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Gall Force ova Review
Story & Playability
This review is for the first three chapters (Eternal Story, Destruction, Stardust War) only. These three form a single coherent first section of this million year spanning epos.
A recap: a long long time ago in a galaxy that was not far away but in fact our galaxy, there was a war between the Solnoids, a female-only race that had permanently lost its males and forgotten all about them, and the Paranoid, a race of slime creatures that used metal (mecha) skeletons as coat hangers to drape their substances on. Perhaps not unexpected, the Paranoid have male voices and take more or less male shapes.
The war is going pretty good for both sides: the annihilation of the enemy is in sight, because they are building cannons that Emperor Palpatine would have loved: all the firepower of the Death Star without the giant size. Problem is, both parties know this goes both ways and neither likes the idea of their own extinction. So, a plan is hatched to do something about this by creating a third race. This race must have elements of both and act as a go-between so that warfare is no longer the only possible option. Eternal Story is the failed implementation of this plan.
In Destruction it is pretty clear that with the failure of the plan, mutual assured extinction is imminent; both races have been reduced to space wanderers after each planet they inahbited was blown up. Now the Solnoid have another plan, and nothing like this mushy stuff of creating a go-between negotiator: simply blow up the enemy before he blows you up. There will be some unfortunate collateral damage, like planet Earth and a large part of the own Solnoid forces though.
The third chapter, Stardust War, shows the final moments of the war. The crews of the Solnoid and Paranoid fight on, with the inevitable outcome coming ever closer. The leaders of both races converge on a dying star system, a fitting place for the dying civilisations.
Rating:
Graphics
The character designs are by Sonoda (see also Bubblegum Crisis 2032, Gunsmith Cats, and Exxaxion) in what I call his early period. The girls are drawn realistically: no large bouncy breasts, wasp waists, or battle bikinis. Instead normal proportions and sensible clothing for a space faring race while still showing that these are females. The Paranoid are pretty generic, if you have seen one, you have seen them all. They're also alien, and not very much seen in depth.
It is a space war show, so of course there are spaceships, planes, and robots. None of the designs were classics, but they work pretty good within the show. Some of the mecha designers also worked on other shows and you can get flashes of recognition there; you can for example easilly imagine Paranoid mecha as part of the arsenal of the Inbit of Mospeada. The space battles have in my opinion received the best animation of this series.
The art is pretty good for its time (1986 for Eternal Story, this is an old series!). Do not expect great CGI sequences. If you do not go into this series with the idea that since it is about anime girls you will get lots of skin and bounce, you will not be disappointed. That is not to say there is absolutely no fanservice, but it is muted.
Rating:
Sound
Voice acting was getting professional by this time in Japan and it shows. The voice actors for the girls do a good job. The Paranoid, well, not remarkable but what was to expect from a race of what could be clones that have very few lines to begin with? The English voice cast, well they needed some professional growth when Gall Force was made and I will leave it at that.
Incidental music fits the mood of the show, and the opening and closing music is pretty much irrelevant. Clearly that was not a main concern of the makers, unlike for example with its contemporary Bubblegum Crisis (2032) which had one of the best soundtracks ever in my opinion.
Rating:
Fun
The first chapter, Eternal Story, depicts the implementation of the plan to create an in-between race on the
unsuspecting Solnoid crew of the space cruiser StarLeaf, monitored by an intelligence section android called Catty and
the main computer. It resembles Alien in that one by one, characters get killed. Although not with any blood and gore.
First we are introduced to the warfare and its relentless nature, and also the indomitable spirit of the female crew.
Slowly we get hints about the plans inside plans that cause the events in this episode.
In the end, the plan produces some new(?) lifeform but ultimately fails in its primary goal. We are introduced to a
character, pilot Lufy, that will return in the following chapters. In this chapter she is not the main character, that
role falls to non-combatant technician Rumy, officer Rabby, and sensor technician Patty. However, they will not be
returning, except for a very short cameo of Rumy in the next chapter.
In the second chapter, Destruction, the plan to deal with the Paranoid and as a sideshow destroy the planet Earth makes
the Solnoid first chapter survivor Lufy and some new characters like pilot Shildy and another Catty-type android angry,
because some minute part of the Solnoid and Paranoid races lives peacefully there.
The characters find solace in knowing that there would have been some remnant that survives this war. You may notice the
innate pessimism in that outlook, even the must optimistic of the Solnoid believe they are walking dead. The gallant
optimism of the first chapter is replaced with a rebellion against a bleak fate, a desperate try to leave something
behind except wreckage.
The third chapter, Stardust War, is the final one of this arc. The mutual leaders have gone completely fanatical and fool themselves into thinking that if they can just strike the first blow, they can still win this war. The crews of the ships know better though. Still, there is one Solnoid named Nebulart, the original living template for the Catty series androids, who has not given up all hope. She tries, with the help of the crew of the previous chapter, one final, deperate plan to convince both commanders not to fight what they all know will be the last battle for both their entire races.
Where the first chapter is an enjoyable thriller about desperate plans, hope, and gallant self-sacrifice, the second and third chapters are anti-war pieces with (too) much talking about inevitability and the stupidity of general warfare. One can draw an interesting parallel to wartime Japan, whose generals and admirals could have instantly emphasized with the fanaticism of the Solnoid and Paranoid leaders. Also one keeps wondering why none of the warriors excused themselves from this war and laid low until the fanatics on both sides had killed each other, but that also draws parallels with the wartime population of Japan, who kept fighting as ordered.
I do however feel that the repeated hammering home of this pacifist message compromises the story quality of the second and third chapter. From an optimistic outlook in the first chapter the storyline goes wholy pessimistic, and it does so by talking endlessly about destruction, how it came about, and how stupid it all is. You get that message fairly soon in the second chapter, there was no need to repeat it again ... and again ... and again. Instead, we could have had more action, the better part of the two final chapters.
I would be willing to fork over money for the first chapter, but go after the other two only if you want the complete series.
Rating:
Final Verdict
6.1667 (average)
Reviewed by ptptn, Nov 19, 2005
Comments
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jefemaestro89 Nov 19, 2005
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shinsengumi Retired Moderator Nov 20, 2005
I have to admit that I'm impressed by both your prose and how fairly you assigned scores in this review. Keep up the great work!
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Duuz Nov 20, 2005
Wonderful review, now you must watch the rest of the Gall Force series to tie it all together. And then the circle will be complete.
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shinraboy Nov 21, 2005
great review makes me want to watch it man
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