Last Exile Volume 7

With the first six volumes of Last Exile having secured its place on that select list of my favourite series, the only question remaining was whether it could pull off a conclusion consistent with the high standard set by earlier episodes. The answer is that it doesn’t quite make the grade, although, to be fair, it does come awfully close.

Picking up, as always, where the last volume left off, the final instalment begins with Claus, Dio and Alvis escaping from Delphine’s clutches, whilst the combined Disith and Anatoray fleet begins its attack on the Guild in earnest. Unfortunately, standing between the fleet and Delphine’s flagship is nothing less than Exile itself, and severe losses are soon incurred at the hands of its superior defences. The only hope of gaining control of Exile lies with Claus and Alvis, and to that end, every effort is made to get them back to the battlefield in time to turn the tide of conflict.

From epic battles to closing scenes with all the cast members, Last Exile #7 sets itself quite a lot to get through, and it’s perhaps not surprising that the result is a little inconsistent. Action-wise, there is nothing to complain about- be it the sight of Exile’s defences ripping through a portion of the fleet to a handful of vanships launching a daring attack on a Guild warship, it’s all as breathtaking and visually impressive as we’ve come to expect from the series. Unfortunately, other areas do not fare quite so well.

Over the course of the series, Last Exile has introduced and developed an interesting range of characters, and those looking forward to seeing them for one last time may find themselves a little disappointed. Although each of the remaining cast members is given some kind of closure over the course of this volume, a number of them only make the briefest of appearances, and the lack of many of the personalities that have been built up so well over the course of the series is keenly felt.

That being said, even these last few episodes manage to provide more than a few memorable scenes that match the tone of previous volumes. The sight of Claus and Alvis searching for food in the wreckage of Claus’ old house in Norkia, or that of Dio racing Claus and Lavie through the currents of the Grand Stream, make for touching and well executed moments, all animated with the series’ trademark attention to detail.

Without giving away any of the specifics, the final episode seems worthy of special mention, since it provokes something of a mixed reaction. From an analytical point of view, the ending comes off as a bit lacking- relying on plot points that the viewer is simply expected to accept without explanation, and failing to capitalise on some interesting elements that warranted further exploration. Even so, when actually watching this episode, it is near impossible not to simply forget these objections and instead become immersed in what is nothing less than a visual and even emotional tour de force.

In Summary

It was always going to be hard for Last Exile to come up with an endgame that matched the standard of preceding volumes, and unfortunately, this instalment just doesn’t quite make the grade. Action, animation and music are all as spot on as ever, but both characterisation and storyline come off as a little lacking in comparison to the rest of the series. Nonetheless, taken as a whole, Last Exile remains a truly excellent series that is surely one of Gonzo’s best efforts to date.