Dragonaut -The Resonance-
Encyclopedia
is an anime
series directed by Manabu Ono and co-produced by Gonzo and Nihon Ad Systems
(NAS). The series ran on the Japan
ese network TV Tokyo
between October 3, 2007 and March 26, 2008. Funimation Entertainment
has acquired the license to distribute the anime series in North America later in 2009.
On November 2, 2007, a manga
adaptation published by Shueisha
started serialization
in the Japanese shōnen
manga magazine Jump Square
. It ended serialization in April 2008, publishing a total of six chapters. A bound volume containing all the chapters was released on May 2, 2008.
destroys Pluto
. Due to Pluto's destruction, the asteroid
, which is dubbed Thanatos, becomes temporarily stagnant in Pluto's orbit. Now, in order to avoid Earth's impending destruction, the International Solarsystem Development Agency (ISDA) works on the "D-Project", and secretly creates weapons called "Dragon
s" after finding a dragon egg under the ocean. However, they soon find out that the asteroid is not their only threat, as powerful, destructive dragons from Thanatos appear on Earth.
After witnessing what looks like a murder by a strange creature, Jin Kamishina, a lonely 18-year-old boy who lost his family in a shuttle
accident two years ago, gets involved with the ISDA and their efforts to battle the dragons from Thanatos. Helping him is Toa, a mysterious girl who saves him from falling to his death after the creature attacks him. As they delve deeper into the mysteries of the dragons, they encounter new friends and enemies, and also develop a closer relationship.
before the surname
.
International Solarsystem Development Agency (ISDA)
ISDA029 Flight Accident
Communicator
Actualize
Resonance Connect
Stigmata
. NAS and Gonzo studios, which produced anime series such as Last Exile
and Brave Story
, co-produced the series, along with a subsidiary of Konami
, Konami Digital Entertainment.
On March 24, 2007, at the International Anime Fair
in Tokyo
, the first promotional image for the anime series was revealed. In addition, series' director Manabu Ono, and two of the series' voice actors
, Daisuke Ono
and Minori Chihara
, attended the fair in order to promote the series. At the time, the complete cast for the anime was not yet assembled as the anime was still in the development stage. In fact, Manabu Ono expected that the series would continue being developed on, even after it begins broadcast in fall 2007.
While a majority of series designs are done in 2D
animation, the mechanics of the dragons and their corresponding battles are done in 3D computer graphics
. However, the dragon battles are the only confrontations done in CG
, as character fights are in 2D since the director believes that highspeed character movements are best expressed in that form.
ese terrestrial television
network TV Tokyo
on October 3, 2007. It ended its run on March 26, 2008, airing a total of twenty-five episodes. Although TV Tokyo aired the episodes first, other networks in Japan also broadcast the series, including TV Osaka
, TV Aichi, TV Hokkaido
, TV Setouchi
, AT-X
, and TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting Co.
TV Osaka aired each episode a week after TV Tokyo, while the other networks aired them one or two days after TV Osaka.
ese network TV Tokyo
between October 3, 2007 and March 26, 2008. The series is directed by Manabu Ono and co-produced by Gonzo and Nihon Ad Systems
(NAS). The anime contains 25 episodes; not including "Episode 00", which is an interview with the director Manabu Ono. A stand-alone twenty-sixth episode has also been announced, but it is produced specifically for the final DVD release.
Konami Digital Entertainment
released the first DVD
in Japan on January 23, 2008, and the second volume was released nearly a month later on February 20. Seven more volumes are scheduled for consecutive monthly releases, the last of which will be the ninth volume on September 9. The first three volumes will contain different autographs from cast members. All DVDs will contain extras, which each includes a video of Makoto Uno drawing original illustrations of the series. DVD distribution will be handled by Sony
.
Funimation released the English adaptation of the first 13 episodes on DVD, which also contained a commentary on episode 10, on November 3, 2009. The last 13 episodes was released on DVD on December 29, 2009. Both DVD sets contains both the English and Japanese versions of the series, and the second DVD also contains the stand-alone twenty-sixth episode. On December 28, 2010, Funimation released the complete DVD box set containing all 26 episodes. As of November 2010, the box set is only available for purchase on FYE
's online store.
