Impressions and reviews of MOONLIGHT MILE 2nd season "Touch down": A challenge to space and an impressive landing

MOONLIGHT MILE 2nd Season Touch Down - Moonlight Mile 2nd Season Touch Down -

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

September 13, 2007 - December 13, 2007
WOWOW September 13, 2007 to December 13, 2007 (1st to 14th episodes) Every Thursday 23:00 to 23:30

■Broadcasting station

WOWOW

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 14

■Original Story

Yasuo Ohtagaki

■ Director

Suzuki Line

■ Production

Animation Production: Studio Hibari Production: MOONLIGHT MILE Film Partners (Clockworks, IMAGICA Imageworks, WOWOW, Studio Hibari, Amuse Soft Entertainment)

■Works

© Yasuo Ohtagaki/Shogakukan, MOONLIGHT MILE Film Partners

■ Story

Goro Saruwatari has assembled the ISS and is waiting for the expedition to the moon. Lostman has become a pilot for the United States Space Force, which is being carried out in top secrecy by the United States. Carrying various thoughts, he aims for the new lunar energy resource "Helium 3". After Apollo 11, who will leave footprints on the surface of the moon...?
(This work contains some extreme language.)

*Quoted from Bandai Channel

■Explanation

What cruel fate awaits Goro and Lostman?
A new battle begins over "Helium 3," the hope of humanity that lies dormant on the moon!

The second series of the TV anime.

*Quoted from Bandai Channel

■Cast

・Gorou Saruwatari/Kazuhiko Inoue・Lostman/Hiroaki Hirata・Maggie/Tomoko Kawakami・Riyoko Ikeuchi/Rie Tanaka・Kosuke Sawamura/Hiroki Takahashi・Miguel/Masashi Yabe・Steve/Kintaro Arimoto・Tseng Li/Taro Yamaguchi

■ Main staff

・Original work: Ohtagaki Yasuo・Director: Suzuki Yuki・Series composition, script: Endo Akinori・Character design, chief animation director: Sugimoto Isao・Mechanic design, mechanical animation director: Takegami Takao・Art director: Ueda Shuzo・Color setting: Tsuno Ayumu・CG director: Go Hiroshi・Directors of photography: Yanagida Miwa, Shiomi Kazuyoshi・Editor: Morita Seiji・Sound director: Fujino Sadayoshi・Music: Sawada Kan・Music producer: Iuchi Masahiro・Producers: Takechi Tsuneo, Takiguchi Kenta, Hasegawa Tokuji, Takeuchi Takayoshi・Animation production: Studio Hibari・Production: MOONLIGHT MILE Film Partners (Klockworx, IMAGICA Imageworks, WOWOW, Studio Hibari, Amuse Soft Entertainment)

■ Main Characters

Goro Saruwatari was a world-famous student climber, but after reaching the summit of Everest, he changed his goal to aim for space. After joining Takenaga Construction, he obtained licenses to operate 36 types of heavy machinery, met the requirements for a building specialist set by NASA, and became an astronaut.
As Goro's Lost Mansail partner, he climbed Mt. Everest with Goro. After that, he joined the US Navy with the aim of going into space just like Goro, and became a pilot on a carrier-based aircraft. He was also a top-notch aerial combat pilot, and showed unparalleled results in training flights.
Maggie
She comes to the ISS with her robot partner Bug as a reporter for the ISA promotional program "Maggie's SHOW." Contrary to her appearance, she has a high aptitude as an astronaut.
Riyoko Ikeuchi was assistant manager of the personnel department at Takenaga Construction, and supported Kuramochi in the internal selection of astronaut candidates to be dispatched to ISA. She later changed jobs and became an employee of ISA, traveling around the world to space development sites.
Zheng Li is a calm and collected soldier who belongs to the Chinese Space Force and does not show his emotions. He goes into space as the pilot of the space fighter "Tianlong."

■Subtitle

・MISSION 01／The Universe in Motion (2007/09/13)
・MISSION 02／Memories of Viola (2007/09/20)
・MISSION 03／Return of the Hero (2007/09/27)
・MISSION 04／The Cold War Returns (2007/10/04)
・MISSION 05／Dogfight (2007/10/11)
・MISSION 06／ROCKET BOYS(2007/10/18)
・MISSION 07/12 Pioneers (2007/10/25)
・MISSION 08／Orion's Shield (2007/11/01)
・MISSION 09／Maggie'S SHOW(2007/11/08)
・MISSION 10／Crisis (2007/11/15)
・MISSION 11／Guardian of the Sky (2007/11/22)
・MISSION 12／Moon Base (2007/11/29)
・MISSION 13／Tears of the Moon (2007/12/06)
・MISSION 14/My Sweet Home (2007/12/13)

■ Related works

・MOONLIGHT MILE 1st Season Lift off

■ Theme songs and music

・ED1
・BOAT HOUSE
Lyrics: Sawao Yamanaka Composition: Sawao Yamanaka Arrangement: the pillows
・Song: the pillows

MOONLIGHT MILE 2nd Season Touch Down - Detailed Review and Recommendation

"MOONLIGHT MILE 2nd Season Touch Down" is a TV anime series based on the original work by Yasuo Ohtagaki, and was broadcast on WOWOW from September 13 to December 13, 2007. This series depicts an epic story of space development, human dreams, and the new energy resource "Helium 3". Below, we will provide a detailed review and recommendation of this work.

