The Cinematheque

New Restoration

“An honest work, without any bluff or pretension … [Royal Space Force] is going to be a great inspiration to the young people working in this industry; they may be intensely divided over whether they like it or not, but either way it’s going to serve as a stimulus.”

Miyazaki Hayao

The first feature from studio Gainax (Neon Genesis Evangelion) was an original story made outside the shadow of an acclaimed manga like Miyazaki’s Nausicaä or Otomo’s Akira—but with ambition to match both. Set in an alternate future where no rocket has ever exited the planet’s atmosphere, the film starts with the military’s space branch on the precipice of closure; volunteer pilot Shiro and his crew are emasculated, pitiable, and undereducated. Writer-director Yamaga Hiroyuki’s anti-drama impulse contrasts with the film’s wondrous pre-digital technical achievements, led by Anno Hideaki as special effects artist. Sakamoto Ryuichi’s score is a masterwork, equal parts operatic grandeur, naïve playfulness, and ironic commentary on the film’s space-race action. No typical blockbuster, the film continually subverts character identification as Shiro is radicalized by a religious Luddite named Riquinni, further complicating the treatment of cruelty and heroism.

In Japanese with English subtitles

Advisory: Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise contains a scene of sexual violence.

“Top of the line, thought-provoking animation … This wonderful film is an allegorical reflection on the connection between war and technology, and the role humankind and its ideals play as part of that connection.”

Fantasia Festival 1996