Firestorm (anime)
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese anime
series co-created by two British people: Gerry Anderson
and his business partner John Needham. The series combines CGI animation for mecha
and traditional cell animation for characters. Despite high-quality animation and an emphasis on futuristic vehicles traditional to Anderson productions (such as Thunderbirds
), the series was not warmly received in Japan. Series availability in other countries has been limited.
Early in the series, the Firestorm team discover that Black Orchid is secretly a front for a worldwide invasion of outer-space aliens who can disguise themselves as humans. The aliens have developed a drug which will turn humans into their mindless slaves, and scheme to put the drug into our water supply.
Each episode focuses strongly on futuristic vehicles (mecha
). The Firestorm team operate primarily from a huge twin-hulled submarine, called the Ocean Storm. This submarine features a detachable jet aircraft called the Tornado, making it similar to SkyDiver
from Gerry Anderson's 1970-71 series UFO
. Visually, the Tornado resembles Thunderbird 2
from Anderson's 1965-66 series Thunderbirds
. While Thunderbird 2 carried a variety of pods containing smaller vehicles, the Tornado carries a group of smaller vehicles at all times, including two jet fighters, a futuristic tank and several boats.
The team is led by General MacAllister (an older caucasian man with brown hair and a brown beard with white streaks). All members of Storm Force wear snug-fitting, futuristic blue wet suits. Males tend to wear a blue military jacket over the wet suit when not working underwater.
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 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....
series co-created by two British people: Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
and his business partner John Needham. The series combines CGI animation for mecha
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
and traditional cell animation for characters. Despite high-quality animation and an emphasis on futuristic vehicles traditional to Anderson productions (such as Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
), the series was not warmly received in Japan. Series availability in other countries has been limited.
Plot
By the year 2104, the nations of Earth have finally achieved world peace. However, that peace is threatened by a new worldwide terrorist organization called Black Orchid. To counter this threat, the United Nations has created a military peacekeeping force called Storm Force. Each Storm Force unit (8 total) acts independently, operating primarily from a large twin-hulled submarine. As the series opens, a new elite unit is formed called Storm Force 9, which is assigned a special mission code-named "Firestorm."Early in the series, the Firestorm team discover that Black Orchid is secretly a front for a worldwide invasion of outer-space aliens who can disguise themselves as humans. The aliens have developed a drug which will turn humans into their mindless slaves, and scheme to put the drug into our water supply.
Each episode focuses strongly on futuristic vehicles (mecha
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
). The Firestorm team operate primarily from a huge twin-hulled submarine, called the Ocean Storm. This submarine features a detachable jet aircraft called the Tornado, making it similar to SkyDiver
SkyDiver
Skydiver was a fictional futuristic submarine featured in Gerry Anderson’s TV series UFO, operated by the secretive SHADO organisation as part of Earth's defences against alien aggressors.Like many Anderson vehicles, Skydiver was designed by Derek Meddings...
from Gerry Anderson's 1970-71 series UFO
UFO (TV series)
UFO is a 1970-1971 British television science fiction series about an alien invasion of Earth, created by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson with Reg Hill, and produced by the Andersons and Lew Grade's Century 21 Productions for Grade's ITC Entertainment company.UFO first aired in the UK and Canada...
. Visually, the Tornado resembles Thunderbird 2
Thunderbirds machines
The Gerry Anderson Supermarionation television series Thunderbirds and the subsequent feature films Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6 featured a large variety of futuristic air, land and sea vehicles and machines, the majority of which were designed by special effects director Derek...
from Anderson's 1965-66 series Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
. While Thunderbird 2 carried a variety of pods containing smaller vehicles, the Tornado carries a group of smaller vehicles at all times, including two jet fighters, a futuristic tank and several boats.
Main characters
- Nagisa Kisaragi: Japanese, short black hair, mole under right eye. Arguably the central character. She is an "expert on nano-engineering." Nagisa set the world record in the 2096 Tokyo Olympics in the marathon and free-fall parachuting events. Her designation is 01.
- Sam Scott: American, age 28, blue eyes, dark brown hair, Caucasian.
- Wesley Grant: American, age 30, brown eyes, African-American, black beard.
- Laura Hope: Australian, age 25, Caucasian, green eyes, green hair. She is a bomb specialist and former Australian Navy commander.
- James Brady: British, age 29, Caucasian, gray eyes, blond hair.
The team is led by General MacAllister (an older caucasian man with brown hair and a brown beard with white streaks). All members of Storm Force wear snug-fitting, futuristic blue wet suits. Males tend to wear a blue military jacket over the wet suit when not working underwater.
External links
- TV Tokyo page
- (Negative) review by T.H.E.M. anime review
- Overview and brief episode guide from distributor Enoki Films