The Cockpit

The Cockpit is a 3 part OVA mini-series centred around the conflict of World War 2. The first two episodes have pilots as the protagonists, while the third episode is focused around a former motorcycle racer turner soldier.

Each of the three episodes portrays personal sadness that is faced by each character as they struggle between doing what they believe is right and what their duty as a soldier is.Death is a very common theme throughout whether it is experienced by the protagonists or characters close to them in their respective episodes.

The animation, art work, and colour depth were phenomenal in this series. While it does display and older style of artwork, the retro feel really helps with setting the tone for how painful war is and widespread its effects are. The character design was also very interesting, utilizing a combination of comical and serious character designs within the same show. It almost gives you a feeling of Macross meets Crayon Shin-Chan.

The musical score was well developed throughout as well, setting the right tone for each of the scenes. Even the ending theme really helped to close each of the stories and illustrate the loss that war creates on people.

Overall, I would highly recommend this OVA. While I am not a big World War 2 enthusiast, this was truly an entertaining show. Between the excellent character design, outstanding musical score, and cohesive themes throughout, this show delivers on many fronts.