The appeal and evaluation of "Geneshaft": A must-read review for anime fans

Geneshaft - A science fiction anime about a genetically engineered future society

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

April 5, 2001 - June 28, 2001

■Broadcasting station

WOWOW

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 13

■Original Story

Original work: Satellite, Kazuki Akane

■ Director

Director: Kazuki Akane

■ Production

Produced by: Satellite

■Works

©2001 SATELIGHT/BANDAI VISUAL・DENTSU

■ Story

Late 21st century...

The human race on Earth, having begun to pursue its desires in an uncontrolled manner and unable to control them, began to squander resources, destroy the environment, and even become swayed by baseless ideologies and claims, fighting and killing each other, eventually pushing it to the brink of extinction.

To avoid extinction, they chose to force themselves to evolve - producing life from pre-programmed DNA and even controlling personalities and aptitudes - in other words, genetic manipulation.

This choice accelerated even further, and under the IEO (International Earth Government), the population balance was artificially maintained at an ideal male to female ratio of 1:9, and society stabilized as people lost romantic feelings and the desire to dominate.

Thus, in the 23rd century, a completely genetically modified society was completed.

Meanwhile, Mika Seidou, who was undergoing military training, was called on a mission to a space station where he met Hiroto Amagiwa, the man who had been his best friend's enemy...

■Explanation

This is an original work written, directed and written by Akane Kazuki, who also worked on Escaflowne. Genes are genes in English, and the male-female ratio is controlled at 1:9 by manipulating them, making the story fascinating for its resolute efforts and unique attitudes of the elite women who are active in this future society. There is a series of unrelenting developments that do not allow for digression, such as a mysterious attack from a ring that suddenly appears in space and survival on a space station, and the tension of one wrong step leading to death is the kind of hard-hitting that is unique to space science fiction. The visual highlight is when the complexly shaped robot "Shaft", created by sculptor Takeya Takayuki, begins to move in precise detail. The 3DCG depiction by Satellite, familiar from Genesis of Aquarion, is impressive along with the expanse of the vacuum of space, and is not to be missed by science fiction fans! [Anime critic Hikawa Ryusuke]
Source: Bandai Channel

■Cast

・Mika Seidou/Kumiko Higa/Hiroto Amagiwa/Takahiro Sakurai/Mir Lotus/Yumi Kakazu/Sergei IV Sneak/Shinji Kawada/Beatrice Latio/Maaya Sakamoto/Sofia Gargarin/Yuko Kaida/Tiki Musica Nova/Houko Kuwashima/Mario Musica Nova/Kenji Hamada/Remy Levi-Strauss/Suzuka Yuzuki

■ Main staff

・Original work / Satelight / Kazuki Akane ・Director / Kazuki Akane ・Series composition / Kazuki Akane ・Character design / Yasuhiro Oshima ・Main mecha design / Takayuki Takeya ・Mechanical design / Takeshi Takakura ・Art director / Goichi Katanozaka ・Color design / Kenji Chiba ・3D / CGI / Eiji Inomoto ・Editing / Seiji Morita ・Sound director / Jin Aketagawa ・Music / Akira Takasaki ・Production / Satelight

■ Main Characters

Mika Seidou is the protagonist of this work. A shaft driver candidate. She has a bright personality, but has an abnormal complex about being a White gene type. When she was a military trainee, her best friend Ryoko died in an accident, but she believes Hiroto was responsible for her death and hates him intensely. Her adoptive parents are DNA researchers, and she finds solace in exchanging e-mails with Bismarck, an intelligent dog created by them through DNA manipulation.

・Hiroto Amagiwabirkis captain. He has genes that have undergone special DNA manipulation to become the leader of humanity, and has received elite education since childhood. He has a calm and collected personality, has good judgment skills, and shows extraordinary power as a commander. However, he rarely shows emotion to others. It seems that he used to be a boy with normal sensibilities, but he seems to have changed since the incident of Ryoko's accidental death.

・Mir Lotus shaft driver candidate. She has the theoretically most excellent DNA of any human being. She is beautiful, intelligent, and has excellent athletic ability. She is proud of this and is quite arrogant and assertive. However, she is also very emotionally dependent on Sergei, who has been her tutor since she was a child, and seems to believe that whatever he does is absolute. She does not get along well with Mika and Sophia due to her own pride, and they often clash.

Sergei IV Sneak is a member of Immortal, a super elite group that reports directly to the Senate. His military rank is Colonel. Like Mir, he has excellent DNA, and like Hiroto, he has received an elite education. This is why he seems to have high expectations of the two of them. Although he appears kind from his beautiful face, he is actually quite a tricky character. The Senate, which governs humanity from behind the scenes, has trusted him enough to entrust him with full responsibility for S-missions, including the investigation of the rings. His register is Civil.

Beatrice Latiovilkis, staff officer. Hiroto's Register. Registers have been genetically engineered to suppress their emotions to an extreme degree, and their brain's sub-processing capabilities have been enhanced so that they can make accurate decisions in any situation. True to her nature as a Register, her main job is to convey the Captain's decisions to the bridge accurately and precisely. Because of this, she often gives off a cold impression to others. To nourish her brain, she always carries Register Candy with her. It seems that when she takes it, she can function without sleeping.

Sophia Gargarin: Shaft driver candidate. Tall, with model-like proportions, and outstanding athletic ability. She has a good personality, is competitive, and has a straightforward nature. She has known Mika since her training days, and although they often fight, she is also like a big sister to Mika, and is a good person to talk to. She has the most common sense in the world.

