#implied eva/aikka

[fefeman]

Oban Star Racers review

Yesterday I decided to watch Oban Star Racers, since it was a series I slept on when I was a kid and I heard a lot of good for it. So I binged the 26 episodes yesterday and today.

Overall verdict: FUCKING DOPE. 9/10

Very good series overall. It has a pretty unique art style (most notable on the humanoid characters) but it makes it work and uses it well to have pretty dynamic and expressive characters and gorgeous environments. And it's a very neatly written story, that finds the right balance between a sport fiction (racing), the overarching space opera/space fantasy narrative, and the interpersonal drama.

And the OP is pretty good and sells the color.

The plot :

(two ships preparing for the preliminary of the Oban Star Race)

In the future, humanity is set to participate in a racing competition between civilizations of the galaxy, where the winner will receive the "ultimate prize" from a sort of "god" of the galaxy. Eva, a young girl who wishes to be recognized by her father (both literally and figuratively), gets involved in this race when said father becomes the manager of the earth team... And it soon turns out the competition has way higher stakes than everyone believed.

The plot reminded me bit of Red Lines, albeit with far looser vehicle rules than it (one competitor rides a giant beetle... ONE COMPETITOR JUST FLY HIMSELF), although I don't think a more in-depth comparison is worthwhile. Ultimately they provide different experiences despite the similarities.

A more in-depth rating would be :

Story:

very well written with good dialogue. None of the 3 main storylines (racing, drama, mystery) feel underdeveloped compared to the other, and they all manage to fit right into place as the plot progresses. The only downside is some plot points could have been introduced earlier and in more detail, but this only concerns a few.

9/10

Characters:

The characters are colorful and interesting. The secondary cast have a lot of personality, with unique ship design that sometime really push the definition of "racing ship".

(one of the secondary cat... I mean cast, Para-dice)

And the recurring cast isn't left behind. They are complex and nuanced, flawed people who sometimes make bad decisions, but always act in an understandable way. Sometimes their reasoning is more implied than explained, but it's not easy to miss it.

(The short guy with black and white hair is Don Wei, the protagonist's father. The tall dude with his tits out and sunglasses is Rick Thunderbolt, a pilot for the earth team)

The only issues are that one character is developed and leaves the story way too quickly and that some are a bit too simple/one not. But it's a minority and it's probably to balance give more time to the interpersonal drama.

8/10

Art :

The art style surprises a bit, but you get used to it quickly. It makes for expressive characters, and it's stylization make the humans not feel boring compared to the many aliens.

(you may have noticed they don't have noses)

There's also some clever use of 3D here and there, but it's well integrated so it doesn't feel too jarring. And the environment are fun to look at.

(This isn't what you expect to see when you're told you're going for an interplanetary racing competition. But I really like this planet, Alwas)

8/10

Music:

The music is good guys. I put the OP above, but the ost is also great, both for actions and non-action scenes. I really like the preliminary planet's theme... it really sells the confusion of humans reaching a new world they've never seen before with a pre-fire spacefaring civilization (that uses caterpillar-powered engines).

And Prince Aikka's theme is also cool.

Anyway, for the music, I was gonna give it a 8/10, but now that I listened to them again for this review, I realize they do carry a lot of making this experience pleasant. So

9/10

Worldbuilding:

That's a very important factor if you make Sci-fan, so I thought it was good to make it a category. Oban's setting succeed in the two key point I look for in a fictional universe: It makes its own sauce, and it looks alive.

Not everything in the setting is unique, but it offers some fresh concepts or visual identity make the inspiration turn. Like, I really enjoyed Ceres' ship being an amalgam of tubes that shouldn't fly, and that he rode standing on it rather than in a cockpit.

or spirit weird anatomy that looks like an unraveled humanoid

Or hell, Oban (the planet) itself functions in a way I haven't seen yet in sci-fi. that's what I mean by "make its own sauce". I can look at some elements of it and say "Wow, you don't see that every day" and get a rush of inspiration from the new flavor.

