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ファイト／ステイナイト 
September 23, 2004 | 
9 Comments
Hmm, I guess it's been a while since I last saw a Last Exile episode. I was actually planning to write about these two episodes together with episode 17 in disc 5 but since the disc won't arrive until a week later, I figure I'll just do them now. Anyway, I must be suffering from long non-exposure syndrome because I don't find these two episodes to be as good as the previous ones. Maybe it's because I think that the whole 'Claus: the Big Stud' subplot is a big joke. In fact, I find it hilarious to see all of these characters fawning over a rather boring guy. So please excuse me if I make a couple of sarcastic comments about these two episodes as I recap them. I think that this plot appears because the writers have no clue as to which characters should be paired off together and therefore they simply tried every single combination imaginable.
I can't believe it's been months since I saw this series. The DVD release schedule is really lousy to the point that sometimes I have to stop on a particular non-cliffhanger episode in the DVD so that I don't drive myself crazy with anticipation for the next episode. Well, that and because I find it hard lately to cram more than 3 episodes into one recap. The problem is, by doing this I seem to have lost the motivation to get back watching the show. Especially since I have not been watching it for a while now. Thankfully, the storyline in some of these episodes somehow manages to make me interested in the show again. I am especially glad to see the series giving the Disith nation a bit more focus. Before these episodes, they seem to be a mysterious, unknown threat to the Anatoray nation. However, thanks to these episodes, the series manages to show that in truth, Disith is not very different from Anatoray. It is also interesting to see the series finally coming full circle in regards to the characters' past and their relationship with one another.
While the previous four episodes seem to focus more on the action as well as the character development, episode nine to eleven seem to be used to develop the mystery behind Exile, Alvis, and Alex's past. One thing that I've enjoyed about the series thus far is the fact that it lacks filler episodes. If I remember correctly, so far every episode has been written as such so that it'll advance the entire plot and narrative of the series. Admittedly, there have been some grand flying scenes that occupy a lot of screen time within each episodes. But at the same time, these scenes normally are there to serve the entire storyline as can be seen in episode nine and ten. I also like the fact that in between the action and battle scenes, the series still manages to insert some interesting character interactions between the regulars.
When I first started watching this series, I found the world of Last Exile to be quite peculiar. For example, fresh water is quite the rarity in this world to the point that most people treat it like some expensive alcoholic beverages. At first, I found it amusing when the characters in this series going to the bar and order an expensive fresh water to celebrate a special occasions. Upon reflection, however, I realise that this situation is not that different from our own world where, in some countries, obtaining fresh water is not very easy. In some ways, Last Exile works quite well as a precautionary tale to remind us not to take our water supply for granted.
I have to admit that I'm not exactly a Gonzo studio (Hellsing, Gatekeepers) fan so I was a bit surprised to find myself enjoying Last Exile. I contribute this mostly to Range Murata's design works on the series. Last Exile contains some of the nicest characters/ships/environment designs that I've had the fortune to see, most of which are heavily based on the French and German style during the WWII era. The show also contains exceptionally attractive opening and ending sequences, which are accompanied by songs titled "Cloud Age Symphony" and "Over the Sky" respectively.
The only problem that I had with this series was that I found the first episode to be rather dull. And that is quite unfortunate since some people will probably got turned off by this episode and decided not to watch the rest. My suggestion is to keep watching because the show does become interesting in the second and third episodes. And once you watch these other episodes, rewatch the first episode and I think you'll find that not only that the first episode stops being dull, but it also turns out to have some significant informations which will be useful in the subsequent episodes.
