Rating: 
Summary: The Beginning of An Amazing Story
Review: Last Exile - First Move is the beginning of an amazing, wonderous tale of truth, deceit, bravery, failure and success. The three main characters, Claus, Lavie and Alvis, are all characters everyone can relate to. They are young, naive, caring and loving, but they must face the real world of back stabbing, betrayal and intrigue.The series starts off a bit slow, but with each episode you begin to find out more and more about the world these three young people live in. It is a world at war with itself. We know very little about the the "enemy", only that they "fight without honor or chivlary". We begin to realize the real "power" behind all that is happening is the Guild, a race of advanced beings who seem to have fun causing problems for the people of this world. Claus and Lavie become involved in the war accidentally when the pilot of another Vanship crashes after hitting Claus and Lavie's Vanship during the "big race". That is when we first meet Alvis, or Al, as Claus and Lavie know her. Al is a innocent child who holds a dark secret that the Guild wants. But we are left wondering what that "secret" is. The animation is first rate and the sound tract is fantastic. I recommend you get the soundtract along with the DVD. "Last Exile" is a top notch thriller and first rate example of the Japanese of Anime.
Rating:
Summary: The Beginning of An Amazing Story
Review: Last Exile - First Move is the beginning of an amazing, wonderous tale of truth, deceit, bravery, failure and success. The three main characters, Claus, Lavie and Alvis, are all characters everyone can relate to. They are young, naive, caring and loving, but they must face the real world of back stabbing, betrayal and intrigue. The series starts off a bit slow, but with each episode you begin to find out more and more about the world these three young people live in. It is a world at war with itself. We know very little about the the "enemy", only that they "fight without honor or chivlary". We begin to realize the real "power" behind all that is happening is the Guild, a race of advanced beings who seem to have fun causing problems for the people of this world. Claus and Lavie become involved in the war accidentally when the pilot of another Vanship crashes after hitting Claus and Lavie's Vanship during the "big race". That is when we first meet Alvis, or Al, as Claus and Lavie know her. Al is a innocent child who holds a dark secret that the Guild wants. But we are left wondering what that "secret" is. The animation is first rate and the sound tract is fantastic. I recommend you get the soundtract along with the DVD. "Last Exile" is a top notch thriller and first rate example of the Japanese of Anime.
Rating:
Summary: Certainly one of the best anime series released
Review: Last Exile is a beautiful anime, blending CG and drawn anime seamlessly to create characters that stir you into feeling their successes and mourning their losses and a storyline that is moving and easy to follow. Looking at the quality of the trailers and clips, it seems that Pioneer has done this series justice in providing the dvd with clean visuals and a stunning dolby digital soundtrack. Last Exile is about Claus and Lavie, a boy and a girl who struggle to follow in their fathers' footsteps and be the best Vanship pilots in the world of Prester. By delivering a curious little girl called Alvis to the battleship Sylvana, they enter a world and a war where their skill and courage will be the key to not only their survival but of all. You'll wish you were a part of this world in the sky... Please disregard the editorial review that has been provided by Amazon. I could only imagine that someone who had fast forwarded through the first few episodes could possibly say the things that Charles Solomon wrote.
Rating: 
Summary: It got it's flaws, but none the less a great series.
Review: Last exile is GONZO(Vandread, Zaion, Gatekeepers, Kiddy Grade, etc)'s 10 the anniversary production. A lot of money and promotion is put into this anime, so expect some high quality animated works and coloring.(that's what Gonzo is known for anyway.) For starters, you're going to get a lot of biased review for this anime. Since most people have already completed this series on fansub, and know how wonderful it turned out. However, that's a review for the whole series, not for this DVD. The Amazon editor's review is actully a very professional and well done review for this DVD. To be truthful, the first DVD of this wonderful series, is pretty dull. First Move contains the first 4 episodes of the series. The first 2 alone was a major turn off for most starters. Episode 3 and 4, which are the 2 main episodes that starts off the story into it's main story line, dies on a major non-exciting cliffhanger. Which really hurts this DVD, and which is why it often gets negative reviews from new watchers. However, Last Exile is a series that should not be missed. It's popularity in the US market market probably won't bloom till all of the DVDs are out, but when it do, I'll bet you it'll be huge.
