Here is an anime about two adorable little girls who are well-behaved, respectful, always willing to help around the house, and who love school. Yes, this is science fiction.

The central character in Figure 17 is 10-year-old Tsubasa, who is taken by her widowed father from their home in Tokyo to a small village. Then late one night when everyone is asleep, a spaceship crashes releasing a monster known as a Magua, with the ship’s pilot, “D.D.” transformed into a Figure to try to kill it. He can’t. But do not despair. There is another mysterious entity on-board who merges with Tsubasa to become the mighty warrior Figure 17!

When the two separate, the entity has taken on Tsubasa’s appearance. Passing her off as her twin sister Hikaru. . . . Well, let’s leave it at that for now. This series requires quite a release from reality, and ignoring several plot holes, to really follow. But that is expected considering who the series is made for. Back to that later.

For the first half of the series, the episodes follow a basic pattern. Thirty-five minutes of the adventures of Tsubasa, Hikaru, and their schoolmates, followed by a five minute battle with a magua, then a wrap-up. The episodes are twice as long as the normal anime series episode, which is a problem. Those school adventures can get pretty boring until the magua show up. But there is always the second half when the story really kicks off.

Key to it all is the development of Tsubasa as a person. When we first meet her, she is quiet and shy with no self-confidence. Hikaru is the opposite; confident and outgoing. Hikaru encourages Tsubasa convinced that she is more than capable of doing whatever she wishes. The relationship between the two grows until they really are sisters, with Tsubasa learning she is not as hopeless as she thinks

The animation leaves something to be desired. The battle sequences are OK, but mostly it is too obviously done on the cheap.

Figure 17 is a good anime for those in the right audience. So who is the right audience? With the message of self-worth, this anime seems just right for pre-teens. They can surely identify with Tsubasa and Hikaru. There is violence, but except for one scene I recall no blood. By Japanese standards, I imagine that is acceptable for pre-teens. For an adult audience, I am afraid you may get bored through much of the series.

Though predictable, the ending of Figure 17 still provides most of the series excitement. Take it for what it is. An action anime mostly geared for kids.