Synopsis
Chise is cute, but a bit dense. She’s also small and timid. On top of that, she’s clumsy and her grades are below average. She does excel in world history although nothing positive will come out of it. She has a habit of apologizing. Her goal in life is to become stronger. To me, she seems like a really troublesome kid. Regardless, I was her boyfriend, and she was my girlfriend.
Review
Based on the original 7 volume manga by Shin Takahashi in 2000, Saishu Heiki Kanojo, also known as Saikano or in english She. The Ultimate Weapon, truly is The Last Love Song on This Little Planet. Here at Animesou we bow in respect to our sempais THEM, Anime Academy, Anime Agency, and Anime-Axess for we are The Last Anime Site on This Little Planet to present a review. Saikano breaks all the stereotypes of the robot or android girlfriend genre. It is not a Chobits, Hand Maid May, or Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden, all of which were past Pioneer series. It is the romance of two high school students, Shuji and Chise, juxtaposed to the desolate World War 3 environment. Set in the remote countryside of Hokkaido, Japan, the anime begins five days after Chise first asked Shuji out. Though Shuji still has his doubts, as time passes he finds himself falling more and more in love with her. Then one day while shopping in Sapporo, what looks to be 100 unidentified bombers commence their assault on the civilian population. Buildings collapse and amidst the muddled debris Shuji, bleeding, perceives to his astonishment Chise, decked out and battle ready.
The Official Saikano Website can be found at http://www.saikano.net/tv/index.html with a beautiful flash interface carrying over the same sense as the opening animation sequence. There you can sample three instrumental music tracks, read episode summaries (Japanese), view the cast of characters, and download wallpapers and calendar images.
The Breakdown
Farewell my love, I won’t forget about you, Because I dwell on the people I say farewell to. I’m sad.
» The Pros
I first came across Saikano when browsing through some anime wallpapers. What caught my attention was the image of Chise in her blue school uniform. You no longer see her right arm but a torn sleeve of wires connected to a long futuristic machine gun. Growing out of her back are metallic wings like that of a jet fighter. I was expecting Saikano then to be another Mahoromatic, mainly comedic and with mecha clashing against each other. Not true. Saikano is a romance at its core. The key difference between Chise and Mahoro is that Mahoro was originally built from the ground up as Vespar's strongest warrior type android. Chise is not a robot to begin with but a human who one night had her entire body altered through nanotechnology. Mahoro's last mission lead to the unfortunate fatality of Suguru's father by her own hands. She cares for Suguru as a way of atonement and because she loves him. Chise becoming The Ultimate Weapon was never her desire in the first place yet she continues to fight because that is how she lives, it is the only thing she can do. She endures the pain everyday both physically and mentally. Chise is the angel of death, the destroyer of both friend and foe, laying to waste cities. Can Shuji still embrace her?
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» The Cons
If you were moved by Kanon, while watching Saikano have that tissue box ready. In Kanon, there were a number of near death experiences. In Saikano, there is just death. Take, his girlfriend Yukari, Tetsu, Akemi, Atsushi, Masa, Kawahara, and Shuji's parents; essentially all life on earth is eliminated. It is an End of Evangelion scenario but not as bizarre as Eva. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Horatio remains alive at the end to tell the story. In Saikano, Shuji promises to stay with Chise until the end. All of what is left of Chise's soul is what lies within him. The Last Love Song on This Little Planet is the melody of Chise's heart. Theirs were the final voices to ring out across the land. The two of them fell in love. The End.
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» Animation
9.0 |
If it is produced by Gonzo (Real Bout high School, Full Metal Panic, Kiddy Grade) you know that the quality of animation is unmatched. In the opening there are scrolling, computer rendered frames. French phrases fade in and out containing themes from the series. Je suis sa petite copine = I am his small girlfriend / Je suis un arme = I am a weapon / Te es gentile = (You) be gentile / J'ai envie de me regarder = I want you to look at me / Je t'aime = I love you. There are instances of the GPS satellite zooming in to track Chise. Chise's second personality, the weapon, is one to be feared. (Why is there a sound like that of a werewolf when she glows? -transformation) Episode 5, Chise says that she could have easily destroyed the school. *Smiles* How nice. Episode 8, she submits herself to Tetsu telling him that it's ok since he's going to die anyway. Episode 11, in her own words - What did you come here for? I'll kill you. The drama is real, one of the highlights when Shuji slaps Akemi. |
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» Sound
9.0 |
From one Gonzo project to another, Miki Shinichirou, Moran Shetland in Last Exile, voices Tetsu. Yato Yuria performs the opening and closing themes Koi Suru Kimochi and Sayonara (Farewell) respectively. Both are love songs, Sayonara being slightly slower in tempo. Koi Suru Kimochi corresponds to the beginning of love, racing as love takes off. The ending Sayonara is their parting goodbyes. The beat dwells longer not letting go of the relationship. Noticeable are the long moments without any background music and pure dialogue. Shuji and Tetsu both use Aho instead of Baka. Aho is used in the western part of Japan, the Kansai area (Osaka and Kyoto), while Baka is used in the eastern part, Kanto area. Both terms mean idiot, stupid, or dumb. But Aho when said conveys a warmer sentiment, implying that each person has an aho side. A little cultural lesson. |
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» Story
10. |
Saikano is 13 episodes, the same length as Lain and a season of Vandread. From the brief scene at the beginning of episode 1, the anime is one extended flashback as Shuji reads through Chise's diaries. Don't put yourself through denial believing that there are only 10 episodes. At the end of episode 10, Shuji and Chise reunite telling each other that they have been through a lot. Episode 11 is like Ayashi no Ceres, Shuji and Chise leave their hometown to start a new life as a married couple. The conclusion is surpasses the finale to the second season of Mahoromatic. |
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» Recommend
9.0 |
The DVD contains four episodes and will be available in April 27, 2004 for $22.49 (Rightstuf). Rated ages 17+ due to sexual content. This is not a hentai. Saikano is not for the pokemon audience. Suggested for high school students and anyone who has been in love. |
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» Other Information
Language: English dialogue or Japanese with English subtitles
Extras: Conversation with voice actors (Shuji and Chise), TV special
Package: Mobile Chise in the arms of her beloved Shuji |
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
