Eureka Seven Volume 5

Eureka Seven reaches something of a turning point at its halfway mark as Renton, shocked at the true nature of Gekkostate’s activities and guilt-ridden over Eureka’s condition, leaves the ship. After some aimless wandering he falls in with a husband-and-wife team of mercenaries, Ray and Charles Beams (Ray…Charles…see what they did there?) while Eureka tries to come to terms with her own feelings for Renton.

While some might jump to conclusions about how the series is ‘going all Evangelion’ on us with Renton’s self-pitying, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him considering how he’s going through quite a lot: the world of E7 looks like a tough place to live in but growing up without much of a family in a war-torn world where freedom comes at a high price must be tougher still. Perhaps this is why Renton feels so at home with Ray and Charles: they befriend him and look after him as if he really is an adopted son, even before they know who his real father was. As a result he genuinely feels a sense of belonging – a sense that makes it all the more painful when he eventually has to decide whether he should stay for good.

In between the continuation of Renton’s emotional journey, life on board the Gekko-go is far from smooth as everyone’s problems continue, although it’s Eureka who suffers most from Renton’s absence. By the end of this volume she too must reach a decision, which will no doubt heavily influence the course of her own life.

Renton’s wanderings take us on another journey around the Eureka Seven world, which introduces us to the likes of a farmer who is taking care of his terminally ill wife, as well as a situation surrounding a Voderac family with a daughter who is also gravely ill. This sort of thing is fascinating in itself but is worked into the bigger picture in such a way that I can hardly accuse it of being filler: the farmer’s philosophy reveals more details about the series’ setting and the scenes featuring the poor Voderac girl highlight Renton’s caring side while comparing it with the feelings and viewpoints of those around him.

Running parallel to Renton’s soul-searching is the continuing succession of problems facing the Gekkostate, who inevitably lose a bit of screen time in his favour. It’s still interesting stuff though with their ongoing feud with the military being complicated by what is obviously a rivalry between Holland and the Beams’. Needless to say, this makes Renton’s life more complicated to great dramatic effect.

In Summary
I’ve reached the halfway point of the series with the continuing feeling that it’s going from strength to strength: fifty episodes now feels all the more appropriate for a show that pays close attention to both the mind of its central character and the richly rendered world in which he lives. The conclusion to the volume also promises some pivotal moments in the next instalment, which I for one cannot wait to experience.