Final Fantasy: Unlimited
～ファイナルファンタジー:アンリミテッド～
(~Fainaru Fantajī: Anrimiteddo~)
Genre Adventure
Fantasy
Romance
TV anime
Directed by Mahiro
Maeda
Studio Gonzo
Network TV
Tokyo
English network Anime Network
Animax
MTV Russia
Original run 2
October 2001 – 26 March 2002
Episodes 25
Anime and Manga Portal
Final Fantasy: Unlimited (FF:U ～ファイナルファンタジー:アンリミテッド～
FF:U ~Fainaru Fantajī: Anrimiteddo~?) is an anime television series based on
Square Enix's popular Final Fantasy role-playing video game franchise.
Final Fantasy: Unlimited incorporates both 2D animation and
3D graphics, and takes elements from the Final Fantasy games with quite a few
easter eggs, some obvious, others obscure. It was licensed for North America
and the United Kingdom by ADV Films, and 7 volumes of videos were released on
DVD. In 2003, the series soundtrack Final Fantasy: Unlimited After 2 was
released. The continuation of the story has also been released in a variety of
other media.Story
The original Final Fantasy: Unlimited follows the story of Ai and Yu Hayakawa, two twelve year-old twins who travel into Wonderland, a mysterious parallel dimension, in search of their missing parents. Along the way they meet Lisa Pacifist, a member of the C2 Organization, Kaze, a being of incredible power, and a variety of other characters.The series is divided into two major sections, defined by the main method of transport the protagonists are utilizing. The first half of the series see the group using the Ghost Train to reach a new world with each episode. In each of the episodes they would emerge to view a new world, confront the inherent dangers of the world, and stave off the latest assault by either the Gaudium Lords, or Omega.
Meanwhile, the story from the antagonist's view is periodically revealed with Earl Tyrant's discussion with his lords. Earl is the embodiment of Chaos, and is seeking the children as they were spawned of Chaos also, and the pieces of a powerful creature known as Omega. Omega is the ultimate destructive force, with its power only rivaled by that of the Unlimited(plural); immortal beings of immense power. If he is able to collect these and adsorb them into his body, he will be able to rule Wonderland unchallenged.
The second half of the series see the protagonists join up with the rebel faction, the Comodeen, and board the submarine, Jane, which is bound for Telos, the only place in Wonderland that has a natural deposit of the gravity defying flying water. This substance will allow the airship Silvia to fly, allowing them to reach the Earl's flying fortress.
The series climaxes when the Earl himself makes a move on the Comodeen, destroying Jane and capturing the protagonists. Confronted with Chaos himself, Kaze and Makenshi, the only two survivors among the Unlimited, sacrifice themselves to destroy it, thus ending its reign of terror over Wonderland.
Boxset
The North American complete FF:U boxset re-arranges the series into five discs of five episodes each. The English complete FF:U boxset retains the seven disks as released singularly.| Phase | Episodes |
|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 01-05 |
| Phase 2 | 06-10 |
| Phase 3 | 11-15 |
| Phase 4 | 16-20 |
| Phase 5 | 21-25 |
Audio
The theme songs of the series are:Opening theme
- "Over the FANTASY"
- Lyrics: Yuko Ebine
- Composition: Nobuo Uematsu
- Arrangement: Takahiro Ando
- Vocals: Kana Ueda
- "VIVID" (Episodes 1-12)
- Lyrics and composition by: Takashi Genouzono
- Arrangement by: FAIRY FORE & Masao Akashi
- Song by: FAIRY FORE
- "Romancing Train" (Episodes 13-24)
- Lyrics: motsu
- Composition and arrangement: t-kimura
- Vocals: move
- "Over the FANTASY" (Episode 25)
- Lyrics by: Yuko Ebine
- Composition by: Nobuo Uematsu
- Arrangement by: Takahiro Ando
- Song by: Kana Ueda
| Final Fantasy: Unlimited Music Adventure Verse 1 and 2 listing | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Final Fantasy: Unlimited Music Adventure Verse 1 | Final Fantasy: Unlimited Music Adventure Verse 2 | ||
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Reception
Allen Divers of Anime News Network ranked the series an overall score "B". Carlos Ross of T.H.E.M. ranked the series three stars stating that "The style is firmly entrenched in Saturday morning, but at least it's better than FF Legend of the Crystals."Legacy
Sequels
The story of Final Fantasy: Unlimited, left incomplete by the television series, was continued in several other media and released only in Japan. These are listed below, ordered by the chronology of the events they cover.- The Bonds of Two (双の絆 Sou no Kizuna) is a novel. It explores a side-story that is set in the time of the television series (somewhere before episode 12).
- Final Fantasy: Unlimited Before is a drama CD that features a flashback to the destruction of Kaze and Makenshi's worlds. FF:U Before was awarded to competition winners in Japan.
- Final Fantasy: Unlimited After is a book containing a 32 page manga and 120 page script. It was released in 2002 by DigiCube. It covers the twins' return to their own world, revelation of Lisa's past and introduces a new villain under Gaudium: Soljashy.
- The After Spiral is a series of web novels published on the official Japanese FF:U website (which has been taken down). The first of these short stories takes a quick plunge into Makenshi's past, while the rest describe an encounter between the show's heroes and Soljashy on the twins' childhood home of Sado Island, where Ai and Yu are briefly reunited with their old friend Touya Satomi.
- Final Fantasy: Unlimited After 2 is another radio drama. It deals with Comodeen's final attack on Gaudium and brings a conclusion to the conflict between Lisa and Soljashy, however it leaves many questions yet unanswered.
Video games
- Final Fantasy: Unlimited with U is a mobile phone (iPhone) game set in the Final Fantasy: Unlimited universe. It was released in August 2002.
- Final Fantasy: Unlimited on PC Adventure - Labyrinth is a personal video game set in the Final Fantasy: Unlimited universe. Published by Amada Printing, it was released May 16, 2003.
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