Noein
Encyclopedia
, also known simply as Noein, is a science fiction
anime
television series directed by Kazuki Akane
and Kenji Yasuda and produced by Satelight
. The series has 24 episodes which comprise a complete storyline.
The English version was produced by Manga Entertainment
.
, a possible future of our own world, and Shangri-La
, another possible dimension fifteen years after ours, intent on the destruction of all space and time. The key to stopping Shangri'la's invasion and saving reality is a mysterious object known as the . La'cryma's elite military force, known as the "Dragon Knights", is sent through space and time to find it. In one possible present, twelve-year old Haruka and her friend Yū are contemplating running away from home when they meet a member of the Dragon Knights named Karasu, who is a possible Yū from the future. La'cryma believes that Haruka is the Dragon Torc, but Karasu vows to protect her rather than sacrifice her for his home dimension. Other than the Dragon Knights, Haruka is targeted by the mysterious Noein, the entity behind Shangri'la who is intent on bringing her into his timespace to end all universes.
Noein is set in the Japanese port city of Hakodate on the northern island of Hokkaido
. The animators took great care to recreate a lot of details of Hakodate, its buildings, port and environs look exactly like the actual city.
.
Noein makes use of several interpretations of quantum physics, particularly Hugh Everett
's Many-Worlds Interpretation
, which views the universe as branching off into an infinity of possible states of varying probability. It also draws from the Copenhagen Interpretation
, which suggests that an observer or measurement is important in determining the decoherency of the probability. In the anime, Haruka possesses "supreme observer" status in the multiverse, thus enabling her to determine the sole outcome of an event just by "observing" one of the possible futures of the event. These themes also underpin an existential
ideology that permeates the anime.
In one episode, Uchida candidly explains to her bodyguard Kōriyama the paradox of Schrödinger's cat
, whereby a cat is ambiguously suspended (exists in a "superposition") between life and death until observed. This act of measurement forces the cat's existence to "collapse" into one of the two possible states. She also mentions Albert Einstein
's famous remark, "God does not play dice."
While the Many-Worlds Interpretation implies a divergence of timespaces, the anime also includes a possible future in which timespaces converge, an end the series' chief antagonist, Noein, works to accomplish.
, while in Greek
"noein" (νοεῖν) means "to perceive", "to observe" or "to think."
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
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 directed by Kazuki Akane
Kazuki Akane
is a Japanese director of Japanese animation. Until the early 2000s, he was a staff member of the anime studio Sunrise, where he collaborated with Shoji Kawamori to direct his most famous work, The Vision of Escaflowne...
and Kenji Yasuda and produced by Satelight
Satelight
is a Japanese animation studio.-History:The studio was founded on December 1995, in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, their first project being Bit the Cupid, the world's first fully digitally-animated television series. The name Satelight consists of S for Sapporo, A for Animate, T for Technology and E for...
. The series has 24 episodes which comprise a complete storyline.
The English version was produced by Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment is a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand...
.
Plot summary
Fifteen years in the future, a violent pan-dimensional war is taking place between the two dominant "time-spaces" of the universe: La'crymaLa'cryma
La'cryma is a Japanese based video game developer that specializes in the development of visual novels. La'cryma was at first created as a collaboration between visual novel studios Broccoli, Circus, GameCrab, and Japanese illustrator Rei Izumi to develop the visual novel title True Tears...
, a possible future of our own world, and Shangri-La
Shangri-La
Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. Hilton describes Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains...
, another possible dimension fifteen years after ours, intent on the destruction of all space and time. The key to stopping Shangri'la's invasion and saving reality is a mysterious object known as the . La'cryma's elite military force, known as the "Dragon Knights", is sent through space and time to find it. In one possible present, twelve-year old Haruka and her friend Yū are contemplating running away from home when they meet a member of the Dragon Knights named Karasu, who is a possible Yū from the future. La'cryma believes that Haruka is the Dragon Torc, but Karasu vows to protect her rather than sacrifice her for his home dimension. Other than the Dragon Knights, Haruka is targeted by the mysterious Noein, the entity behind Shangri'la who is intent on bringing her into his timespace to end all universes.
Noein is set in the Japanese port city of Hakodate on the northern island of Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
. The animators took great care to recreate a lot of details of Hakodate, its buildings, port and environs look exactly like the actual city.
Concept
Noein employs a conception of time as a dimension that resonates with other "timespaces." Haruka's Dragon Torc, which affects this relationship, takes the shape of an OuroborosOuroboros
The Ouroboros is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail. The name originates from within Greek language; οὐρά meaning "tail" and βόρος meaning "eating", thus "he who eats the tail"....
