Produced by Aniplex and released by Bandai Entertainment, Flag was a thirteen episode series that aired between 2006 and 2007. You may have heard about this show if you keep your ear to the happenings within the otaku community. There was a fair amount of buzz surrounding this release and though it has snuck quietly onto the market Flag proves with its first volume that it's a force to be reckoned with and something that shouldn't be missed.

With an Asian country known as Uddiyana torn apart by civil war all hope seems lost for its residents. Peace seems to be an elusive thing but a young photographer, Saeko Shirasu, takes a picture that changes that. Named "Flag", this photograph depicts a makeshift UN flag and quickly becomes a symbol of peace in a chaotic land. The nation latches on to the image as a symbol of peace and unity because, after all, a picture can capture many things and be invaluable. Unfortunately terrorists have come along to ruin the celebration and take the symbol of peace. While the government looks for a way to gain the support of the people, they deem it necessary for Saeko's flag to be recovered.

As a war-time journalist Saeko is offered the opportunity to travel with a unit known as the SDC who is wielding some powerful mecha weaponry known as HAVWC (High Agility Versatile Weapon Carrier). In many ways the story is told through Saeko's perspective and from the photographs that she takes. It gives the series a feeling somewhat similar to Area 88 in the sense that it features a photographer taking pictures of important events. Flag quickly becomes a beast of a whole other type though as the anime feels like an animated war-time documentary rather than a show attempting to tell a story.

In addition to Saeko's perspective we also get to see things through the eyes (or lens) of Keiichi Akagi who is in something of a similar situation. Keiichi is a colleague of Saeko's though he doesn't have ties to the SDC or works with her. The show does deliver morsels of story to us as he travels the streets of Subasci, Uddiyana's capital city. In many ways he discusses Saeko's actions and events that she was involved in but explores the civil war and what's going on from a different angle. It creates a nice diversity in the manner that the story is told and helps hold a high level of intrigue.

Now, in between all of this there are the aforementioned mecha elements from the bipedal transforming exoskeletons running around. The show's realistic setting handles this aspect very well and it never becomes cheesy or gimmicky. You'll believe that these pieces of technology could exist someday and the show handles everything as simply a matter of fact.

The four episodes presented on this introductory disc give us a great first view at the inner workings of the series while not divulging too much in the way of details. We are introduced to Saeko and Keiichi and are given a look at their unique situations. I must say that I love how the story is presented with a series of photographs that capture some of the highlights of the plot. Important characters, events, and emotions are drawn out through these pictures and though it may feel like a gimmick; it's not. Flag explores a new way to tell a story and the documentary elements succeed greatly.

If you like anime with a touch of reality and a lot of emotion you'll love Flag. The show feels like Area 88 in some ways, Yugo: The Negotiator in others, and it has the mecha for an added bonus. I suppose I really shouldn't compare this release to other shows because it's different and unique. This is something you don't see every day and it certainly stands apart from the rest of the market. War-time anime fans will definitely want to check this out but anyone looking for an interesting story with a nice perspective will want to give it a whirl as well.

Flag finished broadcasting earlier this year and his DVD with a fantastic transfer. The 1.78:1 anamorphic image is simply stellar and it truly captures the war-time feeling that Animplex wanted it to. Told through a series of animation and photographs the story comes to life thanks to the art direction. Character models look fantastic and the technology blends in very well. The image quality is also a cut above with some very clean sequences and a lack of grain and compression. Granted some grain does appear in the photos but it was designed to in order to give the show grit. Bandai went out of their way to provide a great transfer and it certainly shows.

Also impressive in the presentation department is Flag's audio selection. Provided on this disc are two 5.1 surround tracks and two 2.0 stereo tracks for English and Japanese. Now, it's worth nothing that I preferred neither dub over the other. Both voice casts do a fantastic job at portraying the emotion and sense of drama that are necessary for a show like this. Technically speaking the 5.1 tracks outshines the 2.0 with some wonderful support of the rear channels. Both the English and Japanese 5.1s create a sense of immersion that will put you in the center of the action. On the soundstage I found the dialogue was a little more subdued than it should have been but overall I was very impressed.

Disappointingly the only bonus features on this disc are some trailers and clean animation.

Flag grabbed a hold of me and left a mark. The manner with which this show was presented displayed a great amount of innovation and helped make it stand out from the rest of the market. The differing perspectives and sense of drama are a cut above anything else you have seen. It takes war-time journalism and turns the profession on its head to create an animated documentary of sorts that is extremely compelling. I wanted more after the fourth episode ended and I don't want to wait for the second volume; I want it now! Highly Recommended

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