Anime: Mujin Wakusei Survive

"Before the beginning of winter"

...

I was ready to give 9 to this anime for the fact that the idea of the survival of a group of children on another planet, potentially very interesting and was realized by the creators more than interesting. And the taken number of episodes was more than justified. Excellent well-developed characters, a well-thought-out World and various realistic details of surviving, up to the construction of a house(although the speed of this construction raises questions) ...But now I am more inclined to give this anime no more than 7. No, by the 22nd episode it is still, great in itself, but I am so disappointed in one single element of this anime that pisses me off so much during those 22 eps: Howard is a hypocritical, egocentric, deceitful, scummy, cowardly, pest who, from episode to episode, or offends someone, or puts the entire group or its members at mortal or traumatic risks, then steals food or incites a confrontation out of jealousy that he is not in the center of everyone's attention. Demands submission and begins to be rude when he does not receive that. A typical school trash-bully who, even in wild survival conditions, continues to be a moral bastard... 22 episodes... And this is only half of what pisses me off. The other half: No one ...never ...does not ...punish him! He is never responsible for all that fierce stupid things that he do. In 90% of cases they are all limited by words like "how could you? You are bad, do not do this again, this is not right" or "let's live together in piece, please", and in 10% of cases(I remember only once, to be honest): For today you will clean all the house by yourself. And that's all.

...

"After the winter"

I would say, that after that episode the plot wildly praise all the canons of the most foolish movie/anime clichés, and dubious aspects of liberalism from the point of view of adequate thinking:I tried to figure out how to describe my indignation without spoilers, but it would be unfounded.

...

Summary: If the first half of the anime with minor exception was magnificent and very-very interesting, then the second half of the anime feels like it swallowed up all possible and impossible clichés and behavior of characters from the most mediocre films, cartoons and TV series. And became in last 10-15 episodes mostly fantastic-action-movie that a story about surviving. It was still... somewhat interesting, but MUCH LESS than it was in the first half of the anime.

This series is a masterly woven drama that spans so many distinct genres that it's hard to succinctly describe. This may be odd to say, but this anime's cover image depicted here doesn't do the series justice. It gives off the feel of a happy-go-lucky camping trip, when it's not that at all. This is a story of hope against all odds and the perseverance to cling to that hope. It's a story where hopes are made, broken, and born again.

Note: I'll be saying "this series" a lot since I don't want to repeat the title or make up an acronym for it. There are going to be a few spoilers here, but they mostly focus on the beginning of the story or are already in the synopsis.

Animation

The first word that comes to mind is "beautiful". The landscapes are gorgeous and completely immerses me into the story. The pristine land and wildlife conveys a subtle sense of nostalgia for the fallen Earth. It stood in blunt contrast to the technological world. Both the space colonies and planet were beautiful in their own way, the former just fantastical in the sci-fi sense, the latter stemming from an intrinsic appreciation of nature.

The animation itself is very good overall. There were some episodes in which the quality of the animation really surprised me, namely some of the sea ones. The art style is apparent in cover image, so I won't elaborate much on it. In comedic moments, you'll sometimes see trademark anime characteristics (e.g. large sweat drops), and Howard, being the goof that he is, often has over-exaggerated expressions.

Sound

I found much of the music very appropriate for the story. The theme song, in particular, radiates a peaceful hopefulness that fit the theme of the series itself. Actually, the theme song had several variations; I recall nostalgic version and a truimphant version. I'm a fan of the violin and viola, so I appreciated Menori's playing as well. That's not to say the music was all good; I didn't like some of the score during action scenes.

I liked all the voice actors, with the exception of Sharla. Her voice seriously annoys me. I will acknowledge that it does make her sound weak as intended, but it also just sounds fake, as if some old crone was trying to emulate a girl's voice. I really appreciated the voice of the protagonist Luna. It matched the spirit and agreeableness of Luna perfectly. Oddly enough, while I hated his guts, I also liked Howard's voice a lot too.

The sound effects are a mixed bag. Some just sounded fake, while others did their job well enough. In comedic moments, like the animation, they used less realistic sounds, which was fine with me.

Story

If you haven't caught on from my review intro, I consider the plot and execution of this series to be absolutely fantastic, bordering brilliance (with a couple exceptions which I'll note later). At its core, the plot is a "Lord of the Flies" gone good scenario, where the characters cultivate friendship and hope instead of savagery and despair. The story can be roughly divided into arcs, each arc having a different secondary genre (the primary one always being drama) - this is why it's hard to describe. It ranges from sci-fi school life to primitive survival to thriller to adventure to exotic sci-fi. Although I consider the ending arc to be somewhat weak, the rest of the arcs more than compensate for it. Unsurprisingly, the majority of episodes is devoted to advancing the plot, with only a couple of "stand-alone" episodes, and even then, those usually substantially advance character development.

