is a 2011 Japanese fantasy anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 television series created by Masaki Tsuzuki and produced by Seven Arcs

Seven Arcs

is a Japanese animation studio established on May 31, 2002 and is located in Nakano, Tokyo, Japan. The company originally produced adult original video animation series under another animation studio named Arcturus since April 2000 and had the intention of eventually producing television anime...

 and Aniplex

Aniplex

, formerly known as Sony Pictures Entertainment Visual Works Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment Visual Works Inc., is a Japanese anime and music production and distribution enterprise owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan and established in January 1997...

 under the direction of Keizo Kusakawa

Keizo Kusakawa

is a Japanese animation director. Kusakawa has mainly worked with Seven Arcs as a director for the anime the studio produces.-Anime involved in:*Inukami! The Movie : Director*Inukami! : Director...

. The series aired on Tokyo MX and other channels from April 2, 2011 to June 25, 2011. The story revolves around a boy named Cinque Izumi, who is summoned to an alternate world by Princess Millhiore in order to defend Millhiore's country, the Biscotti Republic, from the neighboring kingdom of Galette. A second anime season has been announced.

Plot

Cinque Izumi is a cheerful and athletic half-Japanese, half-English boy who studies at Kinokawa International School in Japan, and has a normal life everyday until he suddenly got summoned to the alternate world of . The people there look no different from humans, except for one thing; they have animal ears and tails. The one who summoned him is Millhiore, the dog-like Princess of the , who requested his assistance in their war against the forces of the feline-like .

After responding to Millhiore's plea, he receives a sacred weapon, the , and is appointed as a Hero to fight for Biscotti in a war that unlike the ones in Earth, is waged with special rules and no casualties, in a fashion similar to a sports competition with the purpose to raise funds for the Kingdoms involved, where the winner faction claims a larger sum than the losing side. After winning his first battle for Biscotti, Cinque learns that when a hero is summoned into Flonyard he becomes unable to return to his homeworld, a fact that Millhiore also was unaware of.

The scientists of Biscotti promise to Cinque to find a way for him to return home in 16 days, the remaining time until his meeting with his friend Rebecca Anderson whom he promised to spend the last three days of his Spring Break with. Until then, he decides to keep serving Millhiore as Biscotti's hero.

Earthlings

A 13-year-old half-Japanese, half-British boy from Cornwall and the protagonist of the series. He is summoned to the alternate world of Flonyard, the Kingdom of the Biscotti Republic as Princess Millhiore's "Hero". He wields the Divine Sword of Biscotti, Palladion, a weapon that despite being originally a sword, can assume different forms according to its owner's preference (Cinque usually makes a staff of it). He has a cheerful and straightforward personality, always going at his own pace. Athletic and acrobatic, he loves sports as well. He was a first-year middle school student in Japan's Kinokawa International School prior to the summon. He can fire destructive energy beams from the tip of Palladion. At the end of the first season, he confesses his love to Millhi.

Nicknamed by Cinque, Rebecca is a 13-year-old girl who studies at Japan's Kinokawa International School and a close friend of Cinque's. She has a busybody attitude and is the one who understands Cinque the best, and usually feels lonely when he is not around, implying she has a crush on Cinque. She goes to Cinque's house every morning to wake him up for school. She has a love for fashion, games, manga, and fantasy-themed novels. She was looking forward to a promise that she made with Cinque, that "her family (she and her mother) and Cinque's family (Cinque and his parents) would go flower-viewing during the last three days of Spring Break".

Cinque's older cousin and an acquaintance to Becky. She is also Cinque's rival in the Iron Athletics, a game closely related to Ninja Warrior

Sasuke (TV series)

Sasuke is a Japanese sports entertainment television special in which 100 competitors attempt to complete a four stage obstacle course. An edited version, renamed Ninja Warrior, is screened in at least 18 other countries....

.

