is a Japanese

light novel A is a type of Genre fiction, popular literature novel from Japan usually classified as young adult fiction, generally targeting Adolescence, teens to Young adult, twenties or older. The definition is very vague, and wide-ranging. The abbr ...

series written by Kōji Natsumi and illustrated by Asagi Tōsaka. A

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

adaptation by Takahiro Seguchi launched in ''

Monthly Shōnen Ace is a monthly '' shōnen'' manga magazine in Japan published by Kadokawa Shoten, started in 1994. Unlike the big ''shōnen'' weeklies with circulation figures in the millions, ''Ace'' is aimed at a less mainstream audience, and has a particular em ...

'' in October 2018, and an

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

television series adaptation by

Satelight is a Japanese animation studio. Aside from several stand-alone projects, the studio is well known for producing the '' Aquarion'' and '' Symphogear'' franchises, as well as later installments of the '' Macross'' franchise. The company's Represe ...

aired from January to March 2019.

Plot

Earth has come under attack by the , a mysterious "armed group" using highly advanced weapon systems far superior to any existing human-developed military technology. A young Chinese-Japanese teenager named Kei Narutani and his Chinese friend Minghua, both living in

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

, are forced to evacuate to Japan when the city is attacked by the Xi. During their escape by sea, several Xi fighters begin sinking the evacuation fleet when Kei suddenly witnesses the Xi being repelled by a strange

fighter plane Fighter aircraft (early on also ''pursuit aircraft'') are military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the a ...

. When the plane subsequently crashes, Kei rushes to aid the pilot, but is surprised to find a pretty girl at the controls. After arriving in Japan, Kei begins investigating the origins of the strange plane, and before long he is captured by Japanese secret service agents. He learns from them that it was a Swedish fighter retrofitted with special technology developed by the

JASDF The , , also referred to as the Japanese Air Force, is the Aerial warfare, air and space warfare, space branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace, other air and space operations, cyberwarfare and ...

. In order to combat the Xi, their technology—HiMAT ( Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) and EPCM (Electronic Perceptory Counter-Measures)—was reverse-engineered and applied to existing fighter models, codenamed "Daughters"; in order to function properly, the Daughters require autonomous interface units called "Anima",

cyborg A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.the plane she flies), is one such Anima unit who formed an emotional attachment to him when he came to her aid. When her supervising developer notices that effect, he invites Kei into the Anima project and act as Gripen's partner in order to boost her flight performance and prevent her from being scrapped.

Characters

; : :A Chinese-Japanese teenager who was living in Shanghai before evacuating from a Xi attack. After witnessing Gripen fighting a pair of Xi fighters and then crashing into the sea, he impulsively comes to her aid, which creates an emotional bond between them. With his mother, an

air show An air show (or airshow, air fair, air tattoo) is a public event where aircraft are trade fair, exhibited. They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without which they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground. The ...

pilot, killed in a Xi ambush attack, he decides to join the

Japan Air Self-Defense Force The , , also referred to as the Japanese Air Force, is the Aerial warfare, air and space warfare, space branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace, other air and space operations, cyberwarfare and ...

to take revenge on them. After becoming privy to the Anima project, he becomes Gripen's weapon systems officer and emotional anchor. ; : :A pink-haired Anima flying a Swedish JAS 39F Gripen produced by

Saab Saab or SAAB may refer to: Brands and enterprises * Saab AB, a Swedish aircraft, aerospace and defence company, still known as SAAB, and together with subsidiaries as Saab Group ** Datasaab, a former computer company, started as spin off from Saab ...

. She suffers from an inherent emotional defect which leaves her scatterbrained and lacking a sense of purpose. When they first meet, Gripen forms an emotional dependency on Kei, which is noted by her supervisor, and thus Kei is taken into the program to provide her with a motivation for fighting the Xi. Her call sign is "Barbie 01". "Gripen" translates to "

griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (; Classical Latin: ''gryps'' or ''grypus''; Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk ...

" in English. ; : :A blonde Anima who flies an F-15J Eagle, developed by

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the prede ...

. She has a perky and capricious personality and is also a very talented combat pilot. Immediately upon meeting Kei, she takes a close personal interest in him. She also adores Yashirodōri as a father. Her call sign is "Barbie 02". ; : :An Anima with the call sign "Barbie 03", who arrives at Komatsu separately from Gripen and Eagle. She flies an

F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber that was developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bower ...

and is the first Anima created by the JSDF. Although trained for combat, her specialty is tactical reconnaissance; because of this, she is also able to interface with Anima information channels to obtain or manipulate information. Because of her status as the first ever Anima, and the self-reliance forced upon her when it was assumed that no other Anima would be created, she is very condescending to her counterparts, causing friction within the team. After Kei saves her from a tight spot shortly after her arrival, she becomes quite fond of him. As a hobby, she dyes her hair, mostly in shades of green. ; :Another Anima produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, her designated call sign is "Barbie 04". She flies a

Mitsubishi F-2 The Mitsubishi F-2 is a multirole fighter derived from the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, and manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Lockheed Martin for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, with a 60/40 split in manufacturing betw ...

. She does not speak, and her actual appearance is unknown, as anyone seeing her beholds an image of the person they are currently thinking about the most; this effect occurs due to the instability of her central core, which acts as an empathic reflector. Additionally, she likes to dress up in

lolita ''Lolita'' is a 1955 novel written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov. The protagonist and narrator is a French literature professor who moves to New England and writes under the pseudonym Humbert Humbert. He details his obsession ...

clothing. ; : :The only American Anima produced by

Boeing Defense, Space & Security Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) is a division of Boeing, the Boeing Company based in Arlington, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. The division builds military Military aircraft, airplanes, Military helicopter, rotorcraft, and Missile, missil ...

