| Eureka Seven | |
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| Cover art of the volume 1 compilation DVD released in North America by Bandai Entertainment, featuring the main character Renton Thurston |
交響詩篇エウレカセブン
(Kōkyōshihen Eureka Sebun)
Genre Adventure,
Comedy-drama, Mecha, science fiction, Romance
TV anime
Directed by Tomoki
Kyoda
Written by Dai
Satō
Studio Bones
Licensed by Madman Entertainment
Bandai Entertainment
Beez
Network Animax,
MBS, TBS
English network
YTV
Adult Swim
Animax
Animax Asia
Original run April
17, 2005 – April 2, 2006
Episodes 51
(List of episodes)
Manga
Written by Jinsei
Kataoka
Kazuma Kondou
Published by Kadokawa
Shoten
English publisher Madman Entertainment
Bandai Entertainment
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Shōnen
Ace
Original run July
26, 2005 – September 26, 2006
Volumes 6
Manga
Gravity Boys and Lifting Girl
Written by Miki
Kizuki
Published by Kadokawa
Shoten
English publisher
Bandai Entertainment
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Comptiq
Original run May
2005 – September 26, 2006
Volumes 2
Light novel
Written by Tomonori
Sugihara
Illustrated by Robin
Kishiwada
Published by Kadokawa
Shoten
English publisher
Bandai Entertainment
Demographic Male
Imprint Sneaker Bunko
Original run October
29, 2005 – May 31, 2006
Volumes 4
Game
Eureka Seven: New Wave
Developer Bandai
Genre Action
Platform PlayStation
2
Released October
27, 2005
Game
Psalms of Planets Eureka Seven
Developer Bandai
Genre Action
Platform PlayStation
Portable
Released April
6, 2006
Game
Eureka Seven: New Vision
Developer Bandai
Genre Action
Platform PlayStation
2
Released May
11, 2006
Anime film
Eureka Seven: Good Night, Sleep Tight, Young Lovers
Directed by Tomoki
Kyoda
Studio Bones
Licensed by Bandai Entertainment
Released April
25, 2009
Anime and Manga Portal
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.
Eureka Seven consists of fifty episodes which aired from April 17,
2005, to April 2, 2006, on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and Tokyo
Broadcasting System networks. Almost all of the show's episodes are named after
real songs, composed by both Japanese and foreign artists.
The series focuses on Renton Thurston, the fourteen-year-old son
of Adrock Thurston, a military researcher who died saving the world. He lives
what he considers a boring life with his grandfather in a boring town. He loves
lifting, a sport similar to surfing but with trapar, a substance abundant
throughout the air, as the medium. He dreams of joining the renegade group
Gekkostate, led by his idol Holland, a legendary lifter.
An opportunity to do so literally falls into his lap when a large
mechanical robot, called the Nirvash typeZERO, and Eureka, its pilot and a
member of Gekkostate, crash into Renton's room. Renton's grandfather orders him
to deliver a special part to the Nirvash called the "Amita Drive",
which releases the immense power dormant within the typeZERO called the
"Seven Swell Phenomenon". Afterwards, Renton is invited to join
Gekkostate, where he quickly discovers that the behind-the-scenes life of
Gekkostate is hardly as glamorous or as interesting as printed in the glossy
pages of their magazine, ray=out. Only one thing makes it all worthwhile for
him: the presence of Eureka, the mysterious pilot of the Nirvash. Renton,
Eureka, and the Gekkostate embark on an adventure that will shape their future
as well as the world's.
Eureka Seven works on a wide variety of themes throughout its
story. One of the most obvious themes in the series is racial integration,
presented via the relationships in the series, e.g. Renton's with Eureka, who
is not entirely human. Religious tolerance and harmony is presented in the
characters' relationships and also the series' conflicts. Allegories of real
world conflicts and wars, current political climates from Japan and abroad,
depictions of surf culture and other subcultures and related musical
movements that span several generations, and ties to environmental
movements.The series also covers other more personal themes such as
parenting, and family, along with a very innocent view of puppy love/love at
first sight from Renton and Eureka. Personal identity and protection play a
huge role for Renton and Eureka, as both of them say, "I am me" in
the series multiple times, and Renton has sworn to protect Eureka. Continuing
with themes addressed in previous series, responsibility and guilt manifest
most explicitly with repeating the phrase, "You're going to carry that
weight." The series works these themes, as well as the theme of growing up
and change, into the journey of Renton Thurston.
