Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 21 (Completed)

Despite the action switching from outside of the Grand Exile to within its caverns and tunnels, the level of danger is as high as ever in this pitched, final battle between the Allied forces and Luscinia.

With the focus upon rescuing Sara from Luscinia's clutches, it's Fam and Gise who get a jump on the rest of their comrades in this department, tracking down Luscinia and Augusta within the bowels of the craft while the rest of their allies have to deal with the various threats presented by the Grand Exile.  This particular face-off is more verbal than physical however, as Luscinia relates the origins of the Grand Exile and its original purpose, before letting them take away an unconscious Sara without any intent of fighting at all.

It's at this point that Luscinia's true goal becomes clear - to act as a lightning rod for the emotions of the rest of the world so that they might unite behind him.  This is, truth be told, a pretty dumb plan given the massive loss of life it's brought about, and it would be hard to suggest that it's a "righteous" path by any stretch of the imagination, but there you have it.  With the Grand Exile collapsing around itself and Sara safely in the hands of Fam and Gise, it's time to make good their escape before the entire craft crumbles into ruin - something that all of the major parties involved manage to do in the nick of time.  Just as Luscinia hoped, the net result of this is a new era of peace for all concerned, with Fam's dream of another Grand Race becoming a reality in final scenes that even heavily reference the original Last Exile series.  And they all lived happily ever after.

Although it hasn't exactly roused the anime community into an outpouring of praise for the series, Fam, the Silver Wing has actually turned out to be pretty good for the most part.  Okay, perhaps Luscinia's final logic as demonstrated in this closing episode is rather "weird", but that's set against plenty of solid story-telling that was well-paced and generally cleanly and clearly delivered.  While its traditional animation was pretty forgettable, perhaps the real star of the show here is its use of CG, with some fantastic battle aerial scenes that really brought the grandiose nature of the series to the fore and served as the obvious highlights of Fam, the Silver Wing.  It might be a stretch to call it the best CG we've ever seen in TV anime, but its impressive nature can't be underestimated as it did a lot to bring the vast scope of the series to life in memorable fashion.

It's rather difficult to compare this series to the original Last Exile given how long it's been since I watched the original (and given that the inevitable "rose-tinted spectacle effect" is likely to kick in), but as a whole I'd say that Fam, the Silver Wing has quite a bit to be proud of in its own right.  It hasn't been an unqualified or outright success, but it's a brave and ambitious affair that has kept my attention well and downright wowed me from time to time, which seems like a suitable legacy for the this sequel to leave upon its viewers.  I doubt it'll be remembered as fondly as its predecessor, but such is the harsh mistress of anime nostalgia.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 20

The penultimate episode of Fam, the Silver Wing brings us the ultimate stand-off to cap off this series, as Luscinia looks set to use the Grand Exile now at his command.

Of course, his demands while sat behind the proverbial wheel of this superweapon are simple enough - give in and lay down your arms, or be blasted into oblivion.  It isn't the kind of prospect to which anybody within the Alliance takes kindly, and thus they work tirelessly to bolster their forces and attack strategy as much as possible, even going so far as allowing Dian to pilot despite Millia's mixed feelings towards the girl who killed her sister.

As soon as the Alliance assault begins, the Grand Exile has a perfect opportunity to strut its stuff, with a handful of ridiculously powerful weapons at its disposal that makes your common or garden Exile look a little.... well, weak, in comparison.  It isn't all good news for Luscinia however, as the Grand Exile's most potent weapons appear to be decidedly single use affairs that literally fall off after providing an impressive blast.  As Millia sacrifices her own Exile to save Turan from further damage, the attacking forces use the gaps in the Grand Exile's defence made by that crumbling weaponry to invade the craft so that they can seek out Luscinia and, more importantly, Augusta.  Ultimately, it appears that Fam may well be the difference between peace and utter destruction as we move towards the show's final episode...

Given how well Fam, the Silver Wing has displayed its epic battles throughout the series, it's no surprise to see that it does a great job here once again - admittedly there's no real feeling of tactical thought throughout much of the episode despite its best efforts to suggest otherwise ("charge and fire" would just about sum it up), but there was enough in the way of sufficiently spectacular visuals both inside and out of the Grand Exile to pull off the feeling of a climatic battle pretty well.  In terms of the show's wider story, it's really entirely down to the contents of the final episode to decide its legacy - will we get a stupid, cop-out of an ending or something more solid and believable?  I'm certainly hoping for the latter, but only time will tell.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 19

The more things change, the more they stay the same - just as Fam's much-vaunted and cherished Grand Race ended in a death which created a downward spiral of violence, so the latest truce between the Federation and the Alliance set up to thwart them in Augusta's name falls apart thanks to the actions of Dian.

