Eureka Seven Volume 3

After a rather slow start Eureka Seven is quickly becoming one of my favourite UK DVD releases of the year. The storyline is well and truly in full swing in its third volume so those of us who gave it the chance to prove its worth will not be disappointed by now. At the end of volume 2 we left our hero Renton and the crew of the Gekkostate approaching the mysterious entity known as the ‘Coralian’: nobody seemed to know a great deal about it and as a result Renton, like us, was left pretty much in the dark.

By the end of this instalment there are still numerous questions left unanswered but thanks to the top-notch visuals and excellent characterisation there is ample reason to keep watching to find out more. We finally meet the strange girl by the name of Anemone who, as expected, is a very interesting character indeed. She seems to have an uncanny connection with Eureka and the stand-off between her mecha, The End, and the Nirvash is a highlight of this disc.

It seems that comparisons with other shows are a regular feature with my reviewing of Eureka Seven but I couldn’t help but think of the aerial scenes of Macross Plus when the LFOs of Gekkostate come face-to-face with Anemone and the military (I mean that as a compliment!); it really says a lot when a TV series rivals a classic OAV in terms of visuals and intensity in the action scenes.

Other parts of this volume, such as the following episode that sends poor Renton into a nightmarish dream sequence, are reminiscent of RahXephon and, inevitably, Evangelion: the main character is thrown into a bizarre world of mysterious visions and self-analysis that is very different from the more conventional action-adventure that the show has been so far. Some may think that Eureka Seven is being derivative but quite honestly I don’t care when it’s as much fun to watch as this.

A recap episode is rarely a welcome thing either (especially this early on in the series), but fortunately it was not nearly as tiresome as I expected. It encourages you to think about what is onscreen rather than reaching for the DVD remote to fast-forward to the next episode; the story about how Holland and co. acquired the Gekko for instance is interesting in itself, and shows previous events from new perspectives.

Another aspect of Eureka Seven that I’ve come to really enjoy is the characterisation and these episodes really deliver in that department too. By the end of the disc we have met a fascinating new member of the cast in the form of Dominic, Anemone’s guardian, and see Renton really beginning to grow and mature emotionally, largely brought on by a visit to his uncle’s place that unearths memories of his father. This episode highlights how the series effortlessly shifts from a comedic mood to a much more serious one: like Renton’s experiences of adolescence and adventure, it’s a real rollercoaster ride.

In Summary

With little in the way of filler in comparison with the first two discs, Eureka Seven’s third outing is the most interesting and enjoyable so far. The energetic pace allows room for exhilarating action as well as finding the time to focus on the characters, their feelings and motives. Occasionally it looks and acts like the old favourites of the sci-fi and mecha genres but otherwise Eureka Seven shows every sign of becoming a classic in its own right.