A new anime created in 1998 by Sunrise Animation of Japan, and released in the US starting in 2000 by ADV Films. The release is ironic, since it's a Sunrise/Bandai Visual release, as Bandai Visual has been directing most of those towards their US video arm, Bandai Entertainment (a seperate entity from the rest of Bandai altogether).
A mecha anime, it involves the use of TAs, or Tactical Armors, which unlike Gundams, are designed to be more plausible, being designed for urban combat as opposed to outright assault. They've only minimal armamets, guns/tactical missiles, but are designed for high maneuverability to compensate for their structural weakness. The enemy in this story has similar devices, but refers to theirs as "Fakes". Both machines draw their agility and speed from a mysterious artifical tissue known as Mile One.
The quality of the animation is typical of that of a TV Anime, higher quality in animation and story than most US animation, but it's obvious Sunrise was concentrating on their other '98 releases, most notably Cowboy Bebop and Outlaw Star. At 25 episodes, it's also shorter than both series by one episode.
Each US DVD (released by ADV) has a representative kanji printed on the back cover, and embossed on the disc, which I have included here. Unicode, requires a Japanese-capable font.
Current Episode List:
Disc 1 - The Summoning - 能 (nou, yo(ku)) - Ability, Skill
Episode 1: On the Ancient Stage of Stone
Episode 2: Opening Movements
Episode 3: Tantric Circle
Episode 4: Mirage
Disc 2 - The circle opens... - 舞 (bu, ma(u)) - Dance, circle, wheel
Episode 5: The Touching
Episode 6: The Puppet
Episode 7: Return
Disc 3 - Betrayal - 傀 (kai, ooki) - Large*
Episode 8: Inferno
Episode 9: Storehouse
Episode 10: Kugai
Disc 4 - From the ashes... - 遁 (ton, nige(ru)) - Flee, evade, run away
Episode 11: Ties
Episode 12: Unravel
Episode 13: Disembark
Disc 5 - Revelations - 時 (ji, toki) - Time, hour
Episode 14: Companions
Episode 15: The Threshold
Episode 16: Karma
Disc 6 - The Fires of War - 街 (kai/gai, machi) - Streets, town/city
Episode 17: Chaos
Episode 18: Rear Window
Episode 19: Wails
Disc 7 - In the Spider's Web - 乱 (ran/ron, mida(reru),wata(ru)) - Riots, war, disorder
Episode 20: Upheaval
Episode 21: Run
Episode 22: Personification
Disc 8 - To be a Kai - <I can't recognize the character here for the life of me>
Episode 23: Eternal
Episode 24: Punctuation
Episode 25: Gasara
*Although the literal meaning of this character is "big," it is the lead kanji for many phrases relating to being a puppet, such as: 傀儡師 (kairaishi) - one who pulls the strings, and 傀儡政府 (kairaiseifu) - a puppet goverment. |
