Anime: Galilei Donna: Storia di Tre Sorelle a Caccia di un Mistero

Set in a fictional future, the world of Galilei Donna is faced with an impending ice age where there is not enough resources to supply the populace. The world now depends on methane hydrate for fuel and is desperate for new power sources. Enter our protagonists, three descendants of Galileo, who in this world is held in regard akin to Einstein. A chaotic series of events forces these three, very different, girls to work together and find Galileo's inheritance.

This adventure is a short but interesting ride with some pretty unique themes and an interesting take on history. I definitely don't recommend using this as a last ditch guide for AP History as other than Galileo's rejection of the Heliocentric universe model and his sketches of the moon, nothing is historically correct. If you're looking for a relatively tame sci-fi adventure with a fairly interesting setting, give this a go.

Animation:
Galilei Donna is nicely drawn with nice coloring and adequate backgrounds and shading. There is heavy CGI usage for the mechs, which annoys but doesn't detract too severely from the experience. While the atmosphere isn't anywhere near as rich as Kaminai, the setting is interesting in its own way. The world is convincingly depicted as a cold, bleak place. I found myself having difficulties placing a date at which the series takes place; old cottages and villages seem like an anachronism next to flying mechs and almost-sentient AI - very similar in nature to parts of Fractale.

As for character styling, A-1 pictures definitely does a good job here presenting a varied and unique cast. Hozuki definitely hits the moe mark with almost Kyoto Animation levels of accuracy. Characters using their hair as a pocket is also a novel if rather (realistically) cumbersome technique.

There is quite a bit of action in this show with a lot of mecha-based missile and gun spamming battles as well as rampant killing in the everyone-for-themselves fight for resources. There is definitely a supernatural or magical aspect to Galileo's gifts, which (maybe for the better) is never explained. Don't expect much ecchi with this predominantly female cast.

Sound:
The show starts with an ambient, light rock piece. It's a bit of an odd piece with a meandering melody, but fits overall with the tonality of the series. The ED is a pleasant, uplifting piece; one that invokes a "hope for a better tomorrow" feeling. The BGM doesn't stand out as much. It is used frequently enough but the orchestration lacked cohesion and identity, utilizing way too many different instruments.

The VA cast is composed of relatively fresh talent with the exception of Marina Inoue. The main cast does a fair job overall though I have harsh criticism for the antagonists who are given the standard villain voice, totally killing any chance for depth of character. The standout for this show for me is the humorous, smooth, and witty AI voiced by Misaki Kuno.

Story:
The plot follows the Ferrari sisters as they drive, er... fly around searching for Galileo's inheritance, whatever that is. They find clues in Galileo's paintings, which for some reason are scattered around the world much like Dragonballs. Along the way, they bump into rowdy sky pirates and are constantly harassed by a corporate army led by an emotionless assassin. It's a fairly engaging story overall with quite a few tense moments, so much so that you actually grow weary of the story selling how the girls have yet again cheated death. The story has one main central plot thread that builds to a final climax in the final episode, where all the pieces are neatly tied into a cohesive knot. The story did a great job giving foreshadowing that, for once, didn't give away too much.

There were also small touches to the story that helped differentiate it among the crowd. First off, there is a constant theme of goldfishes. Hozuki is obsessed with them and apparently others were as well. There is actually a purpose behind all the fishy madness but the story conceals it well until the tail end of the show. Another noticeable point is Hozuki's obsession with Japan. The sisters are half Japanese, but they talk about Japan and its culture in such quantity that you'd half think this was sponsored by the Japanese tourism board.

Despite the many positive qualities in this production, there were definitely significant holes and underdeveloped aspects. Though some blame it on the short length of the show, I counter that there are plenty of shorter works that have more complete executions. In many ways, this is one of those stories where thinking is only going to be detrimental to your overall enjoyment. Yes, it doesn't quite make sense historically for Galileo to have discovered flying. Yes, it seems impractical for a pre-teen to have built a flying mech the size of a house without anyone noticing, and possessing a spirited AI for that matter. And yes, it seems completely illogical for a huge conglomerate to target three girls over a completely unproven hunch. Accept these as given faults and go on enjoying the other aspects of the show.

Character:
The weakest elements of the story are compounded by the underdevelopment of key characters. There is little exposition in the story, it basically thrusts you into the middle of the action immediately. I seriously question the decision to show the antagonist's past over that of the main protagonists. You get why the antagonist has no emotions but struggle to understand the sisters and the decisions they make. This is made even worse by the fact that the protagonists are supposed to be dynamic; growth is hard to measure when only given a vague starting point. Sure, the sisters and escorts are lively and have semblances of personality. But Hozuki aside, you never really get a chance to know the others. And that's a real shame since you aren't terribly attached when their life is in jeopardy. Likewise, despite the exposition, expect cookie cutter antagonist personalities with no depth.

Value:
I had little expectations coming in to this show, and likewise recommend that you do the same. This is not going to be the standout show of the season, but it definitely is one of the better, if relatively obscure, adventure-based shows. The plot continuity and successful integration of themes definitely helped in overlooking the woeful lack of character focus and development.