One thing this series did really well was introduce many small mysteries that slowly become more and more important. For example, Luna's special abilities are very subtle and mysterious at first, but near the end of the series, they become major plot points. Not only mysteries are persistent, but places are as well. Consider the state of the shuttle they arrive in and you will see that the artists took great care to include all the accumulated damages to it. It keeps all the story arcs connected. The plot really moves. Not only do characters change, but settings change just as much. This isn't anything like those series which have a static "home base" which the characters all return to afterwards.

I enjoyed the first 20 episodes and the 30s episodes the most. I think the adventure and survival aspect is the strongest point (besides drama) of the series, and those episodes capitalize on those aspects. The sense of adventure, the embarking on a voyage full of mysteries and unknown dangers, just appealed to my love for fantasy.

The rest of the episodes had more action. This is not a bad thing per-se; it's just that I think the episodes could have been better executed. For example, there is an episode in which the characters and villains are in a race against time, but they never appear to be hurrying. It left me a sense of frustration ("if only they had ran..."). There was also this ongoing frustration that the kids were too naive for combat, in that even though they were in danger, the thought of killing their enemies never seemsed to cross their minds; there were a couple instances that they had a chance to kill an enemy but they never followed through with it. Nonetheless, I appreciated their tactical skills in evaluating the situation.

The last 10 episodes are the weakest part of the story. The story starts becoming noticeably unrealistic, in that external events are improbably happening one after the others. To elaborate, the story focuses a lot on what happened 500-1000 years ago, where the intervening years were relatively uneventful; then, in the span of a month, several major and likely improbable external events occur one after another. I won't spoil as to what those events are though :) This stood in stark contrast to the rest of the story, in which events or mysteries were slowly unravelled in a sensible matter that convinced you into believing it was realistic. As another reviewer noted, there was also too much foreshadowing in some of the episodes, making them too predictable. I also found the final explanation of Luna's abilities kinda lame; and I felt that her abilities were not utilized to their full potential in some ways. It's not that this arc is particularly bad; it's just that it doesn't compare to the rest of the story. It plot felt rushed towards the end (except the drama moments), and I wish the epilogue would have lasted much longer to tie up all loose ends.

Interleaved through the story are plenty of comedic relief moments. Unlike some other series which try to meld both gravitas and humor, I found the mixture in this series just right. The humor never jumped in at wrong moments and it never interfered with the drama. There is a character I found hilarious in the last arc, but I won't spoil who it is.

From a scientific and engineering standpoint, I was impressed. Not only did they get several scientific principles right, the new technologies introduced did not strike me as unrealistic. Although appearing magical, the way they - or rather usually Shingo and Chako - talk about and incorporate the technology was believable. The new tech wasn't just superflous either - they play important roles in the story.

Aside: The biggest problem scientifically was the biological aspect. Unless our biochemistry and tree of life is something that life naturally converges to, I find it extremely improbable that the alien life was so similar to Earth's. The fact that the terrans/earthlings could even consume food from the planet shows that the biochemistry of life there is practically the same as that on Earth; otherwise, they would have died from poisoning. I would spoil too much if I went on about this, so I'll just leave it at that. Nevertheless, I understand that the story wouldn't have been possible if the biological standpoint was taken or if you consider the unlikeliness of being transported to a planet supporting such life. And for that, I'm glad that they just ignored it. I'm pretty sure most people would be unsympathetic with a planet that supports a totally different biochemistry (no green forests, no cute mammals). I just pretended that it was a pre-civilization Earth.

Character

There's a reason I said that this series is primarily a drama. It has great character development. The characters fight for survival, suffer, and learn from their experiences. At the beginning, they had bad chemistry and were all clueless on how to survive. But unlike "Lord of the Flies", they had strong leaders to overcome their weaknesses and differences. They learn to cooperate and compensate for each other. Their progress is "visible" - very much so.

This series features a diverse set of characters: bright Luna, timid Sharla, stern Menori, cheeky Chako, subservient Bell, selfish Howard, genius Shingo, and independent Kaoru. Each character has his or her own psychological demons that they have to deal with. Luna, the protagonist, often serves an integral role in helping others out of their problems and uniting the group under a banner of companionship, even when she has her own problems to deal with. They are all children, and the fact that they learn to accept each other under such dire situations makes it all the more amazing. It's even more amazing in that this amazingness is believable, which just shows how well this series integrated its drama aspect with the plot.

