I don't blame anyone for trying to get into this series without knowing anything about it. Ugetsu Hakua's character designs are just gorgeous. The man knows how to draw women, that's for damned sure. The hot girls + cool mecha action formula has never gone wrong when it comes to drawing in an audience. Even though I was irritated at Meg's character, seeing the first four episodes at an anime con was enough to get me to invest in the entire series.
It just didn't live up to it's potential, pure and simple. There was too much left unsaid in the beginning, especially about Jo's past, that they had to rush to put in at the end. Too much of it just didn't make sense. Sure, I get that Sei couldn't get rid of Meg or Jo would leave, too, but if the girl keeps getting captured, WHY SEND HER OUT ON MISSIONS?! Let her stay in the truck.
As for the ending...
Um, why, exactly did the writers feel Sei and Jo had to die? Did they think that the series needed more gravity to be realistic? What about Kyo? He was getting all emotionally invested in the ladies and in the end he just accepted the tuition money and wandered away? I know he was a wimp, but come now... And the last scene... they're trying to say that trauma makes Meg become like Jo? PLEASE! I wouldn't trust that girl with my rusty 10-speed, never mind a mech and two handguns longer than my forearms. And without Sei she wouldn't have the organization or financial backing to do shit. It was just bad writing. I almost feel like the head writer got fired and somebody else got called in for a rush job.
So, like I said earlier, a lot of wasted potential