A thorough analysis of the profound themes and visual beauty of "FREEDOM"! A reevaluation of this moving story

A comprehensive review and recommendation of FREEDOM

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

November 24, 2006

■Release and sales

Bandai Visual

■Frequencies

25 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 6

■Original Story

・ Original story/Satoshi Takamatsu

■ Director

Shuhei Morita

■ Production

Produced by Sunrise Produced by FREEDOM Production Committee (Bandai Visual, Sunrise, Dentsu)

■Works

© 2006 FREEDOM COMMITTEE

■ Story

In the 23rd century, Earth civilization has collapsed due to the "Great Catastrophe" caused by the fall of a gigantic freeport. In the Lunar Republic of EDEN, the last surviving sphere of humanity, people live peacefully without questioning the peace that has been promised to them under the meticulous management of the Administration Bureau.
However, soon the actions of just one boy will shake up EDEN's freedom and peace.
Like many other boys, the protagonist Takeru and his friends were trying to participate in a race using vehicles, machines unique to the moon. What made Takeru different from the other kids was that he built the vehicles with his own hands.
Takeru felt that he was enjoying this freedom, but one day he discovered a truth that EDEN had been keeping secret.

*Quoted from the Sunrise official website

■Cast

・Takeru/Daisuke Namikawa・Kazuma/Shotaro Morikubo・Bis/Kappei Yamaguchi・Tyra/Takuya Kirimoto・Junk shop owner/Dai Matsumoto・Alan/Seizo Kato・Gosh/Kohei Fukuhara・Droit/Kazunari Tanaka・Chiyo/Eri Sendai

■ Main staff

Planning, original story: Satoshi Takamatsu・Character and mechanical design: Katsuhiro Otomo・Director: Shuhei Morita・Series composition: Dai Sato, Katsuhiko Chiba・Character design: Daisuke Sanjiki, Atsushi Irie・Mechanical design: Yasumitsu Suetake・World setting: Takashi Watanabe, Yudai Sono, Tomoyuki Aoki・Effect animation: Takashi Hashimoto・CGI director: Kodai Sato・Art director: Kei Ichimura・Color design: Nagisa Abe・Screen design: Akiyo Yamaura・Sound director: Keiichi Momose・Music: Yoshihiro Ike・Executive producers: Katsuji Umezawa, Wataru Tanaka, Kenji Uchida, Atsushi Sugita・Producers: Motoki Mukaichi, Jun Takei, Shinjiro Yokoyama, Yasumasa Tsuchiya, Hideo Matsushita・Production: Sunrise・Production: FREEDOM Production Committee (Bandai Visual, Sunrise, Dentsu)

■ Main Characters

Takeru: A boy with a proactive and reckless personality. He is imaginative and spontaneous, but he also has a weakness for women. He is an avid cup noodle fan. He begins to have doubts about society on the moon.
Kazuma is Takeru's best friend who always lends him his strength. He is a rational, intelligent and reliable man. He is a cool and strict guy who is often the butt of Takeru's jokes. He has a younger sister called Chiyo.
・A friend of Vistakel. He is a mechanic enthusiast and is knowledgeable about machines, but he can't ride them very well himself. He is shy and has a slightly twisted personality, so he often fights with Takeru.
・Leader of the Tyra Vehicle Team "Moonshine". He is loved by his teammates, both male and female. He is the leading candidate for this year's tube race champion.
・The Junk Shop Owner
He is the owner of the vehicle shop "Moonraker" in EDEN. He lends a corner of his garage free of charge to Takeru and his friends who want to build their own vehicles.
An old man who lives in the "DOM District," located away from the Fifth Dome where Aran Takeru and his friends live. He is loved and respected by the residents of the DOM District, and is also highly regarded by the high-ranking officials of the Administration Bureau.

■ Main robot items

- Tricycle Vehicle Takeru's vehicle. It was assembled by attaching a special engine for vacuum use to a discarded frame. Both the frame and the engine are different from current vehicles, making it very rare. It has great potential, but is unstable and difficult to control.