As I have mentioned before, one of the main themes is hope. The characters find themselves in a desparate situation and they only have their own wits and hope to rely on. And while they are constantly improving their survival skills, their hope is like a flickering candle. Events happen that make them lose hope, until they happen upon a solution. And even then, that solution may fail, dimishing that candle. Until they find another solution...and so forth. This results in an interesting (and immersive) ping-pong match between hope and despair. It made me truly feel for the characters; to me, they were truly alive. (There was one episode where Luna was separated from the group and was suffering, which really made my gut turn.) Their ultimate goal, of course, is to find a way back home, a hope that tossed and turned over and over again throughout the story.

There is hardly any romance in the story, but it's obvious that there are many developing romantic ties that just can't come forth because of the circumstances.

Value and enjoyment

If you can't tell how I feel about this series by now, something is seriously wrong with you. There are several episodes in this series that I would not mind to watch again.

Uninhabited Planet Survive is a very good anime. Yes, there are certainly aspects that drag it down a bit, but there are enough positives that it is overall very much worth watching.

Story
The basic story outline is decent. Virtually all of the story arcs follow the same pattern: the group faces some obstacle, then finds a way to overcome it and grow stronger through the experience. Starting with the simple issue of how to survive in an entirely new environment while balancing everyone's very different personalities, and later on facing much more active antagonists (won't spoil it for you by saying more), with few exceptions they always find a way to overcome. On the one hand this can sometimes seem a bit TOO unrealistic, but on the other hand makes for a satistying experience to watch.

Because of things like that, I'm a little torn when trying to decide exactly how to rate this area. Yes, the story manages to be generally interesting, and there are certainly some creative scenarios thrown in, but I still have a real problem with a couple areas.

First of all, the pacing is a bit too inconsistent. Especially at the beginning, you really have to struggle to get into it. Sure, after a while you get hooked, but it simply takes too long to get to that point.

Secondly, the last ten or so episodes are relatively weak. I won't spoil it for you, but it's simply less compelling than the rest of the storylines. Almost every plot development is foreshadowed heavily before it happens, which kills most of the suspense (the ONLY real thing you wonder about is whether or not Luna survives the last episode, and no I won't tell). Also, the story moves from a strong character-driven drama to a much less creative and interesting sci-fi story up until the end. The last five or so episodes are especially bad in this front.

Still, things are overall interesting, and it definitely passed my "do I still want to keep watching after I'm starting to feel a bit tired" test, so I can't dock it too much. If you like a show that'll keep you hooked (after suffering through the slow beginning) this is for you, but if you worry about a mediocre ending and a drastic change of pace in the last story arc, consider this your warning.

Character
This is by far the best area of the show. There is a large, diverse cast of characters, and the interplay between them always feels genuine. The development of each character really works well, and you can actually see each character starting to change and understand how and why they are doing so (which is an even better approach than the more usual "hey its episode 20, look at me I'm now different" that even some of the better shows occasionally use).

Requiem already gave a character by character listing, so I won't repeat it, but I will say this: Luna really shines throughout the show (OK she gets a bit hokey in the end), and it's obvious that her leadership is a powerful driving force in their community, keeping everyone together and (relatively) happy even in the most challenging situations.

The rest of the cast really works well, especially the spoiled brat Howard, who is there mainly to make sure that every crisis is that much more difficult and occasionally make trouble all by himself. Yes, you will hate him too, but you really have to appreciate how his prescence makes things interesting in a way that wouldn't be possible if everyone got along.

The chemistry between the main cast only deepens further when Adam and Porte join the gang (again, more details would spoil). They fit in naturally to the group, and their actions and stories only serve to make things even more interesting.

Overall, just an absolutely fantastic cast of characters, one of the best that I have seen in any anime. You could well decide to see this show just for the characters and be well rewarded for your time

Animation
OK, this is definitely a weak link. No, it's not awful, but I remember being honestly surprised that it was a 2003 anime; I thought 2000 at the latest when I was watching it. It simply doesn't have the same visual quality of many of its peers, or even its immediate predecesors. Servicable, yes, but nowhere near outstanding by any means.

Sound
Very solid. The OP and ED are both excellent and really add to the experience. The voice acting is similarly a real strength. None of them felt out of place at all, which is exactly what you want to see.