Biscotti Republic

Affectionately nicknamed , Millhiore is the 14-year-old Princess of Biscotti Republic with a gentle and hardworking personality. Despite being young and inexperienced for a leader, she is loved by everyone in the nation. She is also a singer at the same time, holding events and concerts and appearing in person in front of everyone despite her status. She is also the one who summoned Cinque to Flonyard in the first place by sending her dog familiar

Familiar spirit

In European folklore and folk-belief of the Medieval and Early Modern periods, familiar spirits were supernatural entities believed to assist witches and cunning folk in their practice of magic...

, Tatsumaki, to open up a portal on Earth while Cinque attempted to jump off from some heights in school (because of his love for circus acrobatic acts), and is the owner of one of Divine Swords pair, Excelide. She chose Cinque as her beloved hero after watching him taking part in an athletic competition on Earth with her stargazing powers, but was unaware that a summoned hero cannot return to his homeworld and only found about that when it was too late. At the end of the first season, Millhi confesses her love to Cinque.

Nicknamed , Éclair is the 14-year-old female Knight of Biscotti as well as the captain of the Imperial Guards unit directly under Millhiore's command. She has been training as a knight since childhood, and is proficient in dual-sword wielding. She bears great admiration towards Millhiore and holds her with utmost respect. She is always troubled by Cinque's "ignorance of the ways of the world", and has a very serious attitude, albeit stubborn. In addition, she serves as the foil

Foil (literature)

In fiction, a foil is a character who contrasts with another character in order to highlight particular qualities of another character....

 to Cinque, and is a tsundere

Tsundere

is a Japanese character development process that describes a person who is initially cold and even hostile towards another person before gradually showing their warm side over time. The word is derived from the terms , meaning to turn away in disgust, and meaning to become 'lovey dovey'...

 towards him much like Rebecca. A running gag is that she has an inferiority complex about her ears, as they are smaller in size but are drooping down as compared to the other characters. She can unleash shock waves from her blade.

Nickmamed , Ricotta is the Chief Researcher of the National Research School of Biscotti despite being the same age as Cinque. She is an extremely intelligent individual who is friendly at the same time, but her curiosity tends to get the better of her in various situations. She has a lot of friends in the Knights of Biscotti. She is working hard to solve Cinque's "problem", and is always intrigued by machinery that she does not know about and wants to analyze them. Tends to finish her sentences with "~de arimasu".

Leader of the Knights of Biscotti, an earnest and hardworking man which earned the trust of Millhiore. Millhiore thinks of him as a brother figure. Also Eclair's brother.

A freelance knight in the Knights of Biscotti, she is also known as "Strongest in the Land", surpassing the "Strongest of Biscotti". Extremely proficient in the usage of an ōdachi

Odachi

An , was a type of long Japanese sword. The term nodachi, or "field sword", which refers to a different type of sword, is often mistakenly used in place of ōdachi. It is historically known as ōtachi....

, she is almost unbeatable in battle. She has a love for wine, and is elegant and quiet. She is the leader of the , whose mission is to protect a certain secret. She uses "sessha" and "de gozaru" in her speech, a formal archaic form of speech much used by samurai in the past. It is revealed near the end of the anime that Brioche is actually a celestial canine who has been working behind the scenes with Yukikaze for more than a hundred years to suppress and seal any demons that may threaten the peace in Flonyard.

Affectionately nicknamed , she is a foxgirl and another freelance knight in the Knights of Biscotti who frequently works with Brioche. The chief (next-in-command after Brioche) of the Omitsu Squad, she looks upon members of the squad as brothers, be it dogs or foxes. She instantly got along with Cinque when they first met. Yukikaze makes use of agile movements in battle, as uses various weapons such as bare fists, tantō

Tanto

A is one of the traditional Japanese swords that were worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The tantō dates to the Heian period, when it was mainly used as a weapon but evolved in design over the years to become more ornate...

, bows, and etc. She admires Brioche a lot and addresses her with "Oyakata-sama" (My Lady), a very formal archaic form of speech used when one addresses his/her lord in the past. It is revealed near the end of the anime that Yukikaze is actually a fox deity who has been working behind the scenes with Brioche for more than a hundred years to suppress and seal any demons that may threaten the peace in Flonyard.

