Zaion ~ i wish you were here ~

Publisher
ADV
Director
Seiji Mizushima
Production
GONZO
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
4 episodes
Year
2001

Zaion vol 1&2

By John Huxley
14th Jun 04

I wish you were here started out life as an animation that was broadcast both on Japanese TV and through the miracle of the internet, where the web-savvy could enjoy a streaming webcast available at Gonzo's website and then check up on all sorts of revealing background information to 'enhance' their experience. Now ADV have compiled all four episodes in to two DVD volumes and given it the new title of 'Zaion ~ i wish you were here' (presumably to make it sound a little less like a holiday program).

In the not-so-distant future the very existence of humankind is threatened by a deadly virus known as M34 that mutates the flesh and corrupts the minds of its victims, transforming them into rabid beasts (haven't we met somewhere before?). Desperate to avoid global devastation, the powers that be have established an organisation called (appropriately enough) CURE to fight the cause and effect of the virus. Despite their best efforts, CURE have only been successful in preventing the spread of the virus with brute force and firepower. The most effective method has been supplied by the sub-division NOA, who's soldiers (looking something like Power Rangers rejects) fight the M34 infected with the aid of nanomachines; microscopic robots that live in the bloodstream and can be manipulated at will by their host to increase their agility, strength or protect them from attacks. Still, even with their fantastic powers, the NOA's soldiers struggle to defeat the virus, losing more and more soldiers with every encounter. But CURE have a secret weapon up their sleeve, one that could prove to be the saviour of all humankind...a seemingly ordinary young girl named Ai.

Zaion's concept will be eerily familiar to anyone who's been watching anime for any length of time, even if a few of the details are not. Apocalyptic scenarios such as this have been well trodden over the past two decades, so what exactly does Zaion boast that all the others cannot? First and foremost, Zaion is a story about love and loss. Amongst all the action, drama and excitement is a gentle tale of romance between two young people who've lost their way, unsure of their purpose in life until they find each other. This may not be entirely evident at first, but it soon becomes the focus of the series once the background and characters have been established.

As a romantic tale, Zaion enjoys some success. The two central characters, Yuuji and Ai, are well realised and get plenty of screen time to really grab your affections. Ai, living her life as a human lab rat under the careful watch of CURE, is understandably distant and seemingly unfriendly when we first meet her. As we get to see more of her true personality, however, we're able to better understand and sympathise with her situation, which really opens her up to the audience. Yuuji, on the other hand, comes across as a little too brash and hard-nosed to be the type to listen to his heart and not his head, but his character is also a gifted soldier, so I guess those character traits were required. Despite their differences, in the scenes the two share together it comes across as a believable romance, to the great credit of the creative staff and the voice over artists.

The driving force behind this tale of love is the ongoing struggle of power between the M34 virus, CURE and the NOA. CURE, knowing that Ai will someday be integral to the M34 battle, handle her with a great deal of care and do their best to drive a wedge between her and Yuuji, the disposable frontline soldier. Of course, both the NOA and CURE are dedicated to the battle with the M34 virus, so all parties share a common goal regardless of their motives. This scenario gives the pair's romance a little more edge than it might have otherwise been afforded in a less volatile situation, something that really helps Zaion stand out from the crowd.

Regrettably, this sweet tale of love is let down by some conflicting ideals that aren't nearly as well realised as the romance aspect of Zaion. A good portion of the screen time is devoted to the battle with the M34 infected mutants and the NOA's nanomahince enhanced soldiers. The direction and execution of these action scenes never rises above the average, which is a huge disappointment considering the pedigree of the production studios involved. The animation is overly ambitious, varying hugely in quality but rarely able to realise what it's trying to achieve with any degree of success. Likewise, the poorly implemented CGI doesn't help matters, with the cumbersome-looking mecha and flimsy fire and smoke effects appearing more as if they were superimposed than anything else. To be fair, some CGI scenes (mostly those not involving any kind of cel animation) are nicely designed and look fine, and the animation is perfectly acceptable - just not up to the high standards set by the likes of Full Metal Panic.

The lacklustre action would not be such a detriment if it were given less screen time. As it stands, Zaion feels like an anime of two halves - one bitter sweet love tale and one apocalyptic battle with an invisible enemy. It could be argued that one couldn't succeed without the other, and this is true to an extent, but I'm positive that Zaion would have been more successful had less time been spent trying to appease the action fans and more concentrating on its obvious strengths.

Zaion was once designed to be a much longer series and it shows. The paltry 2 hour running time isn't really enough to do the central characters justice, never mind the huge amount of secondary character's we're introduced to over the course of the four episodes. Almost all of them are desperately underdeveloped and underexposed, leaving them feeling more like cliched stereotypes than real, living, breathing people - something which is at odds with the well developed central pairing of Yuuji and Ai. The narrative also suffers, jumping around from location to location with plenty of plot twists but no real aim or direction. Had Zaion been at least twice the length we might have a more rounded and more accomplished final product, but as it stands Zaion feels rushed and unfinished.

Still, there's much to admire and appreciate with Zaion. At its core is a solid tale of romance under strained circumstances that's almost strong enough to make you forget about the disappointing animation and horribly short running time. Almost but not quite. Flawed, but well worth a watch.

R2 DVD Notes

Features: Vol 1 - English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 audio, English subtitles, Japanese promotional clip, interview with director Seiji Mizushima and writer Natsuko Takahashi, interview with GONZO president Showji Murahama, production sketches Vol 2 - English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 audio, interview with SF setting director Mitsyasu Sakai, interview with 3D director Yatsufumi Soejima, interview with voice actress Yukari Tamura (Ai), interview with music director Keiji Kawai, interview with director Seiji Mizushima, production sketches

Release information: Vol 2 UK release date: 21/06/2004, ADV

Notes: With only two episodes per disc, this is not a series for the anime fan on a budget! ADV have done their best to make sure you feel like you're getting good value for money, however, so it's not all doom and gloom. The cover art is undeniably attractive, highlighting the beautiful simplicity of Ai's design. Even if you're not smitten with the design of either cover, both offer an alternative on the inside of the box, although they follow an identical blueprint and so end up looking pretty similar. Still nice to have the option. Once you've cracked open the box you'll find yourself confronted with a slim booklet printed on heavyweight, matte paper. A quick flick through will reveal all sorts of interviews, character profiles and artwork for you to peruse once you've finished watching the episodes. My guess is that these booklets are to compensate for the lack of a website which once boasted similar content for those dedicated enough to find it. Whatever the case, this is a lush, well produced extra that should be well received by everyone. The extra features on the discs aint' no slouch, either. Both offer a good amount of interviews with the creative staff and voice artists, as well as a selection of production sketches and all the usual audio options. All round, a great package despite the cost.

-- John Huxley 14th Jun 04

Zaion ~ i wish you were here ~ Images