Setting
Scub
Coral
Eureka
Seven takes place 10,000 years after humanity has made a mass exodus into
space, due to the arrival of the Scub Coral (スカブ・コーラル Sukabu Kōraru?), an intelligent, sentient
life who merged with the planet, forcing the humans to abandon it. In the
current timeline, the remnants of humanity are now settled on an unknown planet
(actually a terraformed Earth) known as the Land of Kanan, but the majority of
the surface of this planet is now covered by a rock-like surface formed by the
Scub Coral. The Scub Coral inhabited the Planet until the return of humans. The
theory that the Scub Coral is an intelligent life form was proposed by the scientist
Adroc Thurston, who also claimed the Scub is looking for mutual co-existence
with humanity. All theories and information about the Scub Coral being a
sentient being are kept from the general population. In addition to being the
surface of the planet, the Scub Coral has several physical manifestations,
called Coralians (コーラリアン Kōrarian?), that are observed throughout the
series. These manifestations are either natural occurrences or a response to
attacks from humans. The manifestations are:
Command Cluster
Coralian
The
Command Cluster is a large concentration of the Scub Coral which acts as the
central mind for the rest of its "body". It stores all the
information the Scub has collected over the last 10,000 years, and keeps the
rest of the Scub Coral in a dormant state.
Kute-class
Coralian
A
Kute-class is massive sphere of concentrated energy that materializes suddenly
in the skies. Though it is a rare natural occurrence, they can be artificially
triggered by causing heavy damage to the Scub Coral. The disappearance of a
Kute causes a massive release of energy, ravaging the surrounding landscape and
lowering the Trapar count in the area to almost non-existent levels.
Antibody
Coralians
Antibody
Coralians are, as the name suggests, creatures created by the Scub Coral to
destroy anything nearby that might be causing it harm. They are unleashed in
massive swarms through a Kute-class Coralian when the Scub Coral is threatened
or attacked. These antibodies can range in size from as small as a wheelbarrow,
or as large as a bomber plane. Their shapes vary wildly, from eyeballs to
flying slugs to giant hovering flower-like objects. Their powers are: sending
lasers in profusion from their bodies, thus being able to destroy large
aircraft, burrowing into a victim's body and imploding it(unconfirmed), and
creating a spherical void, which makes anything within its surface area to
vanish. Antibody Coralians generally appear in response to deliberate attacks
on the Scub Coral. They appear for 1246 seconds (20 minutes 46 seconds) - which
is the amount of time the Seven Swell phenomenon is active. After those 1246
seconds, they crumble to dust. Their appearances are that of basic
invertebrates such as flat worms, mollusks, and cnidaria. One of each kind
appears in Another Century's Episode 3 and Super Robot Wars Z.
Human-form
Coralians
Human-form
Coralians are beings created by the Scub Coral in the form of humans. They are
regarded by scientists as emissaries of the Scub Coral, sent to learn about
humanity. Humans have attempted to create their own artificial human-form
Coralians, but the results are often less than satisfactory.
Trapar
waves and lifting
In Eureka
Seven, as a result of the Scub Coral covering the planet, the atmosphere is
permeated by an enigmatic energy known as Transparence Light Particles (トランサパランス・ライト・パーティクル
Toransaparansu Raito Pātikuru?), dubbed Trapar (トラパー Torapā?) waves for short. Norb, the Vodarac
leader, states that all thought carries with it energy. As a result, a sentient
life form on the scale of the Scub Coral produces a tremendous amount of
energy. The most important use of Trapar energy is its use as a method of
propulsion for flight-capable vehicles.