Value
Hmm... Honestly this is just so long, and there are so few singularly outstanding moments, that it's tough to want to plug it back in and watch again. The thrill is in seeing where things are going, not going back and seeing it again.

Enjoyment
It's a very fun show to watch. You can easily get hooked (I certainly was), and while you may at times think it to be a bit too predictable and a bit too light-hearted, the fact remains that it still works very well, and you'll still come back wanting to see more.

Overall, if you want to see an interesting, enjoyable show with outstanding characters, and you don't mind that the ending is a touch weak, and the animation a bit below par, then you'll get a lot out of Uninhabited Planet Survive. Recommended for anyone who has already cleared the "must watch" rack and is looking for more quality shows to invest some time in.

Ever since Kaleido Star have I been so addicted in an anime. This is a truly underrated anime that is at times funny, other times dramatic, and sometimes poignant, but all parts just superb. Japanese kids are really lucky to be getting such quality educational programming, while here in the states we're stuck with a sponge in square underwear. *sigh...so...

Animation: Very very subtle. I really liked the minimalist approach. There wasn't any snazzy effects, no big explosions, and barely any CG. The backgrounds are lush and detailed, considering how many different settings SURVIVE takes place in. The character designs are also very simple, and they are an effective way to convey emotions. Running animation was smooth and people blinked, and the spaceships, habitats, tools, stars, space, just everything was done beautifully. Superb.

Sound: The opening song was nominated in one of those Best Anime Song CDs, and rightfully so. The opening gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside, and the song is perfect for SURVIVE. I was also very surprised at how every scene in the opening was justified in the anime. There was only one opening though, so that was a bit of a letdown in such a long series. The BGMs made up for the lack of a second opening, perfectly fitting in the wide range of emotions presented in SURVIVE. Violin solos, piano chords, and the sound effects of the spaceships, tools, water, etc. were also done superbly.

Story: This is where SURVIVE shines. The story is brilliant, suspenseful, and well-developed. I was awed by all the plot twists, all the sub-characters, and how great the anime twisted and turned to explain everything. SURVIVE begins with a Lord of the Flies type of story, with a bunch of adolescent kids learning about survival. The survival episodes were ingenious. I can list so many examples of how the kids used their knowledge of the future to make the uninhabited planet habitable, but that will just spoil part of the story. The plot takes a dramatic turn halfway through and then the plot plays a lot like Stellvia of the Universe or that book A Wrinkle in Time. It's all just great stuff.

Character: Although a bit cliched, the characters in SURVIVE are well-rounded and fleshed out. By the end of the series, I can feel for all the characters. Being a kids show, there really wasn't a character I hate. The voice actors all play their roles perfectly, with the exception of Sharla. Lordy I can't stand her voice. Whatever. Kaoru is the quiet one, Bell is tough on the outside but weak on the inside, Howard is the rich bastard, Shingo is the genius kid, Menori is the natural leader, Chako is the robotic cat, Sharla is the weak one that turns strong, Adam is the alien, and Luna is the hero of this adventure. Luna's given too much power, but SURVIVE instills a lot of emotional power and drama in these characters, and there were a few parts where I can't help but shed a tear.

Value: Uninhabited Planet SURVIVE is worth your time. This is a very educational show with many deep morals like environmentalism, friendship, trust, and most importantly, the will to live.

Enjoyment: This has become one of my top animes. I really enjoyed every moment of this. No one can really not like this anime unless they are tards who can't even sustain the thought of watching something mundane. Gundam otakus might not like this, but other than those, SURVIVE is a very beautiful ride. Even the title holds special meaning.

A title that should be interesting just by it's sound.

It's intelligent. It's peculiar. It's hella good.

Be fooled by it's charms, because Uninhabited Planet Survive proves to be a simple, childlike series filled with suspense and action to no ends, down to the very last episode.

Lost...on an uninhabited planet?!

In the future, mankind will have spread over space, as technology gradually works its way further into his lifestyle. Of course, for Luna, orphaned as a child, she and her pet robot Chako transfer to a new school with the best of these technologies. There she meets the shy Sharla, the loner Kaoru, the leader Menori, the spoiled brat Howard, the brainiac child Shingo, and the masculine Bell.

It isn't until by chance they all somehow end up on a crash course to an unknown planet, all by themselves! Now grounded in an uninhabited land, far from communication, how will Luna and her friends survive?

A great plot. This should be determined from the name of the anime itself, but it is always great to here how it plays out. The story starts with a two-episode prologue in order to introduce the cast. After some drama and a couple of gravity storms, the cast ends up on a planet without resources. At first it seems dull and childish. Then, to my disbelief, the addiction builds in, probably around episode nine.

