Preview

The maiden voyage of the new most advanced ship of the small Kibi planet has been a complete success. On board, the young cadets graduating from the 73th Defense College also completed their training and are ready to get active. However, as they return, their planet is attacked, and immediately surrender in face of the overwhelming superior enemy forces. The cadets, however, think otherwise: They "Buy" their ship and decide to fight for justice alone, to rise against an enemy that no other planet dare face. As a part of the deal while buying the ship, their sponsors, the Galaxy Network channel, also have the rights to air live whatever is going on inside the ship, and what the Galaxy Network wants to see is action!

Plot

Earlier on the series, Starship Operators is somewhat strange and perhaps a little forced (clichéd), after all, little is really realistic and the events that lead to the plot are unrealistic. However, once this is done, and after a few episodes so the plot can adjust and we get to know the characters, things change.

Starship Operators focuses strongly in two aspects: the psychological stress that affect most characters, focusing more on the main character, the First Officer Shinon, as well the bridge crew, and than expanding to more than 15 main or secondary characters that have some connection to the plot; and as the second focus, the strategic and diplomatic aspect of their adventure, as well the manipulation and lack of ethics from the media (The Galaxy Network) that forces them into deadly battles just to get bigger audience: if people die, all the better. Eventually, we also get to see how the government starts manipulating the media for their own benefit.

The series also bring some side story romances, friendship and, unfortunately but quite predictable, several deaths. Until the end of the series, several characters die. The ending of the show, however, is quite interesting and unexpected, and the series only really gets a closure by the last minute of the last episode.

Conclusion

Although somewhat smart and well thought, Starship Operators is somewhat different, and even than it still fails by falling victim of some expected clichés. Some sequences are forced and predictable, and most deaths won't really be surprising, you cannot help but see them coming; Also, the circumstances of their deaths are somewhat so forced that are borderline ridiculous - nobody in real life would do what they do in the anime (to get killed). Thus, it is quite clear that most of the storywriter time was devoted for the main plot, and not these small details. Yet, the ending still prevails over the rest of the series as quite well developed and satisfying.

With touches of fiction, romance and drama somewhat balanced, the insanely huge amount of characters goes against the series in the way most characters are underdeveloped, although it does bring some sense of connection between the characters, thus improving the notion that they are all friends from the same college class. Also, the way the title covers media and government manipulation over the masses is quite interesting.

Forgiving the clichés and sudden deaths, and perhaps the obvious cliché that the Amateras is practically indestructible (if it was not true, the series would end before reaching 13 episodes, but they could have at least tries to come up with better realistic ways to keep the series afloat), this is a polemic and interesting series that is well worth watching for all sci-fi fans, and among some failed attempts, it does bring very good sequences of strategy, suspense, and even some surprises.