Bounen no Xamdou

I loved this anime. It's not the kind of series I think I would have appreciated nearly as much when I was younger; I probably wouldn't have appreciated the subtle ways the series develops its cast and world, which apparently several reviewers were frustrated with. This is going to be a long one, but I'll steer clear of spoilers as much as I can. I'd say the series is most definitely elevated chiefly by its characters and dialogue. Very little of this series is spoon-fed to the audience through exposition, and most importantly, characters never feel like their conversations are for the audience. You can feel the weight of years and experience even among teenagers who have shared history, but most especially among the adults. It's great to see the various ways they present relationships in this series, and while Ryuzo and Fusa are a stand-out as a largely separated but still close couple with baggage, lingering love, and a child they deeply care for, every kind of relationship is on display in ways that I rarely see done this well. Akiyuki and Haru have a distinctly more mature relationship than most young couples, with each understanding the feelings of the other and loving them deeply, but not having to express it to clarify that to us. Ishu and Nakiami have a fascinating adoptive relationship that kept me mesmerized every time they were on screen together. Sukakki and Kakisu had a tragic romance that was mutually accepted to be set aside for their shared aims, but the tension and shared tragedy between them that was on display in every scene was amazing. And there's all kinds of other relationships that come through beautifully with little spoken dialogue: Kujireika and Nakiami, Raigyo and Ishu, and Yunbo and Ahm are all relationships we only get little glimpses into, but learn so much about in a short time. If I was judging this just based on these aspects, the series is among the best I've seen at juggling a large cast of characters so well. I think the worldbuilding is also strong. The series doesn't need to flesh out every party involved - the fighting between the Southern and Northern forces is largely left faceless beyond the people who fight it, and I'm absolutely fine with the series feeling no need to attribute humanity to the governments that send their forces to do battle. There's a general sense of inhumanity in the way that these militaries and the people who run them treat the enemy or even people they might consider allies. Kakisu is from Sentan Island, but doesn't even blink at the prospect of using the people there to achieve his goals in any way necessary. Yet it's not hard to see the struggle that he's under, nor that of Reizo, his largely willing accomplice in committing war crimes. The more we explore how these characters came to join the fight, the more we understand the varying groups involved in this mess of a conflict that leaves entire societies in tatters. Much to its credit, though, the series doesn't lean on its power system too much. I expected much more use of the Xam'd forms and a lot more pitched fighting, but those forms were often double-edged swords with the wielders' volatile emotions affecting their successes and failures deeply. There were some truly intense character journeys that stemmed from forced implantations of Hiruko, and even for characters like Furuichi who I never fully jived with, the tragedy of watching them suffer under the burdens imposed on them was brutal. The Xam'd forms and the Humanform Weapons in general were a fascinating way to utilize what could have been a very simple means of empowering the central characters, turning them into victims alongside the souls of those implanted into them. And yes, the animation of those crazy proportions is very much on point, channeling some powerful Studio Ghibli energy. If I had a bone to pick with the series, though, it would probably be with the overarching plot. There's a lot to cover and the series does a good job of exploring many of the facets, but so much of what's here involves the spirits of the dead in a way that was always going to be rather complicated and difficult to parse. I connected with the stories of these characters on a ground level and how they were caught up in a much broader conflict, but less so with the aims of broader forces that directed a good deal of the plot. The Hiruken Emperor is an interesting idea for a character that ends up being very important to how things wrap up, but there's not a lot to his story beyond a mechanic that we've been introduced to already effectively being thrown in reverse to create a monster. I liked how it was resolved, but considering just how pivotal he was, his reason for acting felt a little underwhelming. I also wish we'd gotten to know some of the other key players better like Lady Sannova and the Jibashiri in general. I could appreciate their roles in terms of their specific actions and choices within the plot, but for the broader plot, it was harder to comprehend how they worked and the role they played. There was also generally a lot of complexity to how certain fantastical elements of the series work that just couldn't be conveyed fully in the way this series was written, which meant some elements of the series required me to do some homework to understand what was happening. Still, that doesn't hold it back much, mainly because those machinations feel like they matter less or are even subverted by the will of our central characters. At least in the case of the Hiruken Emperor, he serves as the ultimate reminder of what the misuse of these souls can lead to - he's more a tool for forces larger than himself than anyone involved in the plot. The ending is bittersweet on a number of levels, but every character feels like they get a moment to shine in this brief moment of peace they experience. It's a beautiful way to bring an end to a subtantially underrated series.

Xam'd: Lost Memories is a potentially great anime that (partially) collapsed under the weight of its own ambitions and age restrictions. This anime is too complex and serious for such a "family friendly" presentation and there is also too much going on compared to its running time. But even so, it's still a worthwhile show. What makes me think there was a lot of potential here? - First, the quality of production. Visually, the anime looks absolutely fantastic. High-quality backgrounds, lots of dynamic animation, bright, well-balanced colors - it's there from the beginning to the last second. The music is also good, but it doesn't add anything extra. - Second, it's a truly unique setting, all elements of which are invented from scratch and not just a copy of something. - Third, there's a large, diverse and interesting cast of characters. That's less true to the formal main character, who is pretty standard, but many others and espeshaly the "real" main character (Nakiami) is incredible. Everyone has their own motivations and different character traits and continuously acts accordingly. So, what went wrong? - Firstly, there is not enough time to fully reveal the world and characters. The anime should have been either twice as long or a little simpler. In general, there is enough information about what is happening, but even at the end there are many gaps in knowledge about the world itself. And the same can be said about the characters, we more or less understand them, but we know very little about most of them in general. There's also a lot going on in the plot overall. - Secondly, there is a mismatch between the level of seriousness of the story and its depiction. Imagine if something like Attack on Titan or Berserk were to be made into a "family-friendly" format, that's what's partially happening here. On paper, we have a lot of violence, war, mass murder, terrorist attacks, discrimination, human experimentation, etc., but on screen, most of it is reduced to a level that children can watch and balanced with more cheerful moments.This is most noticeable in the characters' reactions to tragic events - they often lack emotional expressiveness. In conclusion, it was an interesting and relatively enjoyable anime (especially the second half), but maybe I'm just too old to fully enjoy it.