Though
Trapar-propelled airships are relatively common, using Trapar waves for
"lifting" (リフティング Rifutingu?, or "reffing",
according to some fan translations, as well as official translations in some
countries) is their predominant use. Lifting uses surfboard-like devices called
"reflection boards" ("ref boards" (リフボード
Rifubōdo?) for short) to ride Trapar waves in a manner similar to surfing, and
is a popular sport in the series. The most grandiose use of Trapar — massive
humanoid fightercraft — are a recent development, made possible by the
discovery of bizarre alien life-forms within the Scub Coral.
LFOs
and Compac Drives
Main
article: List of Eureka Seven mecha
The mecha
of Eureka Seven are called "Light Finding Operation", commonly
abbreviated to LFO. LFOs are humanoid alien skeletons excavated from the Scub
Coral that have been fitted with armor and control systems. Military LFOs are
known as KLFs (for "Kraft Light Fighter"). LFOs are able to fly by
exploiting the same principles of lifting — Trapar particles. An LFO is
composed of a giant organic base, called the Archetype (アーキタイプ
Ākitaipu?); armor; a ref board; and a Compac Drive (コンパク（魂魄）・ドライヴ Konpaku
Doraivu?), a device that allows humans to interface with the Archetype, as well
as other machinery.
Terminology
Ageha
Plan (アゲハ構想 Ageha
Kōsō?)
The Ageha
Plan is the theory first proposed by Adroc Thurston that the Scub Coral is an
intelligent, sentient life form that is trying to communicate with humanity, as
well as the plan for humanity to seek out co-existence. The report was locked
away after his death, but later appropriated by Col. Dewey Novac, a move aimed
at gaining public support by associating himself with Adroc Thurston, despite
Dewey Novac's true aims being directly opposite to the aims of co-existence
proposed by the original Ageha Plan.
Desperation
Disease (絶望病 Zetsubō Byō?)
Desperation
disease is a coma-like condition in Eureka Seven. Those suffering from it
become near-vegetables, save for a fixation on a Compac Drive. The sickness is
related to the relationship of the Scub Coral, the Trapar, and the Compac
Drive; all three together drive the victim deep into a trance which leads their
consciousness to the coralian command cluster. It is often said that the
disease affects not only the victim but those involved with the victim (i.e.:
family, friends, loved ones), hence the "despair" is felt by them,
not the victim.
The Great
Wall (グレートウォール Gurēto
Wōru?)
The Great
Wall is an example of the effect of the Limit of Life being passed. It is a
large, unstable area of whirling Trapar winds visible from outer space. It was
created at some undefined point before the beginning of the series when a large
portion of the Scub Coral was abruptly awakened from its dormant state. The
Scub Coral managed to put itself back to sleep before the Limit's consequences
engulfed the entire planet. Common physical laws no longer apply in the area
encompassed by the Great Wall.
The Limit
of Life (件の限界 Kudan no Genkai?)
"The
Limit of Life", called the "Limit of Questions" in the English
version of the series, is the theory that too much sentient life in a given
space will collapse reality,[7] resulting in a black hole-like tear in space
that would absorb the entire planet. According to this theory's developer, Dr.
Greg "Bear" Egan, the Scub Coral itself had already reached the Limit
of Life, but avoided total collapse by going into a dormant state.
Pile
Bunkers (パイルバンカー Pairu Bankā?)
Pile
bunkers are rod-like objects driven into the ground to suppress the tectonic
shifts in the Scub Coral, which otherwise cause humongous, mushroom-like coral
formations to erupt from the ground with little to no warning.
Skyfish (スカイフィッシュ
Sukaifisshu?)
Skyfish
are creatures that have adapted to float upon the Trapar waves that fill the
atmosphere. They are harvested to create a substance known as "reflection
film", which is what permits the machinery of Eureka Seven to fly without
the use of fuel-based propulsion. It is said that skyfish gather where positive
emotions are emitted by humans in the presence of a Compac Drive.
Summer of
Love (サマー・オブ・ラブ Samā Obu Rabu?)
