Sol Bianca: The Legacy

Genre: Space Adventure
Parental Guidance Recommended
1999 Hiroyuki Ochi, Studio AIC, Pioneer LDC. Screenshots courtesy of DVD Emporium

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Firesenshi's Description:
Five beautiful girls--Janni, the strong, muscular and skilled marksman; Feb, the seductive drinker; April, the pragmatic leader; Jun, the free-spirited adventurer; and Meiyo, a child with lost memories; are aboard the ship, Sol Bianca.

At first, the pirates are in pursuit of a large treasure said to be belonging to a brilliant scientist from Earth. The Earth at this time is no longer seen by human eyes, blocked from their view with secure metal walls and considered holy ground by a certain group of elite, military soldiers. The leader of this cult is set on getting the Sol Bianca for the Earth. But unfortunately for him, the powerful pilots of the ship have discovered the myth he had fabricated.

(6 episodes)

NOTE: Some of the reviews were written sometime in 1999 and was recorded in the classic Otaku Fridge as ??.??.1999. Unfortunately the database would not accept non-numerical values, so this review is now dated January 01, 1999 by default.

I love the battle sequences. >>> by firesenshi
I have heard of the original Sol Bianca movie but was unfortunate not to watch it. After seeing the synopsis and screens of the first one, though, I must say that this second OAV is a big improvement. The initial episodes of the OAV would certainly not fail to make anyone stand up and notice. The technique employed, called animatronix, employing both animation and CG technology, will astound audiences once you see the Sol Bianca firing in its battle sequences.

In its 30-minute-OAVs, it was not dragging enough to provide ample character development for all five Sol Bianca pilots. It seems everyone will have a favorite pilot already. (Mine was Jun.) What dragged though were some dialogues that were too spooky in delivery juxtaposed with other dark scenes. Of course, this is the style in the OAV, but it shouldn't be too repetitive.

The art here is very nicely done. You can see intense detail in some scenes where it is necessary to provide emphasis. I've seen some animation with space pirate themes but none like Sol Bianca where the story doesn't just focus on plunder and daily adventures.

The soundtrack of the OAV series--a mix of rock and alternative, is also something to look forward to.

Individual Rating: Art/Animation 9; Story 9; Characters 9; Sounds 9