Season 2 of Knights of Sidonia aired its final episode on June 2015 and we have long waited for a conclusion to this strange world we’ve come to love. After six years—and numerous delays due to the worldwide epidemic—we have our long-awaited ending and it’s an ending well worth the time that we had to endure! Not only do the Gauna unleash their best opponents for the Garde pilots but we have a romance that truly feels long overdue. Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars made sure to cater to the fans who have waited so patiently--but that is what we otaku do best--and we always appreciate that as anime fans! There is a sadness in seeing Knights of Sidonia reach a conclusion but the closing we did receive was not only fitting but truly perfect for this incredible mecha anime. Let’s just hope that one day we do see maybe some side stories for Knights of Sidonia or OVAs but even if that doesn’t happen, we will always remember the wonderful ending that Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars delivered!

The romance element in Knights of Sidonia has always been a bit different than other romance series out there. Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars takes it a bit further as it pairs Tsumugi Shiraui and Tanikaze in some genuinely cute moments that are quite peculiar. There’s even a scene where a robot and hybrid get together and it isn’t as weird as it sounds. Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars tires to show romance can happen between anyone and it can truly blossom in the strangest ways. Seriously, seeing a giant kaiju-like creature blush and overheat--all while making the water around them boil-- due to embarrassment seems really odd but Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars made it somehow adorable and fitting for the movie. Plus, that ending will no doubt make fans smile as it is just a genuinely adorable final scene.

Polygon Pictures hasn’t always found love from anime fans due to their reliance on pseudo CGI animation but Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars has shown that CGI still works for this series. Not only are the various effects extremely detailed and eye-catching but the overall character/mecha design is at its best. The Gauna still aren’t the greatest looking threat--and sometimes can look a bit weak in comparison to the robots--but there are a few new enemy types that look quite solid. The various battles like the explosive intro sequence and the final battle, are so gorgeous we almost forgot CGI was used at all! Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars was an impressive film and we can’t deny we wished the series would have looked this fantastic!

Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars clearly didn’t want to end on a ho-hum note and utilizes some of the best music the series has seen to date! We love that angela’s Sidonia song is used—which acted as the first season’s opening and is easily one of the best OPs of both seasons—appears near the end to signal the final climatic battle and really helps pump your adrenaline up! Besides that, the OST in Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars is just perfect and makes every scene that much more impactful and fitting. Watching the OST go from low ranges during calmer moments to intense electronica tunes just helped each scene more memorable than the last! Rarely does an OST excel as much as the one in Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars!

A constant issue with every entry in the Knights of Sidonia world is the slew of characters introduced and how they are rarely ever given enough time to shine. The same can be said of Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars where we are quickly introduced to dozens of new pilots who seem important only to be killed/defeated before long. It doesn’t help that some of the newer Garde pilots are just rehashes of older characters in terms of personality and reasons for wanting to fight. Overall, Tanikaze, Tsumugi, Izana Shinatose and several other major characters will really be the only ones you’ll remember when the film ends.

One threat that has constantly loomed in the background in Knights of Sidonia—and has been mentioned numerous times in both seasons—is Ochiai. This once hero became a villain around season 1 and has shown that he has been always waiting to launch a truly devastating blow on Sidonia and its travelers. Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars finally allows Ochiai to really unleash some damage but our question is why did it take 2 seasons to finally have this main antagonist appear fully?! Ochiai is a great series antagonist but appearing in this final movie seems overly obvious and anti-climactic.

Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars definitely is a movie--as evident from the run-time--but in many ways also feels like yet another episode. The usual way the episodes flowed—battle, moment of rest, story revelation and then another battle—appears in Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars. We could have easily seen this climax as an OVA if it weren’t for the large scale visuals and moments. We still love Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars but it doesn’t feel like a movie which is a strange feeling. Still, we can’t deny some of the more grandiose fights were truly cinematic in nature. We still feel the intense final battle between Ochiai and Nagate was hands down one of the series greater battles.