The
Summer of Love is an event that took place approximately ten years before the
events of Eureka Seven, sparked by the first use of the Amita Drive with the
Nirvash. An enormous, non-stop generation of Trapar waves resulted, and the
confusion and chaos that resulted from this disaster sparked conflicts around
the world, leading to civil wars that left tower states completely destroyed.
Adroc Thurston died putting an end to the effects of the Summer of Love, or
rather, became one with the Coralian Command Cluster as learned in episode 48.
The name 'Summer of Love' is a reference to Japanese rave culture.
Vodarac (ヴォダラク
Vodaraku?)
Vodarac
is a religion with many believers in the world of Eureka Seven. Their peculiar
views and beliefs clash with modern science, especially in regards to treatment
of the planet. This, coupled with the existence of extremist factions in the
religion, have led the government to classify the Vodarac as a dissident
faction, and it has on more than one occasion engaged in military campaigns
against them. The prominent conflict depicted in the series is the attack on
Ciudades del Cielo (Spanish for "Cities of Heaven", although
literally it translates to "Cities of the Sky"), the city seen as
holy grounds for the Vodarac, where the SOF troops stormed a supposed Vodarac
extremist stronghold.
The Zone
(ゾーン Zōn?)
The Zone
is a visual effect produced by extremely high concentrations of Trapar
particles and dust, which result in the mind seeing an endless corridor
surrounded by brightly hued colors. Typically, the effect of the Zone is seen
when trying to penetrate a Kute-class Coralian, but it may also manifest if a
high enough concentration of Trapar happens in a closed space. The Zone is
often depicted as a gateway, either between mind and matter or physical
destinations.
Characters
Most of
the characters of Eureka Seven are part of either Gekkostate or the U.F. Force.
Gekkostate
is an anti-government militia and counterculture collective led by Holland, who
also pilots the LFO Terminus typeR909. Eureka, an aloof, pale girl, pilots an
LFO called the Nirvash typeZERO. After joining Gekkostate early in the series,
Renton co-pilots the Nirvash with Eureka. Stoner is a photographer who writes
Gekkostate's illegal magazine, ray=out. Talho is the head pilot of Gekkostate's
aircraft, the Gekko (月光号 Gekkō-gō?, lit. "moonlight";
"Moonlight" in the English manga) and also ray=out's covergirl. Hap
is Holland's childhood friend and the second-in-command of the Gekko. Ken-Goh
is the weapons specialist and owner of the Gekko. Jobs and Woz are the ship's
engineers, for hardware and software, respectively. Mischa is the resident
doctor. Moondoggie is a secondary pilot and operator of the launch catapult.
Hilda and Matthieu are the pilots of the Gekkostate LFOs Terminus typeR808 and Terminus
typeR606, respectively. Gidget is the communications operator. Finally, Gonzy
is a fortuneteller.
The U.F.
Force is a military under the command of the Sage Council (or The Council of
the Wise), the main authority of the United Federation of Predgio Towers.
Serving under the Sage Council is Lieutenant Colonel Dewey Novac, who directed
a special operations force called the SOF prior to his imprisonment at the
beginning of the series. Dominic Sorel is an intelligence officer under Novac
and the chief handler of Anemone, who pilots the LFO Nirvash typeTheEND.
Development
The
series was by Bones and co-produced by Bandai Entertainment. Bandai
Entertainment provided the title and handled the creative aspects of the
series.[9] Bandai had originally proposed a mecha anime series to the animation
studio Bones. The studio had initially rejected it, but later reversed its
position because it had already planned to create an anime using mecha designs
by Shoji Kawamori. With the appointment of director Tomoki Kyoda and writer Dai
Satō, Bandai's proposal was more or less scrapped and the staff began work on
their own series that would become Eureka Seven.
While
conceptualizing Eureka Seven, director Tomoki Kyoda wished to design the series
as one that would at first focus on the personal elements and conflicts of the
characters, then subsequently move the framework into a broader scale and
perspective. The series' two halves each have their own very clear focus that
reflects this design choice.
