Anime Reviews (2010-2019): Knights of Sidonia: Complete Series Collection (2014)

A wonderful anime adaptation of Nihei Tsutomu’s “Knights of Sidonia”. Not your average mecha/war in space anime series… Definitely complex and highly recommended!

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ANIME SERIES: Knights of Sidonia: Complete Series Collection

ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 2014

DURATION: Episode 1-24 (742 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, Japanese, English and Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks

RATED: TV MA VSL

Release Date: July 6, 2021

Original Creator: Nihei Tsutomu

Directed by Shizuno Kobun

Series Composition by Murai Sadayuki

Music by Asakura Noriyuki

Character Design by Moriyama Yuki

Art Director: Kataama Mitsunori, Nishino Ryusei

Anime Production: Polygon Pictures

Featuring the following voice talent:

Ohsaka Ryota/Johnny Yong Bosch as Nagate Tanikaze

Suzaki Aya/Alexi Shi as Shizuka Hoshijiro

Igarashi Hiromi/Becca Ordonez as Hinata Momose

Tanaka Atsuko/Cindy Robinson as Samari Ittan/Sasaki

Kitamura Eri/Cristina Valenzuela as Honoka Series

Kanemoto Hisako/Doug Erholtz as Izumo Midorikawa

Sakura Ayane/Erin Fitzgerald as Mozuku Kunato

Saito Soma/Grant George as Mochikuni Akai

Arai Lala/Jane Carroll as Lalah Hiyama

Tsuboi Tomohiro/Joey Lotsko as Ichirō Seii

Toyosaki Aki/Joie Marlowe as Izana Shinatose

Mori Nanako/Karen Strassman as Eiko Yamano

Kanemoto Hisako/Lindsay Torrance as Yuhata Midorikawa

Saka Osamu/Michael Sorich as Shinsuke Tanba

Koyasu Takehito/Pete Sepenuk as Ochiai

Satou Rina/Reba Buhr as Numi Tahiro

Toriumi Kousuke/Spike Spencer as Kouichi Tsuruuchi

Matsumoto Shinbou/Steve Heiser as Kashiwade Aoki

Sakura Takahiro/Todd Haberkorn as Norio Kunato

Ohara Sayaka/Wendee Lee as Captain Kobayashi

The alien Gauna may have destroyed Mankind’s original home, but aboard the asteroid-based spaceship Sidonia, the human race has found ways to adapt, change and survive in the endless depths of space. Now the former people of Earth can photosynthesize like plants, a third gender has been created, and military service is mandatory. Because what could be man’s last battle is about to begin, and the survival of our species will require every resource humanity has left.

That includes Nagate Tanikaze, who carries a secret buried in his past that could change the course of destiny. Unfortunately, the Guana have their own new tricks as well, and not all of Nagate’s allies are who he thinks they are! The ultimate war of the worlds is about to be waged!

From Nihei Tsutomu, the creator of “Blame!”, “NOiSE” and “Biomega” comes Nihei Tsutomu’s “Knights of Sidonia”.

Originally published by Kodansha for the magazine “Afternoon” and having completed its run with its 15th tankobon volume and receiving an anime adaptation in 2014-2015 and a compilation film in 2015. A film titled “Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in Stars” was released theatrically in Japan on June 4, 2021 featuring a new story.

And with the recent release, Sentai Films has released “Knights of Sidonia: Complete Series Collection” featuring the first two seasons plus the compilation film in one Blu-ray set.

“Knights of Sidonia” is set in the distant future during a time when humans have fled Earth after the planet was destroyed by gigantic alien monsters known as Gauna.

Spaceships were created from the remains of the planet and one seed ship, Sidonia, has developed its own human culture similar to Japan due to the use of human cloning and asexual production. While those who are high up of society have been granted immortality.

The goal of the Interstellar Spaceship Sidonia is to continue its voyage for the survival of mankind.

