 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | ADV FILMS | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | ENGLISH AND JAPANESE DD 2.0 | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 100 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | TV MA | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 03/18/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 03/31/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | SCOTT CAMPBELL |
Moonlight Mile is a brand new anime excursion from ADV films that is sure to please a number of people because it goes places that fewer and fewer anime seem to go these days. It takes the intelligence and adventure of science fiction, but throws it for a more adult loop that will entertain a more mature audience. This anime doesn’t take itself so seriously that it seems cliché, nor does it enter into anything even close to what anyone might describe as “Galaxy Angel Antics” ™ (it’s just not that kind of science fiction, lol). It’s a well drawn, well thought out human drama about the future of space exploration and the wars that may rage there for control over resources not of this world.
Animation and art style wise, Moonlight Mile is fairly advanced and mature. Characters tool closer to being based on actual human form, and a bit less like the large eyed, anime style that we know and love from our less serious favorite series in the anime world. This particular anime is going more for a “primetime drama” look and feel – if we were in Japan, this show might steal the time slot away from Grey’s Anatomy or something of the like. The animation is fluid and varied – the settings are so varied, so we get to see a lot of different aspects of style and light effects, and all that good stuff. We’re whisked off to everywhere from barren snowy mountains, to large cities, and even into outer space on moon landscapes and beyond. The use of facial expressions and the intensity of the animation in general really helps to convey all the drama and the emotions that this anime constantly brings to the forefront – it can get very intense and on-edge more often than not. This anime also makes really good use of computer graphics to add to the great look and feel of the animation when the CG is blended in with the tradition animation. The use of CG for a lot of the mechanical objects, robot soldiers, etc. is very fitting and looks great. Not every show can integrate CG animation into the works successfully, but Moonlight Mile most certainly knows how to handle itself. It’s reminiscent of Planetes and even “Magnetic Rose” from Memories (excellent!) – it is intelligently crafted science fiction with an understanding of the harshness of space and what is just beyond our understanding. Story wise, this show is quite interesting – it doesn’t rush anything in relation to us being taken right to space and beyond, it takes the time to introduce the characters and let us know what they are all about first. It’s certainly character driven with a lot of back story and intrigue. Each episode alludes to many possibilities and leaves you hanging, wondering what could possibly come next. As for content, it’s not just the intelligence of portions of the story and writing that make this anime the mature title that it is. There is actually a fair bit of foul language, a bit of blood here and there, and even the odd semi-graphic sex scene thrown in. This is not a show for kids – I’d even venture that it’s most certainly a 16+ title. It’s just a very adult drama – it’s not trying to hide anything or make itself or it’s characters out as being saints, because they most certainly are not. All in all, it’s pretty intense throughout. Whether it be something violent, or something dramatic with a time limit quickly ticking away, or just an interpersonal disagreement with envious motives – Moonlight Mile has plenty of story and plenty of punch when it comes to entertaining us and keeping us interested enough to watch the next episode without stopping for a break. Just to throw it in there, it must be mentioned that the opening sequence is really great, and completely alludes to this anime becoming a very out of control epic in later episodes. It’s easy to tell that the early elements of this story are only building to drop the big bomb on us in the near future. It looks great and should be an increasingly entertaining ride as we watch along! EXTRAS:
The disc extras include a clean opening, a clean closing, ADV previews, and DVD credits. IN SUMMARY:
Moonlight Mile is a mature science fiction piece that isn’t afraid to get down and dirty. It’s often brutal in the way it showcases violence and the frailty of life caught up in harsh environments, so it’s not always for the squeamish. This is not your dad’s science fiction thriller – this one isn’t afraid to play solely to a mature audience.
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