2.0

Alternate Title: Last Exile: Ginyoku no Fam

General Summary: Set four years after the original Last Exile series, Last Exile Fam the Silver wing follows the story of a sky pirate named Fam who gets involved in a world-wide war when she saves the princess of Turan as the Ades Federation takes her kingdom by force.  The Ades Federation operates under the belief that anyone who abandoned the earth during the Exile should not be allowed to return.  Now, Fam, with the assistance of her co-pilot Giselle, and the rescued Princess Millia must cut a new path through the turmoil for the ultimate goal of peace.

Sequel?

This is the first thing worth noting is that Last Exile Fam the Silver Wing is a sequel to the original Last Exile series, while very few characters or events remain particularly relevant in this series the original Last Exile created a world deep with culture and history.  You will NOT get as much out of Fam the Silver Wing without watching and knowing the importance of many of the events that happened in the original Last Exile, particularly the end.  Plus, for reasons I will continue to go into the original is much better than this so if you’re watching only one watch that anyways.

Technical Notes:

Staff~

Fam the Silver Wing kept studio Gonzo for production and director Koichi Chigira.

The primary composer for the music also remained the same so the music feels in-line with the Last Exile feeling.

Music~

I’d place the music to be just above average one would expect with a few pieces here or there that stood out alongside a decent opening.  It has a very dreamy quality to it that really matches the series well.

Animation~

While the character designs seemed to be a slight departure from the original Last Exile, trading in for a generally softer and more commercial look I would say the world has a beautiful style to it and glossy animation to match.  The sky battles take place flawlessly and the characters move beautifully at every turn.  It is definitely a show that is easy on the eyes at almost all times.

Review:

The show is filled with a number of double-edged swords for the viewer, where something shines it normally casts a large shadow on something else in the show that is very, very, noticeable.

Firstly, the show features a number of strong women.  Women who are not directly reporting to men, the love interest for men, or who ultimately give up their dreams, powers, or whims for a man.  As someone who identifies herself as a strong woman I admire this and the love taking a back-seat allows them to really shine and not clutter up the show with things that are really unimportant.

But, they can’t resist themselves in the end and having a cast that is all-female ultimately leads to pointless fan-service moments from time to time.  Such as as a hot-springs scene in which the setting could have just as easily been a dinner table or sitting looking at the stars.

The second pro the show features is the gravity of the situation and the emphasis of the world events.  Countries fall and others rise, there are discussions on selling out one’s people to save one’s self, and if it is better to bend a knee for the sake of world peace.

These are the things that really could make the show a special piece of work… But instead…

The main lead, Fam, through which we see almost all of these themes, is annoying and immature at best.  Her whims that I can only assume are meant to be charming come off as hot-headed, brash, irrational, whimsical, and immature.  It’s like watching a ten year old try to explain war in a five-paragraph essay.  It ends up cheapening everything else that’s happening and the more mature viewer is left feeling teased and hungry, and not in a good way.  War cannot be solved with a warm fuzzy friendship speech and anyone who is beyond the age to know this is simply disappointed by the treatment of such a serious topic.

What turns from bad to worse for the viewer is that Fam never seems to grow throughout all the ordeals presented to her.  She remains virtually the same happy-go-lucky, peace dreaming, idealistic girl as when she started.  To have almost no growth in such a character is disappointing to say the least…

As a fan of the original Last Exile this show feels like a cheap replacement and an effort to milk a previously successful franchise (which isn’t far from the truth for Studio Gonzo…).  It ends up contributing very little to the world and disappointing to any fan.  Halfway through the show you find yourself bored and while there are moments that shine they can’t support the many other short-commings glaring throughout the series.  But, it’s animation quality, lingering style, and even hallow attempts keep it in the realm of below average.

[starrater]