order to find a way back and prevent the alien threat.

Seriously, the premise is to die for. Seeing them trying to trust each other and even trying to study each other (since they have no idea how things are going on with each side) was not only highly comical but also even educational in a way. The whole purpose of the story is in fact to have an open mind to try new things, to learn, to evolve, and to cooperate for a common goal. And for once the deviance was about turning from a completely homosexual crew back to… heterosexuals. For some weird reason I kept making comparisons to Macross and the first old Star Trek movie. The themes are a twisted form of those two features, with the aliens being… humans of the opposite genre and aliens being… mechanized humans. And it was all some allusion to evolution, life, love and coexistence. Isn’t that something to die for? Everything is reversed in this show; right is wrong and wrong is… left.

CHARACTERS
Ok, premise aside there are other things I liked in this show as well. The cast for example is highly likable. Each one begins as a stereotype and slowly evolves through interactions with the other side into a unique personality. Some of them are highly memorable as well, such as the robot mascot and the curious bimbo “Mr. Alien” Dita. The show makes them act as idiotically as possible but for a change this is nothing but means to excuse their ignorance over what is going on beyond their tiny world and to begin a learning procedure. And even if you don’t see them as such, they are still fine ecchi material for superficial laughs. Since most of the crew is gorgeous girls and the lead pilot is Hibiki, a neurotic teenager, you can just imagine the silliness that comes from having to share the cockpit on every battle… in a humorous ecchi way as always. Meaning, I liked the cast for not being an archetypical harem cast or a token space crew. They were both and they gradually evolved past their mold. Whole episodes are dedicated into fleshing them individually and any learning process is not nullified by the next episode. That is what a good cast is all about.

PRODUCTION VALUES
GONZO was always good at this department but almost always messed in the CGI. Well no surprise that most people hate the CGI in the series for looking too crude. The 2D is otherwise great (the characters that is). I will be lenient here since VanDread was amongst the first shows to be heavy on computer animated battles and did fine with what was available at the time. I ensure you that later GONZO works feel a lot worse for trying to turn their human models to 3D. Over here it remains purely during mecha action in space and once again contributes to the alien feeling of the show. I mean, when I first watched the show I thought it was all too weird. Just like the setting. Just like the characters. It was part of the themes too; cooperation and having an open mind to new things. And 3D was so new back then you also needed an open mind to accept the possibilities; thus I was not annoyed by it.

The OST feels kinda weak and voice acting is full of retarded dialogue and erotic humor but as I said, it was all part of the same package and I was not annoyed by it.

ENJOYMENT
It is a zanny space adventure with various funny characters, interesting settings, and side stories that gradually enrich both the cast and the story. It starts all silly and goofy and by the finale in the second season it turns to an epic scale war for the salvation of mankind from… itself. It was just too awesome.

It’s not as if I fully enjoyed the anime though. Its weakest part is the plot, which is chaotic and messy in the least. For the most part it feels like it lacks direction and most problems are resolved with deus ex machina cheap tricks. Seriously, that glowing crystal super computer in their ship would constantly offer power ups when they needed them and even teleport them or enemies away… on its own. Yup, that was just the scriptwriter being lazy; it would be a lot better if the characters were being more strategically smart about it, other than using superior weaponry fueled by the power of love or something corny like that. Even the finale does not feel that solid as the aliens are still there and Hibiki didn’t “experiment” yet on how heterosexuals make babies.

VALUE
This anime was never appreciated much for its deconstruction of the ecchi/space adventure formulas. I guess it was all too silly and the CGI alienated most (lol, alienated, like the opposite of what the show … shows?). I consider it amongst the better sci-fi adventures of the turn of the century and I recommend it to anyone who wants to open his mind to ideas, stupid ones like how homosexuals learn to make babies, or intriguing ones like how too much reliance on technology ends up being self destructive. It is not very common in themes amongst anime and it’s even rarer to find something that good by GONZO.

SUGGESTION LIST
Super Dimensional Fortress Macross
Aquarion Evol

And now for some excused scorings.
[/spoiler]

This is a full review of both seasons of VanDread

When I started watching Vandread I didin't really got into it. I disliked the CGI scenes at first, because they looked quite horrible for these times, but as I watched few episodes I really got into it. The manga was more of a harem type, and from what I read in wikipedia I thought that the anime creators really gave life to the manga by changing few things.

To tell the story short, during the times of colonizing men and women were separated for some reasons that I won't spoil, because its quite interesting to see them and analyze them for yourself, It's about 30% of the interesting plot this anime gives, about how civilizations can fall apart and ignore their own people, destroying the lives they once had.

The mood adjustment dial was in the hands of a pro, I actually felt sad sometimes and that doesn't happen often, also I have a great respect how they implemented the song of Sinatra into one episode, it made you feel just great.

Talking about our simple plot first of all we have a bit less of a harem going on, and there are more men in the anime during the whole show, when there was in manga that's 3 instead of just 1.

