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Impressions:

The second episode of Stratos 4 Advance continues with excellent quality, and of course it has to be as it’s an OAV series. Although, it seems that the first episode was broadcast on TV first before being released on DVD, while the rest were released on DVD first, then broadcast on TV. But since the quality is at the expected of an OAV series, I’ll just assume it as that. By the way, I will write a summary of the entire series after finishing the rest of the series.

The three new test pilots got more air time this episode, which is good, though their significance to the story still hasn’t been revealed, if they do indeed have any. I wonder if the characters (especially Mikaze) will get into any emotional problems like the original series. It seems that something’s going on with Ayamo at the moment, so yes, there probably will be. One of the major things I liked about the TV series was the problems everyone faced – Mikaze’s will to go to space, Karin’s…’disease’ etc. However, there was also something that I didn’t appreciate too much. While the style of drawing that’s been used for the characters are (I think) near perfect (by that I mean the eyes aren’t too far apart, aren’t too big or small, the nose isn’t too far up or down, the cheeks aren’t too wide etc – yes I’m picky!), what does irritate me is the simplicity of the hairstyles. Everything is just too smooth, and there’s almost no variety. Even though that does make it seem more ‘normal’, Anime isn’t normal, which is why that aspect is pretty bad.

For some reason, I feel like I’m watching the repeat of a series even though I haven’t seen them before. That by all means is NOT an indication that it is repetitive (ok, what am I saying? Of course it’s repetitive! But what I AM saying is that it doesn’t bore or put me off at all. Just goes to show my faith in the series). I have to admit when I first watched it (the original), I had already downloaded half the series and seriously regretted it after watching the first two eps and not liking it. Back then, I DID think it was boring, so I left it at two eps, only to force myself to return to it after having nothing else to watch. And slowly, it became more interesting. The events that unfolded gradually became more exciting, puzzling and fun to watch. The last few eps where Mikaze and the others went to the Comet Blaster stations was a great end, and I was quite sad to see the series finish. I’m hoping something good will unfold in the remaining four episodes.

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