 | I can sum this film up in no more than two or less, those words would be Animation Accomplishment. Wings of Honnêamise for me stands out as a being a crowning achievement of animation and dedication by Gainax studios, not just that but it manages to provide a larger purpose to its themes and explores them deeper in the story as the film progresses to its climax. Of an anime watched from the Sci-Fi Channel anime years this one stuck with me for a very long time and it still holds up amazingly well through so much of what is represented. |
The story of this takes place on a planet much similar to earth; the only difference is that the planet’s civilization is highly industrial with only a few parts of it somewhat primitive amid an impending war between two bordering nations: the Kingdom of Honneamise and "The Republic". The main character is Shirotsugh Lhadatt, a member of the constantly failing, disinterested, unmotivated Royal Space Force which is on the brink of financial collapse due to constant setbacks of exploding equipment etc. When a fellow astronaut dies due to another attempt of the Space Force’s launches Shiro becomes somewhat distant and more unmotivated in the cause, until he develops a bond with a young religious woman named Riquinni Nonderaiko. As the bond develops we see Shiro feel more motivated to the idea of being the first man to go into space as well as being seen as an example of what mankind can do with an extreme level of hard-work and groundbreaking commitment to the dedication of the Space Force, what starts off as something which would end in failure by the end is an example of the greatest of what a man can do when pushed to the limits and realised potential.
This film is more of a coming-of-age tale but at the same time it’s something much deeper which is why I have always had a huge respect for this movie. It shows that even after so many failures from something the more you push on and find a cause to do it then it becomes possible, seeing Shiro and the rest of the Space Force go through endless problems with doubt, technical issues, corrupt and twisted politics as well as an attempted assassination you can easily see how much goes against them in wanting to succeed in their mission. However despite so much being shoved at them they push on, so the main theme of this is the struggle of human endurance even when everything looks so hopeless.
The characters of this film are rather interesting, Shiro Lhadatt when you see him does come across as half-hearted and unwilling but over the course of the film he grows on you when he is more motivated to do what he believes is right and give hope to a cynical society on the verge of war, Riquinni Nonderaiko is a nice supporting character in that she has full faith in humanity’s attempts to achieve a higher level of greatness and integrity, at the same time she gives Shiro a huge push to be the first man to go into space and do what no man has done before. The other supporting characters offer a level of realness as well as a cynical side to the story which works for what the main character has to do. So this cast is structured to work as if though the actors are real people and not just cartoon characters drawn on paper, which is the film’s biggest strength.
The film itself is glorious inside and out. Directed by Hiroyuki Yamaga (Mahoromatic & Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi) this was his first movie at the age of 24, everything about this film from its animation and setting is spectacular to witness. The world of which this film is set in which at times does feel grimy and dirty has a rustic approach to it, the vehicles and clothing as well as machinery shows how much of a level technology is in this world. On a level of both primitive and highly advanced with what the animators were able to draw on paper shows how committed they were to making this world appear real. The animation itself by Gainax is incredible and it shows, the detail on the characters and the way they move gives this movie something of a strong personality and heavy level of idea of what it’s trying to achieve in the quality of animation put in this, character designs by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion, The Hack Series, Summer Wars) for being his early work it looks vastly different compared to his designs now. However Sadamoto’s designs are both well developed and of a rare quality which shows the level of facial detail and shading in some parts of the characters and how they move and function. With other involvements from anime studio contributors such as Hideaki Anno (Evangelion), Ichiro Itano (Macross, Angel Cop), Hiroyuki Kitakubo (Golden Boy, Blood: The Last Vampire) etc everyone who worked on this went on to do extraordinary things over the years which managed to earn their mark in the industry.
The audio side of this movie is another example care and commitment from both the musical accompaniment and the English dub. The score by Ryuichi Sakamoto (Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, The Last Emperor, Little Buddha etc) is a strange one but at the same time it feels very unique to the world setting, the score has a heavy electronic experimental feel to it which as the movie goes on the score has heavy uses of trumpets to some synthesizer influence to the themes of several of the characters as well as drums to add tension to the most exciting scenes of the film which makes the score instantly memorable. The English dub by the now defunct Animaze is a rather good one for one of their early attempts in the mid-1990’s, the late Kevin Seymour did a good job with directing this and using the right actors deliver these characters in the way that would make the audience connect with them. David Thomas as Shiro Lhadatt plays him with such a low level of enthusiasm to the character but once the character is pushed in certain situations he becomes energetic and ready to deliver some drama to the character, Patricia Ja Lee as Riquinni is a decent casting with not much to speak of except her performance is serviceable to show how much Riquinni serves as a beacon of hope and religious devotion to push Shiro in the direction he needs to go, as an early role for her it’s passable but sadly not great. Animaze regulars such a as Michael Forest, Steve Blum, Dan Woren, Tony Pope, Steve Bulen & even Bryan Cranston give some satisfying performances for the characters they play. Some of the English dub actors for the most part were early on the scene of dubbing for a foreign product so this was their first attempt at cutting their teeth on something they have never seen before, the final result for them is very good to hear and for an early anime English dub it works and it stands out very well.
If I had a problem with this movie it’s really in two areas, the pacing which for the film being 119 minutes running time does drag from time to time. As interesting as the movie’s plot is it does get lost in itself from time to time and with the animation being high quality for the time it becomes just that for a few minutes and nothing else, so trying to stay interested is a problem when the pacing stops and restarts from time to time. The second problem is a scene between Shiro & Riquinni which happens almost near the end of the film which needs to be seen if you can guess what it is, as much as it feels so out of place and unwelcome it demonstrates a little of how much can be thrown at someone who serves as a symbol of human achievement and depending hope, and how much it can wear someone out to the point of exhaustion and misery that when all becomes too much to bare and you want something rather unexpectedly that it distances the main character from the goal he is reaching. Almost like how a celebrity is pushed to the edge so much that he/she would do something stupid.
Bottom line on this, Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise is an underrated and overlooked gem and something that not just as a fan of animation but a fan of film needs to see. It tells the story of an underdog reaching his full potential and managing to do something amazing and unbelievable that you keep rooting for everyone involved to succeed and never give up, without too much to dwell on I felt this was a magnum opus for Gainax to attempt and it shows in the design and the world of the movie and the characters and how they are written and what they are trying to achieve and see where it goes. To me this film was always about the message of human greatness and how it’s obtained when you go for it and do the unexpected as well as gives you the motivation to do greater things and move onto a higher and meaningful purpose which is probably why it’s so important to me.
Easily a classic that deserves to be noticed and deserves to be watched on repeated viewing.
This is a highest recommendation.
Easily a classic that deserves to be noticed and deserves to be watched on repeated viewing.
This is a highest recommendation.
Sami Sadek is a lifelong Transformers and Anime fan, and can often be found propping up bars or appearing in the background of Auto Assembly vids. He has also talks on Youtube, Tumbls on Tumblr, doodles on Deviantart and is a regular co-host on this very site's Cyberritz. He has never had a swordfight atop a church whilst a crow watches. Honest.