Kita ze Inbou! - キタぜ陰謀!

Series Information
ANN Encyclopedia | AniDB | AnimeNfo
OP: “Wanderland” by 9mm Parabellum Bullet
ED: “Katahiza no Yogore (片膝の汚れ)” by Last Alliance
Production: Production I.G

[ Episode 1: Underwater Island Drive - ウラシマドライブ ]

Wow. There was quite a bit of stuff to go through in this introductory episode. Needless to say, I felt that this was one of the more solid first episodes of the Spring selections. Real Drive definitely has tons of imagination flowing through it and you can see it almost every where you look. People can talk to each other through brainwaves thanks to cyber brains, there are (seemingly) independent androids such as Holon walking around that have a certain degree of loyalty, and the concept of diving is pretty involved to a point where it’s almost insanely complex. Most things are pretty understandable though aside from the mystery of the sea “burning” and a few other things that will most likely be explained as the series progresses.

The characters are some of the most interesting this season. The main character, Haru, starts off young and ends up as an old guy after an unfortunate accident puts him into a coma. He’s easily one of, if not the, oldest main characters I’ve ever seen. He seems to be pretty likable and not like the stereotypical grumpy old coot. Kushima is a friend of his who aged pretty well for reasons unclear to me at the moment. Perhaps he didn’t age as much because of specific type of medical science? I would expect the explanation for his youthful appearance to be connected to that sort of thing. Souta is a pretty cool guy even if he’s a bit stiff when it comes to performing his duties or being ‘proper’. He’s a pretty good fighter too though he wasn’t a match for Haru’s android, Holon. Speaking of Holon, she’s pretty awesome. If she wasn’t revealed as such, I wouldn’t have been able to tell that she was an android at all. Minamo is the sole female main character at the moment and is pretty refreshing to have around. She seems to be a pretty open girl and radiates positivity almost 24/7. I’m looking forward to seeing more of her (same with Holon and Souta).

I’m really liking this series after seeing this first episode. It’s a great departure from shows that contain over-the-top fanservice, bishies, bishoujos, and the like. I love to spend some time with imaginative and mature shows such as Real Drive. It’s hard to tell where it’s going at the moment and I believe that by the next episode I’ll be able to identify a certain feeling this show evokes in me.