Aside the fact that new mecha series have been few and far between lately, Eureka Seven can raise viewer expectations to levels that threaten serious disappointment. The credits for instance boast a list of big names such as Studio Bones, the Macross creator Shoji Kawamori and the likes of Bandai and Gainax who assisted in bringing it to fruition: a lot of talent and a lot of money have been poured into this series which leaves us hoping that it was worth their while. For the time being at least, it appears to meet most of my expectations.

The background to the story is a heady mixture of teenage aspirations, surfing chic and good old fashioned giant robot action. Set in some sort of alternate future there is a sport known as ‘lifting’: literally surfing the air on light particles known as trapar. A fourteen year old lad by the name of Renton Thurston lives in a backwater town with his grandfather, dreaming of being like his heroes of the mercenary group Gekkostate who compete in trapar surfing using mecha called LFOs. Thanks to a family secret and an LFO with its young female pilot crashing into the Thurstons’ house, Renton finds himself literally living the dream of escaping his boring life and flying with Gekkostate.

The series is a daunting fifty episodes in length so the first five episodes take their time in introducing some of the main cast and the world in which they live. Renton is pretty ordinary as heroes go, lacking melodramatic teen angst but exhibiting wide-eyed optimism and very noticeable frustration at his dead-end life (I lost count of how many times he comically screamed ‘This town sucks!’�). The members of Gekkostate are introduced quite gradually at this point with their leader Holland, poster girl Talho and Eureka getting the most attention. Renton’s romantic feelings for Eureka are introduced almost straightaway but the series manages to avoid portraying her as being from the Rei Ayanami mould so she has a little more depth than might be expected from the token ‘enigmatic female mecha pilot’ archetype.

It goes without saying that visually Eureka Seven looks great — the surfing aspect gives a fashionable and almost FLCL-style aesthetic to the characters’ clothing and behaviour and the whole affair is bubbling over with youthful energy and a strong sense of ‘cool’. Combining this with Kawamori’s mecha designs makes it distinctive and refreshing — action scenes featuring the LFOs will no doubt be a highlight for many viewers as they swoop and dive on currents of pure light. Cool indeed. The music that accompanies all this isn’t particularly memorable but fits in well with the overall vibe; I found the opening and ending themes to be nothing special but the background tunes keep things rolling along nicely.

There is much in Eureka Seven that suggests it’ll be an enjoyable show to watch but at this early stage the underlying themes aren’t explored fully enough for me to believe that it will amount to much else just yet. That said, there are a few references to Renton’s deceased father and his relationship with Eureka and her LFO that hint at a deeper and more far-reaching subplot that will no doubt be addressed at a later stage. For now I’m content with seeing Renton adjust to his exciting new life and meeting the colourful bunch of people that he’s idolised for so long — surely a dream for anyone who’s grown up in a boring town!

In Summary

Eureka Seven sets itself up as an effective crowd pleaser with frequent dashes of playful humour. It’s bold, bright and throws slick mecha action and an energetic young protagonist into an imaginative setting that’s portrayed with style. Beneath the colourful surface there’s some substance that’s darker and more mysterious but those of us who appreciate such things will have to wait for a chance to properly get our teeth into it. It’s not a classic by any means but the episodes on offer here are enough to keep most viewers entertained.