Intangible Marriage Of Styles
It’s interesting looking at Netflix in this time and day and realising just how many different type of T.V/Films they have an offer that surprisingly can be 90% of the time be really good. The one kind of downside to the content that they don’t offer a lot more often though which they should really do is Japanese Anime. I mean don’t get me wrong, there are Anime shows on Netflix that people do watch. My point is that there should be more Anime on Netflix that have been an instant hit such as ‘Attack on Titan’ or perhaps any film that Studio Ghibli have done. In the case of Knight’s of Sidonia, although it’s nice to see that Netflix have their own first original anime series that at an instance already has all 12 episodes of Season 1 ready for viewing pleasure, when it comes down to the content (story, animation), it isn’t the most consistent and can take some getting used when you first watch it. Netflix does also offer both subbed and dubbed versions of this Manga adaptation (please note that this review will be based on the English language Dub).
The story of ‘Knights Of Sidonia’ is set in the distant future, humanity has been all but wiped out by a terrifying species which are referred to as Gauna. Mankind has fled into space, living on floating colony ships. One such colony is ‘Sidonia’, which has developed it’s own human culture closely based on that of Japan where human cloning, asexual reproduction, human engineering such as human photosynthesis is commonplace. Sidonia is also where the threat of a Gauna attack is constantly observed and it’s populace trained to fly huge mecha (giant robots) into battle. The story follows young pilot Nagate Tanikaze (voiced by Jonny Yong Bosch) who is raised beneath Sidonia by his grandfather and is mysteriously fated to defend Sidonia from the Gauna threat.
First and foremost, it must be said that Knight of Sidonia’s most important quality is it’s visual style which is certainly a hit or a miss to the generic audience. For me when I was watching the series, the opening episodes of viewing the C.G animation that Polygon Pictures (a compnay responsible for the C.G in Ghost in The Shell 2: Innocence) created is certainly hard to take in at first. I think the reasoning behind this is simply because there really isn’t any Anime from my knowledge at least that does the entire episodes and series all in C.G (Computer Generated). To be honest with everyone viewing the posters for this on Netflix, I genuinely thought that this would be completely drawn animation, but obviously I was wrong. For me as well, when it does come to animation, I preferably go towards the drawn side than the C.G typically because that’s where all the hard-work and effort is put into rather than C.G where it’s just a simple case of going on a computer and simply adding a certain computer-generating thing you want. That being said, as I watched more and more of ‘Knights Of Sidonia’, I did evidently get used to it’s art form and appreciated it for what it is, which is being different from all the other anime’s that are out there today. Another plus with the C.G is the attention to detail is goes into when the story cuts towards the combat of the Gauna and the mecha’s, the colours and combat is certainly a joy to watch at times.
The Gauna are shown to be a fearsome enemy, capable of taking on human qualities giving them a creepy edge. Epic combat scenes aside, this series also has its fair share of drama and intrigue to keep fans glued. Sidonia is ruled by a mysterious “Immortal Council” pulling the strings from behind the scenes but the reason behind their existence is never fully revealed. They are portrayed as all-powerful and it’s these cloak and dagger style machinations that drive the plot forward and provides the main source of intrigue.
The society of Sidonia itself is as fascinating as its characters. We learn that years of isolation have brought about genetic engineering to ensure its population is maintained. Along with males and females, a third gender has been created which can switch easily between the two, depending on whichever needs a boost. In one scene, this type of character may be construed as male but in the next ,could become a potential love interest. The inhabitants of Sidonia have also taken on plant like qualities – much of their food and energy is derived from photosynthesis. In this way, the central figure of Nagate Tanikaze is more genetically similar to us, and is an outsider. Tanikaze is a likeable, compelling lead – an innocent with a good heart, but not without a mysterious edge. Just who is his mysterious “grandfather”? Could Tanikaze be a true Knight of Sidonia? It seems anything on the floating colony ship is possible even one memorable character that happens to be a bear with a mechanical hand! Other main characters such as Hoshijiro (Alexi Shi) and Izana (Joie Marlowe) are fully developed, but still tend to fall into stereotypes which in the grand scheme of the show, isn’t entirely damaging.
There are drawbacks. Some early episodes rely heavily on flashbacks, and there is the usual unnecessary exposition of heavy dialogue. There is also the odd attempt to generate a cheap emotional reaction by (mild spoiler alert – no character names are revealed) introducing very minor characters then quickly killing them off , a device which quickly wears thin.
Overall, ‘Knights Of Sidonia’ may have nothing new to offer in terms of the mecha/space anime genre and does fall flat on it’s face when it comes to the minor characters and opening episodes, but the pace and the C.G which although can get some used to at the start of the series, later on is something to really admire and appreciate considering that it’s ambitious and it certainly blends with the colourful combat between the mecha’s and the Gauna. If you’re scrolling through Netflix wondering what sought of animation or anime to watch, this is certainly a good recommendation but be warned, the series for me was certainly a mixed package, so who knows whether you will like it right?!
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ – Alex Rabbitte (Published 2nd October 2014)