IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS MEYRIN HAWKE.
THEN, THERE WAS SHIRLEY FENETTE:
AND, NOW, I SUBMIT HARU NISHIMURA:
I swear–swear–I don’t do this on purpose. Really, I don’t. I didn’t realize Shirley was voiced by Fumiko until episode two or three, and I’d already declared her made of more awesome and win than everyone else in Code Geass at the time, and in the case of Haru, she was prominently in the first promo art released–long before we knew who’d be playing her in the anime or even her name or even what Xam’d was actually about–and it was love at first sight*. It just happens that whenever Fumiko plays a major female character (who inevitably ends up doing nothing) in a show involving mecha (or mecha-like things designed by Kawamori Shoji), I like her character. However, I hold high hopes for Haru breaking the “useless” trend exhibited by the other two examples of this bizarre inexplicable phenomenon–see screenshot above.
In news that actually pertains to the actual content of Xam’d: Lost Memories, I am slightly unsure–it’s cool, I like it, but it’s also kind of confusing at the moment. Eureka Seven**, arguably, was the same way–confusing at the start, and the process of watching the series was like pieces falling into place and watching the whole get progressively more engrossing from its rather humble starting point. Xam’d, however, opted to go for a more “THIS IS AWESOME” approach to the story setting up, rather than the Eureka Seven approach, which made the series seem almost inauspicious at the start, meaning that when (by series end) people were talking about how awesome and great Eureka Seven was, people started watching the first episodes and saying ‘this isn’t awesome” and bailing.
At this stage (episode 3 of either 26 or 50 episodes, I’m not sure it’s been announced yet) it’s hard to tell much about this series, the world, or anything yet–but it’s definitely a Series to Watch Out For. The best part of the series for me, thus far, doesn’t even involve Haru–it’s the somewhat strained relationship between Akiyuki’s estranged parents. His mother still cares for his father, and he for her, but the two don’t seem to see eye to eye. The whole scene at the end of the second episode where she runs to his office to tell him Akiyuki didn’t come home eclipsed the crazy action and Haru spin-kicking that was the first half of the episode. There’s definitely some World-Saving Butt-Kicking For Justice afoot, but they aren’t forgetting that there’s more to a hero than simply saving the world. Even though we don’t really know that much about Akiyuki. Yet.
* the special kind of shallow love reserved for characters you know nothing about except their external appearance
** Last I checked, the two series were supposed to share a good deal of staff amongst the two–and they do–but most of the important roles are filled by different people, which makes that comparison somewhat unfair, but I think it’s pretty shoved in my head at this point so I’m going to leave it there and stir up controversy!
Anime wa Bakuhatsu da! 