The last anime I’m reviewing this season is the CG space mech series Knights of Sidonia. Now before you leave as I’ve mentioned “CG” and “anime” in the same sentence, at least give me a chance to talk about it.

Here’s my review.

Since last fall season’s Arpeggio of Blue Steel: Ars Nova, I’ve been able to accept the CG style used in some anime a bit more. True it’s still quite a jolt compared to what I’m used to, but nevertheless I still wanted to give Knights of Sidonia a chance.

Let’s go!
Love this HUD look here.
Nice exterior shot
Shit… what the hell is that?!
Yeah just start shooting, it probably needs to be killed anyways.
Out with it’s brain-thing
And it dies.
Maxing it out eh?

As interesting as the first ep was, it failed to explain a few things. First, there wasn’t any real explanation as to why they’re on the huge space station in the first place, or what exactly the Gauna are. It’s left up to the viewer to put together some of the pieces, and that’s not always a good move. Thankfully I’d read a synopsis beforehand so I knew a bit about this one before watching it, so while I didn’t feel as lost, there still were things I’d have liked explained some more. Alright so since I don’t feel like summarizing the plot in my own words, I’ll just give this to you to read:

It’s been a thousand years since the Gauna, a strange alien race with no known method of communication, destroyed the solar system. A portion of humanity managed to escape using enormous “seed ships” like the Sidonia, which have allowed them to maintain the population while drifting through space. Nagate Tanikaze is a young man who has been raised deep in the bowels of the ship. When he goes into training to pilot the huge robotic weapons known as Gardes, Nagate is entrusted with piloting the legendary unit known as Tsugumori. Nagate and his fellow pilots put their lives on the line against the Gauna, in the ultimate battle for the survival of humanity!

(Courtesy of MAL)

So there you have a brief rundown of what’s going on. Ep 1 was is mainly just in introductory ep where we meet Nagate as he’s been underground for some unspecified time training in this VR pilot simulator using a Type 17 Garde. Over the period of time he’s gotten really good, but he’s also run out of food down there, so he ventures out on a quest for food one day. He’s caught obviously and from there he lands himself in the pilot training school. Then one day he gets a sortie order for a standard mining operation, but as fate would have it things wouldn’t be that easy and they run into a Gauna, the first one seen in 100 years. From that point onwards, it’s time to chew bubble gum and kick some Gauna ass.

Some points I noticed from the first ep: sound design. Wow the Gardes sound so awesome! I don’t think I’ve heard a cooler sounding mech in a while; the motors on those things put out not only a pretty blue glow, but a very neat sound. Also, the general animation of the environment is very well done. The underground shots are detailed and even stuff in the background is pretty well detailed too. It’s neat what the CG animation style can do, as it brings an added layer of depth to each scene. Quickly going back to the mechs here, the cockpits of the Gardes are very nice too. I love the 3D look of the HUD and the one sequence when the mechs are launching is pretty awesome. While character design might not look that pretty, I’m hoping as things move along that it’ll get better, much like Arpeggio did.

Let’s take a look at some screen caps from the first ep now.

 

[Underwater] Knights of Sidonia - 01 (720p) [3844F8E2].mkv_snapshot_02.48_[2014.04.13_13.28.13]

Nice attention to detail here.
Nice attention to detail here.
Even the garbage looks nice
Even the garbage looks nice
Of course we've gotta be beyond this point
Of course we’ve gotta be beyond this point
The quest for food can't end here!
The quest for food can’t end here!
Ah rice! The day is saved!
Ah rice! The day is saved!
Hell yeah, let's go jump in the rice!
Hell yeah, let’s go jump in the rice!
HOLY FUCK! OH MY GOD THAT LOOKS SO FUCKING PAINFUL! HOW IS HE NOT SCREAMING RIGHT NOW?!
HOLY FUCK! OH MY GOD THAT LOOKS SO FUCKING PAINFUL! HOW IS HE NOT SCREAMING RIGHT NOW?!

[Underwater] Knights of Sidonia - 01 (720p) [3844F8E2].mkv_snapshot_04.24_[2014.04.13_13.30.39] [Underwater] Knights of Sidonia - 01 (720p) [3844F8E2].mkv_snapshot_04.45_[2014.04.13_13.31.04]

Honestly I was not expecting this to happen.
Honestly I was not expecting this to happen.
Like for real I had no idea what was happening during this part.
Like for real I had no idea what was happening during this part.
But yeah I had to get some screen shots of this.
But yeah I had to get some screen shots of this.