I have mixed feelings about this anime, there were some positives aspects but there were also many negative aspects and I felt like the negatives outweigh the positives. I started watching without expecting any much but what I saw didn't satisfy me at all. The plot is good, really interesting but it failed to live up to my initial expectations as the story progressed. Many things are not explained or are taken for granted, undermining the enjoyment of the anime. Aspects such as the war between North and South or the Tessik people have not been treated enough to be interesting, and these are just two examples. ​ The soundtrack is incredible, really beautiful as are the animations, the real highlight of the anime. Bones did an amazing job from that point of view, especially when it comes to the fight scenes which are exceptional. The characters, unfortunately, are the anime's weak point: many are bland or simply not interesting. There are a couple of exceptions but for the most part the characters failed to engage me that much. I felt like they tried to come-off as deep but the majority of the things they say are super corny and nobody in real life would've spoken like did in a specific situation. The anime lasts 26 episodes and therefore starts off slow but towards the middle it starts to get going maintaining a good pace and rhytim. However I just didn't think they had the tools to make all the 26 episodes interesting so the anime drags. Probably, at a certain point in the story, there were too many plots going on and some of these, even some of the most interesting ones, did not have a worthy ending. In conclusion this anime was quite a miss for me. The animation was great but that's the only thing I'd save from the show. Extremely forgettable in the end. ​

2.5/10 (*3) The most significant flaw in this series is its worldbuilding because it is so crucially relevant to the story, themes and character. The world isn't laid out clearly enough so the major conflicts feel distant and the tessik culture was relatively bland and unspecial, especially considering how most of everything was related to it and the fact that it was supposed to be this unique and special core of the world. A wide array of thems spread throughout its cast, whose major narrative beats often cringe, but most of the themes relate to identity and trying to be a better person with good people around you whom you have mutual care for. There is even a question raised with the redhead about how far self-sacrifice should go. The series seems to suggest it isn't necessary but the more the merrier which is bold and appreciable. It's really the story that is bad but the themes were good enough, especially with their conclusions. The presentation is mixed with uncool designs but good use of music even if some tracks became repetitive but most of the fault is with the writing that was beyond saving. Not enough of a cast, worldbuilding or dramatic set up to leave the ending satisfying on any level apart from perhaps thematically.

Revisited this anime after over 10 years. Now that I'm a quite a bit older, wiser(?) and with early male-pattern baldness... maybe I could express what I think of this particular show? They should've marketed this as seinen. This doesn't always move in a reasonable pace, leave too much unexplained, demands a bit much from the viewers. But the visuals & sounds? Those could be enjoyed by almost anyone, irrespective of their age or preferences. Definitely worth taking a chance on. You see, anime and manga fans tend to have a particular set of preferences. Preferences which don't necessarily match up in other entertainment media or forms. That is a strong reason why you might struggle suggesting something to an uninitiated from this world. Also the same reason why people tend to drop these once they grow older. Yet there are manga and anime that tries something ambitious, tries to stand out. Those tend to stand the test of time much better, if not to the wider world, then at least to the viewer him/herself. "Bounen no Xamdou" is certainly one of them.

I'm a big fan of the Eureka 7 series so when I came across Xam'd, I was excited about being able to watch a series w/ the same visual stylings. Not only is the art similar, but the characters and storyline have strong similarities. Heck, they even have a flying base ship in this series too! Although I enjoyed Xam'd, I felt that the main characters weren't as compelling as the support characters and that grew frustrating as the series wore on. Xam'd is an entertaining journey, but gets a little convoluted in it's storytelling towards the later stages of this series and perhaps gets a little too ambitious in attempting to tie together it's various storylines. Visually, I have no complaints, it's a joy to behold. And, it's nice to have some catchy music by Boom Boom Satellites to open the show. That was a pleasant surpirse. I'm also hooked on the closing sequence's music by Kylee! Enjoy!

