Terra e... (Toward the Terra) TV anime Discussion

[vanfanel]

Rather surprised to see no chatter about this. (http://www.terra-e.com/) Looking forward to this one. And the Nobuteru Yuuki character designs are niiiice...

[iserlohn]

I'm looking forward to this. I still have my VHS copy of the movie, and it will be nice to have the story fleshed out more.

[vanfanel]

I saw that movie ages and ages ago, only once, and can't recall a thing about the plot. But I know the manga is well-regarded, and that we don't get enough classic shoujo. So I'm looking forward to revisiting it.

[Mazinkaizer]

I didn't get the chance to watch the original movie yet, but i guess it would be a good chance to do so before watching the new series :)

Here are some info about the show (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=7510)

[roastedpekingduck]

I'm a fan of space operas, and seeing that there will be no more Seikai in the foreseeable future, this looks like the perfect thing to satisfy my hunger for space operas. Looks like Escaflowne noses have made a return by the way.

[Sweeped]

Been reading the recently published manga from Vertical...

Suffice to say, if the makers do this justice (and the Staff is pretty impressive) this will be absolutely fantastic.

[BluWacky]

I saw that movie ages and ages ago, only once, and can't recall a thing about the plot. But I know the manga is well-regarded, and that we don't get enough classic shoujo. So I'm looking forward to revisiting it.

It's actually classic shounen; the original manga ran in Monthly Manga Shounen (which no longer exists).

Doesn't alter the fact it's by an uber-influential shoujo mangaka, though.

[Mitsuki]

Excellent. This looks good. I love sci-fi stuff so I'll definitely check this out. I haven't seen the movie or read the manga but I might try to if this turns out to be good.

[leongsh]

Two episodes of Terra e... have been broadcast so far. It is developing nicely with suitable expansion where necessary in comparison with the movie. My views may be coloured by having recently watched the 1980 movie but the first 2 episodes really has solidified my interest. Hopefully the TV series will not whitewash the subject matters explored in the movie.

[Thanatos]

It is just me, or does the hero look a couple of years older than he did in the movie version? Movie I would have said 12 but now he looks 14 or 15.

[Sweeped]

It is just me, or does the hero look a couple of years older than he did in the movie version? Movie I would have said 12 but now he looks 14 or 15.
Hes supposed to be 14 years old

[vanfanel]

Caught the first ep. Set the VCR for the second...and somehow input the wrong channel. Stupid Japanese TV stations! The numbers on my set don't match up with the numbers in the TV guide magazines. The silver lining to this is that the show I taped by accident was "Major". I liked what I saw of "Terra e", and I want to see more, but today...I set my VCR to snag "Major" again instead. Should I become a SAMA-FUN member?

[leongsh]

The silver lining to this is that the show I taped by accident was "Major". I liked what I saw of "Terra e", and I want to see more, but today...I set my VCR to snag "Major" again instead. Should I become a SAMA-FUN member?
Not necessary but if you're interested, put SAMA-FUN in your sig and I'll post you your membership number. In any case, your thoughts on Major though would be appreciated in this other thread (http://www.animeondvd.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/4038/all/1/).

But back to the topic in question, i.e. Terra e..., it's all good so far and it's one of the few shows that I have committed to follow this season.

[roastedpekingduck]

Terra e is really intriguing thus far. Too bad not many people are watching this. It's shaping up to be a pretty nicely executed space opera

[something]

Episode 1:

- Not really digging the designs, but they aren't "bad" either, so I'll live. It just doesn't click with me... but that didn't stop Escaflowne from being awesome.
- Hmm, Swena is pretty attractive though. Hope she's a recurring character.
- This time I definitely recognized Yukana. The voice she uses her is much closer to CC (the role I came to know her through) than to Rein or RIFFA.
- It's the Mulians! Someone call Ayato!
- So, Jomy meets his telepatic talking squirrel thing, then people tell him he has to die after they try to erase his memories.... happy birthday!
- The designs did grow on my as the ep went on, or at least some of them did. And the Canon ripoff ED amused me.

Not much to say, but a decent first episode and I'll keep an eye out for more.

[roastedpekingduck]

As of episode 08, Terra e is getting better and better, just like many other shows this season. I really like how this series basically has two protagonists and has given each one development. Terra e isn't really original, but it's execution as a soap opera has been quite good so far and in addition to it's scifi elements, it also has good themes about racism and how emotions play into humanity. Strangely, it seems that quite a few shows are targeting the very similar themes this season. The best part of Terra e so far was the music for me. It has one of the best soundtracks in my opinion of the shows this season and has a great epic-sounding feel to it.

