Knights of Sidonia (2014–2015) User Reviews

Very Unique Concepts, Keeps Interest Easily!

[mercfma · 9/10 · 5 July 2014]

So i found this show because i had off on the 4th of July 2014, and i decided to dedicate the entire day to Netflix. As soon as i went on Netflix it showed me this newly released title "Knights of Sidonia" and i wasn't that interested by the description or the images because i saw mecha type anime(robots). That immediately discouraged me because i hate mecha type anime, but for some reason something inside me just couldn't resist watching one episode.

So i start episode 1 and my first reaction was the picture quality, it was so strange and 3-D-ish. At first i wasn't sure if i even liked it but i finished episode 1 and thought it was decent. I decided to give one more episode a try before i decided if i was gonna watch it or drop it and boy am i glad i did! After episode 2 i got use to the strange animation and the story really picked up from there. Every single episode left you in suspense for the next, its been along time since a show caught my eye like this show did! This show has a very unique concept on the human race and how they've changed in the future this is one thing that really caught my attention. And the action and mystery were very nice too. Both opening and ending are very good in my opinion.

This show has post-apocalyptic, romance, action, and mystery. I'm really excited for season two and i'm very happy that this was English dubed the same time as japans release.

Overall: 4/5. Why not 5/5? The animation basically. I think if they would have used what ever effects they did on the animation during specific parts in the show rather than the entire thing it would have looked better. Don't get me wrong though even with the strange or different animation style this show is really good. The story is a 5/5 for me, theirs just so much suspense and mystery and cool concepts i love it all. And don't forget i don't even like mecha genre anime and i loved this, that basically says it all!

Edit: Just finished season 2 and i have to say i think it was even slightly better than the first, for me it kept the same suspense at the end of every episode. It had its adorable moments along with epic action and some unraveling of the shows mystery's. The opening theme wasn't as memorable as the first season but if you listen past the first few seconds its actually pretty decent. I enjoyed the ending theme very much, it gave me the old eerie feeling of paint peeling. And i have to say my judgment of the animation has changed since my first viewing, just because the style is different from the mainstream isn't a bad thing and i think this is one of the few shows that can be done the way it was and come out well. 4/5 for season 2, its completely consistent with season 1 quality and for me i think i enjoyed it slightly more, cant wait for season 3! If you were a fan of season 1 you will absolutely love season 2, i promise!

Oldschool Mech with New School Animation

[sommeraaron · 8/10 · 7 July 2014]

Growing up on Robotech (Macross) and the Gundam franchise, I have a tender spot in my core for mech anime. If you grew up on said anime, then you have to immediately view this series. It's not for you that I need to make the case. You'll already be willing to finish the series in one sitting.

For those of you, maybe a younger generation, without the mech background, give this a chance. My girlfriend is of the Hunter x Hunter, Kill la Kill, Blue Exorcist generation. But, Knights of Sidonia has your emotional character development, cutesy facial expression (heavy blushing) and the artwork will hold the new generation. I've tried in vain to get my girlfriend to watch many of the late 80's early 90's classics. She loved Ninja Scroll and Armitage, but still admits to not watching older anime for the dated animation. Knights of Sidonia is the perfect oldschool mech vs alien anime with an updated appearance.

Worth your time.

[r_eternal1999 · 9/10 · 7 July 2014]

This series has what it takes to become one of the best animes in recent memory. Haven't been into anime for a very long time (wife and 2 kids will do that), but I saw the Netflix trailer and decided to give it a try over the 4th of July weekend.

In a word: Awesome.

The story, animation and the backdrop are all top notch. The plot is bleak but offers glimmers of hope and the action scenes are absolutely stunning. Very interesting developments going on between the characters and I really loved the way that Season 1 wrapped up. The fact that the story deals with mature themes and the trademark anime goofy moments are kept to a bare minimum is a big plus to me personally.

I highly recommend it if you're looking for an excellent new series to get into and if you're into anime especially of the mecha variety, it's an absolute no-brainer.

I'm highly anticipating Season 2 this fall.

