To is a typical example of Japanese storytelling. The graphics are very good although some getting used to is necessary to accept tech realism blended together with manga characters. But the overall effect is really worth checking out. On the other hand, the emphasis is on space romanticism more than any attempt at in depth-characterization (characters are actually very shallow). But To's main sin is that it shows utter ignorance of biological science, military and political protocols, strategy and tactics. Things fall into place predictably, naively and way too conveniently to fit the screenplay. This demonstrates once again that complex SF contexts DEMAND expert consultancy and topic research. It's not enough today to just design sexy tech lines for starships and personal armor. You need to also make them evolve in a coherent an intelligent continuum. For that, there is nothing like getting input from knowledgeable people. Today, this is so easy to do that the sin of not doing it is almost self-destructing. I don't want to minimize To's intent at storytelling. We need this kind of efforts, but we also need to mature the perspective and background. We need to produce what Hal Clement's meant when he mentioned an invisible book that comes with every good story. The one that gathers all the research and understanding of a particular topic. Only then will the romance of space exploration meet hardcore science halfway. Only then may we actually get there instead of just dreaming about it.