As for the "looks alive" part, by that I meant that the series gives the impression if I put the camera away from the main plot, there still would be interesting things to see. We know a lot is going on offscreen. We only see one of the 3 preliminaries... that's a lot of teams we haven't met... And even with the one we met, there's political intrigue in their homeworld, tragedies they wish to repair, etc... It's a universe where you feel you could always find something new to look at.

10/10

So, once again

OVERALL RATING: 9/10

[clairekatswritingcorner]

Unexpected Guests

Word Count: 2,010

Summary: A few years after the Great Race of Oban, Spirit reconnects with Eva and Aikka to hear the big proposition Eva has planned for them.

*Author’s Note*: This doesn’t have much of a plot, but it’s a scene I wanted to write for my idea of what an Eva/Aikka/Spirit reunion might look like in the new Oban series! I know we know absolutely nothing about the plot or why any of the characters that have reconnected have done so, but that’s part of why fanfiction exists, right? I also just wanted to take the opportunity to write more Spirit stuff for @aepaex because she deserves it. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

(also available to read on my Ao3, which can be found in my blog links)

Spirit observed the vehicles, both flying and grounded, that crowded the busy city center. Most of the buildings were tall and glossy, surrounded by intricately woven roadways indicative of the futuristic feel Eva had informed him most of humanity, at least those building a majority of Earth's big cities, preferred to use. There wasn’t much to do to pass the time as he waited to meet her and some other unnamed parties she’d yet to reveal the identity of.

He wandered from the monument in the city square to a bridge overlooking a clear waterway, leaning over the railing to see if the water was too far away for him to see his own reflection. He eavesdropped on the people that periodically passed him on foot, some discussing indistinct topics that he knew little about while others whispered about him. Earth had received an uptick in interplanetary traffic in the years following the Great Race, but it was clear humans hadn’t become entirely accustomed to seeing less than human forms on their city streets, especially in regards to more traditionally monster looking species like the Phils.

Spirit didn’t mind the passing comments, though, especially since he was used to them. After his years of experience with other species first reactions to and interpretations of him, Spirit had come to recognize that some things didn’t really change until you got to know an alien, and he had much more important things to be considering anyway. Unfortunately, the water was too distant for his image to even appear as distorted colors in its sloshing waves, and he turned back towards the street just in time to hear a familiar voice calling out to him. Her voice traveled from above him, and Spirit looked up to see Eva flying over the square, a little stunned to see exactly what she was riding and who she was riding with.

“Hey, sorry to keep you waiting!” Eva greeted, waving enthusiastically as she slipped off the giant beetle’s back. Spirit had recognized G’dar in an instant, and as if to reinforce this recognition Aikka leaned forward a bit from the great bug’s back, giving Spirit a small wave.

Spirit returned Eva’s greeting with a nod, and before he knew it she had her arms wrapped around his waist in a friendly embrace. He was still a little caught off guard that the unnamed friend Eva said she was bringing along turned out to be the now proud Nourasian king, Aikka. The last Spirit heard, Aikka had had his hands full with diplomatic affairs and the protocol of transferring power from the previous king to himself, not to mention sorting out the Nourasian’s old and forced alliance with the Crogs. The fact that he had come all the way to Earth, and moreso had apparently been roped in to whatever scheme Eva had concocted that even Spirit knew nothing about yet, was peculiar but not altogether unexpected. After all, Eva and Aikka’s relationship had only strengthened following the Great Race, something they had both meticulously maintained even with the distance between their planets.

Spirit observed the myriad of differences Eva and Aikka displayed since the last time he had spoken with them face to face. There were certain things that remained staples of their physical presentations, such as Eva’s dyed hair, the bright pink music player that never left her hip, and the distinct racing goggles that she never went anywhere without. It appeared that she’d updated her arsenal of technology with a new high tech visor, and her clothing looked fitting for everything from space travel to mechanical maintenance.