Okay. To start, the animation of this anime is pretty good. The sound design is acceptable as well. And that's where the praise ends. This anime is the most confusing nonsensical piece of media I've ever watched. It is ALMOST so bad that its good, as I did enjoy riffing on it with friends while watching it. But ultimately, its horrible. The characters have no distinct motivations/arcs, they just do things inexplicably and you have no idea who is important and who isn't. Even the "main" characters tread this line due to lack of focus and direction. It feels like a slice of life cast but there are too many "deep" themes being talked about instead of having the characters undergo actual development. I feel literally nothing(except maybe confusion) whenever something happens to one of them, because there has been little to no effort made to make me care about these people. They come and go and drop weird and a lot of the time cheesy dialogue and we never focus on any of them for long enough. I remember the first episode being entirely confusion. The action sequence on screen, the dialogue/delivery of that dialogue and the soundtrack were all in complete contradiction with each other. At no point was I confident in what emotions I was supposed to be feeling in the moment. And this continued throughout the series. The soundtrack does not match what is going on at all and if it does it feels forcefully dramatic because the plot hasn't properly laid out any stakes for us to be invested in. Its a directionless shitshow of an anime and there are few anime I would consider a bigger waste of your time. You will spend the entire anime scratching your head and asking "What just happened?" "What did they just say?" "What the fuck is going on?" Don't be fooled by the reviews painting this as a "dark and deep/mature" anime. Anyone mature who has actually delved into deep written and animated/acted material can tell you this show is as shallow as it gets. It has a mask of being deep because it explains things in a strictly cryptic way, likely because the authors themselves had no idea what they were trying to explain and keeping it vague was the only way to make it seem like the characters knew/could explain what was going on. Characters/plot/motivations/action all of it is shallow and without stakes/substance/meaning. The opposite of deep and certainly not media directed at a mature audience looking to experience a compelling story but instead directed at the mindless droves of anime watchers who unfortunately have zero standards for story telling. People can subjectively enjoy this anime, but they are subjectively enjoying objective trash.

亡念のザムド is a very beautiful, retro-futuristic adventure created by Studio Bones and co-producters Sony/Aniplex with a lot of ambition. I really like the anime for its great graphics, the character designs, the art in general, the good music and because the plot is not the typical monotony. Story: Complexity disguised in simplicity but perpetual changes demand attention (7/10) The Series is more demanding than the basic story of the military conflict between the Northern Government and the Southern Continent Free Zone, in which our male protagonist is inadvertently drawn, suggests. As a victim of a terrorist act in which his body becomes the host of a symbiotic organism, it is up to him to find his way to deal with his new ambivalent existence, the so-called Xam'd. In addition to the military and human conflicts, the plot skilfully deals with topics such as the exclusion of ethnic minorities, religion and the basic principles of humanistic thinking as well as genetics and their military application. Despite 26 episodes, the plot is extensive, the story not only focuses on the protagonists Akiyuki or Nakiami, but also illuminates other characters with a lot of depth, even if those are lost soon again because the course of the action takes a different path. Some viewers will certainly find this tiring, as you can not only relax and watch the anime, but have to concentrate on the story. As far as I'm concerned, this is one reason why the series is among the best, that 2008/09 had to offer. Characters: good development, at times somewhat questionable, since soon eliminated (8/10) This anime has a very large cast and almost everyone receives a very good development. Almost no character appear and remain one-dimensional, which is a pity for the characters, who only serve a side story and then no longer occur. All in all, the cast is due to their different personalities and background information, besides, the interpersonal conflicts are very interesting and often the viewer is forced to think about whether the character is a friend or an enemy - that makes it exciting. The cast is too big to describe them all. Even if you focus only on the crew of the airship Zanbani, there are many, interesting and multi-faceted characters from the captain to the machinist. So my description of the characters will be limited to a few. Takehara, Akiyuki: He is a slightly mischievous teenager, whose goodness of heart promptly gets him in great trouble and him to the beginning of his adventurous journey. So far, it sounds more like the typical monotony, but as mentioned earlier, the characters go through ups and downs in a very flexible plot. You never know what's next, I liked that a lot. On the other hand, his background story is plausible and illustrated in a very human way. Nakiami: Her character is very interesting, she is very mature for her young age and her behaviour and actions are marked by the desire to protect life, no matter what kind. She bears a great responsibility. Actually a calm and thoughtful character, on the other hand also energetic and enthusiastic. A special plus is that she is not afraid to accept the rebukes for her actions. Benikawa, Ishuu: She is the captain and my personal favourite. With her strong will, she holds the Zanbani crew together. She is strict, does not tolerate disobedience and has full respect for the crew. This is surely because everyone knows that she is tough, but also has a good heart and does not let anyone down. She comes across very rough, because her hobbies are smoking, drinking and weapons, but she is also educated and enjoys to read sophisticated literature. All in all, a lady with whom one should not mess with. Takehara Ryuuzou: Akiyuki's father and the village doctor. He is a very likeable character and simply the best example of an ex-husband. The doctor lives for his work, which also led to divorce. He is chaotic but also brilliant, a calm and very kind person. He still mourns the time with his wife Fusa, but when they meet, he manages to annoy his ex-wife in no time. Visuals: clean & fluid, good use of colours & contrasts, Animation & Art very good quality (9/10) The art is detailed and creative, the colours were silky lively and the contrasts are well done. The design of the world of Bounen no Xamdou is a feast for the eyes. It's a simple yet futuristic world. The mix of old technology like a simple school bus and on the other hand, airships and biotechnology, are very successful examples of beautiful steampunk elements. What I liked most about the design was that objects, whether aircrafts, houses, vehicles, etc., had beautiful and credible traces of usage or signs of decay, for example walls had various shades, cracks, colour differences or at times a brick was missing. These all are just little things, but I like it a lot. The character designs are also very well done, the faces and bodies are very different and fit well with their roles. The facial expressions convey the feelings very well, both in the funny and above all in the melancholic moments. You can well imagine the emotional world of the characters, based on the visual representation. The animation is fluid and clean, stunning for a non-movie anime. Not only the fighting scenes are very well implemented in terms of animation, even very small moments are very noticeable. For example, I noticed Nakiami wiping the mirror in the bathroom, which was still misted, and you can see the reflection of her face in the mirror. That's just a small thing, but with great attention to detail, and that's not the standard, certainly not in 2008/09. All in all, the art department creates a great overall picture. I know that it is not the Studio Ghibli, but the picture quality is largely in line with the standards of the well-known studio. Sounds: really good BGM & sound effects, a little worse in terms of VA (7/10) The high expectations with regard to the background music, which are aroused by the very appealing look of the anime, are fully fulfilled. The compositions of Oshima Michiru have already given many other animes a harmonious musical framework, so it is no surprise that the music is tonally very appealing again. The BGM underlines the plot very well, especially moving moments are emotionally well conveyed, but the music is never intrusive. The sound spectrum is very extensive, from calm-soulful, classically oriented arrangements with choir to well rocking sounds. The first OP "Shut up and Explode" comes from Boom Boom Satellites. The electronic rock duo Kawashima-Nakano has been active since the 90`s. Among other things, they have made the soundtrack for the anime "appleseed". The OP is a casual-rocking prelude, creates anticipation for the anime and is well done. The second OP "Back On My Feet" is also from Boom Boom Satellites. It has a similar sound as the first OP, a bit faster and the music is more in the foreground. The animation is again very well designed, with scenes and characters from the series. The ED "Vacancy" sung by Kylee, is a nice and rather melancholy ending. The singer has a really nice voice. The song was great, but the real breakthrough did not happen despite her beautiful voice. The voice actors are well chosen but not all convince in the presentation. However, I was very impressed by the voice of Sapei, Yuuuko, who gave Nakiami her voice. The voice is calm and yet very feminine, as well as pleasant to understand. Unfortunately, not all other voice actors were able to convince me so well. Personally, I consider Bounen no Xamdou a clear recommendation, because watching the anime conveys the same feeling as reading good literature. The series is not a hunt from one climax to the next, but it's exciting and mesmerizing with constant change / evolution as well as breathtaking visual quality right up to the end. On the other hand, the unusual plot requires a lot of concentration. Viewers, who prefer an entertainment that follows a clear …