Licensing
and broadcast
Distribution
of the English version of Eureka Seven is handled by Bandai Entertainment and
its affiliates. The U.S. and Canadian distribution of the show is handled by
the main branch while Beez Entertainment, Bandai's European branch, handles the
show's release in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. Madman
Entertainment handles its release in Australia and New Zealand. The first
translated Region 1 DVD volume of the series was released on April 25, 2006 in
the US, while the European Region 2 version was released on September 25, 2006.
The English version is produced by Bang Zoom! Entertainment in Burbank,
California.
During
its premiere run, Eureka Seven was available for online viewing on the Adult
Swim Fix, Adult Swim's online video service, the Friday before its premiere on
the channel proper. The series made its televised debut on Adult Swim on April
15, 2006, and ended on April 28, 2007. Beginning with episode 26, Adult Swim
began airing an additional parental advisory warning for extreme violence
before each episode. In keeping with Adult Swim's practice of making jokes in
such warnings, the warnings claim that they would rather air the episodes uncut
since they are "American Cowboys." Adult Swim traditionally cut down
the opening and ending themes from each episode to fit the series to American
television's time restraints, which resulted in the final episode's first
airing having actual content cut from it as the episode originally had no theme
song sequences; it was re-aired properly the following week. Adult Swim aired
Eureka Seven reruns for the last time in May 2008. In Canada, Eureka Seven
premiered on YTV's Bionix block on September 8, 2006. Reruns were shown for a
short period after March 23, 2007, returning to regular airings on June 1,
2007, and ending on November 16, 2007. Currently, the English dub version of
Eureka Seven is available on Crunchyroll's licensed anime lineup.
Yuri
Lowenthal had at one point been contracted by Bandai to provide the English voice
for Renton, but after recording thirteen episodes he was replaced by Johnny
Yong Bosch because the director of the English dub felt that his voice was too
low for the character. All of Renton's lines were subsequently redone for
consistency (although Yuri Lowenthal can still be heard as Renton when Holland
is watching a video at the end of episode 7), though Bosch himself admits it
took him a while to nail down the voice.
Music
The music
of Eureka Seven is available on three different albums composed by Naoki Satō
and a variety of other artists who composed insert songs used in the series.
The first soundtrack titled "Eureka Seven: Original Soundtrack 1" (交響詩篇エウレカセブン ORIGINAL
SOUNDTRACK 1?) was released on November 2, 2005. [14] The second soundtrack
titled "Eureka Seven: Original Soundtrack 2" (交響詩篇エウレカセブン ORIGINAL
SOUNDTRACK 2?) was released on April 5, 2006. The third soundtrack,
"Eureka Seven: Complete Best" (交響詩篇エウレカセブン COMPLETE BEST?), includes the full-length
versions of the opening and ending themes for both the series and game, as well
as the insert song for the final episode.
Theme
songs
Opening
themes
"Days",
by Flow (episodes 1–13; insert song episode 32)
"Shōnen
Heart" (少年ハート Shōnen Hāto?), by Home Made Kazoku (episodes
14–26)
"Taiyō
no Mannaka he" (太陽の真ん中へ?, "To the Center of the Sun"), by
Bivattchee (episodes 27–32, 34–39; insert song episode 33)
"Sakura",
by Nirgilis (episodes 40–49; insert song episode 50)
Ending
themes
"Himitsu
Kichi" (秘密基地?, "Secret Base"), by Kozue Takada
(episodes 1–13, 26)
"Fly
Away", by Asami Izawa (episodes 14–25)
"Tip
Taps Tip", by Halcali (episodes 27–39)
"Canvas",
by Coolon (episodes 40–49)
Insert
songs
"Storywriter",
by Supercar (episodes 1, 2, 6, 10, 15, 26, 33, 39)
"Niji"
(虹?,
"Rainbow"), by Denki Groove (episode 50)
Movie
theme
"Space
Rock", by iLL
Reception
Towards
the end of its original Japanese run, Eureka Seven won multiple awards at the
2006 Tokyo International Anime Fair, including Best Television Series, Best Screenplay
for Dai Satō, and Best Character Designs for Kenichi Yoshida.Yoshida, the
series' main animator and character designer, also received an individual award
at the 10th Animation Kobe Awards in September 2005.The series also won an
award at the 20th Digital Content Grand Prix in Japan in January 2006. At
the Anime Expo 2006 SPJA Awards, Eureka Seven won the award for Best Television
Series, and Best Female Character for Eureka. Anime Insider voted it
"Best DVD Series of the Year" in 2006.During a conference in
2010, writer Dai Satō claimed that many anime fans dismissed Eureka Seven as a
clone of Neon Genesis Evangelion without even watching it.
