Ent: Adventure

Showing posts with label Adventure. Show all posts

Monday, September 26, 2011

Terra Nova (TV series)

Terra Nova (TV series)

Genre: Drama, Science fiction, Action, Adventure, Adventure fiction, Family saga

Terra Nova is an American science fiction drama television series that airs on Fox on Monday nights. It premiered September 26, 2011 with a one-and-a-half-hour episode. It follows the Shannon family as they go 85 million years into the past to save humanity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_Nova_(TV_series)

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (film)

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (film)

Directed by	Mike Newell
Starring	Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina
Studio	Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Distributed by	Walt Disney Pictures
Release date(s)	May 9, 2010 (London premiere), May 28, 2010 (US)
Running time	116 minutes
Country	United States
Rating	MPAA: PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and action), 12+ (KR)

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a 2010 fantasy-adventure film written by Jordan Mechner, Boaz Yakin, Doug Miro, and Carlo Bernard; directed by Mike Newell; and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. The film is based on the 2003 video game of the same name, developed and released by Ubisoft Montreal.

The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Prince Dastan, Gemma Arterton as Princess Tamina, Ben Kingsley as Nizam, and Alfred Molina as Sheik Amar.

Despite the film being primarily based on The Sands of Time, elements from Prince of Persia: Warrior Within and Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones are also incorporated.

Plot

The plot follows Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal), a street urchin in Persia, historically in the Persian Empire in the sixth century BC. After showing courage in the market place, he is adopted by the king. He has "no royal blood and no eye for the throne." Fifteen years later, Dastan, and his royal blooded foster brothers Garsiv and Tus lead the Persian army in an attack on the sacred city of Alamut, under the assumption that the city's people are selling weapons to their enemies, as shown by Nizam (Ben Kingsley), the King's brother and adviser. As Garsiv leads the initial assault, Dastan decides to lead a surprise attack with his friend Bis (Reece Ritchie) against the orders of his brother. He manages to open the eastern gate of Alamut and prevents further casualties. During the fight in the city, Dastan defeats one of Princess Tamina's (Gemma Arterton) guards who was in the possession of the mythical Dagger of Time. The dagger gives its owner the ability to go back in time for a short period so that the user can try to correct any mistake or redo any moment. Alamut falls to the Persians, Tamina is captured and is offered as a wife for Tus, which would make the city of Alamut a part of the Persian Empire.

The Persians celebrate their victory, but during the celebration Prince Dastan is fooled into presenting a poisoned gown — seemingly given to him by Tus — to King Sharaman (Ronald Pickup), which fatally burns the king. Prince Dastan is held as the perpetrator of his father's murder. He escapes the castle with Princess Tamina while Bis, his best friend, is killed trying to save them. Together, they embark on a journey — the Prince wants to prove his innocence, while Tamina wants to safeguard the Dagger of Time. On the first night, Tamina attempts to kill the prince and recover the dagger, but Dastan accidentally activates the dagger and learns about its ability to rewind time for one minute and in doing so, prevents Tamina from attacking. Dastan believes that Tus knew about the dagger and framed Dastan for their father's murder in an attempt to seize the throne and the dagger, thus becoming the most powerful ruler of Persia.

During their journey, the duo meets a group of merchant-bandits, in the valley of slaves, including entrepreneur and ostrich racing-organizer Sheik Amar (Alfred Molina) with his friend Seso (Steve Toussaint) who hails from the Ngbaka, masters of the throwing knives. Dastan offers Tamina up as a slave in return for their hospitality. However, the bandits try to take the Dagger of Time and take Dastan to the newly crowned Tus because of the reward for his capture; they fail in the process, while the two escape.

Dastan and Tamina return to Persia for King Sharaman's funeral. Dastan tries to convince his uncle Nizam that he was not the cause of his father's death, only to discover the dagger was taken by Tamina. Instead, he notices the burns on Nizam's hands, which indicate he was the one who set up the murder of the King. Furthermore, Nizam has set up an ambush for Dastan along the Persian streets, and after a conflict with his brother Garsiv, Dastan escapes.

Dastan catches up with Tamina and explains that the villainous brother of the King, Nizam was behind it all. The attack of Alamut was based on false allegations provided by Nizam and promoted with a motive to attain the Dagger of Time and use it with the massive Sandglass, which is hidden under the city of Alamut. This way, Nizam would go back in time before he had saved Sharaman from being attacked by a lion and undo the act, hence ensure that he becomes the King of Persia. However, Tamina reveals that the Sandglass is the vessel holding the Sands of Time, which the Gods conjured to punish humanity for its sins. A pure hearted girl, offering her life, convinced them to seal the sands; should the Dagger of Time be used to pierce the Sandglass, the sands would be released and destroy the entire world. The holder of the dagger may also turn back time as far as they please. The pair then put aside their differences and agree to work together to protect the dagger.

Meanwhile, back in Persia, Nizam, aware that Dastan knows he was responsible, tries to convince the newly-crowned King Tus and Garsiv that Dastan is trying to overthrow them and must be killed without a trial to avoid a rebellion. When this fails, Nizam hires the Hassansins, a group of highly-skilled warriors that Nizam kept hidden for his own ends after Sharaman had the sect disbanded.

Dastan and Tamina are again captured by Sheik Amar, Seso, and their group because of the chaos they caused back at the valley. Sheik intends to claim the reward for turning them in to renew his business. But that night, when everyone is asleep, the Hassansin leader (Gísli Örn Garðarsson) attacks the group in an oasis by controlling a number of vipers. Many of the group die, but Dastan uses the dagger to rewind time, and, foreseeing the attack, manages to kill all the snakes single-handedly, saving Seso in the process. The Hassansin leader then leaves in a sand dervish.

The next day, the pair, now accompanied by Sheik and Seso, travel to the secret sanctuary in the mountains near India, where it's possible to seal the dagger by returning it to the stone where it came from. In order to do so, Tamina would have to sacrifice herself, but it fails as they run into Garsiv's men. Dastan, however, manages to persuade his brother that he is innocent, only for Garsiv to be killed by a flurry of spike-knives thrown by a Hassansin. The Hassanin attack, killing many of the group, while their leader manages to snatch the Dagger of Time from Tamina (who was knocked unconcious in the battle) by using a trained snake. Eventually, Dastan is saved from the last Hassansin by Garsiv, who then succumbs to his injuries.

Tamina and Dastan, as well as Sheik Amar and Seso, return to Alamut to reveal the truth about Nizam and the dagger to Tus. First, they must get the dagger, which is kept in the sacred temple, guarded by the Hassansin who killed Garsiv. Seso, the master of throwing knives, fights the spike-wielding Hassansin to obtain the dagger. He manages to kill the Hassansin after a well aimed throw, yet is fatally wounded in the process. Seso manages to throw the Dagger out of the window to Sheik and Dastan before dying. Sheik Amar then distracts the guards by serving as a decoy while Dastan shows the truth about the Dagger to his brother Tus by killing himself, only to have Tus rewind time with the dagger. Afterward, Tus is killed by Nizam, and Dastan is incapacitated by another Hassasin. The Dagger is once again in Nizam's hands, but Dastan manages to defeat the Hassasin with Tamina's help. She realises that the Hassansin had been a spy inside the city of Alamut and must have been the one who told Nizam about the Dagger.

