The first thing that caught my eye was the lovely drawn characters. It’s always one of the things I look for in an anime to be able to determine how enjoyable it’s going to be. And I must say, the main guy Welkin Gunther is quite a looker. Each of the character is handsome and pretty, graceful and proportionately drawn.
Based on a roleplaying game for playstation 3, the story takes place in Europe with war raging on between the Empire and the Federation often times over Ragnite, an important material resource to fuel weapons of war. Other anime that come to mind when I see this was Full Metal Alchemist although the magical element comes in much later in the episodes and it doesn’t have the serious drama that can be found in Full Metal Alchemist. There are moments where humor and light romance appear to lighten the mood.
The main characters are Welkin and Alicia Melchiott (the girl with the red cloth around her head) and both fight for the Gallian militia group, squad 7 with Welkin as the commander. The commander of squad 7 is an oddball. He is absentminded and difficult to understand…well, according to Alicia at least. Welkin always appear carefree and have been known to have his priorities all over the place causing his subordinates to question his authority on numerous occassions. However, his calm leadership skills and charisma shows through in battle and each victory earns him grudging respect. But this is to be expected since he is none other than the son of a famous General back in the early wars. His strategies though rely on his extensive knowledge in biology. But of course, a commander is also nothing without his squad members.
One particular person shines through and is none other than Alicia, his second in command. Despite being a baker in her former profession, her courage in the face of danger inspires everyone and her sharp mind and agility during battle makes her a reliable asset. I’ve not progressed that far in this anime just yet, but from the opening sequence you can tell that you can expect more from her in the later episodes, particularly a certain kind of magic that’s bestowed upon her. It is also hinted that a romantic relationship forms between Alicia and Welkin and possibly a love triangle involving a good friend of Welkin’s.
This anime has other oddities as well. For example, you’ve heard the expression “when pigs fly”, right? Well, they’ve got one in here. Yep, a pig with wings. So I guess anything is possible…lol. And that’s just the start of the fantasy here. I’m not entirely sure the significance of that pig though. If it does nothing but oink, I’m going to be a little upset with that piece of bacon…
Well, putting that aside, this anime doesn’t just have regular tanks and weapons of war. There are some unique weaponry involved like a bazooka shaped like a lance. Also, the squad uses a tank that’s a few classes above normal tanks with faster speed, stronger shield that deflects other tank’s attacks and greater firepower. This tank just so happens to be maintained by Welkin’s adopted sister, Isara a Darcsen. How these weapons come about or the history surrounding this Darcsen race isn’t too clear to me yet but it certainly makes squad 7 a military force to contend with and seem to play a key part to the war. So, I’m not complaining.
One thing is for certain. The anime is interesting enough for me to continue watching and perking my curiosity over the game it was adapted from. Maybe I should start playing these Japanese games…is there a PC version? At the end of each anime episode, there are some excerpts from the game like profiles of characters. Why, I’m not too sure ;D…could be marketing.
chokocat 