The Third aired on TV in Japan from April until October of 2006. This 24 episode series is sci-fi/mecha/post-apocalyptic/fantasy. It takes place on Earth far into the future, an Earth that has suffered a devastating war which wiped out most life. The planet still has not recovered after countless years since the global catastrophe. The majority of the world is covered in sand, with the surviving humans huddled together in towns that serve as oases. The desert is full of danger and mysteries, only the bravest people venture into it on a regular basis. It is filled with large intelligent predators which attack people. The remaining people on the planet are governed by a group of mutated humans known as The Third, named so for the third eye on their foreheads (like Pai from 3x3 Eyes). The Third live apart from normal humans, controlling the flow of technology in order to prevent another holocaust. Scattered over the world are remnants of the Great War, weapons of great destruction, they feel that humanity has proven its inability to not destroy it's self. The Space Eye, the eye in their foreheads, allows The Third to control machines and use them to strictly enforce their laws. They limit the amount and types of technology normal humans have access to, severely punishing those who break the law, Techno Taboo.
The story centers around one girl, Honoka, who wanders the wastes with her AI partner, Bogie. They are jacks-of-all-trades, doing whatever jobs they can for money. They wander from town to town transporting people, exterminating giant insect swarms, delivering packages, etc. Honoka is known as the Sword Dancer and is respected among mercenaries far and wide for her combat abilities. One night, while traveling through the desert, they come across a young man in the middle of a sand dune. Honoka runs out to save him before he is attacked by a group of nearby predators. She pulls him inside of her vehicle, a large tank controlled by Bogie, and takes him back to town. The strange man, named Iks, offers them a job after he finds out what they do. The job is simply this, he wants them to show him around, meaning, he will stay with them for an extended amount of time observing the jobs they do and the places they go to. Honoka, being smitten by his looks, agrees to the job. One of the first jobs she gets, with Iks tagging along, requires her to contact her longtime trusted mechanic, Zankan. She meets with him and his daughter, Millie, at a predetermined destination in the desert. He has a valuable, highly illegal, power suit for Honoka.
Having possession of the suit, known as the PSP, breaks the Techno Taboo. There is a powerful member of The Third, named Joganki, who is interested in Honoka and harasses her continuously. When she gets her PSP he sends the newest AI soldier to punish Honoka for having such an illegal item. The automatic mecha is called the Blue Breaker and is the most powerful AI Honoka has ever fought. In the end, Honoka does not destroy the Blue Breaker and her friend Zankan is dead. Iks, who has mysterious powers, tries his best to sooth Millie's shattered mind after the death of her father. They take her back to the nearest town to live with her aunt. Again Honoka embarks on a job, this time for the central government it's self. She is unknowingly being sent to the site of one of the most powerful weapons form the war known only as Gravestone. At the same time The Third is planning to use another super weapon, an orbital cannon, to destroy Gravestone. Along with Iks and a new partner, Paifu they unknowingly set out towards Gravestone, directly in the line of fire.
Ok, I know the summery is a bit confusing and unclear. The series follows actually a couple of small story arc's that all tie together in the end. They develop the characters and give reference points to the final arc, which is only 2 episodes. The series is filled with a healthy amount of action, mostly Honoka destroying AI controlled mech's and giant carnivorous insects. Honoka is a moralistic life preserving character, who cannot comprehend the idea of killing or harming another human being. Paifu's character is the exact contrast. Even though she lives a life as a teacher and nurse, she is a hardened killer, with a trail of dead bodies behind her. Iks is quiet, thoughtful and mysterious. His purpose is never truly clear until the end, of which his entire journey with Honoka ultimately decides the outcome of his purpose. There are many scenarios in which Honoka and people involved with her are affected in adverse ways by the elitist Third. Joganki has somewhat of a love for Honoka and will let her get away with breaking certain rules, like owning the PSP, but everyone around her is not so lucky. One of the main plot devices in the series is with The Thirds own positions, their attitudes towards the rest of mankind. Are they really right controlling the world as they do, will they make the same mistakes as were made in the past? They create weapons of their own and greatly control humanities growth. They attempt to control the most horrific remnants of the Great War but sometimes question the intelligence behind letting such destructive forces survive.
Ok, I know the summery is a bit confusing and unclear. The series follows actually a couple of small story arc's that all tie together in the end. They develop the characters and give reference points to the final arc, which is only 2 episodes. The series is filled with a healthy amount of action, mostly Honoka destroying AI controlled mech's and giant carnivorous insects. Honoka is a moralistic life preserving character, who cannot comprehend the idea of killing or harming another human being. Paifu's character is the exact contrast. Even though she lives a life as a teacher and nurse, she is a hardened killer, with a trail of dead bodies behind her. Iks is quiet, thoughtful and mysterious. His purpose is never truly clear until the end, of which his entire journey with Honoka ultimately decides the outcome of his purpose. There are many scenarios in which Honoka and people involved with her are affected in adverse ways by the elitist Third. Joganki has somewhat of a love for Honoka and will let her get away with breaking certain rules, like owning the PSP, but everyone around her is not so lucky. One of the main plot devices in the series is with The Thirds own positions, their attitudes towards the rest of mankind. Are they really right controlling the world as they do, will they make the same mistakes as were made in the past? They create weapons of their own and greatly control humanities growth. They attempt to control the most horrific remnants of the Great War but sometimes question the intelligence behind letting such destructive forces survive.
The series has strong messages dealing with humanities fragile existence and tendency to self destruct. There is also an ecological preservation theme as well, questioning whether human beings are truly capable of not destroying Earth. The artwork is nothing special, but it is above average. The opening and ending themes are unmemorable J-Pop tunes but the soundtrack is varying and instrumental for the most part. One of the things I liked the most about this series was the use of a narrator…it added a nice flair to it and helped tell the story more naturally. The main characters are well developed throughout the series and the plot is easy to understand. All in all the series was a pleasant surprise; I was hesitant after the first episode but really started to get into it after a few more. It is for the most part a standard shonen adventure series lead by a cute young girl with some kick ass combat abilities. Yet the series actually has soul and emotions. It's a good series, that doesn't drag as much as would be expected, although at points the episodes feel much longer than 22 or so minutes. This is due to the flow of the episodes, they move at a slower pace, but this didn't have an adverse effect. Check it out if you are a fan of such titles as Appleseed, 3x3 Eyes or Battle Angel Alita. The series is based off of a manga of the same name that was published in the first part of the century.
UPDATE: This series was licensed in North America for Kadokawa Pictures USA and is available on DVD.
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