On November 2, 2007, Shueisha
began publishing a manga
adaptation of the series, which is serialized
in the Japanese shōnen
manga magazine Jump Square
. A total of six chapters was published; the last of which was in April 2008. Shueisha released a bound volume containing all the chapters on May 2, 2008.
Though the story remains to revolve around the lives of Jin Kamishina and Toa, the severity of the Dragon threat is increased in the manga, as Earth has been publicly invaded by these "type D" alien
life-forms. The situations and personalities of most of the characters, especially those of the two protagonist
s, are also different compared to their anime counterparts.
used in the anime series: one opening theme and two closing themes. The opening theme, "perfect blue", is performed, composed, and written by the J-pop
group Jazzin' Park. ATSUMI also performed the piece alongside Jazzin' Park, as a guest vocal. The two ending themes are "Rain Of Love", which is performed by Yukari Fukui
and composed by Hiroshi Takaki, with the lyrics written by Shoko Fujibayashi
, and "FIGHT OR FLIGHT", which is performed by Yū Kobayashi
.
On November 21, 2007, Jazzin' Park and Yukari Fukui each released a four track
single
. The titles of the theme songs are used as the titles for its corresponding single, which each contains an instrumental
version of its theme song, along with at least one different song sung by the artist. Yū Kobayashi's second single, "FIGHT OR FLIGHT", also contained four tracks, and was released on January 23, 2008. Yukari Fukui's "Rain Of Love" is also the second single she has released, while Jazzin' Park's "perfect blue" is the first single they have ever released.
, Yū Kobayashi
, and Chise Nakamura
, who voices Saki Kurata, Ryōko Kakei, and Megumi Jinguuji, respectively. Junichi Suwabe
, Takuma Takewaka
, Daisuke Ono
, Eiji Maruyama
, who voices Gio, Raina Cromwell, Jin Kamishina, and Amadeus, respectively, were guests during separate sessions.
The broadcast is hosted by Onsen, an internet radio station.
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....
series directed by Manabu Ono and co-produced by Gonzo and Nihon Ad Systems
Nihon Ad Systems
, NAS for short, is a Japanese anime production and character merchandising company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the advertising agency Asatsu-DK. The "Ad" in its title is an abbreviation for "Animation Development". Along with animation studios Sunrise, Toei Animation and TMS Entertainment, it is...
(NAS). The series ran on the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese network TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
between October 3, 2007 and March 26, 2008. Funimation Entertainment
Funimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
has acquired the license to distribute the anime series in North America later in 2009.
On November 2, 2007, a manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
adaptation published by Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
started serialization
Serial (literature)
In literature, a serial is a publishing format by which a single large work, most often a work of narrative fiction, is presented in contiguous installments—also known as numbers, parts, or fascicles—either issued as separate publications or appearing in sequential issues of a single periodical...
in the Japanese shōnen
Shonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
manga magazine Jump Square
Jump Square
is a Japanese monthly shōnen manga magazine with a circulation of over 300,000. Published by Shueisha, the magazine premiered on November 2, 2007 as a replacement for Monthly Shōnen Jump, another manga anthology that Shueisha discontinued in June of that year. The magazine is a part of the Jump...
. It ended serialization in April 2008, publishing a total of six chapters. A bound volume containing all the chapters was released on May 2, 2008.
Plot
Twenty years prior to the story's beginning, an asteroid headed for EarthEarth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
destroys Pluto
Pluto
Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
. Due to Pluto's destruction, the asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
, which is dubbed Thanatos, becomes temporarily stagnant in Pluto's orbit. Now, in order to avoid Earth's impending destruction, the International Solarsystem Development Agency (ISDA) works on the "D-Project", and secretly creates weapons called "Dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s" after finding a dragon egg under the ocean. However, they soon find out that the asteroid is not their only threat, as powerful, destructive dragons from Thanatos appear on Earth.
After witnessing what looks like a murder by a strange creature, Jin Kamishina, a lonely 18-year-old boy who lost his family in a shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
accident two years ago, gets involved with the ISDA and their efforts to battle the dragons from Thanatos. Helping him is Toa, a mysterious girl who saves him from falling to his death after the creature attacks him. As they delve deeper into the mysteries of the dragons, they encounter new friends and enemies, and also develop a closer relationship.