Having missed her intended target of Luscinia himself, it's instead Liliana that proves to be the victim of Dian's vengeance to the dismay of all and sundry - including, if he is to be believed, Luscinia himself, despite this assassination concisely proving his point that the only true hope of peace is to have a single entity ruling over all as one nation.

Despite any feelings of grief and remorse he may have, Liliana's death signals a resumption of the Federation's plans, and as disarray grips the Alliance he acts swiftly by commanding his own forces to leave, while taking the opportunity to kidnap Augusta and reclaim her as the Federation's own as part of his final gambit to awake the "Grand Exile" which, as the name suggests, is a fearsome weapon that is liable to make anyone who survives its onslaught tremble and kneel before it.  Is this the final victory in Luscinia's plan, or has he reckoned without Alvis Hamilton, the sole secret weapon still within the grasp of those who oppose him?

Aside from its final, immense display of firepower, this proved to be another tidily constructed and solid, if unspectacular, episode of Fam the Silver Wing - just as it was a case of all going to plan for Luscinia, so everything moved along as we would have expected it within this instalment which lent some predictability to events where it might have preferred their to be none.  Still, we seem well set up for a fascinating final couple of episodes courtesy of a true David and Goliath battle, especially now that even Fam seems to have noted the folly of her idealistic ways that have pervaded much of the series - a point of note which actually strengthens the show's take on war and the rights and wrongs of its factions within this conflict, which has grown into one of the most compelling elements of Last Exile over recent weeks.  Certainly, it may be far from perfect but I can't help but feel this show has been rather under-rated by many - it's no masterpiece but in many ways its a notable extension and new spin on the legacy of its forebear, provided it can back up what it's delivered so far with a worthy final couple of episodes.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 18

After all of the fighting and epic battles that have underpinned Fam, the Silver Wing, peace was brought about surprisingly easily by those who wished for it - but can it last?

With all of the major political players in its world gathering together, it soon becomes clear that any peace is decidedly fragile, with Luscinia and Liliana insisting that their way forward is the correct one given the world's dwindling resources, despite the massive loss of human life their use of Exiles have caused.  Ultimately thought, it's a mixture of Augusta and Fam's childish insistence upon what is right that brings about an agreement that peace is the way forward for all and sundry.

Although this way of thinking broadly wins the support of the majority, there are still those who would look to shatter this fragile peace for their own ends, and it's this which dominates the remainder of the episode.  First of all, we have an attempt to persuade Millia to do away with her sister in the name of the greater good - a plot which is quickly picked up upon by Ades' finest bodyguards, although ultimately Millia is no threat to her sister despite having to face up to the difficulties of doing what is arguably right for the world as a whole against what is best for her own people.  Even if Millia has found it within her to forgive her sister, there are still other parties who are less forgiving of what has gone before - a fact which leaves a supposed celebration of peace to provide some unexpected and potentially devastating violence.

Even if Fam, the Silver Wing has generally been at its best when delivering airborne action above all else, I can't really knock it for focusing upon the show's politics for this episode, even if it could have made its main dilemma surrounding saving the world for everyone against protecting your own interests a little clearer a lot sooner within its framework.  Ultimately, this leads us to an episode that isn't hugely compelling, but still proves to be important in its own right while leading us into a final stretch that could twist or turn any way you can imagine.  There appears to be no easy solution to Last Exile's intractable problems at this point in time, and that alone could well hold plenty of potential for the end of the series.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 17

The battle for Boreas may have been won by the Allied forces, but there are still plenty of pressing concerns for those fighting under Augusta's flag, not least the prospect of in-fighting between previously rival factions.

Perhaps understandably given their history, there's quite some tension between the remaining Glacies forces and the newly joined Third Fleet under the command of Ourang, bringing differences to the alliance that threaten to undermine their entire endeavour.