Even Better the Second Time Through

[belldave50 · 9/10 · 13 June 2016]

Although I originally had this pegged as somewhat below Attack on Titan for one of the best anime series I've seen in the past decade, the second time through it entertained me just as much.

This is about a future humanity fighting aliens in giant mechs. Wow, that's an anime cliché that usually goes south and needs superb execution to be something decent. This series does just that. Executes this premise in a way that has a unique feel, despite appearing derivative and cliché on paper.

This is a very grown up anime, no real chibi here. Although not at all the dystopia of Attack on Titan. In my experience, Sidonia was built up as this amazing place, almost a character itself with many sides and mysteries, that draws you in. I felt like I wanted to be in this world and share in the adventures and drama.

I found the action to have real weight. The humans and even main characters feel vulnerable, and have to really struggle. No real deus ex machina to make everything better in the end. People die and there are real consequences for the actions that occur in the battles.

There's an interesting dynamic about the aliens, where some characters have interesting hypotheses on them and why they're fighting, which may lead to some great plot twists later on.

I loved the love stories, which take time to develop as well as the character interactions. Although there were a few clichés, each character ends up with their unique characteristics, hopes, wants, and dreams.

There are real themes of love, loss, war, friendship, political intrigue and manipulation of power, and so on. There's also a real sense of humanity.

There are a few flaws in this, but hell, there are a few flaws in Attack on Titan: a near perfect anime in my opinion. The first one is that the main character Nagate, although truly likable, can come off as that quintessential anime protagonist nice guy that the girls are all into for some reason. But with his background, it makes sense that he's out of it and socially inept. But he was still a character that was much more than a cliché by the end.

I felt that Titan balanced the many secondary characters better and there are several in Sidonia who seemed to come and go and by the time they're reintroduced, you've forgotten who they are. But this didn't really matter as there are 5-6 main characters who were integral to the plot, that were focused on.

There was one character who was just about to have an arc when something happened to this person in the second season, that was neat as a change but kind of left me hanging.

Much of the political story that gives you small bits at a time seemed confusing but made more sense the second time through.

Overall, I found that this show was truly addicting and serial watching it never became a chore, I couldn't wait to see the next episodes.

Can't recommend highly enough.

A different version of Neon Genesis Evangelion

[hivort · 8/10 · 17 July 2014]

Well, this is short review that old anime fans might find useful.

This show is basically some sort of Neon Genesis Evangelion remake, or at least strongly based on, I'm surprised that few people noticed that, and no, this is far from being intense as NGE, but it's a really good show and definitely worth being watched. I giving it a 8 out 10 because the main character lacks of some development, I'd say that 50% of Nagate's(which would be Ikari Shinji in NGE) sentences are "hmm" literally. This show also have some very provocative scenes that makes me want to watch some hentai and some sort of gore scenes.

I'll finish with: the show leaves some unanswered mysteries and questions, a really nice hook for a sequel, which is great, many of best animes out there leave you alone and feeling deserted since they have only one season, this is not the case.

this is my first review on IMDb, i hope you find it useful, I tried to do my best without giving any spoiler.

One of the best anime series in space

[bcnkor · 10/10 · 5 January 2022]

Even though Japan has many very good animated films with the theme of space, this is one of the best, because of the theme that takes the form of the narration and the sound.

Solid drama/mystery, excellent mecha battles, and some philosophical pondering on the side as well

[name_not · 9/10 · 20 August 2016]

Excellent watch for both newcomers and experienced anime viewers alike.

Although it has a 3d animation which is not so common in anime, it is still put to good use in the battle scenes, but also in regular drama moments as well.

Most characters can easily be categorized into classic anime tropes, but this show doesn't pretend it is reinventing the wheel. It is doing the hero-saves-all thing in a very satisfying way. The hero is of course the center of a harem, but that theme is done quite tastefully here as not everyone drools over him.

The battles are top of the notch. Dynamic, intense, with plenty of cool moments, not just your regular what-the-hell-is-going-on-here battles.

