Please Save My Earth

Original Title: ぼくの地球を守って
Romanized: Boku no Chikyuu wo Mamotte
Literal: Protect My Earth

Plot Synopsis

Stranded at an observation base on Earth's moon, seven scientists succumb to a plague one by one. These seven, reincarnated in Japan as a group of innocent youths, begin their lives as any other humans would. But as memories of their past lives begin to resurface, they find that the tumultuous relationships of their past incarnations have not died either, and the repercussions of what went on in that base will affect far more than just their own lives.

Quick Review

Rating: 3.5 / 5
Reviewer: Marc
Review Date: 2004-10-24

Please Save My Earth is yet another finely crafted shoujo-style series, but its appeal goes well beyond that category. Sporting a detailed plot with some very unusual situations, both uplifting and tragic, populated by interesting, multifaceted characters, and almost as appealing visually as it is to the mind, it plays to the shoujo genre's strengths while still maintaining a down-to-earth air and sense of humor that protects it from being overwhelmed by angst or pretense. It would be a nearly perfect series, were it not for the final episode, which is rather abstract, a bit silly, dumps most of the plotlines, and leaves almost every question unanswered.

For five episodes, Please Save My Earth is an engrossing ride, but the disastrous final episode is almost frustrating enough to make the whole thing worth skipping. How you feel about the end will significantly affect how much you like the series on the whole, but in any case it's good while it lasts.

US DVD Review

The DVD from VIZ features crisp, bright video and decent stereo audio in Japanese and English plus a subtitle track. Extras include credit-free ending (there is no opening), as well as some useful information: character profiles for the scientists, and a FAQ taken from Animerica, the latter of which is quite useful for filling in some of the major gaps in the story that didn't survive the manga to anime transition.

Content Guide

Mature themes and generally tragic situations, but little actual objectionable material, placing it at a 10-up level, 13-up if you're strict.

Violence: 2 - People die, and although not graphic, it's very serious, if tempered by the reincarnation theme.

Nudity: 1 - No actual nudity.

Sex/Mature Themes: 2 - Again, nothing graphic, but very serious.

Language: 1 - Relatively mild in the sub.

Notes and Trivia

Based on a comic series by Saki Hiwatari, in the process of being released in English by VIZ as of this writing. A random note on the original Japanese title, "Boku no Chikyuu wo Mamotte": though the meaning is about the same, the "my" in it is specifically male, for whatever that's worth.

Availability

Available in the US from VIZ on a single hybrid DVD. Was previously available on three dubbed VHS volumes.

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