Simoun
Synopsis:
In the world of Daikuuriku, all children are born female; but once they become a young adult, they may choose which sex they will become. In this world which is at war with itself, the women of Simalacrum find themselves charged with the task of piloting the ancient machines known as Simoun in hopes of turning the tide of war. Though originally simple ceremonial machines, the most gifted of pilots can turn the glowing "ri maajon" of their rituals onto their enemies and obliterate them from the skies using these Simoun. However, it takes a special bond between two highly gifted girls to successfully pilot a Simoun. With the toll of blood and pain that these previously innocent girls are taking, how many will be able to carry on, even knowing that they are the only real thing standing between freedom and subjugation of their land?
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Last Exile
- TV (26 eps)
- 2003
In the world of Prestal, Noble men perform noble deeds for noble purposes. All of this is performed under the careful gaze of the Guild, a race apart who live in cities in the sky. We see this world through the eyes of Claus Valca and Lavi Head, as their travels take us above, beyond and through Prestal, and their actions cause ripples that shall never fade.
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add recWant an anime featuring fantastic flying machines pitted against each other in exciting mid air battles that will decide the fate of not just a single civilization but possibly even the whole world? Want all of this depicted in a heart-thunderingly detailed and visually stunning style? AND do you want this to be tailored into a compelling storyline that is just as fascinating as the artwork at hand? You could only be talking of either Last Exile, or Simoun.
Simoun and Last Exile place a great emphasis on lavish flying machines and on war. In both there is a technologically advanced nation that has the upper hand and a series of others that must struggle in a very harsh environment. Technology is mixed with a sense of mysticism that takes a religious turn in Simoun while it remains essentially vague in Last Exile. Simoun has a shoujo-ai element that is absent in Last Exile, yet on par with the theme of flying both series develp their cast through several trials.
Strawberry Panic
- TV (26 eps)
- 2006
On Astraea Hill stand 3 prestigious female-only academies known as St. Miatre, Spica, and LeRim; and though the schools are separate, they share a single campus and dormitory. Nagisa Aoi is a 10th grader who has decided to transfer to St. Miatre's Girls' Academy. Though her transition has been smooth so far, while exploring the campus Aoi inadvertently falls down a hill, sees the beautiful Shimuza, and promptly (not to mention embarrassingly) faints. Nagisa continues to see Shimuza out and about, but soon discovers that she is the "Etoile" -- a well respected girl within all of the schools. With Shizuma taking a liking to the new transfer student Nagisa, secrets of Shizuma's past will unravel over the coming school year.
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add recSimoun and Strawberry Panic are both about a young, enthusiastic, outgoing newcomer entering a world that she doesn't entirely understand but wants to be apart of nonetheless. They are surrounded by numerous other girls where they establish many close, life long relationships. Also, the group of girls in both series has a leader of sorts, a well renowned and highly respected person of great skill and incredible abilities. The leader appears cold and distant, marred by a great tragedy in her past that has left her damaged. Over time and though a series of fateful events she warms up to the newcomer and their relationship blossoms.
Though the two are incredibly different in setting, Simoun and Strawberry Panic ultimately have the same plot fundamentals while not being boringly similar. If you like one then you will most assuredly enjoy the other.
Here's an other REC for the shoujo-ai fans out there. Those two shows are conceptually pretty different (Simoun is a Fantasy-Sci Fi show, while Strawberry Panic is more of a School-Life Comedy/Drama), but the characters and the relationships that bind them together are similar in a lot of ways. First, both series feature an all-female cast (we could argue over Simoun being all-female or no, but that's purely technical). Secondly, both series deal with a group of girls and the different kinds of love that they feel for each others. Jealousy, unrequited love, deep love, you'll find all these themes in both series.
So if you happen to have a thing for shoujo-ai, or simply liked one of those two shows, I'm pretty sure you'll like the other one too!
Blue Drop: Tenshi-tachi no Gikyoku
Mari Wakatake is the sole survivor of an apparent island tsunami disaster that took place five years ago; she has been raised and schooled by her grandmother from that day. But now, she has been sent off to a boarding school in order to grow and make new relationships; and it is there that she meets Senkouji Hagino, a mysterious girl who is liked by everyone – everyone except for Mari. But Mari soon discovers that Hagino is not what she seems to be, and as Mari struggles to figure out Hagino and fit in at school, an alien race is maneuvering in the shadows for their conquest of an unsuspecting Earth. Little does Hagino know that she herself holds the key to the truth of Mari's past, as well as the key to her future.
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add recThe most obvious and superficial similarity of Simoun and Blue Drop is that they share the theme of shoujo-ai. On a deeper level, however, the two anime have a great deal in common. The cool, self-contained personalities of Hagino/Ekaril (Blue Drop) and Neviril (Simoun) are of the same cloth, though Hagino is more honest about her emotions. Likewise, Mari and Aaeru have the same rôle of being the extrovert that opens up the closed personality of their partners. Of course, this introvert/extrovert match is a common pairing in shoujo-ai oryuri anime.
In both anime, too, there is a common theme of almost supernatural vehicles (flying in the sky, or diving under the sea), the appearance of which can transform a simple scene into a dream-like one, fraught with significance.
Overall, if you have seen one of these, you will find that there is a familiar feel to the other -- and you will probably like it.
Simoun and Blue Drop offer a mix of shoujo-ai and giant flying ships, a combination that does not occur all that often. In both cases there is a mostly female cast and a war backdrop that fuels the plot is balanced by the interaction between the several characters. Simoun is set in a somewhat fantastical world and follows the clash between religion and military accomplishments while Blue Drop takes place in a world that is more or less realistic
Kiddy Grade
In the distant future many things have changed. Worlds are colonized and people travel the stars freely. The GOTT (Galactic Organization of Trades and Tarifs) exists to maintain order and peace along the galaxies. Enter two ES members. Eclair and Lumiere. They are sent on missions to keep the universal peace, under the flag of GOTT. But soon they come to realize that there is more going on behind the scenes than they previously imagined...
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add recIf you like Simoun, you will probably also like Kiddy Grade and vice versa. The worlds are very different, as well as the story, so that's not why I recommend these with each other. Why I recommend them is that the characters are very similar, and throughout the story they grow and mature in very similar manners. Both stories deal with a primarily female cast which has a wide range of personalities. Their growth is not shallow, and that makes both series worth watching.
Magic Knight Rayearth
MKR is a Clamp anime about three girls who are taken from Tokyo during a school field trip, and transported into a fantasy world. Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuzaaki, and Fuu Hououji must fight a slew of enemies, overcome trials and tribulations, and face their inner demons to save Cephiro, a wonderfully detailed world, from a dastardly evil and powerful Priest, Zagato.
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add recGiant mechas in fantasy worlds and girls wearing pauldrons are two of the main similarities between Simoun and Magic Knight Rayearth. Besides the obvious, though, both sets of characters are on a mission for powers beyond themselves, only to begin to question their journey later on.
