areaseven Posted December 29, 2003 Posted December 29, 2003 (edited) Sentou Yousei Yukikaze - Operation:01 ( 戦闘妖精雪風 ) GONZO Digimation/Victor Entertainment/Bandai Visual, 2002 Bandai Entertainment, 2004 Directed by Masahiko Okura. Rated 13-Up for violence and mature situations. Based on the novel by Chohei Kanbayashi. Thirty-three years have passed since an alien race known as "JAM" invaded Earth. Since then, Earth forces managed to drive the JAM away to a distant planet designated as "Fairy." While life on Earth is at peace, the human race remains at war with the JAM on Fairy. Lieutenant Rei Fukai pilots a Super Sylph - an advanced reconaissance/fighter plane with an onboard AI that assists him in combat strategy. Code-named "Yukikaze" (Blizzard), the Sylph's AI is the most advanced ever developed by man. But can both man and machine be able to wipe out the JAM once and for all? Story: B- The plot is very confusing. Character development is pretty minimal. The OAV will leave you a bit confused with what is going on. At least it's better than Blue Submarine No. 6. Animation: A+ GONZO (Full Metal Panic!, Gate Keepers) spared no expense in dishing out digital 3D aerial dogfights that rival Macross Plus. Aviation buffs will love the aircraft designs by Ikuto Yamashita (Neon Genesis Evangelion). Soundtrack: B+ Yukikaze has an adequate techno score composed by Satoshi Mishiba and Dougen Shiono. Not really memorable, though, aside from the new wave ending theme "RTB" by Monsieur Kamayatsu. Sub vs. Dub Sentou Yousei Yukikaze features Masato Sakai as Rei, Johji Nakata (Alucard in Hellsing, Folken in Escaflowne) as Jack, Yoko Asagami (Yuki in Uchuu Senkan Yamato, Claire in Galaxy Express 999) as Lydia, and Masako Ikeda (Maetel in Galaxy Express 999, Nodoka in Ranma 1/2) as Lynn. Bandai Entertainment and ZRO Limit/Animaze's English cast is not Macross Plus material, but just as good. Featured voices include Steve Staley (Shiro in Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team, Daisuke in Heat Guy J) as Rei, Dan Woren (Yang in Macross Plus, Roy in Robotech) as Jack, Carol Stanzione (Cima in Mobile Suit Gundam 0083) as Lydia, and Barbara Goodson (Naota in FLCL, Mitsune in Love Hina) as Lynn. DVD Extras: A Scroll down for the full details. The Bottom Line Sentou Yousei Yukikaze can't take the title "Anime Top Gun" from Macross Plus, but it still remains an awesome title. Pick it up when it arrives on DVD this February. Links Bandai Entertainment's Official Yukikaze Homepage Official Sentou Yousei Yukikaze Homepage (Japanese) Victor Entertainment's Official Sentou Yousei Yukikaze Homepage (Japanese) Reference CDJapan Anime News Network Edited July 28, 2004 by areaseven Quote
areaseven Posted December 29, 2003 Author Posted December 29, 2003 (edited) Sentou Yousei Yukikaze - Operation:02 ( 퓬—d¸á•— ) GONZO Digimation/Victor Entertainment/Bandai Visual, 2003 Bandai Entertainment, 2004 Directed by Masahiko Okura. Rated 13-Up for violence and mature situations. Yukikaze is destroyed, but is reborn in the experimental FRX-99. However, during an unmanned testing, Yukikaze indiscriminately attacks other planes on the ground. SAF dismisses this as a technical glitch, but Rei - still recovering from his injuries - suspects the presence of the JAM nearby. His piloting skills are then put to the test when he boards Yukikaze with the beautiful military psychologist Edith Foss. Story: B Well, it looks like the plot is beginning to pick up. The story starts to make more sense here, despite not having as much aerial action as the first episode. Animation: A++ Much like Macross Zero, Yukikaze evolves in animation quality. Artwork is greatly improved, as well as the digital 3D effects. Plus, we're introduced to a hot blonde chick named Edith. Nowhere near as hot as Macross Zero's Aries Turner, but still...SCHWINGGG! Soundtrack: B+ More of the same techno score from the first episode. Sub vs. Dub Joining the Japanese cast is Miho Yamada (Atosuryua in Crest of the Stars, Layla in The Legend of Black Heaven) as Edith. Joining the English cast is Kari Wahlgren (Witch Hunter Robin, Haruko in FLCL) as Edith. The Bottom Line Still not as good as Macross Zero, but Yukikaze is developing pretty well. Links Bandai Entertainment's Official Yukikaze Homepage Official Sentou Yousei Yukikaze Homepage (Japanese) Victor Entertainment's Official Sentou Yousei Yukikaze Homepage (Japanese) Reference CDJapan Anime News Network Edited February 18, 2004 by areaseven Quote
