Well, you'll read a lot of mixed reviews on this anime series. I haven't yet seen the OVA's or specials or movies or whatnot. I simply comment on the series, which i've seen on Spanish dubs (which aren't nearly as bad as English dubs are), and some episodes on JP.
Starts out as a story on Chise and Shuji, high-schoolers in love, except that later on the pilot you realize that Chise's Japan's Ultimate weapon (you don't know why). There is war all around and people being dramatically killed, Chise "wants to help it end".
At the beginning isn't even that big a love story simply because Shuji's character is very insecure about his feelings, and they even break up once. So the anime spins between his loving Chise and trying to protect their love and him not knowing how to handle the war situation.
And the war part, is the saddest. From the fight scenes, to the dialog on it, to how people uninvolved and involved in it die, will make you cry far worse than the love story itself. It'll remind you of movies like "Grave of the fireflies" and that's what's great about the anime. It'll depress you some, but you'll sure to appreciate those parts, even if the "love story" itself gets on your nerves at times. They are, after all, high-schoolers and behave childishly throughout the series, and respond to the war around them in not the sanest of matters.
As for the ending, if you didn't like series like "neon genesis evangelion", stay away from this one, at least in the last episode. Episodes 1 - 12 are touching and sad, and somewhat romantic, but episode 13 will lead you on an evangelion-like abstract quest to realize what really happens and it throws the anime in a totally different direction.
All in all, I for one liked it very much. I could've done with a little less crying from Chise and a better attitude at times from Shuji, but everything else works nicely. I recommend it to those who'll appreciate the action driven war scenes and drama, as told by a high-schooler in love, and his lover's diary.
Starts out as a story on Chise and Shuji, high-schoolers in love, except that later on the pilot you realize that Chise's Japan's Ultimate weapon (you don't know why). There is war all around and people being dramatically killed, Chise "wants to help it end".
At the beginning isn't even that big a love story simply because Shuji's character is very insecure about his feelings, and they even break up once. So the anime spins between his loving Chise and trying to protect their love and him not knowing how to handle the war situation.
And the war part, is the saddest. From the fight scenes, to the dialog on it, to how people uninvolved and involved in it die, will make you cry far worse than the love story itself. It'll remind you of movies like "Grave of the fireflies" and that's what's great about the anime. It'll depress you some, but you'll sure to appreciate those parts, even if the "love story" itself gets on your nerves at times. They are, after all, high-schoolers and behave childishly throughout the series, and respond to the war around them in not the sanest of matters.
As for the ending, if you didn't like series like "neon genesis evangelion", stay away from this one, at least in the last episode. Episodes 1 - 12 are touching and sad, and somewhat romantic, but episode 13 will lead you on an evangelion-like abstract quest to realize what really happens and it throws the anime in a totally different direction.
All in all, I for one liked it very much. I could've done with a little less crying from Chise and a better attitude at times from Shuji, but everything else works nicely. I recommend it to those who'll appreciate the action driven war scenes and drama, as told by a high-schooler in love, and his lover's diary.