Aikka’s clothes reflected a similar purpose, which was surprising considering his newly esteemed royal position. Spirit wondered just how much trouble the new king would be in if his attendants knew the details of his trip across the galaxy in civilian clothing to take part in some sort of assembly orchestrated by a simple Earth girl. His hair was much longer than it had been during the Great Race, fashioned into a high ponytail to keep it out of the way.  Spirit considered that both of them looked like intergalactic bandits or bounty hunters, ready at any moment to board a space faring craft and plunge into the cosmos looking for the next big adventure. Knowing Eva, that might be what she had planned anyway.

Spirit patted Eva on the back, making sure she was aware that he was going to connect with her telepathically before asking her through this channel of communication exactly what was going on. He wasn’t necessarily the type who had to be privy to all things at all times, but with the esteemed company she had roped into whatever excursion she was planning on pursuing, Spirit had an inkling that something larger was at play. Eva smiled and released him from her grasp, both of them moving out of the way a bit as Aikka slid off G’dar’s back to join them.

“We had a little bit of navigation trouble once we got into the city,” Aikka explained, filling in the blanks from Eva’s apology for their lateness. “G’dar isn’t exactly skittish when it comes to crowded places like this, but it seems like most of the locals aren’t used to anything more than shiny flying vehicles soaring through the sky. We were lucky we didn’t get arrested for flying a foreign object.”

“Yeah yeah, but what’s important now is that we’re all here together!” Eva replied, patting Aikka on the back. “Your flying has gotten a little rusty though, your Highness. Seems like it was more urgent to get you out of that palace than I thought.”

Aikka opened his mouth to protest, but Eva swiftly switched topics. “So, now that we’re all together, I can elaborate on my proposal.”

Something she had to tell us in person…Spirit thought, noticing the exuberant shine in her eyes. Or perhaps she just really wanted to see our reactions.

“I think we oughta get some more old friends back together,” she began, stretching her arms out behind her and leaning against the bridge’s railing. “I mean, we already have the three of us, and I’ve been able to contact a few others, like Rush. A lot has happened since the Great Race, a lot that’s only shared between those of us that actually experienced it…while I definitely don’t want to return to that, I think it would be fun to hang out together again. A lot of us, all at once, and maybe we can even have some racing meets to see who’s still got their racing fire lit.”

Spirit rested his hand on Eva’s wrist. Doesn’t this seem a little spontaneous? Although both Aikka and I had the time and the means to make this meeting happen, I’m not sure what gathering us all together again really accomplishes.

“You don’t have to worry about that, I don’t really have a sure fire plan anyway,” Eva less than reassuringly replied. “I just…it’s been lonely, and so much has changed. We’ve all grown, undoubtedly become different people than we were during the Great Race. But that experience still lingers within us. None of us will ever truly be able to get rid of those memories, good or bad. I figured it was time to make some sort of impromptu reunion, even if it’s only for a day. You guys are both here already, right? Can’t you humor me with this?”

Spirit had to admit that he knew where Eva was coming from. There were certainly things he had seen, and even more he had heard about after the fact from racers like her, that shook him to his core. Although he sometimes felt tempted to share his feelings or thoughts on the matter with his family or friends, he knew that not only was it a dangerous idea to involve them in such a dreadful affair, but they would never be able to truly understand. The only people who could offer support for and relate to the pilots who participated in the Great Race of Oban were fellow pilots and various other individuals who had shared the experience with them. Spirit mimicked Eva’s relaxed posture, extending a hand to Aikka to ask him what he thought about all this.

“Well, I’m not here because I don’t want to be,” he began, an unmistakable blush coloring his cheeks. “I think there’s merit to what Eva says. Apart from needing a break from my duties, I think there are bigger things that need to be discussed. Some things…that although they may never be completely dealt with, they can at least be worked through. All of us have suffered at the hands of the Great Race in one way or another, some deeper than others. I have questions, many of which I’m sure have no hope of being answered, but maybe the more of us that join together, the closer we can get to uncovering the truth.”

So a mixture of a research expedition and a friendly support meetup. That sounded like about as Eva an idea as any of the ones Spirit had already heard or been apart of throughout the years. After the Great Race, while many racers had gone their separate ways, Eva and the group of those who had been with her through her roughest patches and knew about the deepest pains of her past had remained in consistent and close contact with her and each other.

