Aquarion Evol

MoonlitKaitou★ 6

This is my first time writing a review, so please bare with me, but for this series I felt like I needed to write my opinion of it. Story: Episodes 1 - 13 = 7 Now, the series started off very good, I wouldn't say it was amazing, but it was enough to pull me in and get me interested in the series. It was lighthearted and comedy filled at points, but it also had plenty enough action and mystery involved to keep you looking forward to what might come next. Episodes 14 - 21 = 5 Unfortunately at this point, the story seems to start getting thrown all overthe place. Some episodes I liked and some were just not so good... and I'm sad to say that it continued to get worse. Episodes 22 - 26 = 2 This is where everything in the plotline just falls apart. Revelations and twists are made and it all seems to turn into a horrible joke. It didn't end well either as there will a lot of plotholes and loose-ends in the series that were left unanswered. You know it's bad when you root for the antagonist in the series to win and hope that the heros will lose. Overall, the plotline was decent, but definitely no where near amazing. Total Average: 4.5 Animation: 7 Tha animation quality was overall pretty, but not overly fantastic, especially since the CG wasnt really well done on some points. It had a lot of recycled footage through out the anime and unfortunately the reused footage from Sousei no Aquarion stuck out like a sore thumb against Evol's animation. But for the most part it was very pretty to look at, especially the first ending. Sound: 10 Ah, the saving grace of the show and probably one of the few things I will remember from Evol. The music is just astounding; I could listen to it all day and not get tired of it. Gekkou Symphonia, Paradoxical Zoo, Eve no Danpen, Kimi no Shinwa, Yunoha no Mori, Aquaria Mau Sora... they're all wonderful songs, there's not one I do not like. Characters: Main Characters = 2 The main characters are some of the worst I have ever experienced in a show. I started off liking Amata quite a bit; he was a weak willed character but he seemed very devoted and it looked as if he would develop into a stronger character; how wrong was I. He continued to be weak and couldn't seem to function without Mikono around; it was unbearable to watch him near the end. I think most will agree with me when I say that I definitely won't miss his "MIKONO-SAAAAAAAAANNNN!" Mikono... she starts off as quite a snotty character a little bit in the beginning and shes always looking down on herself and calling herself useless... at one point it seemed that she stepped up and looked as if she would actually do something and help out, but in the end, remains to be useless and forever stuck in the damsel in distress mode. Zessica- as much as I love Zessica, she was a poorly developed character. She started off amazing and had the potential to be a great person, but gets stuck in her mopey and dull self as her unrequited love for Amata beats her down repeatedly into a deeper depression. If Zessica's character taught me one thing, it's that no matter how you try to go against fate/ destiny, you can't and it will beat you down. Kagura started off as an interesting character, but I also think he was poorly developed. Has a very beast-like personality and his sole focus is to get Mikono and anyone in his way will get hurt/killed... there's really not much else to him. But the thing that will continue to bug me to the end of days is his OOC'ness at the very end of the series... he is suddenly shown capable of being a human being and rather intellectual when that was definitely not the case from before. Supporting Characters = 8 The supporting characters, to me at least, outshown the main characters by far. Jin and Yunoha were some of my favorites, separately they were both very good, but when they were together, something sparked and they quickly became my favorite love interest in the show. Andy and Mix provided a lot of comedy, especially when they were together, but their love at the end really moved me. Both JinxYunoha and AndyxMix were by far better love interests than AmataxMikono and much more enjoyable. The other side characters were also very enjoyable in their own way- Cayenne and Shrade, along with Sazanka and Malloy were just wonderful. Total Average: 5 Enjoyment: 5 The first half of the series was very enjoyable and I was always looking forward to the next episode, unfortunately my high expectations from the first half led to a lot of disappointment in the second half. It became a trainwreck; the plotline became something that I didn't look forward to and I found myself groaning at a lot of scenes or just not really caring. Overall: 6 I think it was my high expectations from the first half that led to my great disappointment, but Evol just stands as average to me. The terrible plotline, poorly developed main characters, and lack of enjoyment for the second half really hit me. Despite the not so good things, there was still enjoyment from the supporting cast and especially from Mykage(whom was a great villain), so overall it wasn't terribly awful, I just felt it could have been handled better.