This worry certainly bears fruit when the Federation's First Fleet come calling at Boreas - although the Alliance's forces have more than enough air power to repel the intruders, they reckoned without some decidedly unsporting behaviour on their opponents part, with the First Fleet suggesting that they're in cahoots with their former comrades in the First Fleet.  Of course, this plays upon the Glacies' forces paranoia, turning them against their own side and allowing the Federation the upper hand in the subsequent chaos... at least, that is, until an old friend in the form of the Silvius puts in an appearance.  This latest battle still isn't over however, as the next phase of the Federation's plan to take Broeas swings into action - a plan halted by a bit of good, old-fashioned diplomacy of all things.

It's this ending to the episode which stretches the credulity of this week's Fam, the Silver Wing rather - after almost twenty episodes of war-mongering, conflict, death and destruction, all of a sudden a bit of paper from Augusta stops everything.  Couldn't she have done that in episode one, or at numerous other points during the series?  Following some more epic aerial battle scenes, this sudden resolution leaves the second half of this episode feeling rushed - as if the production team remembered that they're running out of episodes, put down the CG aircraft and rapidly scribbled an ending on a nearby napkin.  Hopefully there's more to it than that (and if nothing else Luscinia's plans are yet to be revealed), but this still felt a jarring twist too far in an otherwise great and gorgeously animated episode that ultimately left me a little disappointed.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 16

We head back to the future for this week's instalment of Fam, the Silver Wing after our dalliance with the original Last Exile previously, as preparations for the militarily important Fort Boreas are well underway.

Given that Augusta and company's rebellion has effectively seen former friends become foes, it's not too surprising that there's reticence on both sides as the time to fight dawns - more particularly, on the Federation's side there's a clear and widening gap in the thinking between leading men Soroush and Ourang.  While the former is happy to go along with Luscinia's plans in the name of creating a quick and lasting peace, the latter's loyalty to Augusta and lack of conviction that violence is the best way to bring peace continues to gnaw away at him.

As battle commences, we find that Fam is also having troubles of her own, as military combat simply isn't suited to her style or mentality, making for a short-lived journey in a combat equipped vanship before she trades it in to return, along with her direct comrades, for their signature vehicles and tactics as they try to gain the upper hand in the struggle for Boreas.  Ultimately however, it's Augusta's presence that proves to be the difference between the two factions, with Ourang unable to betray his monarch, leading to him turning on his own friend and leaving him to go it alone in the battle against the rebels - a battle that he can never hope to win in isolation.

Its action may not have been quite as breath-taking as we've seen in previous instalments of Fam, the Silver Wing, proving to be heavy-handed and functional rather than anything particularly grandiose, but it nonetheless set the tone for a similarly solid episode that made good use of its characters in portraying their emotions and the turmoil that war has brought upon them all in their own ways.  With even Augusta now effectively on the front lines, it seems that these emotions towards the conflict currently in progress may prove to be even more important as the series moves towards its end game, although with both factions now looking likely to have an Exile in their hands it may well still prove to be a wholly violent finale to proceedings.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 15.5

It's recap time again for Fam, the Silver Wing, in an episode which has broadly been labelled (in the show's number-free episode titles) as episode 15.5.  However, as you know I don't do things by halves, thus I'm sticking with calling this episode seventeen and done with it.

Rather than simply recapping recent happenings however, this particular instalment goes rather further and instead recaps the original Last Exile series - something we could probably have done with a whole lot earlier in this new show to be honest, given how long it's been since I last watched that series.  Anyhow, we're reminded here that Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing introduced us to a world at war, with its artificial homeland the subject of a violent conflict between Anatoray and Disith.  Once again, an Exile is at the heart of the conflict, with its powers giving it an almost God-like quality.  It's into this scenario that a vanship piloting team by the names of Claude and Lavie are drawn, as they take over an attempt to transport a girl named Alvis Hamilton - a girl who is the key to the Exile.

Unsurprisingly, you can't really recreate what was great about a full, twenty-six episode series in one twenty-odd minute recap, but in all fairness this effort did a pretty decent job of jogging my memory, both about the original Last Exile's story and why I enjoyed it.  This episode was also fascinating as a comparison of how far CG effects in anime have come in the last decade, with Last Exile now looking a little dated and very much a product of its time compared to the grandiose mass battles that we've enjoyed in Fam, the Silver Wing.  Say what you like about the modern anime industry and how things were better "back in the day" (when we had to walk uphill both ways to the video store and back to watch our anime), but let's be honest - this latest effort is far, far visually superior.

