Sōkō no Strain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Soukou no Strain | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 奏光のストレイン (Lightspeed Strain[1]) |
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| Genre | Science fiction, Mecha |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Tetsuya Watanabe |
| Studio | Studio Fantasia |
| Network | WOWOW |
| Original run | 1 November 2006 – |
| No. of episodes | |
Sōkō no Strain (奏光のストレイン?) is a mecha anime series by Studio Fantasia. It premiered across Japan on WOWOW from November 1, 2006. A manga adaptation is being serialized in the Dragon Age magazine. The concept of the series is loosely based upon Frances Hodgson Burnett's novels, most notably A Little Princess, but also Little Lord Fauntleroy and The Secret Garden. [2]
Contents |
[edit] Story
In the distant future, the galactic Union is in a war with the mysterious Deague. The Union's strongest force is made up of mecha called Strains, operated by users called Reasoners. A little orphan girl named Sara Werec despairs that her brother Ralph, an incredible Reasoner, will be going 130 light years away to the front line, and according to general relativity, even if he survives, when he comes back home, she'll be long dead. She decides that when she grows up, she will join the war, too, just to see her brother again.
One day, when she grows up to be the star Reasoner of her academy, the planet is suddenly attacked by the Deague. The enemy force is headed by a strangely powerful Strain, whom Sara attempts to engage; the enemy pilot retrieves a little girl in stasis from a secret lab, and Sara recognizes the pilot as her brother. Stripped of her ability to control a Strain, she devotes herself to training under the name Sara Cruz. She is supported by the Reasoner Lottie and her friends, tormented by the snobbish "lesser" pilots with whom she now shares status, and fueled with one desire: to discover the truth.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Union
- Sara Werec (さーら・ウィーレック Sāra Uirekku)?, (Seiyū: - Ayako Kawasumi)
- She begins a happy, well-liked and bright girl, the star graduate student of the elite Glabella Spatial Armoured Infantry Research Institute. Her parents, James and Annie Werec, are dead and she clings to the notion of seeing her beloved brother again. However, when her friends, her teachers and her MIMIC are destroyed by none other than Ralph himself, she becomes a brooding, blunt, taciturn girl reduced to piloting unremarkable Gambee units. Despite her defeat and disgrace instigated by her traitorous brother (which she escapes by cutting her hair, renaming herself Sara Cruz and transferring to another academy) and the bullying she endures from the bitter and confused Gambee pilots, Sara is completely focused on learning the truth. Her most precious possession is a musical pendant given to her by Ralph, until it is stolen (presumably by the jealous Isabella) in episode 2, after which she finds her Emily.
- Sara's name comes from the novel's Sara Crewe.
- Lottie Gelh (ロッティ・ゲラー Rotti Gerā)?, (Seiyū: Yukana)
- A Reasoner who uses her status 'above' the common Gambee pilots to interfere when justice is needed. She has a sharp mind and a wide network of friends, the closest of which are called the Space Squadron, of whom she is Queen. She seems to question who Sara was, but doesn't seem to know Sara's real identity.[3] Lottie notices that Sara "fights like a Reasoner". She hates Ralph Werec because he apparently killed Lottie's older brother during his attack on Glabella Academy. Lottie nurtures the ambition of someday killing Ralph herself. She is often seen with Jessie.
- Lottie's name comes from the novel's Lottie Legh.
- Jessie Ijesse (ジェッシイ・アイジェス Jeshī Aijesu)?, (Seiyū: Miu Matsuki)
- Lottie's friend, who constantly goes along with whatever ideas she has, but not without complaint. She is quiet, unathletic, and generally an unaccomplished Reasoner, but is part of the renowned Space Squadron.
- The novel's Jessie was a "silly" but good-hearted girl that was friends with Lavinia. This Jessie does not appear to have special relation with her as yet.
- Emily (エミリィ Emirī?)