Rating:
Summary: Every saga has a beginning...
Review: Last Exile is one of the best anime series I've ever watched. It's not a series really, but one long movie. Meaning, the episodes are not just connected - this is one continiouse story. There are no monsters of the week or such.
The closest thing I can think of is "Crest of the Stars", but with a vast sky instead of the space. And with a top-notch animation and design. The main characters are a couple of kids, working as couriers on their vanship (a kind of plane). They try to earn their living and while delvering a "package" they get mixed-up in the war. There is a race in the second episode, which reminded me of pod race in "Phantom Menace", only it was more exciting.
The weak point of this DVD is that it doesn't yet give you the real feel of the series. This is really only "First Move". It sets the board and only hints at the great game ahead of us. And two months is too long to wait before the next several episodes. If you liked "Crest of the Stars" or books like Tad Williams "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn Trilogy" try out this series.
Rating:
Summary: Sublime...but riveting.
Review: Last Exile, the 10th anniversary anime produced by GONZO Studios, is one of the finest examples of quality anime out there. Most notable is the subtle, muted tones of the backgrounds and machina which present a beautiful picture of Claus and Ravey's homeland of Norkia and the surrounding outlands. The dialogue and storytelling is equally sublime, meaning you are never beaten over the head with anything (which I find refreshing, when it comes to anime).
Another point is the music: composer Dolce Triade has created a wonderful soundtrack to Last Exile, with both instrumental background and the occasional ballad either by her or by Shintaro Okino.
After a couple of episodes, you'll definitely fall in love with their world and struggle.
Rating: 
Summary: Great, and stupendous.
Review: Let me first say that I have absolutely no problems with Last Exile. The plot, characters, and world blend together to form a show that is unlike anyother. I was particularly moved by the music. In some Japanese cartoons, it seems like the director said, "Hey, I like this song. Let's put it in." In LE, the music, you can tell, was chosen with the viewers in mind. The world. Well, it's so masterfully done. It's like Victorian England vamped up and infinitely cooler. The first few episodes offer exposition and introduction to what you can tell will be an entertwined storyline involving many fronts. Some of the side plots seem a little pointless, but since only the first 3 dvds have come out, there's no way to tell if it was just filler or will come up later. But the DvD. I'm a subtitle fan. Don't get me wrong, the dub was above-average(not great, but good), but Lavie's voice got real annoying real quick. Clauss was good, though, and so was the rest of the cast ensemble. I couldn't find the subtitles, if there were any at all, and it's a little hard to navigate. Be warned. Hence, the four stars.
Rating:
Summary: A charming series well worth the investment
Review: Rarely have I found such an excellent blending of the "blowing stuff up" and "heartwarming" genres as this series. The "look" is very compelling, with a successful blend of CG and traditional techniques, and the design of the world is intriguing and inventive. The character development may seem slow at first, but keeping in mind that it's a 26-episode series, I don't find the pacing a problem. The curlicued roads that the plot twists take you are each well worth the journey.
The dub is easily an A-, but if you want the full A+ experience, go for the subtitled version to get the amazing nuances that the Japanese actors put into the show. For example, you get a whole different picture of Alex Rou (captain of the Sylvana, a man with a mysterious and troubled past) in the Japanese version--in English, he's just one of many characters, but in Japanese, with each terse word the arctic winds that chill Alex's soul send shivers up your own spine.
My only criticism of the series is that the ep. 26 is a little unsatisfying--they really needed a double-length hour-long show to wind up all the plot lines that had been so meticulously spun over the previous 25 episodes; a minor issue, to be sure.
This series deserves a place of honor in the library of anyone who appreciates the artistry and beauty of anime.
