Earthian
Reviewer: Vitani [email] [website]Overall Rating: A-
Media Reviewed: DVD
Creator: Kouga Yun
U.S. Licensed: Yes
Released by: Media Blasters
Run time: 150 minutes
BL Content: Soft (touching, kissing)
Genre: Sci-Fi/Supernatural
Other media: English-licensed manga [review]
For centuries the angel beings on the Planet Eden have observed the Planet Earth and its inhabitants, watching as mankind repeated its tragedies and wars. As Eden began shifting closer to the Earth, the Archangels decided to send down agents to investigate both the wrong-doings as well as the good qualities of those living on the planet - to see if their fears of this race were justified. With these investigators' reports, Eden would decide if they would continue to live with them, or if the Earthians needed to be eradicated from existance.
Earthian is a complex anime, adapted from the manga by Yun Kouga into three separate OVAs. The story centers on Chihaya, a Positive [Plus] Investigator who is youthful, sweet-natured, and entirely naive. His reports focus on the good he sees on Earth, and for him, the world is beautiful, full of interesting, emotional people. Chihaya has the biggest heart among all of the angels. But he stands out as different - because he is the only angel with black hair and wings.
His partner and the Negative Investigator is Kagetsuya, a beautiful and fair-haired bishounen with white wings and dismal outlook on the Earthians. Kagetsuya spends most of his time on Earth cooking, and watching out for Chihaya, as the boy has a tendancy to get himself into trouble by helping others. Kagetsuya is harsh in his reality of their duties, not to get involved with the Earthians, but to observe objectively. However, Chihaya believes that they had to take to heart the feelings of the people they were investigating - to understand exactly what makes men tick. Though Kagetsuya is strict and firm, he always backs up his partner in the end, stalling for more time to do what seemed right for them both.
However, time seems to be running out for them when Chihaya begins to have nightmares, haunted by the hidden meaning of his black wings. Usually, black wings was a sign of a Lucifer, an angel who had fallen from grace to wander Earth as an "evil spirit" - however, that darkness spreads as a cancer, until the Lucifer dies. Confused, frightened, Chihaya starts his own personal quest to learn the difference between the angels, the meaning of his own existance, and save the future of the Earthians he has grown to love.
It is hard to review "Earthian" the anime. It cannot stand alone. These three OVAs were released in askance of the manga; the first two came out in Japan in 1989 and 1990. The last two didn't hit stores until 1996. (This time difference can be heard in Chihaya's voice, as his seiyuu Sasaki Nozomu matured a bit vocally in between.) And because it is so brief, it obviously skips huge amounts of the manga, and there is a vast gap to bridge between the volumes. And the ending is blunt. If you get the feeling that you're missing something, chances are you ARE.
"Earthian I" focuses on Kagetsuya and Chihaya as they first arrive in Japan, after a horrible blunder on Chihaya's part in Hong Kong (he purposefully showed his wings to a man he found crying in an alley outside a festival). The anime opens with Chihaya's report and official apology to Eden, requesting to be kept on Earth. Soon enough, Chihaya lands himself into more trouble when he runs into a girl fleeing a group of gun-totin' men. He saves her from them, and in doing so places Kagetsuya and himself in the fray of her troubles.
Even stranger, the girl, Takako, turns out to be related to the man Chihaya met in Hong Kong, Taki. Stranger still, the two are bio-humanoids, genetically created synthetic humans with nuclear reactor hearts. Both had escaped the research center and evil scientist, Dr. Ashino, that had given them birth. The angels help reunite the two, only to be found by the center's bio-humanoid killing machine, come to reclaim Takako before her nuclear reactor heart explodes. In the process, Chihaya is captured and experimented on by Dr. Ashino.
By the second OVA, the first foray into the plot is basically set aside until later, as Chihaya begins to look for clues on Lucifers and his own black wings. Now, to bring you up to speed from the manga, the Archangel of Eden and the leader of the Positive Angels, Seraphim, is discovered as a Lucifer. His fall from grace comes about after he falls in love with an Earthian woman (they have a daughter whom you see briefly in the beginning of "Earthian III") and he developes the black cancer. It is due to that misfortune that the rest of the angels of Eden begin to doubt Chihaya.
