Last Exile (ラストエグザイル) is a 26 episode fantasy military drama created by Gonzo. The series was the brain child of the same people behind Blue Submarine No. 6 and originally aired in Japan in 2003.
In a world where water is precious and nobility wage regimental wars ruled by chivalry and order a shadow organization called The Guild controls the real power. Lavie and Claus, childhood friends and airship couriers, end up in the middle of major political change as their job brings them to the front lines of the war. First to deliver a personal message to an airship captain then when a dangerous and top secret mission is thrust upon them.
The top secret mission is to deliver a bewildered little girl to the captain of a rogue airship known as the Silvana. The successful delivery leads them to joining the crew of the ship. The ships captain is on a personal vendetta against The Guild and does what he feels is needed to exact that revenge, even going against what could be considered his allies. The lowly couriers become part of the impending upheaval of power in the world as the old system crumbles through neglect and conceit.
This series is steam punk in many ways. The ships are powered through water/steam technology, its set in a world on the cusp of the industrial revolution and deals with pampered nobility exploiting the labor and resources of the lower class for their own gains. Even with my great distaste of steampunk I do enjoy the series and have since I originally saw it 10 years prior. The story and its characters are what keep you interested. The world is explained well through out the first half of the series as the primer events unfold. The show progresses very much like a Final Fantasy game.
The artwork is a product of its time, for better or worse. Simplistic character animation with decent computer animated action and background scenes. The characters are of the same rounded features found in Blue Sub and Haibane Renmei. A style not exactly to my liking, but far superior to the extremely angled facial features of the mid 90's. It also is part of the wave of anime that overcame the horrible animation of seen at the turn of the century. The mechanical designs are highly detailed and fantastic, but in action clunky at times and unnatural.
The series has been licensed and available in North America for a long time and is readily available on disc and streaming subbed and with a rather cringe worthy English dub.
In a world where water is precious and nobility wage regimental wars ruled by chivalry and order a shadow organization called The Guild controls the real power. Lavie and Claus, childhood friends and airship couriers, end up in the middle of major political change as their job brings them to the front lines of the war. First to deliver a personal message to an airship captain then when a dangerous and top secret mission is thrust upon them.
The top secret mission is to deliver a bewildered little girl to the captain of a rogue airship known as the Silvana. The successful delivery leads them to joining the crew of the ship. The ships captain is on a personal vendetta against The Guild and does what he feels is needed to exact that revenge, even going against what could be considered his allies. The lowly couriers become part of the impending upheaval of power in the world as the old system crumbles through neglect and conceit.
This series is steam punk in many ways. The ships are powered through water/steam technology, its set in a world on the cusp of the industrial revolution and deals with pampered nobility exploiting the labor and resources of the lower class for their own gains. Even with my great distaste of steampunk I do enjoy the series and have since I originally saw it 10 years prior. The story and its characters are what keep you interested. The world is explained well through out the first half of the series as the primer events unfold. The show progresses very much like a Final Fantasy game.
The artwork is a product of its time, for better or worse. Simplistic character animation with decent computer animated action and background scenes. The characters are of the same rounded features found in Blue Sub and Haibane Renmei. A style not exactly to my liking, but far superior to the extremely angled facial features of the mid 90's. It also is part of the wave of anime that overcame the horrible animation of seen at the turn of the century. The mechanical designs are highly detailed and fantastic, but in action clunky at times and unnatural.
The series has been licensed and available in North America for a long time and is readily available on disc and streaming subbed and with a rather cringe worthy English dub.
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