ラストエグザイル / Last Exile

I was hugely impressed by Last Exile. What a shame I dismissed it after only two episodes originally. It was an excellent piece of writing, and while I wouldn’t put it in my top 10 list, it certainly comes close. It looked amazing, was flawlessly acted – especially the great decision to make adorable little Arvis quiet, polite and nervous instead of the usual voiciferous kid – and admirably ambitious. The plot was of the epic variety, albeit a little haphazard, with a typically ambiguous and rather rushed ending. It also had a slightly absurd premise (Exile unlocked seems to really have no use for the evil Guild) and some underdeveloped characters, but oh…the world in which it’s set! And the characters! The characters we get to know so well!

The story follows Klaus and Ravey, two childhood friends who pilot a vanship – a small two-person flying machine, wonderfully designed by series creators Gonzo to look like 1930s cars. They run errands, mostly delivering messages to huge airborne warships engaged in battle with people from above the sky. Two worlds are in conflict, one frozen over while the other lacks drinkable water, and relations have more or less collapsed.

When these two find little Arvis, a small child on the run, and promise to protect her, they are drawn into a plot that will determine the future of both worlds, and soon find out Arvis is the living key to a mysterious ship called the Exile.

What was special about the narrative was the interplay between the important characters – although beautiful art didn’t hurt. The subtle relationships and histories of some of the characters, even ones who weren’t especially likeable, really made it a joy to watch. Shame that many of the interesting supporting roles were overlooked and things like the relative powers of different ships seemed to change on every writer’s whim.

Overall, though, an excellent and moving series.

(originally written 14.1.05)