When I first watched Stellvia back in the day, I was so hooked on the show that the wait between episodes was always excruciating, even if it was only a week. So, when the show was eventually licensed and released on DVD, I was somewhat reluctant to watch each disc as I bought it. I figured watching the show in tiny batches every couple of months would prove unbearable. But I did it anyway. And, sure enough, I was disappointed. Very disappointed. It was such a bad experience, in fact, that I questioned my love for the show all together. Perhaps Stellvia wasn’t all that great an anime series in the first place?
Stellvia has its flaws, of course. Shima is annoying in the later episodes, that’s for sure. The writing could be a lot tighter. The character designs are weird. The animation is occasionally sloppy. At the same time, Stellvia has many strengths. A colorful cast of interesting characters. Loads of drama. Some nifty action sequences. Stylish mechanical designs. A satisfying conclusion. These are just some of the many reasons why I consider Stellvia a personal favorite.
So, obviously, my sudden disappointment in the show following my second viewing came as a great shock. What happened? Clearly, to find the answer, another rewatch was in order…
Well, it took a year, but I finally got around to doing just that these past few days. And I’m happy to report that, indeed, it’s all in the pacing. Stellvia is a show best marathoned. And I’m also happy to report that I enjoyed the show even more this time around compared to my first viewing. Many of the flaws I mentioned above were of little issue, in fact. Does that mean Stellvia gets better with age? It would seem so.
For example…
Like most sci-fi anime, Stellvia plays fast and loose with science and technology. People walk around mumbling about energy wave patterns and atomic substructures and the like, often just to fill empty spots in the script. It’s all a bunch of technobabble mumbo jumbo, some of which makes sense, some of which doesn’t. Except, this time… it made sense? Actually, it did (to a point). Not in an academic, “Ah, we should discuss this at next week’s club meeting,” manner, mind you, but more in an, “Ah, that incomprehensible conversation back in Episode 16 actually had a point,” sort of way. This was a pleasant discovery, to be honest, as the time wasted discussing things that never seemed to matter was always one of my chief complaints about the show. All this time, I thought it was nothing more than filler. Turns out, it’s one of the show’s more fascinating components.
But, let’s face it, as much as Stellvia is a sci-fi show, it’s even more of a school drama. And, like most school dramas, it has a strong romantic element. Kouta and Shima’s budding relationship is an important facet of the show, obviously. You could argue that it drives the plot throughout the show’s entire second half. The thing is, Kouta and Shima’s relationship has some “interesting” dynamics (they’ve got more issues than National Geographic, basically), and this is often reflected in the plot. In other words, it can be a real head-scratcher at times. And, given Kouta and Shima’s stubborn nature and general inability to get their shit together, the head-scratchers, they just keep a-comin’. It’s frustrating, yeah. I can emphatically empathize with those who come to detest Shima by the end of the show.
Yet, while the two teenage lovers were just as frustrating to watch this time around as they were the first, I think I now understand them a little better. It’s amazing what one can learn from simply paying closer attention to what people are actually saying in the most melodramatic of scenes, you know. Sometimes, you get so swept up in the mood that you miss the point of the scene entirely. Competent translation helps, too… I can’t help but think the fansub translation I watched way back when made an awful mess of a few important scenes (although, as an aside, I should say that the subtitles on Geneon’s DVD release have some of the sloppiest editing and proofreading I’ve ever seen). Either way, I found Kouta and Shima at least a little less annoying than before. They could still use some relationship counseling, though.
But, thankfully, Stellvia has a large cast of interesting characters - a true ensemble cast - and the presence of this cast does a lot to make up for all of the show’s many shortcomings combined. If I were to recommend Stellvia, I would say this: watch not for the drama or suspense, but for the supporting characters, who, by the end of the story, shine as bright, if not brighter, as the two leads themselves. Those supporting characters are the reason I love Stellvia. They make the show memorable.
