Fafner: Exodus

[Vent Noir]

Who else is watching this?

First episode looked good - definitely more engaging than the first episode of the original series (which put me off the show for a long time until some talk about it on Gundamn! encouraged me to try it again). Oh, and that kaijuu-Festum attacking Hawaii - some people on staff definitely saw last year's Godzilla movie.

[LightningCount]

Who else is watching this?Oh, and that kaijuu-Festum attacking Hawaii - some people on staff definitely saw last year's Godzilla movie.

I'll be checking this out shortly, but considering that the new Godzilla Movie came out in 2014 and Fafner Exodus has actively been in the works since 2011 (and was supposed to debut in 2014 before it was delayed) makes me somewhat doubt there was any inspiration. But I could be wrong.

[Destiny_Gundam]

Monstrously sized Festum are hardly new to the franchise in the first place.

Obviously I'll be watching this since I have to review it. The first episode was pretty strong with an intense battle in the first half and some character hijinks in the second. Lots of characters, including some new ones, to keep track of and that will definitely get annoying when writing summaries.

[Soma Taozi]

Just watched the first episode, VERY happy I rewatched Heaven and Earth before this...because it does clarify who SOME of the characters are...

Spoiler

Also, anyone else think it is kinda sad how Maya now can only pilot a aircraft now because she is too old to fly a Fafner (at least I am assuming this!).

I think this had a VERY strong start. There are a lot of characters running around, but then...the first series kind of had the same (and this was a better start anyway).

[Destiny_Gundam]

Spoiler

Also, anyone else think it is kinda sad how Maya now can only pilot a aircraft now because she is too old to fly a Fafner (at least I am assuming this!).

I don't think that's it.

Spoiler

Since they were talking about Kazuki potentially returning as a pilot. I think Maya is learning to fly a jet just because it's something she wants to do.

[zetatype]

Well despite not having seen the first season in 9 years and never seen the movie I could not resist the urge to watch the first episode.

Overall it was pretty good and a strong start. I have no Idea who these new characters are but I'm not surprised to see some new faces since I imagine the old gang will soon reach the age limit.

Spoiler

Also, anyone else think it is kinda sad how Maya now can only pilot a aircraft now because she is too old to fly a Fafner (at least I am assuming this!).

I don't think that's it.

Spoiler

Since they were talking about Kazuki potentially returning as a pilot. I think Maya is learning to fly a jet just because it's something she wants to do.

Spoiler

She may not have lost the ability yet but its possible that she may soon lose the ability and is getting an early start so she can still remain useful once she reaches the age limit. How many years has it been since the season 1 and is there an exact age on when the pilots lose their ability to pilot the Fafners?

[LightningCount]

There has been no announcement of overseas home video release thus far, and Crunchyroll was actually late in announcing they had picked up the series for streaming, which apparently means that Funimation, who currently holds distribution for the original series and its sequel movie, did not pick it up for streaming. What does all this mean about Fafner's future beyond Japan? We have yet to see Right of Left OVA prequel get a proper release. Will Exodus be the same? It does not seem like Heaven and Earth or the re-released TV series did very well. I have a feeling Funimation thought Heaven and Earth would go nicely next to the Rebuild of EVA movies, and got the TV series to build up the audience with the lead-in. Thoughts?

[zetatype]

Yeah a friend of mine thought it was odd that funimation wasn't streaming this since they had the license for both season 1 and the movie. I didn't think about at first but you say could be the case. If funimation does indeed decide not to obtain the license for exodus then that doesn't bold well for a release outside of japn since they are usually the go to company when comes to rescuing licenses.

[Vent Noir]

Short video of Angela's Fafner: Exodus theme music video posted

It's nice, but no "Shangri-La".

[Raikoh]

Fafner has this habit of having all the theme music being "different but equal" in my eyes. I was kind of sad that Exist didn't appear in the first episode. Ah, well, soon enough.

I really like the direction Fafner is going here, with the old team sticking around but retired, though I'm almost certain they're going to get back in their old Fafners soon. Even the HaE team is passing the torch to the next groups. The new Goubain looks like fun.

Kazuki and Soushi now have matching hair styles, oh man. Not to mention Kazuki is starting to really resemble his mom. Come to think of it, all the character designs are getting more varied from the looks of things. Did MJP actually mark the decline of Hiraiface?

[Destiny_Gundam]

Did MJP actually mark the decline of Hiraiface?

No, Heroic Age did.

[Henyo]

Did MJP actually mark the decline of Hiraiface?

No, Heroic Age did.

hmm...got more reasons to watch heroic again...i make it a point see character designers with "limited" designs, like Tony Taka, Rumiko Takahashi, the one for Mai HiMe/Otome and even my fave CLAMP, to level up.