So, this week's episode turned into an enjoyable little nostalgia trip that leaves me tempted to break out my Region 1 DVD box set of the series - I do wish that it had been placed much earlier within the framework of Fam, the Silver Wing however, as I get the feeling it would have increased my enjoyment of it markedly with the reminders this instalment brought me.  Still, I suppose this just goes to show how important the events of the original series might prove to be for the remainder of this new tale from the Last Exile universe.  In fact, speaking of that DVD box set...

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 15

Just as it seemed as if all hope was lost for Millia, so good fortune finally smiles upon her with the introduction of an Anti-Luscinia faction, headed by General Vasant, that are happy to stick their neck out and oppose the systematic occupation and destruction being carried out by the mainstay of Ades in the name of peace.

In fact, what seems to be a limited rebel faction actually proves to be rather substantial, with Augusta at their helm as a figurehead and a ragtag assortment of factions happy to provide their abilities in the name of putting a stop to Luscinia and his plans.  With Millia also acting as an important figure in her own right, and the likes of Glacies remaining pilots in their ranks, there's more firepower (both political and military) than they might have hoped for.

Despite Fam's careless chatter, even Augusta is ultimately won over to the cause in general terms despite her young age and caring equally for both Vasant and Luscinia - however, there are already worries afoot within this new alliance, with Fam rightly disturbed by the new Alliance council's gleeful excitement about the prospect of bringing death to Luscinia, while Millia also begins to understand what might have swayed her sister towards her current path of action.  However, all of this seemingly pales into comparison with whatever Luscinia himself is planning to unlock using the powers at his disposal...

Moving away from its sky-bound action has always been a tough task for Fam, the Silver Wing, but as with much of this series its main thrust seems to shine through reasonably well in the end, with suggestions that this new Alliance to vie for peace and an end to Luscinia's way of doing things could end up as a case of "meet the new boss, same as the old boss" and a very clear note that aiming to create happiness for everyone is always an unattainable goal for one reason or another.  Although this show's politics has never been the most compelling part of its story (and it's arguably its weakest link), the human element behind it has become increasingly important and well-realised as the series has proceeded, to the point where it now serves the aforementioned action segments of the series well - something I imagine we can look forward to more of next week by the look of things.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 14

Despite their secretive armaments and an Exile of their own, it seems that even Glacies' massed forces are powerless to resist the Federation's own Exile, brought to bear once again courtesy of Princess Liliana.  But with Glacies laid to waste, is the horror of the destruction wreaked upon this land the final straw in turning opinion against ruling president Luscinia within factions of the Federation?

While the suriving pilots of Glacies are greeted by an unexpected figure, the Sky Pirates have problems of their own as they being repairing the destruction caused to their own hideout by the Federation, giving them more than enough evidence that Kartoffel and its people are also within Ades' sights.  Given that, it's no surprise that the Sky Pirates are more than willing to lend everything at their disposal to Millia, although what she's actually going to do with such dwindling power is another question entirely.

Indeed, much of this episode is really about Millia's inner turmoil, with her loathing of what her sister Liliana has done using her control of an Exile offset by the fact that she is, after all, still her sister.  Her outer determination to kill Liliana to put an end to the suffering and destruction she's caused brings an angry reaction from Fam, who sets out to prove her friend's idea wrong the only way she knows how - by racing with her Vanship.  Come the end of this demonstration, Millia and Fam are singing from the same song sheet once again, the song in question being one of creating happiness for all and sundry - an idealistic concept, but one that might just fit in with the news delivered to their doorstep by the end of the episode.

After an episode of wall to wall action last week, things were bound to be a little more sedate in terms of warfare with a requirement to focus instead on the personal and political.  I still can't shake the feeling that  Fam, the Silver Wing's politics still haven't been hammered out and depicted well enough to really have any impact, but thankfully the depictions of war, destruction and loss coupled with Millia's conflicting emotions had enough to power the episode forwards somewhat.  Some of its developments may still feel a little too convenient, and it certain manages its warfare in the sky better than its other elements, but I'm continuing to enjoy this new take on Last Exile's world nonetheless.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 13

Fond farewalls to Dian and her country of Glacies prove to be short-lived for Fam and company, as their departure throws them straight into the face of a massive Federation fleet making their way for Glacies borders with a view to invading this secretive land.  Can one small vanship really do anything to help prevent a bloodbath?

