| Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise | |
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Cover art of the 2007 HD DVD release by Gainax |
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| Kanji | 王立宇宙軍 オネアミスの翼 |
| Rōmaji | Ōritsu Uchūgun: Oneamisu no Tsubasa |
| Directed by | Hiroyuki Yamaga |
| Produced by | Makoto Yamashina |
| Written by | Hiroyuki Yamaga |
| Starring | Leo Morimoto Mitsuki Yayoi |
| Music by | Ryuichi Sakamoto Yuji Nomi Koji Ueno Haruo Kubota |
| Studio | Gainax, Bandai Visual |
| Distributed by | Toho Towa |
| Release date(s) | March 14, 1987 |
| Running time | 119 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Budget | ¥800 million |
Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise[1] (王立宇宙軍 オネアミスの翼 Ōritsu Uchūgun: Oneamisu no Tsubasa) is a 1987 Japanese animated science fiction film and the first film produced by Gainax and Bandai Visual. It was directed and written by Hiroyuki Yamaga with assistant director Takami Akai. The film would eventually be a critically acclaimed[2][3][4][5] Gainax classic, but it was poorly received and sold only modestly domestically and overseas.[6] A sequel was intended to be released set 50 years later, but due to lack of funds, Gainax abandoned it part way through production; Toshio Okada cited a fundamental dissatisfaction with the script and plot.[7]
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The story is set in a parallel version of Earth, where an industrial civilization is flourishing amidst the backdrop of an impending war between two bordering nations, the kingdom of Honneamise and the "Republic".
Shirotsugh Lhadatt is an unmotivated young man who has drifted into his nation's lackadaisical space program. After the death of a fellow astronaut, he nurtures a close acquaintance with a young religious woman named Riquinni Nonderaiko, whose faith has seen her through some personal hardships. (A working title for the film was Wings of Riquinni – Royal Space Force.[8]) Seeing Lhadatt as a prime example of what mankind is capable of, along with the godliness and ground-breaking nature of his work, she inspires him to become the first man in space.
His training as an astronaut parallels his coming of age, and he and the rest of the members of the space project overcome technological difficulties, spiritual doubt, the machinations of their political masters, and a botched assassination attempt by the enemy nation. Amidst the debacle, Lhadatt soon becomes worn out by the overbearing publicity surrounding his space mission, prompting him to stay with Riquinni for a while; he then comes close to raping her one night while catching her undressing, causing a temporary rift between them that is later mended thanks to Riquinni's kindness.
These events culminate in the eventual space launch, which is taking place in what is essentially a demilitarized zone, with the government's hope that the launch of the rocket will be viewed by the enemy nation as an act of war and attack, giving Lhadatt's country a pretext to go to war. As planned, the enemy nation launches a vast combined arms invasion, resulting in a visually stunning finale as fighter planes duel high above an armored advance towards a defensive trench network. Despite calls to pull out, Lhadatt, already in the space capsule and determined to finish what he started, convinces the frightened and vulnerable ground crew to complete the launch. The spectacular launch stuns both sides into inaction as Lhadatt goes into orbit. With no more reference to the world below (beyond a slight suggestion that both nation's plans for war have been foiled by the successful launch), Lhadatt prays for humanity's forgiveness.
In a symbolic moment, Lhadatt's capsule is suddenly bathed in sunlight, and a montage of his own life and his world's history and achievements flash (presumably) through his mind. Meanwhile on the planet's surface, Riquinni witnesses the first snow fall and gazes into the sky, thinking of Lhadatt.
Wings has received universal acclaim from film critics since its release in 1987. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called it "a visually sensational two-hour extravaganza".[9] DVD Times said that the animation "gives the storyteller complete control over what you see and ultimately how the viewer interprets the directors dream...the astounding animation, the attention to detail seen in every frame is quite daunting, but allows the viewer to discover new subtleties on repeated viewing."[10] DVD Vision Japan praised the Japanese voice actor's performances for their range and emotion, as well as the "very distinctive" characters.[11] In a discussion of original versus adapted anime,[12] Brian Hanson of Anime News Network goes on to say:
"It's set on a quasi-alternate-reality version of Earth, but without reams of bogus sci-fi hokum, and the screen is littered with wonderful art direction of a world that's sort of familiar, but wonderfully alien. Just look at, for example, the guns the characters use - they're not laser pistols or handguns, but these strange little things that still look like guns, but cleverly modified to fit within the rest of this wonderful universe that Gainax created.
And the story! Oh, man! It's not some spunky kid out to save the universe. It's not a band of merry adventurers battling an onslaught of demons. None of that. It's a tender story of a bored and broken man seeking redemption, pouring himself into a cause that he finds important that everyone else thinks is a laughable joke, and finding spiritual enlightenment in spite of his entire endeavor being twisted by corrupt politicians as an excuse to wage war. It's about one man coming to terms with himself. It's a story that's mature, resonant, and authentic. Every single thing in that movie is wholly idiosyncratic. It's wonderful. And not only is it unique, it is exceptionally well done. Every frame is teeming with detail."
Okada felt in retrospect that it needed a stronger screenplay, that it was too niche and like an "art" film to be really mainstream and successful - the film did not recoup its budget at the box office.[13]
The initial advertising campaign was structured to make the film seem like Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.[14] Wings has been released in several versions in the United States. The 2000 release by Manga Entertainment on DVD, which features commentary by Hiroyuki Yamaga and Takami Akai, was severely criticized for its poor quality.[15][16][17][18] Bandai Visual released a Blu-ray/HD DVD version during its 20th anniversary, 11 September 2007, drawing on the remastered 1997 DVD release in Japan. It is now out of print.
In March 1992, Gainax had begun planning and production of an anime movie called Aoki Uru ("Blue Uru"), which was to be a sequel to Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise set 50 years later (so as to be easier to pitch to investors[19]) which, like Oritsu, would follow a group of fighter pilots. Production would eventually cease in July 1993: a full-length anime movie was just beyond Gainax's financial ability – many of its core businesses were shutting down or producing minimal amounts of money:
"General Products had closed shop. We'd pulled out of Wonder Festival [a "flea market for garage kits"] and garage kit making altogether. We weren't taking on any subcontracting work for anime production. We did continue to make PC games – Akai had seen to that – but there wasn't a lot of work tossed our way. With mere pennies coming in, we were having a hard enough time just paying everyone's salaries. Finally the order came down for us to halt production on Aoki Uru. We were simply incapable of taking the project any further."[20]
With the failure of the project, Hideaki Anno, who had been slated from the beginning to direct Aoki Uru, was freed up. Legendarily, he would soon agree to a collaboration between King Records and Gainax while drinking with Toshimichi Ōtsuki, a representative at King;[21] with King Records guaranteeing a time slot, Anno set about making the anime. Unsurprisingly, elements of Aoki Uru were incorporated into the nascent Neon Genesis Evangelion:
"One of the key themes in Aoki Uru had been "not running away." In the story, the main character is faced with the daunting task of saving the heroine … He ran away from something in the past, so he decides that this time he will stand his ground. The same theme was carried over into Evangelion, but I think it was something more than just transposing one show's theme onto another …"[22]
Gainax has periodically attempted to restart Aoki Uru, such as releasing a 1998 CD with storyboards, a script, and several hundred pieces of art,[23] and a 2000 release of a mod to Microsoft Flight Simulator.[24]