Galilei Donna - Episode 11 (Completed)

The game is up for the Ferrari sisters, as their adventure to find the Galilei Tesoro, followed by the quest to collect all of Galileo's sketches, ultimately lands them in jail at the behest of the Adni Moon Corporation.

Yes, believe it or not Galilei Donna's finale is to all intents and purposes a courtroom drama, as Adni Moon not only try to prosecute the Ferrari sisters for the untold damage to infrastructure and human life (which, when you think of it, they actually have quite a strong case for) but also attempt to frame them for much of the methane hydrate theft that's been going on.  With a seemingly inept attorney at their side things might look bleak for the sisters, but this elderly man has a habit of pulling rabbits out of hats - first Galileo's sketches, then Hozuki's pendant, and finally some of the evidence required to indict Adni Moon.

I'm not going to like this series any more just because you're looking at me like that...

All of this looks set to be shot down as irrelevant, and when the sisters' mother takes to the dock to denounce her children it seems like game over... except this is all a ruse, as Sylvia has in fact been feigning her amnesia the whole time, while even Anna has in fact been double-crossing her employers.  Thus, Adni Moon and the case against the Ferrari sisters is left in tatters, leaving them free to discover the true secrets of the Galilei Tesoro and perhaps even solve the world's energy crisis.

I certainly can't ding Galilei Donnafor managing to tie up all of its loose ends in a single episode (something that I was sure it wouldn't be able to do) - what a shame it had to do so in such a laughably silly way, with more ridiculous twists and turns than a builder laying some crazy paving.  Although it all works in theory, the result is hardly compelling, and just adds another layer of disappointment to a series that started quite brightly before losing sight of its strengths (namely the relationship between the three sisters) and going off in a number of half-baked directions, none of which ultimately worked in the show's favour.  I'm not sure I can even call Galilei Donna a brave failure at the end of the day as much as it is a rather lazy one.

Galilei Donna - Episode 10

Time is running out for Hozuki as she seeks to go back to the future (hey, that sounds really snappy - it would make a great movie title) with the help of none other than Galileo himself.

For want of anything much else to do, this week's instalment is effectively a love story between Galileo and Hozuki as they work on refining, improving and testing the aircraft that will take her back into the storm that brought her into the past in the first place.

As they work towards this end, Galileo shares some of his theories and philosophies, and notes the feeling he gets that Hozuki is not exactly from his time, which she can only openly admit to.  Hozuki later learns that she is the first person that Galileo has been able to open up and shares his thoughts with, saving him from a time of loneliness and, of course, explaining some of the notes written upon his sketches back in the future.  All of this has to take a back seat to the trip into the eye of the storm, at which point Hozuki can return to the present just in time to see herself and her sisters from being blown to smithereens, even if it only appears to be a temporary reprieve with Interpol now closing in on them.

I'm hoping that the show's finale will do at least a little more to justify this trip back in time, as it hasn't really had all that much of a pay off beyond explaining things that were inserted only to lead up to this event in the first place.  As it is though, this week's episode in particular feels like a sweet little instalment that didn't really do anything to further the plot, and didn't impinge upon Hozuki's personality as heavily as it might have done at this stage.  It now feels as though there's too little time left to resolve everything that's been left on the table across the course of the series, which means either we'll be treated to a packed finale or an eminently frustrating one.

Galilei Donna - Episode 9

The search for Galileo's sketches quickly comes to an end as this week's Galilei Donna begins, with the Libyan desert offering up the sixth and final sketch, alongside - for a reason that nobody can quite fathom - a telescope.

Given that we've been following Anna's nefarious activities for a little while now, it's inevitable that this discovery quickly leads to a visit from Roberto at an opportune moment where it becomes clear that the sister's craft has suddenly and inexplicably run out of fuel.  With nowhere to run, it seems as if there'll be nothing for it but to hand over the sketches as Roberto reveals all about Anna's work as a spy, before providing her with the means to kill the Ferrari sisters herself.  More worrying for Hozuki however is the fact that Roberto also seems to have realised that the Galilei Tesoro he snatched previously was a fake she'd constructed.

Once again, it's the sky pirates that come to the rescue, attacking Roberto and giving the sisters an opportunity to escape in the cross-fire - a dangerous bid for freedom which looks all set to end in messy failure, until the Tesoro activates out of the blue.  The next thing we know, Hozuki comes crashing down out of the sky onto a flying machine... a flying machine belonging to one Galileo Galilei.  Yes, that's right, Hozuki has travelled through time and no, that's right, I have no idea why.  However, the source of her journey seems to be violent storm clouds that regularly appear in this world, meaning that Hozuki and Galileo will have to work together to rebuild his flying machine before its too late.