・Tiki Musica Nova Shaft driver candidate. Mario's younger sister. She and Mario trust each other, which seems strange to others in this world where siblings are rare. She is usually a cheerful and bright girl, but her foul mouth often leads to arguments with Mika.

Mario Musica Nova Birkis Captain Backup. He has the DNA of a superior species recognized by the government, and is rare in this world in that he has a younger sister named Tiki. He loves his younger sister Tiki more than anyone else. He has a cheerful and pleasant personality, and is often liked by others. He is always nonchalant, but in reality, he seems to be very smart. His register completed its life cycle one week before Mario arrived at the station, and is currently vacant.

Remy Levi-Strauss: Usually, he is like Mir's lackey, praising every move he makes, but at the ground base, he is known as a skilled attacker. He seems to have been called to the S-Mission as a shaft driver, but unlike Mika and Mir, he is a mysterious being who does not show any interest in shafts.

■Subtitle

・Episode 1: The Successor of the Planet ・Episode 2: The Singing Battleship
Episode 3: Rendezvous in Space Episode 4: Outpost Episode 5: Angels and Spaceships Episode 6: A Hotline from the Past Episode 7: Ring World Episode 8: The Moon is a Merciless Dark Emperor Episode 9: Less Than Human Episode 10: A Man Women Don't Know Episode 11: The Ceremony of Growing Up Episode 12: The Kind Man of Ganymede Episode 13: The Beginning of Childhood

Geneshaft - A detailed review and recommendation of the sci-fi anime that depicts the future of a genetically engineered society.

Geneshaft is an original animation produced by Satelight that aired in 2001, and was written, directed, and composed by Kazuki Akane. Geneshaft is set in a future society where the male-female ratio is controlled to 1:9 through genetic manipulation, and unfolds a tense story that includes survival on a space station and attacks from a mysterious ring. Below, we will provide a detailed review and recommendation of Geneshaft.

Story and Themes

The story of Geneshaft begins in the late 21st century, when Earth has been pushed to the brink of extinction by unregulated desires and the waste of resources. In order to force its own evolution, humanity has chosen to create new life through genetic manipulation. This choice results in the creation of a completely genetically manipulated society in the 23rd century, with the population balanced at an ideal male-female ratio of 1:9 and society stabilized by the elimination of romantic feelings and the desire to dominate. However, the people living in this society are troubled by the personalities and abilities born from genetic manipulation, but they still end up taking on missions on a space station.

The theme of this work is human evolution through genetic manipulation and the ethical issues that arise as a result. It asks questions such as whether it is possible to realize an ideal society through genetic manipulation, and what will be lost as a result. It also depicts human drama, such as the revenge saga surrounding the death of the protagonist Mika Seidou's best friend Ryoko, and the conflict with Hiroto Amagiwa, which deeply moves the viewer.

character

The characters in Geneshaft reflect the personalities and abilities born from genetic manipulation, and each has their own unique charm. The protagonist, Mika Seidou, has a bright personality but has a complex about being a White gene type, and believes that Hiroto was responsible for the death of his best friend, Ryoko. Hiroto Amagiwa is an elite who has undergone special DNA manipulation, and has a calm and collected personality and makes accurate decisions, but since Ryoko's death, he has stopped showing his emotions. Mir Lotus is a beautiful and intelligent woman who theoretically has the best DNA, but she is proud and often comes into conflict with Mika and Sophia.

In addition, many other unique characters appear, including Sergei IV Sneek, Beatrice Latio, Sofia Gargarin, Tsiki Musicanova, Mario Musicanova, and Remy Levi-Strauss, and their relationships and growth enrich the story.

Visuals and Music

Highlights of Gene Shaft's visuals include the beautiful space scenes created by Satelight's 3DCG technology, and the movements of the complex robot "Shaft" created by Takeya Takayuki. In particular, the survival scenes on the space station and the attack scenes from the ring are full of tension and power, making them visually enjoyable. In addition, the character designs are by Oshima Yasuhiro, and the unique characters are attractively drawn.

The music is by Akira Takasaki, and the accompanying music matches the storyline, adding excitement to the story. Particularly impressive are the background music that heightens the tension in the battle scenes, and the gentle melodies that portray the characters' feelings. In addition, the opening theme "GENE SHAFT" and the ending theme "Eternal Love" are beautiful songs that will stay in the hearts of viewers.

Recommendation

Geneshaft is a science fiction anime set in a genetically engineered society that deeply moves viewers and makes them think. It is especially recommended for science fiction fans and viewers who enjoy human drama. The beautiful images and music are also highlights, making it a visually enjoyable work. Geneshaft was broadcast in 2001, but the themes and depth of the story have not faded even today, so I highly recommend giving it a watch.

Related Titles

Other works related to Geneshaft include "Escaflowne," also directed by Akane Kazuki, and "Genesis of Aquarion," produced by Satelight. These works are also sci-fi anime that draw viewers in with their beautiful images and deep stories, and are must-watch works for Geneshaft fans. In addition, films such as "Gattaca" and "The Island" are also good references for works that deal with the theme of genetic manipulation.

summary

Geneshaft is a science fiction anime set in a genetically engineered society, and is a work that deeply moves and makes viewers think. The human drama of the unique characters and the beautiful visuals and music are also highlights, and I highly recommend it to science fiction fans and viewers who enjoy human drama. Although Geneshaft was broadcast in 2001, the themes and depth of the story have not faded even today, so I highly recommend watching it at least once.