Saikano/Saikano
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| Saikano | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
She, the Ultimate Weapon最終 兵器 彼女Saishū Heiki KanojoMy Girlfriend, the Ultimate Weapon | |||
| Genre | Drama, Romance, Science Fiction, Seinen, Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic | ||
| Anime series | |||
| Directed by |
Mitsuko Kase | ||
| Studio |
GONZO | ||
| Network |
Family Gekijou | ||
| Original run |
July 2, 2002 — September 24, 2002 | ||
| No. of episodes |
13 | ||
| OVA: SaiKano: Another Love Song | |||
| Directed by |
Mitsuko Kase | ||
| Studio |
Studio Fantasia | ||
| No. of episodes |
2 | ||
| Released |
| ||
| Authored by |
Shin Takahashi | ||
| Publisher | |||
| Serialized in | |||
| Original run |
May 30, 2000 – December 25, 2001 | ||
| No. of volumes |
7 | ||
| |||
Saikano (最終 兵器 彼女, Saishū Heiki Kanojo) is a manga and anime series by Shin Takahashi, creator of Iihito and Kimi no Kakera. Saikano was originally serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits magazine. The plot is about two adolescents who fall in love during a war.
A live-action movie adaptation was released in Japan on January 28, 2006 with Aki Maeda starring as Chise.[1]
The Saikano manga and anime series have been licensed and is being distributed by VIZ Media in English in North America and the anime series is distributed in the UK by Manga Entertainment (as "She, the Ultimate Weapon").
Many of the locations used in Saikano can be found in Otaru-shi, about an hour west of Sapporo on the JR Hakodate Line. The train station, "Hell's Hill", the Asahi Observation Hill, and the school all exist within the city.
Contents |
On TV
On 2002 July 3rd ~2002 year October 9th, the Chubu Nippon Broadcasting System family theater (broadcast) with it was broadcast from 7/2, after that television Kanagawa everyday broadcast Hokkaido broadcast RKB everyday was broadcast even with broadcast. All the 13 stories. · CBC first respective company production nighttime animation. With independence production this work becomes resident in name bureau first.
Plot
The story begins with Shuji (シュウジ, Shūji), a high school student in Hokkaidō, walking up to an observatory and reminiscing about his girlfriend, Chise (ちせ). He finds her exchange diaries that she purposefully left behind. The whole story is narrated by him through flashbacks while reading Chise's diary. Chise, a fellow student in his class, declares her love for Shuji at the beginning of the series. However, Chise is very shy and Shuji is insensitive. Neither know how to express their feelings very well, but they do indeed have feelings for each other.
One day, while Shuji is shopping in Sapporo, unknown bombers attack the city in broad daylight. He and his friends run for cover, but notice a fast and small flying object shoot down enemy bombers. Separated from his friends, Shuji wanders through the wreckage only to stumble upon Chise. She has metal wings and weapons apparently grafted onto her body. She tells him she has become the ultimate weapon, without her knowledge or consent. However, she is seen by the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) as the last hope for defending Japan from imminent invasion by unknown foreign forces. In the anime, it is not apparent why Chise was chosen to be the ultimate weapon or why the country is under attack.
This story, as suggested by the subtitle "The Last Love Song On This Little Planet", is primarily a love story. Although war is the backdrop for the show, we are not drawn into the war by extravagant battle scenes, or the intricate details of national politics. The story focuses primarily on Chise's reactions to her increasingly powerful destructive abilities, Shuji's reaction to the same, and the relationship between the two of them.
A number of minor characters who do not necessarily know of Chise's role in the war, have sub-plots that mostly concern everyday people in the context of war: a woman whose husband is constantly away from home, a school boy who joins the army to protect his sweetheart, a girl whose civilian boyfriend was killed in a bombing, and others.
