244th G-View: Mouretsu Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace

Oh how I have long waited for this day. The movie to one of my all time favorite anime had finally been subbed. Question is whether it was worth the wait? Let’s find out as we take a look at the Mouretsu Pirates movie: Abyss of Hyperspace.

Here’s my review of the main show.

165th G-View: Mouretsu Pirates

Alternate Title: Bodacious Space Pirates The Movie: Abyss of Hyperspace

Genres: Adventure, Sci-fi

Themes: Pirates

Running time: 92 minutes

G-Rating: 7/10

Plot Summary: Kanata Mugen is a pretty boy being chased by suspicious mooks because he holds the key to hyperspace travel, which is a valuable asset considering the number of safe hyperspace routes is dwindling. Having received a request to secure Kanata and help him find a relic left behind by his father, Captain Marika and the Bentenmaru crew take the job and are off on yet another cracker jack interstellar adventure filled with the usual perils the crew is used to.

I honestly thought there was greater meaning behind Marika’s new duds but no, she simply wanted a color change.

I expected to have a lot to say about this movie but it’s a straightforward rump that could have easily been a three part arc in the TV show. As for how this latest adventure fares compared to previous ones Captain Marika and her crew have ventured into I would say it was her weakest. Not saying the movie sucked but there were many other cooler missions on the show. Heck the leader of the bad guy team is nowhere near as fabulous as Sparkly Snugglebutt.

Like K-ON! The Movie AoH’s main draw is seeing everyone’s favorite characters come back for one more romp. Yes, seeing my beloved Sasha Staple again brought me absolute joy. The show contains all the classic activities and moments that made the show awesome. Stuff like the Yacht Club’s daily life, a bit of Marika and MILF-tacular “Blaster” Ririka talking like a regular mom-daughter duo, Mami being Mami, Gruier and Grunhilde being fancy (though no ninja princess awesomeness), interstellar traveling complete with pretty colors and CG that does not feel out of place, cybernetic warfare (though much simpler this time, scientific mumbo-jumbo, epic astral dogfights…

…and of course Chiaki-chan being tsundere, especially for her dearest Marika. So the content is not the movie’s problem.

I do not blame Kanata for being shocked. What he saw was…magical!

It’s more the mission itself. As mentioned the mission revolves around Kanata Mugen and his search for a relic his father left behind that could hold the key to ultimate hyperspace travel. The journey is cool and all but Kanata himself…eh. He’s not a lame new character or anything but rather he reminds me of the one-off characters Naruto helped in the movies and the infamous character developing/filler arcs. He does not contribute much to the overall series and exists solely for the sake of giving the gang something to do. I am not joking. That really is his purpose in the overall scope of the series. Same goes for the trouble making baddies. What I’m saying is he along with his tale are decent at best. The returning veterans are all still awesome.

This movie is best watched in high quality because using some random internet streaming video does not do the more awesome space scenes justice. In fact because of the low quality of the vid I saw this movie on some of the animation felt off compared to the TV series. The soundtrack, like the TV show are still awesome. The show’s excellent OP, Mugen no Ai, is used again and the movie exclusive ED is cool but not as great as Lost Child.

Unfortunately another (personal) flaw is that there is no yuri to be found in the movie. Some glances from Gruier and Chiaki-chan being Tsundere for Marika as always but viewers need to be sharp in order to notice them as they go by quick. Jenny X Lynn? Never have a conversation. Not once. There are pictures referencing the TV show but that’s it.

Overall Abyss of Hyperspace was a decent flick but did not leave much of a lasting impression on yours truly. It is still worth checking out for MP fans, just do not expect anything as epic as one of the TV show’s adventures.