[leongsh]

As of episode 08, Terra e is getting better and better, just like many other shows this season. I really like how this series basically has two protagonists and has given each one development.
It is straightforward good storytelling that gives time for each of the 2 protagonists their bit of backstory to understand where they come from. From Episode 8 onwards (and the very recent Episode 9 which was broadcast on Saturday), the two are slowly brought to clash. Episode 9 does have a one-off ending credit sequence ;)

Terra e isn't really original, but it's execution as a soap opera has been quite good so far and in addition to it's scifi elements, it also has good themes about racism and how emotions play into humanity.
I'm curious as to which anime show(s) people are comparing Terra e.. to for them to declare Terra e.. as not being really original. Do take into account that Terra e.. is adapted from the mid-70s manga of the same title and that same manga was adapted into an anime movie in 1980. If there's a charge of not being original to be levied for an anime show, Terra e.. is least likely to be found guilty of it. For being late to be adapted to an anime TV series, yes. For not being original, it's really a weak charge in my books.

Strangely, it seems that quite a few shows are targeting the very similar themes this season. The best part of Terra e so far was the music for me. It has one of the best soundtracks in my opinion of the shows this season and has a great epic-sounding feel to it.
I do concur that the soundtrack suits the show very well. If you think of how a movie soundtrack is like, it comes close with all those string, choral and orchestral pieces.

[roastedpekingduck]

I do know that the show is based off of a 1970s novel. But even then, there were quite a lot of scifi novels about various alien races, aliens with psychic powers and Atlantean references. Terra's execution is smooth enough though that it doesn't come across as being too generic.

[roastedpekingduck]

The ninth episode was powerful stuff. It was the best episode so far in my opinion. The Shiroe arc executed Keith's character development and Shiroe's excellently. The parallel to Peter Pan was really well done as well. Terra e is now as anticipated as Claymore, RxJ, Darker than Black, Seirei no Moribito, and Denno Coil now thanks to this episode. The episode was extremely well written to draw emotion. It was the first episode I teared up on this season, but then again, I did not see Kamina's death in Guren Lagann, as I still haven't started that. Anyhow, Terra e has become a wonderful series. More climaxes like this and the show will become even better.

[leongsh]

The ninth episode was powerful stuff. It was the best episode so far in my opinion. The Shiroe arc executed Keith's character development and Shiroe's excellently. The parallel to Peter Pan was really well done as well. Terra e is now as anticipated as Claymore, RxJ, Darker than Black, Seirei no Moribito, and Denno Coil now thanks to this episode. The episode was extremely well written to draw emotion.
I see this episode more as the awakening of Keith to the environment and gets him to start questioning what is happening with the dawning realisation that all is not what it seems in the station when he becomes aware that people have no recollection of what had happened just yesterday in a wholesale fashion.

Then with the psychic message from Jomy, everyone but him is affected. The rest of the station were forcibly reminded to look into the deep recesses of their mind for remnants of memories of their childhood and they reverted to live in those moments. That drove another nail of doubt. With that, he also surmises that the reason that he is not affected is mainly due to him lacking a childhood. More questions come from him but Mother Eliza is not going to answer them as "she" evades his questions and eventually orders him around to do the deed.

It was the first episode I teared up on this season, but then again, I did not see Kamina's death in Guren Lagann, as I still haven't started that. Anyhow, Terra e has become a wonderful series. More climaxes like this and the show will become even better.
What Terra e.. is doing well is that they are sticking with a masterplan to tell the story and pacing the story accordingly. I wouldn't be surprised if they have mapped out the whole story over the confirmed total of 24 episodes. Based on my knowledge of the 1980 movie, there are going to be a few more flashpoints later. Shiroe's elimination is just the start - brace yourself ;)

[roastedpekingduck]

Starting off, the show hasn't been comedic so far, but the scene with "I want to have Jomy's children" made me giggle. :D

At first, I didn't like the "ship log" format, but now that I think about it, it was actually a pretty good way to bring the viewers up to date with Jomy's growth as a character. This episode was simply wonderful, as Jomy is so much less irritating then he was at the beginning and now makes decisions firmly. A bunch of different things came together in this episode.

On another note, I must commend the character designer for an assortment of great character designs. Even the minor background characters have some pretty nice designs.

[leongsh]

At first, I didn't like the "ship log" format, but now that I think about it, it was actually a pretty good way to bring the viewers up to date with Jomy's growth as a character. This episode was simply wonderful, as Jomy is so much less irritating then he was at the beginning and now makes decisions firmly. A bunch of different things came together in this episode.
Using the ship's log as narrated by Harley helps to bridge the time gap and focus on the core events during the gap relating to the main story.

