Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor - Heaven and Earth

The year is 2148. Two years after the end of the original Fafner in the Azure TV series, Tatsumiya Island and its surviving residents have returned to some semblance of recovery. However, things have become desperate for our hero, Kazuki; nearly blind now, and partially crippled from his battles with the Festum two years earlier, he clings to the promise his fallen friend Soushi made to him to return to the island and set things right again. Kazuki's hopes flare when a lifeform is detected within an unmanned submarine that comes floating into Tatsumiya Bay one night, but the person aboard isn't Soushi; it is a mysterious "boy" named Misao Kurusu who may not be entirely human, and who claims to have been sent by Sōshi. With Misao's arrival, hostilities break out anew between the Human Army and the Festum, and the Fafner pilots are thrown into the most desperate battle of their lives - this time, with the fate of TWO races riding on their shoulders.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Makabe, Kazuki Main

Ishii, Makoto Japanese

Kurusu, Misao Main

Kimura, Ryouhei Japanese

Minashiro, Soushi ing

Kiyasu, Kouhei Japanese

Toomi, Maya ing

Matsumoto, Marika Japanese

Memphis, Canon ing

Kobayashi, Sanae Japanese

Minashiro, Tsubaki ing

Nakanishi, Tamaki Japanese

Tatekami, Seri ing

Fukuen, Misato Japanese

Kasugai, Kouyou ing

Irino, Miyu Japanese

Kaname, Sakura ing

Arai, Satomi Japanese

Nishio, Rina ing

Shiraishi, Ryouko Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Nakanishi, Go Producer

Chino, Takatoshi Producer

Suzuki, Toshimasa Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Reviews

Jul 25, 2019

Kasalo_ZIK

Recommended

Heaven & Earth is an excellent must-watch bridge between the first season of Soukyuu no Fafner and Exodus. If you want to watch Fafner: Exodus, be sure not to miss this movie. The story tells about what happened with Soushi and who is Misao Kurusu. So you will be a bit confused if you miss it.

Plot: If you hope to find answers to the questions in this film, that you might have after watching the first season, forget about it! The plot more complicated than was before. Besides the plot is overdosed on different stuff and notions that are typical of Fafner, such as Mir, ... Core, assimilation, there are also raises issues regarding Festum essences and aspirations. As a result, your brain couldn't stand this. But fans certainly will be satisfied, because the intricate story is one of the main features of Fafner series.

Art: The graphic has become much more detailed and technological comparing with the first season. The difference is enormous. Animators have tried to make the movie looks fantastic. But if you look at objects in the background, you will see the lack of details. The general style remains the same as in the first season.

Characters:
The focus is on the relationship between Kazuki and Misao. Misao is a mysterious and ambiguous character, and it is exciting to watch him. The rest of the main characters from the first season here get a little attention. The role of the central combat units is performed by characters who were in the background during the whole first season.

Overall:
Fans of the original series certainly will be delighted. The movie is entertaining, sometimes touching, and has impressive animation. The fans of the franchise and mecha genre at all should watch this movie.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Sep 10, 2021

theGodde

Recommended

Heaven and Earth takes everything that worked from the original series and builds on it. There is a stronger thematic structure and a more focused plot.
The story picks up two years after the end of the main series and while it doesn't take full advantage of this change to grow the characters, it still feels like they have settled into a new status quo. That said Heaven and Earth doesn't bother to properly reintroduce the returning characters. If you haven't seen the original series then this show won't make any sense. It doesn't bother re-explaining anything, from Fafners to Festums to Mirs. It's all ... assuming you're already familiar with these concepts.

The animation was a massive step up from the original series. The fights are incredibly dynamic and fluid. The overall quality massively improves upon everything. This movie still holds up today. None of the CG feels dated (if you were even able to spot it). That said it still has the same issue from the main series where all the character designs look very similar. That combined with the introduction of a few new characters and further focus on some lesser side characters from the original series meant there were a lot of new (but similar) faces to differentiate from.

The characters were good, but nothing incredible. However the standout here was Kurusu, the new addition. His personal struggle is the heart of the movie, and it's well tied in to the themes and concepts the film focused on. A lot of the side characters had multiple separate arcs that arguably shouldn't have worked, but they were all tied together through the main theme of the cost of war, and it helped to paint the picture of war being a grand but ultimately futile struggle with a terrible toll - something that may not have had the same impact if it had focused on only a few main characters.

Overall I'd say this is a must watch if you have seen the original series. If you haven't then this is hard to recommend. It comes with the price tag of having to watch through over a dozen episodes of mediocre garbage in the original series to get to this. However if the rest of the franchise continues to be this consistent it might just be worth it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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