The Essentials
Name: Last Exile
Genre: Action, Fantasy
Episodes: 26
Released: April 7, 2003 – September 29, 2003
Based On: N/A
Director: Koichi Chigira
Produced By: GONZO
US Distribution By: Pioneer/Geneon (originally), Funimation
Cast
| Character | Japanese Cast | English Cast |
|---|---|---|
| Claus Valca: | Mayumi Asano | Johnny Yong Bosch |
| Lavie Head: | Chiwa Saito | Kari Wahlgren |
| Alvis E. Hamilton: | Anna Shiraki | Michelle Ruff |
| Alex Rowe: | Toshiyuki Morikawa | Crispin Freeman |
| Tatiana Wisla: | Eri Kitamura | Michelle Ruff |
| Dio Eracles: | Junko Noda | Joshua Seth |
| Mullin Shetland: | Shinichiro Miki | David Lelyveld |
| Lucciola: | Tomoe Hanba | Mona Marshall |
| Sophia Forrester: | Wakana Yamazaki | Julie Anne Taylor |
| Maestro Delphine: | Michiko Neya | Kirsty Pape |
Review
Last Exile is primarily about Claus Valca and Lavie Head, two vanship pilots (vanships are tiny flying machines) who are able to barely scrape by in life by working for the local Vanship Union by delivering messages from one place to another, due to the lack of wireless communication (even radio), and by participating in vanship races.
The two soon find themselves in a series of circumstances which lands them on board a rouge flying battleship called the Sylvania, trying to protect that ship’s “cargo,” a little girl named Alvis from The Guild, the extremely powerful and technologically advanced overseers of their world. Alvis is believed to be the key to getting control of Exile, an unknown force which is used by The Guild to maintain legitimacy over the land, and which is believed could be used to destroy The Guild.
One of the good, and bad, things about Last Exile, is that at times there is so much going on. This gives the story excellent depth, though at the risk of losing track of everything that is happening. I personally had to watch the series twice just to fully understand what was going on. Nevertheless, I think it still has an excellent story. It’s also what many people might describe as “steampunk,” with a mix of advanced technology – futuristic flying battleships – mixed with 19th century and early 20th century technology, such as the lack of any sort of wireless communication (except for the Guild).
The animation is, overall, quite excellent, even for a GONZO production. The 3D CG on the 2D background sometimes don’t look great at the start of the series, but for the most part the integration of 3D and 2D animation is smooth. All the ships, from the Silvana to the Anatoray and Disith fleets, to the vanships are very detailed, and character designs are pretty good too (what else would you expect from Range Murata?).
The soundtrack is also very good with vibrant music which is one of the best I’ve heard in an anime series. As far as the English dubs, this is probably the weakest part of the series, though considering how much I like everything else about the series, that isn’t saying much. However, I think a few of the character’s dubs are a little weaker than they could have been.
Overall, if you’re into creative action/fantasy anime, or even if you’re not, I think you should give Last Exile a try.
Scores
Animation: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Music: 5/5
Dubs: 4/5
Overall: 5/5
First Watched: January, 2006 – February, 2006
Do I Own: Yes
Do I Recommend: Yes