, flying a

Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are a series of American supersonic twinjet, twin-engine, Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft derived from the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Ho ...

. Her call sign is "Sapphire 01". Her will and consciousness are taken over by the Xi when she is lured into a Xi trap along with Kei and Gripen, and she becomes the first Anima to be corrupted and destroyed. Her name is a reference to a common nickname for the Super Hornet. ; : :Kei's Chinese childhood friend with a forceful attitude, who lost her parents during the chaotic evacuation of Shanghai. She has formed a crush on Kei and considers herself his girlfriend, but since she never told him about her feelings, he just views her as an older sister. ; : :The leading JASDF scientist behind the reverse-engineering of the Xi's weaponry, and the developer of the Anima system. Because of the emotional effect Kei has on Gripen, he constantly nicknames him . Despite his gruff demeanor, he cares for his creations like a father. ; : :An American scientist responsible for Rhino whose specialty is

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...

; he is developing drone fighters based on Anima flight and combat data. ; : :A JASDF engineer working under Yashirodōri.

Media

Light novels

Kōji Natsumi published the first

, with illustrations by Asagi Tōsaka, under

ASCII Media Works , formerly , is a Japanese Publishing, publisher and brand company of Kadokawa Future Publishing headquartered in Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. It originally formed on April 1, 2008, as a result of a Mergers and acquisitions, merger bet ...

Dengeki Bunko is a publishing imprint (trade name), imprint affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works (a division of Kadokawa Future Publishing formerly called MediaWorks (publisher), MediaWorks). It was established in June 1993 with th ...

imprint in 2014.

Manga

adaptation with art by Takahiro Seguchi began serialization in

Kadokawa Shoten , formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing based in Tokyo, Japan. It became an internal division of Kadokawa Corporation on October 1, 2013. Kadokawa publishes manga, light novels, manga anthology magazines ...

's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''

'' magazine on October 26, 2018.

Anime

television series adaptation by

was announced on June 1, 2018. The series is directed by Katsumi Ono and written by Shingo Nagai, with character designs by Tōru Imanishi.

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 vocalists, known as to their fans ...

composed the series' music. The series aired from January 10 to March 28, 2019 on AT-X, before airing on

Tokyo MX JOMX-DTV (channel 9), branded as Tokyo MX (officially stylized as TOKYO MX), is an independent station, independent television station in Tokyo, Japan, owned by the . It is the only television station that exclusively serves the city and parts ...

, BS11, Sun TV, and

AbemaTV is a Japanese streaming service that launched on April 11, 2016, under the name It is majority-owned by CyberAgent, with a 55.2% stake, and TV Asahi, with a 36.8% stake, while the remaining ownership belongs to various other companies, mostly ...

, and ran for 12 episodes. Run Girls, Run! performs the series' opening theme song, "Break the Blue!!". The ending theme song is "Colorful Wing", performed by Yuuka Morishima,

Hitomi Ōwada is a Japanese voice actress from Kanagawa Prefecture. She is affiliated with Aoni Production. On January 1, 2024, Ōwada and voice actor Yōhei Azakami announced their marriage. Filmography Television animation *'' Teekyū 2'' (2013), Mika-sa ...

, and

Shiori Izawa is a Japanese voice actress from Saitama Prefecture. Biography Filmography Anime television *'' Hell Girl: Three Vessels'' (2008–2009), Tsubaki *'' Durarara!!'' (2010), Shiri *'' Princess Jellyfish'' (2010), Gocchan *'' Maji de Watashi ni K ...

Crunchyroll Crunchyroll is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service owned by Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The service primarily distributes fi ...

simulcast the series worldwide, excluding in Asia.

Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. History Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retr ...

licensed the series and released it on home video in December 2021.

Reception

Previews

Anime News Network Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and ot ...

had four editors review the first episode of the anime: Paul Jensen was ambivalent towards the premiere, criticizing the "opening action scene" for being "long on spectacle and short on research" but praised the script for its "mostly-competent character writing" and "interesting bits and pieces" to its overall premise. Theron Martin called it "a new entry in a packed genre, but the first episode offers just enough unique hooks and production value that the series might have a chance to distinguish itself." Nick Creamer felt the premiere had a "pretty middle-of-the-road production" with its inconsistent character animation and indistinguishable character designs, but praised the script for putting thought into its "worldbuilding and characterization" to flesh out a "coherent and sympathetic" story, saying "while this show seems to be setting up a narrative template you've likely seen before, that narrative is executed with enough thoughtfulness that I'm happy to give this one a recommendation." The fourth reviewer, Rebecca Silverman, wrote: "I couldn't guess yet how typical of the genre it will be, but if that's a genre you enjoy, it may be worth giving this a second episode to see how it irons out its other issues and gets the rest of the plot going."

Series reception

Stig Høgset, writing for

THEM Anime Reviews THEM Anime Reviews, otherwise known as THEM or T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews, is an anime review website that writes about current and past anime in any form, including OVAs and ONAs. The website offers reviews, editorial content and hosts forums. ...

, commended the series for its "oddly realistic approach to the topic of maturity", its bland cast being used relatively well and withholding "definite answers" to questions the viewers can ponder on, but was critical of the animation slipping during the dull slice-of-life moments, a "nonsensical last arc" coming across as "too fillerish" and an inconclusive ending to the overall plot, concluding that: "It's OK. It's got some good parts and some bad parts, and it will probably entertain you if or when it's not making you bored."

References

External links

* * * {{Satelight 2019 anime television series debuts 2014 Japanese novels Anime and manga based on light novels Anime and manga set in China Aviation comics Crunchyroll anime Dengeki Bunko Kadokawa Corporation franchises Kadokawa Shoten manga Light novels Military anime and manga Science fiction anime and manga Satelight Shōnen manga