OVA
Description
The central female protagonist of the 1995 OVA is Annette, a mysterious figure whose origins are tied directly to the central conflict of the story. She is introduced as being from an advanced, subterranean civilization, a lost world that exists beneath the Earth's surface. This civilization decided to test the worth of humanity by sending out two powerful artifacts, as well as two mysterious women, to observe how surface dwellers would use the power. Annette is one of these two women, with the other being her sister, Avatar, who serves as the primary antagonist and represents a dark counterpart to her.
In terms of personality, Annette is defined by her compassion and her belief in humanity. Her characterization contrasts directly with her sister's; where Avatar judges humanity as unworthy and moves to exterminate all life on the surface, Annette's appraisal of the human race is much more positive and forgiving. She is portrayed as a protector who is willing to make great personal sacrifices to give humanity a chance to prove itself, rather than condemning it outright. In the English dub of the series, she is given a British accent, a stylistic choice made to distinguish her from an American character.
Annette's primary motivation is to stop her sister, Avatar, from destroying all surface life. To that end, she plays a crucial role in the backstory that takes place during World War II. In 1945, she approached the officers of the Japanese submersible battleship Ra, warning them that using the advanced energy source as a weapon would seal humanity's fate. When the Ra engaged its American counterpart, the Liberty, Annette intervened directly, using a blast of mental energy to stop her sister. This act put both herself and Avatar into a state of suspended animation for fifty years, effectively halting the immediate threat but at the cost of her own consciousness.
Upon awakening in the present day of the story, Annette joins the crew of the rebuilt Ra. She aligns herself with Go Arisaka, a soldier who is the sole survivor of a peacekeeping force and the grandson of the Ra's original captain. Her key relationships are defined by her connection to her sister, Avatar, and her role as an advisor to the crew of the Ra. She serves as a guide and a living link to the lost civilization, providing crucial knowledge about the nature of the threat and the power that drives the battleship. Her presence is essential, as she is a descendant of the subterranean race and her abilities are central to the conflict.
Throughout the narrative, Annette undergoes significant development by transitioning from a passive observer who sacrificed herself to stop a war, to an active participant in the final battle to defend Earth. Having already given up fifty years of her life to put a stop to the initial conflict, she now must confront her sister once more and decide the ultimate fate of the surface world. Her most notable abilities are psychic or mental in nature. She demonstrated the power to incapacitate her sister with a blast of mental energy, an act that also caused a deep, comatose sleep for both of them for half a century. Her skills are distinctly different from the mechanical combat of the Ra, highlighting her nature as a being from a more advanced, non-human civilization.
In terms of personality, Annette is defined by her compassion and her belief in humanity. Her characterization contrasts directly with her sister's; where Avatar judges humanity as unworthy and moves to exterminate all life on the surface, Annette's appraisal of the human race is much more positive and forgiving. She is portrayed as a protector who is willing to make great personal sacrifices to give humanity a chance to prove itself, rather than condemning it outright. In the English dub of the series, she is given a British accent, a stylistic choice made to distinguish her from an American character.
Annette's primary motivation is to stop her sister, Avatar, from destroying all surface life. To that end, she plays a crucial role in the backstory that takes place during World War II. In 1945, she approached the officers of the Japanese submersible battleship Ra, warning them that using the advanced energy source as a weapon would seal humanity's fate. When the Ra engaged its American counterpart, the Liberty, Annette intervened directly, using a blast of mental energy to stop her sister. This act put both herself and Avatar into a state of suspended animation for fifty years, effectively halting the immediate threat but at the cost of her own consciousness.
Upon awakening in the present day of the story, Annette joins the crew of the rebuilt Ra. She aligns herself with Go Arisaka, a soldier who is the sole survivor of a peacekeeping force and the grandson of the Ra's original captain. Her key relationships are defined by her connection to her sister, Avatar, and her role as an advisor to the crew of the Ra. She serves as a guide and a living link to the lost civilization, providing crucial knowledge about the nature of the threat and the power that drives the battleship. Her presence is essential, as she is a descendant of the subterranean race and her abilities are central to the conflict.
Throughout the narrative, Annette undergoes significant development by transitioning from a passive observer who sacrificed herself to stop a war, to an active participant in the final battle to defend Earth. Having already given up fifty years of her life to put a stop to the initial conflict, she now must confront her sister once more and decide the ultimate fate of the surface world. Her most notable abilities are psychic or mental in nature. She demonstrated the power to incapacitate her sister with a blast of mental energy, an act that also caused a deep, comatose sleep for both of them for half a century. Her skills are distinctly different from the mechanical combat of the Ra, highlighting her nature as a being from a more advanced, non-human civilization.