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Toward the Terra
 Home/Change Series
"Toward the Terra" was released in 1980. The film was based on the manga/comic by renowned author Keiko Takemiya.
In the future mankind will destroy the ecosystem on Earth and be forced to move out into space colonies. To ensure mankind will never repeat his mistake, a "Mother" computer system is set-up. Also, to ensure no favoritism between siblings, or any inheritance of power, all babies are born in test tubes and parents are chosen at random.
Every once in a while, a child is born lacking some kind of physical attribute (missing a hand, leg, or they’re just sickly), but they have psychic powers. The computer system, which controls everyone through erasing and creating memories, allows these people to be born, but at the same time instructs "normal" people to exterminate these psychics. The psychics who escape death form a separate group of humans known as the "Mu."
Both Man and Mu wish to return to Earth, but neither are able to because of this all controlling Computer System, the SD system. The only people who inhabit Earth are the "Elite," a group of humans genetically engineered by the computers to be superior to mankind. The normal people are stuck forever doing physical labor in space, and the Mu are hunted down and killed by everyone.
Our hero, Jomi Marcus Shin, thinks he’s just an average person, but in fact he turns out to be the new super psychic leader of the Mu. At first he fears these Mu whom he was born to lead, but as years pass he learns he must find a way to destroy the computers and make peace between Man, Mu, and Elite; a way to allow everyone to co-exist on Earth/Terra.
The story is pretty much like every other Sci-Fi story ever written. The most interesting aspect of this cartoon is the character, Keith Anyan. Keith is an Elite who has been genetically engineered to be the next ruler of Earth. Even though he is to be ruler because of the system, he despises the system; for destroying his non-elite friends, and because the system controls him. But he is unable to rise against the system because he has been made to follow the system. The character design is 1980s dated, but the animation is great. The visuals are very pretty and every time a character comes in with a cape it’s just awesome. OK, It’s not classic Disney, but it’s better than the current stilted CG.
"Toward the Terra" is good. The problem with this animated movie is that it’s an animated movie. It would have worked better as a short OVA series. The movie lasts for about two hours. The story covers about 30 years in the protagonists’ lives and it has two time lapse sections. Suddenly all the action stops; a screen comes up that states 10 or 15 years have passed; and you hear a narrator explain what happened and what you’re looking at. It would have been better if it was split into three mini series. The first could explain the SD System and Jomi’s first meeting with the Mu; the second could have been Jomi as leader of the Mu; and the third could have been Tony’s take over of power and the final battle, Jomi and Keith vs. the "Grandmother" computer.
Also, just to warn unsuspecting viewers, apparently being raised by the SD System is similar to an English Public School, and even though there is one major heterosexual relationship I’d consider this movie mostly Yaoi(Gay).
(Update: Hey, someone else also thought this story needed more screentime, and they made a TV series in 2007. I haven’t seen it yet, so will wait to comment until I do.)
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8.65/10 
9.12/10
8.70/10 
65 votes