[Underwater] Knights of Sidonia - 01 (720p) [3844F8E2].mkv_snapshot_05.08_[2014.04.13_13.32.21]

[Underwater] Knights of Sidonia - 01 (720p) [3844F8E2].mkv_snapshot_06.38_[2014.04.13_13.34.56]

[Underwater] Knights of Sidonia - 01 (720p) [3844F8E2].mkv_snapshot_07.19_[2014.04.13_13.36.08]

Ah, his hand it looking much better now.
Ah, his hand it looking much better now.
The Great Escape
The Great Escape
...uh... what?
…uh… what?
Attack of the clones
Attack of the clones
Nice clip thing
ID card
Wait, what?
Oh no…
FUCK
Maybe it’s time to call it a day here.
Shit…
…
…
…
…

So that’s a quick look through ep 1. Objectively speaking it’s got things going for it, but I’ll have to watch another ep before I can form a solid opinion about this anime. I liked the overall look of it, but the character designs will take some getting used to. So before we close this, I’ve got some pics of the action-y bits at the end.

Check that out
Ooh! The HUD once again!
What Sidonia looks like from the outside
Shit just got real
And it ends…

 

Right then, so that’s my ep 1 review, and here’s a quick look at what’s happening next weekend!

Ah hell no, that’d be a terrible way to go.
Yes you should look worried.

Cya guys next week!

Up next I’ll have a look at Mahouka ep 2! Check back later today for more wincest!

 

Check out the Recommendations page if you’d like to recommend an anime for me to watch!

Ask.fm is always there for you to ask my questions. Why not try it out this time?

I’m always alive and active on Twitter. Follow me and you’ll see.

-Nick

It’s been a thousand years since the Gauna, a strange alien race with no known method of communication, destroyed the solar system. A portion of humanity managed to escape using enormous “seed ships” like the Sidonia, which have allowed them to maintain the population while drifting through space. Nagate Tanikaze is a young man who has been raised deep in the bowels of the ship. When he goes into training to pilot the huge robotic weapons known as Gardes, Nagate is entrusted with piloting the legendary unit known as Tsugumori. Nagate and his fellow pilots put their lives on the line against the Gauna, in the ultimate battle for the survival of humanity!
Read more at http://myanimelist.net/anime/19775/Sidonia_no_Kishi#V3fUqDUj0vvHQLM0.99
It’s been a thousand years since the Gauna, a strange alien race with no known method of communication, destroyed the solar system. A portion of humanity managed to escape using enormous “seed ships” like the Sidonia, which have allowed them to maintain the population while drifting through space. Nagate Tanikaze is a young man who has been raised deep in the bowels of the ship. When he goes into training to pilot the huge robotic weapons known as Gardes, Nagate is entrusted with piloting the legendary unit known as Tsugumori. Nagate and his fellow pilots put their lives on the line against the Gauna, in the ultimate battle for the survival of humanity!
Read more at http://myanimelist.net/anime/19775/Sidonia_no_Kishi#V3fUqDUj0vvHQLM0.99

It’s been a thousand years since the Gauna, a strange alien race with no known method of communication, destroyed the solar system. A portion of humanity managed to escape using enormous “seed ships” like the Sidonia, which have allowed them to maintain the population while drifting through space. Nagate Tanikaze is a young man who has been raised deep in the bowels of the ship. When he goes into training to pilot the huge robotic weapons known as Gardes, Nagate is entrusted with piloting the legendary unit known as Tsugumori. Nagate and his fellow pilots put their lives on the line against the Gauna, in the ultimate battle for the survival of humanity!
Read more at http://myanimelist.net/anime/19775/Sidonia_no_Kishi#V3fUqDUj0vvHQLM0.99

It’s been a thousand years since the Gauna, a strange alien race with no known method of communication, destroyed the solar system. A portion of humanity managed to escape using enormous “seed ships” like the Sidonia, which have allowed them to maintain the population while drifting through space. Nagate Tanikaze is a young man who has been raised deep in the bowels of the ship. When he goes into training to pilot the huge robotic weapons known as Gardes, Nagate is entrusted with piloting the legendary unit known as Tsugumori. Nagate and his fellow pilots put their lives on the line against the Gauna, in the ultimate battle for the survival of humanity!
Read more at http://myanimelist.net/anime/19775/Sidonia_no_Kishi#V3fUqDUj0vvHQLM0.99

