Heroic Age

     Heroic age is one of the best animes I've seen.  It was originally made by Xebec studio, as a television series.  The series was then picked up by a Manga Magazine.  The series is not rated, as many anime aren't, but if it did have a rating it would be PG, at worse.

     I'm a big fan of Japanese anime because of the visual imagery, but also because of the deep-seeded meaning behind their stories.  They can be quirky, action-packed, dramatic, or any other type of genre, but there is almost always a deep philosophy shared.  Sometimes it's hard to find, but it is usually there.  Heroic Age is riddled with it.

     The very characters are based on Greek mythology.  Age, the protagonist, is loosely based on Hercules, and the twelve labors he had to perform.  Even the title Heroic Age refers to the heroic age of the Greek heroes.  The tribes come from the Greek poet Hesiod, and his five ages of mankind.  The Golden Tribe is the Golden Age of immortals, or the gods.  The Silver Tribe is after the Silver Age of men, or those ruled under the god Zeus.  They always squabbled and lived short lives.  They refused to worship Zeus, so he destroyed them.  The Bronze Tribe was patterned after the Bronze Age where Zeus supposedly made men out of ash tree.  They had armor made of bronze, as were their tools and weapons.  They were violent, and unworthy, so they died and were sent to live with Hades.  The Heroic Tribe is patterned after the Heroic Age.  This age was not compared to any metal.  Men were made from the bones of the earth.  Men lived with demigods and heroes.  The men from this age made a name for themselves and their names were jotted down to be remembered for all times.  Most of the heroes from Greek Mythology come from this age.  The Iron Tribe is patterned after the Iron Age, which is supposed to be the age we live in; a time when the gods had forsaken men.  Man had to toil for their own support.  Men fought men, brother fought brother, and there were curses and plagues upon all men.

     So, all that depth was put into the making of this T.V. series.  Now, lets learn about the series.  It's set in a futuristic society where all of the Tribes are capable of interstellar travel, but there had to maps, or reference points, usually planets, for them to get from one place to another.  The Golden Tribe ruled supreme, but left the galaxy after they imparted their knowledge on to the humanoid Silver Tribe, the insect-like Bronze Tribe, and the greatest warriors, the Heroic Tribe.  The Heroic Tribe was so powerful that they wreaked havoc on the universe with their indomitable power.  As punishment, the Golden Tribe made them serve the other tribes as "Nodos" (giant robot-like beings).  Humanity answered the call of the Golden Tribe to follow them into the next galaxy, and they were dubbed the Iron Tribe.  The Silver Tribe does not like this, and they make it their duty to destroy the Iron Tribe. 

     The whole series is based around the two tribes fighting, with the bug-like Bronze Tribe continually attacking in swarms.  One of the last surviving Iron Tribe ships is on a mission to find a Nodos to save and protect them.  They come across a young boy, Age, left all alone after the destruction of a world.  The Bronze Tribe attacks, almost annihilating this band of Iron Tribe, when Age transforms into a Nodos and easily destroys the attackers.  Age joins the Iron Tribe, and they go searching for the Golden Tribe.

     There is constant action with the tribes battling it out.  The fighting sequences are long, but not boring.  There is comic relief as Age is in no ways civilized, and the story leaves you wanting more.

     I openly recommend this anime to anyone, especially if you have never watched anime.  It would be a wonderful introduction into the anime world.  I give the series