Stellvia has long been a series that I thought deserved more love than it got. Tatsuo Satō's (Martian Successor Nadesico, Bodacious Space Pirates) 2003 original anime and science fiction tale of teens in space never really found much of an audience, at least in the English-speaking anime fandom, and it's a shame. With four banger theme songs by angela and a compelling story that seamlessly blends interpersonal drama and believable sci-fi with both heart and head, it's a great watch, but for years was practically lost when its licensor Geneon went under. Now that it's been rescued by Discotek and has become available for streaming, I hope more people will check it out.

I can understand what would make Stellvia a harder sell at first. Early-aughts anime seem to come with several strikes assumed against them. Digital animation had recently supplanted cel animation in Japan, but high-definition hadn't yet been developed and series were animated at lower resolutions than even a modern laptop screen, which brings along a host of issues when upscaled. The moe boom was on the horizon and the heroine Shima, with her high-pitched voice provided by Ai Nonaka and appearance that suggests several years younger than her actual age of fifteen, looks at a glance like a helpless heroine, meant more to inspire feelings of protection in the audience than to drive a compelling story. However, to dismiss Stellvia based on these things would be a dire mistake, because it is seriously good.

Okay, the animation really hasn't aged well. Most of Makoto Uno's resume for character design work is on fan service and harem series such as Love Hina and Qwaser of Stigmata, and they are very much of an era. Like most early digipaint shows, there's a kind of plasticky shininess to the look, and shots that were never intended to be seen at a resolution above 740 x 480 have been blown up to high definition, revealing off-model details that would have been imperceptible on TVs at the time. The heavy use of CG for the spaceship scenes looks particularly clunky, at times even interfering with dramatic reveals and moments of tension.

However, only the most ardently anti-CG fans should let them put that off, because Stellvia's writing is some of the best I've seen in the genre, seamlessly blending adolescent character drama and science fiction so that they resonate and inform each other. The first few episodes explore Shima's new life on Stellvia as she begins classes and makes new friends, but unlike, say, Code Geass's school episodes, which seem totally divorced from the conflict between Japan and Brittania, their lives and relationships are constantly affected by the developing situation around the Second Wave, and vice versa. Each side is equally thoughtful, important, and gripping.

At first glance, it would be simple to dismiss Shima as an adorably clumsy heroine who must try hard and learn to believe in herself, but that would be doing her a vast disservice. She's stubborn and prideful and competitive, an intelligent and talented individual, though not a prodigy, who in some ways learns differently from her peers. As the situation around her shifts, so does her role, which in turn affects her sense of self and her relationships, both with her friends and her boyfriend and copilot, Kouta.

And indeed, Shima and Kouta's relationship is the beating heart of the show. From the very start, they act remarkably like actual teenagers falling in love for the first time, sidestepping tropes and cliches with each stage of their relationship. There's no heartfelt confessions of love under the cherry blossoms, love triangles, or episodes upon episodes of awkward stammering to be found here. Rather, there's a sense of mutual attraction from the start, and the two's ups and downs speak toward a lot of psychological complexity considered in the writing.

The plot itself is a bit more boilerplate: a group of teens must train their piloting skills in order to avert a great disaster for humanity as well as a new threat in the second half. The first half being against an environmental disaster rather than some sort of malicious entity is relatively unusual, although not unheard of. There aren't any shocking twists to the plot, though there are a few fun surprises in store. It's just a classic story, told well. It helps that the teens aren't alone, or even primary, in their fight against the threats; they're just one part of the organism that is the Stellvia, and every step of the way they're supported and mentored by the adults who care for them. My one issue is a character who commits some truly terrible acts, gets off somewhat light, and never really earns the forgiveness she receives, but it's a fairly small quibble in the grand scheme of things.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the excellent theme songs, all of which are done by the band angela. The opener, “Asu he no Brilliant Road,” has been on my workout playlist for close to a decade for its high energy and sense of anticipation. In a rather clever move, the show switches between two closing themes according to mood: the high-energy, cheerful “Kirei na Yozora,” or the somber, downbeat “The End of the World.” This ensures that the episode never ends on an incongruous note, breaking up tension or dampening joy.

Stellvia is an excellent show, a must-see for fans of science fiction, and anything with well-written characters. Even just writing this review makes me want to go back and watch it again. Don't let it slip forgotten into the annals of anime history!