Whoo-hoo! Volume Five means there’s only one more volume of Glass Fleet to review!
plot summary
After their escape from prison, Cleo and his new friends fight their way to freedom through Vetti’s fleet. Cleo is then at last reunited with Michel, and the two discuss the future of the People’s Army’s future.
But burdened with the knowledge the galaxy is slowly being sucked into the phenomena known as the Black Cross, Cleo is determined to save it, no matter the cost. He must now convince his friends and allies to band together to help him with his new purpose. Cleo must find stronger allies, than these though, and Michel is worried where, and who, Cleo’s dangerous new thoughts will lead them.
review
Glass Fleet has resumed plummeting to its doom thanks to this volume. Volume Five isn’t the worst volume of the bunch (that’d be One) but it’s regained the momentum of suckdom Volume Four managed to shake.
The story has once again become ludicrous and out of focus. The laughability of the “plot” has multiplied, again. And the laws of physics are once again blatantly flouted by a freefall jump into the vacuum of space by Cleo. It takes a really bad piece of work to break the laws of physics, FYI.
We’re supposed to swallow the hastily wired together idea that Cleo is now the galaxy’s savior, not it’s future King. The series shifted gears so fast, I think it stripped something. If this is what the anime was about all along, what the hell was I watching to begin with? Where was the foreshadowing? Why did I have to see the Revolution Army fight four volumes worth of war, only to have the entire idea of nobles and war swatted aside as being inconsequential?
The studio could have easily switched ideas towards the beginning of the series and still introduced Michel as a rebel leader and all that her history entails. They wasted the entire series, thus far, flying around, shooting canon balls in space and looking like a bunch of Fashion Week nightmares. It turns out, none of the previous plot matters, although it was built up as being meaningful and purposeful.
Only about one quarter of what was told prior to this volume has any impact on the new focus. That means I watched 75% pure filler junk. I say filler junk because none of what I saw built character development or provoked any connection. The ideas were put together in such a craphazard way, they didn’t further the story in the least.
Character Development
The last episode had actual story, but the story wasn’t attached to the plot. It was a tale about the pilot, Elmer. The episode was slightly entertaining, but still bad.
Rachel is turning into a psycho wife-leech who needs Vetti in order to define herself. What a difference a marriage to a nut job tyrant can make….
Character Design
It’d be too much to ask for the character designs not to continue to be an affront to the senses. The designs kept right on being tasteless and freakish and even upped the ante in the last episode. I think phallic gate posts win most tasteless design this volume round.
Animation
It really truly feels as if a different group of people animated each volume, even episodes, of Glass Fleet, the animation feels so inconsistent. One shot is detailed and passable, the next is mechanical and grainy. The animation is beyond sub par. Gonzo should have at least had the decency to keep the shots bad throughout.
Conclusion
Joyous is the day I watch Volume Six of Glass Fleet. For only then will my punishment will be over and the gods of anime will truly have forgiven whatever slight caused them to curse me with this series in the first place.
Rating
Glass Fleet, Volume Five gets .5 outta 4 Hammies!
Retail Info
- Publisher: Funimation
- Release Date:March 25, 2008
- Retail Price: $29.98
- Number of discs:1
- Episodes:19-22
- Run Time: 125 minutes
- Rating: TV-PG
- Language: English, Japanese
- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