Galilei Donna continues to go about its merry business while still feeling like a series that has no real direction, throwing together things that seem cool (we can now tick time travel off the list) without really having any sufficiently satisfying central ideas to really glue it together with.  So flimsy are the joins between the show's plot points that it's hard to care too much about anything that it does, and at this point the series is a mass of half-baked motivations and ideas that barely fit together at all.  Perhaps Galilei Donna has some grand plan to ultimately tie everything together with a neat bow, but I somehow doubt it.

Galilei Donna - Episode 8

The pendant may be lost, but the search for Galileo's sketches continues, meaning that it's off to Japan we go for this week's episode of Galilei Donna.

However, before the sketch hunt begins in earnest, Hozuki and her sisters have a request - to make a stop in Kyoto to visit their grandfather.  Even Anna can't resist this request when it comes so earnestly from all three of them, and so this detour is made, allowing the trio to both meet their grandfather and see where their father grew up.  This also gives a glimpse into the extent of their father's genius, as a scrawl he made in elementary school turns out to be the blueprint for an efficient energy generation and distribution system for the home - a system which Hozuki works at completing during her visit.

All of this takes place while the sisters enjoy their grandfather's hospitality as well as exploring Kyoto - exploration which, in Hazuki's instance, brings her to another meeting with air pirate Cicinho, who she seems to be softening towards.  It's Anna to whom we should be paying the most attention to however, as the Ferrari sisters still seem to trust her implicitly despite the fact that she's effectively betrayed them once already, and although her feelings are wavering she's poised to do so again as another sketch is collected.

It's this blind trust in Anna that feels like another weak link in a number of such moments to plague Galilei Donna - its actually a sedate and somewhat enjoyable show when the three Ferrari sisters are just left to bounce off of one another as they travel, but any attempts to add something deeper to proceedings whether it's Anna's behaviour, Roberto's continued "I am the baddest bad guy" act or Cicinho's clowning all fall well and truly flat.  Given that these elements clashing will surely be the crux of the show's final episodes once all of the MacGuffins... sorry, sketches... have been collected, I'm not going to hold my breath for a memorable finish to the show.

Galilei Donna - Episode 7

In spite of their globe-trotting adventures, was the Galilei Tesoro really being carried around by Hozuki the entire time?  It certainly seems that way, but perhaps there's more to this enigmatic legacy of Galileo's than meets the eye.  Regardless, the same can certainly be said of Alice, as we get full confirmation of the fact that she's been working with Roberto and Adni Moon all along, although even she's beginning to have second thoughts after his mindless slaughter in the previous episode.

Given what they've seen and experienced, and with the knowledge that Adni Moon will happily kill to get their hands on whatever lays at the heart of this mystery, the obvious question is raised as to whether the Ferrari sisters want to continue in their current quest - a question which gets a resounding "no" from Kazuki, but an even more passionate "yes" from her sisters.

Thus, the journey continues, underwater now to avoid detection - a plan that only takes them so far before Roberto comes calling..  With no means of escape there's nothing for it but to take to the skies to try and win in a one-on-one battle, but as you might expect this very quickly proves futile.  With their ship crashed and damaged and Roberto looking likely to kill everyone in his sight, Kazuki literally throws the seemingly powerful hourglass at him and tells him to go away - something which Roberto surprisingly complies with.  Is this the end of the road for the sisters?  Perhaps not, with sketches still left undiscovered....

Given that last week's episode of Galilei Donna was (to put it politely) a disaster area, anything was likely to be an improvement, and that was certainly the case here - after that horribly contrived way of advancing the plot, this instalment at least did something with that weakly won progression, even if it ultimately feels like we might be returning to weekly treasure hunt adventures for at least another episode or two.  Perhaps it can even salvage some interesting ideas out of the remainder of the series, although at this point I think both plot and characters and sufficiently compromised to make that nigh-on impossible unless the show has some seriously impressive tricks up its sleeve.  Like a gorilla with a guillotine stomach, perhaps...

Galilei Donna - Episode 6

It's Hazuki's turn to be injured courtesy of the fallout from last week's episode of Galilei Donna, leaving Hozuki with no other alternative than to set a course for the nearest hospital despite their status as fugitives.  If only you'd brought the homeless guy with the magic medical robot along with you, eh?

Speaking of homeless people, this week's episode also delves into the back story of two characters - Roberto Materazzi, who has become evil because some homeless people his parents fed when they were starving refused to help said parents when they were crushed under their own home after some kind of disaster; and Cicinho, a homeless kid with a sense of justice to match his attitude, thus allowing him to build the loyal band of pirates that he currently commands.

