Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet

A utopia. How many people have ever dreamed about our world ever becoming one? It's an idea that stretches beyond dreams and imaginations. In such a world, there would be peace, paradise, and colonies where humanity can settle down and enjoy their lives. Well, those are just all dreams of course. People may fill their heads with these ideas but for the Human Galactic Alliance, it's one that they hope to fulfill for many years. Then, there's one young boy among all of this and his name is Ledo. After a certain event, he gets swallowed up into a distortion of time and space whilefinding himself on a new place. It's Earth, a planet of life and prosperity. Suisei no Gargantina (also known as Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet) is an original animated series that fuses the genres of action, drama, science fiction, and mecha into a single package. The famous Gen Urobuchi is involved in the series as both for the script and composition. Based on his various style of writing in his previous works (Psycho Pass, Madoka), this series takes a different direction. It takes the form of a more style of world building constructed by our characters, settings, and themes that sets off this science fiction series. For starters, the series takes place in the distant future. Thus, its technologies and settings are far beyond our modern times by standards. A clear example is our main male protagonist Ledo and his sidekick Chamber. He is a AI-automated, humanoid-shaped battle suit with a catchy tone of voice to go along with it. More importantly though, he is Ledo's partner as well as a weapon of war. Chamber fits within the style of science fiction by the way of his stature and its mechanization. With powerful technology, we can see that Chamber is something out of the ordinary. Then of course, there's Ledo. He is a 16 year old young male who is recognized as a Galactic Alliance lieutenant. After engaging battles against the mysterious tentacled alien beings known as the “Hideauze”, he gets stranded to another planet. It's a verdurous planet where the Gargantians live and prosper. And of course, there's all kind of new excitement waiting for our friend Ledo. That brings forth the Gargantinans who have peacefully settled on the planet. As we can see, the planet itself is covered with water. Thus, people are forced to live on enormous ships in order to survive. Through unity and cooperation, colonies have been established and attempts are made to settle down peacefully. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. Beyond just the mysterious Hideauze species, there are also pirates. In fact, one of the earlier episodes shows a pirate fleet directly engaging in combat against the Gargantinans. These people seems to be a bit different than normal humans. Although on the outside, they look almost just like normal humans, they have different standards. Through comparisons, the Gargantinans functions differently by the way they don't murder senselessly. They also seem to enjoy life to their fullest and often tries to endlessly protect it no matter what the cause. Going back though, it's clear that these beings value lives truly. For example, they treat the handicapped with respect and also protect creatures whom are considered “sacred” under their eyes. However at the same time, there seems to exist some problems between them and other colonies. These problems on such a utopia gives a different outlook on the world that is considered Earth with such a paradise. Being the new guy on a whole new planet, Ledo is the talk among the crew members. Among these members include Amy, a girl who literally becomes Ledo's hostage from the beginning. She is a young girl with about the same age as Ledo. At first, they get off to a rocky start because of the circumstances. However, it is clear that Amy cares about Ledo as she is perhaps the only person who gets closest to him. Through interactions, Amy serves as both a guide and friend to Ledo. Even from the beginning, she is fearless towards him and offers assistance in learning about the world. (with a taste of a bitty treat if I might add) Over time, it's also clear that Amy wants Ledo to adjust to his new environment. In many ways, Amy serves as someone who can navigate Ledo's character through her guidance. By teaching him the standards of a human and adjusting them, Ledo seems to become softer and more humane as before. This is most prominent as Ledo is taught about the philosophy of “think before killing”. The philosophy seems to confuse Ledo at first because the way he grew up assumingly. At many variances, Ledo questions about the laws of human nature and what's right or wrong. However, there is an unique bond between the two that I find to be natural and interactive. It is through interactions with Amy that Ledo now has a more value to where he belongs. It seems that there's a case of Ledo desiring to protect Amy and his newfound home. His morality is built based on the moments they share and although they seem to be simple, it is important for his character from my perspective. Among other characters as well is Chamber, the ever so flashy robot who serves as a tool and sidekick (not to mention translator) for Ledo. His origins are a bit mysterious by his manner of speech but even more so with his structure. The machine seems to also serve as a guide for Ledo on