Of course, you should also watch it for the positive and uplifting ending (consider that this is coming from someone who covets bittersweet endings). I’ll admit, the epilogue is cheesy - as thanks for saving the Solar System, everyone got a coupon for a free haircut, it seems - but, hey, the ending left me wishing for a sequel something terrible. It’s not that a sequel was necessary, mind you. I just really, really wanted one. Like a pony. You can imagine my disappointment when a sequel was announced, only to later be cancelled. What’s Tatsuo Sato up to nowadays, anyway?
Oh, and one final thought…
With the human race facing extinction twice over the course of the show, there must have been a staggering amount of meaningless sex going on behind the scenes. I’ll never look at the Big Four the same way again.
What’s Tatsuo Sato up to nowadays, anyway?
Not making any more Nadesico, sigh.
So, have you watched Shingu? It was one of the shows he did between Nadesico and Stellvia, and I thought it was much better than Stellvia. It’s still a school relationship series with a satsifyingly large ensemble, but the characters aren’t as annoying as Shima, the solutions don’t seem quite so contrived, and no one who attempts to murder a classmate (two classmates, on separate occasions, as I recall?) gets off with just a slap on the wrist?
I’m actually quite interested in Shingu, but since it’s already out on DVD in its entirety, I’m waiting to see if Right Stuf will release a cheaper thinpack or boxset before buying. Hasn’t happened yet, unfortunately.
Stellvia has some issues with realism, that’s for sure. And I’m not talking about the sci-fi elements so much as the human elements. People just don’t act the way you would expect them to at times. Your example regarding Ayaka is relevant, for example, although I’ll admit that it didn’t bother me too much, what with it all working out for the best in the end. But I was often amazed with how people reacted to certain situations, both dire and mundane, and I was amazed with how much the students managed to get away with (like waltzing into the freakin’ nerve center of the Stellvia undetected!).
Also, I thought it strange how relaxed everyone was over the course of the series given what they were up against. I suppose this is explained away somewhat by the fact humanity had plenty of time to prepare for the Second Wave, and thus had little reason to freak out. As for the Cosmic Fracture, it seemed the only people with a truly clear idea of what was going on were those on the frontlines, and it would make sense that they would stay focused on the task at hand (after all, if they screw up, everyone’s a goner). At the same time, you’d still expect people to freak out to a point. Or at least show some visible tension. I was only partially joking with that “meaningless sex” remark, to be honest.
I don’t know if I’d have it any other way, though… after all, having everyone running around screaming, “we’re all gonna die!” would have changed the tone of the show drastically - and not necessarily for the better.
I’ve watched and rewatched this series a couple of times, and i have yet to get bored of it.
Sure the way kouta and shima’s relationship progressed was annoying at times, but i think the way the entire series is presented, makes the show such a great watch.
I also liked the tone of the show, even with a grim future in store for them, the characters were bright, cheerful and forward-thinking. This was pretty unrealistic, but it’s probably better than having them angsting and being all emo for the entire series.
The only thing i really hated was the incredibly ugly giant robot. I’d have been happier if it was a unique ship or something (the gliders and training machines were cool-looking). Everytime i saw the robot, i couldn’t help but wonder who the hell designed it and how can i find him and slap him.
Netflix has Shingu, that’s how I watched it.
People just don’t act the way you would expect them to at times.
That bothered me a great deal about Stellvia, enough so that I ended up quite disappointed in the show. Also, I was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t the second coming of Nadesico, but I guess that kind of magic may only hit a creator once. But I watched it under non-ideal conditions — periodic fansub releases with large gaps between episodes.
I thought this post would be about a second season of Stellvia, which has been tossed about for quite a while now.
I still haven’t finished the series, never having gotten past the “Kouta shows off his mad Bianca skills and pwns purple hair” episode.
I just acquired the last couple of discs… maybe it’s marathon time. Hmm.
(The kids and I watched one of the early-middle discs a couple of weeks ago, I think it was the climax of the Great Project arc and one episode past that. It took some willpower not to throw in the next disc.)
