One day before Christmas, now defunct Japanese animation studio, Gainax was founded in 1984. One of the co-founders, Hidekai Anno created “Neon Genesis Evangelian.” They collaborated with Bandai on their first project, “Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise” pushed the boundaries in anime by telling a realistic drama set in an alternate world where the Space Race between Russia & America didn’t happen. The story centers on a man who volunteers for a space program to become the first human to go to space.
Royal Space Force officially premiered on February 19, 1987 at the Graumann’s Chinese Theatre and eventually came out a month later in Japan. Gainax’s first film earned praise from critics and movie goers alike. Although a critical hit, it didn’t recoup enough Yen at the box office. An English Dub became available in 1994 licensed by now defunct home video distributor, Manga Entertainment. Overtime, Royal Space became a financial success on home video. Before the company dissolved, Gainax was working on a sequel, Uru in Blue.” As a result of bankruptcy, the project never came into fruition.
Even though I’m an anime fan, I had no knowledge about Royal Space Force until I stumbled upon a YouTube video of Chris Stuckmann showing his anime DVD/Blu-Ray collection. I was curious to watch it. Not a masterpiece like “Akira,” I thought it was okay. Anyway, I’m prepping up for “Project Hail Mary.” What do Royal Space Force and the aforementioned Ryan Gosling movie both have in common? They both involve astronauts. In addition to gearing up for Mr. Gosling’s highly anticipated film, I got plans to attend Fan Expo Dallas 2026. A few unconfirmed anime voice actors will be there signing autographs and taking pics with fans.
Today’s review contains no SPOILERS.
Fast & Slow Aspects
Fast: English Voice Actors all did a solid job for their respective voiceover performances.
Hiroyuki Yamaga did an alright job directing. He also wrote the script.
For an anime film from 1987, the Animation still holds up. You can tell Gainax worked their butts off polishing every single frame.
Fun Facts
- In the English Dub, Steve Blum (Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Beebop and Tom from Toonami) & Bryan Cranston voice Marty Tohn & Professor Ronta.
- At the time, Royal Space Force was the most expensive anime until Akira surpassed it.
- Prior to producing Royal Space Force as a full-length film, it was originally made as a four-minute proof of concept film with a different art style.
- I find alternate history in movies, TV shows, comics and video games as one of my favorite subgenres. I call them Elseworlds stories after DC Comics imprint of storylines not directly associated with the main universe. For instance, Watchmen’s about superheroes interfering with American History.
Ryūichi Sakamoto (Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, The Revenant) orchestrated the soundtrack.
Although not labeled as a space opera, the film follows a similar narrative like “The Right Stuff.” Given Lhadatt undergoes intense training to prep up as an astronaut like the real life American pilots from the aforementioned epic historical drama.
Primary Themes are Religion, Poverty, Corruption & Power. Each one’s handled maturely.
Slow: The main character crosses a huge line. After did something effed, I stopped caring about Lhadatt. I can’t believe I’m doing this to an innovative anime film, I had no choice but to Triple Down this con. Not caring about the main protagonist detracts a huge number of points causing me to check my clock on how long Act 3 will end. For those who’ve seen the film, you know why. I have standards when it comes to rooting for a fictional hero or villain.
The Final Verdict: B-
I’m probably going to Mephisto’s realm for this, Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise is a painfully average anime film. I was this close to giving it a C, (6/10) but upon reading behind-the-scenes articles surrounding it, I’m giving it a B- for its technical innovation and Gainax experimenting on telling realistic story in anime format. If you’re interested in watching classic anime, give it a watch. Be prepared for that one horrific scene during Act 3. Which classic anime film or series should I watch and review next? Please leave a comment.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 