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Column by Scott Green
Anime Preview: The Third: Girl with the Blue Eye Volume 1 to be released by Right Stuf July 31, 2007 Based on English Dub of Episodes 1-4
The best argument for The Third is that despite suggesting wide scale, explosive action, then quickly aborting once the set pieces are established, the anime series still fosters hope that the dust-ups will receive the time needed to become grander. With action centered on quick draw sword work, Ruruoni Kenshin comes to mind as an example of what The Third, hopefully, might evolve into. In the case of that internationally popular samurai-action juggernaut, early episodes set up matters that resolved with a single swords stroke, with later meetings given a chance for more sustained, dynamic fights. Watching the Third's spritely heroine spring forward or vault over foes, as well as the engaging attention to details such as the muscle movement of a collapsing causality, the series has demonstrated that it does have the animation talent behind it to justify holding out and waiting see how it develops. While they’ve been used sparingly so far, a heavily armed tank and a robotic exoskleton suggest more sci-fi action on the horizon. The potential makes up for this action hero hastily exiting a bar fight instigated to help her, or an enemy whose reputation has been whispered about for episodes showing up, only to do damage, sneer and leave without engaging the lead.
The Third's scenario presents an open field to a flexible array of sci-fi. It is set in a post apocalyptic desert waste, ruled by three eyed elfin looking people who govern what technology is available to the populous. The net of these factors yield giant insect beasts, raiding "wanderers" with military armament, black market operations moving elicit technology and an advanced society's robot agents. This provides Jill-of-all-trades humanitarian mercenary Honoka with a diverse range of foes with which she can cross swords. Her companions in these episodes include her AI tank, and for most purposes voice of reason/guardian Bogie and soon a handsome, sensitive mystery man named Iks. The three-eyed folks are moving things in the background, and presumably their machinations will dictate the course of the anime. Besides her hired work, the course of the volume largely concerns Honoka having her power synch protector (PSP) brought up to usable condition despite the three eyed rulers' Technos Taboo. Though the action scenes have been brief, the anime has suggested that they are what the viewer should be anticipating. With sign posts suggesting an obvious direction for the series, the next step in the journey has, thus far, always been telegraphed. It is clear that despite being short and dark haired rather than stately and blonde like the members of the ruling body, Honoka possesses a third eye. If that prominent bandana/ribbon around Honoka's head wasn't a dead give-away, the series' sub-title would be. Beyond the visual hints, the dialog is frequently clear and specific about what is to come. If characters are openly converse about the possibility of Honoka using her quick draw technique in the PSP, then that is apparently what the viewer should be anticipating. In tandem, following the tradition of serials that revealed both the topic AND the twist coming up in their next episode, the previews tacked on to the end of the episodes hide nothing about the short term future of the series. Drama and discovery are moved aside to secondary importance when dialog establishes a decidedly lethal threat, the episode preview suggests the specific aftermath of this threat, and then the suggested target speaks directly about who would make the perfect replacement for their role.
The Third pairs this action focus with a strong notion of sensitivity. Given past examples of post apocalyptic sci-fi, a curios quality of the work is that it is not simply sentimental, it is habitually twee. When a young girl arrives on scene, little time is wasted before she and Honoka are paired, mugging for the camera, smiling to each other as they spoon food together or frolic to flute and strumming guitar. A sharp reminder of the emotional balance is the Honoka's hamminess. Often that takes the form of quick shifts in character design. In the midst of both semi-serious and joking situations her face will balloon up as she turns sheepish, or she'll turn lobster red and go rubber limbed as she get's flustered. She might not match the characteristics of familiar fiery/cute anime girls, but the anime does suggest a darling impression when Honoka stamps around the room after her tank chides her for spending too much on hobby firearms.
The more incessant reminder of that disposition is the chattiness of the series. There is a protagonist who speaks her mind. There is an AI tank that speaks its mind. And, particular to this work, there is an omniscient narrator that speaks his mind. Even when what is on screen is plainly evident, the flowery rhetoric reiterate what is obvious from the character's actions. Despite quotations from a fictional poet and the narrative flourishes, the Third is not pretentious or even high minded. In fact, it is guilty of juvenile tendencies. Its sense of humor falls back on tittering about breast size and birth control pills. These gags are neither not too afield nor not alien to the general tone of the anime. With sci-fi that is not entirely heady, jokes can arrive in light hearted situation or inserted into more dramatic ones without breaking the flow of the narrative. The Third could either become tiresome or solidify into a satisfyingly quirky vehicle for anime action. If it continues to be long on talk and short on actual fight scenes, it is going to quickly turn unwatchable. But, though there is plenty to gripe about in this first set, the series runs 24 episodes, which is a large space for a sci-fi action anime to work with. So far, there has not been a solid reason to discount the work. Director Jun Kamiya launched some titanic confrontations in previous works such as Blue Seed and Neo Ranga. Both of these were at their best when they involved giant creatures. With tanks, and swords and exo-armor, given the pieces that have been introduced into the third, if he's building to something literally and figuratively big, the results could be decidedly impressive. This has all the appearances of a slow start. To this point, the anime has seem to have not tried and disappointed.
