Travis Bruno of Capsule Computers writes:
" Fafner is by no means a bad anime, in fact it even has a few shining moments of greatness. However a number of issues hold it back from being one of the better mecha series out there. Not only are there plenty of reused plot points that we’ve seen many times before, making them entirely predictable but the character animation holds it back as well, making most characters forgettable. On its own, Fafner can provide a relatively enjoyable experience but one that should be entered with only mild expectations."
Was subpar at first release, is subpar now.