For those who don't know, Vandread is set in a universe in which after colonization past the Sol System, the men and women are completely segregated (on completely different planets: Mejere by the women, Taraak by the men) causing the gender war to be more than just a metaphor. It's an interesting take on the space frontier and what not, and it makes for interesting humor as well.
I grew to love this series. It's short, but every episode had a purpose. Characters undergo a lot of development with varying degrees, and even the very minor characters do so as well. The story is just as great, though slightly cliche in a lot of parts, but what isn't nowadays?
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Hibiki - I hated Hibiki in the beginning. He was such a douche, to a point. However, I could understand some of it. If I was captured by an opposing country in a war, for example, I'd be VERY scared of what they could possibly do. When you grow up knowing so little about others, it's hard to cope with it in the beginning.
Still, I'm just mad at him for delaying stuff with Dita until the very end.
Dita - The happy-go-lucky Dita. Oh yes. A lot of people love her. I do, but she's not my auto-favorite character, you know. She's sweet, and she really doesn't care about someone being male or female. Her character development is a bit harsh, as she learns how to cope with depression during the events with Gascogne. Still, I think she matured a bit during Season 2, but not so much in S1.
Meia - Tsundere incoming, with massive amounts of tsun and minimal amounts of dere. She was rather closed-minded and spiteful of the men who were in the Nirvana. She opens up more and more to her real personality by the end of S2, and it's really a great sight. As strict as you are in S1, I have grown to love you XD
Jura - Errhhrurhurhruhruh... clearly, I don't like talking about Jura. Her growth was so minimal, and it's mostly towards her more-or-less selfish actions, though comedic in nature. Still, Duero and Jura... such a weird match, yet somehow, it could work!
Barnette - Oh yes. She's a strong supporting character, yet shadowed until S2. Seriously, in a world of beam weapons and more standardized gear, I can't help but love her older gun collection. Really, she changes her outlook on the current events after the crew's loss of Gascogne, and she becomes 10x cooler.
OVERALL
The biggest factor in the show, I think, is the Paksis. It's a majorly-used power source, yet it holds many secrets. There's a lot of imagery that it emanates. In the first 5 episodes, the Ikazuchi fuses with the females' ship, Paksis being a factor. It represents the reunion of man and woman, albeit at a slow pace. It also changes the crew's ships, showing a potential change and growth of character. I'm probably overthinking this, but really a lot of it is very metaphoric in nature.
Currently, I'm rewatching both seasons. It's a show worth rewatching, and looking back at everything you know and surprisingly, discovering new things you might have totally missed, both in content and beyond.
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