Regardless of the possibilities, Fam immediately turns tail in the hope of warning Dian as to what's headed their way, and perhaps more importantly to inform her of the nasty surprises part of the invasion force has in store for them.  While Glacies' pilots easily see off the first wave of attackers, by the time Fam arrives on the scene it's too late to do little more than watch in horror as Glacies' forces are mown down by the Federation's anti-vanship weaponary - not that Dian and her comrades have any intention of turning tail and running no matter the odds.

With their attempt to help completed, Fam, Gise and Millia have nothing left to do but leave the area, although our own focus on the battle panning out remains as Glacies pull out all the stops to halt the invaders in their track.  Indeed, the Federation aren't the only ones in possession of the ability to use an Exile, with Glacies showing off some powerful defences of their own to force the Federation's hand into using their own ultimate weapon.  Meanwhile however, Fam and Gise's major concern turns towards their own homeland, as they stop off at a Sky Pirate hideout to find it's been bombed, ravaged and abandoned.  Can anyway stand in the way of the destruction being wreaked across the planet?

This isn't going to be the first time I praise Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing for its grandiose depictions of war in the skies, and I'd wager it won't be the last either - regardless, once again the action segments of this episode were a real treat as they took an ambitious, CG-packed and ultimately great-looking view on a massive battle for supremacy in the air between two major forces.  It wasn't all just big explosions and battleships however, as this week's episode didn't forget to offer a more human view on its warfare as well, with scenes that remind the viewer as to just how much has been lost in terms of life and property framed against some potential incoming danger for Kartoffel.  In other words, this was a hugely effective and terrific episode to watch, and pretty much a shining example of this series at its absolute best.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 12

After dipping back into the past and the true events of the original Grand Race which Fam loves to harp on about, we're returned to both harsh reality and the present for episode thirteen of Fam, the Silver Wing.

With the Sylvius missing, Fam, Gise and Millia at least find themselves in a place of safety thanks to Glacies pilot Dian, who clearly recognises Fam as having saved her during their last encounter.  Thus, Dian slightly reluctantly puts up this trio while also helping them to source parts for their badly damaged Vanship, thanks in no small part to Millia's ability to speak Russian... err, I mean Glacies language.

As our three guests spend more time with Dian, whether it's eating or trying to fix their craft, so the initial icy (you can make your own jokes there) relationship between these parties thaw, although Dian's memories of the Grand Race (and perhaps more importantly its immediate aftermath) are clearly far, far different than Fam's rose-tinted ones.  Such negative memories might well be about to repeat themselves too, with a mass combined force under the control of the Federation about to pay Glacies a decidedly unwelcome visit.

Despite being a far cry from some of the entirely action-oriented episodes we've seen at times during the series, this quieter, more reserved outing actually worked pretty well as a standalone instalment in its own right - admittedly we didn't get as deep into the mindset of the people of Glacies as perhaps we could, but there was something quite charming about seeing Dian and Fam's relationship develop but never quite completely mature, with the whole thing adding to the impact of the episode's final scenes as they look set to launch us back into the thick of the action again next week.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 11

It's flashback time as Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing returns from the Christmas break, seeing as leap back a decade to a simpler, happier period of the show's world.  Well, that's the plan anyhow...

With the world brought to peace by the hard work of Queen Farhanaz, this week's episode more specifically focuses upon the Grand Race so beloved of Fam and friends - indeed, we spend much of the episode following a much younger Fam and Gisey on the one hand, and Millia and Liliana on the other as they both go about their respective business enjoying the big day, even crossing paths briefly in the case of Fam and Millia.

Amidst all the celebrations surrounding this major event, designed to bring the various peoples of the planet together, there are clear signs of unrest throughout - with wars and prejudices still fresh in so many minds to say that the current peace is an unsteady one would be an understatement, while even Farhanaz clearly has troubles eating away at the back of her mind for while she feels wholly responsible.  Given that backdrop of unrest, there's arguably little surprise that the award ceremony for the winner of the Grand Race turns into a bloodbath right in front of the eyes of Fam and many, many others, with supposed freedom fighters happy to take whatever lives are necessary to end what they see as Farhanaz's oppressive dictatorship.