.
Noein makes use of several interpretations of quantum physics, particularly Hugh Everett
Hugh Everett
Hugh Everett III was an American physicist who first proposed the many-worlds interpretation of quantum physics, which he termed his "relative state" formulation....
's Many-Worlds Interpretation
Many-worlds interpretation
The many-worlds interpretation is an interpretation of quantum mechanics that asserts the objective reality of the universal wavefunction, but denies the actuality of wavefunction collapse. Many-worlds implies that all possible alternative histories and futures are real, each representing an...
, which views the universe as branching off into an infinity of possible states of varying probability. It also draws from the Copenhagen Interpretation
Copenhagen interpretation
The Copenhagen interpretation is one of the earliest and most commonly taught interpretations of quantum mechanics. It holds that quantum mechanics does not yield a description of an objective reality but deals only with probabilities of observing, or measuring, various aspects of energy quanta,...
, which suggests that an observer or measurement is important in determining the decoherency of the probability. In the anime, Haruka possesses "supreme observer" status in the multiverse, thus enabling her to determine the sole outcome of an event just by "observing" one of the possible futures of the event. These themes also underpin an existential
Existentialism
Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
ideology that permeates the anime.
In one episode, Uchida candidly explains to her bodyguard Kōriyama the paradox of Schrödinger's cat
Schrödinger's cat
Schrödinger's cat is a thought experiment, usually described as a paradox, devised by Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger in 1935. It illustrates what he saw as the problem of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics applied to everyday objects. The scenario presents a cat that might be...
, whereby a cat is ambiguously suspended (exists in a "superposition") between life and death until observed. This act of measurement forces the cat's existence to "collapse" into one of the two possible states. She also mentions Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
's famous remark, "God does not play dice."
While the Many-Worlds Interpretation implies a divergence of timespaces, the anime also includes a possible future in which timespaces converge, an end the series' chief antagonist, Noein, works to accomplish.
Name
The word "noein" means "to shake" or "to tremble" in CopticCoptic language
Coptic or Coptic Egyptian is the current stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century. Egyptian began to be written using the Greek alphabet in the 1st century...
, while in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
"noein" (νοεῖν) means "to perceive", "to observe" or "to think."
Distribution
- SCI FI began airing Noein in the United States as part of its Ani-Monday programming block on June 18, 2007.
- In AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Noein was first broadcast on free-to-air-TV on ABC2ABC2ABC2 is a national public television channel in Australia. Launched on 7 March 2005, it is the responsibility of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television division, and is available nationally to digital television viewers in Australia...
(the national digital public television channel) from 7:30pm on Tuesday 21 August 2007, and concluded on Tuesday 29 January 2008. Repeat airing began from 6:00pm on Sunday 26 August 2007, and concluded on Sunday 3 February 2008. Repeats began again, airing double episodes from 12:30pm Sunday 10 February 2008, and concluded on Sunday 11 May 2008. - In the Philippines, TV5Associated Broadcasting CompanyThe Associated Broadcasting Company, Inc is a television network in the Philippines, with main broadcast facilities and transmitter located at 762 Quirino Highway, San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City. The network was previously known as the , Associated Broadcasting Company remains the legal...
started its broadcast on November 10, 2008.
Principal Seiyu
- Saeko ChibaSaeko Chibais a prolific Japanese seiyū and singer, born on August 26, 1977 in Hachinohe, Aomori. She grew up in Tokyo, Japan, and married on her 30th birthday: August 26, 2007. She is contracted to the Space Craft Group...
- Ai Haseba, Amamiku - Keiji FujiwaraKeiji Fujiwarais a Japanese voice actor from the Tokyo Metropolitan area who is affiliated with Air Agengy.His best known projects include Crayon Shin-chan as Hiroshi Nohara, Eureka Seven as Holland, Fullmetal Alchemist as Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes, Zoids: Chaotic Century as Irvine, Final Fantasy VII Advent...
- Kyōji Kōriyama - Takako HondaTakako Hondais a Japanese voice actress. She is the dubbing voice actress for Halle Berry.-Roles:*Bleach *Cobra the Animation * Cyborg 009 - Child Joe Shimamura *D.Gray-man...
- Kosagi - Kōhei KiyasuKohei Kiyasuis a Japanese actor and voice actor. He is a graduate of Hiroshima University where he majored in art.He is a member of the Nylon 100℃ theater troupe, as well as the chairman of his own troupe '.- Selected filmography :* Ojamajo Doremi Dokka~n!...