It’s been a thousand years since the Gauna, a strange alien race with no known method of communication, destroyed the solar system. A portion of humanity managed to escape using enormous “seed ships” like the Sidonia, which have allowed them to maintain the population while drifting through space. Nagate Tanikaze is a young man who has been raised deep in the bowels of the ship. When he goes into training to pilot the huge robotic weapons known as Gardes, Nagate is entrusted with piloting the legendary unit known as Tsugumori. Nagate and his fellow pilots put their lives on the line against the Gauna, in the ultimate battle for the survival of humanity!
Read more at http://myanimelist.net/anime/19775/Sidonia_no_Kishi#V3fUqDUj0vvHQLM0.99

It’s been a thousand years since the Gauna, a strange alien race with no known method of communication, destroyed the solar system. A portion of humanity managed to escape using enormous “seed ships” like the Sidonia, which have allowed them to maintain the population while drifting through space. Nagate Tanikaze is a young man who has been raised deep in the bowels of the ship. When he goes into training to pilot the huge robotic weapons known as Gardes, Nagate is entrusted with piloting the legendary unit known as Tsugumori. Nagate and his fellow pilots put their lives on the line against the Gauna, in the ultimate battle for the survival of humanity!
Read more at http://myanimelist.net/anime/19775/Sidonia_no_Kishi#V3fUqDUj0vvHQLM0.99

It’s been a thousand years since the Gauna, a strange alien race with no known method of communication, destroyed the solar system. A portion of humanity managed to escape using enormous “seed ships” like the Sidonia, which have allowed them to maintain the population while drifting through space. Nagate Tanikaze is a young man who has been raised deep in the bowels of the ship. When he goes into training to pilot the huge robotic weapons known as Gardes, Nagate is entrusted with piloting the legendary unit known as Tsugumori. Nagate and his fellow pilots put their lives on the line against the Gauna, in the ultimate battle for the survival of humanity!
Read more at http://myanimelist.net/anime/19775/Sidonia_no_Kishi#V3fUqDUj0vvHQLM0.99
It’s been a thousand years since the Gauna, a strange alien race with no known method of communication, destroyed the solar system. A portion of humanity managed to escape using enormous “seed ships” like the Sidonia, which have allowed them to maintain the population while drifting through space. Nagate Tanikaze is a young man who has been raised deep in the bowels of the ship. When he goes into training to pilot the huge robotic weapons known as Gardes, Nagate is entrusted with piloting the legendary unit known as Tsugumori. Nagate and his fellow pilots put their lives on the line against the Gauna, in the ultimate battle for the survival of humanity!Read more at http://myanimelist.net/anime/19775/Sidonia_no_Kishi#V3fUqDUj0vvHQLM0.99
It’s been a thousand years since the Gauna, a strange alien race with no known method of communication, destroyed the solar system. A portion of humanity managed to escape using enormous “seed ships” like the Sidonia, which have allowed them to maintain the population while drifting through space. Nagate Tanikaze is a young man who has been raised deep in the bowels of the ship. When he goes into training to pilot the huge robotic weapons known as Gardes, Nagate is entrusted with piloting the legendary unit known as Tsugumori. Nagate and his fellow pilots put their lives on the line against the Gauna, in the ultimate battle for the survival of humanity!Read more at http://myanimelist.net/anime/19775/Sidonia_no_Kishi#V3fUqDUj0vvHQLM0.99
It’s been a thousand years since the Gauna, a strange alien race with no known method of communication, destroyed the solar system. A portion of humanity managed to escape using enormous “seed ships” like the Sidonia, which have allowed them to maintain the population while drifting through space. Nagate Tanikaze is a young man who has been raised deep in the bowels of the ship. When he goes into training to pilot the huge robotic weapons known as Gardes, Nagate is entrusted with piloting the legendary unit known as Tsugumori. Nagate and his fellow pilots put their lives on the line against the Gauna, in the ultimate battle for the survival of humanity!Read more at http://myanimelist.net/anime/19775/Sidonia_no_Kishi#V3fUqDUj0vvHQLM0.99