Characters
Note - Names are in Western Order, with the given nameGiven name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
before the surname
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
.
- Jin Kamishina is an 18-year-old boy who lost his family in a shuttle accident two years ago. He is the only known survivor, who mysteriously had no major injuries despite falling from a high altitude. Since then, he has lived a solitary existence, and Toa becomes the first person in two years that he connects with. It is later revealed that he was saved by Toa, and that he underwent a successful Resonance during the accident.
- Toa is a mysterious girl who saves Jin from a dragon in the first episode. She is shown to have remarkable athletic abilities, extraordinary strength, and accelerated healing capabilities, possibly due in part to the fact that she is a dragon. In her dragon form, she is immensely powerful; she is able to take on more than two other dragons at a time. She is referred to as the "Album" by the ISDA, who wishes to capture her in order to retrieve information on the original dragons from Thanatos.
- Gio is a dragon from the ISDA who is assigned to be Kazuki Tachibana's "partner" after Kazuki successfully resonated with Gio's dragon egg form. However, despite being Kazuki's partner, Gio does not take orders from him, showing more concern for Toa, whom he states he was born to protect. Due to this, he is considered to be a failed experiment. His attachment to Toa seems to stem from the fact that he awakened early to Toa's cry when she first actualized in the series.
- His name is derived from his code-number, "G10", which Kazuki misread as "Gio".
Terminology
- The asteroidAsteroidAsteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
that destroyed PlutoPlutoPluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
twenty years prior to the series' beginning. Due to Pluto's destruction, the asteroid becomes stagnant within the former planet's orbit; however, some believe that the asteroid's current state is only temporary. If it does break free from Pluto's orbit Earth would be in grave danger since it is located in Thanatos' expected trajectoryTrajectoryA trajectory is the path that a moving object follows through space as a function of time. The object might be a projectile or a satellite, for example. It thus includes the meaning of orbit—the path of a planet, an asteroid or a comet as it travels around a central mass...
. - Thanatos also seems to contain extraterrestrial lifeExtraterrestrial lifeExtraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
forms. The ISDA calls these lifeforms "Dragons" and keeps their existence a secret from the public.
- Thanatos's true nature is initially unknown. The original dragons were apparently able to communicate with it, even calling it "Mother", and at one point symbols on its surface appear to glow; each symbol then gradually disappears as if counting down. Once all the symbols disappear, the core becomes brightly illuminated.
- Gio later states that he is Thanatos's successor after having visited it in hopes of saving Toa.
- Near the end of the anime, Thanatos reveals itself to be a huge dragon, which is capable of releasing billions of dragon spawns resembling Ostrum, the fourth original dragon. It also possesses a soul, which is made up of countless beings' "spirits" or consciousness. It had ordered the three original dragons to check up on the Earth-made dragons, and had wanted them to return without making Resonances, but after their failure, it sends Ostrum to destroy the eggs instead. After seeing humanity's nature, it deemed them foolish, and wanted to destroy it, but after showing interest in Jin and Toa's love for each other, it instead wants to fuse with all of humanity at the expense of human life.
- In the final episode, Thanatos's true nature is revealed: its main core is a silver sphere containing a female humanoid, whom Toa calls "mother". She realizes her faults, admitting that she has been alone for too long to understand what true love is, and decides to move on to the next planet as she contemplates its true meaning, though she expects to return to Earth.
- In Greek mythologyGreek mythologyGreek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, ThanatosThanatosIn Greek mythology, Thanatos was the daemon personification of death. He was a minor figure in Greek mythology, often referred to but rarely appearing in person...
was a personification of Death and Mortality.
International Solarsystem Development Agency (ISDA)
- The ISDA is a joint space exploration agency, which is basically an integration of every space agency on Earth. New Ogasawara is designated as its primary base, but it has successfully built bases and other structures around the world, including a base on the lunarMoonThe Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
surface.
ISDA029 Flight Accident
- The ISDA029 shuttleSpace ShuttleThe Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
flight from two years ago, which Jin and his family were involved in. After the shuttle exited the Ogasawara Space Port, it blew up and fell towards the ocean. The only survivor was Jin, who suspiciously had no major injuries despite falling from a high altitude. The ISDA investigated the incident and determined that it was due to pilot error, blaming Jin's father, who was the shuttle pilot. In truth, the true cause of the accident was the dragons from Thanatos; when they entered Earth's atmosphere they crossed paths with the shuttle, accidentally destroying it.
