Anime Review: Simoun

Review Simoun Written by WarpshadowRating very good/ excellent

Many shows will try to hook viewers with a very strange premise. In the case of Simoun there is a lot more to the show than just a strange hook.

The theocracy of Simulacra is a nation who's pillar is the military might of the Simoun. The Simoun are flying machines with the power to create Rimaajons, sigils in the sky that can be used to devastating effect. The only people capable of flying a Simoun are those that have not chosen their gender like most people in the country do at the age of 17 (although they appear as women until they do). For a long time the theocracy has maintained military supremacy through use of the Simoun but the situation is one that con not last forever. This is the story of Call Tempest, the most elite group of Simoun Sibyllae (pilots) in the country.

Every now and then an anime show comes along that defies the genre tropes of the day and becomes it's own type of show. Simoun is a show that has that distinction. It would be a mistake to call this a show that hides behind fan service even if the titular machines of this show are activated by girls kissing. Simoun has an interesting aesthetic to it as the show combines computer graphics with water color backgrounds that were common back in the day as well as a really good sound track. The show has a very sizable cast of characters that drive the show more than any gimmick or odd science fiction element. At first glance it might look like that not all of them will adequately covered but in the end each plays their own important role in the story. Simoun is one of those shows that really show that anime is an art form and not just mindless entertainment.