Eureka Seven Hi-Evolution 1

 The first part of the trilogy that returns to the beloved Eureka Seven series, Hi-Evolution 1 as such is, suprise, the first instalment.

Though reception of the series has been mixed, I dived in to watch it none the less.

It starts with a prequel sequence to the original series, and the events leading to Renton's father's demise as he tries to save Eureka, and result in the Earth shattering events that set the series premises.  On Earth, the forces are struggling against the Scab assault, when the apocalypse warhead named Silver Box is deployed.  This alienbased musical weapon however goes out of sync, causing it to start malfunctioning.

Eureka and Adroc Thursron have been ordered to be shot down, as they try to rectify his mistake.  However, they fail, changing the world and covering it in the scab coral.  Ten years later, the world is a fully different place, as people try to rebuild their society with hope.  A young Renton stares at the lights in the sky, in a region unaffected by the disaster.

Jumping to a moment three years before the main series events, Ground Zero is being investigated.  Returning to the present day in the Capital City, a speech is held for hope that one day everything is reseloved.  But this isn't taken seriously by others like Renton, who live the daily live outside the capital.  

Jumping forward and back with day spans, the story moves to Renton (and uses a lot of recycled material unfortunatly from the Renton and Charles arc) and his life in the city, and what caused him to run away into the wild world outside with nothing but his hooverboard.  Taken on by Charles and his partner Ray, he learns about the world, and sees his first mecha with attached hooverboards to ride the tectonic winds.

 

But he also learns the harsh truth of the world, as he tries to save a girl that needs life support but can't get the treatment due to being Vodarac in belief.   Charles and Ray accept him as a stepson, as he tells them about the Nirvash and Eureka.  He learns Charles true identity and which choice he has to make...

While a fun refreshing movie with a great opening sequence, sadly it drops off after those first 35 minutes for the reason mentioned above.  Still, I look forward to look at the other instalments in the trilogy!

Freedom is not something you get, but something that has to be earned after all...