Wings of Honneamise Movie Review By Rashad Moore
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On a distant planet very similar to ours, Shiro Lhadatt, a member of the Royal Space Force, dreamed of going into space, but unfortunately he wasn't much of an achiever and the Royal Space Force is constantly ridiculed and ignored, due to their constant failures. However, one day Shiro meets a female evangelist named Leiquinni, who inspires Shiro to aim higher. Shiro is eventually chosen to fly the first mission into space, but as if the training and preparing wasn't enough, constant protest arises from the neighboring countries, fearing that the launch will be a declaration of war. Most of which would stop at nothing to see the Royal Space Force and the country of Honneamise fail.

"Wings of Honneamise", one of the first efforts from the anime studio, Gainax(responsible for hits such as Neon Genesis Evangelion.) can be summarized as a mock vision of mankind's space race. The film obviously took a huge effort and a lot of time and research to create, and the result is one of the most spectacular anime films I have ever seen. Although it is much more thought-provoking than the type of stuff the Dragon Ball Z, Ranma 1/2, Sailor Moon, and Pokemon crowd is use to. (Or for that matter, the usual violence-laden or action anime that Manga Entertainment releases.) Wings of Honneamise is not for everyone, but it does represent what anime can truly accomplish.(Other than the stereotypical reputations that anime is given.)

The first thing you will definitely notice is the extreme attention to detail,  from the marvelous and complex machinery to the fluid animation and it's colorful and imaginative settings. Wings of Honneamise is definitely a treat for the eyes and the imagination, and can also be seen as a satirical imitation of our world. This alien world similarily mirrors our world, both of which contain the same political turmoil, unrest, and unresolution that makes the film much easier to identify with. The characters themselves are well-rounded yet imperfect, especially the supposed hero that is Shiro Lhadatt, who isn't really much of a hero, which is definitely proven after a certain scene that will alter the viewer's opinion on the character. But alone, the film concentrates on not just Shiro's efforts to go to space, but true meaning for his own existence and inner peace. The characters are very complex, realistic, well-motivated, and never, ever uninteresting. The entire film is also very well executed, while some viewer's will complain about the film's slow pace, I appreciated the time it took with it's characters and it never reached a point where the plot and characters became uninteresting. One has to watch the film twice to really understand everything, more action-oriented anime fans won't appreciate Wings of Honneamise, but you really have to pay attention and think when viewing the film, and see it for what it is really trying to be, and that's what makes the film so special. The climax was also very well done and so was the ending, which fully represents mankind's constant struggle, evolution and creation, which makes the entire viewing experience well worth it. Wings of Honneamise is worth watching over and over unlike some titles, it not only gets better, but you understand and identify with it as well. The musical score(which was composed by Ryuchi Sakamoto, who composed the score for the Nicholas Cage film, "Snake Eyes") is a bit dated, but still contains a sense of majesty, curiosity, and exploration in conjunction to the film. The dubbing itself is also very well done, but not the best, but it is still an excellent effort when compared to other Manga releases.(*cough*, *cough*, Dangaio, *cough.*)

Overall, "Wings of Honneamise" is stunning (and cerebral) entertainment. Take a break from such stereotypical anime such as "Ninja Scroll" and "M.D. Geist"(forget I even mentioned that last one.) and see what I mean. It is an experience that really shouldn't be missed. While everyone won't fully appreciate the movie, the choice is yours, but ranking as a true classic in anime history, "Wings of Honneamise" soars.

Available Manga Entertainment. Image shown is not created by atek studios.   Review by Rashad Moore. Dec 99.