Vexille

Alternate Titles: Vexille – 2077 Nippon Sakoku

Original Japanese Release Date: 2007

Episode Length/Run-time: 109 minutes

Summary:

The story is set in an alternate universe of the 21st century.  Technology has advanced to the point where robotics and cybernetics are commonplace.  Japan has advanced faster and further than any other country but due to pressure for regulations and limitations on certain advancements they pull themselves from the UN and fell off the grid.  Now an American team will penetrate the wall that has been shrouding the country and learn the truth of what has happened there.

Review:

This series is a difficult one that I think many people end up arguing about. I think the argument often comes from people wondering if the anime is well truly an anime. The anime is completely done with CG if cell shading style may look in some ways like traditional animation it doesn’t have the same kind of charm or flare. Anime or not it’s definitely interesting to see the piece that could indicate where the industry is headed in the future.

The story is one that is interesting, while the story of the progression of science into the world of robotics and cyborgs isn’t really original this that the enemy takes is a new twist. At first the movie starts off we’re not quite sure where it’s headed to have been plunged into darkness and only hears anything about the country at this point. There is a literal wall surrounding the islands of Japan preventing all information and people from going in or out. This is where the special team SWORD comes in. Led by Vexille they enter into Japan and see the country for the first time. This is the anime gets interesting, Japan looks unfamiliar and foreign it is a barren wasteland filled with nothing for miles and miles.

This progressive of the team meets the natives and begin to discover what happened to Japan and plan their own escape. There is a lot of secrets and twists in the series and in some ways is often times very touching. While I personally love the fan of the animation style it didn’t ruin my experience. However for something so short the movie did seem to drag a bit. Overall its average not something I’d highly recommend what I can see why it happened cult following and I also wouldn’t discourage anyone from watching it.

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