Fortuitously, it just so happens that all of these characters wind up at exactly the same hospital (what are the chances?), leading to plenty of uneasy stand-offs and some further suggestions that Anna isn't all that she seems.  Things go seriously awry however when Roberto decides to start shooting everybody in sight because... I don't know, he's probably been playing too much Call of Duty recently or something.  Still traumatised by Theo's death (and the fact that they didn't really use that dog much in Call of Duty: Ghosts after all), enough is enough for Hozuki, who leaps at Roberto to stop his killing spree, in the process triggering the pendant around her neck.  Perhaps the Galilei Tesoro wasn't so far away from the Ferrari sisters after all?

As much as I'd love to take this week's episode of Galilei Donna seriously, it's kind of hard to do so - this week's "message" was more heavy handed than some hands made out of really heavy things, and the plot was incredibly contrived to the point of being laughable.  For a show that seemed so fun and promising from its first episode, the glimpses of that promise seem to have transformed into the taunts of a series that has gone horribly wrong somewhere - the sense of fun and entertainment is gone, and attempts to craft something more serious, deeper and darker are falling flat on their face to the extent that I'm struggling to take it seriously at all any more.

Galilei Donna - Episode 5

It's off to the Netherlands we go - the home of clocks and interesting cheeses, as our goldfish AI helpfully informs us.

As we see the Adni Moon company being asked awkward questions by the press as their self-serving schemes seemingly become more evident, the Ferrari sisters quickly come unstuck as they land in the Netherlands once they find themselves walking straight into a group of armed thieves.  Luckily, these seem to be friendly armed thieves (always the best kind, I find), more willing to argue their differences about the allocation of energy across the world rather than shooting their way to victory in a debate.

In the midst of all this, and of course the search for another piece to the whole Galileo puzzle, Hozuki finds herself making the acquaintance of Theo, another budding young engineer with a love of Galileo.  Needless to say, the two hit it off despite the presence in Theo's life of childhood friend Karen, although there can be no doubt where the boy's true allegiances lay.  Having found the Moon sketches she was looking forward, Hozuki is left having to face perhaps the harshest truth of her journey, as an incoming attack leaves her unable to protect her new friend despite her overwhelming urge to do just that.

I have to say, I much prefer Galilei Donna during its character-centric moments than at any other point - its wider plot stills feels ill-defined and the characters that turn up each week seem like hastily constructed individuals with no other reason than as something for the story beats to bounce off.  This tends to strip what should be dramatic moments of a lot of their importance - characters dying or defecting have little real impact, although I'm certainly interested to see how the end of the episodes reverberates upon Hozuki's character moving forward.  Perhaps it's an event that will give this show the focus that it feels like it needs above and beyond its simple treasure hunt premise.

Galilei Donna - Episode 4

The search for the Galileo Tesoro is on - first stop, Germany!

Upon landing at their desired location, it quickly becomes clear that a park has recently been built over the land where the first clue to this treasure is hidden, which looks likely to make finding it difficult.  In fact, all the girls can find within the park is a homeless man on the scrounge for food, and upon helping him out they learn of his past as a scientist and how he gave up on an incredible medical invention in the wake of his daughter's death.

If all of this seems like some frivolous fluff to fill time then think again, as a shopping trip to buy provisions ends in disaster - while trying to escape from those pesky air pirates once again, a leap of faith to evade them across the rooftops goes badly wrong, leaving Hozuki badly injured.  There's only one person who can save the day, and there's no prizes for guessing who that is...

Although this week's episode of Galilei Donnaworked pretty well as a redemption episode of Kazuki as the situation necessitated her action and allowed for her to be proved useful both to others and, more importantly, herself, boy was this a hokey way of going about it, with the episode literally throwing one of its characters from the top of a building in order to give her something to do.  Hopefully it's the kind of clumsy story-telling which will only be a one-off, as it undermines some of the fun behind the series and detracts from some of its mystery, not least as it relates to Anna.  As a result, I'm still not convinced by the series as a whole, but it still has the potential to shine given the chance.

Galilei Donna - Episode 3

The Ferrari sisters have escaped their pursuers for the time being, and their father is also on the run, but it seems that their mother hasn't been quite so luckily...

We learn this as the true face of the family's nemesis becomes clear - outwardly, they're a respectable company named Adni Moon, but beneath that businesslike exterior resides their darker face, Messier, a group responsible for attacks on methane hydrate sites around the world (which they then conveniently blame on sky pirates), and perhaps more importantly the true force currently on the hunt for the Galileo Tesoro.  With Sylvia Ferrari in their grasp, now suffering from amnesia but still with all of her technical knowledge intact, it's her daughters that are now firmly in the focus of Messier.