And maybe my favorite part is the mystery and the many questions it presents the viewer, which are not to be taken lightly. It wonders about gender, love, friendship, and then delves into some more heavy themes like cloning, calculations with death as collateral damage, and some other ones( shouldn't spoil anything :) )

I give my humble recommendation. You are not gonna regret watching this!

Entertaining yet derivative of other anime mecha-classics.

[Johnny-the-Film-Sentinel-2187 · 7/10 · 17 September 2018]

Knights of Sidonia has some good stuff going for it, but I find the animation distracting from the story at times. Sometimes it's incredible, even beautiful; other times you can tell that this a 'three-dimensional imitation' of traditional cel-animation and the look still hasn't grown on me yet. It's difficult to describe how exactly I feel about the animation style: the fight sequences look great, but everything outside of that still feels oddly alien to me (the jerky CGI at play here is not a substitute for that traditional animation look). With that said, there is stuff to enjoy here. It's a legit space-opera with some good music and stories to tell, but it's far from perfect.

'Knights' gets 3.5/5 stars.

stunning graphics and interesting characters

[eola · 8/10 · 29 April 2017]

A joy to see. Some battle sequences a bit to long for me but even so still totally recommendable. The characters are rich and interesting. You get attached to them and want to know more about them The quality of the graphics stunning.

Can't wait for the next season.

Derivative, but still quite good.

[bmcafee_98-257-960319 · 7/10 · 4 January 2016]

Synopsis: Knights of Sidonia is a Netflix original, and it packs a great look and outstanding music. Earth has been destroyed by mysterious aliens called the Gauna. Sidonia is a multi-generational seed ship sent out to find a new home for the human race. It's been a hundred years since the Gauna were last encountered, but the arrival of a mysterious young pilot, Nagate Tanikaze, coincides with the return of Sidonia's ancient enemy.

Tanikaze has spent his entire life (he seems to be in his late teens) underground with his grandfather, who has apparently restricted him to two activities: eating, and training to fly giant robots. When Tanikaze ventures above deck to steal some rice, he is captured and taken before the ship's captain, who instantly recognizes his innate piloting skills and assigns him to the mech pilot program, just in time to fend off the return of the Gauna. To make things worse, the Gauna can only be killed by spears made of an extremely rare element, of which Sidonia only has twenty-something left, and they can't make any more.

Let's break it down:

Animation: 9.0 This anime is completely 3D CGI. It looks great, allowing seamless integration of the characters with their environment. The series does have a distinct lack of color, in the technology, the environment, and especially in the characters. Everyone has the same skin tone, hair color (except for Midorikawa and Seii), and if they had different eye color, I didn't notice in the two times I watched it. The lack of color and often of lighting makes it hard to determine where computer displays end and the panel/wall/etc. begins. The action, on the other hand, was fantastic. I love a good space mecha fight, and this didn't disappoint.

Characters: 6.0 There is practically no character development. Some die off too soon, others are just there for window dressing (like Lala, who happens to be a bear with a robotic claw, and is never explained.) Tanikaze, the main character, starts out as a socially awkward (for good reason) outsider who happens to be an outstanding pilot, but develops into a socially awkward (for no reason) outsider who is an outstanding pilot. After defeating every threat facing Sidonia for twelve episodes, you would think he might develop a little confidence, or a cocky attitude… but no. He's also painfully oblivious to the fact that he's a chick magnet.

Story: 5.0 Highly derivative. Giant spaceship with a city inside, mysterious aliens want to destroy the ship, multi-generational mission to a new home. Sound familiar? It should. It's been done, and here it comes again. It was done SO much better by Macross Frontier that if you enjoy this show at all, you need to immediately start watching Macross F. It's not a complete copy of Frontier, there is the immortal council, like the one in Ergo Proxy. And the part where Tanikaze and Hoshijiro are trapped together for three weeks; that was totally copied from Original Macross, not Frontier. There are also a few scenes that will get you thinking, like when Saitou breaks into a cloning facility to steal an unauthorized copy of himself. When he comes out, he is met by the security forces… armed with swords and bows? He actually gets shot with an arrow. If they can produce giant robots, cloning facilities and particle cannons, why the hell can't they figure out how to make a taser or a handgun? Actually, (and I'm not making this up) it's later revealed that they do have tranquilizer dart guns, but they shot Saitou with an arrow anyway. Total dick move!

