Pilot Candidate - The Academy (Vol. 1)
Originally entitledCandidate for Goddess(Megami Kouhosei),Pilot Candidateis set in A.D. 4084. The human race has somehow destroyed all but one habitable planet, Zion, which they must defend against the monstrous aliens known as "Victim." Three teenage candidates, klutzy Zero, arrogant Hiead, and sensible Clay, arrive at the GOA Space Academy and immediately get into trouble. They all hope to become pilots of the "Ingrids" or "Goddesses," five giant robots used to fight the Victims. The story (the first three episodes are included here) borrows heavily fromEvangelion,Lain,Nadesico,El Hazard, andGundam. Although the program includes some sophisticated computer graphics, the filmmakers don't resolve the disjuncture between the 3-D CG robots and the 2-D drawn characters. The Goddesses resemble enormous mechanical caryatids, but their designs lack the imagination and power of other anime series. Rated 13 Up: Violence, brief nudity, minor profanity, tobacco use.--Charles Solomon