Fafner in the Azure
Fafner in the Azure is a 2004 Japanese mecha anime series produced by Xebec in collaboration with Starchild Records. It is directed by Nobuyoshi Habara and written by Yasuo Yamabe and Tow Ubukata with character designs from Hisashi Hirai and mecha designs by Naohiro Washio. It aired in TV Tokyo fro±m July 4, 2004 to December 26, 2004 for 26 episodes.
The story focuses on a group of children who pilot the titular Fafners in an escalating war against giant aliens called Festum. The anime is subtitled Dead Aggressor. A television special subtitled RIGHT OF LEFT aired on December 29, 2005, a feature film subtitled HEAVEN AND EARTH had a theatrical release in Japan on December 25, 2010 and a sequel subtitled EXODUS, which aired in MBS and several stations on January 8, 2015. Another sequel subtitled THE BEYOND was released in 2019. The series heavily borrows elements from Norse Mythology, referencing some of the terminology used.
Plot
''Fafner in the Azure'' (2004)
At the beginning of the Fafner: Dead Aggressor story arch, much of the world has been destroyed by the Festum and the remote Japanese island of Tatsumiyajima has only remained unscathed by virtue of an advanced cloaking shield. The island's young people continue with their daily lives unaware of these events, but after many years of peace, a lone Festum discovers Tatsumiya and attacks. The adults activate Tatsumiya's hidden defense systems and attempt to repel the attacker but to no avail. Many of them are killed by the Festum in a process of assimilation. In desperation, they order the deployment of a mecha called the Fafner Mark Elf, but its pilot is killed en route to the hangar. Left with no further options, they send a young boy named Kazuki Makabe as the replacement pilot assisted by Sōshi Minashiro from within the Siegfried System.The Festum is destroyed, but with Tatsumiya Island's whereabouts exposed, the adults choose to relocate the island. Production is accelerated on additional Fafner units and more children are recruited to pilot them. It is also revealed that the cloaking was not meant to conceal Tatsumiya Island from only the Festum, but from the rest of humanity who would seek to use its technology in the greater war against them.
''Fafner in the Azure: Right of Left'' (2005)
A prequel to the first series. Yumi Ikoma and Ryou Masaoka are children who have been selected to take part in a top secret mission, to be the pilots of the first Fafner combat units; the last chance of survival for the human race. The enemy is ruthless, remorseless and is able to read the minds of humans. Therefore, the details of this mission are kept a secret even from the personnel involved. The young pilots must use all their courage and faith in order to survive and complete their mission or the fate of mankind would be compromised.''Fafner in the Azure: Heaven and Earth'' (2010)
The year is 2148. Two years after the end of the original Fafner in the Azure TV series, Tatsumiya Island and its surviving residents have returned to some semblance of recovery. However, things have become desperate for our hero, Kazuki; nearly blind now, and partially crippled from his battles with the Festum two years earlier, he clings to the promise his fallen friend Sōshi made to him to return to the island and set things right again. Kazuki's hopes flare when a lifeform is detected within an unmanned submarine that comes floating into Tatsumiya Bay one night, but the person aboard isn't Sōshi; it is a mysterious "boy" named Misao Kurusu who may not be entirely human, and who claims to have been sent by Sōshi. With Misao's arrival, hostilities break out anew between the Human Army and the Festum, and the Fafner pilots are thrown into the most desperate battle of their lives - this time, with the fate of TWO races riding on their shoulders.''Fafner in the Azure: Exodus'' (2015)
2150 A.D. The fight against the Festum, a silicon-based alien life form that destroyed much of the world, enters a new phase. The first Azure Operation crushed the Arctic Mir, scattering its pieces around the world. Soon those fragments began to act of their own volition. While the majority of the Mir wage war, embracing a hatred for mankind, some of the Festum chose to co-exist with humanity. There were humans who also thought it was possible. Mankind and the Festum, co-existing. The concept questioned the very reason for the war, giving birth to even more hatred. This is no longer simply a fight between humans and the Festum.Under such circumstances, Tatsumiya Island disappeared from the front lines, going silent. Through the encounter with Misao Kurusu two years ago, the island had the means to converse with the Mir. It gave the island a unique capability. The children of ALVIS, prepared for battle, sought a way to better understand the enemy.
And now, a new chapter is about to begin on the island. A girl who understands the Festum language. A girl the Festum protected. When the two meet, they will open the door to a new world...
Media
Anime
The series features two pieces of theme music and one insert theme. angela performed the opening theme entitled "Shangri-La", the insert theme "Proof" in episode 15, and the ending theme "Separation". Sōkyū no Fafner: RIGHT OF LEFT, a 50-minute prequel special to the television series, aired on December 29, 2005. The ending theme "Peace of Mind" for the special was also performed by angela. The TV series was originally licensed by Geneon under the shortened title, Fafner, but has since been out of print. The series is set make its North American television debut on the Funimation Channel on October 29, 2012.A film, titled Fafner in the Azure: Dead Aggressor: Heaven and Earth premiered in Japan on December 25, 2010. Once again, angela performed all theme songs for the film. "FORTUNES" and "Rikai to Hakai e no Prelude " are used as the image theme songs for the movie. "Sōkyū " is used as ending theme and "Sayonara no Toki Kurai Hohoen de " is used as insert theme for the movie.