Nizam goes to the Sandglass caves beneath Alamut, as Dastan and Tamina race to stop him. Tamina opens a secret gate leading to the chamber, allowing them to take a short cut to the Sandglass. En route, they encounter the leader of the Hassansins; however, after a close fight, Dastan gets the upper hand and stabs the Hassansin before throwing him into the chasm. Dastan and Tamina then kiss. They then manage to reach Nizam as he pierces the Sandglass with the Dagger. During the final confrontation, Nizam knocks Tamina over the edge of the chasm and Dastan desperately catches her hand. Knowing he cannot stop Nizam and save her, Tamina professes her love for Dastan and lets go, sacrificing herself to stop Nizam. Dastan fights Nizam as they both hold their hands on the Dagger. Dastan then uses the Dagger's button to open the Sands of Time container and use its power against Nizam. The Sandglass slowly cracks and the sandstorm is shown destroying Alamut. Dastan is then able to use the Dagger and turn back the time as the Sandglass breaks, ending up at the point when he first held the Dagger during the siege of Alamut.

Dastan uses his knowledge to reveal Nizam's evil plan to his brothers, gaining their acceptance by revealing what Tus told him about the meeting with their father prior to the attack. Exposed, Nizam attempts to kill Dastan but ends up dying by Tus' blade. After apologizing for the ransacking of her city, Tus suggests that perhaps Tamina should become Dastan's wife as a sign of good will. The Prince returns the Dagger of Time to her as a gift, as she looks at him surprised. The two of them are next shown talking to each other and Tamina expressing her surprise about Dastan's sudden change in behavior and hinting that he may have discovered something to which he replies that they are in control of their own destiny.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Persia:_The_Sands_of_Time_(film)

Friday, April 2, 2010

Clash of the Titans (2010)

Clash of the Titans (2010)

Directed by: Louis Leterrier
Produced by: Basil Iwanyk, Kevin De La Noy, Lynn Harris
Studio: Legendary Pictures
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s): April 2, 2010
Running time: 118 minutes
Country: United Kingdom, United States

Clash of the Titans is a 2010 fantasy film and remake of the 1981 film of the same name. As with the 1981 film, the story is very loosely based upon the Greek myth of Perseus. Directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Sam Worthington, the film was originally set for standard release on March 26, 2010. However, it was later announced that the film would be converted to 3D and was finally released on April 2, 2010.

Plot

The film begins with a narration that explains the three Olympians who battled the Titans long ago: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Hades provided their means of defeating the Titans with his creation, the Kraken. After the Titans' defeat, Zeus created humans and ruled them while Poseidon ruled the sea, but Hades, having been deceived by his brother Zeus, was forced to rule the Underworld, learns an alternative way of gaining power from humans different from his brothers receiving theirs from human prayer: through fear.

Millennia later, a fisherman named Spyros finds a coffin adrift in the sea, discovering a baby, Perseus, and his dead mother, Danaë, inside. Spyros decides to raise Perseus as his own. Years later, Perseus and his family are fishing when they witness a group of soldiers from Argos destroying a statue of Zeus as a declaration of war against the Gods. Hades appears and commands harpies to massacre the soldiers before he himself destroys Perseus' family's fishing boat. Perseus tries to save his family, but to no avail, the surviving soldiers take Perseus back to Argos. During a feast for the returning soldiers, King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia of Argos compare themselves and their daughter, Andromeda, to the Gods much to their daughter's dismay. After convincing his brother to let him loose on humanity to punish Argos for its defiance, Hades appears in the courtroom before killing the remaining soldiers while Perseus is unaffected. Revealing Perseus to be the Demigod son of Zeus, and aging Cassiopeia to death, Hades threatens that if Princess Andromeda is not sacrificed to the Kraken, Argos will be destroyed in 10 days. Hermes, the messenger God, approaches Zeus on Olympus, revealing the location of his son Perseus. While Hermes suggests offering Perseus sanctuary, Zeus declares that he shall be left to his fate, along with the other infidel mortals.

The king seeks the help of Perseus after he is beaten and threatened to be thrown in a fire pit. Perseus initially refuses and gets locked in the dungeon, until he meets Io, a woman who does not age as punishment for refusing to be seduced by the God Ares. Io then reveals her conception was a punishment conducted by Zeus on Acrisius, the former king of Argos who was married to Danaë, for his actions against the Gods.Zeus sneaks in disguised as an eagle. Zeus copulated with Danaë and, as Acrisius came in, escaped. When Acrisius sets Danaë and the baby Perseus adrift in their coffin, an enraged Zeus struck Acrisius with lightning, leaving him hideously disfigured. After learning that killing the Kraken would allow him to have his revenge against Hades, Perseus accepts as he and Argos' finest soldiers embark on a quest to find the Stygian Witches with a pair of Persian monster-hunters named Ixas and Kucuk, and Io following. To counter this turn of events, Hades enlists Acrisius, now called Calibos, to kill off Perseus by imbuing him with superhuman powers.

While in the woods, Perseus and his men discover a sword forged in Olympus that will only display power if it is wielded by Perseus. While separated from the group, Perseus encounters Zeus' sacred herd of flying horses, the Pegasus. However, Perseus refuses both the sword and the pure-black Pegasus that the Gods were offering as assistance, as he does not wish to be a God. Calibos attacks the group and tries to murder Perseus, killing several soldiers in the process, but Calibos is unsuccessful, losing his hand before escaping. However, Calibos's blood forms giant scorpions from the sand that attack Perseus and his group. Though they slay several scorpions, most of the group are slain, and the survivors are surrounded by more of the monsters. They are saved by the Djinn, a band of shamans once human, who have turned themselves into the Demons of Arabian mythology by replacing their earthly flesh with ash and stone; thus making them immortal. The mysterious beings are able to hypnotize the scorpions into submission. Though not trusted prior to healing Perseus's wound, the Djinn leader, Sheikh Suleiman, joins Perseus's group as his kind wish to see the Gods wish for destruction to fail.

The heroes arrive at Garden of Stygia, learning from the Stygian Witches that the head of the Gorgon Medusa could kill the Kraken, but that Perseus and his group will die in the process. After leaving the witches, with the hunters taking their leave, Perseus is visited by Zeus who offers him asylum on Mount Olympus, but he refuses. Zeus gives him instead a golden drachma, which Perseus later learns is a means to bribe Charon for passage into the Underworld. While Io remains outside Medusa's lair, due to a spell that forbids any woman from entering the area, Perseus's remaining soldiers fight hard to stay alive, turning to stone one by one by her gaze. But with Suleiman self-destructing himself and Draco's sacrifice, Perseus manages to behead Medusa. Perseus emerges in time to see Calibos stab Io from behind. Perseus engages Calibos in combat and kills him using the sword from Olympus, turning him back into Acrisius in human form. With his final breath as Hades's power leaving him, Acrisius tells Perseus to never become a God. Perseus stays with the dying Io until she passes on and flies away in gold dust to Olympus. He then rides Pegasus back to Argos with Medusa's head to find some of Argos's citizens have formed a Cult of Hades and are planning to sacrifice Andromeda to the Kraken against the king's wishes. By then, Hades reveals to Zeus the destruction of Argos will give him enough power to overthrow the other Olympians; when Zeus reveals Perseus is still alive in Argos, Hades leaves his powerless brother to ensure his victory.