Exodus episode 1 started and ended on a strong note. nothing like Night hell kaimon to set up the next episode. speaking of strong, anyone else think that the BL subtext between Kazuki and Soushi is nearing over 9000?

[Soma Taozi]

anyone else think that the BL subtext between Kazuki and Soushi is nearing over 9000?

Hmmm well I wouldn't say it is growing. It was pretty prevalent and clear that SOMETHING was going on between Kazuki and Soushi during Heaven and Earth's beginning...but then, it was all in Kazuki's head and in episode 1 they didn't react much to each other.

If they really are in love, great! I just wish they would tell us instead of hiding it under layers of subtext. But then...maybe they are doing that intentionally to attract the tumblr demograpic...

[Destiny_Gundam]

Nah, Heaven and Earth definitely kicked it over 9000. It's clear they both had a thing for Maya at first but when the writers saw that fans wanted Kazuki/Soushi they started to lean more in that direction.

[Vent Noir]

Gotta say, the battle scenes in episode 2 were really impressive. Some of the best I've seen in anime, certainly for TV series as opposed to movies.

[LightningCount]

Episode 1 was really well done. It went by super fast, too. A series like this, that has already had so much development, really has the potential to shine easily now if its resources are properly brought to bear. I am really hoping to see more about the UN and outside world in this new series (as that's the one element that's always needed more development), and episode 1 gave me some hope that we'll see that rather than a simple rehash of the island conflict. It was good seeing some older pilots in the beginning, too, and some fighter jets like in Right of Left. I am curious how the UN had such advanced Fafners in the beginning, though. How long ago was that flashback? Because flight-capable Fafners were something that happened early in Season 1, and not prior to that. That was a big plot point early in Season 1.

Anyway, I really should have rewatched more Fafner before going into this, as the mix of characters from across the series, Heaven and Earth, and beyond, is a little confusing. But I recognized most, I think.

I'm really interested to see if Maya's mother and Kazuki's dad advance in their long-standing, would-be relationship.

As for Kazuki an Soshi...I think that's there for certain viewers to play with, just like stuff in Gundam Wing or Yukikaze, but it's not the main point. The promo art seems to suggest we're going to see a Kanon x Kazuki and Maya x Soshi story thread, and Kanon was already hinting at this in episode one.

The production values are really impressive for a TV series. It seems more like Heaven and Earth. I don't know how this series manages to do it after all these years. It'd be like getting a Big-O Season 3 now with a top-notch budget or something.

...It's funny that new viewers have been saying on the net that this copied Gundam SEED or Majestic Prince, or even aren't sure what the difference is between this and a new show this season called Unlimited Fafnir.

[Destiny_Gundam]

Damn, was Maya always that shameless?

How long ago was that flashback?

If you mean the opening of episode one, that happened in the present.

[Henyo]

Damn, was Maya always that shameless?

it made Soushi spout a line that's sure to add more fuel to the KazuSou BL ship.

"that's not the problem here."

of course it could also go the other way. i could go for Kzauki X Maya or Kazuki X Canon.
on the subject of kanon, anyone else missing her old hair style?

one more thing, i still don't get what exactly Mir is. and its been a long time since i watched the show or read anything about it.

[Dark Duel]

I've said this before, and I'll say it again: Maya is SCARY good when she gets at the controls of a Fafner. I mean, she's a damn good fighter pilot, as this episode shows. But put her at the controls of the MkVI and she's downright SCARY.
I concur with statements above about the quality of the battle this episode, which was brilliantly done from a technical standpoint, but also enjoyable in that the three NUN Fafner pilots pitched in, which was nice.

The really amusing part of the episode for me was the revelation that apparently, Kazuki is HUGELY famous even outside the island. I am curious as to exactly why...
I am perhaps even more curious to see what role Mk Sein and Mk Nicht, both of which appear in the OP, will continue to play in this series.

Henyo, you're not the only one. I like Canon's hairstyle in this series a lot more than the long hair she had in HaE, which I thought did not work for her at all. But I still prefer the original hairstyle she had in the series. Canon, by the way, was always a character that interested me, and this series is no different.

[LightningCount]

Episode 2 was basically like the Movie. This has been pretty much everything I had hoped for so far. I hope they keep exploring the Neo UN and outside world, too. It's a shame this series is probably never going to get the exposure and credit it should. I still hope for an overseas release. Funimation said some vague statements on ANNcast about how the previous overseas releases did all right, but that there are apparently issues beyond sales numbers affecting their decisions toward continuing Fafner releases right now.