The mecha anime genre has always had a fairly hardcore and passionate fanbase. With a studio like Bones, which has produced a number of hugely successful and high-quality shows over the decades -- including mecha fan-favorite Eureka Seven -- one would expect an anime-original Bones-produced series to be a guaranteed hit. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case with Captain Earth.
For all intents and purposes, Captain Earth appeared to have everything it needed to be a successful mecha series: a quality animation studio, a talented cast of voice actors, eye-catching character designs and a staff that's already had experience working on other mecha anime. Here's where it all went wrong for Studio Bones' anime-original series.
The Plot of Studio Bones' Captain Earth Anime
A completely original sci-fi/mecha anime produced by Studio Bones in Spring 2014, Captain Earth follows an ordinary high school student named Daichi as he travels to an island that houses a space center where his now-departed father used to work.
While visiting, Daichi runs into another pair of teenagers he happened to meet back during his childhood. But this reunion isn't as coincidental as Daichi thinks; he, along with friends new and old, must now band together to fight against a group of aliens that intend to take over the Earth.
The Issues That Ultimately Plagued Captain Earth
Captain Earth ticks a lot of the checkboxes that should have made it a successful mecha anime: cool robot designs, well-choreographed fight scenes and sleek animation courtesy of Studio Bones. But amid all the eye candy was a plot that many viewers just couldn't resonate with. With its frequent references to Shakespearean works and many convoluted plot twists, there was a lot to keep up with -- and not enough substance to support the exposition dumps that would plague later episodes.
With its frequent uses of the male gaze, fanservice and cliched anime tropes, it was difficult to ever take Captain Earth as seriously as it wanted to be. While the main characters were likable and had fun dynamics, the supporting cast was far less interesting, with many falling into typical character tropes and archetypes. They were either generic at best or forgettable at worst. Conversely, the main villains had distinct designs and personalities but still often fell into the typical tropes associated with shonen anime.
The anime also suffered from poor pacing, with earlier episodes taking a long time to set up the plot. It may have benefited from shaving off some of its 24-episode count. In fact, it's only in the second half that Captain Earth starts to become truly compelling and the predictable monster-of-the-week plots start to drop. By then, however, many viewers would have already lost interest in the series and moved on to something else.
Captain Earth wasn't a bad anime, but it was subpar and ultimately forgettable. In a day and age where more anime is being produced than ever before, the bar for "average" just isn't good enough. Because Captain Earth failed to leave a lasting impression, it's highly unlikely that Studio Bones will revisit it anytime soon, if at all.