The character development is quite superb in such a short series, during few of these years what I've seen from newly produced anime didin't really sucked me in for the characters, but I liked them a lot in this anime, they were interesting, had their own problems, and I think that each one of us could address each one of them in our own way of life. Also the MAJOR MAJOR factor that got my attention to be interested in the characters was that the life of them, the chatting the problems with the girl and boy life is all plausible and it was interesting to listen to it.

Well, to sum up, I just don't know what to tell, I've just finished watching this series a few minutes ago in one day, it was just great, I typically don't give such animes a re-watch, cause there's no point on chaining myself to these characters, but maybe someday I will see it again... I highly recommend it.

___
Edit:

I fixed a small amount of grammar, and the type to Preview, maybe I will do it in a full review form someday.

This series takes the mindset of a class of 11-12 year old boys and girls, gives them adult bodies, and gives them advanced technology. Girls and Boys live on different planets, fear and despise the opposite sex, and only forced circumstances can bring them together in harmony.

The animation during the battle scenes is both good and bad. The graphics and colors are well done, but the scenes do not look realistic in any way. The mechas and ships move irregardless of reality: with no thrusters or engines the ships move sideways and up and down; this is especially true with the mecha used by Hibiki. Also, in the cockpit views during battles it apparently takes no effort to pilot these ships, because none of the pilots ever seem to be doing anything with their hands or body to make their ship move the way it does. Also, battle scenes seemed to be repetitive, with the same scenes being used in different episodes. The "combination" sequences were also unexplained and completely unrealistic and too power-ranger or Voltron-esque for my tastes.

With respect to the character models, they are all unique and detailed, and emotions are clearly shown on their faces and in their body language.

The soundtrack was nothing special; I was not impressed nor entertained by either the opening or the ending song. The voice actors did a decent job with what they had to work with, and the emotions expressed in their words was believable and well executed. However, during the battles the sounds were a bit repetitive, and ceased to be as exciting after a few battles of the same sounds.

As to the story, there are many plot holes and unexplained occurences (including the background behind the seperation of the men and women; a huge event in the series) and background for the characters is extremely limited (even a main character, Dita, is given little to no background). The power source for the ship and the source of the transformation of both the main ship and the fighter ships is also never explained, and is a huge hole in the storyline.

Also, the episodes, for the most part, follow a simple "voltron-esque" formula: pirates get into fight, lose battle until Hibiki combines with someone, and then the battle is won and one of the girls realizes men can be trusted and are useful.

The theme of sexual tension in this series is also prevalent. Hibiki is constantly hounded by the females over "combining" (a metaphor for a relationship); Dita and Jura both wish to combine with Hibiki as often as possible, while the more stoic leader is reluctant to combine with Hibiki and only after combining does she start to like Hibiki. (The positions in which Hibiki and the girls are placed in the cockpit when they combine is also a telling point on Hibiki's relationship and dominance with the woman; Dita is on Hibiki's lap, Hibiki is on the leader's lap, and Hibiki and Jura are across from each other).

The characters in this story are given little to no background for the most part (how did the girls become pirates, how were they trained,how did they get the funding or expertise in the technology that they have, etc). The majority of the characters in this series are so juvenile that it is difficult for me to like them; especially Dita and Hibiki, two of the main characters. Indeed, much of the series' drama was teenaged angst or growing pains which was very annoying.

The two male sidekicks are extremely one-dimensional: one is an outgoing clown and a coward, the other is a rational doctor who is brave and mature. Each of their actions are extremely predictable and their personalities are extremely bland.

I won't be rewatching this anime and I wouldn't reccomend it to anyone; it isn't a great sci-fi anime nor is it very amusing. It is an original concept, but I believe this anime fails to make this concept interesting enough.

(Writers note: If you read this review, RATE this review. Authors thrive on feedback, whether it be a simple happy face, or an in-depth critique.)

A couple of notes about this review. One, it is yet again one of my older reviews, copied/pasted from somewhere else. Also, this review is for both Vandread Seasons, and not just the first one. This will be posted in the Vandread Season 2 review section as well.

*sigh*

I just got done rebutting Zhavric (a member of the board where this was originally posted) for calling all anime George Lucas type work (All flash, no substance), and now I'm reviewing a series that makes his point for him. Well, such is life!

Vandread is best compared to shows such as The Rock, or Face/Off. It's fun to watch, as long as you don't think too hard. On subsequent viewings, the show takes a nosedive as you begin to notice all the glaring holes in the plot, and phoned-in performances.

Compared to others of it's type, Vandread ranks up there with Speed as far as good Summer fun goes. The story is pretty simple: Earth sent out ships to colonize other worlds. For some unknown reason (one of those that should have been explained to SOME degree instead of ignored ) Mankind split off into Male and Female groupings. Settling on different planets, 100 years later they hate each other. Here comes annoying brat boy. That's right! We all know him, and we all hate him! He's the loud-obnoxious-spoiled-childish-adolescent-who-hates-women-and-can't-talk-about-his-feelings main character!