This series has been praised for its realistic physics. It's good in some parts, but bad in others. When the giant ship makes dramatic course changes, the occupants feel the G forces, sometimes to fatal effect. This is something that almost ALL giant spaceship anime neglect. However, in the scene where Tanikaze flies away from Sidonia to rescue Hoshijiro, he passes, "the point of no return!" What the hell? I'm supposed to believe that if he goes past that point he won't have enough fuel to get back? That's not how space works! All you have to do is get going in any direction, and you will continue to go that way FOREVER! Regardless of if you have fuel left or not! Also, when the mecha have to travel any long distance, they all join hands to form a "clasp formation." Apparently holding hands gives you greater thrust from your engine? Well, yes, four mecha holding onto each other do have four times the thrust but they also have four times the MASS! Meaning no net gain! However, the morale boost from a squadron group-hug cannot be quantified.

Sound: 8.0 The opening song is an outstanding march, which kept me from skipping the credits. I watched it in Japanese and English. Both sound quite good. I didn't really know many names on the cast list, which is strange for me, but I did recognize Christina Valenzuela, who played my favorite character from Madoka Magica, and plays the Honoka sisters here. She sounds nothing like Homura here, and if I hadn't read the credits, I would never have known it was her, which is high praise for any voice actress. The way in which the mouth movements were rendered made the English version problematic. The CGI may have just been too detailed to get the words to match the mouths.

Overall Impression: 7.0 Despite the flaws, it was fun to watch, and that's all I expect from my entertainment. It helps that I like this sub-genre of mecha anime. And even though the story was super- derivative, the action was thrilling. It's just too bad that their weapons were the only aspect that actually developed by the end of the series. Still, I'm looking forward to the second season.

My overall thoughts on this show

[arturodv1996 · 8/10 · 2 October 2015]

This is another show I just finished, and all I can say is that it may not be for everyone. What's neat is that it's the first original Netflix anime. So I gave it a shot and I liked it. The story is about a boy coming out of his hidey-hole into the public world. It turns out that the world he's in is a spaceship, Earth is destroyed, and humanity has lived in the spaceship for six hundred years, while aliens known as Gauna are trying to destroy them. What does humanity have? Robots, obviously. The robot pilots are Knights of Sidonia. The last episode is ..... well as usual with a lot of shows, this one ends in a cliffhanger. In Season 2, there were a lot of things going on between two sides. All I can say is that if you watched Evangelion, and feel that it's out there, well, you might also think that about this show too. But if you liked Evangelion, then you'll probably enjoy this one as well. Some shows that have weirdness don't always bother me, unless it gets tooooo over the top nonsense. But you never know; even if you think Evangelion was over the top you might not feel the same about Knights of Sidonia. I guess you should just watch it to find out. Netflix also has a Spanish dub version, which was a pleasant surprise, so I might watch it all over again in Spanish. Hopefully they will come out with another season since the creator said he would end his manga on September 25 of this year. We'll just have to wait and see. Overall, I enjoyed this show.

Decent story & animation, with troubling impossible science.

[ajrcvr · 7/10 · 28 June 2016]