■Subtitle

・1(2006/11/24)
・2(2007/02/23)
・3(2007/04/25)
・4(2007/07/27)
・5(2007/10/26)
・6(2008/01/26)

■ Related works

・FREEDOM SEVEN

■ Theme songs and music

・TM1
・Period: 1 to 6
・This Is Love
・Lyrics/Utada Hikaru ・Composition/Utada Hikaru ・Arrangement/Utada Hikaru ・Singer/Utada Hikaru

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

■ Story and Theme

"FREEDOM" is a sci-fi action anime set in the 23rd century lunar republic of EDEN. After the Earth was destroyed by the "Great Calamity", humanity began a new life on the moon EDEN. However, this peace is under the strict control of the Administration Bureau, and freedom is restricted. The protagonist Takeru comes into contact with the truth of EDEN and embarks on an adventure in search of freedom.

The themes of this work are "freedom" and "truth." By learning about the dark side of EDEN, Takeru comes to understand how much their lives are controlled, and sets off on a journey in search of true freedom. This theme resonates with modern society and encourages viewers to think deeply. The work also depicts the growth and friendship of Takeru and his friends, giving it a strong youth drama element.

■ Characters

Takeru is a boy with a strong sense of action and a reckless personality. His love of cup noodles and his inability to deal with women make him relatable to viewers. His doubts about the society on the moon also make viewers think about what freedom is.

Kazuma is Takeru's best friend, and is a rational and reliable character. His cool and serious personality and his constant jabs at Takeru add humor to the story. His relationship with his sister Chiyo also gives a deeper look into his humanity.

Bis is a mechanic enthusiast and plays an important role in supporting Takeru and his friends' vehicles. His shy and twisted personality is depicted as he grows through his fights with Takeru.

Tyra is the leader of the vehicle team "Moonshine" and is loved by both men and women. His leadership and success in the tube races add tension to the story.

The junk shop owner is a kind man who offers Takeru and his friends a garage. He plays an important role in supporting Takeru and his friends' adventure.

Alan is an old man who lives in the DOM district, and is an important character who teaches Takeru and the others the truth about EDEN. His presence adds depth to the story and encourages the growth of Takeru and the others.

■Visual and mechanics

The visuals of "FREEDOM" give a sense of Sunrise's high quality. The character designs are by Katsuhiro Otomo, and the characters are unique and attractive. The mechanic designs are by Yasumitsu Suetake, and the designs of the vehicles and tricycles are very realistic and attractive.

Takeru's tricycle vehicle in particular is a rare machine with a special engine attached to a discarded frame. Its potential and the difficulty of operating it add tension to the story. In addition, the effects animation by CGI director Kodai Sato also realistically depicts the vehicle's movements.

■Music

The theme song "This Is Love" is sung by Hikaru Utada, and her beautiful voice and melody add excitement to the story. The background music by Yoshihiro Ike also enhances the atmosphere of the story. The music in the race and battle scenes in particular has the power to draw the viewers in.

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"FREEDOM" is a fascinating work that combines sci-fi action with a coming-of-age drama. The adventures and growth of Takeru and his friends, and the story of their pursuit of the truth behind EDEN, deeply move viewers. In addition, Sunrise's high-quality visuals and mechanics, and Hikaru Utada's beautiful theme song also enhance the appeal of the work.

This work is recommended not only for those who like science fiction and action, but also for those who like youth dramas and stories about friendship. In addition, the theme that makes you think about freedom and truth will encourage deep contemplation in the viewer. Please give it a watch.

■ Related works and recommendations

A related work to "FREEDOM" is "FREEDOM SEVEN". This work is a sequel to "FREEDOM" and depicts Takeru and his friends' new adventures. It is highly recommended for those who want to enjoy the same worldview.

We also recommend the Gundam series and Code Geass, both produced by Sunrise. These works are also fascinating, combining sci-fi action with deep themes. In particular, Code Geass shares a story about the pursuit of freedom and truth with FREEDOM, which deeply moves viewers.

Conclusion

"FREEDOM" is a fascinating work that combines sci-fi action with a coming-of-age drama. The adventures and growth of Takeru and his friends, and the story of their pursuit of the truth behind EDEN, will deeply move viewers. In addition, Sunrise's high-quality visuals and mechanics, and Hikaru Utada's beautiful theme song also enhance the appeal of the work. Please give it a watch.