My new love, thanks to my good friend who doesn't even watch anime.



"Area 88 (エリア88, Eria Hachi-Jū-Hachi) is a Japanese manga series by Kaoru Shintani serialized between 1979 and 1986. The story is about a young pilot named Shin Kazama and his experiences at Area 88, a mercenary air force base secluded in the desert of a war torn country. Shin goes from head of his class at a world renowned aviation school dating the beautiful daughter of an airline president to a mercenary fighter pilot bound to Area 88 by a three-year contract that he was duped into signing by a jealous and competitive childhood friend. Determined to earn $1.5 million dollars to buy his way out of the obligation and return home, killing becomes second nature to Shin as he quickly rises to the top rank at Area 88. Overwrought with shame and self-loathing for what he has become, Shin begins to question whether he is still fighting for survival, or like his fellow mercenaries, for the sheer excitement and camaraderie of battle.

Area 88 was among the first three manga to be translated into English and published in North America. It has been adapted into two anime series, the first an OVA originally published in 1985, and the latest, a 12-episode anime television series, which premiered across Japan on the anime television network Animax in 2005, and a video game. It is also a brand of model aircraft in Japan. While it appeals to aviation fans for its realistic depictions of aircraft and aerial combat, it has also been critically acclaimed for its strong character development and Shintani's poignant storytelling, combining action, tragedy, romance, and comedy."

I'm halfway through; so far this stuff is top-notch material. Blows the hell out of most shows I've seen (coming from someone who watched KGNE, FMP, H&C etc.). The first episode reminded me of Gunslinger Girl for some reason.

I remember about 3 years ago my buddies and I were watching the beginning of Macross Zero.
Beautiful CG, modern warfare, outstanding animation...... then the jets decided to transform into mechs out of the blue, and we were like "fuck."

The development, dialogue and music are damn good, and the mood, pacing and direction are just right.

I'll remember this one for a very long time.

Okay, so I finished this series a while back during exam period. Naughty me.

This is one of those series I can watch over again and again without getting tired of. One thing I noticed was the superior audio recording. Not just random voices like most series these days, but dynamic sound effects taking distance and vicinity into consideration so that it doesn't just sound real - it seems real. Of course it helps that every aspect of the vehicles are accurately modeled, but why is this the only series that put so much effort into its production? =( And not just the technical stuff - every character isn't just likable, but so realistic. I get a sense that these are real humans and real emotions - rare for shows these days.

One other thing I really liked... was that it's quite mature, in terms of tone and dialogue. It blew my mind the first time I watched, yet it still blows my mind by how excellent the show is everytime.

I suppose if they released this under a different name, they'd rake in alot more profit.