Eureka Seven

Eureka Seven

The Eureka Seven logo.
交響詩篇エウレカセブン
(Kōkyōshihen Eureka Sebun)
Genre Adventure, Bildungsroman, Mecha, Romance, War
TV anime
Director Tomoki Kyoda
Writer Dai Satō
Studio Bones
Network Flag of Japan Animax, MBS, TBS
Original run April 17, 2005 – April 2, 2006
Episodes 50
Manga: Gravity Boys and Lifting Girl
Author Miki Kizuki
Publisher Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Comptiq
Original run May 2005 – September 26, 2006
Volumes 2
Manga
Author Jinsei Kataoka, Kazuma Kondou
Publisher Flag of Japan Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Shōnen Ace
Original run July 26, 2005 – September 26, 2006
Volumes 6
Light novel
Author Tomonori Sugihara
Publisher Flag of Japan Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic Male
Publishing label Sneaker Bunko
Published October 29, 2005 – May 31, 2006
Volumes 4
Game: New Wave
Developer Bandai
Genre Action
Platform PlayStation 2
Released October 27, 2005
Game: Psalms of Planets
Developer Bandai
Genre Action
Platform PlayStation Portable
Released April 6, 2006
Game: New Vision
Developer Bandai
Genre Action
Platform PlayStation 2
Released May 11, 2006
Anime and Manga Portal

Eureka Seven, known in Japan as Psalms of Planets Eureka Seven (交響詩篇エウレカセブン Kōkyōshihen Eureka Sebun?), is a mecha anime TV series by Bones. Eureka Seven tells the story of Renton Thurston and the outlaw group Gekkostate, his relationship with the enigmatic mecha pilot Eureka, and the mystery of the Coralians. Bandai produced three video games based on Eureka Seven; two of them are based on events prior to the show, while the third is based on the first half of the show. Both the original concept of the anime and the video game Eureka Seven vol. 1: New Wave have been adapted into manga series, as well. The TV series has also been adapted into a series of four novels in Japan.

Contents

Synopsis and themes

Main article: List of Eureka Seven episodes

Eureka Seven consists of fifty episodes which aired from April 17, 2005, to April 2, 2006, on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and Tokyo Broadcasting System networks. Almost all of the show's episodes are named after real songs, composed by both Japanese and foreign artists.[1][2]

The series centers around Renton Thurston, the fourteen-year-old son of Adrock Thurston, a military researcher who died saving the world. He lives what he considers a boring life with his grandfather in a boring town. He loves lifting, a sport similar to surfing but with trapar, a substance abundant throughout the air, as the medium. He dreams of joining the renegade group Gekkostate, led by his idol Holland, a legendary lifter.

An opportunity to do so practically falls into his lap when a large mechanical robot, called the Nirvash typeZERO, and Eureka, its pilot and a member of Gekkostate, crash into Renton's room. Renton's grandfather orders him to deliver a special part to the Nirvash called the "Amita Drive", which releases the immense power dormant within the typeZERO called the "Seven Swell Phenomenon". Afterwards, Renton is invited to join Gekkostate, where he quickly discovers that the behind-the-scenes life of Gekkostate is hardly as glamorous or as interesting as printed in the glossy pages of their magazine, ray=out. Only one thing makes it all worthwhile for him: the presence of Eureka, the mysterious pilot of the Nirvash. Renton, Eureka, and the Gekkostate embark on an adventure that will shape their future as well as the world's.

Eureka Seven works on a wide variety of themes throughout its story. One of the most prevalent themes in the series is racial and religious tolerance and harmony, which is carried through the characters' relationships as well the series' conflicts. Some of the other more global themes that the series covers consist of issues such as allegories of real world conflicts and wars, current political climates from Japan and abroad, depictions of various subcultures and related musical movements that span several generations, and ties to environmental movements. The series also covers other more personal themes such as parenting, and family, along with a very innocent view of puppy love/love at first sight from Renton and Eureka. Identity and protection play a huge role for Renton and Eureka, as both of them say, "I am me" in the series multiple times, and Renton has sworn to protect Eureka. Continuing with themes addressed in previous series, responsibility and guilt manifest most explicitly with repeating the phrase, "You're going to carry that weight." The series works these themes, as well as the theme of growing up and change, into the journey of Renton Thurston.