Review on 20th December 2015 Childhood memories...I see a Xam'd and thought, "so freaken cool." And then stand in front of the sun, waiting for the sun to strike me in the arm so that I can turn into a Xam'd...joking! But the first point was kinda true, they were cool. Back to the review, Xam'd Lost Memories is an anime by Bones, who also made the not as impressive Ouran High School Club. But is Xam'd Lost Memories just as bad, or better then OHSC (not typing all that again). Let's find out. NOTE: Like my review on Clannad Afterstory, animation and sound is Art and sound is opening/ending. Plot: 9/10 The plot is great, just not into the levels of amazing. I liked how realistic the anime is. Like, normally in anime, someone sees a giant monster thingy and doesn't give a damn about it, even going to the point of praising it. HOWEVER! Xam'd Lost Memories went another path. They went as far as getting the police in to catch these Xam'd, and that's what I liked about the plot. It's quite realistic about what will happen if it happens in real life. I didn't really see any sort of plot holes, which is good as well. Additionally, I actually enjoyed going through the past of some of the characters. They help reinforce the main plot, and is very interesting. However, personally, I didn't really enjoy the ending, but completely understand why they did it. Overall, it gets a 9. Characters: 6/10 Only fair to be honest, but I will start with the pros. Guys, prepare the ice cream and find Papi, you gonna need it, cause this point is gonna be really, really long. So long, it has to be put into paragraphs. Like I said, we are starting with the pros. Firstly, I enjoyed some of the characters past. Ummm....some. Like I said, they are interesting to know and helped make the plot interesting. Another thing I liked is how enjoyable some of the characters. Everyone is unique, which makes up for some interesting interactions. However, with these pros, there are a couple of cons to go with it. The first con is that how there was barely any character development in the anime, and that is a major issue. If there is no character development, then the characters become forgettable and loses their enjoyment as the anime goes on. Another thing bad about the characters, is how quick some of the interesting characters die. There was one character I was interested on, and then he just...dies halfway through. ADDITIONALLY, I SERIOUSLY HATE ON HOW THEY WERE STILL INTRODUCING CHARACTERS AT THE SECOND LAST EP! It's just, ugh! Someone give me ice-cream. All these cons has harshly affected the score of the characters from a 9 to a 6. Sound/animation: 10/10 Ahhh yes! The era of superb animations like Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood and Puella Magi Magica Mekaoka, or something like that. Love the design of the Xam'd and the animation, and the sound is just great. Yep, that's enough said. Opening/ending: 9/10 Fawa time! Fawa time! No wait, wrong anime. Let it go! Let it go! Even further away...Run away! Run away! There we go! I simply like the opening and ending, it fits pretty well to this kind of anime. However, the ending to me isn't too catchy, and that's why it got a 9. Enjoyment: 8/10 I enjoyed the anime, however wasn't keen to keep on watching the anime. I didn't really feel suspense in the anime between episodes, which would usually make me stop watching. However, because of my childhood memories, I kept on watching it, and even though I didn't feel the need to keep on watching, I still enjoyed the plot. Overall: 42/50 They should seriously make a spinoff, called X'mas Lost Memories, where the main character insteads tries to find the almighty X'amd tree. Ummm...yea, not gonna happen. Back to finding girls to make their wishes come true.