Druna Skass Posted December 29, 2003 Posted December 29, 2003 Are there any design books for the fighters out there? Quote
areaseven Posted December 30, 2003 Author Posted December 30, 2003 Sentou Yousei Yukikaze - Operation:03 ( 퓬—d¸á•— ) GONZO Digimation/Victor Entertainment/Bandai Visual, 2003 Bandai Entertainment, 2004 Directed by Masahiko Okura. Rated 13-Up for violence and mature situations. SAF has lost contact with the colossal air fortress Banshee IV. Rei is partnered with a Native American named Tom John to pilot Yukikaze, board the Banshee IV and investigate on the whereabouts of her crew. Story: B- Right when the storyline started to make sense, episode 3 generates more question marks than answers. As the plot thickens, the action begins to disappear, as well as some interest in the series. And for some reason, Yukikaze suddenly turns from an action/sci-fi to a pseudo-horror anime. Sounds confusing? Try watching this episode for yourself. Hopefully, the pace picks up on Operation:04. Animation: A++ At least the animation is as top-notch as the last episode, even without a single dogfight. You can't but help admire the sheer ingenuity of the Banshee IV's design. Soundtrack: B For some reason, I still can't get into the soundtrack. I like the ending theme, but that's about it. Sub vs. Dub Joining the cast is Kazuki Yao (Bastard!!, Judeau in Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ) as Tom John. The Bottom Line If not for the awesome animation, I would've fallen asleep on this one. Links Bandai Entertainment's Official Yukikaze Homepage Official Sentou Yousei Yukikaze Homepage (Japanese) Victor Entertainment's Official Sentou Yousei Yukikaze Homepage (Japanese) Reference CDJapan Anime News Network Quote
Neova Posted December 30, 2003 Posted December 30, 2003 Good review. Pretty much spot on. Storyline and character development dragged a little but the animation, CG and planes were awesome. Quote
Jemstone Posted December 30, 2003 Posted December 30, 2003 Who would I rather date? Is that a trick question? Quote
Effect Posted December 30, 2003 Posted December 30, 2003 I'm really enjoying this series, I hope there is a fansub for episode 4. I would hate to have to wait till the R1 release to find out the rest of the story. I love the opening for the show. Short but still pretty good. Quote
Graham Posted December 30, 2003 Posted December 30, 2003 I sorta like some of the plane designs in Yukikaze (but not as much as Mac Zero). Some of the dog fights in Yukikaze are also OK (but not as good as those in Mac Zero IMO). However, what really puts me off Yukikaze and makes it basically unwatchable are the character designs and the angst-ridden behavior of Rei and his boyfriend (the guy with the beard). I've watched the first two eps of Yukikaze and based on those, I have no interest in seeing the third ep. Perhaps if the main character was more believable as a military pilot and less annoying! The basic premise of Yukikaze was interesting, but the OVA has so far been disappointing IMO. I'd give Yukikaze a 3/10 compared to 9/10 so far for Mac Zero. Graham Quote
Capt. Kraimer Posted December 30, 2003 Posted December 30, 2003 agreed. They way you can almost feel the gulps of air rushing past the plains in Macross zero is awsome. and Yukikaze has nothing that bests my fav scene in ep. 2 during training when the main character almost crashes several times during gerwalk/combat training. that was awsome. Quote
robokochan Posted December 30, 2003 Posted December 30, 2003 I like yukikaze....love the plane designs. However the more I watch it the more confusing it gets. I understand Japanese but I still can't follow it. Operation 3 totally blew IMO...I hope Op 4 gets better. Great Review A7 as always...Thank You! Rob MN Quote