The fatigue of always running while looking for Terra definitely has taken a toll on the Mu. The opportunity and choice to start afresh at a place where they could call home is a good decision made. The realisation that the Mu are limited in numbers and that they are facing an evolutionary dead end if they do not expand their numbers has hit home. The choice to naturally conceive may seem minor for us who find this concept normal but for people born and raised in a world where it is done via test-tubes and artificial wombs, this is a major change in mindset. The episode ended with new hopes for the Mu.

But then, how long will it last? The next episode preview provides some hints.

[leongsh]

Lazy to retype something different so reposting what I recently posted elsewhere:

With Episode 11, we find the Mu, especially the younger ones, deciding to settle on the planet that Physis has renamed as "Nazca". The older ones, who still remember the harder times, are staying on board the ship, "Shangri-la" while the younger Mu are happy for a place where they can call home and have proceeded to make the abandoned colony base on the planet into home.

For the younger ones, it's a new beginning and to herald it, Katrina gives birth to a baby boy, Tony. While Yui, the father, was waiting anxiously outside during the birth along with Jomy, there's an interesting point that the show made - the pain of childbirth that Katrina goes through is mentally sent out to everyone in the vicinity and felt by them as the Mu are generally psychic. The joy felt with the first natural birth and among the younger Mu is positively felt throughout, even among the older Mu although they are a bit more guarded in showing it.

However, the good times don't last long... as Sam inadvertently (or could it be intentionally without him knowing) warps out close to Sylvester 7 ("Nazca" to the Mu) in a patrol mission with another colleague. While at the controls alone waiting to leave, we see a blank-looking Sam receiving instructions (likely from the master computer).

The patrol ship is then captured and held alongside the "Shangri-la" as the Mu work out how they should be handled when Jomy sees that one of the 2 crew on board is his old friend, Sam. Harley advises caution but Jomy is so happy to see Sam that he goes against the advice...

The rest deserves to be watched instead of being spoiler hidden.

All I can say is very good development - to show the new found joy but also to harken some foreboding.

[roastedpekingduck]

My god...I can't believe I triple clicked while reading your post by accident. :sigh: I really need to get rid of that habit. Anyhow, spoiling myself didn't dampen my excitement about the next episode any bit. It's a shame Terra e is not getting much buzz.

[leongsh]

My god...I can't believe I triple clicked while reading your post by accident. :sigh: I really need to get rid of that habit. Anyhow, spoiling myself didn't dampen my excitement about the next episode any bit. It's a shame Terra e is not getting much buzz.
So, have you watched past the part I hid? There's a bit more there before the episode ends and I'm not going to post anything on it until the next episode comes around next week.

[roastedpekingduck]

What an episode. They managed to fit both the joy of childbirth and the pain of a friend's death into one episode. I don't think that Sam is dead though. Perhaps it's another cloning program? With that said, the conflict between Keith Anyan and Jomy Marquis Shin is going to begin soon and I frankly can't wait.

[leongsh]

It's Episode 11 and not Episode 12. Episode 12 has not been broadcast yet :)

What an episode. They managed to fit both the joy of childbirth and the pain of a friend's death into one episode. I don't think that Sam is dead though. Perhaps it's another cloning program?
I wonder whether it's a flashback to a conversation Keith had with Sam. We'll just have to watch Episode 12 to find out.

With that said, the conflict between Keith Anyan and Jomy Marquis Shin is going to begin soon and I frankly can't wait.
Nor can I. And if it follows the path taken by the movie, brace yourself.

[roastedpekingduck]

One of the things Terra e has been best at so far is simply putting its viewers through a roller coaster of emotions. We start with Yui's death. Then we become dismayed at how Sam has become. Next we see how both Keith and Swena have changed. It's really great how they transition through everything. This episode was another work of great quality. Of course, for my standard "random observation of the post," I definitely heard Raki's voice in the episode. Terra e has nothing to do with Claymore, but I had to pause the moment I heard his voice to get those memories of annoying Raki out of my head. :sd:

[roastedpekingduck]

For those of you waiting to watch this during a license, SPOILERS AHOY!































"Strength is not just power."
I usually hate idealism, but man did Jomy do a good job of convincing me that idealism wasn't bad at all. That line was especially striking, and Jomy's determination to create a future for the Mu was really admirable.

Anyhow, beyond Jomy, episode 14 was excellent in all other aspects as well. Terra e is simply an emotional roller coaster. The episode built to some moments of minor optimism, where it looked like it was perhaps, even faintly possible, that Keith would gain some understanding of the Mu and Jomy perhaps could gain some insight into Keith. The episode proceeded to crush all hopes in brutal fashion. First, I was already surprised when Karina's child attempted to kill Keith. That smartass child sure disguised his intentions quite well. Then the child, to my great surprise got piked by Keith. I was expecting the animal to sacrifice himself or something, but I sure as heck didn't expect that to happen. One thing I really love about Terra e is that it's not painting a one -sided picture about the Mu being repressed and having to find salvation. The Mu themselves are not exactly entirely innocent.