Here is where the total plot jump happens. The third and final OVA (made six years after the first two) opens with bits n' pieces of a war now over. Eden had decided that the negative of Earth out-weighed the positive, and declared that they would erase the entire planet of Earthians, using a high-tech weapon from space. So it is Humans versus Angels, and in the middle, angels and half-angels who love the Earthians fighting against Eden as rebells, of which Chihaya and Kagetsuya are now a part of. We learn, too, that the humanoid Taki also died fighting for Earth.
The war is now over; however, gone insane over the loss of Taki, the only person he loved, evil Dr. Ashino has created the ultimate weapon, the Angelic Destroyer Messiah, a man-made angel created using DNA from the humanoids as well as from Chihaya (think back to episode one). With this weapon, he vows to kill everyone on Earth for not mourning the heroic endeavors of his loved one, before going to be with him himself. However, Chihaya once more interfers, driven to depression yet seeing hope in Messiah - as the Destroyer also has black wings. His need to save not only Messiah is a journey to save himself, as well, feeling they are the same. But can he touch the heart of a being created only to kill?
Seems like a lot of story to squeeze into what amounts to approximately four one-hour episodes, doesn't it? Indeed, and if you REALLY want to understand the heart-wrenching story and relationships, I definitely recommend buying the manga! It would probably help best, too, if you read the manga first, become a fan off that (the artwork is truly lovely!).
Earthian is pure boy's love, as well. Not only the obsessive feelings of Dr. Ashino to Taki (though do humanoids really have a gender?) but the deep friendship between Chihaya and Kagetsuya also grows into love. Not much of their relationship is shown in the anime; only one scene of love-making (with not much vocal effects, dang it) which will come as quite a surprise as this happens all of a sudden, from one episode to the next, with no explanation or reason unless you're familiar with the manga. And then there is the pathetic and endearing love that Messiah creates towards Chihaya, as well as Chihaya's need for the other.
Now, if you can get over the sense of overwhelming confusion, this anime is absolutely beautiful! Visually, the artwork of the characters is stunning and gorgeous, with vibrant colors and large, glistening eyes that reminds me of Utena. The angels are all dazzling in their grandeur (while most of the ordinary humans look - well, ordinary!) and the effects of the show are done approperiately. The actual animation is fluid - and do remember, years lapse in between, so you will see vague differences.
The music was decent. The background instrumentals for the first two OVAs were very early '80s sounding, and the saxaphone during hand-to-hand combat scenes seemed to drag the action, not help it. However, there was a certain piece of music which contained one woman vocal (nothing verbal, but rather a church mass hymn sound) that I adored, used wonderfully during crucial moments when the angels displayed their wings. The final OVA had better music, but nothing that stood out. The first two ending themes were gorgeous, serene and sad; I wasn't fond of the last two ending themes. They seem too generic and upbeat for the story. There were no opening songs.
As for the voice work - stay away from the dubbed. As soon as I heard the guttural grunts and too-often high breaths during the one and only intimate scene between our two man angels, I swore, never again! Besides, who could pass up a chance to listen to Sasaki Nozomu (Chihaya) in one of his very few yaoi roles. Sasaki was the leading actor during those years for lively, emotional young boy characters, and for good reason - he can handle any personality dealt him, and he is beautiful at heart-wrenching screams of anguish and despair. Kagetsuya is voiced by the ever-popular Inoue Kazuhiko, who does a wonderful job of making the character seem heartless and demanding, but then eases into a gentle hush and romantic calm that bespeaks his true feelings. He is very handsome and cool to listen to. Seiyuu fans will also adore Midorikawa Hikaru's tearful performance as the tortured Messiah. Other famous voices include Nakahara Shigeru (Sapphire/Cliff), Shou Hayami (Taki) and Megumi Ogata (credited as Emi Ogata) as Seraphim's daughter.
Earthian is a beautiful and compassionate anime about mortality and love, the sake of heroic sacrifices and fighting for what you believe. I think because the anime strays from the war of Angels and Earthians to focus on the relationships and feelings of the characters met along the way, it is also a reminder that no matter how different we are - Angels, Earthians, Humanoids, or a mix - people shouldn't be judged on their appearances or faults, but on the strength of their hearts. This is an anime to be FELT.