''Xam'd: Lost Memories'', known in Japan as , is an

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

series, conceptualized by Bones and co-developed by

Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is made up of two legal co ...

Aniplex is a Japanese anime, music production and anime licensee company owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Established in September 1995, Aniplex has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime series, such as both '' Fullm ...

and

Bones A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, a ...

, which made its debut on Sony's inaugural launch of the PlayStation Network (PSN) video download service at E3 in the United States on July 16, 2008, in Japan on September 24, 2008.

Plot

Sentan Island exists in a state of dreamlike tranquility, surrounded by the Yuden Sea, cut off from the war between the Northern Government and the Southern Continent Free Zone. Akiyuki Takehara lives on Sentan Island along with his mother Fusa. Despite his mother's strained relationship with his father, Ryuzo, the town doctor, the bond between father and son remains strong. One day the island's tranquility is shattered, when Akiyuki, along with his best friends Haru and Furuichi, are caught up in an explosion on a school bus by a mysterious pale, white haired girl named Nazuna. The explosion produces a mysterious light which enters Akiyuki's arm and a blue gem appears. With no time to understand what has happened, and a brief exchange between Nazuna and Akiyuki is transformed into a creature called Xam'd. As Xam'd, Akiyuki uses his newfound powers to fight off monstrous invading forces to save Haru, only to be stopped by a mysterious girl who offers him a choice: come with her and live, or stay and turn to stone. Accepting her offer, Akiyuki embarks on a journey of discovery that will take him to new lands, and help him understand the connection between himself and the world of Xam'd.

Production

* Original: Bones * Director: Masayuki Miyaji * Main screenwriters: Megumi Shimizu, Yuichi Nomura * Animation director (direction and layout checks): Masashi Okumura * Character design & Chief animation director:

Ayumi Kurashima is a Japanese freelance animator. She was originally part of Daizō Production. She has worked as a key animator, animation director and character designer on several works. She has recently worked on numerous Bones works. Works Anime televisi ...

* Xam'd mechanical design & Chief animation director: Seiichi Hashimoto * Mechanical design: Kimitoshi Yamane * Humanoid weapons mechanical design: Kenji Mizuhata * Art director: Takashi Aoi * Color settings: Hiroko Umesaki * Cinematographer: Yōhei Miyahara, Tōru Fukushi * Editing: Kumiko Sakamoto * Music:

Michiru Oshima Michiru (満, みちる, ミチル) is a Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, 1970s J-Pop artist *, Japanese composer *, Japanese pop singer and songwriter *, Japanese voice actor *, Japanese anime scriptwriter *, Japane ...

* Music production: Aniplex * Animation production: Bones * Production: Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc., Aniplex, Bones

Media

Anime

The series received its television premiere across Japan on MBS, CBC,

Tokyo MX JOMX-DTV, branded as Tokyo MX (officially stylized as TOKYO MX), is an independent television station in Tokyo, Japan, owned by the . It is the only television station that exclusively serves the city. It competes with Nippon TV, TV Asahi, NH ...

and other Japanese broadcast networks from April 2009, featuring new opening and ending theme sequences. ''Xam'd: Lost Memories'' spanned a total of 26 episodes. On its launch week, its pilot episode was the most downloaded video on the PlayStation Network at E3. On June 24, 2010,

Sentai Filmworks Sentai Filmworks, LLC or just Sentai, is an American entertainment company owned by AMC Networks. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is S ...

announced that it had sub-licensed the series for home video distribution across North America, where the first half season set was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

and Blu-ray Disc on September 21, 2010. The second set was released on November 9, 2010, on DVD and Blu-ray.

Manga

The manga adaptation of the series, written by Masahiro Kawanabe, began serialization in ''Ace Assault'' and ''Shōnen Ace'' since December 9, 2008, after it began release on PSN Japan.

Music

The score to the series is composed by

, known for her work on the ''

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films prod ...

'' movie franchise and the ''

Fullmetal Alchemist is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. It was serialized in Square Enix's ''shōnen'' manga anthology magazine '' Monthly Shōnen Gangan'' between July 2001 and June 2010; the publisher later collected th ...

'' anime series. For both the 2008 PlayStation Network download distribution and the 2009 television broadcast, the Japanese

electronic rock Electronic rock is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s, when rock bands began incorporating electronic instrum ...

band

Boom Boom Satellites were a Japanese electronic music duo consisting of guitarist and vocalist Michiyuki Kawashima and bassist and programmer Masayuki Nakano. They were signed to Sony Music Entertainment Japan, with whom they had released all of their albums in Japa ...

performed the opening themes while Japanese-American vocalist

Kylee Kylee Saunders (born 25 May 1994), sometimes known mononymously as Kylee, is an American singer who is signed with Sony Music Japan's DefStar Records label. Early life and career Kylee Saunders was born in Chandler, Arizona, to a Japanese mot ...

made her debut performing the ending themes. For the PSN distribution, the opening was "Shut Up and Explode" from the Boom Boom Satellites' 2007 album ''

Exposed Expose, exposé, or exposed may refer to: News sources * Exposé (journalism), a form of investigative journalism * '' The Exposé'', a British conspiracist website Film and TV Film * ''Exposé'' (film), a 1976 thriller film * ''Exposed'' (1932 ...

'' and the ending was "Vacancy". For the syndicated TV broadcasts, the Boom Boom Satellites' 2009 single " Back on My Feet" was used as an opening theme and Kylee's songs "Just Breathe" and "Over U" were used as ending themes. For the TV broadcasts, both the old PSN and new TV themes were used in different combinations, each with different animation sequences.

References

External links

*
Xam'd: Lost Memories official website
* *
ANN review
{{Monthly Shōnen Ace 2008 anime ONAs Anime with original screenplays Aniplex Bones (studio) Fantasy anime and manga Kadokawa Shoten manga Mecha anime and manga PlayStation 3 Sentai Filmworks Shōnen manga Sony Interactive Entertainment franchises Sony Interactive Entertainment