Also known as Xam'd: Lost Potential. But really, what an incredibly satisfying and yet disappointing show. The main reason I had such high hopes for Xam'd is that it's basically Bones doing Ghibli. This isn't coincidence: before making his directorial debut here, Masayuki Miyaji was an Assistant Director for the critically-acclaimed Spirited Away. So what did we get? A hodgepodge of promising themes, stories, and characters that are never fully developed in the paltry 26 episodes allotted; gorgeous animation and audio nearly fit for a Miyazaki film; and a sense of deep regret that more thought didn't go into developing a better core, be it some underlying philosophical meaning or even a vaguely interesting climax. For 20 episodes, I was thinking this could be a new favorite. For the last 6, I was wondering just how much damage had been done. Let's start with the Miyazaki influence. In many respects Xam'd feels like a cross between Princess Mononoke and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Each features an environmentalist message and strong female protagonist with a connection to all living beings. Here the role of San/Nausicaä is played by Nakiami. From her desire to live in harmony with creatures feared and ostracized by society, to her character design and even her flying kayak (which looks and operates like Nausicaä's mehve), Nakiami is not particularly original. This isn't a problem: San and Nausicaä are, after all, from films over a decade old. Nakiami, rather than coming off as an overused knockoff, is refreshing, and easily one of the best characters in the show if not of any anime in recent years. Fortunately, even though she isn't the "main" character, she gets more airtime and development than anyone else. Xam'd's look and sound is also heavily influenced by Miyazaki. The animation is essentially Ghibli on a tighter budget, and the result is beautiful. While it's not Princess Mononoke, most of the time only the exacting eye could tell you how it falls short. The soundtrack has some excellent tracks that feel like they've been ripped right out of Nausicaä. See, e.g., Xam'd theme song; Taiyou no Soba. Xam'd also features one of the best OPs and better EDs I've heard, see Boom Boom Satellites: Shut Up and Explode, and Kylie: Vacancy, as well as an amazing voice cast (English). Blake Shepard in particular, who plays Akiyuki, could be the next Johnny Yong Bosch, and the more seasoned Luci Christian is perfect as Nakiami. Alright, good job Xam'd, but what do you have to offer beyond repackaging some Ghibli themes, characters, and production values? What does your story offer, and what are the rest of your characters like? This is where matters get complicated. From the beginning, Xam'd's plot is pretty good; a bit unoriginal but plenty to work with and to get your attention. There is a war - the Northern Government and Southern Continent Free Zone are having at it while Sentan Island, home of our young protagonist Akiyuki Takehara, remains neutral. There is also a strange, ostracized people, the Tessik, who seem to bear a spiritual connection to the Xam'd. One day, all hell breaks loose. During a field trip, Akiyuki and his best friends Haru and Furuichi are caught up in an explosion caused by a Tessik girl, a thing called a hiruko flies into Aki's arm, and he becomes Xam'd! Not long after this explosion the Northern Government attacks and Akiyuki is forced to fight off a human-form monster (a hiruko-infused human similar to Xam'd). Victorious but unable to control the raging hiruko within him, Akiyuki begins to turn to stone until Nakiami (another Tessik girl) arrives to save him and takes him aboard the international postal ship, the Zanbani, where his journey begins. These first few episodes raise a number of great questions that are unfortunately never satisfactorily resolved. Why is there a war? Why are the Tessik ostracized by everyone else? What is a hiruko, why do they exist, why do they turn people into Xam'd, and why are they so lonely? Why does the Quickening Chamber operate as it does, and why (without huge spoilers) do things have to end the way they do? Failing to answer key questions isn't the best way to tell a story, but it gets worse. While I have to applaud the relatively large cast of well-developed, memorable, and generally likable characters (e.g., Haru, Midori, Furuichi, Fusa, the badass, raunchy Ishuu, and too many others to name), I was surprised at how empty and bland Akiyuki turned out. In the first episode he comes across as this cool, opinionated, rebellious type with a lot of character, but as the plot progresses his development is oddly pushed to the side, and he ends up being defined almost entirely by the characters around him. By the end it felt as if Nakiami were the true main character, and Akiyuki functioned solely as a vessel for the Xam'd. Perhaps this was intended, but it isn't a good way to make me care about what, if anything, happens to him in the end. In a way Akiyuki is symbolic of the show as a whole: promising some complexity in the beginning, but relatively static in the end. This was especially true with respect to the various "deep questions" (see, pseudo-philosophy) raised only to receive a shallow response or no response at all. For instance, the Xam'd all say "I want to live." Aki's dad says early on "A question without an answer is truth. Yet people must continue to question themselves. It's in their nature." There is a long speech about "this is your enemy, that is your enemy, blah blah blah." What do these things mean? Hell if I know. As far I could tell, they didn't bear the slightest relation to the underlying plot. Perhaps the worst of all was the climax, which at least offered some answers but couldn't have been more mundane. Then we're all supposed to be emotional and involved, and I'm busy looking at my list for something else to watch while episode 26 plays in the background. By the end the show had just devolved into a mess, with too much going on, too many characters getting attention while Akiyuki got virtually none, and too hasty and lackluster of an explanation. Do I want those ~12 hours of my life back? Absolutely not, because the first 20 episodes were so enjoyable, even if they were sullied by the last 6. At the same time, that is the worst kind of disappointment: climbing to the top, only to plummet back down in the end.

