My Cultural Diet

As a kid, Shirotsugh Lhadatt dreamed of being a fighter pilot. Instead, he’s consigned to the Space Force, a half-hearted attempt at a space program that’s the laughingstock of the military and treated with contempt by its own members. A chance encounter with a devout young woman inspires Lhadatt to redouble his efforts to become humanity’s first astronaut, but political machinations, social upheaval, and the specter of war threaten to undermine his dream. The Wings of Honnêamise is an ambitious project, no doubt about it, perhaps too ambitious. (Its chaotic four-year-long production nearly bankrupted Gainax.) It’s a wonderful bit of world-building — the movie takes place on an alternate Earth, with its own unique cultures, languages, and technologies à la Tetsurō Amino’s Iria: Zeiram the Animation — but the story is meandering and portentous. And though Ryuichi Sakamoto composed the soundtrack, it’s surprisingly uneven and ill-fitting at times, especially the synth-heavy numbers. That said, Gainax’s detailed hand animation is refreshing to watch compared to today’s CGI-heavy anime, and the final wartime launch sequence is breath-taking. A sequel, tentatively titled Uru in Blue, has been in various stages of development since the early ’90s, so I’m not exactly holding my breath that it’ll be released any time soon.

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