Given the misty eyed reminiscences of the Grand Race and both Fam and later Millia's over-riding desire to bring it back, it's actually rather a surprise to see what I was expecting to be a fun and rose-tinted view of said event a decade earlier turning out to be anything but.  I'm not sure what impact (if any) the events we've seen here will have on the remainder of the series at this juncture, but it's certainly an intriguing time to let us in on this part of the Last Exile story, and for all its flaky animation (particularly during its climatic scenes which were laughably bad in places) it left a solid enough impression on the viewer as an attempt to fill us in a little more fully on the turmoil gripping its world back in the present day.  Fam, the Silver Wing continues to get more right than it does wrong, and that can only be commended against the backdrop of a series that seems more ambitious at times than we've maybe given it credit for.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 10

After a pretty needless filler episode last week, Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing resumes its normal service this week, and boy does it have plenty to cover.

The important moments begin right from the off, with Millia officially signing up to an alliance between Turan and Anatoray - another step closer towards rebuilding her devastated homeland.  What's more, Dio has a guest to introduce in the form of Alvis Hamilton, a girl with the ability to control an Exile just live Millia's sister - an ability which will doubtless come in handy later in the series, but for now the information forthcoming as a result suggests most definitely that Liliana is alive.

Indeed, no sooner is this possibility mooted than we're granted an audience with the returning queen (as she now is herself), as she makes rather a grand arrival with a Federation fleet in tow.  Rather than a subjugated captive, Liliana seems to be well in control of her own faculties, although despite this her appearance in front of her remaining forces is only to announce the cessation of hostilities and a new era of peace with Turan under the control of the Federation.  Is peace really worthwhile without freedom?  Millia doesn't think so, going against her sister and sticking to her guns - quite literally, with those guns belonging to Anatoray.  Of course, such a bold decision doesn't exactly impress the Federation, and the Sylvius in particular finds itself the target of their forces in more way than one, leaving Fam in charge of making good Millia's escape.

After the damp squib of that recap, this was another great episode of Last Exile - extremely fast-paced (arguably too much so in a way, to the point of Liliana's arrival feeling contrived) and with plenty going on to keep you hooked from beginning to end.  It wasn't simply all action this time around either, with enough politics and other goings-on to bring a little variety to a series that has threatened to become a little too action-centric at times.  It may still feel a little too simplistic at times to challenge for greatness, but there's still a lot to like about Fam, the Silver Wing at this juncture now that it's gotten its teeth into the material at its fingertips.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 9.5

As Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing hits what is effectively its half-way point, so it also delves into one of those time-honoured television anime conventions - the recap episode.

Aside from its closing moments and the promise of a visit to Fam and Gise from the latter's father, there's effectively absolutely nothing new here, simply a voice-over explanation from Gise and Millia as to their story and circumstances so far.

In fairness, this does serve as a nice showcase in terms of snippets of action and some of the more impressive scenes the series has brought us so far, but it is perhaps telling that its focus is very much on Fam and company and their actions rather than any of the politics of the Federation and their goals.  In short, there's nothing to see here really, so unless you suffer terribly from short-term memory loss you won't miss much by skipping this week's instalment.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 9

After what can relatively be regarded as a victory last time around (and certainly, there are few victories more precious than "not dying"), you'd think that all would be well in Fam's world, especially given that it's both her birthday and an opportunity to celebrate the fulfilment of her contract with the captain of the Sylvius.

However, things aren't quite that cut and dried for our heroine - yes, she's captured fifteen battleships which leaves her free to do as she please, but while Gise is all set to leave and return to their home Fam is less enamoured of the idea.  This fact inevitably leads to raised voices on both sides and a falling out between these long-standing friends, and what's more Fam can't even find Millia to talk to.

As work gets underway both to make the Sylvius airworthy once again while retrieving the rest of Fam's booty from their last battle, Gise is given the difficult decision of deciding where her true feelings lie - back at home, or with her friend?  As all around her ponder Fam's current depression, eventually only one answer emerges - that both Gise and Millia want to make Fam happy, leading to a decision from the former to stay on-board while they both work hard towards giving Fam a surprise party to remember.  But whose this who has decided to gatecrash the festivities?

After the fantastic action of last week's episode, this latest instalment of Fam, the Silver Wing worked well in a different manner, finally making the most of Gise's unease that has been bubbling beneath the surface for a couple of weeks now and giving us something more tangible to worry about.  As seems to be par for the course for this series the emotional and plot transitions on show here weren't the cleanest or tidiest, but they did the job pretty well and the blend of emotion and more frivolous times made for an instalment that was enjoyable even if it was slightly fluffy at times.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 8

The climax to last week's Last Exile saw Sylvius enter rather a tight spot, with a massed armada of Ades forced quite happy to unleash Hell upon their craft unless they choose to hand over Millia into their control... or indeed, probably even if they do choose to do so.

