Have I mentioned lately how much I love my Roku Netflix box? This series is a prime example as to why... rather than clutter up my DVD queue with a 7 DVD set, I put it in my instant queue and watched the 26 half-hour episodes one by one, at my leisure.
At any rate, the series... well, it's anime, so take that how you will. The setting is pretty interesting... two nations at war (think pre-Napoleonic concepts of the "proper" way to war) under the watchful eye of a Guild that controls the skies, with steampunkish technology the norm... except for flight, where the technology supports, literally, flying battleships. It's an interesting backdrop for the intertwining stories of the characters... while there are several, the main focus is on a young, dirt-poor pair of couriers-for-hire that get swept up in the events as they unfold, touching on the various strata of society as they go. The story is a bit convoluted, but that's to be expected, given the scope it covers.
Another thing I like about this production is the use of technology. Both 2D (hand-drawn) and 3D (computer generated) animation are used, but they co-exist much more smoothly than in any other animated feature I've seen to date. To be honest, I didn't realize that there was any 3D used until I saw the credits early on... I can only hope that future projects use the technology as well as this one.
Of course, it's not a perfect show by any means... in particular, the ending is just a bit too tidy for my tastes... but it's a fun ride while it lasts. Give it a shot, if anime works for you.
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