As the humans of Sidonia wonder if any others have survived on other ships, Sidonia may be the only location of humanity.

Aboard the Sidonia is Tanikaze Nagate, a young man who lives in the underground layer of Sidonia and trains himself to pilot, using an old Guardian pilot simulator and mastering the old equipment.

While hungry and looking for rice, Tanikaze ends up falling in a hole to a rice production plant and not knowing the area, nor was he aware that other humans were living, he ends up in unfortunate situations that leads him getting injured, knocked out and waking up.

What is more shocking to the people of Sidonia when he tells him that he lived with his grandfather who passed away three years ago, was that his grandfather Saito Hiroki died 17-years-ago and that there is no records of a Tanikaze Nagate and also that he is unable to photosynthesize.

Nagate is quickly taken to a foreign land (actually the upper area of Sidonia) and he meets a woman, who turns out to be the 28th Captain of Sidonia who asks him to become a Garde Pilot and to defend Sidonia from another Guana attack.

Tanikaze and Garde pilot Hoshijiro Shizuka growing close with one another. But she sacrifices herself when a Gauna tries to attack them. Unfortunately, Hoshijiro’s Garde is ripped apart and her body is pulled into the Gauna and she is reincarnated as a Placental Hoshijiro.

Meanwhile, we start to learn more about Tanikaze and that while raised as the grandson of Saitou Hiroki, there is more to him.

As Tanikaze and the other pilots of Sidonia plan to take on a Gauna, and what is Kunato Norio up to?

“Knights of Sidonia” is no doubt a fascinating sci-fi storyline and for Nihei Tsutomu, he has created numerous, exciting and captivating manga series such as “Blame!”, “Biomega” and “APOSIMZ”.

But Nihei’s work must be read from beginning to end, his work is not easy to jump in at from the middle and read to the end, as his characters are established earlier on and he builds upon that. The same can be said about the animated series. It’s a series that deserves your attention in order to follow the complex storyline and numerous characters.

“Knights of Sidonia” is no doubt a storyline set in space and a war against the Gauna. Humanity from Earth was annihilated by the Gauna but those who were able to escape, escaped on a colossal spacecraft, Sidonia and human culture evolved through human cloning, asexual reproduction and human genetic engineering.

“Knights of Sidonia” focuses on the character Tanikaze Nagate. In some ways, Tanikaze is a protagonist similar to a banal story of a countryside person moving to the big city, but in the case of “Knights of Sidonia”, he has been a sheltered individual living in the underground with his grandfather and raised to train and pilot a robot through a training module (in some ways, one can say that he was playing a video game, not knowing that the training module was the real deal). That’s all he did was train, until he ventured out to get rice and discovered the world outside.

And so when he does make it to the surface, people are shocked of how naive he is of the world but also that he didn’t receive special genetic treatment, so he can’t photosynthesize (the ability to sustain oneself through photosynthesis), so he is often hungry like a regular human for nutrition.

Tanikaze showing us his stellar skills as a pilot and meeting people, some who fall for him, some who despise him but when all said is done, can Tanikaze be the key for humanity to defeat the Gauna?

And as the Gaunas are the primary antagonists, we start to learn of other antagonists thrown into the storyline. Those who will pose a greater threat to everyone on Sidonia.

While the anime series starts out as almost comedic and hilarious, that all changes when we learn how the Sidonia’s mission is full of danger. Especially when they are attacked by the Gauna.

So, I do enjoy “Knights of Sidonia” because it’s like “Star Trek”, incorporating space mission, evolution of the human species and technology but also to read about an underdog who shows great promise, but is quickly thrown in the fire when someone stabs him in the back.

Realizing that Tanikaze is unlike others because he had no friends, no close social interactions and when he does, we see how he reacts to things that others may find normal. But because of naivety, you can’t help but root for him. Especially since he has excellent skills as a pilot.

Overall, “Knights of Sidonia” is thrilling, entertaining and an entertaining anime series that I highly recommend!

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