Setting

Scub Coral

The setting of Eureka Seven takes place 10,000 years after humanity has made a mass exodus into space, due to the arrival of the Scub Coral, an intelligent, sentient life who merged with the planet, forcing the humans to abandon it. In the current timeline, the remnants of humanity are now settled on an unknown planet (actually a terraformed Earth), but the majority of the surface of this planet is now covered by a rock-like surface formed by the Scub Coral. The theory that the Scub Coral is an intelligent life form was proposed by the scientist Adroc Thurston, who also claimed the Scub is looking for mutual co-existence with humanity. All theories and information about the Scub Coral being a sentient being are kept from the general population. In addition to being the surface of the planet, the Scub Coral has several physical manifestations, called Coralians, that are observed throughout the series. These manifestations are either natural occurrences or a response to attacks from humans. The manifestations are:

Command Cluster Coralian 
The Command Cluster is a large concentration of the Scub Coral which acts as the central mind for the rest of its "body". It stores all the information the Scub has collected over the last 10,000 years, and keeps the rest of the Scub Coral in a dormant state.
Kute-class Coralian 
A Kute-class is massive sphere of concentrated energy that materializes suddenly in the skies. Though it is a rare natural occurrence, they can be artificially triggered by causing heavy damage to the Scub Coral. The disappearance of a Kute causes a massive release of energy, ravaging the surrounding landscape and lowering the Trapar count in the area to almost non-existent levels.
Antibody Coralians 
Antibody Coralians are, as the name suggests, creatures created by the Scub Coral to destroy anything nearby that might be causing it harm. They are unleashed in massive swarms through a Kute-class Coralian when the Scub Coral is threatened or attacked. Antibody Coralians generally appear in response to deliberate attacks on the Scub Coral.
Human-form Coralians 
Human-form Coralians are beings created by the Scub Coral in the form of humans. They are regarded by scientists as emissaries of the Scub Coral, sent to learn about humanity. Humans have attempted to create their own artificial human-form Coralians, but the results are often less than satisfactory.

Trapar waves and lifting

In Eureka Seven, as a result of the Scub Coral covering the planet, the atmosphere is permeated by an enigmatic energy known as Transparence Light Particles, dubbed Trapar waves for short. Norb, the Vodarac leader, states that all thought carries with it energy. As a result, a sentient life form on the scale of the Scub Coral produces a tremendous amount of energy. The most important use of Trapar energy is its use as a method of propulsion for flight-capable vehicles.

Though Trapar-propelled airships are relatively common, using Trapar waves for "lifting" (or "reffing", according to some fan translations, as well as official translations in some countries) is their predominant use. Lifting uses surfboard-like devices called "reflection boards" to ride Trapar waves in a manner similar to surfing, and is a popular sport in the series. The most grandiose use of Trapar — massive humanoid fightercraft — are a recent development, made possible by the discovery of bizarre alien lifeforms within the Scub Coral.

LFOs and Compac Drives

Main article: Light Finding Operation

The mecha of Eureka Seven are called "Light Finding Operation", commonly abbreviated to LFO. LFOs are humanoid alien skeletons excavated from the Scub Coral that have been fitted with armor and control systems. Military LFOs are known as KLFs (for "Kraft Light Fighter"). LFOs are able to fly by exploiting the same principles of lifting — Trapar particles. An LFO is composed of a giant organic base, called the Archetype; armor; a ref board; and a Compac Drive, a device that allows humans to interface with the Archetype, as well as other machinery.

