Customer Reviews

Fafner - Human Force (Vol. 3)

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4 star:		(1)
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OK people, what is Fafner?

Before I get into the story, I will try to answer a hypothetical question first: Who should not and who should watch Fafner.
To begin with, if you are a die-hard fan of Evangelion or Gundam etc. than most probably you will not want to watch this one because it has some similarities with the previous mention animes indeed; and you most probably will `blow away' a great anime like this. On the other hand, people who would like to watch a very good anime, with strong storyline, twists, romance, lots of action and of course Mechas (belongs to the so called sci-fi category) than you should watch this one.

Let us proceed to the storyline:
It starts with the life of people, teenagers going to school, adults to work etc. by introducing the viewer to their everyday life. The place where the story starts is called Tatsumiya Island. To make the long story short, aliens attack earth and obviously the Island gets under attack, devastating their lives and throwing the teenagers into battle; basically, because they are the ones who are able to fly the Mechas. Additionally, power games will start to evolve, exhausting battles all over the globe will occur, between sort of government and military parties etc. and all the teenagers are caught in the middle of all this. As the series proceed, many questions will be raised (which will be answered - directly or indirectly - in the end of the series), the bounds between the main protagonists will become stronger (and of course romance), the viewer will witness all the emotional rollercoaster that these youngsters will go through and some of them will even die.
This sums up the story. I could get into more details and tell you what will go on in every episode but I refrained myself from doing this because I believe that if someone decides to watch the series than I would give away the entire suspense and twists of it.

Overall critique about the series:
If you are into Mechas for a while, then most probably you have watched Mecha series and are familiar with the common pattern that this kind of animes are following: teenagers are the ones who can fly the Mechas, alien invasion, battles, romance, power games etc (as for the good guy vs. bad guy, in the Mecha series this usually presents a grey zone). Therefore, why should someone watch Fafner? If you are not into animes for a long time, should you watch Fafner?
The answer would be yes. First of all, because of its animation, which is very good. Second, because of its storyline, which although is based on the common pattern that is been explained above, yet, it manages to bring forth new ideas, a solid and strong storyline, many twists and mainly till the final episodes you will not be able to foresee its final conclusion. Even if you are a die-hard fan of Evangelion, RahXephon etc. this one is definitely worth a watch from you. As for the action, the series are packed with it. Third, because of its dub; in other words, if you belong to the category of people that instead of Japanese would prefer the English dub, it is very good done and professional orchestrated. Thumbs up!
Apart from it, if you buy the box set or the complete collection, then the box is exactly the one you see in the picture, which is very strong, like a shelf and doesn't brake easily. As for extras, the usual stuff like previews of other animes, not credit opening/ending and so forth.

To the most obvious question: Buying it or not? To be honest, if you can afford the money than I will definitely recommend these series to you, if, you can not afford the money than try to rent it and watch it.
To conclude these series are highly recommended!

I hope that I could help you...

The children of Tatsumiya Island have looked to Miss Yukie Kariya as a figure of authority and respect. A teacher in civilian life and a hard-nosed officer in Alivis, Kariya is a stickler for protocol and loyal to the cause at hand. However there might be two sides to the venerable sensei, A botched investigation of a second island fortress attached to the Arcadian Project reveals Kariya's personal fascination with the secrets buried deep within, an interest potentially spawned by loyalties beyond the borders of Tatsumiya. When her actions place the rest of her landing party in danger, Commander Makabe is forced to consider the possibility that there is a spy hidden in his closest ranks. And worse still, there might be more lurking out of sight in the gardens of this island paradise.

Meanwhile, the cost of war has begun to take its toll upon the battle-weary warriors protecting the island. Recent battles with the Festum claim another Fafner as well as the mind of its fragile human pilot. Faced with growing uncertainty about the mission at hand, Kazuki turns to his friend Soshi for guidance, only to discover that Soshi is far more concerned with the loss of Fafner units than the children piloting them. The rift between the two grows greater still as tensions conjure an uncomfortable memory regarding Kazuki and Soshi's childhood. Feeling lost for the first time since assuming control of Fafner, Kazuki wanders the island in solitude. He finds brief respite in the company of fellow classmate Maya Tomi, who like him, struggles with the loss of valued friends and the threat of constant danger. Despite her support, Kazuki's restlessness continues to fester. He looks to the ocean and sky, desiring to see the truth that has been concealed from him his entire life. In his moment of deepest desperation, the shadowy figure of Yukie Kariya emerges before Kazuki with a daring proposition that could change his life forever.
Volume 3 completes the investigation of the `Second Alivis', which began in Volume 2 and reveals the existence of a complex conspiracy hidden from the eyes of those in command. It also reveals for the first time scenes of the outside world, and Kazuki's ultimate decision regarding Kariya's proposal will undoubtedly shed light on some of the current mysteries plaguing our young hero, and the series' viewers. There is still much left to be explained, and with the series reaching its halfway point, the plot is certainly building momentum.

But even with this shift, the overall pacing of Fafner might not be tailored for everyone's tastes. The story does move sluggishly at times, and the frequent introduction of new faces to the cast can be a bit confusing, especially given that is can be unclear who will be important to the overall plot. However, that being said, fans of anime that harbor healthy doses of conspiracy and mystery on par with The X-Files will continue to find something to pique their interest here. The battles continue to be exciting and the animation fluid. The various weapon systems deployed with each Fafner are also quite interesting, as new weapons seem to make appearances with each successive battle. There is more raw emotion now among the characters. With friendships fading and, in some cases, dying outright, the character dynamics are becoming more charged and individual motivations are coming to light. For some, piloting Fafner is clearly about more than simply defending the island's secrets. These conflicts between pilots, as well as the deepening rift between Soshi and Kazuki, have the potential to drive the plot forward in a more unconventional manner than what normally might be associated with a mecha anime. That remains to be seen.

Without a doubt, some intriguing surprises await Kazuki, and us, beyond the sheltered beaches of Tatsumiya Island, should he choose to seek them.

I watched the first DVD of Fafner and really liked it. But I was worried that they wouldn't be able to keep it good. So far I've been wrong and this DVD proves it. Not only are more questions answered, but more are also rasied. For those of you who liked the series or where wonderining wether to continue with it. Buy this DVD!! You wont regret it!