11-nin Iru!

~Mr. Panda's VCR of Doom: #3~ They Were 11 takes place in the far future where the united races of space have constructed an academy that trains the future leaders of the galaxy. Only the creme de la creme even stand a chance at passing the entrance exam. Those that do must face a final test before admission, and that's where this particular work takes us. Ten applicants must survive on a decrepit spaceship for a giving amount of time. Upon arriving, they find their are eleven rather than the prescribed ten. The concept for this story--as near as I can tell--is oneof the most original I have found coming out of the Sci-Fi-mad 80s (note I speak here of anime originality, as certainly 11--like so many other 80s Sci-Fi works--takes the Lost in Space que as its foundation). And within the story there are enough plot twists to keep anyone from being bored. I have to say, at least one of them seemed just a little too convenient for the story to progress, but it added an interesting dynamic and allowed for a satisfactory conflict. Short of this, I can only say this is one of the best stories I've ever had the privilege to watch in a Sci-Fi anime. The music and sound effects aren't anything particularly special. I have had a separate opportunity to watch the English dub of 11 (only the sub was released on VHS), and so I'm including it in my review since the DVD is the likely copy you will find. The dub is fair. Fewer awkward moments and statements than many other dubs of 80s anime I have seen. However, I have to fall-back on saying I prefer the Japanese version. This is mostly my own feeling that one or two character's voices aren't fitting (though all the others are a nice match). Also, the American-equivalency of an Osakan accent was, frankly, overdone here. I therefore recommend sticking to the Japanese version. The artwork for 11 is nice. It's not as pretty or shiny as some other works, but it gets the job done. The character design suits the portrayal of each character. And while the players in this flick do seem to be inspired by stock character types, there's enough interesting back story to give the important characters presence. My enjoyment of 11 ranks right up there with Space Adventure Cobra and LOGH. I might watch the movie about twice a year on my own, but take any given opportunity to introduce it to an unfamiliar audience. 11 has several qualities that seem to have inspired later anime (such as Infinite Ryvius), so if you're a more recent fan of the Sci-Fi genre, They Were 11 is an absolute NECESSITY to watch. You may call it Lost in Space, but by this point I think we're beyond forcing connections between anime and early live action movies/shows. 11 stands up for itself without having to be supported by inspiration from 60s television. It's a movie you don't want to pass-up. Follow Mr. Panda's VCR of Doom series: http://myanimelist.net/blog.php?eid=60585

Rate a 9 English Dubbed genres:action, mystery, thriller,science fiction Slight intro to this movie without spoilers Often we see/hear events/people but having a second thought is not really done. Although, when one is put into a important situation does one start to really care. Sadly, that tends to be a little too late. Luckily they have a life line to use but that is it exactly a 'life' line. And they only have 'one'. Story -Was a bit confusing at first but it made sense. It was an okay confusion because when it comes to science fiction anything most often something is made up and once your mind welcomes that ideaor concept the rest starts to sink in. -Introduction was narrative -conclusion was nice for it was almost memorable. Kind of like the way the breakfast club movie ended. You get each characters follow through without really stepping in their shoes and seeing from their eyes. Art -no complaints -I think changing the art would ruin the show. Sound -no issues Enjoyment I found this movie entertaining. From the plot being hard to predict. Strong character management, not just by being independent from each other but interaction wise as well. Original concept or rarely seen in terms of messing with your mind. Face it, when we are told a story it plays out one way. Introduction, followed by plot and ending result. In other words, we don't need to think just watch. Here, thinking is a must. Not only that but depending on the situation you must think fast. Hitting the pause button for this would only ruin the thrill.

- Not a Thriller, More of a Shoujo Oneshot - They Were Eleven is a movie with an incredibly interesting premise. Genius candidates from across the galaxy are taking the most important exam of their lives to get into the elite Cosmo Academy. Ten of these candidates are grouped to take the final portion of the exam: survive living on a space station for 45 days. However, once aboard, the candidates realize there are not ten, but eleven members on the ship. With dangerous situations abound including hidden bombs and dangerous viruses, these crew members must work together to surviveand find the culprit. That sounds absolutely fantastic in summary. Unfortunately, in practice, They Were Eleven is not really about any of that. It is not a traditional thriller nor mystery but more of an exploration of the characters' personalities and motivations to get into Cosmo Academy. The fact that the story originally ran under a shoujo magazine should give you some indication of what to expect in terms of content. The specific reasons as to why this movie fails as a thriller or mystery title primarily lies in the antagonist. From the title, the movie postulates that our story revolves around an unknown eleventh member on the space station who lurks beneath the surface ready to cause harm...except throughout the movie, it doesn't feel like this person is particularly dangerous. You'll find that all of the major problems on the space station are caused by outside events, and the mysterious eleventh person comes to play only twice in the movie by hindering the crew from implementing their solutions to these challenges. All of this comes out to make the antagonist a passive figure. In my head, I kept thinking throughout the movie, so what if there's an eleventh member on board, just keep on doing what you're doing, because it's abundantly clear that this eleventh member really isn't actively trying to hurt any of you. While this eleventh member is eventually revealed with a complete explanation of the backstory, it is here that the story fails as a mystery as well. No real clues are present throughout the story to help you figure out who it is so when the reveal comes it comes as a little bit of a let down. Red herrings are thrown around to make you suspect characters, but that's all they come out to be, red herrings. In addition, deus ex machina is involved in the solution as the reason to why the suspect was able to hide himself and cause problems on the ship is because he is a "telepath" and doesn't need to actually be at the site where accidents and where the people get hurt are. What is made even more annoying is how the movie throws in your face how dangerous this eleventh person is to the crew. There are constant accusations, arguing, and conflict among the candidates. This part is fun to watch but again let down by the weak resolution. What the movie excels in is creating strong impressions of the candidates within the time limitations of the film. In particular, the character Frol who has issues with her sex identity warrants a nod. This comes as no shock as the this is supposed to be a shoujo title, and I'm inclined to think that this movie is meant for people who enjoy light romance, strong-willed girls, and a generally more enigmatic rather than scary sci-fi atmosphere. In the end, I would not recommend watching this movie if you already have a backlog of things to watch. Outside of the strong character work, the story just isn't all that interesting. That being said, I will admit that I had some fun at moments and agree that it's a watchable title if you're in the mood. The animation still holds up relatively well today, and the fact that the story tries something different from the mass-produced magical high school love romcom titles currently airing means that it deserves a moment of consideration before you move on to another anime to evaluate for your viewing pleasure.

This is an extremely obscure anime movie. The only way I even heard about it was because the GeekNights podcast was saying how great it was. Finding this thing is incredibly difficult. I ended up having to get it via a Netflix rental. I'm not really a fan of old-school anime, but I gave this a shot. And it was good. It's an incredibly interesting concept. And the pacing is well done. And there's lots of action. There's really interesting situations that the characters go through. And it's suspenseful... I guess. And well... yeah. There's not much I can say without spoiling it.

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