B't X

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B't X
ビート・エックス (B't X)
Genre	Mecha
Manga
Author	Masami Kurumada
Publisher	Kadokawa Shoten
Other publishers: Editora JBC Planet Manga TOKYOPOP Grupo Editorial Vid Otakuland
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Shōnen Ace
Volumes	16
TV anime: B't X
Director	Mamoru Hamatsu
Studio	TMS
Network	TBS
Other networks: TV Azteca ABS-CBN, Hero TV Anime Network
Original run	6 April 1996 – 21 September 1996
Episodes	25
OVA: B't X Neo
Studio	TMS
Episodes	14
Released	21 August 1997

B't X (ビート・エックス, B't X^?), pronounced "beat X", is a sci-fi mecha manga and anime series created by Masami Kurumada, author of Saint Seiya. It ran for 16 volumes in manga and became an anime with 25 episodes, concluded with an 14 episode OVA (called B'T X Neo). The manga was released in America by Tokyopop because it was published by Kadokawa Shoten instead of Shueisha (as Shueisha's Digimon Next manga is about to be released by TOKYOPOP). The anime was released in America by Westlake Entertainment. When released in America by Tokyopop, all the sound effects in the manga are all in Japanese only, just like in the original version and even in most of the other Tokyopop Manga.

[edit] Plot

Teppei ("Tepp") Takamiya is the caretaker of a farm located in Kamui Island, north of Japan. His older brother, Kotarou Takamiya, leaves to study robotics in Germany and becomes one of the most brilliant scientists in the world.

Five years later, the two brothers reunite at a robotics convention in Mechatopia, China, where Kotarou is to announce his latest breakthrough in artificial intelligence. The convention goes awry when Kotarou is captured by the malevolent Machine Empire and taken to "The Area", a mecha base hidden within the sandstorms of the Gobi Desert.

By the means of a mysterious weapon called Messiah Fist, Teppei manages to pursue the kidnappers by grappling onto their "transport", a giant insectoid mecha that is later revealed to be one of the Machine Empire's prized AI machines (known as a B't). Upon reaching the Area, Teppei is attacked by Metalface, one of the Empire's soldiers. Unable to win, Teppei is thrown, bleeding, in the Empire's junkyard. His blood reaches the trashed body of X, who was once considered the strongest B't of the Empire, and the disgruntled B't awakens. Faced with unanswered questions and imminent destruction, X reluctantly saves Teppei, and the pair flee the Area with soldiers of the Empire in hot pursuit.

Meanwhile, inside the Area, Kotarou discovers that he has been summoned by another of the Empire's soldiers, Major Aramis, to find a way to stop the ultimate B't - a creation known as Raffaello (ラファエロ) that has begun a terrifying and uncontrollable evolution.

As the series unfolds, the headstrong X and equally brash Teppei develop a brotherly bond, squabbling as much as they look after each other. They slowly uncover the Machine Empire's diabolical plan as they travel through strange lands and battle other B'ts loyal to the Empire, all the while trying to save Kotarou and to resolve the mysteries of their intertwined past.

[edit] What is a B't?

A B't (pronounced "bit") is the ultimate form of artificial intelligence robotics designed for fighting - the B stands for Brain, Blood, Bravery and Battler. They have different forms and powers, usually based on mythological creatures. The B't's source of power is a device called BreakHeart, which is fuelled by human blood. Once the BreakHeart is inserted into the B't's body, it creates a link between the blood donor and the B't.

[edit] Characters

Main Characters
Name	B't and B't species	Description	Voice Actor (Japanese)
Teppei ("Tepp") Takamiya	X, Kirin	Main character	Nobuyuki Hiyama
Kotaro Takamiya	n/a	Scientist. Brother to Teppei	Nozomu Sasaki
Karen	X, Shadow X (Twin to X, both are Kirin)	One of the four knights. Trained and taught Teppei any knowledge regarding combat skills, and technologies	Megumi Ogata
Fou Lafine	Je T'aime, Phoenix/Suzaku	One of the four knights	Kazuya Ichijou
Ron(=katakana spelling for Chinese name 龍 Long, means "dragon")	Raidô (mandarin: 雷童 Lei Tong, means "Thunder Child"), Chinese Dragon/Seiryuu	Leader of the four knights. Childhood friend of Aramis	Keiji Fujiwara
Hokuto	Max, Turtle/Genbu	One of the four knights	Osamu Sakuda
Metal Face	Madonna, triceratops	A lieutenant to the Machine Empire and an almost persistent annoyance in Teppei's way	Kenyû Horiuchi
Secondary Characters
Captain Hook	Groupie, worm	First point soldier that Teppei encounters
Kamia	Mirage, butterfly	Third point soldier, grows medicinal flowers for Naasha	Kappei Yamaguchi
Kaos	Lamus, rhinoceros beetle	4th point soldier, an old veteran and was once one of the four knights.	Osamu Kobayashi
Death, Aleph	unknown, bat	Fifth point soldier
Vem	Cancer, crab	6th point soldier, was easily crushed	Hideyuki Umezu
Rai	Falcon, falcon	Member of the dark knights	Sho Hayami
Kai	Falcon, falcon	Member of the dark knights
Mira	Falcon, falcon	Leader of the dark knights	Takehito Koyasu
Balzak	Savannah, Mii Neko Leon	7th point soldier
Ryukan Troops	Ryukan class B'ts, tiger-like creatures with wings	Generic army troops of the Machine Empire
Imperial Spies	Spy class B'ts, black crows	Imperial spies and executes traitors
Juggler	Vanilla fudge, gargoyle	Took over the role of Commander Aramis when it was clear that she was a traitor to the Macine Empire	Issei Futamata
Myslin	Lalaynya, hydra	Leader of the 7 evil knights	Jūrōta Kosugi
Murie	Halloween, baku	Uses nightmare manipulation as a weapon, member of the 7 evil knights. It's revealed that he is Hokuto's elder brother	Shinichiro Miki
Quatro	Roselo, griffin	An old friend and Acquaintance of fou, who he blames for killing his sister. Also a member of the 7 evil knights	Toshihiko Seki
Salome	Halcyon, Unicorn	She uses music as hypnotic, and is one of the machine empire because she lost faith in humanity. also a member of 7 evil knights
Sapphire	Eroica, Basilisk	He adores gems and uses Eroica's abilities to turn people into crystals. a member of the 7 evil knights
Dr. Poe	Cadenza, chimera	He was Hokuto's rival in the academy, and is one of the 7 evil knights
Gai	Shendu, Garuda	The Philosopher of the Empire, and a member of the 7 evil knights
Aramis	Rosemary, wasp	Commander of the Area. disguised herself as a man and was later revealed that she was the legendary warrior who never lost a battle before the time of the Four Knights, the Rose Knight	Atsuko Yuya
Naasha	Sita/Zeta, dogs	Representative of the Emperor. Miisha's younger sister	Kyôko Hikami
Miisha	Sita/Zeta, dogs	Representative of the Emperor, appears to be the second in command	Ai Orikasa
Marchelo	n/a	Underhell warden	Naoki Tatsuta
Amigo	n/a	Assistant underhell warden	Shinpachi Tsuji
Raffaello	n/a	Ultimate B't
Lisa Marie	n/a	A fellow scientist prisoner that helped Kotaro Takamiya solve the formula on how to defeat Raphael	Yumi Touma
Karin	A Ryukan class B't	A soldier of the Machine empire. Karen's younger sister, very close to Fou.	Chisa Yokoyama