The Wings of Rean, Volume 2

With episode 3 and 4, I actually enjoyed it because now things are a bit settled down, you can focus on the characters and get a little bit more of character development than too many images and battles from the first volume.I really do feel that "the WINGS of REAN" is a story that needs more than six episodes to tell. With so many characters and so many things happening, it's really easy to get lost with this anime but unlike the first volume with fighting and characters all over the place, you get to see character development. How Lyukus and her mother don't get along. How Lyukus is really compassionate towards Amalghan and how he shows the same thing back for his former friend's (and now enemy) daughter.If there is one highlight from this series, it's episode 4 and it's one of the most spontaneous kissing scenes you will ever see in an anime. I was quite surprised of how much was put into that kissing scene but nevertheless, I enjoyed it.Again, the series is beautiful to watch. Great background, cool mecha and space ships galore but at the same time, so many characters that it's easy to get confused. Not as bad as the first volume but fortunately, episodes 3 & 4 is much easier to follow and I found it quite enjoyable.The special feature includes Tomino's Aerial Research Documentary "Over Tokyo 2006'. Pretty much Tomino Yoshiyuki goes on a helicopter ride and takes pictures of Tokyo from above. Scouting areas that will be seen in the battle in the Upper Realm for OAV episode 5. Storyboards are shown and animation as well in this 17-minute special feature.This was pretty cool and good to see how the scouting location paid off for Tomino and crew as evident in episode 5.And similar to the previous volume, there is "The WINGS of REAN" behind-the-scenes book with another in-depth interview with Tomino Yoshiyuki and his approach to the second installment. The interviewer does a great job asking questions in regards to scenes, setting, storyline and more.Yoshiyuki does talk about the difficulties he had with these ONA's because he was working on the Zeta movies at the same time and thus when he was working on these episodes, he approached it as a movie version and mentioned that he should have taken a single, self-contained episode approach instead. And how he had regretted that.Also, another interesting reveal is when asked why the content on the ONA's are different from the novel, Tomino tells the interviewer that he does not like to take something from the past and doing it again. He wants to create something original and in this case, from the vision of a new generation through his young staff.Also, because many people are not familiar with the novels or have seen "Aura Battler Dunbine" or "Garzey's Wings", it was really cool to have Bandai Visual to explain things from the novel and certain areas that may have been cloudy for those unfamiliar with Tomino's works.And of course there is so much to the interview that it is worth reading. Also included is another interview but with okama (Visual Concept Creator), rough sketch gallery, storyboards and more.Again, Bandai Visual does a great job of supplying a booklet that really features a lot of information!This series is not going to be for everyone especially those who want an well-written, in-depth storyline. The truth is that you have a world created by Tomino and a storyline that probably worked so well in the novel but there is only so much you can do with six episodes. Give him 50 like he has done with Mobile Suit Gundam and I would be curious to see how different the series would have turned out.But nonetheless, again, I enjoyed this second volume and I definitely look forward to the next and final volume.