Suisei no Gargantia - 2

"The Planet of Origin"

It's like Ghibli meets Eureka Seven, no wait, that's Xam'd... so, Xam'd meets Urobuchi? Either way, this is without a doubt my favorite series of the season so far.

Despite my very many initial reservations about this series, I'm quickly finding it to be winning me over. There's something utterly charming about Suisei and the way it carries itself, and it's reminiscent of a great many series and films that I personally enjoy very highly. Even without those qualities, however, this series is laying out a foundation that only someone like Urobuchi could have written, and it handles certain topics and circumstances differently than other series might. Yet unlike most of The Butcher's works, Suisei hasn't yet reached the level of mouthpiece or of having too much philosophy at the exclusion of story; maybe, just maybe, Urobuchi is trying something new here, and it might just be that there's no real agenda beyond the actual narrative. That's not to say there won't be poignant themes or ideas to ponder over, but somehow, just this once, I think Urobuchi might be attempting to go for art rather than political vehicle, and I have to say I really hope this is the case.

Ledo's arrival on Earth is of concern to all parties involved. For the Earthlings, he's an unknown threat with a very large and indestructible mecha, and he can't even speak their language. For Ledo himself, things have taken on a rather mythological quality as he comes to understand that this is the planet known to have frozen over in legend. There's a lot of tension between both sides as they consider how to proceed, and Chamber acts the role of interpreter, to the greater suspicion of the Gargantia's crew, who can't imagine a machine working without an operator. As a result, Ledo walks a very precarious line; on the one hand, he's very sensible and doesn't wish to cause unnecessary panic and violence, but on the other hand, if he wants to cooperate and go home, he'll have to get them to trust him, a difficult feat considering how wary the crew is of him.

Thankfully, Amy, the resident eye-candy and perky personality, is also for co-existence with this strange boy, and she acts as the go-between both parties confidently. She tells Ledo various things about Earth, mainly that while it was frozen over millenia ago, it has since melted and flooded all land, and that humanity exists on huge connected fleets of ships, wandering the never-ending ocean in search of biologically sustained electrical paths called Milky Ways. However, while Amy quickly establishes a relationship with Ledo, none of the other Gargantians (except her brother, who seems to be unable to walk) want anything to do with him, and Pinion (Konishi Katsuyuki) suggests multiple times that they kill him, drag out the "second guy" from the mecha, and take the thing apart. After all, there's no guarantee that Ledo is as benign as Amy feels that he is.

Though that's complicated enough, things only get worse after the scouting group led by Bellows (Itou Shizuka) is attacked by pirates. When Amy asks for help, Ledo is eager to help in order to better his situation in the eyes of the Gargantians but his soldier's life betrays him. Instead of merely saving Bellows and her crew, he annihilates the attackers with his futuristic technology without even blinking an eye. Though he does save the ship, in the end he just proves what a dangerous being he really is, and should he turn on them, the Gargantians would have no way to fight back. It's effectively as dangerous as housing a god, and it's unlikely he'll be welcomed any time soon.

There are two factors at play that really make this series work for me. Firstly, that group dynamic between the Gargantians has distinctly Eureka Seven or X'amd flavoring, and unlike most of Urobuchi's works, the characters so far seem to be more people than chess pieces, which is vital in making this type of group dynamic work. From characters like Pinion and Bellows to Amy and Ridget (Oohara Sayaka), everyone is compelling and showing signs of the characterization many of Urobuchi's characters have traditionally lacked. Secondly, the depiction of this situation between Ledo and the Gargantians is written very intelligently and even realistically. Rarely does a language barrier pose a true issue in an anime, but here it's crucial and complicates things in a very real way despite the fantastical setting. Ledo's own thought processes are also very smart and indicative of his soldier's mentality, and his rationality underlies a lot of what I suspect are dysfunctional tendencies. Of course, there's still room for Urobuchi to turn back to old habits, but for the meantime at least, Suisei no Gargantia is deservedly the series at the top of my priority list this season.

OP "Kono Sekai wa Bokura wo Matteita (この世界は僕らを待っていた)" by Minori Chihara
Episode 2 Screencaps:
ED "Sora to Kimi no Message (空とキミのメッセージ)" by ChouCho