Simoun - Vol. 1 - Choir of Pairs

One of the finest animes to come by in recent years, Simoun has more than just a war story, or a yuri theme; the director took great care in crafting a multilevel plot, with a lot of intricacies that come to a surprising conclusion. You might want to see it a couple of times to get the full effect, since some of the details and clues given from the very beginning can be easily missed.I will not go into plot details, because it may spoil your fun, but rest assured, there are no loose ends here, and no weak, hurried wrap-up.And just in case you're wandering, yes, I have seen the whole series already.

Simoun has some of the highest production values you will see outside of an OVA or full length movie. Character animations are smooth and varied; the CG elements are detailed without being obtuse. One of the more interesting elements of this show is the striking, beautiful difference between foreground (characters, ships) and the muted background (scenery). This stylization adds a visual daynamic that is very pleasing to the viewer.Character designs are very clean, sharp, and distinct. There are a couple of examples where characters feel out of place, almost dollish, such as Neviril, but overall they are well implemented. The mechanical designs are equally impressive and do not look out of place when juxtiposed to the hand animated characters. In many ways, the designs and integration of the mechanical and character designs are throwbacks to those of steampunk designs of Last Exile.The first 6 episodes (contained in Vol 1.) is little more than a setup for the entire series. The first minute quit literally sets up the universe: The peaceful theocracy of Simulacrum is attacked by the Shoukoku. During this initial invasion the elite squadron known as Chor Tempest is nearly decimated, but somehow they come out in victory. The rest of the episode, and the following episodes, center around Chor Tempest trying to recoup their loses by training new recruits and returning their venerable, shell shocked squad leader, Neviril, back to flying status.The show shares many thematic elements as Last Exile (what does it mean to be a pilot; who and what are we fighting for; how can I continue flying when I lose my friends?) and is highly recommended for viewers who prefer a real sense of humanity and personal relationships in their military dramas.