Format: Graphic Novel
Genre: Science Fiction
Released Through: Viz Comics
Plot: This graphic novel contains 3 stories, two of which are tied together. First, in the title story " A,A' ", a young man must come to terms with the fact that his girlfriend died and has been replaced by a clone. In " 4/4 [Quatre-Quarts] ", teenage Mori flunks out of ESP school, but finds his latent psychic powers blossom when he meets a young girl named Trill, a genetically engineered member of a race of humans called "Unicorns". The third story, " X+Y ", features an adult Mori who has once again fallen in love with a "Unicorn", only this time the "Unicorn" is male.
High Points: The questions these stories raise seem very relevant to the coming century. "A, A'" does a great job addressing the issue of cloning and what effects it could have on the human race. In "X+Y", like They Were 11, Hagio explores gender dynamics in a very interesting way. They Were 11 discusses gender dynamics in a more universal way, but I think "X+Y" does a better job. (I may be biased, though, because I like shonen-ai so much...*grin*)
Low Points: Well, I'm not really a fan of science fiction, so I wasn't totally awe-struck by this manga. It's just not my cup of tea, so to speak. However, I must admit that's the only reason why I gave it four stars instead of five. (And the guys weren't that cute...Hey, so I like cute guys! Got a problem with that? : P )
Format: Anime Movie
Genre: Science Fiction
Released By: ???
Plot: A young girl named Eve studies at the E.Y.E.S. Academy, a school for unlocking psychic potential. She begins having terrible dreams about the end of the world and later discovers she must use her psychic powers to save the planet from an impeding ecological holocaust.
High Points: This movie has a good story line and the pace moves pretty quickly. The animation is surprisingly good for an anime that came out in the 80's. The ending is a surprise, too, and offers a unique perspective on the future of the earth.
Low Points: The characters aren't developed very deeply. You don't learn much about them or their motivations. This is one time when it might of been a good idea to lengthen the movie and add greater depth to the characters.
Notes: I have no idea how to obtain a copy of this anime. I taped it off the Sci-fi channel on a Saturday night at midnight. It should be on again sometime, so if you get the Sci-fi channel you can check their listings at http://www.scifi.com/anime.
Format: Anime Movie
Genre: Science Fiction
Released By: US Manga Corps
Plot: 10 candidates for the elite Academy are sent on a mission to pilot a large ship for 53 days. However, when they are actually on the ship, they discover that there is an eleventh person on board. Suspicion abounds and the crew members begin to try to finger the eleventh member. Chaos insues.
High Points: This anime does an excellent job exploring group dynamics. I could really feel the tension the crew members felt in trying to discover the eleventh member; I couldn't even guess who it was. I liked the retro look of the anime; it reminded me of Robotech (Macross).
Low Points: A main part of the story dealt with gender issues and it tried to explain the good and bad aspects of each gender, but I do not think it did a very good job of this. I couldn't really find any good points about being a woman in it and that wasn't fair. Since I'm a woman, it made me very depressed. Also, I'm not a huge fan of science fiction in general, so it really wasn't my cup of tea.
Notes: The manga version of They Were 11 can be ordered through Viz Comics. It is not listed on their online catalog, but is listed on the main catalog sent through the mail. Try calling Viz for price information.