NoaIzumiAnime Review: Submarine 707R
February 23rd 2009 18:36
When the world is threatened by a sophisticated, undersea terrorist group, only one thing can stand against them, the Japanese submarine 707R! After Captain Hayami thwarted the USR’s plans to crush the Peace-Keeping Navy, Admiral Red of the USR has vowed to destroy the 707R no matter what.
When a terrorist navy conducts a savage campaign against the world’s shipping, who ya gonna call? Why, an old diesel boat with an eccentric crew, of course!
Submarine 707R is a good military drama with a lot of undersea action. It’s similar to the previously reviewed Silent Service, but with a less serious feel. There’s a much greater emphasis on the action sequences, with secondary scenes focusing on the families of the two captains. The submarine designs are well-done, as are the characters. There’s not much in the way of character development, outside of the two captains and a few of the 707’s crew, but the fact that Admiral Red and the USR personnel were portrayed three-dimensionally rather than as stereotypical bad guys is impressive.
Further development of the characters over time would have been nice, and the creators were obviously hoping to make more episodes. Submarine 707R consists of two OVA episodes, and episode two ends at a good stopping point, but not a clear conclusion. The good guys have achieved a victory, but the war goes on, the enemy captain is still alive, and several other threads are left dangling, still to be wrapped up.
The anti-American chauvinism of Silent Service is nowhere near as obvious here, but it is still subtly present. When the biggest American mega-carrier in the PKN is about to be hit by a torpedo, only the 707R can save her. At the end of the first episode, the most sophisticated submarine the Americans have, the Great Guardian, blunders into a trap and is destroyed with little trouble, along with several other ships, while the Japanese 707R later faces the enemy submarine force all alone and comes out on top. (BTW, the USR subs look really cool with their hammerhead design, but they turn out to be awfully fragile in battle. Maybe the USR should invest in double-hulls next time.)
The character design takes an interesting route, and deserves a mention. While the USR characters and the rest of the PKN personnel are drawn in a sharper, more modern style, the crew of the 707R, especially the captain, are drawn in a more old-school manner, more "fleshed out". It has the effect of setting them apart, and making the viewer more comfortable with them.
Extras: Original trailers, staff interviews. Pretty good.
Great moments: The climactic battle between the 707R and the USR subs. One of the best underwater battle scenes in anime, and probably anywhere else.
Summary: Action-packed military drama with interesting characters. Worth watching even if unfinished. Grade B plus.
Age rating: 14 and up. Bloodless wartime deaths and violence, some fan service on the part of Captain Hayami’s wife (and a rather crude sex joke at the end that I really could have done without).
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