Adolescence is a time of great importance for every individual. The body matures, and one begins to look at the opposite gender or, in some cases the same gender, differently. Normally, situations like this wouldn't be worthy of a cheesy American teen movie let alone a full-length television series. A mixture of ideas is usually required to make everyday pubescent romance tolerable, let alone marketable, with some blends being more unusual than others. Kannazuki no Miko leans into the "unusual" niche, as it melds a lesbian drama with fast-paced, Hot Mecha Action(TM).

The series itself can be classified as coming-of-age, with some giant robot action thrown in for good measure. Yes, giant robots. In a romance. As strange as this sounds, the plot actually manages to hold some coherence. The story centers around the legend of Yamata no Orochi: a mythical eight-headed dragon that was sealed by legendary swordsman Susano-o. The legend is used quite loosely as, apparently, the heads of Orochi are actually giant robots. ...I'm right there with you. Fortunately, at this point, the "recreation" of ancient legends remains at a minimum, and the characters and background are set for future episodes.

The focus of the series lay with Chikane and Himeko. The two girls hail from completely different backgrounds: Chikane is the wealthy, gorgeous, corporate president's daughter, while Himeko is the less fortunate, dorm-dwelling girl next door. Through an unexplained plot device, the two girls met, and became close friends. Chikane isn't satisfied with "just friends," however. She hopes for something a bit more intimate from Himeko. Himeko, on the other hand, is more interested in Souma Ohgami: the school heartthrob, and requisite childhood friend.

Kannazuki no Miko in a nutshell: two parts lesbian drama...	...and one part giant robot action.

With the basic characters out of the way, the plot becomes fairly simple. Basically, Chikane and Himeko are descendants of the lunar and solar priestesses of Susano-o, respectively. On their sixteenth birthday, all hell breaks loose and a giant mech rampages through the girls' small town. This is obviously rude, and needs to be answered, to Souma answers by unleashing a giant robot of his own. Yes, Mr. Beefcake himself is, predictably, a child of Orochi and, like most tortured heroes, uses his "head" to protect the not-so-almighty heroines. As the episodes progress, the focus shifts more toward the girls' backstories and plays a bit with the budding love triangle over the (apparently) less-important impending crushing death by robots. So, while there is a decent amount of steamy robot-on-robot action in each episode, this is definitely a character drama first and foremost.

Music for the series was handled by composer Mina Kubota (ARIA, Kaleido Star). Considering the mood of the show, Kubota's decision to use slower, more string-laden instrumentals as the soundtrack seemed like a no-brainer. For the most part, these tracks contribute to the heavy, oppressive feeling that seems to reign over much of the show. Unfortunately, more than a few pieces get absorbed into busier scenes, with the character chatter and walla obscuring too much of the music. The opening and closing themes, Re-Sublimity and Agony respectively, are performed by Kotoko. Both the opener and closer are thumping, high-energy electronica tracks, which creates an interesting contrast compared to the melancholy orchestral offerings through the series itself.

With four episodes down, Kannazuki no Miko seems to be offering enough to appeal to all audiences. While the concept itself seems a bit odd, the marriage of mech battles and teen-lesbian angst works splendidly. While the show has already built a rather high pedestal to fall from, this reviewer remains confident that Kannazuki no Miko will continue on the fine line between drama and giant-robot-battler with grace and flair.