Millhiore's secretary who schedules everything for her, from official work, wars, and even concerts. As someone who Millhiore trusts, there are a lot of situations which she interacts with Rolan, hinting a romantic relationship between the two.

The head of the Maid Squad in Firianno Castle, she manages the cleanliness of the castle, as well as the health and safety of Millhiore. She always keep her eyes closed, which is also her charm point.

Galette Lion Army

Affectionately known as Leo, she is the 16 year-old leader and Princess of the Galette Lion Army. During their childhood, Leo and Millhiore were very close friends, but Leo started avoiding her after learning about her tragic destiny. She dislikes being called a Princess, and prefers to be called "Her Majesty". A brave warrior, she uses heavy armor (hidden underneath semi-revealing clothing) and weapons in battle. As the leader of Galette, she has to carry the burden of living up to the expectations of her people. Witnessing Millhiore and Cinque's deaths in the near future (within one month from the point where this truth was shown to the audience) by her star-reading power, she desperately tries to avoid it at all costs and that appears to be the reason why she initiates wars with Biscotti at an alarming rate. She talks with a masculine tone, her speech pattern similar to that of an old man (frequently uses "washi" and "jaa"). She enjoys being petted by Millhiore.

The 13 year-old Prince of Galette and Leo's younger brother. A confident and powerful warrior of Galette, albeit hot-blooded and sort of a gag character at times. His battle style resembles Cinque's, making use of light armor and agile movements. He seems to connect to Cinque through battles, and views him as a rival. He also fights honorably, much like his sister. Directly under his command are General Godwin, the Imperial Guard trio "Genoise", etc. He is a Prince that everyone of Galette adores, and Leo claims to willingly relinquish the throne to him when he gets mature enough as she views him to be a more suitable ruler. He likes battles and Millhiore.

A reporter on Galette's side, his job is to take the role of the announcer during battle broadcasts, and he does that with passion.

A general of Galette, he respects Gaul as his commander a lot despite Godwin being much older and experienced. Enjoys letting loose completely on the battlefield, he wields a battle axe with a gigantic steel ball attached to it in battle and is feared by all.

A general of Galette and also the leader of the Knights of Galette. He supports Leo not in just battles, but also on official matters. He often takes the position of the commentator during battle broadcasts. He has a long history with Rolan of the Biscotti Republic, and is a friend of his. Happens to be married.

An expressionless and quiet girl who is a member of the Imperial Guard unit , a Super Sentai

Super Sentai

The is the name given to the long-running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Co., Ltd., Toei Agency and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi...

-like trio of warriors who serve directly under Gaul's command. She excels in the usage of throwing knives and short swords, and defeats her opponents with elegant techniques. Though she looks as though she is always deep in thoughts, she frequently forgets about the most important of things.

A cheerful girl and another member of Génoise who speaks with a queer Western intonation. She wields a gigantic battle axe in battle with seemingly minimal effort. Her current aim is to win General Godwin in a battle, whom she currently lost to 92 times.

A gentle rabbitgirl and another member of Génoise who is an airhead at the same time. Using a bow as her weapon, her prowess and accuracy with it is of master-class. Despite that, she is known to be "destructively clumsy" out of battle, during normal days.

A catgirl who leads the Galette Lion Army's Imperial Guard.

Anime

The series, produced by Aniplex

Aniplex

, formerly known as Sony Pictures Entertainment Visual Works Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment Visual Works Inc., is a Japanese anime and music production and distribution enterprise owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan and established in January 1997...

 and Seven Arcs

Seven Arcs

is a Japanese animation studio established on May 31, 2002 and is located in Nakano, Tokyo, Japan. The company originally produced adult original video animation series under another animation studio named Arcturus since April 2000 and had the intention of eventually producing television anime...

, is directed by Keizo Kusakawa

Keizo Kusakawa

is a Japanese animation director. Kusakawa has mainly worked with Seven Arcs as a director for the anime the studio produces.-Anime involved in:*Inukami! The Movie : Director*Inukami! : Director...

