The main character in Xenosaga: The Animation is Shion Uzuki; she is the Chief Engineer of the KOS-MOS Project for Vector Industries. In the series, she is working aboard a starship called the Woglinde; however, not everyone on board the ship is supportive of the project. KOS-MOS is a battle android with superhuman strength and speed. While she is programmed to protect the Vector personnel, her highest priority is to protect Shion.
At the beginning of the series, Shion is running through a test experiment on KOS-MOS. During the test, Shion encounters a mysterious young girl. At the same time, an object called the Zohar Emulator is brought aboard the Woglinde.
After the test, Shion goes to investigate the Zohar Emulator, and encounters the mysterious young girl again. All of a sudden, a group called the Gnosis appears out of nowhere and attack the Woglinde and the fleet, in an attempt to claim the Zohar Emulator. During the attack, KOS-MOS suddenly activates, apparently on its own, in an attempt to protect Shion.
There is some decent animation in Xenosaga: The Animation, except for when attempts are made to combine 2D and computer animation. However, this is a case where using the two styles makes a little more sense, since the Gnosis mecha are depicted using the computer animation, while the Woglinde is shown in 2D animation. In that respect, it makes it a little easier to distinguish between the two sides; however, it still looks a little awkward. As for the mecha designs, I kept thinking to myself that they seemed to bear a bit of a resemblance to some of mecha designs from the original Super Dimension Fortress Macross anime series.
When it comes to content, I didn't see anything that I would have deemed inappropriate for younger audiences; however, the storytelling might still be a little much for very young viewers. Personally, I would recommend Xenosaga: The Animation to anime viewers who are 12 or 13 years of age and older.
| Xenosaga: The Animation | 12 | 2005 | Shigeyasu Yamauchi | Toei Animation | FUNimation Entertainment |