Terminology

Ageha Plan 
The Ageha Plan is the theory first proposed by Adroc Thurston that the Scub Coral is an intelligent, sentient life form that is trying to communicate with humanity, as well as the plan for humanity to seek out co-existence. The report was locked away after his death, but later appropriated by Col. Dewey Novak, a move aimed at gaining public support by associating himself with Adroc Thurston, despite Dewey Novak's true aims being directly opposite to the aims of co-existence proposed by the original Ageha Plan.
Summer of Love 
The Summer of Love is an event that took place approximately ten years before the events of Eureka Seven, sparked by the first use of the Amita Drive with the Nirvash. An enormous, non-stop generation of Trapar waves resulted, and the confusion and chaos that resulted from this disaster sparked conflicts around the world, leading to civil wars that left tower states completely destroyed. Adroc Thurston died putting an end to the effects of the Summer of Love, or rather, became one with the Coralian Command Cluster as learned in episode 48.
Vodarac 
Vodarac is a religion with many believers in the world of Eureka Seven. Their peculiar views and beliefs clash with modern science, especially in regards to treatment of the planet. This, coupled with the existence of extremist factions in the religion, have led the government classify the Vodarac as a dissident faction, and it has on more than one occasion engaged in military campaigns against them. The prominent conflict depicted in the series is the attack on Ciudades del Cielo (Spanish for "Cities of Heaven"), the city seen as holy grounds for the Vodarac, where the SOF troops stormed a supposed Vodarac extremist stronghold.
The Limit of Questions 
The "Limit of Questions" (件の限界 Kudan no Genkai?) is the theory that too much sentient life in a given space will collapse reality,[3] resulting in a black hole-like tear in space that would absorb the entire planet. According to this theory's developer, Dr. Greg "Bear" Egan, the Scub Coral itself had already reached the Limit of Questions, but avoided total collapse by going into a dormant state.
The Great Wall 
The Great Wall is an example of the effect of the Limit of Questions being passed. It is a large, unstable area of whirling Trapar winds visible from outer space. It was created at some undefined point before the beginning of the series when a large portion of the Scub Coral was abruptly woken from its dormant state. The Scub Coral managed to put itself back to sleep before the Limit's consequences engulfed the entire planet. Common physical laws no longer apply in the area encompassed by the Great Wall.
The Zone 
The Zone is a visual effect produced by extremely high concentrations of Trapar particles and dust, which result in the mind seeing an endless corridor surrounded by brightly hued colors. Typically, the effect of the Zone is seen when trying to penetrate a Kute-class Coralian, but it may also manifest if a high enough concentration of Trapar happens in a closed space. The Zone is often depicted as a gateway, either between mind and matter or physical destinations.
Skyfish 
Skyfish are creatures that have adapted to float upon the Trapar waves that fill the atmosphere. They are harvested to create a substance known as "reflection film", which is what permits the machinery of Eureka Seven to fly without the use of fuel-based propulsion. It is said that skyfish gather where positive emotions are emitted by humans in the presence of a Compac Drive.
Desperation Disease 
Desperation Disease is a coma-like condition in Eureka Seven. Those suffering from it become near-vegetables, save for a fixation on a Compac Drive. The sickness is related to the relationship of the Scub Coral, the Trapar, and the Compac Drive; all three together drive the victim deep into a trance which leads their consciousness to another location.
Pile Bunkers 
Pile Bunkers are rod-like objects driven into the ground to suppress the tectonic shifts in the Scub Coral, which otherwise cause humongous, mushroom-like coral formations to erupt from the ground with little to no warning.

Characters

Main article: List of Eureka Seven characters

Most of the characters of Eureka Seven are part of either Gekkostate or the U.F. Force.

Gekkostate is an anti-government militia and counterculture collective led by Holland, who also pilots the LFO Terminus typeR909. Eureka, an aloof, pale girl, pilots an LFO called the Nirvash typeZERO. After joining Gekkostate early in the series, Renton co-pilots the Nirvash with Eureka. Stoner is a photographer who writes Gekkostate's illegal magazine, ray=out. Talho is the head pilot of Gekkostate's aircraft, the Gekko (月光号 Gekkō-gō?, lit. moonlight; "Moonlight" in the English manga). Hap is Holland's childhood friend and the second-in-command of the Gekko. Ken-Goh is the weapons specialist and owner of the Gekko. Jobs and Woz are the ship's engineers, for hardware and software, respectively. Mischa is the resident doctor. Moondoggie is a secondary pilot and operator of the launch catapult. Hilda and Matthieu are the pilots of the Gekkostate LFOs Terminus typeR808 and Terminus typeR606, respectively. Gidget is the communications operator. Finally, Gonzy is a fortuneteller.