Uninhabited Planet Survive has relatively three giant story arcs, but looking at the various adventures and misadventures, there are probably about ten stories. In my opinion the best one is the second arc, when they start to investigate the planet, but the series as a whole keeps the same level of intensity. Thus, it would be pointless to differentiate further.

The characters are simple, but their development is original.

And that is why I am attracted to this series. To understand my interpretation of the characters, the following is a list describing them briefly.

• Luna: The sacrificial lover.
  She always cares for her companions, and would have no second thoughts on sacrifice herself for them. Her only problem is her inability to let her burden on others.
• Kaoru: The loner.
  Kaoru is quiet. Very quiet; because he listens. This makes him a focused, well-poised figure in the series. It also makes him particularly strong and dangerous. However, his attitude forces a line between him and the group, which he also needs in order to survive on the planet.
• Menori: The leader.
  Being one of the type to be a student council president, Menori takes life very seriously, as well as her studies. She does not mind forcing her opinion on others for being irresponsibile, and lacks the charm to convince people to work for her.
• Howard: The spoiled brat.
  From the beginning the most heartless character of them all. It takes time to appreciate him, since while he may be conceited and arrogant, he has a purity and honesty about himself, unlike the rest of them.
• Sharla: The shy, introvert.
  Being the most difficult to diagnose, Sharla is that one character that cannot help but fall in weakness at every disaster. Her fears are in multitudes, but at least she knows what she fears. Sharla also has a lot of charisma, being the most innocent acting of the characters.
• Shingo: The creative, inventive child.
  A scientist from the womb, Shingo is a great benefit to the group with his creativity. Howver, his absent-mindedness takes over when it comes to make his inventions safe and reliable. He also is very immature when it comes to responsibility.
• Bell: The man.
  Bell is a very masculine, male figure in the series. With a large frame and a very gentle, brooding voice, he encompasses and protects the characters with his bruteness. He also works with his hands a lot. His only problem is his inability to communicate his feelings correctly.
• Chako: The helpful sidekick.
  Chako is vital for on too many occasions to make the series progress. Her robotic functions help the cast unravel the many mysteries of the planet, and her assertive attitude make her an interesting addition to the series. Being less than a foot tall is handy as well. :-)

Simply, these characters are easy to put on the platter - it's how they work out in the series that makes this anime so interesting.

There are a couple other characters later on in the series (such as Adam) that add extra color to the series. However, I feel the best parts of the story involve just the main cast.

Great sound. Good animation.

At first I was very picky about the seiyuu. And I should say this now: Give Sharla a chance! At first she will annoy you. Her seiyuu sounds like an old mother, but gradually further into the series her character starts to fall into place.
This is in serious contrast to Luna, Menori, and Howard, whose seiyuu fit perfectly into their characters. Hell, Luna at one point even gave me the chills! The color of the series is very bright, always with 8 - 12 moods going on at the same time. So, Uninhabited Planet Survive needs a diversity of voice talent, and from what I heard, it's there.

Great OP/ED, and BGMs. I have the OST, and the full version of both the opening and conclusion. For example the opening, Bokura no Message (by Kiroro) is up for the Best of Anime Vol. 3. It's a pretty common type of opening song, just that the emotion behind it is more in the twin vocals. There is a lot of warmth in the harmony between Kiroro and the other vocal, which I think wins the song it's taste.

A likeable animation. For an anime of 2004, Uninhabited Planet Survive has a very classic style. The eyes aren't pointlessly huge, the animation doesn't use wild CG or ridiculous body proportions to invoke any sort of weirdness. It's just there, and it's purpose is to create a visual universe for the adventure that takes place.

A spectacular animation with a great conclusion.

The conclusion is somewhat obvious, although it plays out entirely different from what I anticipated. Actually, throughout the entire series, anticipating things was pretty much a futile effort.

I could recommend this to anyone who likes kid's adventures, sci-fi, drama, and a little bit of dumb comedy in their TV shows. Also I would expect people who like to study character to watch this, although they might find it a bit bland if they don't try to connect the story together. I want to see this again, so I would watch it with friends - although that's very unlikely since the length of the series is too much for introducing newbies.

Uninhabited Planet Survive also has a "protect the environment" theme to it. Though not quite as surfaced as the story, the theme really grows into the series and perpetuates the story from a theme of survival to a theme of protecting what matters. That is also a particular reason why the name of the series is "Survive," and not "Survival," but you have to watch to find out. Mite mite. ^_^