• Amazon Sales Rank: #14127 in DVD
• Released on: 2012-02-21
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Animated, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English, Japanese
• Subtitled in: English
• Running time: 300 minutes

Most helpful customer reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful.
When the story is so good, it just can't be told in a single season...
By NC
What you are looking at here is such an anime. Each episode is literally a movie itself. The series was not released all at once in Japan but over many months. Very similar in that respect to Katanagatari.

How I would categorize this show is a dirty mecha. Mechs are not overly glamorized or well fashioned. Combat is brutal and they are not like others where they stand there and take punishment while looking cool. People do die and often in gory ways. While the camera cuts away on most of them, it leaves enough to the imagination where you'd know it would hurt.

The storyline itself is about an invasion based on a need for Quartz. So, in other words, resources. But there is a lot of background to the plot that may slightly confuse you if you spend too long thinking about it. Resources isn't the only reason they are invading. Most of the answers are revealed during the course of the other films. A lot of bad blood has taken place between the nations and what makes it worse is that you have generations growing up believing lies and false history spread by the governments. You'll see this many times in the story.

However, you will get to see both sides in the conflict, but it does favor the defender's position. Each of the characters involved have their own tale and despite focusing on the defenders more, you will get to see some of the other side. Enough to find characters you like on both fronts. Many backgrounds interconnect in this way.

Overall, you'll find a great series here that gives mech combat more of a gritty feel. This series does have an ending, but it is open enough that you will hope they make more in the future. Which would be a blessing to the anime world if they made more.