Midnight Bazooka, how cool of a name is that for a space station. TO - Elliptical Orbit is the first in a two part anime adaption of a couple stories from Yukinobu Hoshino's 2001 Nights manga. Updated and done in some fantastic looking 3DCGI these two new releases take a unique look into our possible future in space. The first story looks at deep space travel and how it might effect long distance relationships but with a twist and how even several years in the future we'll still be fighting.
Elliptical Orbit starts with the arrival of a deep space ship, the Flying Dutchman, that is transporting very important cargo that could fuel Earth's power needs for years. The Captains of the ship and space station seem to have a sordid relationship but as viewers we are not let in on the back story until the end for the twist. When a cargo container carrying parts to repair the Flying Dutchman arrives it brings with it some unwanted guests. Unidentified men in black space suits and laser weapons board the Midnight Bazooka intent on stealing the cargo for their own gains. They manage to take over the station with little fuss but when they try to take the Flying Dutchman the Ship's Captain and her crew as well as the station's Captain take matters into their own hands and fight off the invaders. Some very realistic (OK OK I know there sin't sound in space blah blah blah but that's boring so I'll allow that) space combat happens the invaders are dealt with and all is right in the end. After repairs are made to the ship and the twist revealed the Flying Dutchman is off on its journey again.
The twist though is that because of the long flight through space the crew is placed in deep sleep which doesn't age them so when they come back they are still the same age as when they left even though every one else has aged several years. So when you first meet the younger looking Ship's Captain and the older looking Station's Captain you think they had a lover's relationship but it turns out that they are actually mother and son. Talk about twist that I didn't see coming which gives this a pretty good ending I think. Definitely something different than the fantasy stuff out there. I liked it anyways. Don't think we'll see it here any time soon though as it's not moe or mainstream enough. To bad really.
Check out the trailer below.
