VANDREAD review: The appeal of space adventure and combat

Vandread - A story of a man and a woman who met at the edge of the universe

"Vandread" is a TV anime series produced by GONZO that aired in 2000, and was created under the direction and original story of Takeshi Mori. The story follows the journey of a man and woman who, upon learning of an unknown enemy's invasion, call a temporary truce and aim to return to their home planet during a long-running interstellar war between the all-male planetary nation "Talak" and the all-female fleet nation "Medjer." Below, we will introduce detailed information and reviews of "Vandread," as well as recommended points.

■Overview of the work

"Vandread" is a 13-episode series that was broadcast on WOWOW from October 3 to December 19, 2000. The original story was written by Mori Takeshi and GONZO, and animation was also done by GONZO. Copyright belongs to "©2000 Mori Takeshi, GONZO/KADOKAWA".

■ Story

In a galaxy far from the solar system, an all-male planetary nation called "Taraak" and an all-female fleet nation called "Medjer" have been engaged in an interstellar war for many years. A Medjer pirate ship attacks the Tarak battleship Ikazuchi, but the control device Pexis goes out of control and combines and fuses with Ikazuchi's old fleet, becoming the battleship Nirvana. Upon learning of an unknown enemy invasion, Hibiki the Tarak and Dita the Medjer call a temporary truce to warn the others of the danger. The men and women who are supposed to be enemies begin a journey back to their home planet.

■Explanation

"Vandread" is one of GONZO's early representative works, produced as a TV series with high-quality images that could only be realized in OVAs. It creates a fascinating worldview with powerful action depicted in 3DCG and a depiction of outer space reminiscent of Star Trek, with a full range of sci-fi elements. Also noteworthy is how each character overcomes one crisis after another and grows as a person. With Mori Takeshi as director, and the combined efforts of up-and-coming members supporting the Japanese animation industry, you can enjoy a new era of space opera.

■Cast

• Hibiki Tokai/Yoshino Hiroyuki
• Dita Liebely/Yumi Kakazu
• Meir Gisborne/Fumiko Orikasa
• Shura Basil Elden/Yu Asakawa
• Bert Garsas/Tomokazu Seki
• Duero MacPhail/Hideki Tasaka
• Barnett Orangero/Michiko Neya
• Parfait Balblair/Megumi Toyoguchi
• Paiwei Underberg/Sawa Ishige
• Ezra Vieille/Sayaka Ohara
• Gascony Rheingau/Mayumi Asano
• Busam A. Caressa/Yoko Sawami
• Magno Bivan/Naoko Kyoda
• Pyoro/Mitsuo Iwata

■ Main staff

• Planning, original story: Mori Takeshi, GONZO
• Director: Takeshi Mori
• Series Composition: Atsuhiro Tomioka
• Character design and chief animation director: Kazuya Kuroda
• Mechanics visor: Masahiro Maeda, Hiroshi Yamaguchi
• Mechanics design: Kanetake Ebikawa, Yoshikazu Miyao
• 3DCG Director: Tatsuya Kono, Akira Suzuki
• 3D Mechanic Director/Tetsuya Watanabe
• Art director: Junichi Azuma
• Director of photography: Karato Mitsuhiro
• Planning cooperation: Umanosuke Iida, Shinji Higuchi
• Sound Director: Yota Tsuruoka
• Music by Fuminori Iwasaki
• Animation production: GONZO
• Produced by Media Factory, GDH

■ Main Characters

There are many unique characters in "Vandread." The main characters are introduced below.