the planet and at the same time, a weapon of war. It is equipped with a devastating offensive weapon (a disintegrator ray of sorts) as well as agility to maneuver itself against adversaries. Other characters in the series such as Bellows, Pinion, and Amy's friends also make their flashy highlights whether it's to serve as progressing Ledo's character or just giving him some time of fun. Speaking of fun, the series does push that mood a bit especially later on. It comes in all shapes and sizes too with some fan service swimwear. To further this element, Ledo himself becomes Mr. Fan service and the girls just seems to love him for that. It doesn't stop there either as it pushes the dance scenes along with the mood coupled with the panty shots and up-skirts. At the same time, it pokes fun of the language in the series that can be portrayed as both scientific and at times, comedy. To further this out a bit, the series also has that lighthearted mood with its slow pacing. Despite this though, the series still retains its serious mood at many times. Ledo's progressing in character seems more evident the more time he spent with others, in particular Amy. In fact, he even learns how to express gratitude to others in the form of a simple “Thank You”. He also learns about some of the food and how they came to be on the planet. Unfortunately, Ledo does not seem to forget about his primary objective and this earns him some criticism from others. If you guessed something related to 'killing', then you're right. Ledo's personal philosophy still seems to stick hard in his head. Only this time, he seems to have something worth fighting for. However, the guy isn't exactly a pacifist. Among other factors, I find this series also a little bit mysterious. This is especially evident in the beginning involving the Hideauze as they are described by Ledo as his ultimate antagonist and executioners of the world. Then, there's the planet Earth itself as well as the Gargantinans. How did they survive all these years? What happened to the planet that caused all the flooding? Why are certain creatures on the planet so sacred? These are perhaps many questions that pops up into a viewers mind as they are watching this series. Needless to say, it makes this show worth watching for its assumed origins and how fans perceive them as each episode progresses. The action of this series is spectacular but at times seems a bit out of space. The way that Ledo engages in combat from the beginning is presented visually as exciting. At the same time, we can also see that Ledo is a bit too good at what he does especially against some pirates later on. Watching a somewhat overpowered MC loses somewhat of a balance. Furthermore, his actions results in anger from the people of the planet. He just doesn't understand the laws of human nature. For Ledo, humanity is something that may take him a very long time to understand. The visuals in this series is outstanding. It is beautiful enough that the series must be watched in 720P or higher or it might lose the experience of this show. The reason lies in the magnificent battle in the beginning. Then, it's the planet that Ledo landed on. The planet's ocean is given strong scenery to give an impression of a world of water. The characters' designs also gives a feeling of an utopia. Though some of them may be dressed with more fan service material than others, it sets the mood right with its theme. It shows that the series has that feeling of science fiction. Ledo himself also seems to stand out with the way he dresses and those noticeable hair and eyes. Among other things, the architectures and vessels on the planet are designed to be aquatic along with the creatures themselves. Needless to say, this series is a visually presented with extraordinaire. With the talented Hirotsugu Kakoi (Mirai Nikki, Blue Exorcist) in charge, I find this series to be quite something in terms of visual artwork. That something is obviously worth the praise. However, the soundtrack of this show seems to strike me also as powerful.Taro Iwashiro is in charge of the background OST and I find it to fitting. It balances between smooth to intense at occasions but nothing too earth shattering. It does match with some scenes though. At the same time, there are two pieces of songs performed by Minori Chihara (the Opening song) and ChouCho (the Ending song). They have their style but the visuals seems to overshadow the soundtrack here. Overall, this series was a very pleasant experience for me. Although it takes a different approach of how Gen Urobuchi's other works, it's an unique approach to the science fiction genre. At some instances, it might seem like a slice of life story. However, the experiences the characters goes through is much more than that. It challenges them the aspect of life, especially for Ledo in terms of his standards and morality. As a soldier of an alliance, his certain circumstances becomes something completely different than what he was used to. It's insightful to watch how he adjusts to them. Through world building along with the cultural differences, the viewers can see how Ledo explores his new found situation on the planet. Perhaps it does flow a bit slow than what some fans may expect out of a science fiction show. However, that flow from my perpective is one that is a fun ride to experience. Yup, I got a nice experience watching Suisei no Gargantia. Now, it's your turn.

