Daphne in the Brilliant Blue 8/10

This show has the second best title in all of anime as far as I'm concerned. How could you not want to see a show called Daphne in the Brilliant Blue?

Dating back to 2004 the 24 episodes of Daphne look really great. There are also 2 OAV episodes but I'm going to lump them in with the rest since they are of the same quality. The animation and backgrounds are pretty good though there are some poor sections here and there. I really liked all the water, oceans, and sky backgrounds, there's alot of blue and I've always been partial to ocean levels. The character designs are certainly an acquired taste. Frankly when I first started watching this show I thought the faces of the girls were downright horrible. The somewhat skimpy outfits the girls wear when on missions are OK but with their hideous faces I was torn. I eventually came around at about episode 8 or so, I suppose I prefer something original looking once in awhile rather than the 12th show that looks like Gundam Seed. I liked all the music in this series and I really liked the OP. The music has a somewhat ethereal feel at times, a very oceany quality which I quite enjoyed. The VAs are also really good and Maia's screaming and crying are well done, whiny but not annoying.

Maia Mizuki has a pretty tough time in this series. She starts off living with her grandfather and preparing to take the entrance exams for the Ocean Agency, the largest government agency in the city. Her grandpa dies and since she's planning to live in the dorms at the Ocean Agency she gives up her right to live in her grandfather's house. Of course she then proceeds to fail her exams so she can't get into the dorms, with no home or money she's out on the street looking for work and a place to live.

She loses her home because this is the future and the world's oceans have risen and covered the land. The only places left are several floating cities and since living space is so limited once she gives up her home she can't get it back. Desperate for work she ends up at Neres, a private investigation and security agency. Neres takes on jobs such as traffic control, rent collection, hostage rescue, and many other dangerous jobs that Maia really isn't suited for. Neres consists of several members. Rena is the sexy, no nonsense leader, Gloria is the gun toting psycho, Shizuka is the resident gear head with an enormous appetite, and Yuu is the quiet martial arts queen.

Most of the early episodes are one off missions with a healthy dose of comedy and action. While the action sequences are nothing earth shattering it's the comedy of this series that really makes it worth watching. I laughed alot watching this show with Yuu constantly clobbering Gloria, Gloria constantly shooting everything in sight, and Maia bemoaning her fate. This is funny stuff. Later in the series it's explained that Maia had lost her memory a few years before and can't remember her childhood. On a mission to another city her memories begin returning to her and this leads to the main plot where Maia attempts to discover the secret of her past and why some people are desperate she not remember. These episodes are still between various mission episodes but the main plot ones actually have a more somber tone at times.

I don't want to give the ending away but the final revelation actually surprised me and the ending is actually really good. The only problem I had with this show were the character face designs but if you can get past them this show is definitely recommended.