Story and Themes

"MOONLIGHT MILE 2nd Season Touchdown" revolves around Goro Saruwatari, who has just finished assembling the ISS (International Space Station), and Lostman, who has become a pilot for the United States Space Force. Though they each pursue their own paths, they share a common goal: to find the new energy resource "Helium 3" on the moon. This work depicts the practical side of space development and the passion and conflict of the people who take on the challenge.

The theme of the story is the human condition between dreams and reality. Goro and Lostman are friends who both reached the summit of Everest, but they choose different paths. Goro is a building specialist at NASA, and contributes to space development by utilizing his construction skills. Meanwhile, Lostman is a pilot for the United States Space Force, flying fighter jets while continuing to pursue his dream of space. Their story depicts the difficulty of pursuing dreams, and the strength of people who never give up.

character

Each character in this work has a deep background and personality. In particular, the main characters Goro Saruwatari and Lostman are at the center of the story, and their growth and change enhance the work as a whole. Goro is a character who combines hard work and talent, going from a world-class student mountaineer to an astronaut and obtaining licenses to operate 36 types of heavy machinery. Meanwhile, after climbing Everest with Goro, Lostman joins the US Navy and serves as a crew member on a carrier-based aircraft. His aerial combat skills are top-notch, and he achieves unparalleled results in training flights.

Maggie also appears as a reporter on ISA's promotional program "Maggie's SHOW," and despite her appearance, she is a highly qualified astronaut. Ikeuchi Riyoko changes jobs from assistant manager of the human resources department at Takenaga Construction to an employee at ISA, traveling to space development sites around the world. Tseng Li is a calm and collected soldier in the Chinese Space Force, piloting the space fighter "Tianlong." The human drama woven by these characters further enhances the appeal of the work.

Animation and visuals

The animation of "MOONLIGHT MILE 2nd Season Touch Down" stands out with its high-quality production by Studio Hibari. In particular, the depiction of outer space and the surface of the moon is realistic and beautiful, making a visual impact. Character design is by Isao Sugimoto and mechanical design is by Takao Takegami, and the combined skills of both artists support the visuals of the entire work.

Art director Shuzo Ueda's background art is also superb, with the space development site and the lunar landscape realistically recreated. Colorist Ayumu Tsuno's use of colors is also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the work. CG director Hiroshi Go's CG images are also used effectively to express the vastness of outer space and the power of the battle scenes.

Music and Sound

The music was composed by Sawada Kan, and plays an important role in enhancing the atmosphere of the work. In particular, the ending theme "BOAT HOUSE" is impressive with its powerful rock sound by the pillows, and is a song that symbolizes the theme of the story. The sound design by sound director Fujino Sadayoshi also effectively expresses the silence of outer space and the tension of the battle scenes.

Director and staff

Director Yuki Suzuki has succeeded in unifying the vision for the entire series and smoothly progressing the storyline. Series composition and scriptwriter Akinori Endo has skillfully constructed the story of each episode, depicting the growth and drama of the characters. Producers Tsuneo Takechi, Kenta Takiguchi, Tokuji Hasegawa, Takataka Takeuchi and others have also contributed greatly to the production of the work.

Recommendations and ratings

"MOONLIGHT MILE 2nd Season Touch Down" is a work that combines a grand story on the theme of space development with a deep human drama. In particular, the story that depicts the human life between dreams and reality deeply moves the audience. In addition, the high-quality animation and visuals, and powerful music and sound also enhance the appeal of the work.

This work is recommended not only for those who like space development and science fiction, but also for those who want to enjoy human drama and character growth. In particular, those who have watched the first season, "Lift off," should pay attention to the development of the second season. Overall, "MOONLIGHT MILE 2nd Season Touch Down" is a work worth watching and can be recommended to many viewers.

Related works and how to watch them

"MOONLIGHT MILE 2nd Season Touch Down" is closely related to the 1st season "Lift off". By watching the 1st season, you can gain a deeper understanding of the story and character background of the 2nd season. In addition, the original manga is also an important resource for learning more about the world view and characters of the work.

You can watch it on WOWOW or through streaming services such as Bandai Channel. DVDs and Blu-rays are also available, so it's recommended for those who want to watch at their own pace.

Conclusion

"MOONLIGHT MILE 2nd Season Touch Down" is a magnificent story about space development and human dreams, a work that combines deep human drama with high-quality animation. This work will move and excite the viewer, and is a work that can be recommended to many people, so I hope you will watch it.