OVA
As for the Chise and the town where Shuji lives Otaru city. As for Chise and Shuji having lived finally with the original the station waiting room of Shibetsu city which is the home of the Takahashi grommet. In addition, the first appearance scene of the rear see both the original, animation and the movie is the very impressive scene as a weapon at the time of the Sapporo air raid, but manner of appearance of the respective chise differs delicately. By the intention of the writer, the seedling letter is not set to the main character, in order (the reader feeling to be able to import in the character, the writer considered. Exceptional kawahara, itou, nakamura and others it is, but there is no setting of name in them). As for the model of the lookout which appears in inside anime the Otaru Asahi lookout. In the work it has been while the Self Defense Force facilitating, but really there is no relationship. Winter season during period closing. In actual place it visited in “pilgrim” with apparently to come, scribbling the ultimate weapon her relationship had been written by the fan. Portion of natural shape “of the enemy” the Russian troop, the US military, is the French troop and the German troop. The fighter plane and the like which appears with the Sapporo air raid where Shuji and others encounters is Russia make, it can ask that in the map of the monitor where the war situation which appears in the same carving/moment where the chise sorties to Sapporo in OVA edition, is installed in the command room is indicated, as for bomber fleet of the enemy because it has come flying from the Sapporo septentrional, it is the Russian troop the enemy. In addition, the French troop who attacks the U.S. military and Sendai which from the respective main island it tries to land to Hokkaido (as for soldier you spoke French,), in OVA edition MISSION1 the German troop who attacks Fukuoka (you speak German. The German soldier it is indicated) there is description clearly with the subtitle ON of DVD. When it rearranges, as for the Japanese Self Defense Force the allied forces and the war which even Coalition Forces such as the United States, Russia, France and Germany can be said it means to have done, but being hostile the details which reach the point of are not altogether drawn. However, to the last only it is the imagination, but is not that Self Defense Force fights independently and there is a possibility of uniting the countries and combination around. As a basis, the Asian person does not appear in “the enemy”. But of course, the country around was destroyed in “accident”, or there is a possibility of doing neutrality, that or China and Korea are the enemy, because there is a possibility of receiving protest can be agreeable, it started unless, it was first ruined also it is thought in the chise. The scene which has been opposed the countries such as China and Korea which are close to Japan as “an enemy” does not appear altogether. In addition, Self Defense Force does not have encounter overseas development ability is the inscription that with 1st volume in spite, “the Self Defense Force overseas dispatch decided”. As for actual) Japan as of actually (2006 as seen in the Iraqi revival support, as for small-scale development ability although it has, development ability at encounter level is limited with respect to constitution very. In reason, a some amendment was added to constitution itself, there is a possibility China which often does the landing practice which supposes anti-Taiwan with power and the especially annual practice which support the Self Defense Force overseas dispatch having cooperated with Japan. The Japanese self-protecting troop ('the section of Self Defense Force' was referred to in OVA edition and.)Thing of the enemy is called the allied forces. In addition the weapon which the soldiers who for the apartment which Tetsu has made the retreat in anime edition have used (Steyr TMP) from you conjecture it is thought as the thing which refers the Austrian troop, if (the reverse side is returned, about only the Austrian troop special force you adopt TMP formally). In addition, as for doing bombardment first (the Fukuoka landing) the case of OVA, the attack plane which England, tonedo, IDS & Germany & Italy & Oman & Saudi Arabia, have adopted. Depending, it seems that each country participates. With the original and the movie, thing of the Japanese troop “the troop” or “Self Defense Force, jietai, with OVA is called the “self-protecting troop”, but with TV animation or OVA as for the word, “Self Defense Force” it does not come out. In addition, with OVA, also class of the soldier from Self Defense Force individual ones, was modified to those which are used with the former Japanese Army and the foreign country.
Key Plot
- End Of Mankind
- Anti War
- Antichrist
- Apocalypse
- Betrayal
- Bittersweet
- Childhood Sweetheart
- Fable
- Hate
Characters
Main article: Characters
Episode Guide
Main article: Episodes The television series ran for 13 episodes and faithfully adapted all of the chapters in the manga. However, the last TV episode strayed from the manga's continuity and gave an original conclusion to the anime.
Saikano first aired on the Family Gekijou channel from July 2, 2002 to September 24, 2002. Two 30 minute OVA episodes were also released. The OVAs tries to answer some of the many questions that the anime series left behind, mostly regarding Chise's creation into the Ultimate Weapon.