In a world plagued by war, one young man tries to find his place during a time when many others around him barely understand their own purpose in life. The result of this is a world where the citizens cling to anything that give them hope, whether that be religion, the military, or family. It's in this world that X'amd: Lost Memories transports its viewers. Suffice it to say, X'amd is looking to throw the audience into a world they barely understand. The first episode is full of terms and phrases that will confuse you to their meaning. And believe it or not, half of your questions won't be answered by the series' end. And that's okay. Because X'amd isn't about the story. Well, that's not entirely true. The anime is very much story driven, but it's not important for you to know the details of the world. That's not the point. The point is to watch different characters grow and understand themselves better as the series goes on. That's the main focus of this anime. How do characters grow and react to the different situations they're placed in? You may never know how or why a particular battle or machine works. You will know that a character learned a lesson from the experience, though. That's what makes X'amd such an entertaining show. The characters are the real force that pushes the show forward. Having said that, some of the characters are not as developed as I would like and there are some questions left unanswered about certain characters by the end. But for the most part, the characters are very strongly put together. Each character is different from the other and nearly all of the characters you see in the series will undergo some sort of personal change and growth. This makes it a very emotional anime at times and plenty of tears are shed by a slew of people as they struggle to overcome some sort of difficult thing in their life. Accompanying all of this is some absolutely stunning animation. The background sets and pieces are drawn to an amazing detail. Every background in the series looks gorgeous and the battle scenes are incredibly well drawn and animated. The anime's soundtrack is also high caliber. Each scene is graced by fitting music and it can really drive the mood of any particular scene as it reaches a pitch or climax. Overall, X'amd: Lost Memories is one of the better anime's I have watched and fully recommend it. While it doesn't answer every question a viewer has and the story does have some issues that are never explained in detail, the character development and the beautiful animation that goes with it makes X'amd a must-watch for any anime enthusiast.

This is my first review so I am going to be quick and get to the point. This is good series to watch especially if you like FMA or Eureka Seven. The characters and plot are well thought out and will keep you engaged throughout the series. As with Eureka Seven there is love story in the show but it is not as over whelming. There are a couple of fight scenes near the end that will remind you of Eureka Seven though. I do think this show would have benefited greatly if it was longer perhaps at least 40 episodes, because there are some parts of the plot that are explained fairly quickly which was nice but I think they could have explored these extraneous parts in the way that FMA did without it damaging the show. Personally I think that had they did I would have rated an 8 instead of a 7. Over all I liked the show, and as with most shows the series gets better the more the plot gets explained.

I finished this show right now ago, and the first thing I wanted to do was write this review. Also, yes, Eureka Seven is probably my all-time favorite anime, so prepare so some slight bias here as well. Before I do anything else, I want to tell you that when this show succeeds, it goes above and beyond, and when it's doing that it comes so so SO close to perfection. That said, It's such a shame that I have to give this an extremely generous 8, and even that is seriously pushing what even I can give it for the shaky execution. Story 6/10: Okay, I know this is rich coming from a guy like me, but the story is VERY confusing; albeit extremely interesting. A bit of a detour before we dive any deeper, because I know this show is going to get compared to Eureka Seven, and I want to get that out of the way now. Eureka Seven is like an inverted Neon Genesis in my eyes, where Neon Genesis has a confusing plot and a fairly straightforward world, and Eureka Seven has an easy-to-follow plot but confusing world. Xam'd managed to do both at the same time. I would summarize the basic plot in my own words for the sake of this review, but I actually have no clue what in the fuck was actually going on. The MAL synopsis doesn't really do a great job at summarizing it either, so just look up the synopsis for Eureka Seven, substitute 'Gekostate' with 'Zanbani Mailmen', and go from there. I'll bash about this anime more in the overall section, but ranting isn't fun so I'll go onto the good parts now. Art 10/10: It was amazing, the art was beautiful in some of the panoramic shots, and I was so sucked into the world of Xam'd every time they milked the emotion out of me with the artwork. It legitimately felt like a studio Trigger team traveled back in time a decade to do a sweet collab with studio Bones. The show goes over a lot of locations, but everything I could realistically say about this section, I could say for any other show with really good art. The animation and the character designs were cool as well, the action sequences were fluid and left nothing to be desired. All around, it was great. Sound 10/10: WOW, perfection. Seriously, very few shows reach this level of perfection with both their choice, timing, and implementation of their soundtracks. I'm not someone who usually sits through the end credits, but with Xam'd I looked forward to it every episode so I could hear the absolute BANGERS by Kylee at the end, and immediately start the next episode so I could hear the FIRE into by Boom Boom Satellites (RIP to the lead vocalist, Kawashima, you will be missed but your work is never forgotten.) Real talk though, I cannot think of a single track in the OST that missed the mark or misjudged the tone of the show, this is an area of Xam'd that comes pretty damn close to perfection in every way I can think to measure it. The first ending IS perfection though, and if you disagree we can throw hands cause your wrong. Character 9/10: Wanted to give this section a 10, but the only thing holding this show back is the fact they introduce way too many characters to the audience then they have the runtime to develop. Also, even though everyone in this show knows pretty much everyone else important in this show, we have surprisingly very few interactions between any of the main characters with each other; just a minor frustration I thought I should point out. The writer pull back the reins a bit on their ambitions for such a massive cast, and focus their efforts onto a surprisingly big handful of amazingly written and complexly developed characters. No small feat for only having 26 episodes to work with. Enjoyment 7/10: The first 13 episodes of this show are an almost perfect easy 10 in enjoyment, and I stayed up till 4 in the morning because I couldn't put this show down. Then the cast all got split up from each other, and it went from being a somewhat confusing but mostly coherent edge-of-your-seat adventure story, straight to being 4 or 5 different B plots strung together with rubber bands and barely kept afloat with elbow grease and the tears of the audience. This brings the pace of the show to an abrupt halt that it NEVER leaves for the rest of it's runtime, and don't even get me started with the cryptic ending and the myriad of unanswered questions. Around said halfway point, the action and the tension dies tragically, and it gets super 'deep,' and 'introspective,' and 'pretentious,' and a lot of other big fancy words that I won't even attempt to use in a proper English sentence. Every episode in the second half was 10 times harder to get through. At first, it was because I was waiting for the characters to reunite after an episode or two and get out of their slump so the plot could continue and we could find out more about the intriguing world. Then, it was waiting for everyone's separate character arch to close so we could see them back in the action once they were all 100%. Once that was finished and nothing happened, I waited for the grand finale everything was (I think, the plot was hard to follow) building for and was excited for the payoff of all the good but time-consuming development we've been getting for the last 10 episodes; also maybe some questions as to what the fuck is going on. Then, the final credits rolled, and to my surprise, I was still fucking waiting. Overall, a VERY generous 8/10: I love the first half of this show so goddamn much that I can't find the words to gush about it in a way that does it justice, even though I don't think it's 100% perfect it's easily one of my favorites if I could isolate just that as it's own season. However, The shift in tone after episode 13 makes it feel like a totally different show in the same confusing and the ultimately unexplained and mishandled universe. I'm not saying that the show did a bad job in its second half, I actually think everything that it tried to do, it did superbly; I'm just clueless as to why they would choose to do THAT with their time. All of my complaints with this show started when the magic for it ended, and it ended when it turned into a drama and overstayed its welcome long enough to butcher its ending and give an extremely unsatisfying conclusion to 2 of the best characters in the entire show. Had the show been 50 episodes, it might have corrected its dive and written it off as a slow but important arch, but I'm not smart enough to tell you one way or the other. Overall, I'm disappointed I couldn't add this to my favorites list. Xam'd would have made a fine addition to my collection.

