Almost two hundred years after the Earth was nearly destroyed, humanity works hard to protect the solar system from the next wave that’s due to arrive.
What They Say:
A green universe filled with gas. This is the universe that I know. But I long to see the color of the universe as it appeared to the people of the past when they had gazed upon it. -Shima Katas. In 2167, the Earth was catastrophically damaged by a nearby supernova that had exploded. The explosion sent an electromagnetic wave of radiation that swept over the Earth. Now 186 year later, another more destructive wave, known as “The Second Wave”, is on its way to Earth
15 year-old computer genius Shima Katase has been dreaming of going up into space longer than she can remember. So when given the chance to enter space piloting school she jumps at the chance. However, piloting is a lot more complicated than programming a computer. But what if she were to combine the two Genius or troublemaker, Shima is certainly going to be making a name for herself among the faculty as the Second Wave approaches
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Stellvia’s a two-cour 2003 TV series that takes the kids in space to save the Earth storyline to the small screen and it’s one that left me pretty leery about it when I first read about it. A lot of that was due to the series director being Tatsuo Sato, who I found to be very uneven with his work in Nadesico. Unlike Nadesico though, he’s also responsible for the script in addition to being the director for Stellvia so that can change things completely.
The premise for the show is actually a rather interesting one. Taking place in 2356, we’re introduced to the latest “class” of students that are heading for the Stellvia, a massive space station/training facility of sorts. For nearly two hundred years, the people of Earth have been working towards a single goal of ensuring that they’re not wiped out from existence. Back then, a sun nearly twenty light years away went supernova and the waves emitted from it caused unprecedented damage to Earth when it hit. The second wave is now closing in and they’ve spent all this time coming up with ways to defend against it, never mind simply rebuilding the world in general.
From the launch point in South America, we’re introduced to the lead character named Shima Katase. She’s a serious and ambitious young woman who wants to do her part and is eager to head up to the Stellvia so that she can study and learn and apply that knowledge to protecting friends and family. Though as we’re introduced to her family, particularly her mother, you almost wonder why. The entire launch and arrival sequence is very well done, to the point where it makes you wish it was just that easy to get up into orbit now and to see the stars. While it’s not given a huge amount of awe and inspiration, the characters we do see take in the view of their world and the green nature of local space due to the original wave with just the right amount of awe and respect. There’s an element of appreciation and longing mixed in with what Sato’s trying to get across here and I think he managed it rather well without getting too sappy about it.
Shima, who made a friend and roommate in fellow classmate Arisa during the trip up, starts off her new life on board the Stellvia. Their early days are spent getting acclimated to the place, finding out their proficiencies and taking their first actual trips into space in the small maneuverable crafts named Bianca’s. This is the big job that everyone really wants to get since the ships will be among the front lines of the defense against the wave. The plan of creating energy barriers is a solid one but the smaller ships are needed to help reinforce it along the way. For Shima, the Bianca is proving to be her most difficult part since she can’t control the thing at all. In fact, she goes so far in the opposite direction that when it kicks in she tries to reprogram the entire thing so she can manage it, which ends up disabling the remote control by the teacher and causing all sorts of problems.
What Stellvia ends up feeling like is something very similar to parts of Battle Athletes. The students are all competing in general, though not as blatantly as that show, but there’s a sense of moving forward and struggling together and in competition with each other that’s very prevalent here. Shima has part of the old Akari role but she brings a bit more to it here by being not quite as dense but just a bit socially awkward. There’s a budding romance between her and one of the other students, Kouta, that’s cute to watch, especially when they all study together. These sessions work out well for helping to flesh out the why of the world and the workings of the barrier they’re all working towards. There’s something about this show that makes it feel like it’s moving very smoothly and it’s just the right amount of engaging without throwing everything at you at once or with a heavy hand. The pacing is just right in getting you familiar with everything. But even with that, in these first four episodes, there isn’t what you can call a really big hook moment but rather just a series of events that will either capture you or not.
In Summary:
Stellvia has a really interesting feel to it and has it set at that stage where humanity is for the most part working together towards a common goal and everyone is involved in some form or another. The series has a nice epic plot to it that’s at the same time focused down on the characters just right. The cast is very likeable, the science fiction is mostly well done and other than the usual idea of a number of teenagers being very key to saving the Earth from the incoming wave it’s a very engaging piece of work. Add in a good smooth transfer and some of the better looking CG combination I’ve seen in a show and this one looks like it could be really solid as it goes along.
