The 2005 hit anime series “Eureka Seven” returns in the form of a trilogy of films that takes place throughout the original canon. “Eureka Seven Hi-Evolution Part One” will be out in selected U.S. theaters for two nights only, February 5th and 7th thanks for Funimation Films.

“Hi-Evolution Part One” starts ten years before the young protagonist Renton Thurston has his high flying adventure. It takes a look at the very event that puts the Thurston name into the history books when his scientist father Adroc saved humanity from the hostile Scub Coral. While people in the future would praise his efforts during the “Summer of Love”, very few know the truth of what conspired and the price they paid. The movie shifts to Renton as he abandons the Gekko after his latest mission nearly took Eureka away from him. The 14-year old tries to find his own place by himself and fails. Amidst the despair, he meets the couple Charles and Ray Beams, old associates of his father. The two do their best to treat him like the son they never had but it is only time until their secrets will surface.

The creative team chose the unique format of video playback to present the film. They used literal “Play Back” and “Play Forward” scenes for transitions along with listing time difference. It gave the feel of scrolling through the series to get to certain portions. “Hi-Evolution Part One” mostly focused on the time during Episodes 19 to 24 with Renton under the microscope. As it dove back into the anime, those that have not seen it will miss a lot of context even though the film provided many text notes. It laid a good foundation to the world’s setting, but it gave little tidbits on Renton’s time on the Gekko which was the meat of the original series. Within the constant shuffling of events, it still had a compelling and bittersweet story of the young boy’s character development. It definitely gave a big wave of nostalgia for fans within the rough winds, especially with the return of the dubbed cast.

It is unknown how much far of this trilogy will dive into since Part Two will be out later this year in Japan. It will be interesting if Studio Bones keeps the scrolling along with the pinpoint focus on Renton.  

For those that want to see the series before heading to the theaters, both Funimation and Crunchyroll have all 50 episodes available for streaming. They also have the sequel show “Eureka Seven AO” and the 2009 alternative timeline movie “Good Night, Sleep Tight, Young Lovers”. Visit Funimation Films’ site for more information on “Hi-Evolution Part One” including a listing of theaters. Do note that certain times, days and theaters will provide either the Japanese version with subtitles or the dubbed one.