Not that this is an immediate concern to the three sisters, as they continue to travel as far from home as possible using Hozuki's goldfish craft - while the other "residents" of the ship seem to have quickly come to terms with the situation, Kazuki is a notable exception as she laments her situation and seems to continue to harbour quite the grudge against her younger sister's ability.  When Messier come calling with a mech of their own, it's Kazuki who is immediately ready to give up the first clue they hold to the Tesoro's whereabouts, but thanks to some help from an unexpected source it seems that the game is not yet up for the Ferrari sisters and Anna Hendrix.

I still have no idea what the ultimate goals of Galilei Donna are even now we're three episodes in, but in fairness I am starting to warm to the series - it's building at least some of its characters in interesting ways and its core premise (which is effectively a treasure hunt) is appealing to me for reasons I can't quite discern, especially when complemented with some of the show's crazy technology.  This still feels like a series that could go either way in terms of its narrative quality and entertainment value, but hopefully Galilei Donna will start to show its hand more explicitly over the next episode or two, which could be a make of break moment for how it ultimately pans out.

Galilei Donna - Episode 2

When it comes to conflict resolution, it's hard to beat a flying, mechanised goldfish, and thanks to Hozuki any immediate threat to her family has been well and truly been quelled, damage to the family home and surroundings be damned.

Indeed, the rest of the Ferrari family are beyond impressed with both Hozuki's guts and her engineering ability as they quiz her on the origins of her machine - all, that is, aside from Kazuki, who doesn't seem too taken with the craft's aesthetic.  With the police now on the scene, all is now well again... or is it?  While a mysterious woman introduces herself to Hozuki as hardcore Galileo fan Anna Hendrix, the rest of her family are being held at gunpoint and taken to the local station, which is clearly nothing to do with hunting down those responsible for the previous events.

Its left to Anna to fill us in here, as she discusses her discovery of some information surrounding something known as the Galileo Tesoro, which is seems is related to the inheritance of which everyone speaks.  As it's revealed that the hunt for the Tesoro has taken in big business, the police and sky pirates, it becomes clear that Hozuki's parents and siblings are in danger, and only she has the technology required to bust them out of their incarceration.

Having rolled with the first episode, I'm really not too sure what to make of Galilei Donna as of this second instalment. It certainly has its moments (be they goldfish mecha or the Ferrari family kicking ass in their own unique ways), but the plot to this point feels contrived and willfully clumsy to prop up its narrative.  If the series can settle down and get into a groove then perhaps it can offer up something interesting, but for now it feels a little like a collection of hastily assembled ideas that all sound cool in isolation but don't come together to form a coherent whole.  Hopefully somebody can bring along some plot glue in episode three to stick everything together...

Galilei Donna - Episode 1

A ship sails through the sky, dropping a decidedly deadly cargo upon an unsuspected mine, with the giant robots unleashed by said craft blowing the whole place to smithereens.

Alongside this, it seems that whoever has a penchant for blue ships isn't doing much for the reputation, as the next thing we see is three very different girls finding themselves simultaneously under threat of being kidnapped.  The trio all manage to escape in their own varied ways, and from this we come to learn that, different though they might be, the three are in fact sisters.  Not only that, they're distant descendant of Galileo (cue Bohemian Rhapsody) - something of which they're mother is clearly very proud.

As we learn a little more about the workings (or lack thereof) of this dysfunctional family, so the person we assume to be the orchestrator of those kidnapping attempts comes calling to their home, literally bursting through the wall brandishing a gun.  With some World Cup qualifiers about to start, this man is in a hurry and he has a simple demand - he wants them to hand over Galileo's inheritance.  The family seem confused by this request, but as their captor's patience runs thin and he calls for his giant flying ship to increase the pressure upon them it seems that they have met their match courtesy of one of the three Ferrari sisters, Hozuki, and a giant mechanical goldfish.  No, really, I haven't been drinking.  Yet.

This is perhaps the kind of series that isn't well served by promotional trailers, and as a result I'm left entirely unsure of what to make of this first episode of Galilei Donna - I love its dysfunctional family and the relationships and attitudes between its three sisters in particular, which is the stuff of situation comedy writ large.  Beyond that, the episode becomes so bonkers so quickly and with so little exposition to back up what's going on that I can't really cast any further judgement on the show at this point.  I'm intrigued, which is a good start, but hopefully the series will come up trumps with more than just crazy stuff happening around these three siblings once it starts to bed in and develop.