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Written by maehara
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Thursday, 15 May 2008 16:00 |
 Sometime Eureka Seven makes perfect sense, and other times I wonder what's going on - this volume is the latter, as there's a lot that happens here that is clearly important, but no-one takes the time to explain any of it. All stuff and no explanations makes me a grumpy reviewer...
11 - Into the Nature
Eureka's still having problems connecting with the Nirvash - could be a problem with the Nirvash, but more likely it's some sort of psychological problem with Eureka, and even the the usual cheering affect that Renton used to have on her doesn't seem to be working any more. It's getting to the point where even Holland is beginning to worry about her - not that they can do anything about her yet. He's got something else on his mind, too - unusual weather conditions, very high trapar levels... on the ground beneath, that spells serious destruction and reason to evacuate the area, but for the military and Gekkostate, it's something not to be missed. Shame no-one can tell Renton why - but whatever Holland's planning, he needs Eureka in fit state for flying as soon as possible...
12 - Acperience I
Anemone's attack on the Nirvash goes straight to Renton's mind - out of fear, or maybe some sort of control that Anemone's able to exert through her attack, he tries to remove the Nirvash's Compac drive, but Eureka's able to stop him. The attack leaves both him and Eureka in a state of deep sleep - and in Renton's dreams, Anemone is waiting to torment him. Just as well Eureka's also there, waiting to save him. Meanwhile, the military and Gekkostate go head-to-head in battle...
13 - The Beginning
Emerging from The Zone, Renton finds himself back in the Nirvash, with Eureka lying unconscious in her cockpi. The Coralian has disappated. leaving behind it almost total devastation, while nearby lies Type The End, with Anemone unconscious inside. Dominic has come from the military ship to help Anemone, and as both girls regain consciousness it's clear that their encounter with the Coralian has been far from pleasant for both of them. Renton resorts to some trickery to secure Dominic's help in getting back to civilisation to get help for Eureka, and along the way tries to drag as much information out of the Lieutenant as he can about the Coralian - but when they reach the nearest town, the survivors of the "unusual weather" aren't at all pleased to see a military man. Meanwhile, Holland and the Gekko are searching for Eureka and Renton - and Holland wouldn't be at all pleased to learn that Renton's getting help from the military...
14 - Memory Band
Events at the Coralian have left the Gekko damaged and unable to return to high-altitude. It's also earned the ship an even higher place on the most-wanted list. But the spare time offered by slow low-level flight gives Renton and the others a chance to reflect on what at the Corelian. Dominic is also going over events for his report on the incident...
15 - Human Behaviour
Matthieu's been on a health kick since his encounter with the Coralian, and it's spread to the rest of the ship - there's not a piece of junk food left on the Gekko, and now he's on a search for the ultimate health food: a rare type of nut. Hoping to impress, Renton brags that he used to eat them by the handful when he was younger - now it's put-up-or-shut-up time, and he's ended up at his grandfather's home - and he's your typically embarrassing relative. But the lies his grandfather insists on telling his friends soon begin to annoy Renton. His grandfather's also under the mistake impression that Renton's inflitrated Gekkostate to turn the others over - so how will be react when he finds out that Renton's a member..?
A disc of two distinct stories, split up by and episode that feels like a recap, but actually has a lot of very useful background information buried in it. That's like the worst of both worlds, as there's nothing as soul-destroying as recap, but in this case you really have to watch it. The episode in question is #14, and it's done in the form of a military report written by Dominic after his meeting with Renton and Eureka. With Eureka having been with the military back in the days before Holland took her to join Gekkostate, and with her clearly having the same or similar origins to Anemone, Dominic has access to a lot of her history and that's relayed here. Make of it what you will.
Episodes 11-13 cover the Gekko's encounter with the Corelian - whatever that may be. There's clearly something about it of huge value if both the military and Holland are willing to risk lives over it, and theserious affects that even being near it have on Eureka and Anemone also testify that there's something seiously unusual about it. It's more than just a cloud formation, but what? That's where you're left to your own devices - there's no explanation given about what's going on beneath the clouds, what The Zone is, why it affects Eureka and Anemone the way it does... give me a few minutes and I could come up with even more questions. Some of them are even asked in the show - Renton's usual curiosity at work - but he doesn't get the answers either.
End result is that you get a passage of story that is both intriguing and infuriating, and both in large doses. We all know there's something different about Eureka and Anemone, it's about time the show got around to explaining what & why.
The final episode throws a spanner in the works of Eureka's and Renton's relationship, as Renton is forced to fight in the Nirvash - and not only does he have a natural talent that already seems to rival Holland's, he uses Nirvash in a way that Eureka really doesn't like. There's a little bit of coming-of-age in the tale, with Renton worryingly seeming to enjoy killing his opponents, while Eureka's withdrawal from contact with both Renton and Nirvash is just another thing about her that has you wondering "why?" - and that goes largely unexplained.
Overall, I did enjoy this volume, but it's enjoyment that tempered by a growing frustration at the speed the show's main mysteries are being explained at - or not, as the case may be. I suppose you could argue that we're still comparatively early in the series - it is 50 episodes, after all - but that's no excuse. I'm really hoping the next volume starts filling in the blanks...
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