Wings of Honneamise has a lot going for it. It doesn't want to be the typical anime. Its slow, focused on drama, analyzing subjects like politics, religion, war, celebrity, and the ethics of space flight. Our main character is not particularly moral or smart, exaggerated by the media, but still develops through the film, growing in ambition and understanding of life. The animation is incredible for the time - it had a giant budget for an anime film, and you can see it in the detail on the machinery and background. There is a lot of world building, making the alternate Earth familiar, yet distinct. As a cherry on top, it tries to be accurate with its portrayal of space flight, much more so than most sci-fi.

It wasn't a perfect match for me, but I recognized that this is a quality film. I was going to give it an 8, acknowledging this could easily be your next favorite.

But of course...there's that ONE scene that threatens to break the film in half - where our main character attempts to rape his love interest. Its been debated for years whenever or not it contributes to Shiro's character, if its misogynistic, or both. Its enhanced the film for many, ruined it for others.

Personally? I thought it was a moral event horizon for our lead. In any other film, this would be his rock bottom. Their relationship would be destroyed. Shiro would be haunted by the guilt, yet still treated as a hero by the media that doesn't truly know him. Shiro and Riquinni's relationship would never fully heal, at best coming to some understanding.

But the writing treats the event like Shiro slapped Riquinni on the cheek. The incident is quickly swept under the rug, their relationship no better or worse than before. Shiro gives a few lines on good and evil, but not 5 minutes after the incident, there is a WHACKY chase scene as he runs away from a gun-touting old lady and a street sweeper! There is no proper redemption for this character. The attempted rape scene could have been removed, and you wouldn't have noticed! Its so sudden, yet has so little bearing to the plot. We're still expected to root for Shiro, not as a dark, troubled soul, but as an awkward, inexperienced pilot. The assault does not follow this tone at all. At best, its a contrived attempt to add drama. At worst...it forces in fan service through the sleaziest way possible.

Regardless of intentions, it pulls the film down. Everything else is so well-done it only drops a single star. Its great - but what was Gainax thinking!?

At the time of its release, Gainax's debut feature WINGS OF HONNEAMISE was the most expensive animated feature from Japan, with a budget of eight million yen (today that might not seem like such a big deal, but this is 1987 we are talking about). Yet while the movie earned critical raves it was a stunning commercial disaster. It was not until approximately seven years later that WINGS OF HONNEAMISE finally turned a profit. Today it is hailed among Anime fans as one of the all-time masterpieces of the genre.

Scripted and directed by 23-year-old Hiroyuki Yamaga, WINGS OF HONNEAMISE, is set in a bizarre Japanese/American hybrid world with futuristic technology but where the concept of space travel seems laughable. The protagonist is Shirotsugh Lhadatt, an unmotivated cadet of the often-ridiculed (and constantly threatened) Royal Space Force. When he starts a relationship with a religious woman named Riquinni, Shiro becomes inspired, and, before long, volunteers to be the first man into space.

It's obvious that a lot of effort went into the animation of this movie, and the results show. For a 1987 production, WINGS OF HONNEAMISE showcases some intricately detailed backgrounds that fully realize the strange world of our protagonists. The animation itself, though not as smooth as, say, a traditional Disney cartoon or AKIRA, neither as beautiful as a Studio Ghibli film is still quite impressive. And even though the characters don't have the huge eyes or round faces of most Anime leads, they're visibly expressive. In addition to which, the camera work is amazing; watching this movie one has the feeling that they are witnessing a live-action drama rather than a cartoon.

That said, WINGS OF HONNEAMISE's entertainment value might not be for everyone. Fans weaned on fast-paced Anime productions may be put off by HONNEAMISE's languid pace. There are only two major action set pieces in the movie, and they happen about three-quarters of the way through and near the end, respectively. But mostly the movie concentrates on character development and tackles political issues. While this gives HONNEAMISE a depth of complexity in its plot, there are times when the structure of the story feels unfocused. A subplot involving a war with a rival country for the rocket, in particular, seems superfluous.

Then there's the confused relationship between Shiro and Riquinni. Mostly it develops well through the movie (with occasional chuckles coming from Shiro's lack of understanding of whether his interactions with Riquinni are platonic or romantic); but why did the script have to include a disturbing rape attempt scene? Not only does it provide discomfort to the audience, this sequence feels strangely out of place and inconsistent with both the plot and the characterizations of both Shiro and Riquinni. It makes even less sense in the following scene when Shiro, attempting to apologize, is instead told by Riquinni to forgive *her* for smashing a jar on his head! That this nasty sequence doesn't go anywhere afterwards is also abrupt in terms of development. Instead of providing an interesting turning point in the protagonists' relationship, this scene only comes across as pointless as well as violent.

One other scene that feels disjointed from the rest of the movie takes place toward the end, where, after Shiro is finally in space, we are suddenly treated to what appears to be a gradual progression of humanity. Taken on its own, this approximately four minute long sequence showcases some imaginative animation styles; this is the most artfully done scene in the movie, rendered in charcoal-like colors and set to a trippy yet surreal score (courtesy of Oscar-winner Ryuichi Sakamoto). On the flip side, this sequence interrupts (and delays) the denouement of the film, and is awkwardly transitioned into.

In fact the whole strangeness of WINGS OF HONNEAMISE might be too off-putting to non-Anime fans; for an exercise in creativity and imagination, this movie excels. But the confused plot twists in this otherwise ambitious and brilliant tale may be too problematic to recommend it to viewers expecting a well-structured story. It also clocks in at two hours, and some of that running time is wasted in sequences where nothing much happens.

It should be noted, too, that this is not a movie for young children. In addition to that aforementioned rape attempt scene, there is a bloody battle scene between our hero and an enemy spy, and a climax that involves an attack on ground and air (while the Royal Space Force struggles to launch Shiro into space). While these sequences have a lot more energy than the low-key tone of the picture, both are considerably violent. To be fair, though, they're also not as gruesome or sickening as in other Anime features.

The movie is still worth watching, however, because of the detailed animation and ambitious concept. Not many animated features in America have attempted such a story like this, and so for that, WINGS OF HONNEAMISE does stand out. Yet the movie probably plays better to Anime fans than it may to non-fans.