Now, on to episode 15. By the way, the new opening was great, just like the first, in terms of both animation and music. Somehow, the style of rock just fits Terra e really well. The ending really sucks though due to the generic boy band ending.

[roastedpekingduck]

Holy sh!t. :( O.O :grr: :cry: So many emotions in this episode. Poor Karina... :cry:
Episode 15 was one hell of an episode and elevated this series right up with Denno Coil and Darker than Black for me in terms of enjoyment level. Though episode 14 was tense, episode 15 outdid episode 14 in every way. My favorite moment of the episode had to be when Jomy stood up after Karina's death and said that to give the Mu happiness, he would let nothing stop him, but the entire episode was just full of amazing stuff. Keith certainly has been one great villain. I hate his guts, but I've had to admire him for his calculating coldness and his determination to achieve his goals rivals that of Jomy's. Keith also is quite the complex character, especially due to the fact that he wants to annihilate the Mu while keeping shut about Matsuka. It also was amusing watching him beat the shit out of the other Mu people. Episode 16 looks to further escalate the conflict, and I'll be watching it a bit later tonight. By the way, welcome back Soldier Blue! :D

[roastedpekingduck]

"There is no such thing as a life with only good choices."
"It's not your power that makes you special, it's your existence itself."
Gosh, the writers just now how to make striking lines. Even if Terra e might not make it into my list of absolute favorites, it's definitely been a memorable experience and will secure a place in my easily-forgetful mind.

As for the rest of the episode, I'll just post my random observations.

Again, I just can't help but admire the spectacular opening sequence. Watching the children grow into adults was especially cool.

It was good seeing dolts and idiots on both the Mu and human side. As Soldier Blue pointed out, just being Mu doesn't make you any less prone to human nature.

The Megido system fittingly looked like one foreboding cross of death.

Keith still is quite the enigma to me because he belives Mu to be monsters, yet still keeps Matsuka alive.

The children look really cute...though I definitely would not want to babysit a kid like Tony. :sd:

The buildup to Soldier Blue's final sacrifice in the next episode was excellently handled. Soldier Blue...don't die! :cry:

[vanfanel]

Gaah, this show's been keeping me home on Saturday afternoons lately, but I've missed the last couple eps, so I'll have to be careful what I read here for a while. I love that we've got a big story in "Terra e" that actually seems to be going somewhere. It keeps me guessing and emotionally involved, and I'm thrilled to hear that it's been licensed (the main reason I started taping "Major" instead of this is that I figured a space opera had much better odds of being picked up than a multiseason baseball opera). I've seen up to the point where Keith escapes. To say that those two episodes surprised me would be an understatement. Good, good stuff!

[leongsh]

Holy sh!t. :( O.O :grr: :cry: So many emotions in this episode. Poor Karina... :cry:
Episode 15 was one hell of an episode and elevated this series right up with Denno Coil and Darker than Black for me in terms of enjoyment level.
Glad to see that you're enjoying the show. At least, my exhortations to you to continue the show have not been wasted :)

Though episode 14 was tense, episode 15 outdid episode 14 in every way. My favorite moment of the episode had to be when Jomy stood up after Karina's death and said that to give the Mu happiness, he would let nothing stop him, but the entire episode was just full of amazing stuff.
Episode 15 had a great rush of tension and drama as they just ran with it from how it ended in Episode 14.

Keith certainly has been one great villain. I hate his guts, but I've had to admire him for his calculating coldness and his determination to achieve his goals rivals that of Jomy's. Keith also is quite the complex character, especially due to the fact that he wants to annihilate the Mu while keeping shut about Matsuka.
The good thing about this show is that the earlier episodes on Keith did its work in giving him a more human dimension when he could still be rocked by Shiroe's mocking questions to question himself. Once Shiroe was lost, it's the switch that changed Keith and now he's chilling in his cold-blooded ruthlessness. Matsuka is just a disposable tool for Keith. He has gotten external gratitude from Matsuka for not exposing himself and giving him protection by being Keith's personal servant.

Episode 16 looks to further escalate the conflict, and I'll be watching it a bit later tonight. By the way, welcome back Soldier Blue! :D
Episode 16 is only the calm before the storm in Episode 17. "Brace yourself" :D

Episode 18 is this Saturday... Can't wait for it!