Myersjessee Posted December 30, 2003 Posted December 30, 2003 yep....Im in the same boat as most of you...Love the mecha....watch the DVD's and when they are done say ...huh? Story seems to be lacking...but I do love the plane designs Quote
bsu legato Posted December 30, 2003 Posted December 30, 2003 However, what really puts me off Yukikaze and makes it basically unwatchable are the character designs and the angst-ridden behavior of Rei and his boyfriend (the guy with the beard). Agreed. Rei is essentially Shinji from Evangelion, 10 years later. <_< Quote
bandit29 Posted December 30, 2003 Posted December 30, 2003 However, what really puts me off Yukikaze and makes it basically unwatchable are the character designs and the angst-ridden behavior of Rei and his boyfriend (the guy with the beard). Agreed. Rei is essentially Shinji from Evangelion, 10 years later. Ya I think I just had the same answer last week for this show.. lol I've had it with this type of anime male. We need more characters like Kenshiro(Fist of the North Star) or Guts(Berserk). Bandai America should sell Yukikaze under its translated name "Fairy Air Force" See how well it does. Quote
Valkyrie Posted December 31, 2003 Posted December 31, 2003 Uhmm... That's not what 'Sentou Yousei' means. Quote
areaseven Posted December 31, 2003 Author Posted December 31, 2003 Wow...two votes for Edith. What a surprise. Quote
Aegis! Posted December 31, 2003 Posted December 31, 2003 (edited) What can I say about Yukikaze ? Well , at first when it was announced it sounded kick-ass , then when the first trailers appeared featuring the neat-looking planes it grabbed my attention immediately...but then.... People first said it was gonna blow M0 out of the water .... then they said it was just as good and started with the polls....good thing (or bad , depending on your preference ) that they were all wrong. Appart from the fighter planes design and Gonzo VGI animation this OVA series suck ... it´s just as plain and boring as my grandmother playing twister , this series has almost no plot at all , 1% character development ( that´s being generous) and the character design are just unattractive. I really don´t know what else Gonzo can do for this series in Ep.4 , even if they somehow developed some form of plot by Ep.4 they still can´t make it up for the other 3 episodes they wasted on absolutely NOTHING. Edited December 31, 2003 by Aegis! Quote
Neova Posted December 31, 2003 Posted December 31, 2003 I think this is going OT but I would have love to see a Macross / Yukikaze crossover. Get Roy, Hikaru, Max, Isamu and Basara (for the M7 guys - Kidding ) behind the FRX-99 and Super Slyph to see what those bad boys can really do. I also didn't like the Rei's character development but maybe thats how the Japanese portray being "in touch with yourself". I sure don't see that in Hong Kong or Korean Cinema though. Quote
Valkyrie Posted December 31, 2003 Posted December 31, 2003 They still haven't announced a release date for episode 4 Quote
uminoken Posted January 1, 2004 Posted January 1, 2004 Although the designs and animation are top notch, I think the thing that separates Yukikaze from Macross Zero (or anything else) is definately the characters. When I see people in any show, I want to be able to think that it'd be fun to spend time with these people. I got the feeling from Zero with all the cast - Roy, Aries, Edgar, Mao, and even Shin has a lighter side and isn't all moddy all the time, whereas in Yukikaze I wouldn't want to be ANYWHERE with these characters - no personality, no humor, I really couldn't care less about these people. Quote
ShadowerV2 Posted January 7, 2004 Posted January 7, 2004 *SPOILER ALERT* Hey I have a couple of questions here in case anyone knows the answer. 1.Why did that Native American Pilot stay behind on the Banshee IV behind and get killed in the end by the bomb? 2. Do they explain where the people go to? 3. So the Jam was copying people with the weird sludge? 4. What the hell was the point of episode 2?? Quote
