Saishuu Heiki Kanojo is one of the most heart warming, and, at times, the most gut wrenching animes that I've ever watched.  The story, set primarily in the Hokkaido town of Otaru,  revolves around two high school seniors, Shuuji and Chise, who are determined to fall in love.  They have to overcome a multitude of hurdles in order to reach this goal, not the least of which is the fact that the world is at war, Japan is being invaded and Chise has been transformed into Saishuu Heiki Kanojo--She, the Ultimate Weapon.

At first glance, the premise of SaiKano sounds pretty lame and/or overdone.  When you think about it, most of the Gundam series deal with teens falling in love in the midst of war.  However, where SaiKano stands out is the fact that instead of the teens piloting instruments of war, one of the main characters *becomes* an instrument of war.  The series also delves into the lives of those around Shuuji and Chise, delivering a powerfully deep story that grabs you and pulls you into the characters' lives.  In the omake special that aired prior to the pilot episode of SaiKano, Shin Takahashi, the creator of the series, said that he intentionally didn't give anyone a last name so that they seem more like classmates or friends instead of anime characters.  As such, the viewer isn't distanced from what's going on in SaiKano, and the events that take place over the course of the 13 episodes that comprise the series are much more touching.

    It can be safely said that Shuuji and Chise are, upon first glance, your typical anime teens.  Shuuji is reclusive and quiet, but still prone to outbursts at the drop of a hat.  Chise is very tiny and <kawaii>, emotionally fragile, clumsy and not really good at anything [The cynical side of me makes me wonder why the government decided Chise would be a great ultimate weapon, but whatever...].  If they were left to stagnate in their premiere forms, SaiKano would wind up being more or less like Evangelion, minus about two-thirds the fighting action and 99% of the mystery and unanswered questions.  However, Takahashi lets their personas grow over the course of the series, allowing them to become more "real" than most anime characters.  Shuuji finds it in himself to speak out about his feelings instead of bottling them up, Chise is always trying to get stronger (emotionally and physically), and their friend Akemi...well, I don't want to spoil episode 9 for you.

   There is a lot of content stuffed into SaiKano, but never so much that it seems rushed or forced.  The pacing is gripping, even when there isn't a lot of "action" taking place, and it wouldn't be too surprising if you watched the whole series in one sitting; sort of the anime version of a page-turner book.  Between the small episode count and the subject matter contained therein, the viewer really *wants* to know what's going to happen next.  The only problem with watching the shows back to back to back to back is that you get a little tired of hearing Yuria Yato's theme songs over and over.  They're great songs, and the opening and ending sequences are way sweet, but there's only so many times you can hear, "Kiiiiiimi no soba ni iru dake de..." (the opening refrain from "Koi Suru Kimochi") before you dread it the next time around.  That aside, there is no filler or chaff in SaiKano, nor is there the almost obligatory 'recap episode' (which plagued Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou, dammit).  It's possible that because SaiKano is just 13 episodes, the storyline needed to be condensed as much as possible while still keeping it from being confusing.  Another cool thing is that the first 11 episodes are actually a flashback as Shuuji reads these little love diaries that Chise had gotten for them to write to each other.  I don't know why I think that's cool, but I do.  Deal.

    The animation is provided by Gonzo Digimation, also responsible for other projects including Hellsing, Blue Submarine #6 and Gatekeepers 21.  The character designs take some getting used to, as their side profiles show off the fact that they don't have much in the way of noses.  They're also perpetually blushing, but after a while you forget about these quirks and focus on what's going on.  I also like how the digital animation makes the ambient environment a lot more fluid (stuff like snow falling, puffs of steam from the mouths of the characters, etc.), though in the climactic scene in the last episode, some of the action looks like a low-grade Photoshop-filtered document rather than containing all the vibrancy of hand-drawn and painted cels.  But really, I'm nit-picking here.  There is also some 3D CGI in SaiKano, used mostly for the weapons that sprout from Chise and, later on, her ultimate form.  It blends together really well and never looks out of place (unlike the mecha launching scenes from Dual! Parallel Universe Troubles, which look like cut scenes from a PS1 game).

Ultimately, SaiKano is a love story, and this may turn off some people.  You know what?  That's their problem.  I'm always at a loss when I'm through watching the series.  One the one hand, I feel pretty low because of all the tragic things that happen to Shuuji and Chise.  (Some fans even wished the show would have ended after episode 10, because what happens after that...damn.  It's HARD.)  On the other hand, it makes you treasure the relationships you do have, whether they be friendly, familial or romantic.  It's a fabulous dichotomy that's pulled off amazingly well.  If you're looking for a detailed story, believable characters and more than a few tugs at the heartstrings, I can't recommend Saishuu Heiki Kanojo enough.

Rating: GG's Favorite Anime EVER out of 10