Fafner in the Azure #1

It's been long overdue, but I finally started Fafner in the Azure: Dead Aggressor. I have some pretty high expectations for this show from word of mouth and because it's done by the same production company that created one of my favorite animes of all time - not to mention the anime that still holds my golden standard - Gundam SEED. (Destiny's a different story, however.)

The relationship between Gundam SEED and Fafner are apparent from the getgo. I'm actually a bit disappointed at the lack of differentiation, but that disappointment is easily turned into nostalgia. The character designs are all familiar, but the mechas aren't. They are more reminiscent of the mechas in Evangelion and so is the enemy. But this first monster seems cooler than any monster that ever appeared in NGE.

I've only seen the first episode, but the story seems surprisingly similar to NGE and RahXephon, which was also kind of an NGE knockoff. There's a peaceful city, but then these alarms go off throughout the whole city and everyone is forced into an underground hideaway. Then a monster suddenly appears and no matter what kinds of planes or missiles the people fire at it, nothing works and it seems like only the mechas can get the job done.

Fafner seems like a prototype for Gundam SEED with several Evangelion cues; from the recycled character designs (the main character looks like Athrun and the one girl looks like Miriallia), to the sudden attacks that force people to get into individual safety shelters.

Either way, familiar or not, I'm fully expecting this show to rock my socks off.