Perseus returns to Argos, but Hades sends his harpies to stop him. Perseus defeats the creatures sent by Hades and uses the head of Medusa to turn the Kraken into stone as Cepheus is killed by the cult leader, who is then crushed under the shattering Kraken. Hades appears and sneers that Perseus cannot kill him, since he is a God. Perseus retorts that while Hades can live forever, it will not be in the world of men and uses the sword with Zeus' lightning bolt to banish Hades back to the Underworld. After saving Argos from destruction and Andromeda from drowning, Andromeda herself suggests that Perseus will become king and rule Argos at her side, but he declines. On the broken statue of Zeus, the God of Olympus appears before Perseus again and offers to make him a God, but for a second time he refuses. Zeus warns Perseus that Hades will return to rule the world in darkness when he amasses enough fear from mankind. Since Perseus is intent to stay on Earth, Zeus resurrects Io, and the two embrace while Pegasus flies above them.

Cast

Sam Worthington as Perseus main protagonist, and son of Zeus
Liam Neeson as Zeus, the leader of the Gods of Mount Olympus
Ralph Fiennes as Hades, God of the Underworld and the primary villain
Gemma Arterton as Io, a woman cursed with agelessness who guides Perseus in his quest and narrates the Titanomachy at the start of the film
Alexa Davalos as Andromeda, the princess that will be sacrificed to the kraken
Izabella Miko as Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Knowledge
Mads Mikkelsen as Draco, leader of the Praetorian Guard
Jason Flemyng as Acrisius/Calibos
Danny Huston as Poseidon, God of the rivers, oceans and seas
David Kennedy as Cepheus's General
Tamer Hassan as Ares, God of war and battle
Pete Postlethwaite as Spyros, foster father of Perseus
Polly Walker as Cassiopeia, Queen of Argos
Vincent Regan as Cepheus, King of Argos
Luke Treadaway as Prokopion
Luke Evans as Apollo, God of the Sun, Poetry, Truth, Art and Healing.
Nathalie Cox as Artemis, Goddess of hunting and animals
Nina Young as Hera, Goddess of women and marriage and a wife of Zeus
Kaya Scodelario as Peshet
Nicholas Hoult as Eusebios
Ian Whyte as Sheikh Sulieman, The Djinn who assisted Perseus and the praetorian guards of Argos
Agyness Deyn as Aphrodite, Goddess of love, sex and beauty
Paul Kynman as Hephaestus, God of fire
Alexander Siddig as Hermes, Messenger of the Gods
Charlotte Comer as Demeter, Goddess of the Earth and agriculture
Jane March as Hestia, Goddess of the hearth
Natalia Vodianova as Medusa, The mortal Gorgon
Hans Matheson as Ixas
Mouloud Achour as Kucuk
Liam Cunningham as Solon
Ross Mullan as Pemphredo
Ashraf Barhom as Ozal

Creatures

Stygian Witches - Three women with gray skin and only one eye they share amongst them. They have a taste for human flesh, as their "knowledge demands payment".
Giant scorpions - Scorpions born from the blood of Acrisius; hypnotized by the Djinn.
Gorgon - Medusa the gorgon appears in the film as a giant, half snake, half human creature. She is beheaded by Perseus, leaving the rest of her body to fall into a lava pit.
Djinn - spirit beings living in the desert with magical powers.
Kraken - an enormous sea monster who defeated the titans and was turned to stone by Medusa's head.
Harpies - Winged demons who come from the body of Hades.
Pegasus - The winged horse that Perseus uses to ride to the confrontation with the Kraken.
Bubo - The mechanical owl from the 1981 film makes a cameo appearance early in the film.

Sequel

It has been stated that a sequel will be developed. Director Louis Leterrier will not come back to direct but will be an executive producer on the project. Clash of the Titans II has a tentative 2012 release date.

Monday, March 22, 2010

El Cazador de la Bruja (エル・カザド)

Genre: Yuri, Adventure, Comedy-drama, Western

El Cazador de la Bruja (エル・カザド, Eru Kazado, Spanish for "The Hunter of the Witch"), is an anime television series directed by Kōichi Mashimo and animated by Bee Train studio. It is a spiritual successor of Noir and Madlax and the final installment of Bee Train's "girls-with-guns" trilogy. The series was aired on TV Tokyo from April to September in 2007. A manga adaptation began serializing in the Champion RED Magazine in March 2007, and is releasing chapters monthly.

The series was announced for international release by FUNimation Entertainment on February 19, 2009. It was released in two complete season sets in early December 2009 and re-released as a complete set in March 2011.
The series made its North American television debut on March 22, 2010, when it started airing on the FUNimation Channel.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Najica Blitz Tactics

Najica Blitz Tactics

Alternative Title(s):
Najica, Najica Dengeki Sakusen, Najica missions éclair, 나지카 전격작전

Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction, Comedy, Shoujo, Shounen
Studio: Studio Fantasia

Najica Blitz Tactics (ナジカ電撃作戦 Najika Dengeki Sakusen) is an anime television series by Studio Fantasia. It premiered across Japan between October 4, 2001 and December 27, 2001. The show is similar to that of Agent Aika—both being directed by Katsuhiko Nishijima and animated by Studio Fantasia—with much of the same content.

Though Najica was later adapted into a manga by Takuya Tashiro (田代琢也 Tashiro Takuya), the majority of the difference in content were in the context of the missions and especially the ending.

Story

Najica Hiiragi is a noted perfumer for CRI Cosmetics, famous for being able to identify over 500 scents. As the series began, she is struggling to finish "The Day Series" (a series of scents modeled after the days of the week), trying to find the perfect scent for the final perfume, "Sunday".

Secretly however, Najica is actually a field agent for CRI's Intelligence Bureau, an agency unknown to the public (and even to most of its own employees for the sake of their own protection). She is an expert markswoman with her preferred weapon; the Stechkin APS, an old Russian firearm with selective fire (auto and semi-auto) and a wooden holster that doubles as a shoulder stock. The twenty round magazine is loaded with non-lethal plastic bullets.

Najica is also an expert helicopter pilot, and she has a custom-modified Mil Mi-35 Hind assault helicopter with remote control and advanced avionics.
Najica's first mission in the narrative is to recover a Humaritt (android) codenamed "ZZZ" and referred to as "Lila", Najica becomes suspicious when CRI Intelligence is contracted by Shinba Industrial to recover more lost and possibly rogue Humaritts; especially since most of them are in the hands of criminals, revolutionaries, guerillas or terrorist groups. Her suspicions increase when Lila is assigned to be her partner, even though Najica insists she be allowed to continue working alone. As time goes on however, Najica begins to trust Lila, even if Lila's lack of social graces make her wince. Soon however the two's bond is tested when they face the creator of the Humaritts and her ultimate plan...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Najica_Blitz_Tactics

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Future Boy Conan (未来少年コナン, Mirai Shōnen Konan)

Future Boy Conan (未来少年コナン, Mirai Shōnen Konan)

TV anime
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Studio: Nippon Animation
Original run: April 4, 1978 – October 31, 1978

Anime film: Mirai Shōnen Conan Tokubetsu Hen-Kyodaiki Gigant no Fukkatsu
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Studio: Nippon Animation
Released: March 11, 1984
Runtime: 25 minutes

Future Boy Conan (未来少年コナン, Mirai Shōnen Konan) is an anime series, which premiered across Japan on the NHK network between April 4 and October 31, 1978 on the Tuesday 19:30-20:00 timeslot. The official English title used by Nippon Animation is Conan, The Boy in Future.