Bonen No Xamdu. At first, I heard about it from a friend, and when I checked, it raised my attention since usually Bones Studio made wise choices (or at least, that fits my tastes: Darker than Black, FMA, Gosick wasn't bad too, etc.). So I decided to try it, despite the fact that usually I do not like mecha animes. I got a bit surprised by the first episode, quite not what I expected, but not that attractive. So I let it go for a long time, and then one day, out of animes, I tried it again. And the magic happened. After a few episodes, it quickly becomes something else that just the stereotypical mecha/war anime, it becomes an original adventure where you follow several characters and their development throughout this adventure. As it goes on, you get more and more interested in the different characters, as their relationships grow. This anime provides an in-depth vie of life and its hardships. Several characters have a real behaviour, by that I mean that they are not either "all black" or "all white", and their actions are realistic. It also focuses a lot on relationships (friendships and family), and how they can evolve in such an environment (the three first characters right at the beginning of the anime will get thrown apart, and will try to reunite once again, but war and personal interests will come across. This story is the story of their struggles and the way they try to overcome them). Music will always beautifully support the emotional scenes, and the world created is incredibly well made, contributing to this breathtaking adventure. The ending is also one of the best I have seen, and all in all, this anime was one of the strongest emotional anime I have seen. If I were to give an advice about Bounen No Xamdou, it will be that if you like emotional anime, if you are not looking for something too light-hearted, watch it. It might lack a bit of action, but it definitely makes up by showing several well-developed characters.

From the studio that made Eureka Seven comes Bounen no Xamdou a 26 episode series bearing the same art style and conventions as E7. I'm not going to go too far and say that this was a fantastic masterpiece, as some people claim. I will not claim that the series is terrible. To me Bounen no Xamdou is a good series that is quite entertaining but bears some flaws, but they are not bad enough to ruin the experience of the show. Like Eureka Seven the art is fantastic, and should be greatly praised. The story is a little lacking in terms in explaining itself but as I said before it didn't bother me that much. As for the characters, i guess they were all lovable in their own small way. Some change during the course of the series and others don't. The characters don't bore you, which is the most important part. In conclusion, this series is above average. I enjoyed it and you will too. The story is nothing to rave over but it is still a great series. It washed off the taste of Eureka Seven AO >.<

I'd recommend this show to anyone looking for a very complex, story driven anime. Packed with great animations and outstanding sound effects, this show will definitely captivate its viewers.

