Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise is not simply one of the greatest anime films, but one of the greatest films ever made, period. That being said, so is Citizen Kane, and not everyone likes watching that.

Honneamise is set in a world quite similar to our own. From a technological standpoint, the movie appears to be set in the 1960s or early 70s. The majority of the action takes place in the kingdom of Honneamise, one of the many countries populating this world - a world that seems to be caught up in war and intrigue, much like our own. The story centers around a little known, but highly ridiculed, branch of the military known as the Royal Space Force. The soldiers in the Space Force could care less about their purpose, especially Shiro Lhadatt. Shiro’s only purpose in joining was to give himself time to find a job he really wants to do. Originally, he had wanted to join the Navy to fly jets, but his grades kept him out of the skies. Enter Leiquinni, a very devout and religious woman who believes that Shiro has a wonderful job and mission - to go to the stars, a place unspoiled by the conflicts of men. Suddenly, Shiro finds new inspiration to succeed.

These fighter plane designs, done by General Dynamics, are just one of the many ways in which Honneamise seems close to historical accuracy, with just enough difference to remind the viewer that this is a fictional work.	On one level, the film is about Shiro's struggle to find the will to succeed.

The movie’s plot plays out on several levels. On one level you have the Space Force and Shiro trying to show an uncaring world that space travel is possible and worthwhile --and that there really is a place where peace can exist. On another level, you have Shiro being motivated to achieve by his romantic interest in this woman, but finding that this romantic drive is simply not enough to keep him going. He has to find other motivations and convictions to continue on. In between the personal stories, you have spotlights on different government officials, each with their own reasons for wanting to promote this first attempt at manned space flight.

While the battle that rages around the launch pad in the climax is incredible, there is very little in the way of action in the film, other than an assassination attempt and a short fight scene. This is science fiction, heavy on the science - with a lot of political science thrown in to round it out. The film is also about people and what drives them. In a way, it’s akin to the wonderful movie, The Right Stuff.

The world created in Honneamise is probably the most complete and complex ever made. Cultures, countries, and technology were all freshly created so as to seem familiar, but just different enough from reality. The level of detail is staggering: for instance, every time you watch the street scenes in the city, you can discover something new. General Dynamics designed the planes and NASA provided assistance for the rocket sequences.

The animation is pretty good by today’s standards, but considering it was made in 1987, it’s a phenomenal job. The soundtrack is wonderful, once again sounding familiar and yet different. It meshes perfectly with the scenes, sliding into the background when not needed or rising and falling in anthem-like crescendos as the Space Force fights for its survival.

An important anime history fact is that this film is the first ever produced by Gainax. Indeed, the whole reason Gainax came into being was to make this film. Included on the DVD is the 4-minute trailer that was created to sell studio heads on the premise of Honneamise. Following this excellent feature, we’ve received a wealth of classics from Gainax: Nadia and the Secret of Blue Water, Gunbuster, FLCL, and Evangelion, to name a few.

To reiterate, this fantastic film is not for everyone. At two hours, the movie will definitely drag for those with short attention spans or for the fans that prefer the action of Macross and Gundam. However, if you are interested in realistic space flight and the introspective drama of a team of people fighting to make a place for themselves in the annals of history, this film is for you. If you have professors or teachers with a dislike for animation or anime, this is the film to change their minds.

DVD Note: It must be said that the DVD transfer of this film is, in technical terms, just plan sucky. There seems to be a muting of the colors, the lines seem to bleed with the color, and scratches and imperfections abound. The distributor has attributed this to the source materials; however, I own a copy of the U.S. laserdisc, which has a beautiful transfer. On the plus side, you get some great extras including a deleted scene and an audio channel for the director’s commentary. So, please be aware before you purchase.

Distributor: Manga Entertainment
Creator: Studio Gainax
Released: 1987

Plot: A+
Character Design: A
Animation Quality: A
Music: A+
Overall: A+