A twitvideo post from lead vocalist Atsuko announced that a sequel to the Fafner in the Azure series has been green-lit for production. The announcement was originally made at the live streaming event, Soukyuu Sakusen, which was for the film. The sequel, titled, Fafner in the Azure: Dead Aggressor -EXODUS-, was released in 2015. It takes place two and a half years after Heaven and Earth. A sequel, titled Fafner in the Azure: The Beyond, was announced at the Sōkyū no Fafner Soshi Minashiro Birthday Festival in Yokohama in December 29, 2016. A teaser trailer of the sequel was officially streamed on January 6, 2017. A teaser trailer of the sequel was officially streamed on January 6, 2017. Staff from the previous series are working on the production. The series was later confirmed to be a 12-episode anime series, with the first three episodes premiering in theaters on May 17, 2019. Episodes four to six premiered on November 8, 2019. Episodes seven to nine will premiere on November 13, 2020.
At New York Anime Festival/New York Comic Con 2011, Funimation Entertainment had announced that both the TV series and film were licensed, and they were released on DVD and Blu-ray in 2012.
Light novel
A novelization of the series was written by Tow Ubukata, and featured illustrations by Hisashi Hirai. It was published in English by Digital Manga Publishing.Manga
Two manga adaptations of the Fafner in the Azure story have been released and they both share the same title as the TV series.The first one is illustrated by Mikami Akitsu. It ran in Dengeki Daioh magazine from July 4, 2004 to December 26, 2004 and was collected into two tankōbon volumes by MediaWorks. Digital Manga Publishing licensed this manga for release in North America and published the volumes on July 7, 2010 and April 30, 2011.
The second one is illustrated by Tomomi Matsushita. It was serialized in Kodansha’s Monthly Shōnen Sirius magazine from September 26, 2014 to February 26, 2018, and was collected into six tankōbon volumes.
Music and Drama CD
Numerous soundtracks, drama CDs and character CDs have been released for the series.Fafner features music composed by Tsuneyoshi Saito and performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra.
Japanese band angela consistently write and perform all of Fafner's opening, insert and ending theme songs that achieve strong sales and popularity. They also released a Fafner tribute album titled "Yakusoku" on December 25, 2008, celebrating the series' fifth anniversary.
| Type | Date | Title | Artist | Description |
| Single | May 26, 2004 | fly me to the sky | angela |
|
| Single | August 4, 2004 | Shangri-La | angela | |
| Album | October 27, 2004 | Fafner in the Azure Original Soundtrack I: NO WHERE | ||
| Album | February 23, 2005 | Fafner in the Azure Original Soundtrack II: NOW HERE | ||
| Single | December 22, 2004 | Fafner in the Azure Character's Album: Flügel | Makoto Ishii | Kazuki's character song |
| Single | December 22, 2004 | Fafner in the Azure Character's Album: terra | Kōhei Kiyasu | Sōshi's character song |
| Single | December 22, 2004 | Fafner in the Azure Character's Album: azul | Marika Matsumoto | Maya's character song |
| Drama CD | October 26, 2005 | Fafner in the Azure Drama CD vol.1: STAND BY ME | The story takes place between episodes 2 and 3 of the original TV series. | |
| Drama CD | January 12, 2006 | Fafner in the Azure Drama CD vol.2: GONE/ARRIVE | The story takes place between episodes 23 and 24 of the original TV series. | |
| Single | March 8, 2005 | DEAD SET | angela | Right of Left |
| SIngle | December 21, 2005 | Peace of mind | angela | |
| Album | March 8, 2006 | Fafner in the Azure: RIGHT OF LEFT Original Soundtrack | Tsuneyoshi Saito | Background music |
| Single | December 25, 2008 | 約束 ' | angela | Fafner |
| Album | August 25, 2010 | Fafner in the Azure: HEAVEN AND EARTH Image Mini Album | angela | |
| Single | December 22, 2010 | 蒼穹 ' | angela | |
| Album | February 23, 2011 | Fafner in the Azure: HEAVEN AND EARTH Original Soundtrack | Tsuneyoshi Saito | Background music |
| Album | February 11, 2015 | Fafner in the Azure COMPLETE BEST ALBUM | Various Artists | Compilation album featuring all character’s image songs and all Fafner related songs released by angela previous to EXODUS. |
| Single | February 11, 2015 | イグジスト | angela | |
| Single | November 11, 2015 | DEAD OR ALIVE | angela | |
| Album | February 25, 2015 | Fafner in the Azure: EXODUS Original Soundtrack vol.1 | ||
| Album | March 25, 2015 | Fafner in the Azure: EXODUS Original Soundtrack vol.2 | ||
| Single | May 22, 2015 | Fafner in the Azure: EXODUS Character Song: Kazuki Makabe | Makoto Ishii | Kazuki's character songs: |
| Single | May 22, 2015 | Fafner in the Azure: EXODUS Character Song: Sōshi Minashiro | Kōhei Kiyasu | Sōshi's character songs: |
| Single | May 22, 2015 | Fafner in the Azure: EXODUS Character Song: Maya Tōmi | Marika Matsumoto | Maya's character songs: |
Video games
Fafner in the Azure was adapted into a video game released for the PlayStation Portable in early 2005. It follows the storyline of the first season almost directly with two bonus missions and also features new weapons such as the dimension gun. It offers a unique style of gameplay being a 3-Dimensional, real-time Role-Playing-Game.In 2009, the series made its debut into the long-running Super Robot Wars series as a part of Super Robot Wars K for the Nintendo DS. It returned in 2013 in Super Robot Wars UX for the Nintendo 3DS, which also marks the debut of the series' movie sequel, Heaven and Earth.