We’re dropped right in the middle of a fantastic new world as Kal-El (Carl?) Albus and his loudmouthed sister Ariel man a cool-looking tiltrotor and head for a floating island Isla, where they’ll attend flight school as the island flies to parts unknown in what could be a one-way journey. It’s a day filled with ceremony, pomp, and excitement, and the world appears heavily inspired by Last Exile, et al.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just that comparisons will be inevitable, and if the series hews too close to the themes and structure of something we’ve already seen, it will be hard to justify watching it in a Winter season that looks stuffed. It’s encouraging, then, that once the big flashy airship-y introduction is finished and Kal-El is settled in his dorm, the show switches gears to romance, something Last Exile never had in spades.
Kal-El is clearly the victim of some past injustice that has led him to his present situation in life, and he resents the fact that nobles are all over the place, waving their nobility all over the place. When a silver-haired classmate gives him one too many stink-eyes, Kal-El runs out to the nearby river, where he meets Claire Cruz, who makes him feel better. Yuki Aoi proves again she’s as adept at playing shy characters as Taketatsu Ayana is at playing irritating ones.
The colors of Kal-El and Claire’s surroundings grow warmer and deeper as he bikes her home. He wasn’t happy about coming to Isla, but things are immediately looking up, thanks to Claire, even if she turns out to be a noble. It’s a simple but sweet little romance in the making, but the show makes it clear it’s also ephemeral, as Kal-El warns in his narration that the world will soon show them how cruel it can be. That’s fine, but considering how mirthfully the show portrays them, we wouldn’t mind seeing a few more good times first!
Rating:7 (Very Good)
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