Well firstly, I'm kind of digging the theme song of this show - it's pure J-pop, but I'm liking it. I might use it as the Exalted Theme song for my game. Mwahahaaha!
On a more serious note - this show is looking kind of odd. I have a mixed feeling about it.
Visually it is hard to fault, Fafner is gorgeous to watch and the mech designs are very cool. Oddly, I still feel that Rah Xephon is visually better and had nicer overall designs. The characters in Fafner just have something about them that makes them look a little generic - add this to the almost shameless copying of other anime that is prevalent through this show (the Alvis control room looks like it is straight out of Neon Genesis Evangelion.)
The other issue I have is the shooting gallery line-up of characters. Within the first few episodes the cast has exploded outwards in a manner that suggests there will be a mortality rate. Why do I say this? Well, RX and NGE both had large casts, but they took their time introducing each character and establishing that character's story.
It took me three episodes to realise that the doctor in Fafner is the mother of one of the other characters and that her assistant was actually her other daughter!
Fafner seems to prefer to identify the characters by giving them each a single obsessive situation. There's the guy who is freaked out by battle, the guy who is not good but supportive of everyone, the girl with a chip on her shoulder... the thing is all these characters are flashed in front of you with their little "foible."
I keep thinking back to Rah Xephon and how a number of main characters were only introduced as almost side roles and just were gradually brought into the story until they had a focus episode.
Of course it is still early days yet, I've only seen four episodes and it might develop more. I have heard that the storyline quickly becomes its own thing and stops referencing previous anime in the genre. The thing that disappoints me is that unlike Samurai 7 or Gankutsuou, this show didn't grab me straight away and say "You want to keep watching me!"
Even Requiem from the Darkness managed to win me over within the first few episodes.
In other news - I have started to make some headway with a personal project. That's all I'm saying at the moment. :)
Love and Huggles
Conan
Currently Reading: Exalted 2e
Currently Playing: Unknown Armies - To Go; Mage: The Awakening - Threshold
Mood: Feeling pretty upbeat.
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