Damn, you really got my hopes up~! Here I thought there would be a second season of Stellvia.
Heh, what a coincidence, I was maranthoning Stellvia quite a while ago and like others, I had hoped this was for a next season of Stellvia. Alas, my hopes were crushed, but this was still a very entertaining post.
It’s kind of sad. The same time I head news that there was going to be another season of Stellvia was the same time I knew that it was canceled. What luck, eh?
The only thing I’d say is that knowing it’s a Tatsuo Sato show, you should expect all the technobabble to make sense. This is the guy who came up with the idea that phase differential between branes was the driving force behind a transitional engine. Dude.
But I think between dm and Jal there’s just nothing left to add :3 I think Stellvia would make kind of a fun watch if one can assemble a series of highlight episodes for people who has seen it in entirety already. I thought the one time I watched through it left little else to pick off the bones in a review.
I am having a bit of a hard time reconciling your comments here with your comments on Starship Operators. De gustibus non disputandum est, ne?
I suppose there’s quite a bit of room for comparing SSO, Stellvia (and probably Infinite Ryvius, though “crush depth” in a planar plasma cloud across the solar system was a hurdle I couldn’t cross to get to the actual show — I should have pretended they were in a probe in Jupiter’s atmosphere, or something).
In contrast to my reactions to things like Ayaka’s fate, I found SSO pretty credible, particularly with its character interactions, and it has the “people confronted with life-threatening problems get tense” sure enough, though I imagine more could have been done with the meaningless sex bit… For some reason I was able to swallow the whole reality-show premise, at least long enough to get into the unique approach to Shinon’s character and her solutions to the problems faced by the crew of the Amaterasu, not to mention the other major characters in the cast (more could have been done with the science officer/computer high priest guy, I think).
>It’s not that a sequel was necessary, mind you. I just really, really wanted one. Like a pony.
Haha, I love this line. The true triumph of mankind before the Second Wave was the publicity machine that kept everyone calm. Looking back, if Shima and Kouta didn’t own so hard, that plan would have flopped. Kinda scary…
Fortunately, lightning strikes twice. Sometimes three times. All in the name of moving the plot along.
Regarding Starship Operators…
It’s not really a matter of taste, but rather a matter of intent. Often in Stellvia, I got the feeling the script was winking at me, saying, “We know this doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but it’s not all that important in the grand scheme of things, so just play along,” whereas the Starship Operators script had a very bad case of, “Anime. Serious Business.” Of course, I’m primarily talking about the human elements once again… I actually thought the sci-fi was handled quite nicely in SSO. The politics that drove the plot, on the other hand, weren’t. Stellvia had a political element, sure, but it was, for the most part, trivial.
So, I guess you could say that, since SSO took itself so darn seriously, I responded in kind.
[This discussion spoils quite a bit, but I am not doing anything posters above hasn't done... or do I? Jeff please feel free to edit/delete post]
I found all human reactions in Stellvia quite understandable and realistic. Or at least I do not remember something out of character. So I don’t quite understand complaints about it. Perhaps my background is different.
I didn’t like how Ayaka’s crimes were handled. There was nothing unrealistic about the way it happened, that’s not the issue. In real life, people get away with lots of stuff. My former University cohort recently gave in interview to some Internet rag where he bragged how he organized kidnapping and execution of a union leader who opposed him, just to give one example. So, I do not see anything un-life-like in the way Ayaka manipulated her lover into covering up a botched murder. However, the way the base command dealt with her was unjust, and I do not like that, even if in the end it all worked out.
Kent’s awful lapse of judgement would cause entirely different consequences in real life. Somehow this reminds me about Lt.Col Holland who crashed a B-52, killing everyone onboard. It was known for years that he was unsafe, and time after time when he made infractions he wasn’t relieved. Eventually, everyone on the base refused to fly with him. His commander who kept him on the flying roster went up with him to demonstrate trust, and they died. Creators of Stellvia let Ayaka to rethink her life and straighten herself. But it only happens rarely, and betting on it were criminally irresponsible on Kent’s part.