Suisei no Gargantia (or Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet) is a show that starts off with plenty of promise. It had famed writer Gen Urobuchi venturing outside the grimness of his previous work to make a more uplifting story, beautiful visuals from Production I.G., and a great premise. It explored thought-provoking concepts while remaining fun and affirming; possessing an optimism and faith in humanity that was simply infectious. However, while the first half of the show flows with a comfortably and naturally (albeit with some wasted time), the second half is clunky and forceful in introducing darker elements to the plot. The end is stilla decent and interesting show, but it doesn't quite live up to expectation. The set-up for the show is great. Due to some great catastrophe, most humans have left Earth and are now engaged in a constant battle for survival against bizarre monstrosities called Hideauze, becoming a militaristic society called the Galactic Alliance of Humankind. Our hero Ledo is a young man who was born into this endless war, knowing nothing but battle. Due to an accident he is transported far away from this conflict, to a water covered planet; the Earth which humankind had left so long ago. He comes across the (mostly) peaceful boat-dwelling indigenous people living in a fleet named Gargantia, and has to adapt to their drastically different culture in order to survive in this unfamiliar world. This set-up works for so many reasons. It allows the show's world to open up as Ledo learns more about his new surroundings; its culture and its people. It provides contrast between Ledo's militaristic way of life and the more laid-back way of life on Gargantia. Most importantly, it gives Ledo a lot of potential for development as he grows accustom to the ways of Gargania, and makes personal connections with its people. Ledo is by far the most developed character in the show, as it should be because the story hinges on his growth. He starts off as hard-edged, serious young man lacking in personality and understanding of the nuances of human interaction; which is no fault of his own, of course. Despite not understanding of the world he landed in, he knows that he must adapt to his surroundings, which of course includes adjusting to Gargatnia's society and finding his place in it. Completely foreign to him are many of Gargantia's core values: co-existence, caring for the deficient, and using violence as a last resort. The lax organization of the fleet and laid-back way of life seem inefficient to him. However, as he continues to meet and interact with the residents of Gargantia, he begins to understand and appreciate their way of life. This leads to an inner conflict between the ideas that have been instilled in him at a young age, and these new feelings he is developing; which comes to a head when he finds creatures living beneath the water that are genetically identical to the Hideauze. Ledo's development throughout the show is the driving factor on the show, and seeing him change and loosen up is the greatest satisfaction of the show. The rest of the cast don't have anywhere near the amount of development Ledo has; really do feel secondary. The exception is Ledo's battle mech and support unit, Chamber. Despite not being human, Chamber has a surprising amount of charm; his (Chamber has a male voice) duty to serve and protect Ledo actually grants him some personality. Though his A.I. gives him great analytical ability, being a robot Chamber doesn't really understand human interaction, which is often used for some good laughs. Amy is the spunky girl who volunteers to be Ledo's guide in Gargantia; she's the catalyst to much of Ledo's changes, and his love interest later in the show. She doesn't develop much beyond her feelings for Ledo, but she is a ray of sunshine and a good foil for our stoic lead. Her disabled younger brother Bevel also has a profound, if limited, effect on the show. Through his conversations with Bevel, Ledo learns the value that every person, even someone who is disabled, brings. Most of the other characters are less remarkable; they do get some development, but not enough to make them really memorable. Which is a shame because the show could have done something interesting with many of these characters, but ultimately focuses on them only enough for them to be plot devices. Some of the their actions later in the story feel like they happened for plot convenience, rather than something the characters would do. The world of Gargaintia is rich in detail and well developed through the early stages of the show. The show begins with a detailed introduction to the Galactic Alliance of Humankind, a bit of its history and social structure, and it isn't even where the main story takes place. When Ledo lands on Earth, it opens up a new world to explore. The show does a good job of depicting first contact between two unfamiliar cultures. Along with the difference of environment and culture, Ledo doesn't even speak the same language as the people of Gargantia. It takes him some time to learn their language; he has to rely on Chamber to decipher and translate for him regularly at first. This really adds to the show's immersion; as a viewer, it feels like you are discovering