Besides poking fun at Christianity one genre that seems to be a writing gold mine for anime is the comingofage tale. Taking a character who is in their teens a period where they start to shape themselves to soon ingress into adulthood and make them face reality in its different shades up until they become completely rounded figures is a setup that offers a vast range of opportunities for writers. The deal is that the main character being a kid or a preteen you can make them as immature as you can get away without making the audience hate the little twerp and slowly improve them into a better person. Also being animation such a versatile media you can deliver as much of that development in one full season without having to deal with the difficulties of liveaction. So which one is the best comingofage story in anime? Of course that is not a question with definitive answer if any question in regards to art is but Id like to offer my pick for the best one I watched so far: Eureka Seven. Story and Characters Eureka Seven E7 for short caps at 50 episodes which is by no means a shy length for any series. Any anime packing that number of episodes can be an absolute chore to sit through if it doesnt offer the content to hold the viewer and enough qualitydevelopment to justify its size. Luckily theres no shortage of either for this series. During its running time E7 builds its fantastic world and addresses multiple character arcs and themes from religious conflict to environmentalism leaving very little to be fully explained and even in these cases its not anything that represents a driving force of the plot. Before we talk about that though lets discuss the characters. Renton the main protagonist is unusually relatable for a character of this kind of story. He is immature sure but also displays grounded morals and is at least initially driven by an adventurous spirit. Being the son of the late hero responsible for saving the world Adroc Thurston he would have some pretty big shoes to fill however Renton doesnt really want to deal with that kind of responsibility. Like many other teenagers he wants simply to enjoy his younger years dedicating himself to his hobby and expanding his horizons which primarily motivates him to join Gekkostate. That would lead him to face a reality much harsher than what he was originally prepared for and forces him to strengthen his ideals in order to push himself through the struggles he faces. So yeah Renton is amazing quote me on that. The titular Eureka is Rentons love interest for the story and the center of many conflicts both in the overall plot as well as the tension between Renton and Holland. While not exactly emotionless she has difficulty properly dealing with the emotions she slowly develops and Renton plays a big role in leading her to understand how to better interact with others. She is naturally kindmannered and loyal but when it comes to dealing with failure or regret more complex feelings in general she has significantly harder time processing those emotions. Holland is the leader of Gekkostate a cool figure outside but a very contrasting person for those who get to know him closely. Jealous easily angered unusually immature and quick to lash out against weaker characters who dare to upset him most of the time Renton and frequently with violence he is possibly the one that goes through the most sizeable development in the series and a very positive one. That development though takes some time to manifest so while he acts like an absolute asshole dont be surprised if you find yourself enjoying his suffering. I sure did. Talho is the main pilot of Gekkostate and Hollands lover. Being the only person who Holland accepts to have challenging him she is the main agent to his development but before that happens she is also forced to grow and properly understand her role in the group. Charles Beams along with his wife Ray is one of the antagonists appearing midrun in the anime. Even though he is technically placed on the bad guys side he is still a very honored responsible and loyal figure which is why he plays a big role in Rentons development. He is also Eureka Sevens embodiment of MANLINESS. Seriously I bet the guy had chest hair when he was 8. Dewey is Hollands older brother and the main antagonist for the series. Initially very mysterious his motivations seem to fluctuate as the anime goes on up until they are properly revealed and sadly place him among the Destroy the World kind of villain the least compelling kind. That was the only meaningful issue I was able to find in the series: villains of this category hardly ever work and in cases they do work they often go for the type that is so crazy it doesnt matter or so powerful that destroying the world isnt a big deal for them. Dewey is mostly portrayed as a collected and calculating individual so this motivation is all the more outofplace. Lastly there are Dominic and Anemone. Their role in the story is to serve as a parallel to Renton and Eurekas relationship but at the side of the antagonists for the most part. Ok tackling the comingofage aspect first Rentons development is triggered mostly by the use of an interesting contrast: without giving too much away halfway through the series he gets separated from the Gekkostate who at this point were not the most responsible folks to serve as an example. While in their company it was difficult to side against him as there was a clear lack of proper orientation from the crew. The point where they get separated is the moment his characterarc truly starts to shine its the moment when hes able to do his biggest mistakes and witness the impact they have. As an effect of that Renton begins to develop higher respect for others resolve as well as the importance of keeping himself loyal to the responsibilities he takes. When he finally reunites with the Gekkostate he is better prepared to face the challenges they would find up ahead. His development doesnt stop there however as theres much work to be done in his relationship with Eureka and the strengthening of his values but that is something you should witness on your own. In Eurekas case the development kicks in early on since its not so much focused on maturing but in learning to deal with issues she was never forced to deal with in her blankslate condition. Due to Rentons influence not only over her but also the Nirvash she begins to be exposed to feelings she was not used to not all of them positive. During the