Last Exile Volume 2

There’s not much out there like Last Exile. Almost everything about this show- from the carefully modelled character designs to the innovative, lush setting- is original and interesting. No series since Vision of Escaflowne has put this much planning and detail into its fantastical universe, leaving me in awe of the epic country-spanning journey unfolding before my eyes.

The story so far

The first volume left us on a painful cliff-hanger; Claus, Lavie and Alvis were being hunted down (for unknown reasons) by a Guild ‘Starfish’ and on the brink of being murdered, only for the mysterious Silvana captain Alex Row to arrive at just the right time to save their lives.

The first episode on this second volume throws us straight back into same critical situation, but it quickly becomes apparent that the brooding Alex wasn’t there by mere co-incidence; he had turned up to collect his promised cargo- helpless little Alvis! Stunned into silence as Alex and his Silvana crew carry the unconscious little girl on-board their airship, Claus quickly comes to his senses and bravely decides to track down the Silvana and make sure Alvis is okay – Lavie, being her usual outspoken and reluctant self, is initially against this daring plan but quickly builds up her courage once she realizes Claus won’t change his mind.

Powered by a “pure’ fuel siphoned from the downed Guild Starfish, it doesn’t take long for Claus and Lavie (in their super-fast vanship) to track down the infamous airship Silvana. True to form, the viscous Silvana doesn’t exactly welcome guests and our protagonists are promptly greeted with a hail of shell and cannon fire. Never one to back down, Claus proves his talent as a vanship pilot and impressively evades everything the Silvana fires his way and eventually crash lands on the ship’s lower deck.

Taking time to find their bearings, Claus and Lavie slink their way through the lower sections of the Silvana but are unfortunately discovered by a group of rough-neck mechanics. Ignoring Claus’ pleas and explanations, these rowdy men start using him as a punching bag and are stopped only when Tatiana Wisla, a fellow vanship pilot and obviously a stern superior officer, comes across them.

Told to make their way to the Silvana bridge and to speak with the Captain (Alex Row), Claus is now struggling to stay conscious having taken several nasty punches to the face. Dragged through the ship by Lavie, Claus eventually meets Alex and as their eyes meet and short words are exchanged, it becomes obvious there is more to their relationship than the previous chance meeting suggested.

Content Review

It has become apparent to me only when trying to describe this volume how densely packed with story much of Last Exile is. My above summary only covers the first episode on this volume and yet I can usually fit an entire DVD review into the same amount of words. Last Exile is just that kind of show, the story moves so fast and yet every minute of every episode appears to be intricately calculated right down to the last engine vibration. Don’t confuse densely packed with convoluted or confusing though; so far, I’m yet to feel frustrated or left behind by Last Exile, on the contrary, it’s a very easy anime to follow.

The strong characterisation is helpful in these regards. From the moody, cool look of Alex Rowe to Lavie’s firebrand personality, you won’t be forgetting these characters easily.
Where the previous volume of Last Exile spent more time introducing us to this strange world and its fascinating, if old fashioned morality and technologies, these four episodes seem to be more focused on character relationships. We learn a lot more about how Lavie feels about Claus (and how he is seemingly oblivious to it all). Also, we are introduced to the wide range of wild personalities that inhabit the Silvana; Sophia is a particularly interesting person, an apparently kind, intelligent young woman who has garnered a special respect from the estranged Alex Row. Alex himself is a typically cool anti-hero who speaks with actions rather than words. I’m itching to learn about his past and especially how he came to know Claus.
We also meet Dio, a rather strange young man from the Guild who takes a morbid interest in Claus. His personality is very strange, almost fragile but also un-nerving. He is someone who you can imagine harbours a great deal of pent up rage.

All this talking about characters, but several episodes on this volume are also devoted to a number of extended, jaw dropping airship battles. Specifically, the Guild “airships’ attack the Silvana in their dozens and then the Silvana settles a petty squabble between stuck-up aristocrats in an explosive, satisfying fashion.
If the character drama wasn’t so interesting to me, these scenes would be an undoubted highlight of the volume. They are quite simply outstanding and a real credit to the animation of studio Gonzo.

In reference to the stuck up aristocracy that influences much of the story in Last Exile, the final episode on this volume is a real treat. There is nothing like seeing someone get what they deserve and to my great pleasure, the Silvana hands down some real punishment to an ignorant battleship Captain who is rather outspoken with his views on social class.

In Summary

So far, Last Exile hasn’t established any plotlines beyond the mystery surrounding Alvis, but that’s quite irrelevant. A show this structured, this aesthetically pleasing doesn’t need to resort to formulaic story hooks and twists. Suffice to say, I’m already sucked into the epic world of Last Exile and absorbed in the various character relationships that are slowly moving to the forefront of the show.

There is so much to say about this series, but I’ll appease your tired eyes and just confirm what you should already know- Last Exile #2 proves this show is fantastic.