- A special MIMIC that takes the form of a porcelain doll, her model name is E.M.L.Y., so Sara names her Emily. Sara finds her abandoned with a prototype Strain in a garage while looking for her stolen pendant. Emily appears to function in place of Sara's own MIMIC, which should be impossible.
- Lavinia Reberth (ラヴィニア・リベルス Rabinia Riberusu)?, (Seiyū: Ai Nonaka)
- The lowest scoring Reasoner of the Space Squadron in Basion Academy. Unlike the novel's Lavinia, who tormented Sara Crewe when she could get away with it, this Lavinia appears to be instantly infatuated with Sara "Cruz". Lavinia also has the tendency to get carried away.
- Ermengarde Johannits (アーメンガァド ヨハニッツ Āmengādo Yohanittsu?)
- Ermengarde is a fellow Reasoner in Basion, and a member of the Space Squadron. She has pink hair and greatly resembles Louise, the female lead of Zero no Tsukaima. Her friends call her "Ermy".
- Her name comes from the original novel's Ermengarde St. John, a friend of Sara.
- Martha Shoebbeypower (マーサ・シュビーパウエル Māsa Shubīpaueru?)
- Martha is another Reasoner from Basion, is part of the Space Squadron, and is a close friend of Ermengarde. She looks very masculine.
- Carrisford Radofrics
- One of the two boys in the Space Squadron, "Carris" has blue hair and a fondness for Sara. She begins to open up to him when he reminds her of Cedi.
- Dickon Cidnok
- The final member of the Space Squadron, he is rather loud, outgoing, and opinionated. He is a flirt, saying that he exists only for girls, and teases the other Reasoners all the time.
- Isabella
- A blue-haired Gambee pilot in Basion, Isabella has an inferiority complex about her bad grades and takes it out on Sara, whom she deems an easy target. She shies away, though, in the face of Lottie Gelh.
- Mariette
- Isabella's friend, who is at first shy and does everything that Isabella says. She also shows extreme caution. However, all that changes when Isabella is killed by TUMORs under the command of Ralph. Mariette blames Sara and soon becomes an even worse bully than Isabella, even trying to kill Sara.
- Colin, Mary and Cedi
- Sara's close school friends from Glabella before it was destroyed. Cedi had a crush on Sara for years, and Colin and Mary had taken it upon themselves to play matchmaker, but Sara was so focused on her studies and seeing Ralph again that she never noticed. As far as the series has shown, they are probably dead after taking Ralph on in an attempt to protect Glabella.
[edit] Deague
- Ralph Werec (ラルフ・ウィーレック Rarufu Uirekku)?, (Seiyū: Takashi Kondo)
- Ralph was a dutiful soldier, the star student of Glabella Academy and the youngest person ever to pilot a Gloire Strain. Sara last saw him promising on his parents' grave not to let the family down. Six years later, he reappears in disguise with a scar on his face, having done just that and joined the Deague. He even coldly destroys Sara's home, friends and MIMIC. Sara is driven by the mystery of why he has done so, and promises to face him again.
- Emily (エミリィ Emirī)?, (Seiyū: Ai Nonaka)
- Not to be confused with Sara's Emily. Ralph also has an Emily, although she appears to be a real little girl rather than a doll or MIMIC. She sees herself as Ralph's new little sister. She strongly resembles Sara's Emily, except wearing a green dress rather than a red one.
- Medlock (メドロック?)
- Medlock is a purple-haired woman in high heels. She is Ralph Werec's immediate superior in the Deague, as well as his lover. She believes in complete annihilation of her enemies, no matter the cost.
[edit] Glossary of terms
[edit] Strain
The spatial armoured infantry of the Union army. They are only controllable by those that have MIMICs, and their pilots are called Reasoners. A Strain is the most special type of mecha, and appears to be more powerful. Sara states in episode 2 that she has more trouble piloting a Gambee than a Strain, although this may be because she is used to the latter. Strains are powered by mercurion.
[edit] Gloire Strain
A more specialized and apparently more powerful type of Strain. The only one seen so far is piloted by Ralph Werec, who destroys every regular Strain he comes across in it. However, Sara's prototype Strain is a more even match.