War
Both the manga and the anime feature a hotly-contested war. Battles are shown through the lives of people on the front, but the diplomatic particulars of the war are not revealed to the audience. A reason is never given as to why the war broke out in the first place, what the war is all about, or what countries the Japan Self-Defense Forces and Chise are fighting against. However, there is speculation about possible foes. For example, in one episode an enemy plane is shot down near the city and the pilot's one or two lines are in near perfect American English. In the manga, Chise speaks to the enemy soldiers, saying that she does not know much English, and later in the series there are certain enemy soldiers that speak French. The OVAs also portray some of the soldiers speaking French. This would suggest that there is an international coalition invading Japan.
However, in the end of both the anime and the manga, Chise remarks that many other parts of the world had experienced "horrendous things", and that "humans have done a lot of damage to this world". This may imply that the invasion was due to the lack of livable land anywhere else other than Japan, which was protected by Chise. This in turn would cause other countries to seek places where people are able to live. On the other hand, Chise could have been referring to her own creation and her part in destroying much of the world.
The only weapons of mass destruction observed in both the anime and manga was Chise herself, who by the middle of the story had the power to destroy entire cities and did so on a fairly regular basis. In more than one battle over a Japanese city, Chise simply vaporized the city and most of the people in it. Coupled with the comments about how the enemy had nowhere to return to and how Chise has been "working" all over the world, it seems unlikely that the invasion by other nations is simply over territory.
Reception
Most reviewers felt the focus on the relationship between Chise and Shuji at the expense of fight scenes to be a positive about the anime. However, Spectrum Nexus's reviewer found this focus to be "disappointing".[2]
| Source | Reviewer | Grade / Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anime News Network | Christopher Macdonald | Overall: B+ (for English dubbed) Story: A+ Animation: B+ Art: B+ Music: B- | Volume 1 review |
| Anime Jump | Chad Clayton | 4.5 out of 5 | Full review |
| Spectrum Nexus | Fusiongt | 2.5 out of 5 | Full review |
| DVD Talk | Ollin | 9 out of 10 | Volume 1 review |
| AnimeOnDVD | Luis Cruz | Content: A- Audio: A Video: A Packaging: A Menus: A+ Extras: A | Volume 1 review |
| Animefringe | Patrick King | 90 out of 100 | Volume 1 review |
| Anime Planet | Ultima | 8.7 out of 10 | Full review |
| THEM Anime Reviews | Jeremy A. Beard | 5 out of 5 | Full review |
Theme Songs
- Opening Theme
- "Koisuru Kimochi" by Yuria Yato
- Ending Theme
- "Sayonara" by Yuria Yato
Production
| Director | Mitsuko Kase |
|---|---|
| Music | Takeo Miratsu |
| Original Manga | Shin Takahashi |
| Producers | Shigeru Kitayama Tatsuya Hamamoto |
| Chief Animation Director | Masayuki Sato |
| Music producer | Takeshi Ando |
| Original music | Yuki Kajiura |
| Theme songs composition | Yuria Yato |
| Art director | Junichi Higashi Toshihiro Kohama |
| Sound director | Keiichiro Miyoshi |
| Character design | Minako Shiba Satoko Miyachi Satoshi Ohsawa |
| Editing | Aya Hida Kengo Shigemura |
| Music Editor | Yutaka Gouda |
| Color coordination | Eri Suzuki |
| Sound Effects | Takuya Hasegawa |
| 3D Director | Hiroaki Matsuura |
References
- ↑ Official Saikano Movie homepage (Japanese). Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
- ↑ Fusiongt (14). Saikano. Spectrum Nexus. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
External Links
Official
- Official US Saikano website
- Official Japanese Saikano website (Japanese)
- Official Japanese Saikano website (TV Section) (Japanese)
- Official Japanese Saikano website (Move Section) (Japanese)
- Official Japanese Saikano movie website (Japanese)
Extended Information
- SaiKano at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia.
- SINPre.com!
- hicbc.com
- PS2
Other
| Genre | Drama +, Romance +, Science Fiction +, Seinen +, and Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic + |
| Series name | Saikano + |