Eva had come out of the Great Race with an altered perception of fate, a new set of friends, and an infinitely widened view of both life and the universe. Spirit still didn’t know every detail of what transpired on Oban with her, her faithful racing team, and King Aikka. Although part of him would always be achingly curious to have her divulge the full story, another part knew that it would be detrimental both to him and the parties involved to plunge them too deeply into territory they weren’t properly armed to tackle.

Spirit simply nodded in agreement then, knowing that no matter what came next, it would surely be an adventure he didn’t want to miss. He wanted to uncover more about the Great Race for himself, as well as catch up in person with racers who understood him for more than the enigmatic Phils champion that many assumed him to be. Even just being around Eva and Aikka again brought him a peace that he hadn’t known since he had last had the pleasure of sharing their company. There was a deep, unspoken camaraderie between many of the racers who participated in the Great Race. Whether it was fate, or trauma, or the simple desire to reconnect with those Spirit once saw as nothing more but fellow competitors, he had a yearning to join Eva’s expedition. He ruffled her hair, cut shorter than she had worn it when she was younger, and in the gesture passed along his thanks for her kindness in reaching out to him.

Eva laughed, grabbing his hand with one of her own as she smoothed her hair with the other. You don’t need to thank me, it was a no brainer. It wouldn’t be the same without one of my best friends.

Spirit felt the wellspring in his chest expand, doing his best to keep his composure while also sharing the elated feeling with her. She considered him a friend, a sentiment that made him feel more than he felt he would ever be able to share or communicate, even with telepathy. Aikka smiled gently at them both, and Eva yanked him over to them, pulling them all into a group hug that made Spirit feel like he was truly at home. This was the beginning of a grand adventure, one that had no perceivable direction. But spontaneity was what Eva did best, and with her at the helm, Spirit was sure they would make it out of even the darkest recesses of space they might dare to traverse.

[meeko-mar]

Compilation of belated OSR2 thoughts::

Ok I have been constantly at work as the news of the Oban Star Racers possible sequel broke, so I have been able to do little more than small doodles and reblogging and some very initial(and hysterical) reactions. 

But now that I have a wee bit of time, let’s start speculating! **There will be mentions of plotpoints of OSR that give a lot of spoilers away, so if you haven’t already, please watch OSR!**

~ Ok, first thing is first, even though we’re going off of one or two concept art shots and nothing concrete, may I just dare to say that, THIS IS ALREADY JUST WHAT I WANTED. 

Like let me explain, I have always LOVED the theme in OSR that is about reaching out to others who may not be like you, forming alliances/friendships, and rallying together, even though you maybe competing and battling against these other people. Molly makes friends in unlikely places, friends she wouldn’t have expected, friends she initially hated on a deep emotional level due to misunderstanding, friends that she has fought tooth and nail to keep despite circumstances repeatedly trying to pull them apart. 

That’s what the line-up image looks like to me. That image is the RETURN of every relationship she forged in the Great Race. 

Molly, Spirit, Rush, Aikka. Earth, Byrus, Nourasia, Phils! This alludes to an interplanetary alliance that I have DREAMED about since watching OSR. I have always wanted these guys to be brought together after the Race of Oban in unison against the Crogs. (because we all KNEW that the Crogs may have been immobilized at the end, but they are far from defeated!!) 

And now it looks like we may literally get JUST THAT. 

~ Plus, there’s a Crog. From the looks of how it is walking WITH them and not being OPPOSED to them, I’d say we have a rogue Crog turned ally, and that is pretty damn exciting. A lot of potential chemistry conflicts between the characters.

~ I can’t wait to see what a Non-Imperium Crog is like. I can’t wait to see how Aikka and him/her get along. 

~ While we’re here, I wonder what kind of alliance this is. Like, is it actually an alliance that is official with each of their worlds? Have the worlds made treaties and official alliances with each other? Is this a sort of specialty team organized that way? Or maybe they’re all rogues, united by their common bonds forged in the Race(and however they happen to become allied with the Crog character?) 

