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This has got to be the best submarine anime I have seen to date. It's a shame it only lasts two episodes.

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Submarine 707 Revolution

The Movie

Review by Matthew Anderson

2 Part OVA

Company: Geneon

Running Time: 100 minutes (2 episodes)

Region: 1

Rated: PG (Violence)

EXTERNAL EXAM

In the future, Admiral Red, leader of a terrorist organization called the USR, has declared war on the United Nations. With his powerful and stealthy U-Fleet, Red causes terror on the high seas, killing anyone who is arrogant or unlucky enough to cross his path. In response to the attacks by the USR, The "Peace Keeping Navy" is formed. Back by the leading nations of the world, this impressive fleet gathers together to wipe this menace from the face of the Earth.

While all the ships of the PKN are the best of the best, the Japanese contribution is less than inspiring. After much debate, the Japanese Navy sends the 707, an old diesel era sub nicknamed "The Snapping Turtle". Thanks to their slow speed, they arrive at the PKN just in time to see the new navy is being attacked by Admiral Red. During the battle, Captain Hayami sacrifices the 707 to prevent the destruction of the PKN flag ship the "Apollo Norm".

Six months later, Captain Hayami is given command of the brand new, hyper advance 707. Equipped with the latest technology, and specially designed mini-subs, Hayami and his crew are ready to take back the seas from the evil that lurks beneath it's surface.

DVD VISION TEST

VIDEO: This is one fantastic transfer. Anytime you have a movie with a lot of dark scenes, there is the constant worry of digital garbage popping up when you don't want it. With this transfer, there are no pixels, wrinkles, or blemishes anywhere to be found.

AUDIO: Both the English and Japanese 5.1 audio mixes are fantastic. Well balanced between the music, the dialogue, and the sound effects, you will feel like you are right there with the crew of the 707.

EDITS: Clean open and close are used. No edits to the actual episodes have been made.

EXTRAS: What are you talking about? There are no extras. You have to get the special edition for that, and Geneon didn't sent it to me.

WIDESCREEN REVIEW

STORY: Hiroshi Ohnogi's screenplay has a really good "Hunt for Red October" vibe going for it. Full of action, suspense, and emotional moments, you will be gripping the edge of your chair. He's also pretty good at explaining the submariner jargon in a way that all can understand. By the time it's finished, you be begging for more submarine action, but none will follow.

ACTING: The voice acting on both sides is very well done. While you may recognize many of the voices, with such a large cast, it's hard to pick out one outstanding example. The Japanese and English voice actors all play their parts exactly like you would expect out of military men and women; brave and strong!

FAN SERVICE: Well, the design of the American sub "Great Guardian" looks a lot like "Blue Sub 6". Other than that, if you want to count a few peek a boo shots of Hayami's flat chested young daughter as fan service, then ewww!

FINAL EXAM

Finding a really good submarine anime is tough to find. While I did enjoy the first two episodes of Blue Sub 6, I was disappointed with the second half. Thanks to haphazard writing, bad acting, and choppy animation, "Blue Remains" was a dismal failure. Now there is Submarine 707R, and my quest is finally over.

This has got to be the best submarine anime I have seen to date. It's a shame it only lasts two episodes.

So what is it about this anime that makes it so good? For starters, 707R starts off full speed ahead. Only briefly does it slow down before Director Shoichi Masuo battens down the hatches and mans the torpedoes (I love these kind of analogies). This is 100 minutes of nail biting, expletive shouting (by me, not the cast), cool underwater battles, almost as good as the combat sequences in "Hunt for Red October".

Secondly, the animation for this rivals anything done by Gonzo Digitmation. Group TAC (who did Miami Guns if you believe it), combined with the awesome CG work by Viewworks, is close to perfect. The blending of CG and traditional elements are seamless. Just like water, the combat scenes are fluid, and move at a rapid pace. Combined with the breakneck pacing of director Shoichi Masuo, and the tight script by Hiroshi Ohnogi, Submarine 707R is everything "Blue Sub 6" was not.

It's very obvious that the manga was written during the Cold War, when the world had different views of the countries we know today. Besides the obvious things like "Admiral Red" and the "USR" (minus one S), there is the way the countries and politics are presented. The Americans are viewed as brash, arrogant, bullies, so convinced of their superiority that they jokingly tell the PKN "They could come along for the ride". The Russians and Chinese are loose cannons, each one trying to take control because they don't trust anyone. The PKN obviously represents the United Nations, huge, supported by everyone, and as impotent as they come. They don't even have a clear chain of command established when Red attacks, making them easy prey.

For the Japanese, they are looked down upon by the PKN nations because of their limited, US enforced constitution. The donation of one old diesel sub after months of endless political bickering is viewed as a joke of a commitment. Full of oblivious leaders, the Japanese representatives at the PKN don't even know what their own ship looks like. Back during the Cold War, the Japanese was viewed as a an mere shell of what they once were. Yet, things like honor, duty, and loyalty are still part of the Japanese psyche and the crew of the 707 charge headlong into battle (much like they did in business), ready to do what ever it takes to win the day. There are many more parallels that can be drawn from the works of Satoru Ozawa, giving us an interesting snapshot of days gone by.

707 gives us a cast of colorful, and at times, perplexing characters. You have Captain Hayami, your typical pot bellied lovable old sea captain. While outwardly he appears to be a rather laid back, almost aloof leader, this affable demeanor hides an very keen mind. Able to outfox even the most advanced submariners, he becomes the one man that can stop the insane Admiral Red. He also has another advantage, Hayami's wife is totally hot! She is beyond trophy wife, she is "Desperate Housewives" hot.

The crew of 707 is an eclectic bunch, but we really don't get to learn much about them. We know that the first officer is embarrassed when looking at Hayami's daughter (that's not good), and that children are the only ones who can pilot the mini subs. There is the two sonar operators, Suzuki and Senta. Suzuki is one step away from being a rock star, with his sunglasses and tight spandex suit. The other is Senta, a kid with a hyper developed sense of hearing. Where Suzuki seems to be easily fooled by the U Fleet's tricks, Senta is able to pull out the tiniest, most inconsequential of sounds and figure out what they really are. Perhaps Hiroshi Ohnogi is making a statement; just because you look cool doesn't mean you know everything.

Admiral Red just one big enigma. He comes off as some sort of reverse eco-geek, using the machines of war to bring about his on version of peace. He hates war, but gets a certain amount of glee when he charges into battle. He fears no one, certainly not the newly formed PKN. A brilliant tactical mind he takes advantage of every situation. He also has quite a few tricks up his sleeve, enabling him to take down ship after ship. Yet, when he is at home, he is a peaceful man, the father to 4 lovely children, who have no idea what their daddy has to do. Only his wife, who sits in stoic silence, is aware of his one man war against the world. His reasons, and his desires, remain one big mystery because Submarine 707R only has two episodes!

Now we come to the only negative about this anime, it's length. It's only two episodes long, meaning that once it's over, it's over. There are many, many dangling plot threads left hanging with no sequel in sight. You get so caught up in things, it's like going cold turkey. This blows!

While it's called "Submarine 707R: The Movie", the name is a misnomer. It's actually two 45 minute OVA's. Don't worry, they didn't squash the two together. Each one is intact, with the exception of clean open and closes.

With it's awesome animation, fast pace, and solid acting am totally hooked on "Submarine 707R: The Movie". Why they had to end it just when things were getting good is beyond me. Perhaps the manga will reveal some answers, if anyone releases it.

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