[leongsh]

Gaah, this show's been keeping me home on Saturday afternoons lately, but I've missed the last couple eps, so I'll have to be careful what I read here for a while. I love that we've got a big story in "Terra e" that actually seems to be going somewhere. It keeps me guessing and emotionally involved, and I'm thrilled to hear that it's been licensed <snipped>. I've seen up to the point where Keith escapes. To say that those two episodes surprised me would be an understatement. Good, good stuff!
The next 2 episodes go hand-in-hand and I think they, i.e. Episodes 16 and 17, work even better than Episodes 14 and 15 together.


(the main reason I started taping "Major" instead of this is that I figured a space opera had much better odds of being picked up than a multiseason baseball opera)
Did you also pick up the first 2 seasons of Major to watch too? If you're watching Season 3 now as it is being re-broadcast, it's best to watch Season 2 as it sets up the foundation of why Goro is where he is.

[roastedpekingduck]

Speaking of episode 17, looks like I can watch that today as well. Watching Terra e in rapid succession has been a really nice experience.

I still can't get enough of that OP sequence by the way. The music captures the mood of the show and the visuals in the opening perfectly. It's probably my next favorite OP behind Denno Coil's. Now, if only Terra e had a better ED sequence. This new crappy boy band song is even worse than the forgettable graduation song for me.

[roastedpekingduck]

I apologize for using the phrase "holy shit" to describe episode 15. I should have saved it for episode 17. That episode cannot be described using words alone. In fact, I was speechless and just stared blankly at the computer monitor for a couple of minutes after the episode ended. Simply put, the episode was amazing on all levels.

Terra e still isn't my absolute favorite show of the season, but it definitely has cemented itself next to Denno Coil and Darker than Black. What I absolutely adore about those three shows are the fact that the characters drive the plot and the direction the story takes, whereas the opposite holds true for many series. By no means is that an easy task, as the writers first have to flesh out and develop the characters so the audience really understands them, and then have the characters perform actions that are completely consistent with their personality. I can't think of how many series where an important character just does something really spontaneous and not in character, making it apparent that the writers are just trying to force the plot to move on. It's hard to describe, but when a series becomes character-driven for me, I still eagerly anticipate what the characters do next, yet as the events happen, I don't become surprised by anything, the actions made perfect sense in regards to the personalities of the characters that performed those actions. Seeing the ambitions and motives behind every move is a thing of beauty for me. While those three shows are character-driven, that's where the similarity ends. What I love about the shows I'm watching from the Spring/Summer session are that all of them compliment each other, so I get something different from every show. DtB, Denno Coil, and Terra e are no different in that regard. Darker than Black allows me to experience the quieter side of emotions and the brutality on the other side of the coin at the same time. Denno Coil gives me huge smiles during every episode with its humor and sense of fantastic wonder, and also makes me take a step back and think about childhood and the power of technology. Finally, Terra e pulverizes me with raw emotions and always leaves me awe-stricken by the end of every episode due to its epic nature. Adding to that Terra e fulfills the dosage of badassness that I need to watch, something I never thought I would get from Terra e.

Now random comments about episode 17 itself:

The animation for the most part was absolutely fantastic. What animation studio is behind Terra e?

The music was really great at complimenting the show, whether helping generate sadness, badassness, determination, or just a space-operatic epic feel.

Terra e really knows how to kill off Mu. Blue aside, obviously quite a few other Mu lost their lives. The series manages to strike a perfect balance in character deaths though. Enough characters die to give a sense of great loss and the feeling that sacrifices have to be made, few enough deaths occur that one still cares whenever another Mu hits the dust. The scene with Jomy wandering through the wreckage while seeing all the dead Mu was really grim stuff when the viewer perhaps thinks beforehand that perhaps Jomy is going to save them. I do have to wonder why the Mu didn't use their telekinesis to hold up the rocks for a long enough time to escape.

To the end, those Nazca-lovers remained stubborn. Stupid hippies. :(

Keith, exactly as Captain Glaive states, is just a monster. There's not one shred of fear in his body so far. He gets caught up in nasty situations and stares death in the face, but whether through his ingenuity or luck, is able to work things to his advantage and fight another day every time.

Matsuka, why?! GRRRRR. Jomy needs to bitch slap Matsuka.

I thought Captain Glaive was going to be your standard cocky human officer whose jealous of Keith, but I came to respect him once he realized there was no glory to be found in wiping out the Mu. Perhaps he might show up again.

The writers behind Terra e really skillfully develop their characters at just the moment you want them to. Character development simply has had excellent timing. Whenever I thought things like, "GODAMNIT JOMY, DON'T MOAN, STAND UP," "GODAMNIT JOMY, STOP BEING A PACIFIST, BECOME MEANER!," or "Godamnit old Mu, think with a more open mind." the exact would happen the next moment. Kudos to the writers for making Jomy especially such a non-annoying character.

