Submarine 707R (2003)
Animation Production: Aniplex
Released by: Geneon Entertainment
Running Time: 100 Minutes
By Jeffrey Couto

Introduction

You know what makes for great entertainment? A cinematic work that not only engages you completely, but makes you feel like you are taking part of a great adventure in world removed from your own that is at once both beautiful and hopeful.

That’s what Submarine 707R is all about. It came into the Japan Hero anime labs without warning and blew us completely away. I could have never imagined what a brutally amazing this release would be prior to seeing it myself. I don’t think I’ve ever said this at the beginning of a review, but no matter what anime you’re planning on buying next time you’re at your favorite DVD shop, make sure you get yourself a copy of Submarine 707R. It rarely gets better than this.

Story

"A high-tech terrorist plagues the ocean... To counter the subversive activities of the USR, a shadowy terrorist group menacing the seas, the leading nations of the world join forces to form the Peace Keeping Navy (PKN). Its inauguration ceremony, however, quickly turns into disaster as Admiral Red, charismatic leader of the USR, launches a surprise attack on the PKN. With fi erce fi repower, Red lets his intentions be known that he will destroy anything that gets in the way of his twisted vision of an ideal future... "-- Submarine 707R Website

Review

In a future age where artificial intelligence is capable of reasoning at levels that mimic the human mind the oceans of the world are dangerous places to be in as the USR has declared war on all sea-fearing battleships and submarines. To counter their offensive the countries of the world have banded together to form a new organization that will counter the URS’s threat and bring about a new era of international peace across the Earth’s oceans. The organization known as the Peace Keeping Navy (PKN) is made up of the top troops and weapons that each country has at its disposal.

However not all goes as planned as the USR’s ultimate weapon, the invincible UX submarine strikes the PKN as it celebrates its official formation, destroying several of their newly acquired weapons and submarines in the process. Only Japan’s 707 submarine is able to turn the tie of the surprise attack, but only after it’s sacrificed to save the fleet.

Six months after this incident Captain Hayami is called back into action onboard a newly reconstructed 707 submarine. She is not a state of the art ship by any means, but her crew’s skills and fighting spirit will make all the difference. With the PKN’s fleet in danger as more and more members are sunk or destroyed the 707 Submarine and her crew may be the only ones able to stop this threat, but will a primitive vehicle like the 707 be able to stand up to a state-of-the-art sub like the UX!?

To me Submarine 707R harkens back to simpler times in anime history, back to the days of such epic Sci-fi thrillers as Space Battleship Yamato, when audiences glued themselves to the TV week after week to see how the heroic crew of the Yamato would manage to escape their latest challenge and overcome all odds, driven by their love for planet Earth. It was an adventure that called out to people and made them feel like they were part of something much bigger than an anime TV series. This is an excitement that Submarine 707R captures.

In a way you could say that like Yamato there is a very romantized feel to this anime that’s sort of unusual in these days of fanboy-pleasing releases. From the sepia-toned opening detailing the origins of the 707 submarine all the way to the character designs and background artwork this is an almost timeless work with many universal themes, such as war, friendship, love, and honor embedded into its storyline.

The story on the surface seems like a typical war anime in which two factions are fighting each other, one being idealistic and in pursuit of great ideals even if it takes very violent actions to bring them about, the other is a national/multinational group trying to uphold the law and do what it feels is right for its citizens. However, if you dig deeper into the plot you’ll find that this anime is really about the characters and their drive to succeed, specifically this is the tale of two submarine captains, Admiral Red and Captain Hayami.

The beauty of this setup is the way each of these two protagonists plays off of each other in battle. One (Captain Hayami) is in charge of an aging vessel that unlike it’s more high-tech counterparts is able to stand up to the UX submarine despite all odds, thanks to its crew and captain’s quick thinking. The other is in charge of arguably the most advanced sub in the world, a machine that seldom needs its captain to run efficiently. This setup makes for some real nail-biting situations as Admiral Red throws every attack in the book against the heroic 707 crew only to be foiled each time, even if just barely.

In addition there are several subplots that run parallel to the main story and give the plot many rich layers on which to further build up from. I’m particularly interested in learning more about the USR’s plot and what it is that they are pursuing through their attacks on all sea vessels. I’m also d by some of the characters featured on the PKN as they travel the seas planning for a counter offensive. It would seem like there is more to them than we are being told, which adds to the overall suspense of the story.

Now what would a great story be if it’s not properly realized and carried through visually? This is the one are where Submarine 707 most noticeably shines through. In a way it has to be seen to be completely appreciated, I don’t think words really do justice to just how beautiful this production is all around. It gently mixes traditional 2-D images with 3-D CGI ones to create a world that is fantastic, yet realistic; this technique has really come a long way since the mid 90's.

The audio portion of this release is brilliant and merges itself perfectly to the on-screen action for a perfect one-two hit to the senses. For the most part it features some great instrumental pieces that are filled with beauty and energy. The voice acting is also up there in terms of quality with everyone in the cast coming through with a solid performance

The DVD package for this particular title is quite nice, featuring a translucent cover that mimics the blue color of the seas with the main cast and title submarine superimposed atop of it. It gives the whole thing a very an elegant look that is sure to make it stand out in your collection.

Quality-wise the video transfer for Submarine 707R is absolutely perfect. Not a flaw in sight! The colors are incredibly bright and everything is very sharp onscreen. The audio which comes in two language flavors on 5.1 Dolby Digital is equally perfect with no noticeable problems.

Final Thoughts

Go to your nearest DVD shop and pick up this DVD as soon as possible. If you're an anime fan this is one of those rare titles that should be required viewing. I would be hard-pressed to find anything wrong with it in the slightest (well maybe the fact that it ends in a cliffhanger of sorts).

Submarine 707R = Anime Perfection!

Jeffrey Couto