Besides poking fun at Christianity, one genre that seems to be a writing gold mine for anime is the coming-of-age tale. Taking a character who is in their teens, a period where they start to shape themselves to soon ingress into adulthood, and make them face reality in its different shades up until they become completely rounded figures is a setup that offers a vast range of opportunities for writers. The deal is that, the main character being a kid or a pre-teen, you can make them as immature as you can get away without making the audience hate the little twerp and slowly improve them into a better person. Also, being animation such a versatile media, you can deliver as much of that development in one full season without having to deal with the difficulties of live-action.

So, which one is the best coming-of-age story in anime? Of course, that is not a question with definitive answer, if any question in regards to art is, but I’d like to offer my pick for the best one I watched so far: Eureka Seven.

Story and Characters

Eureka Seven (E7 for short) caps at 50 episodes, which is by no means a shy length for any series. Any anime packing that number of episodes can be an absolute chore to sit through if it doesn’t offer the content to hold the viewer and enough quality-development to justify its size. Luckily there’s no shortage of either for this series. During its running time, E7 builds its fantastic world and addresses multiple character arcs and themes, from religious conflict to environmentalism, leaving very little to be fully explained, and even in these cases it’s not anything that represents a driving force of the plot. Before we talk about that, though, let’s discuss the characters.

Renton, the main protagonist, is unusually relatable for a character of this kind of story. He is immature, sure, but also displays grounded morals and is, at least initially, driven by an adventurous spirit. Being the son of the late hero responsible for saving the world, Adroc Thurston, he would have some pretty big shoes to fill, however, Renton doesn’t really want to deal with that kind of responsibility. Like many other teenagers, he wants simply to enjoy his younger years dedicating himself to his hobby and expanding his horizons, which primarily motivates him to join Gekkostate. That would lead him to face a reality much harsher than what he was originally prepared for and forces him to strengthen his ideals in order to push himself through the struggles he faces. So, yeah, Renton is amazing, quote me on that.

The titular Eureka is Renton’s love interest for the story and the center of many conflicts both in the overall plot, as well as the tension between Renton and Holland. While not exactly emotionless, she has difficulty properly dealing with the emotions she slowly develops, and Renton plays a big role in leading her to understand how to better interact with others. She is naturally kind-mannered and loyal, but when it comes to dealing with failure or regret, more complex feelings in general, she has significantly harder time processing those emotions.

Holland is the leader of Gekkostate, a cool figure outside, but a very contrasting person for those who get to know him closely. Jealous, easily angered, unusually immature and quick to lash out against weaker characters who dare to upset him, most of the time Renton and frequently with violence, he is possibly the one that goes through the most sizeable development in the series, and a very positive one. That development though, takes some time to manifest, so while he acts like an absolute asshole, don’t be surprised if you find yourself enjoying his suffering. I sure did.

Talho is the main pilot of Gekkostate and Holland’s lover. Being the only person who Holland accepts to have challenging him, she is the main agent to his development, but before that happens she is also forced to grow and properly understand her role in the group.

Charles Beams, along with his wife, Ray, is one of the antagonists, appearing mid-run in the anime. Even though he is technically placed on the “bad guys” side, he is still a very honored, responsible and loyal figure, which is why he plays a big role in Renton’s development. He is also Eureka Seven’s embodiment of MANLINESS. Seriously, I bet the guy had chest hair when he was 8.

Dewey is Holland’s older brother and the main antagonist for the series. Initially very mysterious, his motivations seem to fluctuate as the anime goes on, up until they are properly revealed and sadly place him among the “Destroy the World” kind of villain, the least compelling kind. That was the only meaningful issue I was able to find in the series: villains of this category hardly ever work, and in cases they do work they often go for the type that is so crazy it doesn’t matter or so powerful that destroying the world isn’t a big deal for them. Dewey is mostly portrayed as a collected and calculating individual, so this motivation is all the more out-of-place. Lastly, there are Dominic and Anemone. Their role in the story is to serve as a parallel to Renton and Eureka’s relationship, but at the side of the antagonists, for the most part.

Ok, tackling the coming-of-age aspect first, Renton’s development is triggered mostly by the use of an interesting contrast: without giving too much away, halfway through the series he gets separated from the Gekkostate, who at this point were not the most responsible folks to serve as an example. While in their company, it was difficult to side against him, as there was a clear lack of proper orientation from the crew. The point where they get separated is the moment his character-arc truly starts to shine, it’s the moment when he’s able to do his biggest mistakes and witness the impact they have. As an effect of that, Renton begins to develop higher respect for other’s resolve, as well as the importance of keeping himself loyal to the responsibilities he takes. When he finally reunites with the Gekkostate, he is better prepared to face the challenges they would find up ahead. His development doesn’t stop there, however, as there’s much work to be done in his relationship with Eureka and the strengthening of his values, but that is something you should witness on your own.