• Hibiki Tokai
  16 years old. A third-class citizen and mechanic on the planet Tarak. For the past 16 years, he has been digging his own grave by constantly trying to make himself look bigger than he actually is, always putting up a fight and putting up a fight. He admires strong men and always holds his head up high in order to make himself look like one.
• Bert Garsus
  16 years old. He is the son of a wealthy businessman in the demand industry on the planet Tarak, and is a member of the first class of military academy. He is a rich kid with an aggressive policy that if you have money and can talk, there is nothing you can't get. He is a big talker and a playboy who tries to make himself look competent. However, he is not there when it really counts.
• Duero MacPhail
  17 years old. He is the first graduate of the military academy on planet Tarak and is an elite of the academy with a military doctor's license. He is loyal to his desire for knowledge, and is particularly interested in the structure of the human body. Therefore, when he sees an injury, his heart beats fast and he is passionate about treating it. (A bit abnormal?!) He is usually a quiet, cool doctor who is constantly observing others. He can also be cautious in order to calmly judge events.
• Dita Liebely
  16 years old. A pirate and apprentice pilot from Mejer. A girl who believes in the existence of UFOs and dreams of pandering to aliens. It seems that the Taraks also see them as "aliens" and do not consider them enemies. She is easy to believe in anything and does things at her own pace. She is quite clumsy, but is unaware of this. Once she makes up her mind, she goes straight for it, and has an honest and straightforward personality, but she also goes off the rails without regard for the trouble she causes to those around her. Whenever she has free time, she looks up at the starry sky in search of UFOs. Is that an escape from reality?
• Meir Gisborne
  19 years old. Chief pilot and pirate of Mejer. He is quiet and strict with himself, never showing his emotions, but his strictness has earned him the trust of his subordinates. Wishing to become stronger, he is always searching for the answer to that question. He likes being alone and has a strong sense of responsibility. His piloting skills are top-notch.
• Gyula Basil Elden
  20 years old. A pirate and pilot from Mejer. He loves to stand out and have fun, has a strong sense of pride, and will use any trick to get it. He will get what he wants, but it's more about getting it, and he's not very interested in what happens after that. He's the type who looks good on the outside, but is...
• Barnett Orangero
  18 years old. A pirate and pilot from Mejelle. He is always with Jura and plays the role of supporting Jura, who shines like the sun. He is aware that he is a jack of all trades and master of none, but he also dislikes it. Is he bad at expressing his true feelings?
• Parfait Balblair
  18 years old. Pirate and chief engineer of Mejer. He has no interest in anything other than machines and inventions. He is best friends with Dita. He never loses his composure no matter what the situation is, probably because he is extremely nearsighted and only sees what is in front of him and nothing else...
• Paiway Underberg
  11 years old. A pirate nurse for the Jer. However, since medical care on the Mejer is left to the system, her main job is to check the condition of the crew. She sniffs out other people's secrets and keeps a record of them. She's a people-pleaser who gets along with everyone.
• Ezra Vieille
  24 years old. A pirate and operator of Mejer. She is always smiling and has a soft personality, and is an extremely kind older sister. She dotes on Dita like a little sister. She listens to what Dita and Parfait say, but in fact she doesn't understand anything at all. Once she gets angry, she becomes uncontrollable... probably.
• Gascon-Rheingau
  32 years old. Manager of the Mejer pirate cash register system. He rarely goes to the front lines, instead taking care of all the maintenance and equipment for Dread Team Meia and the others. He calls himself a "backstage player" and has the bold and open-minded ability to lead his subordinates. His words always carry the weight of a leader, and he gets to the heart of the matter with few words.
• Busam A. Caressa
  25 years old. Pirate and first officer of the Mejer. He supports Captain Magno and acts as his advisor, and takes command on the scene. He is a cool older sister that the crew looks up to.
• Magno Bivan
  108 years old. Captain of the Medjer pirates. Although she has the air of a kind of enlightened nun who has seen the sweet and sour side of life, her actions are backed up by her experiences as a monk who has broken the vows. She formed a pirate band and became something of a threat to both Tarak and Medjer...
• An information processing unit that was installed in Ikazuchi when the first generation of Pyolotalark migrated to the current planet. Due to a certain incident, parts of its memory circuits were restored, and it was regenerated with a more human feel. It moves freely in Nirvana, and after regeneration, it is somehow friendly with women. However, it has a special skill of shutting down its system immediately when it becomes inconvenient.

