Common Name: Eureka Seven
Alternate Names: Eureka 7
Score: 9/10, 5/5
Length: 50 episodes
Genre: Adventure, Action, Mecha, Drama, Romance, Aliens
Summary: Spend the rest of his days as a mechanic stuck in a garage like his grandfather or follow in his father's footsteps and see the world, Renton Thurston honestly can't bring himself to choose one over the other. So, until his decision is made, he's content to surf across the sky on the phenomenon known as trapar waves, that is until an acquaintance of his father crash lands her mech into his grandfather's garage and is recruited into the mercenary group known as Gekkostate. Now Renton must decide from dozens of different opportunities where he goes from here, as if the original two weren't hard enough.
Review: Eureka Seven, though lengthy, sits in my mind as something important and formative for my development as an anime fan. Perhaps it's because it's another one of those shows that has a lot to offer and executes every part well. Perhaps it's because it was the longest show I watched in full during my early years. Perhaps that's just my impression because looking back on it now elicits a warm, glowing, nostalgic feeling in my mind and chest, and that mainly comes from memories of the show's fantastic cast of characters. They're strong, emotional, and interesting to watch as they juggle their personal problems and lives as well as those of their fellows since there is an understanding that they need to work together to survive. Though the show has a lot of material to pick apart and dissect, enough to warrant the show's length, there are moments however where the show's progression grinds to a halt to engage in some amount of introspection. Being thoughtful isn't a burden for the show, however, but rather a benefit since these moments allow for realization that the characters are growing and changing. It is this sluggishness that ultimately hurts my memory of the the show, bringing it just short of being "masterpiece" material, but it is still well worth the watch and holds up very well today.