Spanning a total of 26 episodes, the series was produced by Nippon Animation and featured the likes of Hayao Miyazaki (director, character designs, storyboards), Isao Takahata (storyboards) and Yoshiyuki Tomino (storyboards). It is an adaptation of Alexander Key's novel The Incredible Tide.

A video game version of the series by Telenet Japan was released in 1992 on NEC's PC Engine console. The game was released on the Super CD-Rom format and was only available in Japan.

Story

The story begins in July 2008, during a time when mankind is faced with the threat of extinction. A devastating war fought between two major nations with ultra-magnetic weapons far greater than anything seen earlier brings about total chaos and destruction throughout the world, resulting in several earthquakes and tidal waves, the earth thrown off its axis, its crust being rocked by massive movements, and the five continents being torn completely apart and sinking deep below the sea.

An attempt by a group of people to flee to outer space failed, with their spaceships being forced back to earth and vanishing, thus shattering their hopes. But one of the spaceships narrowly escaped destruction and crash landed on a small island which had miraculously survived the devastation. The crew members of the spaceship settled there, as if they were seeds sown on the island.

Amidst these survivors, a boy named Conan was born, bringing a new ray of hope to the earth. After several years, during which most of the other survivors had died and the only people left on the island were Conan and his grandfather, he meets a young girl named Lana, and their adventure begins.

Between the different islands left in the world: Industria, High Harbor, Rambent, and others, the group travel and conflict rises between good and evil.

Characters

Conan (コナン Konan) Seiyū: Noriko Ohara
The main protagonist of the series, Conan, is an 11 year old boy who grew up on the island and was raised by his grandfather. Conan is very strong, and can even hang from a ledge using only his toes. Conan is friends with Lana.

Lana (ラナ Rana) Seiyū: Mieko Nobusawa
Lana is the first non-Remnant Island inhabitant, and the first girl Conan sees. Lana is the granddaughter of Dr. Lao, and Lepka wants to use her to get Lao to tell him the secret of solar power. Lana is referred to as possessing ESP, allowing her to communicate with a seagull 'Tikki', as well as sense the presence of her grandpa. She comes from High Harbour.

Grandpa (おじい Ojī) Seiyū: Masato Yamanouchi
Conan's elderly grandfather, who's alive after their spaceship crashes on the remnant island in the first episode.

Monsley (モンスリー Monsurī) Seiyū: Rihoko Yoshida
A young commander of Industria's armed forces, Monsley is the second non-Islander Conan sees. Piloting the flying boat Falco, she follows Lepka's orders by helping capture Lana, and eventually leading the invasion of Industria to conquer the High Habor. Ultimately after the lost battle in the High Harbor, Monsley renounces Lepka's ambitions, and joins with Conan against him.

Jimsy (ジムシー Jimushī) Seiyū: Kazuyo Aoki
A wild boy living alone on the first island Conan arrives at, Jimsy quickly becomes Conan's first 'companion', helping him rescue Lana. Jimsy is a master hunter, and motivated by his stomach.

Dyce (ダイス Daisu) Seiyū: Ichirō Nagai
Dyce is a citizen of Industria, and the captain of the ship Barracuda. He was ordered to kidnap Lana prior to the start of series, but let her escape due to his obsession with his captive. Dyce is initially a comedic villain in the show, but eventually becomes one of Conan's allies .

Lepka (レプカ Repuka?) Seiyū: Iemasa Kayumi
The head of administration of Industria, Lepka technically serves under the Industria High Council, a group of scientists. However, over the course of the series, he becomes the sole dictator of Industria, and the primary antagonist. Lepka desires to extract the secret of solar power from Lao to power his weapons, allowing him to rule over what remains of the world.

Dr. Lao (ラオ博士 Rao-hakase) Seiyū: Masato Yamanouchi
The grandfather of Lana, the main scientist responsible for the development of solar power for both civil and wartime usage. Originally a member of the Industrian High Council, he defected after he learned of Lepka's ambitions. He believes that the people of Industria must be taught to discard their weapons, and begin new lives. For this reason he escapes, bringing with him the secret of how to access the orbiting solar power station from pre-war times.

Umasou
Umasou is Jimsy's piglet, "unmasou" which means "Look Delicious" in Japan.

Orlo
The coward and the traitor of the High Harbor, he follows the Industria and has an evil plot to become a leader of High Habor then he gives a demand to everyone to give up Industria.

Tera
Orlo's younger sister, she's injured by a rocket from Industria's soldiers and is the second leader of Orlo's men.

Anime

Future Boy Conan first aired across Japan on the NHK TV network between April 4 and October 31, 1978, during the Tuesday, 7:30pm timeslot. It has been regularly broadcast across Japan on the anime satellite television network, Animax, who have also later translated and dubbed the series into English for broadcast across its respective English-language networks in Southeast Asia and South Asia, under the title Conan, The Boy In Future.

The series was also translated into numerous other languages, including Cantonese, Mandarin, French, Spanish, Italian, Catalan, Basque, Portuguese, Korean, Turkish and Arabic, being broadcast across Europe, Latin America, the Arab World, and numerous other regions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Boy_Conan

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

AIKa R-16: Virgin Mission

AIKa R-16: Virgin Mission

Alternative Names (異名):
AIKa R-16: Virgin Mission, アイカ・ルー16：　バージン・ミション

Director: Katsuhiko Nishijima
Studio: Studio Fantasia
Released: April 25, 2007
Rating: MPAA: NC-17 (US), 19+ (KR)

Genres:
Action, Adventure, Comedy

AIKa R-16: Virgin Mission is an anime OVA series by Studio Fantasia. It is the prequel to the Agent Aika (AIKa) OVA series, also by Studio Fantasia. The series takes place 10 years before the events in Agent Aika. It is followed by a sequel OVA series, AIKa Zero.

This series also celebrates the 10th anniversary of the original AIKa OVA.

Plot

High school student Aika Sumeragi, with her sharp mind and athletic body, has passed the C-class Salvager test and gotten a C-class Salvager license. Despite being sixteen years old now, she is still being treated as a child by Gozo. Having finally gotten a license, Aika started putting up posters offering her Salvager services. At that time her classmate and president of the Treasure Hunting Club, Eri Shinkai, posted a request for her. Aika gladly undertook Eri's request and boarded Eri's private cruiser. Onboard she learned about the mysterious girl called Karen who is the reason for the request. That night Aika was assaulted by high school girls and Karen was almost captured. What secret does Karen hold?

Characters

Aika Sumeragi (皇藍華), 16

Aika's scientist parents did experiments on her when she was younger to enhance the human body. But during the experiment a large scale earthquake occurred; every one except Aika died. At that time she was rescued by Salvager Aido Gozo. Gozo takes it upon himself to bring up Aika.

In the future she helps Gozo in his business, but now she is a newbie C-class Salvager still in training. She is always late for school. Her behavior is somehow similar to Aida Rion, Gozo's daughter and her future "sidekick". She likes machines.