a new world alongside Ledo. Details of Gargaintia's society and Earth's ecosystem are introduced gradually through situations, rather than just being explained in information dumps. Not to say it always uses its time effectively, episode 5 is a completely unnecessary fan-service episode that is also the low point in the show's writing, and there are moments which are a bit too quaint every once in a while. Still, all in all, it is a very good approach, building the settings in a very natural way. The show loses this quality in the darker later half, which delves into why and how humans left Earth to begin with. After certain events cause tension, Ledo parts ways with Gargantia for a while. This leads to him finding footage chronicling the events before a large populous fled to space. It is interesting, showing that the people of Earth were far from united even in the face of impending disaster, with two factions waging war on each other. However, it is also a huge info dump that feels out of place. It goes on about disagreements of what actions should be taken for mankind's survival, and arguments of ethics concerning genetic modification; as well as the origins of the Galactic Alliance, and the creation of the Hideauze. It is too much information at one time, and is quite jarring, honestly. The pacing also is jarringly different, with majority of the big plot twists taking place in the latter half; the show goes from pacing itself leisurely to being very busy. Because of this, a lot of characters' development is rushed, and there isn't really any closure or catharsis for any characters the show takes time to develop, with the exception of Ledo and Chamber. Not to say these plot twists are bad. They invoke some interesting ideas about the system a group of people live under and how it can become harmful when it is so rigid that it becomes constrictive; as it has in the Galactic Alliance of Humanity and the cult that is introduced late in the series. Human society needs a system to function, but when that system becomes all encompassing that it determines how everyone living under it thinks, it becomes an oppressive force. This is a theme Urobuchi seems endlessly fascinated with, having explored similar ideas in his past work. The thing is, Gargantia somewhat oversimplifies these ideas by doing too much to vilify the system at work without really going into why such a system might be necessary. The cult introduced near the finale is so brainwashed that it is obvious that the show is skewed against their way of live. It's admirable that the show believes so strongly in a simpler and more loosely constructed way of life, but it is optimistic to the point of naivety in its view. Luckily, Ledo's revaluation of his life gives the show's values enough weight to still be honest and meaningful. As far as the visuals go, the show looks incredible as would be expected from Production I.G. Right from the beginning, the visuals impress with a stunning space battle that is cold and mechanical, but amazing to behold nonetheless. In contrast, the never-ending ocean of Earth and city-like fleet of Gargantia are brimming with liveliness. There is a naturalistic beauty to the settings: the clear blue sky and the shimmering water below that goes well beyond the horizon, the underwater ecosystems, the light of the glowfish at night; it is all breathtaking to look at. Gargantia itself is quite a sight, equal parts fantastical and makeshift. The boat-dwelling people of Gargantia have a rudimentary grasp on technology compared their ancestors, but resourceful and learned to live with what little lost technology they can scavenge and whatever nature provides them; it is easy to see this by just looking at the place where they live. The character designs by Hanaharu Naruko are diverse, colorful, and lively. Clear emphasis is put on female characters (the show loves to flaunt their bodies), but the guys are also quite distinctive; something that is fairly rare in anime. Of special note is the tan Ledo develops during his time on Earth, which is a nice subtle touch. The music by Taro Iwashiro is mostly composed of orchestral pieces. It is nothing innovative, but it is very well composed and most certainly effective. The music is broad and versatile, which is for the best because Gargantia has a wide range of tones. The compositions support the calm quite moments and warm touching moments just as effectively as tension filled arguments and battles. Probably the most impressive thing the music accomplishes is capturing a sense of wonder. After living on a confining military space colony all his life, the wind open Earth must be awe inspiring for Ledo; the music as well as the visuals imbues the show with a feeling of discovery and adventure. Though it is too naive to really be called a mature work, Suisei no Gargantia is certainly not a bad show. It is really quite enjoyable; it has likable characters, great art and animation, and a well developed lead. It's theme of how people in a community support one another is so good-natured that I feel kind of bad calling it out on its naivety. Still, the lack of development to the overall cast outside of being likable, and the simplifying of complex themes prevent it from being something great.

