Anime Review: Figure 17 Tsubasa and Hikaru

Review Figure 17 Tsubasa and HikaruWritten by WarpshadowRating good/ very good

Figure 17 is something of an oddity, as though it is a story about a pair of young girls who fight space monsters it is more laid back than most shows.

Tsubasa was always a shy elementary school student but when she moved with her father to Hokkaido she felt alienated and retreated further inside herself. One night she sees a light fall from the sky she follows it only to see a spaceship. It's pilot is fighting some space monsters called Maguwar and Tsubasa gets caught in the middle of the battle. In order to survive and to help defeat the monster Tsubasa combines with an organic battle suit. After the battle Tsubasa turns back to normal but the reburs (the name of the battle suit) turns into a twin of Tsubasa who calls herself Hikaru.

Figure 17 is the story of a young girl and her insecurity and punctuated by fights with space monsters. This is a show for those that appreciate quiet stories about trials of regular life because if you don't this show is likely to drive you up a wall. Episodes are twice the length of that of most shows so the one thing that viewers won't have to worry about is a subplot being rushed. In actuality Figure 17 is good at allowing characters to develop at a relaxed pace do to it's relaxed atmosphere. Ultimately though this is a love it or hate it show with the divide being one's preference for relaxed anime over action or slapstick.