Pros: Great series and characters
Cons: At times, Shima could be perceived as one of anime's most syrupy heroines.

My Take:

Nobody ever really likes high school. You have all these expectations of what it'll be like while you were in middle school. Of course, when you actually get there, you notice that it's not the stuff of dreams, and you could feel inferior at times, especially when you're someone with some brains.

It's not quite high school, but when a 15-year-old computer genius named Shima Katase begins her first days at a prestigious space academy known as Stellvia, she experiences a whole lot of ups and downs. Shima's journey to the space academy was painful at first after a confrontation with her mother. She makes friends and a lot of mistakes. After nearly veering her craft into deepest space, Shima's classmate and friend Alisa Glennorth gives her the nickname "Shipon."

Stellvia is one of those shows that make you cringe about the days you spent in high school, especially if you're somebody with just a little bit of intelligence or creativity. Okay, nerds, geeks, and outsiders. I count myself as a member of this group (and chances are if you're reading this review, you do too), and that's why I sympathize with "Shipon" on numerous occasions. Stellvia is a space adventure that's off to an excellent beginning, and it's definitely showing promise in the episodes to come, especially with the "Second Wave" approaching the Earth in the near future.