The U.F. Force is a military under the command of the Sage Council (or The Council of the Wise), the main authority of the United Federation of Predgio Towers. Serving under the Sage Council is Lieutenant Colonel Dewey Novak, who directed a special operations force called the SOF prior to his imprisonment at the beginning of the series. Dominic Sorel is an intelligence officer under Novak and the chief handler of Anemone, who pilots the LFO Nirvash typeTheEND.

Licensing and Broadcast

Distribution of the English version of Eureka Seven is handled by Bandai Entertainment and its affiliates. The U.S. and Canadian distribution of the show is handled by the main branch while Beez Entertainment, Bandai's European branch, handles the show's release in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. Madman Entertainment handles its release in Australia and New Zealand. The first translated Region 1 DVD volume of the series was released on April 25, 2006 in the US, while the European Region 2 version was released on September 25, 2006. The English version is produced by Bang Zoom! Entertainment in Burbank, California.

During its premiere run, Eureka Seven was available for online viewing on the Adult Swim Fix, Adult Swim's online video service, the Friday before its premiere on the channel proper. The series made its televised debut on Adult Swim on April 15, 2006, and ended on April 28, 2007. Beginning with episode 26, Adult Swim began airing an additional parental advisory warning for extreme violence before each episode. In keeping with Adult Swim's practice of making jokes in such warnings, the warnings claim that they would rather air the episodes uncut since they are "American Cowboys." Adult Swim aired Eureka Seven reruns for the last time in May 2008. In Canada, Eureka Seven premiered on YTV's Bionix block on September 8, 2006. Reruns were shown for a short period after March 23, 2007, returning to regular airings on June 1, 2007, and ending on November 16, 2007. Reruns continued on the Bionix block until July 5, 2008.

The pronunciation of Eureka's name in the English dub of the series is based on the Japanese pronunciation /eɯɺ̠eka/ listen, which is an approximation of the Greek pronunciation of the word "eureka" (Koine: /ˈhɛwreːka/; Modern: /ˈevɾika/), rather than the conventional English pronunciation /jʊˈɹiːkə/. The dub pronunciation has variously been described as "ey-ooh-reh-ka," "ay-oo-re-ka," or "el-rekka."

Yuri Lowenthal had at one point been contracted by Bandai to provide the English voice for Renton, but after recording thirteen episodes he was replaced by Johnny Yong Bosch because the director of the English dub felt that his voice was too low for the character. All of Renton's lines were subsequently redone for consistency (although Yuri Lowenthal can still be heard as Renton when Holland is watching a video at the end of episode 7), though Bosch himself admits it took him a while to nail down the voice.[4]

Development

The series' origins can be traced to a pitch of a mecha anime series that Bandai had proposed to the animation studio Bones. At first, the studio rejected it, but later reversed its position because it had already planned to create an anime using mecha designs by Shoji Kawamori. With the appointment of director Tomoki Kyoda and writer Dai Satō, Bandai's proposal was more or less scrapped and the staff began work on their own series that would become Eureka Seven.[5]

While conceptualizing Eureka Seven, director Tomoki Kyoda wished to design the series as one that would at first focus on the personal elements and conflicts of the characters, then subsequently move the framework into a broader scale and perspective. The series' two halves each have their own very clear focus that reflects this design choice.[6] The series was Tomoki Kyoda's first as chief director for a TV anime; his major credits to date before that were his position as Assistant director of the RahXephon TV series and subsequent position of Director for the movie adaption, also from studio Bones. RahXephon creator and director Yutaka Izubuchi provided additional design works for Eureka Seven, as well.

Music

The music of Eureka Seven is available on three different compilations composed by Naoki Sato and a variety of other artists who composed insert songs used in the series. The third soundtrack, Complete Best, includes the full-length versions of the opening and ending themes for both the series and game, as well as the insert song for the final episode.

