Eureka Seven, on MBS
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In the distant future on another planet, there are waves called "trapar" (transparent light particles). Human settlers on the world use the trapar to surf on the air using ref boards, in a sport called "lifting," and there are also giant mecha called LFOs (light finding operation) which surf on the trapar waves. Anyway, at some point there was a disaster called "The Summer of Love" which would have destroyed the world, if not for the actions of a man named Adrock Thurston, who sacrificed his life.

The story starts some years later, when an LFO called the Nirvash typeZERO crash lands on the house of a 14-year-old lifter named Renton Thurston (son of Adrock) and his grandfather Axel. Its pilot, a girl named Eureka, wants Axel, a mechanic, to fix the Nirvash. This is the start of a great adventure for Renton, who always wanted to get away from his boring town of Bellforest, and pilot an LFO, like his idol, Holland Novak... who now happens to be the leader of a rebel group called the Gekkostate, of which Eureka is a member. Renton joins Gekkostate, and the group travel around on an airship called the Gekko. Oh yeah, and they publish an underground 'zine called ray=out.

Renton has a crush on Eureka (pronounced something like "eh-oo-reh-ka"). But she's rather odd and mysterious, doesn't seem to look at much of anything the same way as others, so it's hard to know what she's thinking. Although she does seem to have a sort of psychic connection with Nirvash. Also, she has sort of adopted a trio of little kids named Maurice, Maeter, and Linck, who like to make lots of trouble for Renton. Other members of Gekkostate include the Gekko's pilot (and Holland's girlfriend), Talho Yuki; Holland's second in command, Hap; LFO pilots Matthieu and Hilda; the Gekko's owner and chief gunner, Ken-Goh; ray=out photojournalist Stoner; Gidget, who handles radar and communications; Moondoggie (who was the newest member of the crew before Renton joined); Mischa, the ship's doctor; and some other people named Gonzy, Jobs, and Woz (I don't know what they do, exactly).

I suppose I should also say that the "Seven" in the show's title refers to a sort of rainbow energy effect called the "Seven Swell," which the Nirvash sometimes produces. And I should say that Renton often doesn't have a very good time, for various reasons. Like his complete awkwardness around Eureka, and her kids always bugging him, and some of the crew frequently hazing him, and it was awhile before he got his own small room (until then he just had a tent in the LFO hangar), and alot of the time Gekkostate will do things for money that aren't entirely honorable. Oh, and I should mention that Renton talks to himself alot, but he's often addressing his older sister Diane, who's been missing for some time.

The Gekkostate occasionally battles the United Federation Force (the miliary force under the command of the Sage Council, i.e., the planet's government), which uses LFOs that are called KLFs. (Don't ask me what that stands for, but LFO and KLF are both named after bands, as alot of names in this show are actually references to real people and stuff.) One of the show's primary military characters is a young lieutenant named Dominic Sorel, who is the assistant to Colonel Dewey Novak. Dewey had been imprisoned prior to the start of the series, blamed for something which would be a bit spoilery, so I won't divulge it. Meanwhile, Dominic is now an advisor to a UF Force captain named Jurgens, on a ship called the Izumo. Dominic is also in charge of taking care of a rather crazy girl named Anemone, who pilots the Nirvash typetheEND. She seems to be in some way connected to Eureka, and of course they both pilot Nirvash type LFOs. Also, Dominic loves Anemone, but at this point she doesn't seem particularly interested in him. She's mainly just loyal to Dewey.

Eventually Eureka gets hurt, and Renton is upset, and Holland blames him and treats him worse than ever, and Renton finally fully realizes that when they battle the enemy, people die, which he can't stand to think about, and everything just sucks for him, so he runs away from the Gekko, wanting no more part of any of it. Anyway, he has alot of growing up to do (but then again, so does Holland). After awhile, Renton is taken in by a couple of freelance LFO pilots, Charles Beams and his wife Ray. They treat him well and Renton is very happy there. But of course he misses Eureka (who meanwhile, back on the Gekko is recovering and beginning to realize she has feelings for Renton). In addition to wanting to see Eureka again, Renton eventually learns that Ray and Charles are working with the military, and they're going to attack the Gekko, so Renton leaves, to warn his former comrades. This happens I guess at the end of season 2, so in season 3, they're all back together on the Gekko, and Renton and Eureka become sort of a couple, I guess. I find it interesting to note that prior to this, at the end of each episode we'd hear Renton say "to be continued," and after he and Eureka are together, we'll hear them both say it from then on. Usually.

Well, plenty of other stuff happens from here on out. There are alot of mysteries to be revealed over the course of the series. We'll eventually learn the truth about the shared history of various characters, and the true nature of Eureka and Anemone, and of the entire world, as well as whatever happened to Adrock and Diane Thurston. We'll also meet more characters such as a Vodarek priest called Master Norb, who has an interesting past of his own, involving a girl named Sakuya, who is similar to Eureka. Well, the Vodarek are a religious order, introduced earlier in the series, when we met a woman named Tiptory, which will become rather important to the story. Another character we eventually meet is a scientist named Greg Egan, who's usually just called "Dr. Bear." Um... it's hard really to say much of anything more without spoiling the whole series. But it's important to note that at some point, Dewey was released from prison and more or less took over the military. And he had a plan that involved... lots of things I don't want to spoil. I suppose he thought it all for the best, but it was pretty bad, and immense in scope, and could mean the end of the world, despite the fact that he seemed to be trying to save the world. Aside from the regular military, he had the help of a group of children called the Ageha Squad, who he had rescued from a refugee camp and trained specifically for a certain purpose. But eventually Dominic, Jurgens, the crew of the Izumo, and in the end even Anemone, would turn against Dewey, and help the Gekkostate try to foil his plan.

Well, I feel like there's lots more I should say, but... dammit, it's all too spoilery. Anyway, it's a pretty cool series, better in the latter half than the beginning, I think. Though someday I might like to rewatch the whole thing, knowing how it turns out, and I might even end up with a deeper appreciation for the early part, since I won't have to deal with the frustration of not knowing what the heck's going on. Back then... I suppose I thought the coolest thing about the show was sky-surfing mecha, but... as bizarre as the actual story turns out to be, the show really is much more than that.

There are also some films and a sequel series I haven't seen, and I have no idea if or when I will.