Last Exile

There have been many fights over the land, air, sea, and perhaps anything from the dawn of time. Is it worthwhile to have that much power and control? Who makes the judgment of what is right and wrong? When we are in charge, we are occasionally required to make decisions. It nearly seems helpless.

Last Exile (Rasuto Eguzairu) is an original Japanese anime television series created by Koichi Chigira Gonzo. It had a creative team, including production designer Mahiro Maeda, character designer Range Murata, and director Koichi Chigira. It was a Studio Gonzo production with Hitomi Kuroishi providing the music. Since Last Exile was highly received in North America, Geneon Entertainment (formerly Pioneer Entertainment) granted the series an English license in June 2003, two months after the first episode had aired in Japan. After Geneon stopped producing its titles, Funimation started licensing the series and then the sequel series.

Additionally, it was licensed for English releases in the UK by ADV Films until its demise in 2009; Manga Entertainment currently licenses it, and Madman Entertainment is the licensee in Australia. Spacetoon gave it a license for the Arab world. From April to September 2003, TV Tokyo aired the drama Last Exile. From October 2011 to March 2012, the television series Last Exile -Fam, The Silver Wing- (Rasuto Eguzairu Gin’yoku no Famu) was broadcast. In February 2016, Last Exile -Fam, The Silver Wing-: Over the Wishes, a movie based on the series was released. Two soundtracks, two manga adaptations, and artbooks were among the additional released works.

The 26 episodes of this original series, which catered to the seinen/shounen demographics and fell under the adventure, fantasy, and steampunk genres, each lasted 24 minutes. The show was intended for teens ages 13 and above and was classified PG-13.

The setting of Last Exile is the made-up nation of Prester. Prester's two countries, Anatoray and Disith, are at war with one another per the chivalric rule of battle across the tumultuous Grand Stream that divides them. These laws are enforced by a select group known as the Guild. Technology is also sent to the two countries, but unbeknownst to them, it has ulterior motives that aim to uphold the status quo and consolidate its control over both sides.

Although the plot takes place in the future, the technology used is not the same as in a traditional space opera. Instead, the show's retro-futuristic backdrop is reminiscent of Europe during the Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century. In the Golden Age of Aviation, Prester residents fly aircraft known as vanships; despite rudimentary technology, these aircraft employ a sort of antigravity (created by the Guild) and lighter-than-air flight techniques rather than wings.

Every character in the story has their own hopes and anxieties. Claus Valca, a fifteen-year-old pilot, and Lavie Head, a navigator, operate their vanship as sky couriers in the country of Anatoray. Even though they often accept relatively easy tasks, one day, they are requested to finish a courier's last mission. Alvis Hamilton, a little girl, is to be delivered aboard the enigmatic battleship Silvana as part of the operation, which is scored seven stars out of 10. Despite their worries, Claus and Lavie transfer Alvis to the warship but opt to stay there to protect her.

Each of them experiences a wholly developed character arc that includes a beginning, middle, and finish. They all have strong character development, compelling plot lines, beginnings, middles, and finishes that reflect the events occurring around them. It is well-paced, growing more intriguing and complicated with each new episode without losing sight of its leading group of people.

3D computer animation was used extensively in the creation of Last Exile. Over 200 of the 350 images in the first episode used computer-generated animation. The visual production of the series primarily relies on CG in terms of the program's appearance. The advantages of Gonzo's use of non-photorealistic rendering, in particular, to merge conventional hand-drawn animation with computer-generated imagery, are evident throughout the anime.

The animation is of the highest caliber throughout. When combined with the designs of the people, ships, tools, and environments, Last Exile has a more appealing aesthetic than most other anime. Nevertheless, one of the series' drawbacks is that it occasionally strains the eyes due to infrequent color collisions.

For the imaginary realm, real-world historical designs were also modified. In the universe of Last Exile, the future coexists with the ancient, as airships carrying musketeer battalions engage in aerial combat similar to that of ships at sea. Japanese dreadnoughts in service at the beginning of the twentieth century have parts in the flying battleships of the Anatoray and Disith countries.

The uniforms used by Anatoray's musketeers were modeled on those worn by troops in the American Civil War and Napoleon Bonaparte's army. On the other hand, the Disith uniforms were inspired by fur jackets from the Soviet Red Army. A silent movie about the airship Hindenburg, which showed the silver-plated, UFO-like appearance of the aircraft in juxtaposition to the conventional structures below, served as yet another source of inspiration for artists. The series used a replica of this artwork.

Characterization in Last Exile benefits significantly from the abilities of the All-Star voice cast. Contrary to many anime shows, most characters in Last Exile's cast are genuine individuals with real emotions, goals, and quirks. The best part of this series is how the characters relate to and interact with one another. The series featured two pieces of theme music. Shuntaro Okino's rendition of "Cloud Age Symphony" served as the intro music for all 26 episodes. The closing theme was "Over The Sky" by Hitomi Kuroishi. On May 21, 2003, Victor Entertainment published it as a maxi single. It spent six weeks on the Oricon music charts, peaking at number 52.

Last Exile is a beautiful watch all around that should not be missed. It contains one of the finest final disclosures in anime history and an exhilarating conclusion. Recommended!