Theme songs

Opening themes
Ending themes
Insert songs
Video game theme

Reception

Towards the end of its original Japanese run, Eureka Seven won multiple awards at the 2006 Tokyo International Anime Fair, including Best Television Series, Best Screenplay for Dai Satō, and Best Character Designs for Ken'ichi Yoshida.[7] Ken'ichi Yoshida, the series' main animator and character designer, also received an individual award at the 10th Animation Kobe Awards in September 2005.[8] The series also won an award at the 20th Digital Content Grand Prix in Japan in January 2006.[9] At the Anime Expo 2006 SPJA Awards, Eureka Seven won the award for Best Television Series, and Best Female Character for Eureka[10]. Anime Insider voted it "Best DVD Series of the Year" in 2006.[11]

Other media

Manga and novels

A manga adaptation based on the same basic concept and character designs from the anime series began running in Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Shōnen Ace, starting from the March 2005 issue and continuing until the January 2007 issue, covering a total of 23 chapters. These chapters were later compiled into six volumes.

Another manga adaptation, Gravity Boys and Lifting Girl, features the protagonists of the video games New Wave and New Vision. It was serialized in Comptiq, another Kadokawa Shoten publication. It is shorter than the main series; collected, it spans only two volumes.

Eureka Seven was also adapted into a series of four light novels by Tomonori Sugihara. The light novels, much like the manga, differ from the TV series in various ways. The titles of the novels reference musical works much like the series — in particular, the bands New Order and Joy Division. The light novels were published by Kadokawa Shoten under their male oriented Sneaker Bunko label. The light novels are:

Animated Movie

The Eureka Seven Movie has been set for production, release date unspecified. A movie based on the series was announced in the May issue of Newtype. The creators announced it will contain a new mythos, despite still featuring Renton and Eureka as the main characters.[12] It will be produced by Kinema Citrus.

Video games

Eureka Seven has three video games, all developed by Namco Bandai. The first to be released was Eureka Seven vol.1: New Wave, which was released in Japan on October 27, 2005, and in North America on October 24, 2006. The game features a different cast of characters and takes place two years before the anime. A sequel, Eureka Seven: New Vision, was released in Japan on May 11, 2006 and in North America on October 24, 2006. New Vision takes place two years after the events of New Wave. Both games were released on the PlayStation 2 and feature the theme song "Realize", sung by Flow. Eureka Seven V.2: Psalms of Planets, created for the PlayStation Portable, was released on April 6, 2006, in Japan. This game is based on the events from the first half of the show.

Eureka Seven is featured in the third installment of the PlayStation 2 crossover mecha action video game series Another Century's Episode. The series, published by Banpresto and developed by From Software, features mecha from a variety of other anime. The series is also featured in Super Robot Wars Z, the newest Super Robot Wars Series, released in 2008.

References

  1. ↑ "Interview with Dai Sato" (PDF). Japan Society (2005). Retrieved on 2006-03-20.
  2. ↑ "Eureka seveN "alternative soundtrack"". Retrieved on 2006-03-20.
  3. ↑ Eureka Seven Episode 37, 07:41
  4. ↑ "Post by Johnny Yong Bosch" (HTML) (2006). Retrieved on 2006-05-18.
  5. ↑ Shida, Hidekuni (March 2006). "Eureka Seven: Catch the wave". Newtype USA 5 (3): 46. 
  6. ↑ Kyoda, Tomoki (February 2007). "Eureka Seven: Home at last". Newtype USA 6 (2): 30–31. 
  7. ↑ "Tokyo Anime Fair: Award Winners". Anime News Network (2006). Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
  8. ↑ "10th Animation Kobe Awards". Anime News Network (2006). Retrieved on 2007-09-06.
  9. ↑ "20th Digital Content Grand Prix". Anime News Network (2006). Retrieved on 2007-09-06.
  10. ↑ "Eureka Seven Wins 2 SPJA Awards at AX". Anime News Network (2006). Retrieved on 2007-09-06.
  11. ↑ Anime Insider Best of the Best. Tokyopop blog entry (2006). Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
  12. ↑ "Eureka Seven Movie to be Announced in Newtype Mag". Anime News Network (2008-04-07). Retrieved on 2008-04-07.

External links

Eureka Seven
Main
Episodes • New Wave • New Vision • Mecha
Characters
Renton Thurston • Eureka • Anenome • Dominic Sorel