Review of Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise

Overview: Wings of Honneamise is a great film, but it also has some serious flaws. For me though, an anime can do lots of things wrong if it also does some things really well. Wings is a loveable underdog story. It's an anti-war film. It's a coming of age movie. It's a steampunk, alternate history retelling of the early Space Race from the POV of the Soviet Union. It also has at least 2 plainly stupid scenes that detract from the film and have no business being there. It can be more than a little sappy and it is happy to trade realism for emotion, whichI will explain later in this review. This was written by a 23 year old kid with no writing experience, who after this dedicated his career to writing and directing pure schlock like Mahoromantic Robot Maid. I will warn you that this film is NOT like Mushishi or a Yuasa anime where it has an ironclad defense and is impermeable to critic snark. It is however worth your time!

Plot and characters: (Spoilers ahead! Skip this next section if you don't want anything spoiled!)

There is a Cold War brewing between 2 super powers in this alternate dimension. Honneamise is an authoritarian, poor, industrial power while its rival is a wealthy and powerful democracy called "The Republic". The government of Honneamise wishes to create a space program and send the first man into space in order to uplift their people and score a propaganda victory. However, they have a shoestring budget and most people don't even believe that human spaceflight is possible. A hero is needed who is willing to throw safety to the wind in order to achieve a truly beautiful feat for all Mankind. Our hero is a man named Shirotsugh Lhadatt. Yeah...this is an alternate history so everyone has silly fantasy names like Zap Rowsdower. I'm just going to call our hero Yuri Gagarin because this film leaves ZERO doubt of who he is supposed to represent.

Just like the real one, our Yuri at first is an aimless youth from a nowhere town. He comes from nothing, but he has big dreams and balls of steel. One day he meets a highly religious woman, which is seen as unusual because Honneamise cracks down on religion and is very dismissive of faith. This woman gives Yuri a new sense of purpose in life and now he starts to take his job as a Cosmonaut seriously and has an unquenchable thirst to reach the stars. All appears to be going well, but tragedy strikes and Honneamise's chief rocket engineer is killed in a freak accident. This is seemingly a reference to the death of chief engineer Sergei Korolev during the middle of the Space Race. Nothing will deter Yuri though from his dream. Yuri becomes a famous celebrity and is used as a propaganda figure by Honneamise, always forced to smile big in public despite how he may actually be feeling. He is also promoted to the rank of colonel. You know, just in case there are 5 people left in the theater audience that haven't figured out who he is supposed to be.

Now we get to last 3rd and things get a little rough. Yuri gets increasingly frustrated with Jesus freak, because she ain't given none. One night, he just loses control and flat out tries to rape her, but she knocks him out with a statue. The next morning, he's a bit embarrassed and tries to apologize for the whole rape thing, but she says it is her fault for not putting out. She says that Yuri is a nice guy and deserved her body, but she was being selfish. Yuri is forced to accept her apology and she walks off. She is a little passive aggressive for about 10 minutes and then it's like the scene never happened. Yeah... I can see why Ebert wasn't very gentle in his criticism of this scene. Next we follow up with another stupid scene. The dastardly Republic decide that Honneamise must not be allowed to win a propaganda victory and send an octogenarian assassin to kill Yuri! The old man at first tries to kill Yuri with a pistol, but he has the worst aim in the history of anime. Then the old man tries to run Yuri over with a street cleaner, which is only slightly less silly than the steam roller from Austin Powers. Our hero kills the old fucker with a knife and we enter the final act.

Honneamise is FINALLY ready to launch the rocket, but the Republic refuses to see them succeed. You would think the Republic would pool their superior resources and send their own guy into space. They would probably end up beating Honneamise to the moon, but that would make too much sense. Instead they decide to launch an all out invasion of the Soviet Un- I mean Honneamise and try stop the rocket from taking off! Yuri rallies ground control to launch the rocket anyways and the Republic is so awe struck by this beautiful moment that they throw down their arms and stop fighting! Yuri reaches the heavens and sends a transmission to Earth telling Mankind to stop fighting and unite as one. If we can send a man to space, then we can accomplish anything! Yuri then begs God to forgive Mankind for our many sins. His beautiful act of courage, determination, and heroism achieves a level of redemption for Man. This is an anime that essentially ends with Yuri Alekseyivich Gagarin becoming the Second Coming of Christ and rocketing for our sins!

Art:

The art and animation is actually quite spectacular for 1987. The chief animator on this product was Hideaki Anno, so they were in good hands. He restrained himself from adding giant robots to this film, but I could have done without the full frontal nudity and giving Christ freak such massive boobs. I know you love titties Anno, but this was NOT the right time! Unless the scene was intended to be erotic...which would actually make it even worse.

Sound:

The music adds well to the powerful emotion and both English and Japanese dubs are spectacular. I personally like the Enlglish dub thanks to the presence of Bryan Cranston, who plays Yuri's best friend. If your casual buddies start getting bored by this film's run time, you can start adding Breaking Bad quotes every time he's on screen.

Overall:

Is this the perfect anime? Well...no. However, I would rather love something flawed with lots of heart and soul than something immune to criticism that feels boring, cold, and sterile. This anime has some truly beautiful moments. Yeah the rape scene and old assassin scene were dumb and should have been cut. Yeah the Republic's reactions to Honneamise's space program made little sense and weren't realistic. Yes, the level of Russophilia is SO high this film is probably banned in Poland, Ukraine, and the Baltic States. Despite all of this, it's a good film and I'm NOT a Gainax fanboy.

Now. Let's end this review with a good old Church of Gainax hymn!

What would Yuri Gagarin do if he was here right now?
He'd make a plan and he'd follow through!
That's what Yuri Gagarin'd do!

When Yuri Gagarin was in the Olympics
Skating for the gold,
He did two salchows and a triple lutz
While wearing a blind fold!
When Yuri Gagarin was in the alps
Fighting grizzly bears
He used his magical fire breath
And saved the maidens fair!

(Guitar rift) Yuri! Fight! Yuri! Fight!

So what would Yuri Gagarin do
If he were here today?
I'm sure he'd kick an arse or two
That's what Yuri Gagarin'd do!

When Yuri Gagarin traveled through time to the year 3010
He fought the evil robot king and saved us all again!
When Yuri Gagarin built the pyramids
He beat up Kublai Khan!
Cause Yuri Gagarin doesn't take shit from ANY-BODY!!!

Yuri Gagarin was born on the planet of Krylock
He came to Earth to save us all from war and death and suck!
Hideedodee! Hideeday!
Yuri Gagarin's here!
So round up all your lasses and tell 'em to have no fear!
Say, "Come over here my honey
And come and I'll take off my pants!
And I'm gonna make dirty love to you
Cause that's what Yuri Gagarin'd do."
Cause that's what Yuri Gagarin'd Do!