Last Exile

Last Exile is an animated adventure series set in a place where two worlds exist side by side with a stream of clouds flowing between them. The story centres on two orphans, Claus, a talented pilot, and Lavie, his navigator, who make a living as flying couriers, and whose errands bring them in touch with the battles going on up in the skies.

The adventure is not simply about two armies battling it out for supremacy. Into the mix comes a couple of independent, but powerful, vessels in the sky, The Guild, which has control of the ships of the two worlds, and people like the courier community who are just trying to earn a living. Behind all this lies the mystery of an object known as the Last Exile.

This is an enteraining series, particularly adept at ending each episode on a hook that keeps you wanting to watch the next episode straight away. What makes it even better is that it is suitable for children to watch. The violence is mild, and relationships between the adults are only hinted at and do not interfere with the action.

The only draw back is that, in order (presumably) to keep the plot moving, the background of the two worlds battling each other and the nature of the stream between them is left largely unexplained. You have to work it out for yourself as best you can, or else look it up on Wikipedia.

Last Exile is from studio Gonzo, available as a 7 disc, box set put out by Madman Entertainment