Panon Posted January 7, 2004 Posted January 7, 2004 *SPOILER ALERT*Hey I have a couple of questions here in case anyone knows the answer. 1.Why did that Native American Pilot stay behind on the Banshee IV behind and get killed in the end by the bomb? 2. Do they explain where the people go to? 3. So the Jam was copying people with the weird sludge? 4. What the hell was the point of episode 2?? 1. He was a Jam 2. See 3 3. Yes 4. Nothing. It was a pointless, confusing mess. Quote
ShadowerV2 Posted January 7, 2004 Posted January 7, 2004 Ok my translations weren't that hot. Where did all the people go to? And where did that guy come from?? This is all so confusing.... Quote
areaseven Posted January 7, 2004 Author Posted January 7, 2004 Ok my translations weren't that hot. Where did all the people go to? And where did that guy come from?? This is all so confusing.... From what I know, the only way to fully understand Yukikaze is to read Chohei Kanbayashi's original novel (if you can find a translation). I've never read the novel, but it's obvious that GONZO and Bandai did not translate the story well. Quote
bandit29 Posted January 9, 2004 Posted January 9, 2004 Bandai's US Yukikaze site is now up. I'm still undecided on this show... http://www.yukikazenet.com/ Quote
Panon Posted January 9, 2004 Posted January 9, 2004 From what I know, the only way to fully understand Yukikaze is to read Chohei Kanbayashi's original novel (if you can find a translation). I've never read the novel, but it's obvious that GONZO and Bandai did not translate the story well. Thankfully, Bandai's Yukikaze dvds should correct that at least a little. One of the extra features is a section which gives background material from the original work. Quote
Smiley424 Posted January 25, 2004 Posted January 25, 2004 Good thing I did a search on the forum before throwing this out as a new topic, hey that feature is useful Anyway, I was reading some anime magazine (we got a bunch at work, I work at a bookstore) and the cool plane designs caught my eye. I'm glad I was able to find this topic, now I think I'm definately gonna go with Macross Zero. Quote
areaseven Posted February 18, 2004 Author Posted February 18, 2004 (edited) Time for the DVD report: DVD Extras: A The standard edition DVD features Yukikaze Making Report, a behind-the-scenes look at the OAV series in production. Staff members traveled to JASDF's Komatsu base in Ishikawa Prefecture to study and test-fly an F-15J Eagle. There are also some technical files and a glossary included as well, but I'll get to them later on. In the meantime, here are some sample pics of the making of Yukikaze. EDIT: Image links taken down because the idiot below quoted them. We only need to see them once. More pics to come. Stay tuned. Edited September 15, 2005 by areaseven Quote
radman Posted February 18, 2004 Posted February 18, 2004 Time for the DVD report:DVD Extras: A The standard edition DVD features Yukikaze Making Report, a behind-the-scenes look at the OAV series in production. Staff members traveled to JASDF's Komatsu base in Ishikawa Prefecture to study and test-fly an F-15J Eagle. There are also some technical files and a glossary included as well, but I'll get to them later on. In the meantime, here are some sample pics of the making of Yukikaze. More pics to come. Stay tuned. "Hey is that Shin & Lasalle in the back seat!" Quote
Druna Skass Posted February 18, 2004 Posted February 18, 2004 OK what is a JAM and how do they fight? I mean I've never seen any JAM units, or anything. Quote
areaseven Posted February 20, 2004 Author Posted February 20, 2004 As promised, here are some more screenshots from the making of Yukikaze: Quote
areaseven Posted February 22, 2004 Author Posted February 22, 2004 I've been trying to find the Limited Edition DVD, but to no avail. Has anyone here picked it up? And is the squadron patch worth it? Quote
areaseven Posted February 22, 2004 Author Posted February 22, 2004 Are the English dubs good??? I thought it would suck, but I was actually impressed by the voice acting. Not too keen about Dan Woren playing Jack or Steve Staley playing Rei, but the dub is almost as good as Macross Plus. Quote
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