Figure 17 has an interesting and unusual release format.
Consisting of 13 episodes, each episode is 45 minutes long, basically twice the
length of a regular episode, but released monthly instead of weekly. So production-wise
it's more like an OVA series. I'm interested to know whether that format paid
off for the producers.
Figure 17 is a show
of two halves. One is an action sci-fi show where an alien spaceship crashes on
Earth, spreading 6 eggs of the Magyua, a biological warfare creature who mutate
spectacularly in Earth's environment. Young Tsubasa accidentally combines with
a unique armor/weapon named Riberusu to become Figure 17, an adult female form
for fighting. Returning to her regular form after fighting, it appears that the
Riberusu has copied Tsubasa's physique and memories. An alien guy named DD asks
Tsubasa to help him protect the Earth and find the Magyua. The action sequences
are played out decently, though it does have a monster-of-the-week (err..month)
feel to it.
The second half of the show is radically
different. Tsubasa is very soft-spoken, shy, sad, lonely, and suffers from a low
self-esteem. Her Riberusu twin Hikaru on the other hand is a lively, happy girl.
Their school life together is depicted in a much slower pace, and the subtleties
in the behavior of the characters is a joy to behold. It's very slice-of-life-ish
and very well done. Watching kids cooking curry and setting up a play has never
been more enjoyable. The characters are well defined and their expressions are
marvelous. Hikaru is a great friend to Tsubasa, who slowly starts to enjoy life
more and become more confident. Their relationship together is the highlight of
this show, as they go through happiness, love, sadness, and downright tragedy.
Definitely worth watching.