I never expected Terra e to have badass moments, but badassness was present in substantial amounts. Soldier Blue may have been weak, but he sure as hell was determined. The way he hung on until he destroyed the Megidos, even as a bullet was heading towards his forehead was real manly and admirable. He definitely died a hero's death. Jomy was pretty awesome himself. I love how he's been getting more and more resolute every episode, elevating himself more and more from the whiny teenager he once was to the more composer person he is now. It was sheer badassness when Jomy put on Blue's headphones and marched out, announcing that the Mu were going to strike back.

Man did those children grow up quickly. :sd: Again, I think I speak for many when I say that Tony would make a bad kid. Not only is he rebellious and tries to kill people, he just grows up too damn fast. :D

The closing of the episode with the image of neo-Jomy with his headphones from the first opening was quite fitting. Congratulations Jomy on finally getting your funky episodes. Now all the Mu women will want to bear your progeny for sure! :)

[leongsh]

I apologize for using the phrase "holy shit" to describe episode 15. I should have saved it for episode 17. That episode cannot be described using words alone. In fact, I was speechless and just stared blankly at the computer monitor for a couple of minutes after the episode ended. Simply put, the episode was amazing on all levels.
:D Good stuff, huh? I've already indicated to you earlier in a PM that the Episodes 16 and 17 take it up another level. It's best to leave it to people to watch the past 4 episodes (i.e. Episodes 14 to 17) without any spoilers. It's great run of episodes.

The animation for the most part was absolutely fantastic. What animation studio is behind Terra e?
Minamimachi Bugyousho (南町奉行所) (http://www.bugyousyo.com/). You can find it from the Terra e... (http://terra-e.com/) links page (http://terra-e.com/index_link.html).

The music was really great at complimenting the show, whether helping generate sadness, badassness, determination, or just a space-operatic epic feel.
I'm picking up the OST that's coming out on 8 August 2007. The CD page at the website (http://terra-e.com/dvdcd/cd01.html) has links to samples of some of the tunes used.

Can't wait to watch Episode 18 later.

[vanfanel]

To leongsh, I've seen part of the first season of Major, when it was rebroadcast last summer. To tell the truth, I've been doing a lot of taping without watching lately, and was planning to plow through it all sometime when I was in the mood. That said, it's got a loooot of characters and various things going on, so maybe I should rent through it from the start.

To roastedpekingduck, I liked what you said about character-driven stories, and I'll add that the only thing that's even cooler is when the character's behavior surprises you, but makes total sense in retrospect. The first time I saw saw Bebop's ending, it floored me, shocked me...and suddenly made the whole series make sense.

[leongsh]

Episode 18 continues the streak of hard hitting episodes. It's going great guns. Won't comment or post a run through of the whole episode but will just note certain developments.

The most interesting and significant development is that the 2nd generation Mu kids experience accelerated growth and become somewhat like the Members Elite version among the Mu (even wearing red). They have very strong powers and are ruthless in dispatching the SD fleets sent out against the Shangri-la. The first generation Mu are aghast at the no quarter given - the lifeboats from the destroyed Mu warships are not even spared by the 2nd generation Mu kids. While the first generation flinch, Jomy is unmoved and resolute. Jomy is approving of the 2nd generation Mu kids action as necessity but he does make a distinction on the action between combatants and civilians, i.e. combatants are given no quarter while we are shown one instance involving a civilian ship that Tony is commanded to spare the ship by Jomy.

The 2nd generation Mu kids are only loyal to Tony and they would even consider killing Jomy to have them take over control and lead the Mu. Tony will however have none of that. He declares that he is totally dedicated to Jomy (or as he sweetly calls, grandpa :) ). The other kids joke that he has a fixation on Jomy but they in turn declare that they are totally dedicated to Tony.

Enjoying this show a lot. Pity it took a bit of time until it reached the halfway mark to really ramp up the show. That is not to say that the first half was a waste. It was very useful in building up the key characters and setting up the whole story.

[roastedpekingduck]

Terra e, thank you for letting me forget about the pain of my new braces for almost 25 minutes!

Anyhow, the bit right after the opening introducing the once-adorable children was awesome. Watching the this group of ruthless Mu and wipe out the humans for once was really cool. The part where Jomy gives permission for Tony to destroy the escape pods was really satisfying. This new one-two punch of Jomy and Tony is just deliciously badass.

I love how determined Jomy has become. He can now proudly wear the name, Soldier Shin. As Tony said, the look in his eyes just shows power. I couldn't help but think about how much he's grown as the leader of the Mu as the Shangri-La headed towards Artemisia.

I was scared for a second when the Elite Mu started showing desires to take control of the ships by themselves and kill those who stood in their path, but things became less tense as they resumed their annihilation of the human fleets. It was a bit reassuring to hear Tony say his loyalties lied with Soldier Shin, but I still can't help but feel a little nervous because the young Elite Mu are a bit...unstable.