- Fukurō - Rikiya KoyamaRikiya Koyama' is a Japanese actor and voice actor who is a member of Haiyuza Theatre Company.He has done popular voicing roles in Hajime no Ippo, Utawarerumono and Kamen no Maid Guy.He is also known by the nicknames "Rikki" and "Riki-chan".- Biography :...
- Kuina - Haruka KudōHaruka Kudois a Japanese model and seiyu.She is best known as the voice of Hagumi Hanamoto in Honey and Clover and Sayu Yagami in the anime adaption of Death Note.She was an exclusive model for Seventeen magazine until May 2007...
- Haruka Kaminogi - Kenta MiyakeKenta Miyakeis a Japanese voice actor who is affiliated with 81 Produce.He is known for his unusually low voice .After the death of Hirotaka Suzuoki in 2006, Kenta took over the role of Giovanni during Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. He has since expanded this role into the new series, Pokemon Best Wishes...
- Takuya Mayuzami - Kōki MiyataKoki Miyatais a Japanese voice actor who works for 81 Produce. He was formerly credited as .-Anime:*07-Ghost *Angel Tales *Baka to Test to Shōkanjū *Baka to Test to Shōkanjū: Ni!...
- Isami Fujiwara, Isuka - Mai NakaharaMai Nakaharais a voice actress. She is employed by I'm Enterprise. Some of her hobbies include cooking and watching movies, and she is skilled at kendo. She worked with voice actor Ai Shimizu in eight anime where most of the characters they voiced in together had close connections: DearS, Kage Kara Mamoru!,...
- Yukie Nijou - Kazuya NakaiKazuya Nakaiis a Japanese voice actor who was born in Hyōgo-ku, Kobe. He is currently attached to Aoni Production.-Overview:Kazuya Nakai debuted in After War Gundam X as Witz Sou....
- Karasu, Noein - Kaori NazukaKaori Nazukais a freelance voice actress and singer. She is a graduate of the Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music. She also announced that she got married in February 2011.-TV anime:1999:*Ojarumaru...
- Miho Mukai, Lily - Sayaka Oharu - Ryōko Uchida
- Akemi OkamuraAkemi Okamurais a Japanese voice actress and narrator from Tokyo who works for Mausu Promotion. She has had at least one song appear on the NHK program Minna no Uta. Okamura made her debut as Fio Piccolo in the 1992 film Porco Rosso.-Television Animation:...
- Asuka Kaminogi - Ryoka Shiraishi - Tobi
- Ken'ichi Suzumura - Atori
- Fujiko TakimotoFujiko Takimotois a Japanese voice actress born in Osaka, Japan who is famous for her part in voicing child Link from The Legend of Zelda series. She is currently affiliated with Arts Vision.-Anime:*Captain Tsubasa *Mahoujin Guru Guru...
- Yū Gotō - Atsuko TanakaAtsuko Tanakais a Japanese voice actress who works for Ezaki Productions. Her deep and sultry voice is often used to portray villainesses and mature female characters.-TV anime:*Angel Links *Black Cat *Berserk *Cowboy Bebop...
- Miyuki Gotō
Principal Voice Actors
- Richard CansinoRichard CansinoRichard Cansino is an American voice actor. He is also known as Richard Hayworth because he is the nephew of Rita Hayworth, and occasionally goes by the name Steve Davis after the British snooker player of the same name...
- Kuina - Lara CodyLara CodyLaura Ann Cody , better known as Lara Cody, is an American voice actress. She also goes under the name "Deanna Morris." She is best known for her role for playing "Rosemary" in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots.-Anime:*A Little Snow Fairy Sugar -...
- Miho Mukai, Tobi, Yoshi's Mother - Dorothy Elias-FahnDorothy Elias-FahnDorothy Ann Elias-Fahn is an American voice actress who is the wife of Tom Fahn . She is also known as Dorothy Melendrez and Annie Pastrano...
- Ai Haseba, Amamiku - Richard EpcarRichard EpcarRichard Epcar is an American actor voice actor / director, mostly specializing in the field of voice acting in games, animation and anime. He is the husband of voice actress Ellyn Stern, with whom he owns and operates Epcar Entertainment, Inc., a voiceover production service company based in Los...
- Noein, Kyōji Kōriyama, Male Others - Melissa FahnMelissa FahnMelissa Fahn is an American voice and stage actress and singer known for her work in anime dubs and other mainstream animated series, as well as her work in Broadway and Los Angeles Theatre.-Biography:...