This review entails some spoilers and, potentially, offensive regards to anime. ^ ^ So. The two problems this anime faces are characterization and plot. The two key components of what make a good story. I'm just going to condense it down for ease and simplicity. Gargantia had a lot of potential in the first few episodes. We're introduced to Ledo, a young man who lives among a space-colonized community of humans. However, all he and his fellow kin know is war against cephalopod(octopi, squids) aliens. Piloting highly advanced and durable AI, Ledo isn't accustomed to much outside of his mecha, "Chamber". As given by the summary, we prettymuch know the basics of everything else. When landing upon Earth, the very foundation of his life is put into question and he must battle his ruthless dogma with the mercy-based morality of the Earthen humans. Now, to just get straight to what I want to address, I'm going to talk characters and keep it as short and to-the-point as possible of me. Apologies for the poor construction ahead. Ledo is, truthfully, one of the extremely few characters that was carrying this show, with Chamber being his only rival as such. Bevel and Oldham had their moments, but their screen-time was little and as such, isn't really much of a basis to go off from. Anyways, Ledo(as we see in the first episode) is very logical, analytic and precise, something that was likely learned from his constant interaction with a robot. He seeks constant guidance from Chamber and the two work together to figure out what they're dealing with, being aided by a girl named Amy. He is, however, open to change and thinks on a deeper level, attempting(constantly) to understand the ways of the people of Earth when they weren't doing the same in turn. There are some very good moments where Ledo expresses his horror, confusion and irritation toward truths of his mission and the mannerisms of his new commune. There are also terrible moments where his entire character is goofed up for the sake of a smile or small giggle. Now, Amy would have been a fine character... except for the fact that her friends and a portion of other characters nearly share the exact same archetype. Carefree, loved, sweet, and lively. There is very little depth to her, and she's your typical sweethearted heroine. Amy serves as a catalyst for Ledo's position in the society of Gargantia, and is a key component in his moral struggles, but that's pretty much it. There's very little exploration of who she is as a person and why she does what she does or why she is the way she is. Her only role in the anime is to be Ledo's guiding light, and she doesn't do a particularly fantastic job at it... unless just throwing him at people to talk to was her only purpose. Then she did great. Pinion is a mess. The character initially hates Ledo with every fiber of his being and suddenly just becomes best bro's with the kid when seeing him, Ledo, down in the dumps over personal conflict. Pinion just randomly offers a hand to Ledo after continually trying to make the head of the ship get rid of him, and treats him like a brother very early on in the series. Again, there was no explanation for this change of character. It was like Pin was meant to be a rival and after a few episodes in, they just completely scrapped that idea. His history was passed over briefly and the character is pretty much an idiot and comedy relief. He has one or two truly mature moments in the entire thirteen episodes. A comic character isn't bad... but like I said, Pinion is a messy character. He is severely lacking in structure. Chamber, on the other hand, is quite deep for being an artificial creation. As we expect, he's intelligent and can do all that cool robot-y stuff like scanning and predicting the future through complex analyzing to blowing crap up, but he himself has his inbuilt information challenged with knowledge learned throughout the show and ends up being more of a human than the human characters. And what I mean by that is he was given a developed personality... despite being a machine. Out of all the characters to choose from, they give the second most development of character to a hunk of freaking metal. I'm wont complain, anyways. At least they didn't give the entire mantle to a 16 year-old boy. Bevel(an intelligent young boy) and Oldham(the only doctor of Gargantia?), like I said, didn't get much view time and had little spotlight. However, Bevel is very much a reason for Ledo's inner conflicts and Oldham is that "wise old sage" type that is suppose to balance out the immaturity of the rest of the cast, but can't because it's so overwhelming here with his sparse appearances. I'd try to be more explanatory, but it's difficult to do without giving spoilers. The few moments they appear are fairly important to Ledo, so you'd just have to watch for yourself. Miscellaneous characters. I'm not going to name them because I truthfully cannot even remember that much. There's a redheaded woman and another with black hair and glasses who leads the ship. Characters that seem to hold an important role, but are given no real depth and very little background. The pirate princess, who comes to their aid in the end of the series-- after being their enemy and a major threat to the lives just about everyone(the relationship was beneficial, but for whatever reason she comes to share a random friendship towards Pinion that has no development at all), is just a mess of a character again. Her intentions aren't remotely clear nor ever explained. As for the plot... it's very weak and typical. This anime would have been far better off just exploring the psychological aspects of a child bred for war, taught "survival of the strong" ideals and merciless killing with having to question themselves against what it actually means to be human and what freedom of choice is. Ledo's growth as a character was good, but could have been phenomenal in the right hands. With the contrived plot and ending, this anime was just mistreated. The vast majority of the cast is shallowly written, every episode past seven is just an awkward clutter of poor development-- with few shining moments(all involving Ledo), and it's just another typical hurriedly-written anime that just can't deliver something more. I would recommend this for the average anime viewer because it's something that appeals to the masses. It's simple and very lighthearted, which to me, was a pitfall. Comedy isn't a bad thing, by any means, but anime anymore just focuses too much on goofy situations that don't have any sort of place in the story. Gargantia, unfortunately, is plagued by quite a bit of that. It's not a terrible show, but it's not amazing, either. If you're looking to waste a few hours, or a day, then this wouldn't be a bad anime to do that with. It's short and easy to understand.