- Located in the Ogasawara archipelago and consists of three islands: land island, space island, and sea island. It surfaced several dozen years ago, and is the ISDA's base of operations. The Ogasawara waters are also where the dragon egg was found.
- Though it is located in JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese territory, it is run by extraterritoriality law, with the ISDA as its main management.
- A private nationEmirateAn emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Muslim monarch styled emir.-Etymology:Etymologically emirate or amirate is the quality, dignity, office or territorial competence of any emir ....
headed by Prince Asim. Despite being a small country, the development of space exploration technology increased the country's financial base. The development of MartianMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
facilities is one of their top priorities as Asim already resides in a palace built on the planet.
- In their cooperation with the ISDA, the Gillard military is tasked with handling counter-terrorismCounter-terrorismCounter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
. Though they appear to be cooperative with the ISDA, they are actually after the secret behind the Resonance process. After the one-year timeskipTimeskipA timeskip is a narrative device that is commonly used in the telling of epics or sagas. It allows the storyteller to quickly age characters or develop events without getting bogged down in irrelevant or uninteresting details...
, they have apparently taken charge of the ISDA.
- One of their most significant forces are mass-produced, lobotomized dragons called Agathion, which are remotely controlled because the Gillard military lacks the knowledge of resonance.
- A secret facility built by the ISDA for the discarding of obsolete dragons and their remains. An electromagnetic shielding surrounds the facility in order to prevent dragons from actualizing and escaping.
- A Dragonaut is a dragon's partner, who is otherwise known as a "pilot" or "master". To successfully become a Dragonaut, one has to successfully resonate with a dragon egg. The name comes from the fusion of astronautAstronautAn astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
and dragonDragonA dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
.
Communicator
- A Communicator is a dragon's humanoidHumanoidA humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
form. It is later implied in the series that in order for a dragon to take Communicator form, it has to complete a Resonance with a human.
Actualize
- Actualizing is when a Communicator transforms into its dragon form.
- The process that is used to determine a person's compatibility with a dragon. The ISDA's conceived process involves an artificially-made dragon egg extracting DNADNADeoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
from its expected human counterpart. How an original dragon from Thanatos succeeds in obtaining a Resonance with a human is unknown, but it appears as though they can achieve it without the human's consent, and the human may not even be aware that they have completed a Resonance with a dragon.
- It is said that without a successful Resonance with a dragon, one will not be capable of controlling a dragon. Also, as mentioned by Akira and Machina, when a dragon makes a Resonance with a human, it is only then that a dragon can truly understand what having a soul means.
Resonance Connect
- The connection between a dragon and its master. An artificially-made dragon normally acts on its master's thoughts and feelings; if the master does not have a steady form of communication with the dragon, it would most likely go berserk. However, original dragons are not subject to this restriction, and can act on their own free will despite completing a Resonance with a human.
Stigmata
- A sign that shows up on the back of a dragon when they are about to die.
- Led by Raina Cromwell, the Lindworm unit is composed of Dragonauts and their corresponding dragons, whose main purpose is to destroy Thanatos when the time comes. They are also tasked with fighting off enemy dragons that come from the asteroid.
- In EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an mythologyMythologyThe term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
, 'LindwormLindwormLindworm in British heraldry, is a technical term for a wingless bipedal dragon often with a venomous bite.-Etymology:In modern Scandinavian languages, the cognate lindorm can refer to any 'serpent' or monstrous...
' is a large serpent-like dragon.
- Another ISDA unit tasked with destroying Thanatos. Itsuki Habaragi is the unit leader. They are stationed in the L-3 space stationSpace stationA space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a crew which is designed to remain in space for an extended period of time, and to which other spacecraft can dock. A space station is distinguished from other spacecraft used for human spaceflight by its lack of major propulsion or landing...
orbiting Earth. - When the fourth original dragon from Thanatos appears, the Vritra Unit, except for Itsuki and Otohime, is annihilated during the confrontation.
- In early Vedic religionHistorical Vedic religionThe religion of the Vedic period is a historical predecessor of Hinduism. Its liturgy is reflected in the mantra portion of the four Vedas, which are compiled in Sanskrit. The religious practices centered on a clergy administering rites...
