TO [Funimation] - DVD Review

"TO" as a standalone 2-part feature takes the idea of what "Vexille" showed with the new 3D anime software and brings it to space in the vision of an almost "2001/Star Trek" motivation. What is distinctly different here in the inset is the use of pace and not necessarily action that had been essential to the previous outing."Elliptical Orbit" begins the idea with a comparative fluidity prevalent in "Vexille" but what seems to have been accomplished in this outlay is a massive sense of scale which has become even more and more defined as the CG tools have become more realized. Detail is a given but senses of space and depth (which in the real world is determined by lenses) seem wonderfully envisioned here, especially with the docking mechanisms and use of sun flares. The story itself begins with a notion of "Blade Runner" which, even with some of the music using vocalists, harks to our oncoming future. The narrative involves a crew who travels back and forth from Alpha Centauri over a 15 year period in cryogenic sleep to bring back an energy source from a faraway and uninhabitable world. This is the only possible way to bring it back. There is an undeniable connection from the skipper of the transport vehicle (who looks no more than 32) and the older captain of the orbiting Earth station (which has the ability to fire cargo containers at the moon at high velocity). The orbiting station is attacked by terrorists looking to heist the energy and destroy the moon dwellings who are taking resources away from the Earth. While the motivation in the story has its holes, the revealing relationships, especially with the skipper and the captain, make this integral upon repeated viewings. While the resolution happens a bit too quickly making the plot points a little flimsy, overall the intention of the anime is sound. In terms of extras, the extended video segment with Director Funihiko Sori and stars Akio Ohtsuka ("Ben") and Romi Park ("Maria") show the similarities and differences in the actual production process of this kind of anime using live action mimicking of the physical form which makes the motion very different from classical anime. This is represented in more lingering shots, silences and glances which gives the animation a more emotional core. The teasers and spots seem to play up more to the action element of the terrorists which, while true, is the lesser of the strengths because of the depth structure allowed by the process of the animation. In terms of trailer, "The Last Exile" which is an older title sticks out simply because of its historical backdrop and fluidity."Symbiotic Planet" exists in a slightly different world where life is not as separated by thoughts of conquering as one might think. Again the backdrop functions on the basis of mankind depleting all their resources and being forced to move outward into the cosmos in order to survive. In a jump of technology and logic from "Elliptical Planet", a trip to a nearby planet that boasts exceptional promise is only 21 light years away and journeyed to in 5 hours. The crux at the center of the story is a love affair between a man ("Ion") and a woman ("Alena") in two conflicting colonies. One is an American and one is a Eurasian, both bent on tapping the necessary permissions to mine the world's possibilities. Other life exists on the planet but seems fairly benign. Ion, an American scientist, finds that the beings floating in the atmosphere (called Picards) are sentient and intelligent but doesn't quite understand their full possibilities. One of his jobs is to figure out why the planet seems to be covered in white spores. After the fungus finds its way out in a lab explosion, Ion is infected which causes heightened tension between the two colonies leading to a would-be air strike. The resolution paints towards certain ideas of hope hich will not be revealed because of its spoiler potential. Sori's use of music and scale in terms of large moving ships, either taking off or crashing show what the medium of this type of CG optimizing an anime structure is capable of. However, it seems that its ability in space to give objects weight is its most interesting current capability though the emotional depths in the eyes continues to get better. The accompanying special program interview like "Orbit" talks about the elements on the planet and the love affair between the character sbut is not as dense as the previous outing. The trailers play more to the strength of "Orbit" though the "Symbiotic" episode seems much more mythic for whatever reason. In terms of trailers, "Summer Wars" has the most impact with its online/"Wargames"-like sttructure which allows for a balance of old school with neo-modern thinking but "Samurai Champloo" shows some of the coolness that people like Tarantino have been speaking about for ages."TO" is a wonderful piece of work that keeps pushing anime upwards and forwards, both embracing its heritage and improving what it is capable of, both in stories and in visuals. Out of 5, I give it a 3.