Fafner: Complete Series (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Product Description Terrorized by a hostile alien race's mental warfare, humans hear only this question just before their lives-essentially their minds-are assimilated by the violent invaders. Kazuki and his classmates lay everything on the line to pilot their heavily-guarded island's secret weapons: towering mechs for which only they are genetically qualified to control. With most of Earth destroyed, humanity's survival relies on these youths' selfless determination to protect the only home they know. But when each battle pushes the pilots to the brink of assimilation, who will protect them? Amazon.com The mecha adventure series Fafner (2004) proved so popular, it spawned a theatrical feature, a TV special, a light novelization, a manga series, and a video game. In the not-too-distant future, Earth has been devastated by the aliens known as Festum. Uncounted millions have died; most of the survivors fight rear-guard actions under the Neo-U.N. But a small group clings to life on the hidden island of Tatsumiyajima, which can be moved when danger threatens. That group includes scientists developing the technology of the Fafners, anthropomorphic robot-suits, and the teenagers who pilot them. Kazuki and his cadre of friends battle the Festum, despite great pain and the danger of being "assimilated"--having their identity absorbed by the aliens. Fafner borrows heavily from Evangelion and many of the Gundam sagas, but director Nobuyoshi Habara and his crew fail to present the story coherently. The Festum are the enemies of humankind, yet all the teenage pilots have some Festum genetic material in their bodies and several Festum manage to disguise themselves as humans. Tsubaki is--simultaneously--the living "Core" of the island, a Festum, and a weepy friend to Kazuki and his classmates. The plot lurches along incoherently, as partisans switch sides with little motivation; characters disappear for 10 episodes then inexplicably reappear; crises mount only to fizzle out. The many battle scenes lack the panache of the better mecha series, despite a plethora of CG effects, while the animation in the dialogue scenes looks almost as static as Robotech. The filmmakers can't even get the scripts to fit the standard episode length: the action sometimes begins before the title sequence, sometimes after, and sometimes continues under the closing credits. (Rated TV 14: vi