, 'VritraVritraIn the early Vedic religion, Vritra , is an Asura and also a serpent or dragon, the personification of drought and enemy of Indra. Vritra was also known in the Vedas as Ahi...
' was an Asura with the aspect of a serpent or dragon.
Development
The original concept of Dragonaut: The Resonance was developed by Nihon Ad Systems (NAS)Nihon Ad Systems
, NAS for short, is a Japanese anime production and character merchandising company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the advertising agency Asatsu-DK. The "Ad" in its title is an abbreviation for "Animation Development". Along with animation studios Sunrise, Toei Animation and TMS Entertainment, it is...
. NAS and Gonzo studios, which produced anime series such as Last Exile
Last Exile
is a Japanese animated television series created by Gonzo. It featured a production team led by director Koichi Chigira, character designer Range Murata, and production designer Mahiro Maeda. The three had previously worked together in Blue Submarine No. 6, one of the first CG anime series...
and Brave Story
Brave Story
is a Japanese fantasy novel written by Miyuki Miyabe. It was serialized in various regional newspapers between the November 11, 1999 and February 13, 2001 before being published in two hardcover volumes by Kadokawa Shoten in March 2003...
, co-produced the series, along with a subsidiary of Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
, Konami Digital Entertainment.
On March 24, 2007, at the International Anime Fair
Tokyo International Anime Fair
The Tokyo International Anime Fair also known as Tokyo International Animation Fair is one of the largest anime trade fairs in the world, held annually in Japan. The first event was held in 2002 as "Tokyo International Anime Fair 21". The event is held at Tokyo Big Sight, a convention and...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, the first promotional image for the anime series was revealed. In addition, series' director Manabu Ono, and two of the series' voice actors
Seiyu
Voice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
, Daisuke Ono
Daisuke Ono
is a Japanese voice actor who works for Mausu Promotion. He was born in Kōchi Prefecture. He won the 4th Seiyū Awards for best voice actor for his role as Sebastian Michaelis in Kuroshitsuji.-Anime:2002*Full Metal Panic!...
and Minori Chihara
Minori Chihara
is a Japanese voice actress who has had roles in several anime series, and a J-pop singer. As a seiyū, she works under the agency Avex Planning & Development, while in her musical career, she has been signed under King Records and is currently with Lantis...
, attended the fair in order to promote the series. At the time, the complete cast for the anime was not yet assembled as the anime was still in the development stage. In fact, Manabu Ono expected that the series would continue being developed on, even after it begins broadcast in fall 2007.
While a majority of series designs are done in 2D
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
animation, the mechanics of the dragons and their corresponding battles are done in 3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
. However, the dragon battles are the only confrontations done in CG
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
, as character fights are in 2D since the director believes that highspeed character movements are best expressed in that form.
Broadcast
The anime series premiered on the JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese terrestrial television
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
network TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
on October 3, 2007. It ended its run on March 26, 2008, airing a total of twenty-five episodes. Although TV Tokyo aired the episodes first, other networks in Japan also broadcast the series, including TV Osaka
TV Osaka
is a TV station affiliated with TXN in Osaka, Japan. The mascot character is "Takoru-kun" .-Offices:*The headquarters - 1-2-18, Otemae, Chūō-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan...
, TV Aichi, TV Hokkaido
TV Hokkaido
is a TV station headquartered in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan, and is affiliated with TXN.- Offices :*Headquarters - 6-12-4, Odori-higashi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo*Tokyo office - Hashizen Building, Shinbashi, Minato, Tokyo...
, TV Setouchi
TV Setouchi
is a TV station in Japan.It is one of the TX Network stations, broadcasting in Okayama Prefecture and Kagawa Prefecture, and it is an only TXN's TV station in Chugoku-Shikoku region....
, AT-X
AT-X (company)
is a Japanese anime television network owned by . AT-X, Inc. was founded on June 26, 2000 as a subsidiary of TV Tokyo Medianet, which, in turn, is a subsidiary of TV Tokyo. Its headquarters are in Minato, Tokyo. AT-X network broadcasts anime via satellite and cable since December 24, 1997.AT-X is...
, and TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting Co.
