Gall Force: The Revolution was an anime OVA series released from 1996 to 1997 and directed by Yukihiro Matsushita (Star Ocean EX, Hunter x Hunter, Rave Master) with a screenplay by franchise creator Hideki Kakinuma. The cast includes Kotono Mitsuishi, Kikuko Inoue, Ai Orikasa, Michiko Neya, Urara Takano, Chisa Yokoyama, Kyôko Hikami, Tomo Sakurai, Fumie Kusachi and Chiharu Taira. It 's the eighth and final installment in the Gall Force media franchise, lacking the usual direction by Katsuhito Akiyama.
In this version we don't find any Paranoids, instead we see a galactic civil war between West and East forces of the all-female Solnoids. An anti-matter gun is believed to be what will end this war once and for all with total destruction of both sides. The Starleaf (Rabby, Patty, Rumy and Eluza), along with enemy pilot Lufy, this time encounters an organization trying to go back to the way life used to flourish, because of this they have created children as well, attempting to save their race and leave war behind.
Remember when I said that New Era could be enjoyed by people who had problems with the first Gall Force movie since it was a new version of the story? I think that applies more towards this OVA series because it is quite literally a remake of Eternal Story, touching upon very similar plot beats and points (not only are the characters and the setting pretty much the same but we also have the monster on the ship and the garden of eden location with human children), however, is more akin to the sensibilities of a late nineties science fiction series instead of an eighties feature film. This means that the interactions weigh in a little bit more on the story and the focus is on the plot rather than on the visual treatment and expression, which creates slightly more rounded characters to a degree.
My way of thinking when it comes to remakes and reboots is simple: make changes that are worthwhile but keep the essence intact. This one takes some components that had some relevance and importance in the original plot but expands upon them with more elements and adds more things on top of what we knew already to give it a new spin, such as the internal conflicts between the Solnoids, which have far more impact and change the course of the narrative to a new area, with more memorable villains as well.
The animation is nothing really astounding but it's competent enough to never really feel cheap or defective. There's a variety of action, with shootouts, laser-sword encounters and spaceship battles. None of it looks bad and the direction and the storyboarding reach the level of satisfying. With the limitations that an average OVA product can have, the team did a good job.
While a somewhat more standard sci-fi adventure with space cruisers and space ship combat, the last entry in the Gall Force series still takes advantage of the same premise to come up with some fun scenarios and enjoyable cackling villains. This is also the first and only Gall Force piece of media to explicitly touch upon lesbianism, which is odd considering the concept.
A recommended mini-series for any Gall Force completist and even for those who had some issues with the other shows and movies.
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