Kita ze Inbou! - キタぜ陰謀!

[ Episode 2: Girl - 少女 ]

I didn’t mention this in my previous entry but the OP and ED are rockin’! They might not win any awards but I found them to be among the best the season has to offer. The sequences are pretty well-made as well which isn’t much of a surprise coming from Production I.G. Anyway, as the actual episode itself I was very pleased with the way things turned out. This episode pretty much followed Minamo on her quest to help restore the power to the Artificial Island. We also go a glimpse into her past during the entire thing. One important thing we learned about her is that as a young girl she was always eager to learn. I wonder if she’s the same way now? Well, she is as positive as ever and I rather liked the way she encouraged Haru in the previous episode which is why he is able to help her restore the power in this episode because he was able to somehow dive. I’m guessing that will be explained in the next episode or a theory will be put forth. Or we’ll just have to wait a little longer.

As for the feeling I mentioned in the previous entry, watching Real Drive reminds me of Planetes for some reason. There’s just something about the world and characters as a whole that causes me to reminisce about that series. Real Drive has had me sucked into its world and it’s a really beautiful and interesting place. I’m hoping soon that we’re given at least a glimpse of what the “sea burning” incidents are about. It appears to be something supernatural but it may not be as simple as that (or perhaps it is). Lastly, the Minamo fanservice while unexpected was pretty awesome, especially during those roller-blading scenes. I want more please!

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).

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