It was eerie to see Seki Rei Shiroe in asshole mode again. Though Keith still maintained his cold, stoic expression, he definitely was disturbed by the revelation. I would be too if I found out I was a clone. :sd:

With the return to Artemisia, there also were quite a few shots of minor characters I never expected to see again, such as Jomy's parents, Seki's parents, and the principal of the school. It was a bit sad to see them age so much when the only thing that's changed about Jomy is his deeper voice. :sd: Grandpa my ass. Jomy still looks like he's barely 20. :D

Soldier Shin continued to show how much he's changed in the ending where he meets Swena. I was surprised at how calm and composed he remained. He only reacted by opening his eyes a little wider after acknowledging Swena. Speaking of development, Swena has undergone quite a bit of change as well. She is a far cry of the shy little girl she once was.

The next episode looks even more promising for sure. I'm certainly extremely interested in seeing both Keith and Jomy confront and separate from their pasts. Whether the two like it or not, they're become mirror images of each other more and more, especially as Jomy has become more brutal. Terra e just passes by so quickly, and this episode was for sure, no exception. After a brief respite, the major aching in my mouth has become quite noticeable again. :sigh:

[roastedpekingduck]

Finally, a more quiet and peaceful episode. I really loved that streak of extremely emotional episodes, but this quieter one was definitely needed.

Though not as emotional as previous episodes, this episode was quiet excellent nonetheless. It was great to watch Jomy and Keith Anyan's duel development. My favorite line from the episode was, "This is where it all began...and this is where it all will end," with the first part said by Jomy and the last by Keith. The twist about Physis was also pretty unexpected. I never thought that she could be a fake Mu. This episode was more peaceful, but Jomy's determination was still apparent nonetheless, with the way he obliterated Terras Number 5.

With episode 20, we should be entering another hard-hitting and emotional streak of episodes that will continue until the end. I can't wait to see what's in store.

[roastedpekingduck]

It is with great sadness that I say that I didn't like episode 20. It wasn't the fact that the show was mostly an exposition episode developing more of Keith. There've been exposition episodes in the past for Terra e, and I've still loved them all the same. The episode just felt a bit weird to me. Events seemed to abruptly jump from one thing to another and there wasn't much transition between any scenes. I did like how the writers tried to flesh out Keith more, but the way they did it was kind of awkward. It seemed like they were trying to make Keith seem both brutal and more sympathetic at the same time. While Keith was always a strange and contradictory character, which was why I enjoyed learning about him because of the enigma he was, his contradictory nature came through awkwardly in the episode. I'm not sure what it was about his lines, but they even seemed a bit out-of-character to me, despite Keith's established confusing nature and mysterious views on things. His lines about having to protect humanity and humanity's submission to the SD system seemed a tad out of place.

The highlight of the episode had to be the parents standing up for Leticia. I've always had a soft spot for watching parents stand up for their kids, and especially since these parents acted a bit more passively for Jomy at the beginning, it was really nice to watch their resolve to not lose another child. Mu or not, they were going to protect their child, something they regretted not doing for Jomy. Watching that last part of the episode did trigger a random thought from me though. If your child was indeed thought to be a monster, would you protect him or her regardless? I give Leticia's parents further praise since they were still completely misinformed by the SD's propoganda about the Mu and believed the Mu to be monsters, yet decided to protect Leticia.

It was a so-so episode, but still a series as great as Terra e can allow for some of these episodes and not be dragged down at all. I wasn't expecting that great streak of amazing episodes to continue without end anyways. Next episode looks to be much better.

[roastedpekingduck]

Holy fuck that was one amazing episode. The writers of Terra e really know how to make your heart explode with passion. Man, just thinking about the episode makes me filled with adrenaline. Terra e is a top 10 show for me for sure right now.

I'm amazed how I was able to scorn and then sympathize with the Mu Elite in just a couple of episodes worth of development. While they physically matured fast, they're mental ages were still quite behind, and it easily showed in this episode when Artella's message on the cup to Tony looked like something a sixth grader would write. Also, I'm guessing that Jomy will be the one who deals with Keith and that poor Tony will get killed. By the way, Jomy was so badass this episode after wiping out the Anti-Mu squad. Only strange thing about the episode was the appearance of SD humor for the glasses girl when SD humor had never shown up yet in Terra e and certainly didn't feel like it belonged.

For the ending, I really hope the Mu do get to Terra, but I doubt that everything will happen as cleanly as just seeing the enemy fleet get wiped out and the Mu happily settle on the planet. The writers are too complex for that.