~ I may venture a guess that since their outfits are still different, they may not be a part of an official, new task force or army of some sort, because if that was the case, they may have uniforms or at least very similar uniforms. They are all wearing something that look unique to their race...

~ ....except for Aikka, though his outfit looks very similar to Eva’s, and in fact, very unlike what we know of or expect from the Nourasian style. This intrigues me, possibly the most, aside from the new Crog character.

~ There has already been speculations that the absence of Aikka’s crown may mean that he is in exile somehow, and is at the moment of this image, is not part of Nourasian Royalty. IF SO, maybe he had to take up residence somewhere else. Maybe Earth? Perhaps that is why his outfit looks more like an Earth outfit and seems similar to Eva’s. Perhaps however they get involved in an adventure with each other, he started out on Earth with her and was therefore outfitted with Earthen gear. 

~ While we’re in that vein, His bow seems to also be more technological, as opposed to traditional, like his Nourasian bow. 

~ If this is the case, and Aikka’s new look comes from alliance with Earth, that may imply that at the very least, Earth is tasking them with something. How else would he get highly specialty equipment? How else would it be matching Eva’s? Maybe The Earth Coalition has finally gone into organizing a real defense against alien threats, and has decided to involve the Winner of the Race of Oban in it. 

~  Maybe Eva is involved as a diplomat???

~Further thought: Maybe Earth has chosen Eva as a diplomat and has chosen these characters specifically as her entourage/protection/personal team?

~This suggests also that after the Race, the Earth Coalition really got their shit together regarding the ongoing issues in the galaxy, for example, the domineering Crogs. I recall the President as being kind of pig-headed and stubborn and willing to sacrifice anything, including Don Wei’s daughter, to land the Ultimate Prize in Earth’s favor. The Earth Coalition seemed desperate, even reckless in the first series. Maybe by now, new leaders have possibly taken the Great Race into account and have gotten serious about things, and even formed alliances with planets they disregarded or actively disliked due to xenophobia and political misinformation. 

~ Also, the Truce of Oban is now over. We may see an entirely new war with this new series.

~ The second promo image we were given shows Aikka dueling someone on a giant Centipede in what could be Nourasia. Perhaps there was a coup? Maybe they overthrew Aikka? Maybe that is the reason he had to go into exile? 

~ Maybe he became an ambassador to Earth to re-establish good relations, if he wasn’t exiled?

~ We may get to see other worlds! Byrus, Spirit’s world, even Nourasia!! 

~ I am so happy and excited to see more of Spirit and Rush.

~ I finally know what Aikka’s hairline looks like without the crown. Which is something I have wondered for like 10 years as an artist frequently drawing him. 

~ Though is his hairline naturally like that, or is it cut specifically like that? 

~Also, LONGER HAIR for Aikka! Count part of my speculations as a young OSR fanartist to be CONFIRMED. :D

~I love Eva’s new bottom earring, the really long, pointy one.

~ SHORT HAIR FOR EVA

~Also, I gotta say her shoulder pads got upgraded. 

~ It doesn’t seem as though Aikka’s ears got any longer...Though we also don’t know exactly how long it’s been after Oban, nor how fast Nourasian’s ears grow if they in fact do.(I know there have been speculations about this in the fandom and how King Aikka would down the road have much longer ears.) Maybe Nourasian ear size is unchanging.

~ Um also, I don’t know if this is a thing, but Aikka has two little metal(grey) looking things on each of his gloves....do those maybe do something? like another weapon of some sort? I know he has a knife or a sword on his hip. Maybe those little things do something? (Just seems like a strange place to have something like that if they serve no purpose) 

~Needless to say, I of course wonder if Jordan will show up at all in this story. I would hope for mostly a minor role since I would want the theme of Avatar Neutrality to remain a consistent thing, but it would be nice to see him again. Maybe if there is something really bad going on though, we may get to see what he’s doing, even as a side-plot?

~ Though I do hope that we at least get some more regular girl/women characters <3 I love the boys but there’s always room for more girls on the team.

THAT’S ALL I GOT FOR NOW