Based on the first in a trilogy of video games of the same name, this box set closely follows the spirit of the story, with several clever changes that allow for a wonderfully expressive interpretation that viewers unfamiliar with the game will appreciate. The animation follows Shion Uzuki, whose acceptance and regard of the humanoid AI, which is equal or greater than the brotherhood our fellow man can hope for, often gets her strange looks from her comrades. However, she maintains that the Realian, whose very existence is patterned after assisting humans with their own dreams, deserve dreams and hopes of their own to accompany their very real emotions. Strangely, despite being the creator of the anti-Gnosis android KOS-MOS, this empathy causes her constant worry as she learns how KOS-MOS’ programming (and possibly lack of her own soul) not only affects how the weapon chooses to wage battle, but what losses she deems casually necessary, betraying her inhuman thought processes. An almost lighthearted space-battle anime, the characters are as interesting as they are varied, and bring a new level of depth and color to the cast. They might find themselves again and again in dire straits, but they band together and cast an excellent example of human perseverance under pressure.
The animation is excellent, and the music is subtle and well-applied to bring just the right emotion to every scene. My favorite adaptation, however, takes place inside one particular episode and is, in my opinion, an absolutely ingenious and creative way to feature those fighting abilities not normally shown in a story-based anime. I won’t ruin it for you, but really, I was so tickled that I had to keep re-playing that episode for other people. Really, those fans of RPG game will find it eerily familiar. Still, all-in-all a faithful adaptation of the video game, with only minor re-organizing as necessary to make the story accessible to outsiders.
If you liked the video games, or simply enjoy a good sci-fi concerning galactic war with the good ol’ “Us vs. them darned aliens” formula, this box set is a rewarding and entertaining buy. Special bonus! For those of you who wish your video game would call a cease on the constant random-battles and boring item hunts necessary to level up, and really just let you play the story, this is the perfect adaptation to bring you that joy. Plus, you could always put this in the DVD player on your computer so your brain could be entertained while you play a separate game and get some time clocked in on all those random battles and XP farming.