First, there are many good things about this series. At the top is the story, which is one of the more interesting ones you will find in anime. There are many clever devices and inventions which provide additional interest. Next, there are many battle scenes which offer up action and drama, along with the essential problem of Sidonia - a huge space ship on which live people that have survived Earth's destruction by the guana creatures hundreds of years ago - which is survival against space itself, their aloneness in the universe, and the attacking guana. On the down side are some really stupid and impossible things that are strewn about in an otherwise great adventure. Primarily, there are the guana; they are simply impossible creatures that just couldn't exist any way at all in any universe or reality, ever! They are, apparently, stupid things, essentially blobs of who knows what, unable to communicate, they can manage sophisticated propulsion and space travel by no scientific means whatsoever, as well as utilize complex weaponry to kill their enemy (Sidonia), which is their enemy for no known reason. They can also occasionally transform into something that looks human-like, especially after they've eaten a human! Making relatively tiny Sidonia their enemy in an enormous universe where they could go anywhere (since they travel easily in space by who knows what means), is just dumb! Additionally, there is nothing that the guana creatures - or the Sidonians for that matter - do that is actually possible, which is where the series deserts sci-fi and becomes pure fantasy. This is okay, if the series is going to be pure fantasy, but it treats the storyline as sci-fi, which it isn't. Asking where does all the fuel to power everything come from, offers no answer - it's just there: magic! Which is not supposed to be what this series is about; and yet they employ it liberally because there is no even REMOTELY scientific way any of these things could happen.

Moving on, the characters are mostly decently portrayed, although, yes, you could develop them a little more, but that is not a major complaint for me, since the drama is not driven by the psychology of the characters; rather, it is the action that does it. The animation is okay, although not startlingly good (like a Disney or Pixar offering), and could use more coloration, instead of the drab grayish-bluish hue they cast over everything. Yes, I know everything's in space, but still, you can have color in space, and they do have a few scenes where they employ it.

Like most of these Japanese anime, having characters which are paralyzingly shy about their feelings for one another, or seeing each other partially nude, gets old; it's silly and unrealistic. No reason for it.

Tanikaze, our main main protagonist, is a strong pilot and soldier who shows the same spirit and bravery that our fighter pilots show today. He is charming in his own way because he is not an average alpha type male, but always maintains his shy & humble demeanor throughout, regardless of what he accomplishes; understandably, the women are attracted to that, along with his heroics. There are a few women he is close to, and that provides further story development.

Overall, despite the impossible "science," propelling things around by employing magic power and unlimited fuel, the story is a good one, and does pull you into its matrix. There are fairly attractive characters, good animation, and plenty of battle scenes utilizing mecha for those folks who love that sort of thing. Too many mysteries work against the storyline - what the guana are, where are they from, why kill people they don't even know and have never interacted with - but they don't completely destroy it, and so despite some of the scientific irritations, it's a worthy story to follow and a pleasant anime to watch.

one-dimensional story, great graphics

[tomvdberg · 4/10 · 6 August 2015]

After watching the first season only, I honestly don't get why this has such a high rating. The only thing that stood out for me were the graphics. They are awesome and give the creators lots of opportunities. Especially the mecha-part of the show profited much from this. It gives the typical anime excitement you get as a kid watching mecha. But unfortunately they implemented a shallow, one-dimensional storyline. Typical ally villain, typical enemy villain, typical hero.

Looking back on the first season it is like none of the story lines ever got developed. They are just the same at the end as in the beginning. There wasn't one character to which a genuinely interesting background story was added. This resulted in a complete lack of connection felt with any of the characters. Someone compared this to neon genesis evangalion and said they are very similar but I don't agree. I would even say that although they both are within the mecha genre, they are opposite to each other. Where NGE is sometimes too difficult/intellectual if you just want to watch something fun, KOS is just too shallow to be interesting at all (save for the graphics and the mecha-part of the show).

I wouldn't be so harsh if it was clearly made for young kids but the amount of mild nudity and blood doesn't suggest such a thing.

Good not great

[Hassan_Scarborough · 6/10 · 2 March 2016]

I gave this a 7, which is 'my go see this' rating because the animation is incredible and the overall story-arc is pretty good. Some of the subplots however, are cringe worthy.

Anime is hard to factor at times because it's difficult to determine the age range, in terms of target audience. This has adult themes and violence that I don't think is really intended for children.

It has the teen angst, that is usually prevalent with anime series and films. Action is top notch, and the pacing is pretty good.

For hardcore Manga fans, read the Manga first, then watch this. The Manga, of course, gives more detail and insight into more of what happens. Which is too be expected.

