Sol Bianca 2 Anime Review

Quick Review

• Reviewer: Marc
• Review Date: 2003-06-22 (updated 2011-01-21)
• 3.5 stars out of 5 (?)

There's an unfortunate amount of bad news about this sequel to Sol Bianca: It doesn't have as much action as its predecessor, the budget is a bit lower, and although there's a lot more plot, it seems to be a failed attempt at kicking off an OAV series, so it ends having asked a lot of questions that don't have answers.

The funny thing is, as frustrating as it was, I really liked it anyway--it's still got cool technology, and lots of surprisingly realistic character interaction, which is what really made the first Sol Bianca stick in my mind. It's probably not worth trying if you haven't seen the first, and even existing fans might be disappointed, but if you're like me and enjoyed the characters the first time around, the sequel serves up lots more.

Read the full-length review...

Full Review

• Reviewer: Marc
• Review Date: 2003-06-22 (updated 2011-01-21)
• 3.5 stars out of 5 (?)

Sol Bianca 2 is a rather different movie than the first--lower-key and with more focus on the characters. This no doubt didn't sit well with a lot of fans, and probably explains why it isn't as popular, but I wasn't disappointed. On the contrary, I think I actually enjoyed this sequel more; it has the same great style to it, a (slightly smaller) helping of wild technology, and a longer and more detailed look into the downtime and interplay between the five women of the crew.

It also has less extreme action and more weird plot. The former is disappointing--less gunfights, explosions, ship-boarding, and no spectacular chases--while the latter works quite well. There's a definite tradeoff, but since I liked the characters in the first one so much, and am a fan of downtime and character interaction in stories, I was quite pleased. Not to say it's masterpiece of subtlety or a vast departure from the first movie's action-flick roots, but since what I enjoyed about this movie was the character interaction, I'm going to focus on that aspect of it.

The biggest disappointment about Sol Bianca 2 is the end, in that there isn't one--it's obviously part of an ongoing story, and alludes to a lot more to come. It practically leaves you begging for answers to all the questions asked. Executed correctly, this can be a great tactic--the Tenchi Muyo OVAs ran on confusing hints and allusions. The problem is that there is no ongoing story--there is no sequel, nor are there plans for one. Frustrating, to put it mildly.

Ignoring that glaring flaw, the story is fine. It's paced well enough (if a bit slower than the original), and it does a very good job of hinting and giving you glimpses of the origins of the team and their mysterious ship without quite letting you put the pieces together, and the vagueness doesn't seem contrived or forced. For me, though, the best of it is undoubtedly the time we get to spend with the Sol Bianca's crew. The first movie set up the characters, which were distinctive and fun, but I kept wanting to see more of their downtime and the chemistry set up between them; this sequel delivers on that big time. We also get to see more of the Sol Bianca's interior (including where people sleep), a treat to fans of the ship (of which I am one).

In case you were worried, the characters haven't been changed at all (although we do get hints that there is a lot more to June's origin that we know), and they keep up the same great interactions. What probably made the original so memorable (OK, other than the great action and cool technology) was the characters. Although they seemed to fit into standard genre molds--the gun toting hothead, the brainy one, the cool captain--they seemed to have little quirks and hints of deeper personality than just the caricatures they're based on. This movie digs a lot deeper and confirms that the glimpses of personality we saw weren't some kind of accident.

I'm probably reading way too much into this, but I really do get the sense that, as cheesy as the concept of the story may be, these are real people. For example, Feb and April are more low-key than you'd expect, and they have a quiet rapport that just feels right. And despite the plot and action, none of the characters are over the top--Janny may be a hothead, but she seems like a real hothead, and you could almost (not really, but let's be reasonable here) believe that May could somehow have ended up piloting a ten foot tall robot on a space pirate ship.

Of course, part of what gives the characters their sense of realism is the unusual character designs. True to the first (this one is almost identical artistically), the characters are quite realistic; with the exception of May, their eyes are almost realistically sized, and their physiques are believable. Likewise, most of the minor characters have distinctive looks, although the nameless goons apparently all got their faces off the same rack. And of course there's that inventive and fun technology; this time out, we have suits that can pass through walls, ship-eating worms, and lots more of the ever-cool Sol Bianca, although overall there is less of it this time out, which was a bit disappointing.

Sadly, there isn't as much action this time out, either, and the budget seems a bit lower, too. Also unfortunately, some of the animation in the action is a little... soft, for lack of a better word. Not to say that it's bad, or that the show isn't exciting, just don't come expecting quite the thrill ride of the first movie. On the plus side, some of what it lacks in violence it makes up for in great character animation--there is some wonderful attention to detail in the facial expressions and little gestures that give the characters part of their appeal and believability.

The final part of what makes the characters so memorable is the acting, at least in Japanese (I've never heard the dub)--it may not be dramatic, but it's just plain great. The five stars are distinctive, they're well cast, and they even sound like real people--no barely-within-the-range-of-human-hearing voices, and even May is believable. Better yet is the interplay; they sound more like a group of real people talking than a cheesy babes-in-space flick or an overdramatic space opera. I'd single out a particular favorite, but I like them all. The other characters are more run-of-the-mill; acted well enough, but not particularly memorable.

The background music here isn't terribly memorable, either; the action theme from the first movie is nowhere to be found, and the movie as a whole is relatively quiet. Musically speaking, that is--there are several tracks of eerie noises that are used effectively to set moods.

If all that leaves you wondering where the over-the-top action of the first Sol Bianca went, then I have two thoughts: First, being a fan of the characters, that was what I noticed most. Second, if your favorite part of the first movie was the mass havoc that the Sol Bianca and her crew induced, then you may well be disappointed by this one. There's enough action to go around, but the story is slower, more involved, and character-driven.

Summing up, if you loved the action of the first, be wary, but if you loved the characters, you'll definitely love this one, and in either case the distinctive art and character designs that made the first one memorable are perfectly intact, even if the animation budget is a little lower. But be warned in any case that the total lack of either a conclusive story or a sequel will leave you frustrated at the end. Oh, and if you're wondering whether seeing the first movie is a prerequisite, it probably isn't (though I'd of course recommend it)--the premise isn't reintroduced, but you won't spend too much time figuring it out.

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