Television in Japan
Television broadcasting in Japan started in 1939, making the country one of the first in the world with an experimental television service. In spite of that, because of the beginning of World War II in the Pacific region, this first experimentation lasted only a few months...
TV Osaka aired each episode a week after TV Tokyo, while the other networks aired them one or two days after TV Osaka.
Staff
| Animation production | Gonzo |
|---|---|
| Production | Gonzo Nihon Ad Systems (NAS) Nihon Ad Systems , NAS for short, is a Japanese anime production and character merchandising company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the advertising agency Asatsu-DK. The "Ad" in its title is an abbreviation for "Animation Development". Along with animation studios Sunrise, Toei Animation and TMS Entertainment, it is... Konami Digital Entertainment Konami is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games... |
| Director | Manabu Ono |
| Original Concept | Nihon Ad Systems |
| Story Concept | Jun Maekawa |
| Character design | Makoto Uno |
| Dragon and mechanical design | Junya Ishigaki |
| Prop design | Hiroyuki Ookawa |
| Set design | Tomoyuki Aoki |
| Music | Kōsuke Yamashita |
| Sound director | Yota Tsuruoka |
Anime
Dragonaut: The Resonance premiered on the JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese network TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
between October 3, 2007 and March 26, 2008. The series is directed by Manabu Ono and co-produced by Gonzo and Nihon Ad Systems
Nihon Ad Systems
, NAS for short, is a Japanese anime production and character merchandising company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the advertising agency Asatsu-DK. The "Ad" in its title is an abbreviation for "Animation Development". Along with animation studios Sunrise, Toei Animation and TMS Entertainment, it is...
(NAS). The anime contains 25 episodes; not including "Episode 00", which is an interview with the director Manabu Ono. A stand-alone twenty-sixth episode has also been announced, but it is produced specifically for the final DVD release.
Konami Digital Entertainment
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
released the first DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in Japan on January 23, 2008, and the second volume was released nearly a month later on February 20. Seven more volumes are scheduled for consecutive monthly releases, the last of which will be the ninth volume on September 9. The first three volumes will contain different autographs from cast members. All DVDs will contain extras, which each includes a video of Makoto Uno drawing original illustrations of the series. DVD distribution will be handled by Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
.
Funimation released the English adaptation of the first 13 episodes on DVD, which also contained a commentary on episode 10, on November 3, 2009. The last 13 episodes was released on DVD on December 29, 2009. Both DVD sets contains both the English and Japanese versions of the series, and the second DVD also contains the stand-alone twenty-sixth episode. On December 28, 2010, Funimation released the complete DVD box set containing all 26 episodes. As of November 2010, the box set is only available for purchase on FYE
Fyé
Fyé is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.-References:*...
's online store.
Manga
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
began publishing a manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
adaptation of the series, which is serialized
Serial (literature)
In literature, a serial is a publishing format by which a single large work, most often a work of narrative fiction, is presented in contiguous installments—also known as numbers, parts, or fascicles—either issued as separate publications or appearing in sequential issues of a single periodical...
in the Japanese shōnen
Shonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
manga magazine Jump Square
Jump Square
is a Japanese monthly shōnen manga magazine with a circulation of over 300,000. Published by Shueisha, the magazine premiered on November 2, 2007 as a replacement for Monthly Shōnen Jump, another manga anthology that Shueisha discontinued in June of that year. The magazine is a part of the Jump...
. A total of six chapters was published; the last of which was in April 2008. Shueisha released a bound volume containing all the chapters on May 2, 2008.
Though the story remains to revolve around the lives of Jin Kamishina and Toa, the severity of the Dragon threat is increased in the manga, as Earth has been publicly invaded by these "type D" alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
life-forms. The situations and personalities of most of the characters, especially those of the two protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
s, are also different compared to their anime counterparts.
