Plot Summary
Shitosugh Lhadatt is a lazy dropout who could only find a job in the so-called Royal Space Force, a thinly manned and half-hearted attempt to get humanity into orbit. Initially totally indifferent to that aim, Lhadatt is inspired by the encouraging words of a religious young woman named Riquinni Nonderaiko, and he volunteers as the only passenger in the latest attempt of the Space Force to launch a satellite into space. He undergoes heavy self-induced training in order to rise to the occasion, shedding his laziness and carelessness.
Although there are several obstacles in the construction of the spacecraft, the crew manage to plough on, and Lhadatt slowly rises as a celebrity as the public slowly start to believe in the feasability of space travel. An impending war with a neighbouring country almost causes the mission to abort, but Lhadatt’s resolute spirit inspires the rest of the crew to launch the satellite despite any impediments or orders to the contrary. Thus, his efforts are rewarded, and he manages to broadcast a philosophical and peace-promoting message from orbit.
Review
The setting of this movie is, as far as I’m concerned, its major attraction. It is a very rich world, ranging from the familiarly mundane to the slightly otherworldly. The characters are shown in the full range of their daily lives, so we get to see most of the products of their civilization, from clothes and kitchenware to motorcycles and computers. Most of the technology shown is very similar to ours but departs from it on a tangential basis; everything is recognizable for what its usage is, but the details are alien enough to keep the setting from being identical with our era. Even the alphabet used for various scripts and labels is purposedly muddled in order not to look like any earthly language. The most characteristic representation of the world of Honneamise is probably found at the very beginning of the movie, where the protagonist claims to have pursuited the carreer of an astronaut because of his failing grades (which is a ridiculous claim by our standards). Narrated over the launch of a pretty conventional-looking military aircraft, that sentence makes the viewer feel at ease and at the same time pique their interest with a sense of mystery.
The picturesque landscapes and detailed objects add a lot of depth to the progress of the story. Especially the various machines and artifacts involved in the construction and launch of the satellite show an amazing amount of detail. The characters and vessels show an great amount of mobility, with the animation looking smooth and effortless. I also liked the character designs; they are somewhat unconventional by anime standards, but they feel homely and have much variation from character to character; their reactions and expressions appeared realistic, with only a hint of extremeness in cases of comic relief. By and large, the graphics look wonderful, even twenty years after their production. In general, the environment’s warmth and attention to detail is very similar to the works of Studio Ghibli. Only towards the end of the movie, where the scenery expands to dogfights and spaceflight, does the large-scale style of Gainax come into effect.
The voice acting was perfectly fine, with the protagonists’ voices sounding warm and earthly, and the rest of the cast ranging from deep to scrawny. The soundtrack was also very nice, and in a movie of attempted spaceflight it succeeded in being majestic and large-scale whenever the scenes needed it to be.
As a story of Lhadatt’s coming of age, the movie succeeds on every level, emotional, mental and physical. The only pity is that it is too predictable by modern standards. Perhaps the story elements didn’t use to be so commonplace back then, but nowadays an experienced viewer can probably foresee through what kind of hoops Lhadatt will jump in order to reach his goal. The story remains emotionally fulfilling, but it doesn’t really have any plot twists. The only part of it I didn’t like was the very end. Personally I have no liking for 2001: A Space Odyssey (which seems to be the inspiration for that final scene), and the surrealistic pastiche of various random worldly achievements and works felt very anticlimatic. I think that the directors could at least intersperse it with some scenes of Lhadatt’s return and reunion with Riquinni.
Lhadatt’s personality blooms very nicely as the plot moves along. His perspective and composure at the end of the movie is almost the opposite to how he begins, but all his transitions feel very realistic and heartfelt. Riquinni’s character also matures, albeit in a more subdued tone. The supporting cast (especially Lhadatt’s colleagues) are typecast, but they are shown in various actions and environments, so they don’t feel one-dimensional; in the end, Lhadatt’s enthusiasm carries much of the cast forward, so that they show at least a little depth. The only characters with deadpan personalities are probably the spacecraft construction crew, but I suppose that this is excusable, given that they are only introduced much later into the movie. Personally I didn’t like the appearences of Manna; she seemed off-key and maladroite in comparison with the rest of the cast. That was probably done on purpose, but in retrospect there have been young children playing similar roles in other anime with more well-rounded and useful characters.
This movie is very important based on its historic status and significance. But even if judged on its own in a void, I think that it displays fascinating qualities. It has aged very well, and in doing so it has gained some old-school charm. Either way, it is highly recommended.
Stats
Type: Movie
Length: 70 min
Rating
Production: 9/10
Plot: 7/10
Setting: 8/10
Characters: 7/10
Overall: 8/10
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