Although the action is great, this is a space opera of sorts. Toward the later episodes there is more moments of the teen angst, where there is a lack of strong dramatic moments.

So just keep that in mind. This isn't wall-to-wall action. In terms of gender diversity, this film is very well balanced. The star of course, is male, but there is a better balance of female characters that are key elements to the story.

If you are a Manga/anime fan, then certainly check this out.

Japanese gachiGASM

[solberg-hakon · 7/10 · 21 April 2016]

This is actually surprisingly good.

We're following a community flying through space in a gigantic space craft that looks like a mans genitals. The only things to disrupt this idyllic image of a wonderful gigantic male genital flying through space, is some awful aliens called 'guana'. The main character, Tanikaze, who is awfully lawful and dull, is some kind of a clone of a superhero from past grand wars this giant genitalia has had vs. the '"guana"'.

But please, look past all the ridiculousness that was just mentioned, the typical Japanese sexism, the obvious gachiGASM, and, this is actually a good show. I found myself to care for these characters more and more, and only seldom found boring moments during the entire two seasons that was available to me on Netflix.

Relieve yourselves, give this show a chance, and it will give you a good time. I almost promise!

Season 1 wore real steel amor, Season 2 was just cosplaying

[kwesib-32179 · 7/10 · 17 July 2021]

I have watched some mecha anime and although I'm not a guru in this field, I've come across this plot of "humanity is under threat from some creatures" in anime so many times. Going into Sidonia no kishi, I had no expectations but the anime proved me wrong. Season 1 was pure gold. There is weight behind the series as your favourite character can die anytime soon. The drama among the humans was so good as equally as the action against the monsters. Like all series, there are flaws. For instance, the main character might come off as the generic shy guy but by a little into the series, he gains a 3 dimensional growth.

Season 1 was a good introduction to the series but Season 2 was just unacceptable. First of all, they exchanged the beautiful serious plot for a lighthearted harem like fan service. I'm not a fan of harem or fan service but that is not the reason alone why I did not like the second season. The first season was dark, mature, psychological and sad. As a result, the transition into this bright romance like harem sequel was just weird and executed wrongly. Imagine an alternate Attack on Titan season 2 turning from a seinen into an anime where Sasha, Mikasa and Historia are after Eren. Silly right after that beautiful and serious first season? In knights of Sidonia, the second season did not further the entire story anywhere. It became repetitive and dull. I just hope the 3rd season will be far better than what we have now.

Split feelings

[Snootz · 5/10 · 14 February 2020]

While the anime itself is excellent and the graphic design superior, the entire two seasons seems to be an extremely repetitious theme: attacked by space monsters, killed by space monsters, destroy the space monsters, over and over.

The characters are reasonably interesting but very cliche... and as with many anime the most socially and romantically inept creatures in the universe.

It kept my attention, but near the end (last 3 or 4 episodes) I found myself getting bored by the repetitious theme and very repetitive fight sequences.

The biggest problem is only 2 seasons in an anime obviously intended for more. So while the story does have a climax and conclusion, there is a LOT left hanging at the end, a whole bag of character resolutions left unresolved, a bunch of thematic elements that never have the strings tied. The repetitious nature of the theme and the premature ending at the end of the second season knocks it down in stars for me. There is nothing like watching a lengthy series only to discover it incomplete and unfulfilling. That said, it was considerably more interesting than Evangelion (which in my opinion is one of the most highly over-rated and hyped anime series of all time).

Cliche' and Under-Explored Mecha Anime

[josephwallbank · 2/10 · 5 March 2023]

The basic concepts of Knights of Sidonia should be interesting; an adapted future humanity on giant ark spaceships fighting aliens with mechs. However, none of these concepts are ever developed into interesting sub plots or lore building info.

• The city of Sidonia is never explored beyond a few bland shots despite being a flying city home to millions.

• Mech fights against aliens are overly dramatised without any detailed or sophisticated drawing of the scenes: throwaway enemys

• characters are extremely cliche', anime girls chase clueless shy mech pilot.

• Neon Genesis if it were boring.