Despite the protestations of Millia, Sylvius' captain knows the situation and is never likely to either turn tail and run outright or give up the girl in her care, so with no other options in sight it's full steam ahead into the midst of their immediate rivals - not that the Sylvius is exactly lacking in the means to defend itself, as it proves itself adept in terms of both manoeuvrability and firepower to give the Ades forces rather a shock.

Then again, their opposition has a few tricks of their own up their sleeve, and as Fam choose to leave in her Vanship, taking Millia with her, it looks as though the Slyvius is about to finally come a cropped under the sheer weight of numbers and the bombardment their facing.  However, an incredibly gutsy decision and its spectacular outcome sees them finally break through and enter Glacies' territory, setting the Federation forces up for another nasty surprise to deal with and (via another physics-defying stunt) saving the Slyvius into the bargain.

Fam, the Silver Wing has been crying out for an action-oriented episode for a little while now, and boy did we get it here with interest, providing a spectacular and grandiose mid-air battle which filled the entire instalment and was simply fantastic to watch.  My only real query about the episode is what exactly Fam was trying to do by leaving the Sylvius and flying around seemingly at random, which felt like it was introduced to further create a rift between Fam and Gise until Millia's spectacular downing of the Anshar.  But hey, who cares about stuff like physics and practicalities when you have awesome stuff to watch on-screen?

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 7

After their successful "purge" of supposedly disloyal elements last episode, Ades' forces focus their attentions to the north of the Grand Lake, even if their ruler Augusta seems to be having doubts of her own as to the heavy-handed nature of the nation which she leads.

Meanwhile, Fam has the completion of her contract with Sylvius' crew in her sight, and despite only having one craft left to steal to put an end to her current task she's still determined to go out with a bang thanks to the opportunity to half-inch a whole fleet of craft - a needlessly reckless task through the eyes of Gise, but one that neither Fam herself nor Millia can take their eyes from.

As their mission begins, it seems that Fam isn't the only one in pursuit of these craft, as their Sky Pirate friends and family make an appearance with the same goal in mind.  What seems to be some friendly rivalry soon turns into something rather more serious however, as it quickly becomes clear that all concerned have been thrown into the midst of a trap laid by Ades' forces, leaving them with little chance of escape from the bombardment that follows.  With even Gise unable to focus in the panic which ensues, it's up to Fam to do some "blue sky thinking" to save them from this peril., although it isn't quite game over yet as Fam and Gise set their course to return to the confines of the Sylvius...

Having lacked any big action set-pieces to speak of in recent weeks, this week's Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing makes up for this with a far more focused and action-oriented instalment.  Admittedly, it doesn't do quite as good a job of generating tension and excitement as it might have set out to, but at least it's plot and the progression of that story felt far more grounded (with every pun intended) and considered than the scattershot approach the series has exhibited of late.  This still isn't enough to take us back to the heady, earlier episodes of the series, but if nothing else we're finally getting a glimpse of a show which has its head screwed on once again.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 6

Having stolen the first ship under the conditions laid out by her current "employers" last week, we fast forward somewhat at the beginning of Fam, the Silver Wing's sixth episode to find ourselves at around the half-way point in Fam's challenge.

As political machinations surrounding Augusta continue, and Millia starts up a little propaganda as she tries to resurrect Turan from the dead, Fam takes on her latest ship-stealing obstacle - or ship-winning, in this particular case.  Her target this time is the Naheed, a battleship owned by a Federation aristocrat, Baroness Roshanaku Dabar.

Fam puts her cards on the table here by entering an underground Vanship race, upon which she makes a bet with the Baroness - win, and she takes the Naheed, lose and a disguised, cross-dressing Millia belongs to the Baroness (who seems to have a thing for young boys).  What Fam hasn't entered into the equation however is that she's put up against an ace Vanship pilot who not only entered the Grand Race but is undefeated in quite some time.  Of course, Fam refuses to shirk even this challenge, giving it her all to the very last and winning the day (naturally) - while all of this is going on however, some of the owners of other ships stolen by Fam have rather less luck as they come to the attention of Ades' more malicious and violent sorts.