Voiced by: Ami Koshimizu (Japanese), Cristina Valenzuela (English)

Eri Shinkai (真海エリ), 16

She is the class president of Aika's class (1-A) and founder, club president of the school's Treasure Hunting Club. Eri is also a mystery fanatic and comes from a very wealthy family.
Knowing that Aika has a Class C license, she roped Aika in to help with the investigation of Karen's mystery.
Voiced by: Misato Fukuen (Japanese), Kira Buckland (English)

Karen Minamino (美波野カレン), 17

Usually silent and seldom shows any facial expression, she talks only when necessary. On Eri's investigation, Karen's past history is unknown.

Karen has a butterfly insignia on her left breast. The insignia on magnification is made up of minute numbers which decodes to the sentence "the gate of the truth will be opened by the sleeping butterfly" and a map coordinate, which is where the group is heading to.

Voiced by: Mamiko Noto (Japanese), Erika Lenhart (English)

Risako Nagisa (凪紗りさこ), 26

A teacher of the school Aika attends. Also the teacher advisor of Treasure Hunting Club. She turned out to be an enemy, having controlled three of the students with electronic devices to attack Aika and Eri and also tried to take Karen away. Her true identity is an agent from a mysterious organization sent to observe Karen.

Voiced by: Naoko Suzuki (Japanese), Tara Platt (English)

Gozo Aida (相田郷造), 41

A Salvager that rescued Aika during the earthquake incident, brought her up and trained her in the ways of the Salvager.

Voiced by: Akio Ohtsuka (Japanese), Russel Thor (English)

Gust (ガスト), 14

Although he is from a rich family, he works as a waiter on an Eri's private cruiser. A future Salvager and Aika admirer.

Voiced by: Hiroyuki Yoshino (Japanese), Sam Regal (English)

Captain (船長)

The captain of the cruiser "Regina Eri", the cruiser that the cast is on. He is to ensure that Eri returns safely. An excellent sniper with the M21 rifle.

Voiced by: Takaya Kuroda (Japanese), David Vincent (English)

Midori, Aki, Kyoko (ミドリ,　アキ,　キョーコ)

The three students controlled by Risako. Members of the Treasure Hunting Club.

Voiced by: Mamiko Noto (Japanese), Jennifer Alyx (English),
Voiced by: Sakata Kayo (Japanese), Laura Post (English),
Voiced by: Mai Goto (Japanese), Michelle Ann Dunphy (English)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIKa_R-16:_Virgin_Mission
http://ai.animecharactersdatabase.com/kr/publisher.php?id=1629

Japanese Manga | Japanese Animation | Ecchi(エッチ) |

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Eureka Seven

Genre: Adventure, Comedy-drama, Mecha, science fiction, Romance

Eureka Seven, known in Japan as Psalms of Planets Eureka seveN (交響詩篇エウレカセブン, Kōkyōshihen Eureka Sebun, literally "Symphonic Psalms Eureka Seven"), is a mecha anime TV series by Bones. Eureka Seven tells the story of Renton Thurston and the outlaw group Gekkostate, his relationship with the enigmatic mecha pilot Eureka, and the mystery of the Coralians.

Bandai produced three video games based on Eureka Seven; two of them are based on events prior to the show, while the third is based on the first half of the show. Both the original concept of the anime and the video game Eureka Seven vol. 1: New Wave have been adapted into manga series as well, although with many significant changes primarily at the end. The TV series has also been adapted into a series of four novels and a movie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_Seven

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Cafe: Little Wish (2003)

Cafe: Little Wish (2003)

Cafe Little Wish: Mahou no Recipe is an Adventure game, published by Princess Soft, which was released in Japan in 2003.

http://animeartbooks.net/artbook/103-cafe-little-wish-character-illustration-book-vol1/

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Blood+

Blood+

Genre: Adventure, Supernatural

TV anime
Director: Junichi Fujisaku
Studio: Production I.G, Aniplex
Licensor: Sony Pictures Television International
Network: Animax, TBS
English network: Cartoon Network, Animax Asia, Studio 23
Original run: October 8, 2005 – September 23, 2006
Episodes: 50

Manga
Author: Asuka Katsura
Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten
English publisher: Madman Entertainment, Dark Horse Comics
Demographic: Shōnen
Magazine: Monthly Shōnen Ace
Original run: December 26, 2005 – April 26, 2007
Volumes: 5

Manga: Blood+ Adagio
Author: Kumiko Suekane
Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten
English publisher: Madman Entertainment, Dark Horse Comics
Demographic: Shōnen
Magazine: Beans Ace Magazine
Original run: April 26, 2006 – December 26, 2006
Volumes: 2

Manga: Blood+ Yakōjōshi
Author: Hirotaka Kisaragi
Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten
English publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Demographic: Shōjo
Magazine: Ciel
Original run: April 26, 2006 –
Volumes: 1

Light novel
Author: Ryo Ikehata
Illustrator: Chizu Hashii
Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten
English publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Demographic: Male
Imprint: Sneaker Bunko
Original run: May 1, 2006 – ongoing
Volumes: 4

Light novel: Blood+ Russian Rose
Author: Chougatsu Karino
Illustrator: Takagi Ryou
Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten
English publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Demographic: Female
Imprint: Beans Bunko
Original run: May 1, 2006 – September 1, 2006

Game: Blood+: Sōyoku no Battle Rondo
Developer: Sony Entertainment
Genre: Adventure game
Platform: PlayStation 2
Released: July 27, 2006

Game: Blood+: One Night Kiss
Developer: Namco Bandai Games, Grasshopper Manufacture
Genre: Action shooter
Platform: PlayStation 2
Released: August 30, 2006

Game: Blood+: Final Piece
Developer: SCEI
Publisher: Sony Entertainment
Genre: Adventure RPG
Platform: PSP
Released: September 7, 2006

Related: Blood: The Last Vampire

Blood+, pronounced as "Blood Plus", is an anime series produced by Production I.G and Aniplex and directed by Junichi Fujisaku. The series premiered in Japan on Sony's anime satellite channel, Animax, as well as on terrestrial networks such as MBS, TBS, and RKB on October 8, 2005. The final episode aired on September 23, 2006. Blood+ is licensed for international distribution in several regions through Sony Pictures' international arm, Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI).

Blood+ was inspired by the 2000 anime film Blood: The Last Vampire; however, there are only a few allusions and basic elements from the film. Fujisaku has been involved with both works, including acting as the director for Blood+ and writing the novelization of Blood: The Last Vampire.

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Grenadier (グレネーダー)

Grenadier (グレネーダー)

Genre: Action, Adventure

Grenadier (グレネーダー, Gurenēdā) is a manga series written and illustrated by Sōsuke Kaise, published in Kadokawa Shoten's Shōnen Ace in 2003. The manga was licensed in Taiwan by Ever Glory Publishing.

The manga was adapted into an animated television series in 2004. The anime series aired on WOWOW from October 14, 2004 to January 13, 2005, totaling twelve episodes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenadier_(manga)

Thursday, March 25, 2004

Gravion (超重神グラヴィオン)

Gravion (超重神グラヴィオン)

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Mecha

Gravion (超重神グラヴィオン, Chōjūshin Guravion, lit. Super Heavy God Gravion) is an anime television series produced by Gonzo. It aired in Japan from October 7, 2002 to December 16, 2002 and ran for 13 episodes. In 2004, Gravion Zwei (超重神グラヴィオンZwei, Chōjūshin Guravion Tsuvai, "Zwei" is German for "two") was released and aired from January 8 to March 25 in Japan, running for twelve additional episodes, answering the questions generated from the first series.