Other
media
Publications
A manga
adaptation sharing the same name of the anime was based on the same story from
the anime series and was created by Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou, however
the manga's storyline differs from the anime and the ending is completely
different than the anime's as well. The manga was published by Kadokawa Shoten
and began serialization in Monthly Shōnen Ace from the March 2005 issue and
ended in January 2007 issue, with a total of 23 chapters. The chapters were
later compiled into six volumes.
A second
manga adaptation titled Eureka Seven: Gravity Boys and Lifting Girl (エウレカセ ブン グラヴィティボーイズ&リフティングガール Eureka
sebun guravuiti bōizu & rifutin gugāru?) by Miki Kizuki, features the
protagonists of the video games New Wave and New Vision. It was published by
Kadokawa Shoten and serialized in Comptiq magazine. Two volumes were released
in Japan on November 7, 2011 and September 26, 2006 respectively.
Eureka
Seven was also adapted into a series of four light novels written by Tomonori
Sugihara and illustrated by Robin Kishiwada. The light novels, much like the
manga, differ from the TV series in various ways. The titles of the novels
reference musical works much like the series — in particular, the bands New
Order and Joy Division. The light novels were published by Kadokawa Shoten
under their male oriented Sneaker Bunko label. A novelization of the new Eureka
Seven film sharing the same name was also written by Tomonori Sugihara and
illustrated by Hiroki Kazui and Seiji has also been released in Japan on May 1,
2009.
Film
A
theatrical adaptation, Eureka Seven: good night, sleep tight, young lovers (交響詩篇エウレカセブン ポケットが虹でいっぱい
Kōkyōshihen Eureka Sebun: Poketto ga Niji de Ippai?, subtitle literally
"Pocket Full of Rainbows"), was first announced in the May 2008 issue
of Newtype; it was publicly released on April 25, 2009, during Golden Week,
with the animation production handled by Kinema Citrus. It contained a new
mythos in an alternate universe, despite still featuring Renton and Eureka as
the main characters.[27] Good Night, Sleep Tight, Young Lovers screened at
select theaters nationwide in America for a one night only special event on
September 24, 2009.[28] The movie also played at the Fantasia festival in
Montreal on July 28, 2009.
[edit]Video
games
Eureka
Seven has three video games, all developed by Bandai or later Namco Bandai
Games. The first to be released was Eureka Seven vol. 1: The New Wave (エウレカセブン TR1:NEW
WAVE Eureka sebun TR1: Nyū uēbu?) , which was released in Japan on October 27,
2005, and in North America on October 24, 2006. The game features a
different cast of characters and takes place two years before the anime.
A sequel,
Eureka Seven vol. 2: The New Vision (エウレカセブン NEW VISION Eureka sebun nyū bijon?), was
released in Japan on May 11, 2006 and in North America on April 17, 2007.[30]
New Vision takes place two years after the events of New Wave. Both games were
released on the PlayStation 2 and feature the theme song "Realize",
sung by Flow. A PlayStation Portable game sharing the same name of the anime,
was released on April 6, 2006, in Japan. This game is based on the events from
the first half of the show.
Eureka
Seven is featured in Super Robot Wars Z, released in 2008. The movie version is
also featured in the first chapter of Super Robot Wars Z2, released in 2011.
Sequel
Eureka Seven: AO
On
December 22, 2011, Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Shōnen Ace magazine announced that
a sequel manga titled Eureka Seven: AO would be launched in their January 26
issue. Yūichi Katō is drawing the manga based on the original story by BONES.
Later that same day, an anime adaption of the manga was announced, and it began
airing on April 12, 2012, on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and related
channels.
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