Takai
04-24-2010, 04:52 AM
The Third - Aoi Hitomi no Shoujo
Reviewer: The Guiltiest Gear
Original Title: The Third - Aoi Hitomi no Shoujo.
Alternative Titles: The Third - The Girl with the Blue Eye
Format: TV, 24 episodes, complete.
Year(s): 2006.
Genres/Themes: action, adventure, sci-fi, drama; seinen.
Animation Studio: XEBEC.
Director: Kamiya Jun.
Original Authors: Hoshino Ryou.
Number of Episodes Seen: 24/24
Introduction (optional):
I saw the preview; then watched it after a friend mentioned it'd be to my tastes.
Plot and Setting/Story: 7/10
In ancient times, the world ravaged by a Great War has become mostly a desert with humanity placed under a strict law by The Third, an elf-like race of beings with a third eye, known as a Space Eye, which grants them the power to converse telepathically, as well as control over machines. This law, known as the Technos Taboo, limits how advanced the technology used by humans can become.
Honoka is a jill of all trades, traveling the sands with her AI-controlled tank Bogie. She rescues a mysterious young man named Iks that they find in the desert one night. Iks holds many secrets, but Honoka too has a secret: she also has a Space Eye, but unlike the Third's red eye, hers is blue.
It is not a very original plot, but in my eyes, the execution made it far better than others with a similar back-story.
Characters/Character Development: 8/10
First, let me start off by saying that, unlike those who hated the narrator's input, I absolutely loved it. Thanks to him, there weren't any of those scenes you so often encounter where a character has an inner monologue about their thoughts, or gives an explanation for the attack they just did. Thanks to that, the fights can keep their fast pace, explaining things as they happen rather than stopping.
To me, Bogie was the best character in the series, taking the role of a Father figure while being a disembodied voice.
Honoka was an interesting lead from the start; she has the typical tomboy attitude, yet easily gets embarrassed. But also, despite living in a world with monstrous insects and other massive and dangerous creatures, she does not treat them as such, and is willing to avoid killing them, if at all possible, and is not one to talk in battle, maintaining a serious and focused attitude. And she has a frequent habit of reciting poetry to herself.
The only character I didn't like was the male lead Iks, who was simply kind, calm, mysterious -- that was it. Even the characters with only one or two scenes in the whole show had more personality than that!
Art/Animation: 7/10
I must say, for an anime that takes place in a desert world, it has surprisingly gorgeous and diverse backgrounds -- you wouldn't think there would be much in such a setting. And true to her nickname Sword Dancer, Honoka's swordsmanship does look like a dance.
I loved the design of Bogie's tank body. It would be more accurate to call it an armored mobile home, with many many gun turrets, than what we would consider a tank.
The CGI of the machines works well. The most impressive use of CGI in the series has to go to Wormhole Driver and Bogie's switch from standby combat mode. Can't say the same for the random CG swans though.
In one episode, the anime took a nosedive in quality -- it almost didn't look like the same show.
Sample Screenshots:
Please click on thumbnails to see the images in original size.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third1sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third1.jpg) http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third2sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third2.jpg) http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third3sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third3.jpg)
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third4sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third4.jpg) http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third5sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third5.jpg) http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third6sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third6.jpg)
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third7sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third7.jpg) http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third8sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third8.jpg) http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third9sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third9.jpg)
Music/Sound: 8/10
The music has an interesting mix of various styles, from the festive playing of flutes to the slow playing of a violin or a piano, and even some saxophones.
The series' stronger point is definitely the slow themes to emphasize poetic moments.
Additional Comments or Warnings:
Many have viewed this series as a female version of Desert Punk (http://myanimelist.net/anime/25/Desert_Punk) and dropped it as a result. If you are expecting action with fanservice as a focus, I do not advise watching this series.
Unfortunately, the novel is not available in English, only the prequel.
Overall Anime Rating: 8/10
Reviewer: The Guiltiest Gear
Original Title: The Third - Aoi Hitomi no Shoujo.
Alternative Titles: The Third - The Girl with the Blue Eye
Format: TV, 24 episodes, complete.
Year(s): 2006.
Genres/Themes: action, adventure, sci-fi, drama; seinen.
Animation Studio: XEBEC.
Director: Kamiya Jun.
Original Authors: Hoshino Ryou.
Number of Episodes Seen: 24/24
Introduction (optional):
I saw the preview; then watched it after a friend mentioned it'd be to my tastes.
Plot and Setting/Story: 7/10
In ancient times, the world ravaged by a Great War has become mostly a desert with humanity placed under a strict law by The Third, an elf-like race of beings with a third eye, known as a Space Eye, which grants them the power to converse telepathically, as well as control over machines. This law, known as the Technos Taboo, limits how advanced the technology used by humans can become.
Honoka is a jill of all trades, traveling the sands with her AI-controlled tank Bogie. She rescues a mysterious young man named Iks that they find in the desert one night. Iks holds many secrets, but Honoka too has a secret: she also has a Space Eye, but unlike the Third's red eye, hers is blue.
It is not a very original plot, but in my eyes, the execution made it far better than others with a similar back-story.
Characters/Character Development: 8/10
First, let me start off by saying that, unlike those who hated the narrator's input, I absolutely loved it. Thanks to him, there weren't any of those scenes you so often encounter where a character has an inner monologue about their thoughts, or gives an explanation for the attack they just did. Thanks to that, the fights can keep their fast pace, explaining things as they happen rather than stopping.
To me, Bogie was the best character in the series, taking the role of a Father figure while being a disembodied voice.
Honoka was an interesting lead from the start; she has the typical tomboy attitude, yet easily gets embarrassed. But also, despite living in a world with monstrous insects and other massive and dangerous creatures, she does not treat them as such, and is willing to avoid killing them, if at all possible, and is not one to talk in battle, maintaining a serious and focused attitude. And she has a frequent habit of reciting poetry to herself.
The only character I didn't like was the male lead Iks, who was simply kind, calm, mysterious -- that was it. Even the characters with only one or two scenes in the whole show had more personality than that!
Art/Animation: 7/10
I must say, for an anime that takes place in a desert world, it has surprisingly gorgeous and diverse backgrounds -- you wouldn't think there would be much in such a setting. And true to her nickname Sword Dancer, Honoka's swordsmanship does look like a dance.
I loved the design of Bogie's tank body. It would be more accurate to call it an armored mobile home, with many many gun turrets, than what we would consider a tank.
The CGI of the machines works well. The most impressive use of CGI in the series has to go to Wormhole Driver and Bogie's switch from standby combat mode. Can't say the same for the random CG swans though.
In one episode, the anime took a nosedive in quality -- it almost didn't look like the same show.
Sample Screenshots:
Please click on thumbnails to see the images in original size.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third1sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third1.jpg) http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third2sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third2.jpg) http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third3sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third3.jpg)
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third4sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third4.jpg) http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third5sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third5.jpg) http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third6sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third6.jpg)
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third7sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third7.jpg) http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third8sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third8.jpg) http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third9sm.jpg (http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/acf/reviews/third9.jpg)
Music/Sound: 8/10
The music has an interesting mix of various styles, from the festive playing of flutes to the slow playing of a violin or a piano, and even some saxophones.
The series' stronger point is definitely the slow themes to emphasize poetic moments.
Additional Comments or Warnings:
Many have viewed this series as a female version of Desert Punk (http://myanimelist.net/anime/25/Desert_Punk) and dropped it as a result. If you are expecting action with fanservice as a focus, I do not advise watching this series.
Unfortunately, the novel is not available in English, only the prequel.
Overall Anime Rating: 8/10