- Haruka Kaminogi - Eddie FriersonEddie FriersonEdward Davies "Eddie" Frierson is an American voice actor and stage actor who is also known as Christy Mathewson, Ted Richards, and Eric Frierson Edward Davies "Eddie" Frierson (born November 22, 1959) is an American voice actor and stage actor who is also known as Christy Mathewson, Ted Richards,...
- Atori - Crispin FreemanCrispin FreemanCrispin McDougal Freeman is an American voice actor, and Mythology scholar. His roles have included Alucard from Hellsing, Kyon from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Karasu from Noein, Togusa from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, as Holland Novak from Eureka Seven, Touga Kiriyu in...
- Karasu, Noein (unmasked) - R. Martin KleinR. Martin KleinRobert Martin Klein is a voice actor who is known to play characters in Japanese animation and video games. He is also known as Bob Marx...
- Fukurō - Steve KramerSteve Kramer (actor)Steven M. Kramer is an American voice actor for many anime titles. He has also done voice acting for various Power Rangers series in the past, with the best-known of those roles being the voice of Darkonda in Power Rangers in Space. His wife, Melora Harte, is a voice actress...
- Takuya Mayuzami, Isuka, Time Drifter - Yuri LowenthalYuri LowenthalYuri Lowenthal is a voice actor that has voiced several anime and video game characters. He also voiced Kamal for the alternate reality game I Love Bees....
- Yū Gotō, Shinohara - Mona MarshallMona MarshallMona M. Ianotti is an American voice actress. She is often cast in the role of young boys. Her roles have included parts in not only Japanese anime, but also in American cartoons as well. Mona Marshall has recently lent her voice to the talking bear Koby the Study Buddy...
- Asuka Kaminogi - Bryce PapenbrookBryce PapenbrookBryce Austin Papenbrook is an American voice actor, former kickboxer, and martial arts instructor.- Biography :Papenbrook was born in Los Angeles county, California on February 24, 1986. He is the son of Debbie Rothstein and the late Bob Papenbrook, both of whom are also voice actors...
- Isami Fujiwara - Cindy RobinsonCindy RobinsonCindy Robinson is an American stage actress and voice actress. Cindy has performed on Broadway as Hannah Bentley and covering Julie Jordan in Carousel; Wendy and covering Peter Pan in Peter Pan; Snow White, while covering Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Cinderella in Into the Woods.She is...
- Ryōko Uchida, Yukie Nijou, Kosagi, Female Others - Ellyn SternEllyn SternEllyn Stern is a professional actress, voice actress and director in California. The wife of fellow voice actor Richard Epcar, she has worked on shows including: Genma Wars, Noein, and MÄR...
- Miyuki Gotō
Additional Voices
- Sherry LynnSherry LynnSherry Lynn is a veteran American voice actress, known for young girl roles in animation and video games. She is represented by Arlene Thornton & Associates...
- Lily, Asuka Kaminogi(young) - Michael McConnohieMichael McConnohieMichael D. McConnohie is a voice actor and is the President of the Nevada-based Voxworks voice-acting corporation. He is known for his recognizable deep booming voice and is generally known for playing more charismatic characters...
- Professor Sasaki - Derek Stephen PrinceDerek Stephen PrinceDerek Stephen Prince is an American voice actor who is most memorable for his various roles in the Digimon series, as well as the voice of Elgar in the live-action Power Rangers Turbo and Power Rangers in Space.While a talented actor, with vocal skills capable of anything from High School girls to...
- Doctor (ep 23) - Stephanie ShehStephanie ShehStephanie Ru-Phan Sheh is a Chinese-American voice actress, a writer, and a story editor who has worked for Geneon Entertainment, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Bandai Entertainment, Media Blasters, NYAV Post, FUNimation Entertainment, and Viz Media...
- Emi, Aya Maeda - Kirk ThorntonKirk ThorntonKirk Thornton is an American voice actor.-Bio:He is known for playing tough or grouchy men in English-dubbed anime and video games. His career includes Hotohori in Fushigi Yūgi and Jin in Samurai Champloo...
- Crowd Member (ep 24)
DVD release
In North America, the series was released on five Region 1 DVDs, the last released on September 18, 2007. In the United Kingdom, the first three volumes were sold individually, while the last two can only be purchased as part of a series collection. On the 22nd of September, 2007, a complete box-set of the whole anime was released in the United Kingdom.External links
- Official Noein website (English)
- Official Noein website (Japanese)
- Noein at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...