In Eureka’s case, the development kicks in early on, since it’s not so much focused on maturing but in learning to deal with issues she was never forced to deal with in her blank-slate condition. Due to Renton’s influence, not only over her but also the Nirvash, she begins to be exposed to feelings she was not used to, not all of them positive. During the boy’s absence, she starts to understand that the reason why she misses him might be romantic feelings and the sudden need for his companionship also plays a huge part on forcing Holland to mature himself. All of this makes for deeply dynamic characterization, as in Eureka Seven characters don’t simply decide to change or shift on a whim depending on plot convenience (No, I’ll not make a “cough, cough” joke!), they influence each other, stumble, hurt themselves and make amendments, the way well-written interaction is supposed to do. The side-characters in the other hand have fairly straight personalities and stay pretty much the same along the series. Is that a problem? No. Keep that in mind, folks: a large cast doesn’t mean everyone should receive in-depth development, some characters are nice the way they are, just adding some flavor to the series

Now, when learning that a series tackles subjects like religious conflict or environmentalism, many people would be immediately put off, in fear that it might end up featuring very preachy writing. Eureka Seven, however, gracefully avoids this trap. The subjects in question are all swiftly introduced as the plot progresses, and now and then play their role in the story by being naturally integrated in the arc, without any moralism being spelled out by anyone in ham-fisted manner. The environmental aspect, for once, is not directly brought up, but subtly conveyed throughout the series, as it’s an integral part of the overarching plot, and the series manages to do such a thing even as these themes become ever more present in the story. By the end, it’s not hard to grasp how such elements are a natural component of the world presented in the anime.

Presentation

By the Gods, that looks beautiful!

Ok, professionalism dictates I have to be more specific. Made in 2005 by Studio Bones, Eureka Seven is, to this day, one of the best looking anime ever made. Bones is a studio used to make anime where characters are realistically proportioned, but still retain anime-like features and that allows them to have distinct expressions. You will hardly find a relevant character that expresses in the same manner as the others, tying perfectly with their personalities and demeanors. With the exception of some episodes of minor importance, like the soccer episode, the figures show steady consistency in their character models, retaining natural proportion even when seen from a distance. This is often the animation issue that is most noticeable in other works, but E7 manages to avoid it and deliver stellar animation with beautifully fluid movement without losing its consistency and detail.

Character designs are striking and memorable. They follow the seinen logic of packing details that by themselves are nothing special, but when placed together form a design that is at the same time harmonic and distinct. Now, all of that aside, the real kicker that makes the series such a visual marvel is its use of colors. From the character designs, both human and mechs, to the machinery, the effects and explosions, E7 always brings the most vibrant and impactful colors. The shining green of the trapar waves, the perfectly toned shades of orange used for the sunset, the lightly flavored natural environments and even pink-colored explosions, everything immediately pops out on the screen, and coupled with the sharp use of lighting, it drives perfectly the mood of the scene, be it action or just moments of important dialogue. When you consider that alongside the number of episodes and characters, it only makes the work Bones displayed all the more impressive. There is nothing I can complain in regards to the visuals that doesn’t boil down to nitpick, as the overall package is consistently pleasing.

Eureka Seven’s soundtrack has its fair share of exciting, blood-pumping tracks to help make the action all the more energetic and even some to evoke a grandiose feeling, but what stands out the most are its emotional pieces. They come in at the exact moment to make you know that you’re about to watch a meaningful moment of character interaction or to highlight development that is about to happen. If you don’t find these tracks memorable, better look for a medic, you might have faulty memory or be lacking a heart. On the voice acting department (Japanese, off course), the most notable detail is Renton’s seiyuu, Sanpei Yuuko. Renton is another teenage-boy played by a female. Let that information sink in for a minute: does the acting, at any moment, denounce that the character is not played by a man? This is without a doubt the most convincing case of a female seiyuu playing a male role I’ve ever seen and can easily dethrone Paku Romi or Takeuchi Junko in this category. Not to say that the rest of the cast doesn’t range from solid to excellent. Fujiwara Keiji plays Holland, so if you are familiar with his work you know there’s no worry and Nazuka Kaori’s portrayal of Eureka reflects with no problem the image of a girl learning to process newly-found emotions, while maintaining a sweet vibe to her acting.

Personal Ramblings

Now, there’s an aspect I’d like to comment on this section specifically. Eureka Seven has some of those moments you could call “shounen moments”, where the logic is made to obey more the emotions the characters are facing at the time and the ones the anime wants to pull out of the viewer, then the internal rules established in the story. This might be just my bias speaking, as I have a soft spot for the shounen genre myself, but I believe these instances enhance the series instead of detracting from it. Sure, they may seem corny to some, but not just of logic you build a cathartic and fulfilling story, emotion is also important and as long as it doesn’t stretch believability beyond what the audience was accustomed to give, or contradicts other rules of the setting, I say “go for it”.

If WattheWut doesn’t mind me borrowing his rating system for a while, Eureka Seven is a Must Watch. Sure, this review might not have convinced you, as I spent little time dissecting how the story unfolds, but trust me, it’s better that you experience that for yourself. Safe to say, I believe this series uses with effect its runtime, as there was a lot to be handled and the manner in which it did was very solid, paced out with no issue. You can call Eureka Seven a perfectly rounded series: it has a tightly fleshed out world with a story that fully utilizes its setting and dynamic, likeable and developed characters, fitting without a problem the universe they live in.

I’m running out of things to say, so go watch the anime.