Tachii★ 8

If there was one thing that absolutely stood out for me in Aquarion EVOL, it was the artwork. Aquarion EVOL shines brightest in its absolutely gorgeous setting and consistent animation. Each location is drawn with such care and beauty and there were plenty of places for us to see. The artwork is what I'd would call "eyegasmic" or "scenery porn". It was a completely positive surprise. As of 2012, I can only list a handful of TV series that had such amazing artwork on display. Unfortunately, aside from the delightfully eyegasmic setting it was in, the story and characters leave a bit to be desired. Atit's core, it's not a story to be taken seriously. Like the prequel, there are a lot of ridiculous and ludicrous events that happen throughout the show. How about a punch move that wraps the entire planet just to punch the enemy into space? How about each time the characters combine into the Aquaria mech they experience near-orgasms? If you can suspend a great amount of belief, you can enjoy this show since there are lots of funny and exciting material here. For some, the lack of a serious and well-thought out story can really be a disappointment. Indeed, the story in Aquarion EVOL had a lot of potential. The villains of Altair and their motives belong in a moral gray area, but the planet Altair is mostly left undeveloped and unexplored as the credit rolled. The characters also suffer from wasted potential in terms of depth and attitude. The main characters, especially, come off quite shallow and frankly, annoying. Both Amata and Mikono are shy and often unreliable, and they often misunderstood each other for both comedic purposes and really shallow and cliche reasons. On the opposite spectrum is Kagura - the bad boy villain who lusts over Mikono and Zessica - the scantily dressed confident girl who lusts over Amata. These main characters came off as largely one-dimensional. While they do receive character development, it was often too late in the series to really appreciate them. Kagura's sudden change of character near the end is frankly just sloppy writing. Their one-dimensional personalities became repetitive quickly. Character writing was undoubtedly not a strong point of Aquarion Evol. However, the side characters certainly were pretty entertaining even if they were one-dimensional. There is Andy W. Hole who is completely obsessed with holes, Mix who is obsessed with neatness, the loli president Crea who amuse with weird puns, the immortal Fudou who speaks in riddles, and many more. Their character interactions are usually amusing to watch even if the main characters comes off as annoying and boring. Each episode often starts with light-hearted character interactions, and usually ends with the mech Aquarion in action against an opponent mech. The CG in these fights is really obvious and differs in style from the beautifully rendered artwork, but it doesn't really take away any entertainment value. Combat flows fluidly and is entertaining in general since each fight seem to end really differently. Sometimes, it's just not enough to destroy an opponent with a punch. Aquarion EVOL will punch with such profound disregard to physics that will make other mecha series tame in comparison. Still, the problem with Aquarion EVOL is each episode becomes formulaic. The series is what I'd call mindlessly entertaining, but it really could've had more depth if it spend more time developing the villains and developing the world instead of spending time on flat characters and formulaic mech fights. Other than that, the presentation value is really high and I was pleasantly surprised. AKINO returns to this sequel with catchy j-pop insert themes and OP/ED credits. The soundtrack is varied with grand orchestra pieces, solo piano or violin pieces, as well as light-hearted or solemn moody pieces. Character models are pleasing to look at and remains in quality even if zoomed out. And of course, the gorgeous landscapes and space artwork whether it was day or night made lasting and unforgettable impressions. Words can't really describe the beauty I've seen, but I highly recommend it if anyone enjoys what the anime medium could offer in looks. Ultimately, Aquarion EVOL was an enjoyable series full of heart and ridiculous combat, albeit often ending up as melodramatic and exaggerated. The artwork and sound are gorgeous and catchy, but the story and characters came off as wasted potential. For someone looking for a serious and well-thought plot with realistic characters, this is definitely not the series for you. But if you are simply looking for some fun, Aquarion EVOL is definitely an entertaining series.