boys absence she starts to understand that the reason why she misses him might be romantic feelings and the sudden need for his companionship also plays a huge part on forcing Holland to mature himself. All of this makes for deeply dynamic characterization as in Eureka Seven characters dont simply decide to change or shift on a whim depending on plot convenience No Ill not make a cough cough joke they influence each other stumble hurt themselves and make amendments the way wellwritten interaction is supposed to do. The sidecharacters in the other hand have fairly straight personalities and stay pretty much the same along the series. Is that a problem? No. Keep that in mind folks: a large cast doesnt mean everyone should receive indepth development some characters are nice the way they are just adding some flavor to the series Now when learning that a series tackles subjects like religious conflict or environmentalism many people would be immediately put off in fear that it might end up featuring very preachy writing. Eureka Seven however gracefully avoids this trap. The subjects in question are all swiftly introduced as the plot progresses and now and then play their role in the story by being naturally integrated in the arc without any moralism being spelled out by anyone in hamfisted manner. The environmental aspect for once is not directly brought up but subtly conveyed throughout the series as its an integral part of the overarching plot and the series manages to do such a thing even as these themes become ever more present in the story. By the end its not hard to grasp how such elements are a natural component of the world presented in the anime. Presentation By the Gods that looks beautiful Ok professionalism dictates I have to be more specific. Made in 2005 by Studio Bones Eureka Seven is to this day one of the best looking anime ever made. Bones is a studio used to make anime where characters are realistically proportioned but still retain animelike features and that allows them to have distinct expressions. You will hardly find a relevant character that expresses in the same manner as the others tying perfectly with their personalities and demeanors. With the exception of some episodes of minor importance like the soccer episode the figures show steady consistency in their character models retaining natural proportion even when seen from a distance. This is often the animation issue that is most noticeable in other works but E7 manages to avoid it and deliver stellar animation with beautifully fluid movement without losing its consistency and detail. Character designs are striking and memorable. They follow the seinen logic of packing details that by themselves are nothing special but when placed together form a design that is at the same time harmonic and distinct. Now all of that aside the real kicker that makes the series such a visual marvel is its use of colors. From the character designs both human and mechs to the machinery the effects and explosions E7 always brings the most vibrant and impactful colors. The shining green of the trapar waves the perfectly toned shades of orange used for the sunset the lightly flavored natural environments and even pinkcolored explosions everything immediately pops out on the screen and coupled with the sharp use of lighting it drives perfectly the mood of the scene be it action or just moments of important dialogue. When you consider that alongside the number of episodes and characters it only makes the work Bones displayed all the more impressive. There is nothing I can complain in regards to the visuals that doesnt boil down to nitpick as the overall package is consistently pleasing. Eureka Sevens soundtrack has its fair share of exciting bloodpumping tracks to help make the action all the more energetic and even some to evoke a grandiose feeling but what stands out the most are its emotional pieces. They come in at the exact moment to make you know that youre about to watch a meaningful moment of character interaction or to highlight development that is about to happen. If you dont find these tracks memorable better look for a medic you might have faulty memory or be lacking a heart. On the voice acting department Japanese off course the most notable detail is Rentons seiyuu Sanpei Yuuko. Renton is another teenageboy played by a female. Let that information sink in for a minute: does the acting at any moment denounce that the character is not played by a man? This is without a doubt the most convincing case of a female seiyuu playing a male role Ive ever seen and can easily dethrone Paku Romi or Takeuchi Junko in this category. Not to say that the rest of the cast doesnt range from solid to excellent. Fujiwara Keiji plays Holland so if you are familiar with his work you know theres no worry and Nazuka Kaoris portrayal of Eureka reflects with no problem the image of a girl learning to process newlyfound emotions while maintaining a sweet vibe to her acting. Personal Ramblings Now theres an aspect Id like to comment on this section specifically. Eureka Seven has some of those moments you could call shounen moments where the logic is made to obey more the emotions the characters are facing at the time and the ones the anime wants to pull out of the viewer then the internal rules established in the story. This might be just my bias speaking as I have a soft spot for the shounen genre myself but I believe these instances enhance the series instead of detracting from it. Sure they may seem corny to some but not just of logic you build a cathartic and fulfilling story emotion is also important and as long as it doesnt stretch believability beyond what the audience was accustomed to give or contradicts other rules of the setting I say go for it. If WattheWut doesnt mind me borrowing his rating system for a while Eureka Seven is a Must Watch. Sure this review might not have convinced you as I spent little time dissecting how the story unfolds but trust me its better that you experience that for yourself. Safe to say I believe this series uses with effect its runtime as there was a lot to be handled and the manner in which it did was very solid paced out with no issue. You can call Eureka Seven a perfectly rounded series: it has a tightly fleshed out world with a story that fully utilizes its setting and dynamic likeable and developed characters fitting without a problem the universe they live in. Im running out of things to say so go watch the anime.