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FAFNER: COMPLETE COLLECTION |
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Tuesday, 20 March 2007 |
 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | GENEON ENTERTAINMENT | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 4:3 FULL FRAME | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | ENGLISH AND JAPANESE DD 2.0 | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 625 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | 13UP | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 01/16/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 03/21/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | ROMMEL SALANDANAN |
A remote and hidden Japanese island paradise that's detached from the rest of the world. The future generations of its inhabitants, unaware of what really lies beyond the horizon, will soon realize that their paradise island holds a deeper secret than their elders have led them to believe: they will become the saviors of the world.
Seven ordinary kids' lives will turn upside down the day an alien entity suddenly attacks for no apparent reason. They must now protect the island and its people. The first one to go against the enemy is the reluctant yet elite pilot Kazuki Makabe with his Fafner Mark ELF. Beside him to instruct and advise, is his friend Soshi Minashiro, who is linked to him with a machine called the Siegfried System. Soshi is the only child on the island who is aware of what's happening in the world.
Eventually, all seven of the children will fight to defend the island from alien invaders that strip the Japanese people of the ability to procreate, but the children and the entire island must also avoid detection from the Neo UN at all costs. The Neo UN is an organization that is on their tail to gain their technology that is based on the very essence of their enemy, the Festum.
However, Kazuki's actions and curiosity of the outside world will lead to the capture of his Mark ELF, but in the process he will gain allies and something greater to combat the enemy.
Now that the children have come to the realization that what they have known about the outside world is not exactly true - that their island paradise is more like a refuge for the last remaining people of Japan. Their friendship is now all that they have. Together the children will face numerous alien encounters, and dangers, until the day when the remaining pilots are sent on their final mission to rescue one of their own. Eventually they will end humanity's battle against an alien race that has no comprehension of any such feelings.
Fafner (Fafner in the Azure: Dead Aggressor) is a science fiction series that doesn't shy away from the clamors of drama. The action is top notch, but it is so surrounded with emotion that one can't help but feel the pain from the sacrifice or loss of a character. The series seems to resemble a bit of Evangelion, and the twists and turns run just as deep. But unlike Eva, the conundrums in the series have a clear resolution.
The animation in the entire 26 episode is very consistent. The mecha designs are one-of-a-kind, as it doesn't follow traditional designs that resemble a human being. Famed -Gundam Seed artist Hisashi Hirai does the character design, and the soundtrack is a matchless fit, as the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra gives life to the music of Tsuneyoshi Saito in each cheerful, perilous, and dangerous scene.
EXTRAS:
Geneon previews, creditless opening and ending animation and DVD credits.
IN SUMMARY:
With its action, dramatic twist, and deepening mysteries, Fafner is the mecha genre's worthy successor to Evangelion. |