[roastedpekingduck]

Man, I should save my cuss words when describing Terra e. The only way to describe episode 22 is with a great, big, four-letter F.U.C.K. If episode 23 is even better, I'm going to have to find another word to describe Terra e.

[Sheena]

Yeah pretty intense stuff. I kinda knew something like that would happen for Matsuka. Now it'll be interesting to see how Tony deals with that.

On the other hand, I thought the part about Keith coming back to life because of Matsuka, Sam, etc. was kinda cheesy. But oh well, it wouldn't have done otherwise.

Now next episode should be interesting too. Keith is pretty much out of options. He's only bargaining chip is gone. Even Matsuka's power won't be available to him and he's gone have to deal with the fact that a Mu saved him, twice. On the flip side, the Mu's fleet and Jomy are pretty much free to go to Terra and finish off the human fleet. But of course it won't be as straightforward as this.

[roastedpekingduck]

While I was expecting another roller coaster ride of emotions this time around, this episode was actually less on the passionate side on more on the political side, with both sides attempting to negotiate. With that said, I still liked it, but with only one episode left, I was hoping for one explosion of a conclusion. There were still "Jomy is a badass" moments nonetheless and the his speech and cape-swinging was grand stuff. The first sight of the damaged, desolate earth was also a great scene as the Mu fell into shock. Watching the Megido system almost obliterate the Mu was also quite tense. I did have a few complaints about the episode though. The most major problem for me was that Keith became too sentimental and some of his lines felt a bit uncharacteristic and awkward, even with Keith's substantial development from last episode. His change felt a bit too sudden, though watching Matsuka die must have had a profound effect on him.

Anyhow, still one episode left to see how things go, and with high hopes, I eagerly await the final episode, which will determine if the show makes my top 10 or not, and if it does, to what extent it penetrates my list of favorite shows. The preview looks pretty intense at least.

[roastedpekingduck]

Having just finished Terra e, I feel the slightest bit disappointed. While the conclusion was still pretty nice, was able to tie up all the threads, and did provide a decent amount of emotional impact, it couldn't quite compare with how emotionally hard-hitting episodes 14-22 were. Seeing as how the anime series had wildly diverged from the manga by the middle, I had hoped that a wildly different ending would be the final result, but the ending, while not entirely the same, was quite like the ending of the manga. I just hoped that Terra e would be able to provide a real meaty and satisfying conclusion, something I haven't seen in anime for a long while, and while Terra e will still be in my top 15 for how epically awesome some of its episodes were, I can't quite justify having it in my top 10 due to its conclusion. That sword fight still was quite epic though. Watching the Valkyries and Elite Mu destroy the Megido together was fucking awesome, and seeing Captain Murdock both divert the last Megido blast in a suicidal dive and pick up the chick at the last minute was fucking manly.

With that said, I still can't wait to shell out money for it once it comes out. Hopefully this series will appeal to more casual buyers for Bandai, as like other fine fall 2007 shows, it's received a paucity of buzz amongst anime fans.


Edit: I've changed my mind. After finishing the episode, I began shedding tears for Jomy. Any series that makes me cry needs to be in the top 10, and as idealistic as the episode as, and as much as I disliked how the whole SD system was thrown into the fray, Terra e has definitely secured a spot in my top 10. Jomy was just too awesome. The last few seconds of the episode before the credits I must say sucked a bit though. The ending theme kind of put a damper on things, and Soldier Tony still is incomparable to Soldier Shin and Soldier Blue! :D

[Westlo]

I just watched the first four episodes over the last few days and really enjoyed what I saw. I'm surprised by the lack of discussion on this nearly everywhere. Spring really was an awesome season...

[roastedpekingduck]

You officially win for watching Baccano!, Mononoke, Seirei no Moribito, Denno Coil, and Terra e. It is a magnificent feat few people have accomplished this year.

[Westlo]

I just finished episode 9 and that Keith/Shiroe arc was some real good stuff. I like Keiths character and his VA (Zechs, Mwu, Luck Gandor) is great as well. Episode 9 was clearly the best episode so far, shame Sweena had to leave in 7 or 8 :(

Looking forward to seeing the eventual Keith and Physis meeting seeing how that statue in the Mother Eliza room is her. (or really resembles her)

[pianocello]

Having finished this, I must say that this made me think of a gayer version of Gundam (the whole Char vs Amuro thingy) without the mecha. Still, for a yaoi-flavored anime (most yaoi-flavored anime tends to dwell too much on unnecessary melodramatic angst), this was quite good in terms of character growth and development and in the epic scope of it. The epilogue aside (which was quite nice), I thought the last episode lacked the hard-hitting emotional climax that it deserved though.

Considering that I ignored this show for 2 years for fear of being aggravated by whiny, annoying characters (this show has quite a few of them), it turned out somewhat decent.