Both Gravion and Gravion Zwei are created and directed by Masami Ōbari with mecha designs from Kunio Okawara. Both series were released in the United States by ADV Films.

Friday, November 14, 2003

Tian Long Ba Bu (天龍八部, 2003)

Tian Long Ba Bu(天龍八部, 2003)

Alternative Names(異名):
天龍八部, 天龙八部, Tian Long Ba Bu, Heaven Dragon The Eighth Episode, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils

Genres: Wuxia, fantasy, adventure
Episodes: 40
Broadcast network: CCTV
Broadcast year: 2003
Ending theme song: Forgiveness by Faye Wong

Synopsis

Tian Long Ba Bu is an adaption of a Jin Yong novel of the same name. The epic centers around the Beggar Leader Qiao Feng, the Dali Prince Duan Yu and the Shaolin Monk Xu Zhu. Each of their stories are interweaved throughout the show and finally clash and join at the climax of the story.

Qiao Feng's story is his quest to find his real identity and the mystery surrounding an event that occured 30 years prior that left him as an orphan. Duan Yu's story covers his meetings with many of his half sisters that he did not know he had (thanks to his adventurous dad during his young days) and the battle with Duan Yuan Qing as the rightful ruler of Dali. Xu Zhu is a lowly Shaolin Monk who gets caught in the middle of an internal struggle of the Care Free Sect, one of the most powerful and secretative sects around. Their stories take place during the Northern Song Dynasty and across warring kingdoms of Song, Liao, Dali, and Western Xia.

Synopsis

Hu Jun as Qiao Feng
Jimmy Lin as Duan Yu
Gao Hu as Xu Zhu
Crystal Liu as Wang Yu Yan
Liu Tao as A Zhu
Chen Hao as A Zi
Xiu Qing as Murong Fu
Christy Chung as Madame Ma
Tong Chun Chung as Duan Zheng Chun
Ji Chun Hua as Duan Yuan Qing
Ma Yu Ke as You Tan Zhi
Jiang Xin as Mu Wan Qing
Yang Rui as Zhong Ling
Shen Jun Yi as Ding Chun Qiu
Ba Yin as Jiu Mo Zhi
Wei Zong Wan as Zhong Wan Chou
Zhang Ji Zhong as Wang Jian Tong
Xiu Ge (修革) as Feng Bo E
Yang Nian Sheng as Xuan Ci Fang Zhang
Zhang Heng Ping as Zhu Wan Li

Tuesday, September 30, 2003

Gad Guard

Gad Guard

Genre: Adventure, Mecha, Science Fiction

Gad Guard (ガドガード, Gado Gādo) is a 26-episode anime television series directed by Hiroshi Nishikiori and produced by Gonzo, which was broadcast across Japan by the anime satellite television network, Animax, and the terrestrial Fuji Television network. It has been licensed for North American distribution by Geneon Entertainment, and also aired on Anime Unleashed in 2005. With FUNimation's "New Show A Go-Go", they have acquired the distribution rights of the anime, and it will be available in early 2009.

Wednesday, September 24, 2003

Divergence Eve (ダイバージェンス・イヴ)

Genre: Adventure, Science fiction

Divergence Eve (ダイバージェンス・イヴ, Daibājensu Ivu) is a thirteen episode Japanese anime series created by Takumi Tsukumo and directed by Hiroshi Negishi, with production by Operation EVE and animation production from RADIX.

The series is a science fiction story set in the far future, incorporating aspects of space opera. The character-driven storyline focuses primarily on the psychology of the main character, her social interactions, her inhuman abilities, and the conspiracy surrounding them. The technology is often secondary to this, but it is not ignored; several aspects, including their means of faster-than-light travel, are explained and loosely based on modern physics.

In North America, the television series was produced by ADV Films, aired from 2 July 2003 to 24 September 2003, ran for 13 episodes, and was released in 3 volumes on VHS and DVD. A budget-priced 3-DVD collection is also available; however, no extras are included in this set.

The series was a hit in Japan, which led to the creation of a sequel, Misaki Chronicles, which also ran for 13 episodes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divergence_Eve

Sunday, November 17, 2002

.hack//Sign

.hack//Sign

Tsukasa (front), Aura (right), Subaru (left).

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery, Science fiction

.hack//Sign (trademarked as .hack//SIGN) is an anime television series directed by Kōichi Mashimo and produced by studio Bee Train and Bandai Visual, that makes up one of the four original storylines of the .hack franchise. Twenty six original episodes aired on TV and three additional bonus episodes (Intermezzo, Unison, and Gift) were released on DVD as original video animations (OVAs). The series features character design by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, known for his work on Evangelion, and screenplay by Kazunori Itō, who penned the screenplay for the first Ghost in the Shell movie. The score was composed by Yuki Kajiura, marking her second collaboration with Kōichi Mashimo.

.hack//Sign is influenced by psychological and sociological subjects such as anxiety, escapism, and interpersonal relationships. The series focuses on a Wavemaster (magic user) named Tsukasa, a player character of a virtual-reality massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) called The World. Tsukasa wakes up to find himself in a dungeon in The World, but he suffers from short-term memory loss as he wonders where he is and how he got there. The situation gets worse when he discovers he is unable to log out and is trapped in the game. From then on, along with other players Tsukasa embarks on a quest to figure out the truth behind his abnormal situation.

The show premiered in Japan on TV Tokyo between April 4, 2002 and September 25, 2002. It was broadcast across East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Latin America by the anime television network, Animax; and across the United States, Nigeria, Canada, and United Kingdom by Cartoon Network, YTV, and AnimeCentral (English and Japanese) respectively. It is distributed across North America by Bandai Entertainment.

The storyline moves at a leisurely pace, and has multiple layers — the viewer is often fed false information and red herrings, potentially leading to confusion until the true nature of events is unveiled towards the end of the series.[9] It relies on character development and has few action scenes; most of the time character interaction is presented in the form of dialogue. English language reception to .hack//Sign has been generally positive, but some of these sources have negatively criticised the series as a result of its slow pacing and character-driven storyline.

Tuesday, October 16, 2001

Smallville (2001-)

Smallville

Genre	Action, Adventure, Science fiction, Drama
Created by	Characters: Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster
Developed by	Alfred Gough, Miles Millar
Opening theme	"Save Me" by Remy Zero
Composer(s)	Mark Snow, Louis Febre
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English

Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB, premiering on October 16, 2001. After its fifth season, The WB and UPN merged to form The CW, which is the current broadcaster for the show in the United States. The longest-running comic book based series in television history, Smallville began its ninth season on September 25, 2009, and was renewed for its tenth and final season on March 4, 2010. The series follows the adventures of Clark Kent (Tom Welling), who resides in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman. The first four seasons focused on Clark and his friends' high school years. Since season five, the show has ventured into more adult settings, eventually focusing on his career at the Daily Planet, as well as introducing other DC comic book superheroes and villains.

The concept for Smallville was derived after a potential series chronicling a young Bruce Wayne's journey toward becoming Batman failed to get off the ground. After meeting with the president of Warner Bros. Television, Gough and Millar pitched their "no tights, no flights" rule, which would break Superman down to the bare essentials and look at the events that led Clark Kent to become Superman. After seven seasons with the show, series developers Gough and Millar departed without providing a specific reason. Smallville is predominantly filmed in and around Vancouver, with some of the local businesses and buildings substituting for Smallville locations. The music for the first six seasons is primarily composed by Mark Snow, who incorporates elements of John Williams's musical score from the original Superman film series. In season seven, Louis Febre—who had worked with Snow from the beginning—took over as primary composer. The song played under the opening titles is "Save Me" by Remy Zero; several episodes also contain songs written and performed by other bands.