Rating:
Summary: Expect Great Things from this Series!
Review: The Amazon.com editorial review is one again critical of an anime series which leads me to believe that if you're not a Disney animated movie, your going to get poor reviews...
This anime is absolutely fantastic. It reminds me a lot of a pre-PS2 era Final Fanstasy storyline. I will agree that there are many French and German stylized (circa WWII) elements that are noticeable. At the same time you get a distinctive feel of desolation in a world that suffers from water pollution ('I wonder if you even need to boil [the water] before you drink it?')--perhaps the world is covered in ocean and therefore forcing developments in sea travel that evolved into an obsession with the sky and air travel.
The Amazon review stated, "...the filmmakers fail to set up the odd, war-torn world of the series satisfactorily." I disagree entirely, they gave me more than enough story to be clawing at the guys at the anime store for more information on the next release. It is my opinion that the teasing/taunting style in which 'First Move' leaves off is perfect and could not have been done better... especially from a marketing standpoint.
At any rate this is a wonderful and intriguing dvd that goes beyond my greatest expectations. The animation it top-notch, the presentation is great, the lead characters are well developed, and the storyline is, as I said, intriguing.
On a personal note one of my favorite parts in this dvd is when a 'musketeer' is about to go into battle and chants in a prayer-like fashion "May Disith bullets pass by Mullin Shetland's body." and then he is the sole survivor... great scene.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing, one of Gonzo's best works
Review: The first dvd of Last Exile contains 4 episodes. This new animation series is a must-buy collection!! It's one of Gonzo's best animation yet. Last Exile delivers the viewers humor, adventure, and suspense. The graphics in this anime are amazing and spectacular!! The 4 episodes contained are Last Move, Luft Vanship , Transpose, and Zugzwang. Episode 1, it starts out with a vanship flying in the Grand Stream searching for a Disith fleet. The vanship is from the battle ship Silvana. The pilots of the vanship catches sight of their enemy and destroys them. That same day in Norkia, the 2 main characters Claus Valca, and Lavie Head are revealed. Claus is a vanship pilot and Lavie is his navigator. They are on a mission to deliver a message to Mad-thane, but to get to him, they have to go through a battle field between the Disith and Anatory. Episode 2, Claus and Lavie have delivered the message to Mad-thane, but he is losing the battle. Claus and Lavie try to help, but then another vanship appears in the battle and bombs a Disith ship. The Silvana appears and begins to fire upon the Disith fleets, which helps the Anatory ships retreat from the battle. After the Anatory fleet has made their escape, the Silvana disappears. Claus and Lavie have accomplished their mission and return home. Episode 3, Claus and Lavie are participating in a race now and have to start dead last, because they finished their mission the day before last. While Claus and Lavie are racing, another vanship pilot is being attacked by a Guild starship. Before Claus and Lavie are at the final corner of the race, the pilot being chased by the guild crashes into them. It seemed that the pilot of who crashed into Claus, was Ralph Wednesday, who was on a mission to deliver a girl named Alvis Hamilton to the Silvana. Claus takes over the mission and escapes down river with the girl. The starship has found Ralph and still thinks that he has the girl. Ralph sacrifices himself to let Claus get away from the starship and deliver Alvis. Episode 4, Claus and Lavie have taken the girl Al to their home, and will set out on their mission in the morning. It seems that the guild starship can detect other vanships with the sound of their engine. The Guild starship finds Lavie and Claus at their home and attacks them. Luckily, Claus is able to maneuver the vanship through the canals and avoid the starship. Claus reaches their destination, but when they arrive, the starship has found them. They crash land, but the starship has picked Al. Claus tries to make it let go of her with a rock. but is only knocked aside. Suddenly we hear a gun shot and the starship falls down and Alex Row, captain of the Silvana is revealed. The credits roll. My review doesn't tell all of last exile, to know more details and more parts of the story, its up to you to find out and buy last exile First Move.
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