[edit] MIMIC
The main qualification for a Reasoner, a MIMIC is a machine fused with brain cells from the Reasoner before his or her body was fully developed and born. Not everyone has a MIMIC, and it is implied that they are only made for the elite. The gym teacher at Glabella Institute says that a MIMIC should be treated as the Reasoner's "twin" because they are not replaceable. The name is a backronym, standing for Ministerial Instrument of Mercurion Interface Core.
[edit] E.M.L.Y.
A special type of MIMIC that resembles the regular kind encased in a child-size doll. Sara's Emily, and possibly Ralph's Emily, are included in this class. The E.M.L.Y. may not distinguish between the DNA of the operator.
[edit] Gambee
The mobile infantry of the Union army, and far more common than Strains. Isabella and Mariette, the girls that torment Sara "Cruz" at school, are Gambee pilots and resent the Strain pilots for their power. Sara states that Gambees are harder to pilot than Strains, but this may be because she is used to the cockpit of a Strain. However, it is true that Gambees are not as maneuverable as Strains; they were instead built as support units and are meant to be stationary. Gambees are known to be equipped with electric claws that can be detached and shot at an opponent.
[edit] TUMOR
The redshirt forces of the Deague army, these unpiloted machines are simple enough to have been replicated in every training academy for practice purposes. The main strength of TUMORs is in their sheer number- Sara estimates that the swarm that attacked Glabella Institute contained about 5000- rather than their individual power, which is easily taken care of. Another dangerous quality of TUMORs is that they work together during battle, allowing them to ambush, herd and overwhelm opponents which would otherwise destroy them easily. TUMORs are powered by mercurion, but use the energy differently from Strains.
[edit] Mercurion
The source of energy that powers both Strains and TUMORs, although it is stated that the Union and Deague use the resource differently. MIMICs have a core made of mercurion and the Reasoner's brain cells.
[edit] Episode list
| Episode # | Title | Air Date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Prelude of Despair" | 2006-11-01 | ||
| Sara is about to graduate with her close friends, but a surprise attack on the school changes everything. | ||||
| 02 | "Meeting" | 2006-11-01 | ||
| Sara fights to qualify for higher training. When her precious pendant is stolen, she comes upon a chance she never thought she would have. | ||||
| 03 | "Sub-Light Speed Demon" | 2006-11-08 | ||
| A battle at sub-light speed, an ability that Sara has just qualified to use, comes with both costly and miraculous results. | ||||
| 04 | "Reasoner Sara" | 2006-11-15 | ||
| Sara duels with her brother and meets the other Reasoners. | ||||
| 05 | "Infinite Revenge" | 2006-11-22 | ||
| Sara deals with her new status as a Reasoner, the aftermath of the last battle, and Mariette's vengeance. | ||||
| 06 | "Silently Walking Away" | 2006-11-29 | ||
| Sara returns to the fray of battle and grows a fondness for her team. | ||||
| 07 | "Lavinia's Beautiful Trap" | 2006-12-06 | ||
| Lavinia attempts to attract Sara, but makes a costly mistake. | ||||
[edit] Trivia
- Though the first names of many characters are retained from A Little Princess, the last names are scrambled, such as Crewe=Werec, or otherwise altered, such as St. John=Johannitz.
- Firing projectile weapons forward at sub-light speed results on them rapidly decelerating into oneself. It is only safe to fire to the side or behind. This is demonstrated in episode 04.
[edit] Theme songs
- Opening
- Message performed by Yoko
- Ending
- Umi no Opal performed by Sema
[edit] References
- ^ 奏光 is a made-up word, coming from the characters for "light" and "speed"; this seems the best translation.
- ^ (Japanese) Inter Wikipedia Article
- ^ In Episode 2, when Lottie and Sara introduce themselves, Sara is about to introduce herself as Sara Werec but stops. Sara then introduces herself as Sara Cruz.
[edit] External links
- Official Site (Japanese)
