A thorough review of "FREEDOM SEVEN"! A detailed explanation of its merits and shortcomings

FREEDOM SEVEN - Detailed review and recommendation

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

May 23, 2008

■Release and sales

Bandai Visual

■Frequencies

48 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

・Planning, original idea: Satoshi Takamatsu

■ Director

Shuhei Morita

■ Production

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

■Works

©2006 FREEDOM COMMITTEE

■ Story

"The Earth is alive!" To tell the truth that has been hidden in the lunar city of EDEN, and to fulfill his promise to reunite with his best friend Kazuma, Takeru returns to the moon with Ao. However, the two are detained by the EDEN Management Bureau, who are waiting for them. Kazuma appears before the two, dressed in the Management Bureau uniform! What on earth happened after Takeru and Bis left EDEN? And what is the legend of FREEDOM?

■Explanation

The setting shifts again to the Moon, and the truth about FREEDOM is now revealed!

A special edition of the OVA series. To tell the truth that has been hidden in the lunar city of EDEN, and to fulfill his promise to reunite with his best friend Kazuma, Takeru and Ao head to the moon again. However, the two are detained by the EDEN Management Bureau. Kazuma appears before the two in the quarantine facility, dressed in the Management Bureau uniform...!

*Quoted from Bandai Channel

■Cast

・Takeru/Daisuke Namikawa ・Kazuma/Shotaro Morikubo ・Ao/Sanae Kobayashi ・Alan/Seizo Kato

■ Main staff

・Planning, original story / Satoshi Takamatsu・Character & mechanical design / Katsuhiro Otomo・Director / Shuhei Morita・Series composition / Dai Sato, Katsuhiko Chiba・Character design / Daisuke Sanshiki, 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 / 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.
The girl in the photo that Aotakeru found on the moon. She has a strength and flexibility not found in lunar humans, which she has developed in order to survive on the devastated Earth.
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.

■Subtitle

・Special Edition (2008/05/23)

■ Related works

・FREEDOM

Detailed evaluation

"FREEDOM SEVEN" is an OVA released in 2008, and is positioned as a special edition of the "FREEDOM" series produced by Sunrise. This work tells the story of Takeru and Ao heading to the moon again to tell the truth that has been hidden in the lunar city EDEN and to reunite with their best friend Kazuma. In a short time of 48 minutes, it depicts a deep theme and a moving story.

First, let's talk about the story. FREEDOM SEVEN begins with Takeru and Ao being held in custody by the EDEN Administration Bureau. The scene where the two are reunited in an isolation facility with Kazuma, who is wearing the Administration Bureau uniform, leaves a strong impact on the viewer. The mystery of what happened to Takeru and Bis after they left EDEN, and what the legend of FREEDOM is, is gradually revealed, drawing the viewer in.

The character portrayal is also excellent. Takeru is a boy with a strong will and a reckless personality, but he also has a weakness for women. His love of cup noodles and his questioning of the society on the moon deeply portray his humanity. Kazuma, on the other hand, is a rational, intelligent and reliable man who also plays a key role in riling up Takeru. The fact that he has a younger sister named Chiyo also adds depth to his character. Ao is a girl with strength and flexibility that has been refined in order to survive on the devastated Earth, and her relationship with Takeru is also fascinating. Alan is an elderly man who is revered by the residents of DOM Ward, and his presence also adds depth to the story.

Visually, Katsuhiro Otomo's character and mechanic designs stand out. The depiction of the lunar city of EDEN and the mechanic designs are incredibly realistic and visually appealing. Director Shuhei Morita's direction is also superb, effectively portraying tense and moving scenes. The effects animation and use of CGI are also skillful, creating a strong visual impact.

The music is also an important element in enhancing the appeal of the work. The music by Yoshihiro Ike stirs emotions as the story unfolds. In particular, the music in the scene where Takeru and Kazuma reunite and the scene where the truth about EDEN is revealed will strike a strong chord with viewers.

The acting from the cast is also excellent. Namikawa Daisuke's Takeru is well-expressed as a dynamic and reckless character. Morikubo Shoutarou's Kazuma is a well-rounded and reliable man. Kobayashi Sanae's Ao is a strong and flexible young girl. Kato Seizo's Alan is a well-respected old man with a strong presence.

Recommendation

"FREEDOM SEVEN" is recommended not only for sci-fi anime fans, but also for viewers looking for deep themes and moving stories. In particular, it is a must-watch for those who like works that depict lunar cities and the future of the Earth. Also, for those who are interested in character development and human relationships, this work will be appealing, depicting the friendship between Takeru and Kazuma and his relationship with Ao.

To enjoy this work more, we recommend watching other works in the "FREEDOM" series first. Since "FREEDOM SEVEN" is positioned as a special edition, you can enjoy it more deeply by understanding the story of the entire series. Also, if you are interested in sci-fi anime and mechanical design, check out other works by Katsuhiro Otomo. His designs are full of visual appeal.

Furthermore, if you are interested in music, please listen to other works by Yoshihiro Ike. His music has the power to move your emotions. If you are interested in the acting of the cast, please watch other works by Daisuke Namikawa, Shotaro Morikubo, Sanae Kobayashi, and Seizo Kato. Their acting skills are also demonstrated in other works.

"FREEDOM SEVEN" is a masterpiece that depicts a deep theme and a moving story in a short time. Please experience the truth of the lunar city EDEN and Takeru and his friends' adventure through this work.