Shingu & Stellvia: A Comparison
July 18, 2007 | Television | Shingu, Stellvia
After a long wait, I recently finished Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars, otherwise known as the Sato Tatsuo show that isn’t Nadesico or Stellvia. My interest in the show began to grow when it was first released on DVD in North America, but I never bothered setting aside the money to buy said DVDs. This worked to my advantage, however, as the eventual thinpack release proved far less expensive than the individual discs. That, and it’s a perfect show for marathoning. The wait between discs would have been painful, I’m sure.
Anyway, I don’t want to spend much time praising the show other than to say that it’s extremely well done. I often steer clear of sci-fi anime for the simple reason that most sci-fi anime makes little sense upon close examination (I’m a bit too practical to put up with the “just because” storytelling that most sci-fi anime series rely on). However, Shingu is remarkable in that, despite having an especially complicated story, it never drops the ball in providing support for everything that takes place, all the way to the very end. Essentially, it spends its entire episode run paving the way for its “everything but the kitchen sink” ending. I suppose some of the twists and turns along the way could be considered trite, but I still appreciate the fact that the story was so exceptionally well thought out - and a lot of fun, to boot. And, of course, I got a lot of satisfaction out of the slice-of-life elements that supported the show along the way.
However, what strikes me as most interesting about the show upon finishing it is how similar it is to Sato’s later work, Stellvia. For one, both benefit from large ensemble casts (come to think of it, so does Nadesico). In fact, one reason I appreciate Stellvia as much as I do is because of its ensemble cast of diverse and likable characters. And I’d probably say the same for Shingu. Both shows proved adept at providing seemingly minor characters ample time in the spotlight. In fact, Shingu, in particular, has more potential “lead” characters than you can shake a stick at. Who steals the show? Is it Muryou? Hajime? Nayuta? Depends on who you’re a fan of, I suppose.
Furthermore, Shingu and Stellvia both share similar themes. For example, one generation trusting the fate of the future to the next. Children possessing a certain level of autonomy in managing their own affairs. Children rising to the cause when disaster strikes. It’s uncanny how similar both shows are in this regard. I’m almost tempted to accuse Sato of plagiarizing himself.
Also, both shows are willing to leave the unknown to the unknown. As much of Shingu’s story that is explained, there remains a fair amount that’s not. The same could be said for Stellvia. In both shows, the viewer is treated more as a direct observer - someone as involved in events as they unfold as the characters themselves - evidenced by, for example, Shingu’s repeated breaking of the fourth wall and Stellvia’s reluctance to explain any more about its world than what’s necessary to understand what’s going on. Some might find such a perspective to be limiting, but I actually find it engaging. Better to be involved in the story than detached from it.
Oh, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that Shingu’s Muryou and Stellvia’s Kouta might as well be long lost brothers. If you had a contest to see who was more aloof than the other, I suspect it would end in a draw.
Of course, as similar as the two shows are, they do have some differences - or, one key difference, to be exact. Whereas Shingu is primarily focused on external events and their impact on the story, Stellvia is more internally focused, allowing character development to drive the story forward. It’s for this reason I think people most often label Stellvia as “angsty”. It’s a label that’s not all that fitting, in my opinion. But the distinction is still there, and while both shows share similarly positive outlooks, Stellvia places far more emphasis on gloomy melodrama.
Now, would I recommend that fans of Shingu take the time to watch Stellvia (or vice versa)? I don’t know, to be honest. Some might find the similarities between the two shows vexing, leading them to unnecessarily compare and contrast in an effort to determine if one is “better” than the other.
Personally, I enjoy both shows equally.
As you know, I found Shingu to be an amazingly pleasant surprise, and it’s one of the very few series I’ve awarded four stars in my review. No show is perfect, but this one is damned good, and one of the many virtues is how well thought out the story is.
I don’t remember when I enjoyed watching a series so much.
Huh. I guess I really am going to have to give this show a try.
Stellvia was my first fansub love (and I do now own the DVDs, thank you), and it sounds like there’s slim-to-no chance that I’ll dislike Shingu.
You should get a job in marketing :p.
Seeing as the brick is a measily 35 bucks, and I’ve spent more money on bad series in the past, I guess I’ll have to Shingu a fair chance, especially as dm’s also been pimping the show on ocassion too.
And yeah, I was one of those who enjoyed Stellvia but found it too a bit too angsty. I don’t know if that crying episode was sheer brilliance or just a clever way to make me want to repeatedly stab myself in the eyes.
You should get a job in marketing.
This statement cracks me up, because I was actually one of the final candidates for a marketing position with Right Stuf a few years back. They released the first Shingu DVD not too long after that, I think.
But, yeah, even though I spent as much of this post talking about Stellvia as I did Shingu, I should emphasize that Shingu itself is a spectacular show and very much recommended.
Glad to hear you liked it. Shingu is one of my favorite shows, with a wonderful cast of characters — not just the main characters, but also the secondary characters (the alien ambassador and his housemate, Muryou’s sister, the other members of the student council, the members of the faculty, and, of course, Nayuta’s grand-mother.
I’ve had my eyes on Shingu for a long time now, and this cemented it. I’m buying the series as soon as I can. I also need to get Stellvia for that matter, since I haven’t yet. I loved Stellvia though, and seeing as how this is the same director, I’ll probably like this one two.
I second the “Get a job in marketing” comment. You could do a post about Eiken and make it seem like the best thing in the world.
“Who steals the show? Is it Muryou? Hajime? Nayuta? Depends on who you’re a fan of, I suppose.”
I don’t think there’s a question: Hajime and Nayuta are the leads. Muryou, I’m afraid, is less a character than a plot device; despite his considerable time on screen, he’s the blurriest and least definite of all the named characters. Watching Hajime get past Nayuta’s prickly exterior without half trying is one of the high treats in the show.
Dare I poke my head in here? I owe Shingu a watch for years now :(
I think I owe Shingu a rewatch. I got it through Netflix at first, but a recent RightStuf sale tipped me into getting the brick.
Jeff, your Shingu image is very nice — I’ve not seen much Shingu-related art around (though it’s been years since I’ve looked).
If I haven’t seen Shingu or Sellvia, would you recommend watching one before the other, or whatever I find first?
A few months ago you were complimenting Stellvia again and I believe that I begged you to see Shingu. Thank you for listening.
I have lots of (boring) things to say about both series; so I will try to limit myself.
One reason that Stellvia has more teen angst than Shingu is that there are no parents at the academy. In particular, Shipon’s mother’s juvenile prank at her send-off had to have been extremely isolating to Shipon. Nayuta not only lives with her parents (or at least her father), but she has been trained for her destiny since day one; although she clearly falls for Hajime, she never loses her self-control long enough to get herself kissed. It also helps that the female lead in Shingu falls for a normal human, while Shipon falls for her series unknowable god.
I will mention one other thing: both series have a major theme that humanity can overcome its troubles.
Great comments, Craig, with which I definitely agree. Thanks for sharing.
Dm, I found the image on the show’s original Japanese web site. It’s all Flash, so I can’t link directly to the specific page, but there are some desktop wallpaper images available in the “Archives” section. I was pulling my hair out trying to find an appropriate image for this post… I was worried I’d have to go the screencap route (which I really dislike doing).
S4dfish… if you intend to watch both, I’d suggest just flipping a coin. I don’t feel it’d make much difference which one you watch first.