Speaking of annoying brat boy, I noticed that the entire cast is a cardboard cut-out of mecha staples, from the cute little robot who ends every statement with "pyoro!" to the overly exuberant has-a-crush-on-the-annoying-brat-boy-even-though-he's-a-waste-of-humanity girl. Even the most by-the-numbers series can redeem itself if it's done well enough, and Vandread, produced by Gonzo, comes with a lot of spit and polish. CGI is top notch, with frantic and exciting fight scenes in almost every episode. The characters constantly move about (are animated) when they're on screen, with almost no still frames.

Back to the story. Annoying brat boy, through some ridiculous plot contrivance, ends up on an all female pirate ship with 2 other men. At this point in time, men and women hate each other, again, for no particular reason. Anyways, pirate ship and everyone aboard gets sucked into a black hole or something and end up a year away from where they were. This gives the three men the opportunity to learn and grow as people and live together the women and...

WRONG! Character development is for the weak! MORE FIGHTS! Speaking of fights, the title comes from when a Van, a male driven mech, collides with a Dread, a female driven mech, making them uber powerful for... no particular reason. It just does.

Ecchi abounds, but there is no real feeling between any of the characters that felt urgent. The tension is so annoyingly pent up as to be non-existent (case in point, after 26 episodes, the main male and female characters haven't even kissed yet). Another reason I believe this to be tailored more towards young adolescents.

VanDread is a by-the-numbers Mecha series with a lot of money invested in the CGI fighting, which is the only real reason to see the series. I admit, I was entertained. I was looking for a good mecha/comedy, and I got one. Again, another show I'd recommend for a once over if you've already seen most of the GOOD mecha/comedies, like Full Metal Panic or Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Best Moment: Man, this is sad. I can't think of one. Fuck it! I recommend this anyway!

Vandread seemed overall a very mixed bag. There were certain things that it did fairly well, but there were also other areas where it really seemed to struggle.

Story:
They definitely get some points for creativity, with the idea of having men and women completely separate and at war with each other, to the point where they no longer even remember that they are supposed to need each other to reproduce. The interactions between the characters that result from this situation are entertaining and give it a positive feel.
On the other hand, the plot progression really felt weak. It really felt like the creators had an idea about the planet of men at war with the planet of women, and then just threw together the rest of the plot, especially the bad guys. It just lacked the kind of depth that you can see in other series, and that they seemed to be gunning for here.

Character:
A big weak link. None of the characters really seemed particularly fleshed out, and both the male and the female leads were way too one-dimensional and boring. If you've seen one bubbly, overly cheerful, "never-give-up" heroine, you've seen them all. And it was definitely irritating how she always calls him "Mr. Alien."

Hibiki, the male lead, is about typical for your anime hero, brash, with an attitude, desperate to prove himself, etc. Oddly enough, other characters occassionally remark on how he has changed, depsite the fact that he clearly never does change.

The rest of the cast provides equally flat moments, and have the very irritating habit of constantly issuing overstatements or waxing philosophical. After a minor skirmish, the captain states that "this is the toughest enemy we've ever faced." It seems like everyone wants to talk about the meaning of life, and about expressing themselves honestly instead of relying on hackneyed expressions. Ironically, while doing so they often use hackneyed expressions. I'm not sure if this is intentionally ironic or just dumb; certainly, there are no other hints of any intended irony in the situation.

Often the characters attempt to give out an aura of gravitas, and yet there is never the connection to their personalities to make their statements believable or to leave an impression. Comedy is also a bit misplaced; no matter what the crisis there always seems to be a laugh in store soon enough, even though the mood is apparently trying to be serious. Very wierd.

Animation:
One of the strong points of the series. While most of the time it looked pretty mediocre, once in a while they mixed in some very nice 3-D animations.

Sound:
The OP was okay, but the voice acting really wasn't very good.

Value:
There really isn't much of a reason to rewatch this series. There weren't any specific moments that really jumped out at me and made me want to see it again.

Enjoyment:
Despite a lot of the flaws it had, I actually enjoyed watching the series. It felt fun, and moved decently well from point to point.

Overall, this isn't a series that you need to run out an put at the top of your list, but you might like it if you give it a chance. It's basically another dumb mecha, but it's at least a fun ride while it lasts.

Animation: Was very impress with the battle scenes. Characters were well drawn with women in small outfits and big breasts.
Sound: Was great up lifting and the end of your sit waiting to find out whats next. Thats the kind of music you will find with this one.
Story: Very Funny you will laugh probably out loud with their expressions and how they do things.Basically men and women are living apart scared of each other?
Character: You begin to want to know more about each character. Their voices I love the most"Mr.Alien" If you watch this you will know What I am talking about.
Value: I would watch it again.
Enjoyment: Very funny. I wished there was other one after Vandread Second Stage.