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ANN Kazuki Akane page

My average ranking: 7.83

Director Pantheon: Kazuki Akane Rating
Birdy the Mighty Decode: The Cipher (OAV) Good

Birdy the Mighty Decode:02 (TV) Excellent

Birdy the Mighty: Decode (TV) Excellent

Escaflowne: The Movie Decent

Noein - to your other self (TV) Excellent

(The) Vision of Escaflowne (TV) Good

A blend of shojo relationship tangles and shonen mecha battle scenes gives this series a surprising depth. Not only is the plot vast in scope and constantly surprising but the initially typical shojo and shonen characters all find themselves acting against type as they are propelled towards a final Armageddon. Even the villains earn our sympathy before the tale concludes. I especially like how Dornkirk, a time defying Isaac Newton, fails to grasp his own law, that every action has an opposite and equal reaction. At the centre of the storm is Hitomi, the high school girl (wouldn’t you know!) who must discover what is in her heart before she can save an entire world. Happily we are given a character who justifiably earns the respect of her friends, confounds her adversaries and charms the viewer in the process, even if her final decision is at odds with the general message that unwavernig belief can overcome the seeming inevitable. Exceptional incidental music more than compensates for the weird nose designs and a couple of irritating minor characters.

Extended review