**SPOILER FREE REVIEW** Watching Suisei no Gargantia is like watching someone who is completely incompetent play a good video game for an extended period of time. Is there anything more aggravating? They ignore obvious powerups right in front of their face, they never know what attack to use at what time, and they have absolutely no idea where they are going. As much as you desperately would like to take the reigns or at least guide them in the right direction, you simply can’t. This process is universally frustrating and cringe-worthy because you know that if this person were only playing correctly, you would be ableto see the gameplay in all its glory. Instead, you end up sitting through hours of moronic lollygagging that goes utterly nowhere. To make a long story short, Gargantia is a comparably pointless and meandering ordeal despite the obvious potential for a heartwarming, meaningful, and even thought-provoking story that it at one point seemed destined to eventually arrive at. Synopsis: In the distant future, The Human Galactic Alliance has been constantly fighting for its survival against a race of beings called "Hidiaazu." During an intense battle, a soldier named Ledo and his humanoid mecha “Chamber” are sent spiraling through time and space. Several months later, Ledo wakes up from his artificially induced hibernation and realizes that he has arrived on planet Earth; the birthplace of humanity. The life he has known as an HGA soldier differs drastically from the culture he now finds here on Earth, as he struggles mightily to adjust to the new environment. If I had to give Gargantia credit for anything, I’d praise the fact that’s it’s ambitious. It simultaneously aspires to be a thriller, a slice of life, a romance, a commentary on morality, and a mecha-action. Unfortunately, its own ambition coupled with some god awful writing resulted in an incomprehensible mess of plot holes, no direction what so ever, and so many irrelevant subplots that it becomes difficult to even comprehend what the show’s primary narrative even is. It’s easy to be lured into Gargantia via its bright animation and intriguing first couple of episodes, but every good aspect it ever manages to establish goes to waste simply because it refuses to pick an identity at any point; this anime has NO idea what it wants to be. My first guess was that it was going to be a charming slice of life about a young man discovering what it really means to live, but then it decides to go on an incoherent, pointless, and shock-factor driven tangent that tries to introduce aspects of action, psychology, and suspense without an ounce of the narrative framework required to successfully do so. It’s almost comical when you realize in hindsight how irrelevant and pointless this anime’s little “Shyamalan Twist” was to the main storyline. When the aspect of the narrative that’s slated to carry the most emotional weight can be removed entirely without anything being different, something is wrong. VERY wrong. But, surprisingly, one of the most nonsensical plot twists in anime history isn’t even the biggest issue facing Gargantia’s plot, because that title goes to the entire 2nd half of the anime, which is the most horrible, confused, and plothole laced 6-7 episodes I think I have ever seen. To sum all this up in a single sentence, Gargantia’s plot is absolute garbage. This is far and away the worst thing that writer Gen Urobuchi has ever written or will ever write again, ESPECIALLY when you consider the characters: Our protagonist, Ledo, is the only character in this show. That’s right; you heard me. There are no other characters. LITERALLY everyone else in this show is a plot device. Amy, the female lead and love interest, is as 1-dimmensional as it gets. No personality, no motivations (partially because she barely does anything), no backstory, no nothing. She exists only so we can pretend that Ledo formed a bond with one of these boring sacks at some point. The closest thing this show ever gets to a character (besides Ledo) who exists for purposes other than advancing the plot IS A GODDAMN ROBOT. That’s right; Chamber, Ledo’s robot, is the closest thing to a side character that you are going to get. Notice the emphasis on the word “close”, since Chamber is still an information-spewing plot device. The laughable way in which the show eventually tries to portray some sort of bond between Ledo and a robot makes the god-awful writing all the more cringe-worthy. Oh, and in case you didn’t guess it already, Ledo is a bad character. They try to convince you at the end that he learned something and went through some kind of change but… When? It never feels like he’s learning something nor does it ever feel like he’s ever changing. Not to mention that his inconsistent reactions to events around him amplify the show’s glaring plotholes. *Sigh... It’s just really, REALLY bad writing for the complete lack of a better term. Putting it as bluntly as that is the best way I can think to sum it up. In conclusion, Gargantia is not worth your time and it will only cause you immense disappointment if anything at all. One of my least favorite reviewer-clichés is to go on and on about how “This anime had potential”, because EVERY anime has potential; you aren’t really saying anything with that. In this case, however, I really feel like this anime could have been special. If it had merely picked ONE out of the multiple great ideas it had and focused on it, this might have been one my favorites. Instead, it’s shit. Storytelling is fickle, I suppose.