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		Home < Reviews < Spike < Genesis of Aquarion (Sousei no Aquarion)
					Review*Genesis of Aquarion by Joe Di Benedetto (Spike Spiegel) Animation by Statelight Creator/Drawn: Shoji Kawamori
				Genesis of Aquarion was one of two new anime series that I was really looking forward to in the spring. Why was I looking forward to this series? Two names: Shouji Kawamori and Yoko Kanno. Don’t know who these two people are? Well, it is time to learn. Shouji Kawamori is best known for creating the masterpiece, the Vision of Escaflowne. Well, Kawamori is back as the creator and director of Sousei no Aquarion. Yoko Kanno is the mastermind behind many of the best anime soundtracks. You probably know her work best from Cowboy Bebop, Vision of Escaflowne, and Wolf’s Rain soundtracks, to name a few. So now you have a better idea as to why Sousei no Aquarion has been so anticipated. Sousei no Aquarion is a modern mecha-anime much in the same vein as Neon Genesis Evangelion. The setting is Earth in the distant future after two thirds of the world's population was destroyed due to random acts of nature. The icecaps melted (so I guess global warming took effect), and Atlantis appeared after 12,000 years. The Fallen Angels (the race of humans with wings that lived in Atlantis) got revived, and they began sending biomechanical weapons called Mythical Beasts into cities to capture people in order to drain them of biological energy called Purana. In the show, the humans use fighter planes called Vector Machines to combat the Mythical Beasts. The Vector Machines combine together and turn into Machine Angel Aquarion. A person with the Element ability only could be compatible with the system and able to operate Aquarion. A search for individuals with the Element ability was conducted, and teenage candidates were gathered to be pilots. This is the basic synopsis of the plot, but it does go even deeper than this. The characters are superb, and very enjoyable. There is a fair amount of comedic moments, especially the clashes between Apollo and Silvia (two of the main characters). The animation is absolutely amazing. The show offers an excellent combination of CG and art that is second to none in the new season. If you are looking for something pretty to look at, this is the series for you. After watching the first episode of the series, I was on the fence as to whether I was going to enjoy this series or not. The first episode kind of drops you right into the story and doesn’t slow down to explain what exactly is happening. But don’t let that discourage you, the backstory begins to be explained in the second episode. So if you decide to give Sousei no Aquarion a chance, watch the first 4 episodes before forming an opinion.