I think that the point about the supporting cast was a very valid one. Even the perennial losers Alice and Dai (Masaru) got some important parts to execute with distinction. It was great.
The “cheesy” epilogue looked very nice and warm to me. Unfortunately, it said us nothing about pairings, but maybe it was just the point.
I grepped my blog archives about Stellvia, and I saw it was unusually inspirational… No less than 6 entries. I especially like this one: http://zaitcev.livejournal.com/65893.html . It has a screencap where you see who eats A and B breakfast, and the trays correspond to orders made previously. What a delightful precision. Also… “OP and ED rocked my socks off”. It’s still true years down the road. I keep returning to the idea of making a “reverse AMV” with “Brilliant Road”.
– Pete
I don’t think Ayaka manipulated Yayoi in any way. In fact, Ayaka was nothing but remorseful following the incident with Shima. The feeling I got was that she was prepared to accept her fate. Yayoi made her own decision.
I figure most everyone knew Yayoi had lied, but were willing to go along with. After all, Ayaka was an excellent pilot, and Yayoi and Shima had both forgiven her (in their own way), so… well, I guess it comes back to the “have faith in the children,” theme that popped up time and time again. It’s not like Shima didn’t get her fair share of second chances over the course of the series. Granted, she didn’t try to kill anyone… she just had the weight of the entire Solar System on her shoulders.
Of course, I think I would have felt a bit differently had Ayaka NOT been remorseful, and had she NOT spent a huge chunk of the show sequestered away in a funk as a result. The way it played out, I at least had confidence that Ayaka had “seen the light”, so to speak.
I’ve always really, really wanted to know just what went on in Ayaka’s quarters that Christmas Eve.
Also, Ayaka and Yayoi prove the standard Anime Lesbian truism: “It isn’t true love unless one of the girls has tried to kill the other one”
But my absolutely favorite pairing in the entire series has GOT to be Akira and Jojo. Its just so damn absurd, but works perfetly.
Stellvia is one of the anime that indeed, is more enjoyable when marathoned. I remembered watching it all in one sitting. Of course, it’s not recommended to do, as I have forgotten some minute details of the series.
So.. you doing a AMV for this one anytime soon? ;)
Always loved Stellvia, never thought it got quite as much attention as it deserved. I also remember thinking the kiss scene was one of the more touching in recent anime that comes to my mind. Not that I watch a lot of Shoujo, but it had feeling.
Thank you for reminding me how much I love Stellvia and Shingu; I marathon both series at least once per quarter. I love many aspects of both shows, including many items noted above.
What I want to write about today is one aspect that no one has yet discussed: the strong similarities between Stellvia and Shingu. Both series have a climatic battle around episode 10 that could easily be the ending of a more conventional show. The main perspective of both shows is not from the point of view of the “hero” of the show; Kouta is the “Chosen” not Shima, the main character of Shingu does not pilot the Shingu. However, the input of both main characters is the key of the climatic battle. Both have many discussions over meals and show how social relationships can change work performance. Both have a “fighting couple” who are too stubborn to admit what is obvious to everyone else. Finally, both have endings that basically say “we had a great time making this show and we want to make a sequel!”
darn, I feel behind, I dont get to see about many of the animes that come out, I probabely wouldn’t choose some on principle. Oh well.
Any way, I think certain anime love stories are over done, like the before mentioned fighting couple, I think that there are very few Unique love stories yet to be wirtten. I hope someone can prove me wrong for the next season
In the meantime I watch Kanon and Deathnote
Well, Stellvia and Shingu are both directed by Tatsuo “Martian Successor Nadesico” Sato, so it’s not too surprising they have a few things in common. Sato actually has his fingers in quite a few interesting pies (like the anime versions of Boogiepop and Kino’s Journeys), I think he’s a very underrated talent.
That said, I haven’t watched more than a couple episodes of either Stellvia or Shingu, but I have the discs and will put them in rotation hopefully someday soon…