After jumping about rather messily in an attempt to bring us back up to speed and cover the political movements early in this episode, it takes almost half the episode before things settle down and a coherent plot emerges, bringing us both Vanship racing and bloodshed to continue the comparisons of Fam's seemingly care-free, adrenaline-fuelled life with some altogether more sinister elements that are reacting directly to her own efforts.  The racing was no Redline, that's for sure, but it did at least bring a scintillating finale to an episode perhaps most notable for Gise's apparently increasing unhappiness with her team-mate and pilot, which could be about to make things far more interesting.  After such a grandiose and impressive start to this series, it certainly needs to settle down into something more formidable rather than scrabbling around trying to find the centre of its story-telling gravity as it currently is.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 5

If taking over the Sylvius seemed like Fam biting off more than she could chew (as it patently was), then our titular heroine is now in a really tight spot, with the crew of the Sylvius holding her and her compatriots with a demand to steal no less than fifteen Ades craft before they'll be freed.

Still, despite these harsh demands Fam doesn't exactly seem too phased by her situation, and even though her pleas to contact her comrades back home fall on deaf ears she and Gise continue to prepare for their first assault on Ades' property, while Millia has to come to terms with the face that her country (or former country, perhaps we should call it) is about to be annexed following its crushing defeat.

While Fam and Gise make their first raid on enemy territory, Millia looks for a way to start rebuilding her country, even if it means doing so via the smallest piece of land possible and embarrassing herself in the process - where did she get that maid outfit from, anyhow? While Millia's eventual victory may only seem slight, Fam and Gise's result is far more impressive to behold - one down, fourteen ships still to go, as the Sylvius finds itself pondering the prospect of being pulled directly into war with Ades.

In truth, there wasn't really a huge amount going on for much of this episode, as we had to endure lots of chatter and largely idle banter before the main characters got down to their respective items of business.  When we did reach this part of the episode, everything was pulled off cleanly and with humour rather than action, which worked well enough in its own right, but without coming close to setting your pulse racing as a result.  I can't help but feel this is a bit of a downer after the excitement and relative tension of earlier episodes - with the promise of its ship-stealing plot seemingly in its ability to deliver a little excitement, the reliance on comedy here felt like a let-down, although there's still a long way to go in Fam's current challenge so I can only hope that things pick up markedly in the weeks to come.

Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing - Episode 4

No matter what you think of her, there's no faulting Fam's ambition as she proudly announces her plan to take on and capture the so-called "reaper ship", the Sylvius - a hefty goal to concentrate on for Fam, the Silver Wing's fourth instalment.

Of course, before taking on this otherwise unknown ship, Fam and her fellow Sky Pirates need to figure out at least a little of what makes it tick - take centre stage Gise to put her expertise to good use in fathoming what the innards of the Sylvius might hold.  Does it have secret weapons aplenty?  According to her, it's more likely an intelligence vessel with a focus on speed and stealth - not that this will make it easy to capture, mind you...

So, the next day off sets Fam and Gise, while Dio is eventually left in charge of Millia who insists that she should tag along. With the exact capabilities of the Sylvius unknown, Fam takes a decidedly traditional approach to taking on the ship, using everything at her group's disposal to try to bring the craft to a stop.  While she manages to avoid the attentions of the ship's captain as she uses a Vanship for a little one-on-one time with Fam, the rest of the Sylvius' crew seem none too worried about the threat to their vessel - with good reason, as both we and Fam soon learn in a turn in both parties fortunes that sees Fam tasked with an even more grandiose job to save her bacon.

After a first half to this episode which was largely fun and frivolous (and fan service-y... or should that be "Fam service"?), this week's Last Exile felt at its best once we took to the skies in pursuit of our target.  The CG doesn't perhaps feel as seamless now as it did in earlier episodes, but it still works pretty well within the impressive scope of the show and its world.  My biggest worry about Fam, the Silver Wing at the moment is that it's beginning to feel a little disjointed - it was nice to see some more nods to the original series, and the core plot threads are clear and entertainment, but the movement between them feels a little forced and vague at times in a way that bugs me somewhat.  Hopefully this will clear up as the series progresses to make for a more compelling viewing experience, but for now the last couple of episodes of Fam, the Silver Wing are floating in the "entertaining but not quite all there" section of the sky.