The series received generally positive reception when it began broadcasting. Former Superman star Christopher Reeve voiced his approval of the series, and the pilot episode broke the record for highest rated debut for The WB, with 8.4 million viewers. With nine seasons completed, Smallville has averaged approximately 4.47 million viewers per episode, with season two averaging the highest ratings at 6.3 million.

Series overview

Season one sees the introduction of the regular cast, and storylines which regularly included a villain deriving a power from kryptonite exposure; the one-episode villains were a plot device developed by Gough and Millar. The first season primarily dealt with Clark trying to come to terms with his alien origins, and the revelation that his arrival on Earth was connected to the deaths of Lana's parents. After the first season, the series used fewer villain-of-the-week episodes, focusing more on story arcs which affected each character and explore Clark's origins. Main story arcs include: Clark's discovery of his Kryptonian heritage; the disembodied voice of Clark's biological father Jor-El is introduced, communicating to Clark via his space ship, setting the stage for plots involving the fulfillment of Clark's earthly destiny; Clark seeking out three Kryptonian stones, at the instruction of Jor-El, which contain the knowledge of the universe and form his Fortress of Solitude; Clark battling Brainiac in his attempts to release the Kryptonian criminal General Zod; other escaped Phantom Zone criminals Clark must either capture or destroy; the arrival of Clark's biological cousin Kara; and Lex finally discovering Clark's secret. The eighth season features storylines involving the introduction of Davis Bloome, who is Smallville's interpretation of Doomsday, and a woman named Tess Mercer to replace the exit of Lex Luthor from the series. Justin Hartley reprises his role as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, being upgraded to a series regular. With the ninth season, "Major" Zod (Callum Blue), along with other members of Zod's military group, are revived by Tess Mercer, though without their Kryptonian powers. Their efforts to obtain those powers becomes the central conflict for the season's story arc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallville

Friday, October 2, 1998

AntZ (1988)

AntZ (1988)

Alternative Names (異名):
AntZ, 개미

Directed by: Eric Darnell, Tim Johnson
Studio: DreamWorks Animation, Pacific Data Images
Distributed by: DreamWorks Pictures, Pacific Data Images
MPAA: Rated PG for mild language and menacing action
Release date(s): October 2, 1998

Golden Boy (ゴールデンボーイ)

Golden Boy (ゴールデンボーイ)

Genre: Adventure, Sex comedy

Golden Boy (ゴールデンボーイ, Gōruden Bōi) is a Japanese manga series by Tatsuya Egawa about a 25-year-old freeter, pervert, and "travelling student" named Kintaro Oe (大江錦太郎 Ōe Kintarō). The manga was originally serialized in Shueisha's Super Jump starting in 1992, with the first collected volume released the following year. Parts of the manga were adapted into a six episode OVA series produced by Shueisha and KSS in 1995, which was subsequently released through ADV Films in North America in December 1996. ADV's license of the series expired in 2007, however, and in November 2007, Media Blasters acquired the license to it. Media Blasters has confirmed that the dub produced by ADV was kept.

Kintaro, despite having met the requirements for a law degree, left Tokyo University without graduating. Golden Boy depicts his living the life of a free spirit, roaming Japan from town to town, job to job. During his travels, Kintaro meets several women whose lives he dramatically changes, despite poor first impressions. He constantly observes and studies the people and events around him, recording his findings in a notebook he carries on his belt.

The Golden Boy OVA has been positively received by English-language reviewers, but it is widely known for its mature content: while the OVA is not strictly a hentai animation, it does feature instances of partial female nudity, orgasms, and female masturbation. In contrast, the manga becomes almost pornographic starting in the second volume.

In the 19th issue of Business Jump magazine, it was announced that a sequel of the Golden Boy manga was in the works. Tatsuya Egawa has stated that this sequel will involve Kintaro taking on the entertainment world for his next job.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Boy_(manga)

Friday, April 25, 1997

Agent Aika (アイカ, 1997)

Agent Aika

Alternative names: アイカ (AIKa)
Genre: Action, Adventure

Original video animation
Director: Katsuhiko Nishijima
Studio: Studio Fantasia
Licensor: Bandai Visual, U.S. Manga Corps (original), Bandai Entertainment (new), Dynit (original)
Released: 25 April 1997
Episodes: 7 + Special

Agent Aika, known in Japan as simply AIKa (アイカ), is an adventure anime OVA series. Aika Sumeragi is a Japanese woman (voiced by Rei Sakuma) who works as a salvager for hire, but gets caught up in a plot for world domination. The series was available in North America from Central Park Media, but now it has been licensed by Bandai Entertainment.

The series was well known for copious amounts of fan service, specifically "creative" camera angles that focused on the undergarments of the many female characters that populate the show.

On April 25, 2007 the first volume of the three-part prequel OVA AIKa R-16: Virgin Mission, detailing Aika's time as a teenager, was released in Japan. A remastered version of the original series was released also, along with a special Live Action edition of Agent Aika.

Plot

Tokyo has sunk into the ocean, along with most of the world, during a large-scale land subsidence. Aika Sumeragi is a salvager who works for a small company run by a father and daughter tandem. Alas, the company isn't exactly successful, and money is needed desperately. Thus, Aika accepts the very dangerous job of acquiring an artifact called Lagu for a hefty sum. The boss' daughter Aida Rion joins Aika on this particular mission, and the two set off.

Later on, Aika and Rion are captured by Rudolf Hargen—an effeminate but over-sexed man who wants Lagu and Aika (and just about every pretty girl) for himself. Hargen commands a huge battleship manned exclusively by droves of cute girls in mini-skirts (an example of what is often called "fan service"). Alongside Hargen is his obsessive sister Neena, who is jealous of Aika, as well as another salvager named Gusto, who's also after Lagu and has a crush on Aika as well. When Aika's special bustier is activated, she becomes a superhuman who can take on whole armies by herself.

Characters

Aika and company

Aika Sumeragi (皇藍華), 26

She is considered to be one of the best in the business. She was raised as a test subject by her scientist parents who died in the catastrophic earthquake. She was protected by the bustier made by her parents and thus survived. She was then picked up by Aida Gozo, who raised her, and later on she works in Gozo's office as a Salvager.

Aika possesses a unique battle suit made out of "ultranate" (or more accurately just "alternate metal" from the katakana オルタネートメタル), shaped into a golden bustier that transforms her into a dark-skinned and blue-haired woman with supernatural strength and resilience. But she dislikes the perfection attained by the transformation and tries not to rely on it. Although not used in the anime, in this form she is called Shivie Aika.

She is constantly fighting with Gust, who either tries to steal her bounty or hits on her. Aika will do anything to get the job done, even if it means sacrificing her morals.

Voiced by: Rei Sakuma (Japanese), Debbie Rabbai (English)

Rion Aida (相田りおん), 18

She is Aika's salvaging partner and her Boss' daughter. Her mother divorced him after she was born. She wants to run the business better, but her father keeps to his policies. She does not like being left out of transactions nor having Aika do the work herself. Rion looks upon Aika as her real sister and yearns to become like Aika.