Music
There are three pieces of theme musicTheme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
used in the anime series: one opening theme and two closing themes. The opening theme, "perfect blue", is performed, composed, and written by the J-pop
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
group Jazzin' Park. ATSUMI also performed the piece alongside Jazzin' Park, as a guest vocal. The two ending themes are "Rain Of Love", which is performed by Yukari Fukui
Yukari Fukui
is a Japanese voice actress known by the nickname in Japan.- Personal :Yukari was born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan on 28 October 1982.Her career includes movie and TV drama roles, radio DJ, and gravure model. Yukari is currently employed by Versatile Entertainment.Yukari's voice actor roles are...
and composed by Hiroshi Takaki, with the lyrics written by Shoko Fujibayashi
Shoko Fujibayashi
is a Japanese lyricist who has written the lyrics for several tokusatsu television series' theme songs. Most recently, Fujibayashi has worked with Shuhei Naruse on the soundtracks of Kamen Rider Den-O, Kamen Rider Kiva, and their films...
, and "FIGHT OR FLIGHT", which is performed by Yū Kobayashi
Yu Kobayashi
is a female voice actress from Tokyo, Japan and is affiliated with HolyPeak. She also occasionally works as a key animator.-Anime:*12Riven - Yuyu Hoshino*Air Gear: Kuro no Hane to Nemuri no Mori - Emily Adachi*Amatsuki - Benitobi...
.
On November 21, 2007, Jazzin' Park and Yukari Fukui each released a four track
Track (CD)
On an optical disc, a track or title is a subdivision of its content. Specifically, it is a consecutive set of sectors on the disc containing a block of data. One session may contain one or more tracks of the same or different types...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. The titles of the theme songs are used as the titles for its corresponding single, which each contains an instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
version of its theme song, along with at least one different song sung by the artist. Yū Kobayashi's second single, "FIGHT OR FLIGHT", also contained four tracks, and was released on January 23, 2008. Yukari Fukui's "Rain Of Love" is also the second single she has released, while Jazzin' Park's "perfect blue" is the first single they have ever released.
Internet radio
An internet radio broadcast began airing every Wednesday since September 5, 2007. The Dragonaut Station ISDA Information Agency centers around three voice actors from the anime answering e-mail questions about the series. The three female voice actors are Yukari FukuiYukari Fukui
is a Japanese voice actress known by the nickname in Japan.- Personal :Yukari was born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan on 28 October 1982.Her career includes movie and TV drama roles, radio DJ, and gravure model. Yukari is currently employed by Versatile Entertainment.Yukari's voice actor roles are...
, Yū Kobayashi
Yu Kobayashi
is a female voice actress from Tokyo, Japan and is affiliated with HolyPeak. She also occasionally works as a key animator.-Anime:*12Riven - Yuyu Hoshino*Air Gear: Kuro no Hane to Nemuri no Mori - Emily Adachi*Amatsuki - Benitobi...
, and Chise Nakamura
Chise Nakamura
is a Japanese actress and gravure idol from Fukuoka, Fukuoka.-TV roles:* Natsuki Mamiya in GoGo Sentai Boukenger .* Matsushiro Hikaru in Mei-chan no Shitsuji .-Anime roles:* Dragonaut -The Resonance-...
, who voices Saki Kurata, Ryōko Kakei, and Megumi Jinguuji, respectively. Junichi Suwabe
Junichi Suwabe
is a Japanese voice actor working for Haikyo. His most known roles involve, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques , Archer , Keigo Atobe and Omega ....
, Takuma Takewaka
Takuma Takewaka
is a Japanese voice actor .-Anime:*Masaomi Oogami in Onmyou Taisenki*Amon in Witch Hunter Robin*Ogawara Ryouhei in Jinki:EXTEND*Kirihito in Get Backers*Okita Souji in Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto...
, Daisuke Ono
Daisuke Ono
is a Japanese voice actor who works for Mausu Promotion. He was born in Kōchi Prefecture. He won the 4th Seiyū Awards for best voice actor for his role as Sebastian Michaelis in Kuroshitsuji.-Anime:2002*Full Metal Panic!...
, Eiji Maruyama
Eiji Maruyama
is a Japanese voice actor who works for Arts Vision.-Notable voice roles:*Soken Ishida in Bleach*Ishbal Camp Elder in Fullmetal Alchemist*Death Phantom in Sailor Moon*Garnest Hogue in Scrapped Princess*Zhoushan Xuan in Shenmue 2*Mitamura in Yu Yu Hakusho...
, who voices Gio, Raina Cromwell, Jin Kamishina, and Amadeus, respectively, were guests during separate sessions.
The broadcast is hosted by Onsen, an internet radio station.