Figure 17: one of my favorite obscure anime

I adore Figure 17.


It's quiet, unusual, beautiful, harsh, touching and simply a solid, well-executed piece of entertainment.  It's a coming-of-age, show with an unusual structure (each episode is about 45 minutes) that allows for more dramatic development of the characters and the setting (gorgeously rendered rural Hokkaido in every season).

Here's a review I liked.

Oddly enough, this time through, Figure 17 put me in mind of Noein, which is kind of a mirror image where the action was more frequent, the science harder, and the characters less-well developed because of the larger main cast and the regular shorter episode story structure.  I adored Noein, too.


Another review I liked mentioned the show's "gentle charm."  The reviewer says, "This is a sweet, gentle show in many aspects, but at no point does it ever become sickly or sugary, and for walking this line the writers have my respect."  I agree.  Emotions and actions were firmly grounded in reality, specifically in realistically flawed, changeable characters who learn and grow and take steps backward along the way.


Your mileage may vary, especially if you're feeling cynical or have incorrect expectations, and several reviewers mentioned that marathoning the show might now be the best idea since the series may grow ponderous under its own weight, but an episode or two a week might be perfect for a couple of months.

Be sure to check out the copious extras, including the fun one with "The Alfee" lead singer and the making-of features that talk about the unique structure and the care that went into all aspects of the story.  It's all very thoughtfully put together.  This show is also one of the very few PG-rated anime out there, but it never, ever feels dumbed-down because it realistically deals with a lot of issues kids probably will face in their lives and most adults already have (except for the whole alien thing, most likely).

As an adult, you may need tissues.  Just saying.

Have you seen it?  Do you love it?  Why or why not?

More on Geass

I think one of the reasons Code Geass season one was so painful to watch had to do with writing/plotting.  So many times things would line up, and you would be able to see how things might possibly work out so that those concerned could go on with their lives and maybe not die or be totally miserable, and then every single time something unexpected would happen, and you'd have to watch your dreams of a happy ending get vaporized again.  And again.  And again.  It's brutal.  And kind of like real life sometimes (only about a million times more exaggerated).

Bring on season two.