Synopsis
Shin Kazama is a gifted pilot with a bright future, a beautiful fianc?© and a job with a prestigious airline until a treacherous act of betrayal rips his world apart and sends him into the barren desert of the war-torn Kingdom of Aslan. With escape only meaning death, he must now use his superior skills to become a cold-blooded aerial killer; and with every kill, he paints a trail of blood in the sky back to the life that was stolen from him.

Review
You know, the first time I saw the flaming unicorn symbol of Shin Kazama’s fighter plane, I knew it was familiar. And to my surprise it was from the Super Nintendo video game, U.N. Squadron. Man was that game fun; it makes me want to go play it right now hehe. Anyways, Area 88 is U.N. Squadron, before its name was changed during the importing process to the United States. Maybe it was too close to sound like Area 51? Oh wells. The last fighter plane anime that I have watched was Yukikaze and Area 88 just blows that anime away. The dog fights and all the breathtaking action in this show has gotten me excited about the plane genre again.

When the story begins, you are put through the eyes and lens of battlefield photographer, Makoto Shinjo. As he narrates you through the nooks and crannies of his job, he also tries to expose Shin Kazama’s as well. Why is he in Area 88 fighting a civil war? That is the ultimate question that will be answered as the show goes on. So far, very little is revealed about Shin’s past, other than a girl named Ryoko. And just thinking about it, I believe this anime would be best that it was told in a third person’s point of view rather than straight from Shin Kazama himself. His character is no fun, so that will contribute to putting people to sleep, I guess. It was a great idea in getting Makoto Shinjo to narrate the plot, because he is a flexible character, it works out perfectly as he incorporates various features about him that separates himself from all the others.

Just wondering how this anime will play out has got me salivating, because whatever happens, I know there will be crazy aerial fights and at times even a bit of comedy to lighten up the mood. This is a great series with an intriguing plot and the animation quality amazing enough to make you beg for more and more, and more. You will be pleased.

The Breakdown
Area 88 has got to be one of the finest anime dealing with airplanes. Just when I thought it cannot get any better, it surprises me and exceeds my expectations with every missile launched or every bullet fired. It is a must have for you action deprived fans out there!