■ Main robot items

The following types of mecha and robots appear in "Vandread".

• stage
  • A satellite of a star system located in the center of the Tarak Galaxy, it is a planet of red soil inhabited only by men. It is a military nation equipped with gun emplacements on its surface to defend against external invasions. The people live in cities built underground like trenches.
  • A nation of women only, located on a planet in the same star system as Mejer Tarak. (Tarak is a moon of that planet.) Due to the terraforming process, with the exception of a few areas, the nation has formed a fleet centered around the space fleet from the time of colonization.
• Mecha/Robot
  • Special Barbarian Type
  • Dita Special Dreadlocks
  • Meia Special Dread
  • Jura Special Dread
  • Vandread Dita
  • Vandread Meir
  • Vandread Jura

■Subtitle

The subtitles for each episode of "Vandread" are as follows:

• #01/Boy Meets Girl
• #02/And then I'm at a loss
• #03/This is my way of life
• #04/I want to know more about you
• #05/Sweet Trap
• #06／What a Wonderful World
• #07／Easy Life
• #08/It's impossible!
• #09/More barbaric than heaven
• #10／White Love
• #11/Together…
• #12／THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US
• #13／To Feel The Fire

■ Related works

"Vandread" has the following related works:

• Vandread: The Movement
• Vandread the second stage
• Vandread: Fierce Battle

■ Theme songs and music

The theme songs and insert songs for "Vandread" are as follows.

• OP1
  • TRUST
  • Lyricist: Yudai Takamitsu
  • Composer: Fuminori Iwasaki
  • Arrangement: Fuminori Iwasaki
  • Singer: Salia
• ED1
  • Himegoto
  • Lyrics by Miki
  • Composer: Miyo-Ken
  • Arrangement: Miyo-Ken
  • Song: SiLC
• Insert song 1
  • Haruka Ikutose
  • Lyricist: Yudai Takamitsu
  • Composer: Fuminori Iwasaki
  • Arrangement: Fuminori Iwasaki
  • Sung by Yumi Kakazu, Yu Asakawa, Fumiko Orikasa, Megumi Toyoguchi
• Insert song 2
  • WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD
  • Lyricist: Robert Thiele (a/k/a: George Douglas)
  • Composer: George D. Weiss
  • Singer: Donna Burke

■ Evaluation and recommended points

"Vandread" is a work that depicts the conflict between men and women, but ultimately shows them working together to face an unknown enemy. Below are the reviews and recommended points.

1. Charming characters

The biggest appeal of "Vandread" is its characters, each with their own unique personality. The main characters, including Hibiki and Dita, are depicted growing up, drawing viewers in. In addition, the differences in culture and values ​​between Tarak and Mejer are reflected in the characters' actions and thoughts, giving the series a sense of depth.

2. Powerful action scenes

The action scenes, which make full use of 3DCG, are visually very appealing. In particular, Vandread's battle scenes are powerful and worth watching. The mecha designs are also unique, making it a must-see for sci-fi fans.

3. Deep Themes

"Vandread" depicts themes of conflict and cooperation between men and women, as well as the fight against an unknown enemy. These themes make the viewer think deeply, making it not just entertainment but also containing a social message.

4. Music

The theme songs and insert songs also add to the atmosphere of the work, with the opening song "TRUST" and the ending song "himegoto" being particularly memorable. In addition, the insert songs "Ikutose Haruka" and "WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD" are also used effectively to match the development of the story, and are also highly praised for their music.

5. Story Development

The story of "Vandread" carefully depicts the process of gradually shifting from the initial conflict to cooperation, so viewers will not get bored. In addition, the battle against an unknown enemy and the growth of the characters are depicted as the story progresses, making it a worthwhile watch.

Conclusion

"Vandread" is a work that is attractive for its unique characters, powerful action scenes, deep themes, impressive music, and careful story development. It is especially recommended for those who like science fiction and space opera. It will also be enjoyed by those who are interested in the theme of conflict and cooperation between men and women. Please give it a watch.