Xam'd is a fantasy series with mecha elements. The series is however less of an action title and more of a character driven drama. The plot is a fairly overused one in anime: 1. guy gets power, 2. trains that power, 3. uses that power for good. The story unfolds in a cliche manner as well. The guy with the power ends up in the hands of a crew with starkly different extreme personalities (for 'humor'). As a fantasy series this show falls short as the the supernatural elements are not explained very well despite 26 episodes to do so, but they do hold some originality. The series is thankfully consistent with no weak or out of place episodes. Luckily for us, the characters are all 3D with solid profiles. Not only do we learn in sufficient detail the back-stories and personalities of the major characters, but we get to see the characters change, hurt, strengthen etc. Characters meet consequences for following both their heart and their minds. These consequences are perhaps of equal magnitude causing some serious inner turmoil. Most anime simply reward blind heroic actions and punish those that are thought-out. There are a surprising number of deep characters in the supporting cast, I just wish that the personalities of the crew in particular felt a little more realistic. The artwork for this series is fairly above average as the colors and character designs were diverse and vibrant. I loved everything from the hairstyles to the clothes they created for each character. The backgrounds were beautiful with a perfect mix of landscapes from barren to urban. One qualm that I had with the artwork was the designs of the enemies as they were fairly repetitive. The animation was very fluid and particularly exceptional during fight scenes. The battles cover large amount of ground and convey the speed and power of the Xam’ds (bio-mechs) exceptionally. The only problem that I had was that the fight scenes lacked the choreography to be great despite the nice animation. It was more or less a swinging of a sword arm or an energy beam shot met with a dodge. The major battles were more or less a way of getting individuals to talk with one another which worked well for the series, so I’m fine with this lacking. Overall Reaction: This series packs so much character evolution and perseverance into a safe and primitive plot structure. It is a shame that they did not just run with the more original aspects of the story while maintaining their focus on the characters. This series thrives in characters, artwork, and animation. It is weak in story, fantasy, and action elements. If you can stomach the plot, this series is well worth the watch (7/10)

Unlike FLCL, X;amd takes you to the far beyond in story-telling, but just cannot deliver you back from the senseless fillings, that this journey entailed The major flaw of this anime, is its inability to explain itself in its rather unusual setting, that gives a reason to question the viability of founding this setting in the first place With outstanding environmental display, you're thrown at nations at war, this warring however enthralling, is not explained, nor is everything else based on the background story for that matter (the northern tribes, the experiments, the xamds!!), and although you get a major HINT -and notice I said hint, not an explanation- in the later episodes, you're still going to leave this show with too many question marks unanswered North vs South, captivating story-telling, awesome screenplay action, brilliant artwork, engaging characters, you name it, you have it all here .. but all this is the one good side of Xamd You get to love the anime, its environment, its art, its reality-striking splice of life drama, its unusual setting ... but right about here it stops I will not go on and on about the characters, and who they are, and how they are interpreted, because no matter how you look at it, these subjects are as it is implied - subjective, and solely based on human interactions, what I will rant about is how frustrating I was when it got to the end If you're one of those analytic freaks out there where everything to you (or at least a good sum of it) needs to make sense or it all falls down, then unfortunately this show is not for you and unlike FLCL, there are no outer sources through which one can draw more background or sense to the deep dark secrets that led to the foundation of the setting of Xamd, or help in deciphering its core, ( no Manga, only one untranslated ), there are simply too many questions left unanswered, so without going on and on about what they are, I will stop, so I won't spoil it for anyone so the conclusion is this, if you're into a good show with GOOD drama, GOOD character-interactions and development, simulating-reality splice of life thrown in for a good measure, and won't mind the unforgiving plot twists and obscured sub-plots that leads to one of the most paradoxical endings in anime history, then by all means give it a shot, I did and I enjoyed it, although not fully because I myself fall under the other category which favors analytic approach to whatever story made for a good enough show Recommended

It's been a long time since I was hooked on a shounen release - pure fighting, action and not much thinking. Sometimes I'm just looking to escape from reality and some of these anime do it. Have a good laugh, enjoy and that's it. Some of these anime also make you feel sad when you finish it. And Xam'd is one of them. I felt stupid for being so hooked on a shounen, typically brainless, no thinking required anime. But it sure felt good. Soundtrack-wise, the OP and ED were wonderful. Catchy and easily remembered, much like the opening sequence of tapping feet, the tracks make me want to tap my feet too. Production-value for an anime series is high. Unfortunately we seldom see such values any more. I'm sick of this 2009/2010 season's anime and have retreated to a few older series that I missed out. A few complaints though. The plot reads suspiciously like something reworked from Eureka 7. Instead of the shoujo being the alien as in Eureka 7, it is now the shounen who gets his exotic Xam'd powers. Similarly a relationship develops between the two - even while you're hoping the shounen will be paired with Nakiami, the tsunderere. I cannot help but keep drawing comparisons between E7 and Xam'd because later in both series, both shoujos snipped off their hair too. The characters might have as well been made from the same mould, which explains the rating of 6 for characters and 7 for story. Originality was just not there. However, you should not let this detract you from enjoying the show. If you're willing to suspend disbelief. then suspend comparison as well - sit back and enjoy it for the brainless, non-thinking show it is. Albeit once in a while.

If you are a fan of mecha shows that have a military background story focused on war and very little romantic elements(though the romance is kinda forced), and you enjoy handrawn animation that is really good, great soundtrack, creative creature and mecha designs, and a big cast well developed characters that live in a large and mysterious world where the majority of the events that happen aren't explained well to give you a false sense of "mystery", then you'll probably like this show. Be aware though that even after the show ends, most of the worldbuilding aspects of this show are left unexplained.