Title - Saish Heiki Kanojo: The Last Love Song on This Little Planet/Saishuu Heiki Kanojo: The Last Love Song on This Little Planet
Alternative title(s) - She, the Ultimate Weapon/My Girlfriend, the Ultimate Weapon
Genre(s) - Ren'ai, drama and science fiction

"Saikano" is a fairly new series which began and ended its run last year.

The story is about Shji and Chise who are in high school. Chise may be clumsy at times, but don't let that part fool you as I explain more shortly. Chise tells Shji about her love towards him.

One day, an enemy air raid occured. No one knows where did it originate from. Somehow, the planes were being shot down a quick rate rate. As Shji was worrying about himself and his friends, he noticed that Chise was the one who shot those planes down. He also noticed that she is not a typical girl as it looked like the weapon was a part of her own self.

"Saikano" is probably the most debateable series I have seen since "Eva". If you plan to see this series and you just experienced a heartbreak recently, don't hold me responsible if you think about commiting suicide. I just want to say that. The series is that sad.

Fun - 8

What makes "Saikano" stand out is that it gives us a good view of romance and peace. It may not be the best view, but it is at least polished up if you want to put it that way. Some say that the series could've been developed better. I beg to differ. In my opinion, this is as good as you can get. It is surprising to hear that Chise actually means "home" in Ainu. What's unusual though is that Shji is the first guy I've seen of his age that often says "boku".

Of course, this review would feel weird with me neglecting to talk about its downsides, in which, there aren't many. Yeah, I know that characters die at a somewhat fast rate and I wish I got to know them more, but lets face it. Shji and Chise have to move on and that's how the series goes. Other than this and the other flaws I have already said, that's it.

Life - 8

Well, it's one of the most recent Japanese DVD series out there with Japanese subtitles. If you were to buy them, they would be worth every dollar in my opinion or in Japan's case, yen. Yeah, go get them if you have a region 2 DVD player or a player that play discs from all regions.

Story - 9

Well, the story is nice. It may be a bit too complex for some people, but I like it. It has a solid story indeed.

Audio - 10

I can't praise the audio enough. The seiy did a wonderful job. The music is spectacular. I can go on and on saying "I love the audio in 'Saikano'!" I won't though. =P

Art - 9

For a series like this, you'd expect dark animation, but instead, you have bright and colorful animation that you normally see in series from the shjo department. While I like the art, I sometimes feel that the art doesn't feel right. I have seen various people make the mistake on their first impressions that Shji is an old guy. This does lead to a little flaw in some people's eyes, but one, Shji's hair is in an unusual shade of black and two, I've seen guys with that look, most notably Kysuke of the Justice Gakuen series.

Overall - 9

I know that there are people that didn't enjoy the series. I respect your opinions. I just thought that it was worth my while. So, if you haven't done so, watch "Saikano". If your experience was too depressing for you, then go and watch any spirited anime.

+

It's a drama series done right and the music is spectacular.

-

Question marks rise in the art and plot departments.

Date of creation - 1/24/03

Last update - 8/10/04

Back