Voiced by: Hiroko Konishi (Japanese), Purva Bedi (English)

Gozo Aida (相田郷造), 51

He was an active industrial spy, but rode on the chance of the catastrophic earthquake and entered the salvaging business, setting up K2 Corporation, a Salvaging operation. He is Rion's father. He prefers to hold onto the old ways (cheapest price for the best service) and principles of doing business, which does little good to the business. His past with Aika goes far back.

Voiced by: Akio Ootsuka (Japanese), David Rankin (English)

Michikusa Shuntaro (道草旬太郎), 21

Graduated from the Salvager training school with barely passing grades, he joins K2 Corporation through a relative. His father is the president of a major salvaging company. He is a new character introduced in the second series.

Cute-looking but totally air-headed, Michikusa is prone to dressing cutely as well (including donning Delmo staff uniforms on several occasions), and using a kappa doll and squeaky voice to try cheering up Rion when her mood is down, which earns him frequent beatings by Rion because he only succeeds in annoying her.

Voiced by: Masaya Onosaka (Japanese), Jeffery Gimble (English)

Maypia Alexymetalia (メイピア・アルキメタリア)

She is a "Class A" spy (who carries suitable business cards) employed by the government to retrieve information on Lagu by infiltrating Hagen's army dressed as a black Delmo. She runs into Rion and ends up following her.

After having been abandoned by her employers and her subsequent rescue by Aika and her friends, she went freelance. She reappears in episode 7, where she joins Rion and company in their assault on the Delmo base.

Voiced by: Sakiko Tamagawa

Gust Turbulence (ガスト・タービュランス), 24

He is the son of a company's president. Although he is well-off, he prefers to be independent and became a Salvager to earn his own name.

At first look he may be a brash person, but is skillful. He'd like to have Aika to go out with him, but she refuses. He seems to end up in the right place to get the bounty.

Voiced by: Juurouta Kosugi (Japanese), Alvaro J. Gonzalez (English)

B.A. Bandora (バ・バンドラ)

Gust's cyberpunk-styled partner, a veteran Salvager. May not always agree with him but helps him out anyway.

Voiced by: Hisako Kyouda (Japanese), Mina Sands (English)

The Hagens

Rudolf Hagen (ルドルフ・ハーゲン), 31

Hagen was born as a genetically altered test tube baby, in the process he received superior genes. Because of that he yearns for superior women to impart the genes to his next generation.

Hagen is the evil mastermind who, even though contracted by the military to find the Lagu, wants it for his own ends. He believes that Lagu is something the Earth produced to destroy the humanity that polluted it. He enjoys commanding his army, especially the bridge, and is passive but calculating. He plans to repopulate the Earth with his own progeny conceived with his Delmo staff.

Voiced by: Kaneto Shiozawa (Japanese), Scott Cargle (English)

Neena Hagen (ネーナ・ハーゲン), 28

She is a test tube baby like Rudolf. It is unknown if she is the blood sister of Rudolf. Nevertheless she respects and loves Rudolf dearly to a level beyond siblings, and dislikes Aika for "seducing" her brother Rudolf. A sadistic character and unstable mood, she walks around in her bare essentials and makes sure the black Delmos are punished for failure.

She later receives from Rudolf an Alternate Metal panty which allows her to transform to a powered-up form. However, the device fusing into her soon runs out of control, and she becomes a hideous monster. In this form she embraces and kills her brother and flees into space cradling his corpse. Her ultimate fate is unknown.

Voiced by: Atsuko Tanaka (Japanese), Suzanne Savoy (English), Suzy Prue (English, episodes 3–4)

Delmo Corps

The Delmo Corps, also referred as the Delmogeny (デルモゲニイ), is an army of pretty ladies assembled by Professor Hagen for the purpose of propagating his genes; they also function as Hagen's private army. Some of them work ordinary jobs like guides and waitresses, but on top of that they are also involved in espionage activities.

Even after Hagen's defeat, the Delmo Corps still functions. With its aim to capture Aika to avenge Hagen and to study the alternate metal, they become the main antagonist in the second series.

White Delmo: Officer class and Hagen's personal bodyguards. They are responsible for the smooth operations of the ship.

Captain/Commander (艦長/司令)

The unnamed chief commanding officer of the Delmo is a beautiful green-haired woman highly accomplished in military and reconnaissance work. After Hagen's demise she took command of the Delmogeny and continues to seek revenge on Aika and her entourage.

She distinguishes herself from her subordinate commanders by wearing two patches with a white H on her uniform's collar. She is a responsible officer who is very concerned with the welfare of her troops, and has a love relationship with her (also unnamed) second-in-command.

Voiced by: Yuko Nagashima (Japanese), Mary Anne Towne (English)

Adjutant (副官)

The second-in-command in the Delmo Corps. She is very loyal and cares very much for the Captain, with whom she has a lover's relationship.

Voiced by: Akiko Hiramatsu (Japanese), Rachael Lillis (English)

Mina Etsuko (ミナエツコ)

She participated in Operation "Silver Wild Grapevine", where she played the role of the head of the air base.

Voiced by: Akemi Okamura

Golden Delmo: Special operations task force. They carry out special missions.

Bianca (ビアンカ)

The operative in charge of Operation "Golden Apple". She wanted revenge for one of the Delmo (a personal friend) who died during the events in series one. She plans to humiliate Aika by using a woman disguised as a man to toy with Aika's feelings, then capture Aika alive. She uses a retractable sleeve-blade in melee combat and has a hidden flame thrower on her right arm.

Voiced by: Minami Takayama (Japanese), Wendy Talker (English)

Rie Petoriyacowa (リエペトリヤコワ)

The child-like operative in charge of Operation "Silver Wild Grapevine". She had been studying Aika and had learnt how Aika fights. Aika was tricked into a pilot adaptibility physical examination, whereby Rie gathers physical data on Aika.

Voiced by: Ikue Ohtani (Japanese), Tara Jayne (English)

Sania (サニア)

One of the two operatives that destroyed the K2 Corporation building. Her preferred weapon is a grenade pistol.

Voiced by: Miki Nagasawa

Tonia (トニア)

One of the two operatives that destroyed the K2 Corporation building. Uses claws on both hands in melee combat.

Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue

Blue Delmo

Elite infantry class. They carry weapons and perform duties such as piloting or defending the ship against intruders.

Valarie/Pierre Valimore (ヴァレリー/ピエール)

A bishōnen woman who took part in Operation "Golden Apple". She volunteered to be the one to disguise herself as a man.

Voiced by: Shiho Niiyama (Japanese), P.M. Lewis (English)

Black Delmo

Infantry class, in charge of carrying out simple missions, mass-attacking in melee, and the administration of the ship.

Pink Delmo

Mechanics and engineers also seen operating heavy weapons, from tanks to battleship guns.

Episodes

The first series consist of the episodes one to four, and because of its popularity a second series was made.

"TRIAL.1 Beautiful Agent"

"TRIAL.2 Naked Mission"

"TRIAL.3 Takeoff Position"

"TRIAL.4 A Flower Blooming in Space"

"Special TRIAL"

"TRIAL.5 The Golden Delmo Operation"

"TRIAL.6 Delmo Operation: White Silver"

"TRIAL.7 Break the Decisive Battle! Delmo Base!"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_Aika

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