, series composition by Masaki Tsuzuki, character designs by Osamu Sakata, music by I've Sound

I've Sound

I've Sound, or simply called , is a Japanese techno/trance music production group based in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. Led by Kazuya Takase, it features the talents of seasoned "sound creators" and many different female vocalists, known as to their fans....

, Maiko Iuchi, Susumu Natsume and Yui Isshiki, and produced by the production company Project DD. The series aired from April 2, 2011 to June 25, 2011 on Tokyo MX, Tochigi TV, Gunma TV, Chiba TV

Chiba TV

, doing business as , is a Japanese commercial terrestrial television broadcasting company headquartered at 11-25 Miyako-chō 1-chōme, Chūō-ku, Chiba serving Chiba Prefecture but spill-over is received in the neibouring prefectures. It is a member of the Japanese Association of Independent...

, TVK, TV Saitama and MBS

Mainichi Broadcasting System

is a broadcasting station in Osaka, Japan, affiliated with Japan Radio Network , National Radio Network , Japan News Network and TBS Network, serving in the Kansai region. MBS is also one of the major stockholders of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc...

, with subsequent runs on Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting

Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting

is a regional radio and television service serving Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Its radio service is affiliated with the Japan Radio Network and its television service affiliated with the Japan News Network and the TBS Network.-Radio:Frequency...

 and BS11. Six DVD and Blu-ray Disc

Blu-ray Disc

Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...

 volumes will be released by Aniplex between July 27, 2011 and December 21, 2011. The series' opening theme is "Scarlet Knight

Scarlet Knight (song)

"Scarlet Knight" is the 23rd single by Japanese singer and seiyū Nana Mizuki, released on April 13, 2011, together with her 24th single, "Pop Master".- Track listing :# "Scarlet Knight"#*Lyrics: Nana Mizuki...

" by Nana Mizuki

Nana Mizuki

is a popular Japanese singer-songwriter and voice actress. She was born and raised in Niihama, Ehime, Japan, Mizuki was trained as an enka singer. She made her debut as a voice actress in 1998; however, she released her debut single "Omoi", under the King Records label on December 6, 2000...

, and the ending theme is "Presenter" by Yui Horie

Yui Horie

is a popular Japanese singer and voice actress. She is sometimes affectionately nicknamed by her Japanese fans.She hosts a radio show called and is the founding member of the singing group, Aice5. She is also a member of the band Kurobara Hozonkai, with the name YUIEL...

, both produced and composed by Elements Garden

Elements Garden

Elements Garden is a Japanese group of music composers, or a "music production brand" as they call themselves. They generally produce music for video games, anime and recording artists...

. A second anime season has been announced.

Light novel

A light novel

Light novel

A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...

 adaptation of Dog Days, illustrated by Kiro Hahane, was serialized in the March 2011 issue of Kadokawa Shoten

Kadokawa Shoten

is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...

's Newtype

Newtype (magazine)

is a monthly magazine publication originating from Japan, covering anime and manga . It was launched by publishing company Kadokawa Shoten on March 8, 1985 with its April issue, and has since seen regular release on the 10th of every month in its home country...

magazine, and released by Kadokawa Shoten in June 2011 under its Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko imprint.

Manga

A manga adaptation illustrated by Takuya Fujima began serialization in multiple magazines by Kadokawa Shoten. The first story was serialized in the April 2011 issue of Newtype; the second story was published in the May 2011 issue of Comptiq

Comptiq

is a Japanese computer game magazine, first published in 1983, by Kadokawa Shoten. The name "Comptiq" came from combining the words "computer" and "boutique". Originally a PC magazine, its focus shifted from computers to computer games. As of September 2003, it has been known as a "MediaMix Game...

; the third story is scheduled to be serialized in Comp Ace

Comp Ace

is a Japanese computer game and manga magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten. Comp Ace began as a special edition version of another one of Kadokawa Shoten's magazines, Comptiq. The first issue was released on March 26, 2005, and was published quarterly for the first three volumes which had cover...

.