| Gun X Sword | |
GunXSword part one DVD cover |
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| ガン × ソード (Gun x Sword) |
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|---|---|
| Genre | Mecha, Western |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Gorō Taniguchi |
| Produced by | Hiroyuki Orukawa, Hiroyuki Saeki |
| Written by | Hideyuki Kurata |
| Music by | Kotaro Nakagawa |
| Studio | AIC A.S.T.A |
| Licensed by | Madman Entertainment Funimation Entertainment MVM Films |
| Network | TV Tokyo, Animax |
| English network | G4techTV Canada 2x2 |
| Original run | July 4, 2005 – December 26, 2005 |
| Episodes | 26 |
GUN×SWORD (ガン × ソード), is a Japanese animated television series produced by AIC A.S.T.A. The series is directed by Gorō Taniguchi and written by Hideyuki Kurata.
The story is set on the "Planet of Endless Illusion", a place where rogues of all sorts gather. The protagonist, Van, travels the world searching for a man with a clawed right hand who killed his bride. He is joined by several other travelers along the way, each linked to the clawed man by a personal loss.
The series aired on TV Tokyo from July 4, 2005 to December 26 of the same year, totaling 26 episodes. Gun x Sword aired, in English, on Animax Asia in March 2007. The series is licensed for North America by Geneon Entertainment, who produced a new English dub overseen by New Generation Pictures. New Generation's English language version is also available in Australia from Madman Entertainment and in the United Kingdom by MVM Films. At Anime Central 2010, North American anime distributor Funimation Entertainment announced that they have rescued Gun X Sword and re-released the series in late 2010.[1]
Contents |
A tall, lanky wanderer of few words clad in a dark swallowtail tuxedo. His speech is slow, laconic, and unhurried; but when hearing news referring to the clawed man, his disposition shifts to extreme anger. He acquires many titles throughout his travels. His armor is called Dann of Thursday. Women appear to be attracted to him and he likes putting all the condiments available on his food and drinking milk.
Voiced by: Takanori Hoshino (Japanese), David Vincent (English)
Van's first traveling companion. She is searching for her missing brother Michael. Offers to become Van's bride in episode 1. It becomes clear over the course of the series that she is in love with Van. She carries a gun from her brother and a red turtle named Kameo whose shell has a dent in it from being shot in the first episode. She comes from the town Evergreen. Seen as a young woman in episode 26 talking to a reporter about Van, who then shows up.
Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima (Japanese), Stephanie Sheh (English)
A mysterious and self-sufficient mercenary introduced in episode 2. The '99' in her name is the size of her bust, in centimeters as well as the number of gadgets she hides on her body – thus, Carmen 99 – but her birth name is Carul Mendosa.
Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue (Japanese), Michelle Ruff (English)
A withdrawn and ruthless Armor pilot, introduced in episode 5, whose wife was killed by the Man with the claw hand. He is Joshua's older brother. It is revealed that before his wife, Shino, was killed he called Joshua, Josh, indicating that he had a more open personality.
Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai (Japanese), Liam O'Brien (English)
Ray's younger brother. Joshua is upbeat, talkative and sociable. His main asset is his technical skill, being able to repair numerous everyday items, analyze armor weaknesses, and even setup timed explosives.
Voiced by: Junko Noda (Japanese), Yuri Lowenthal (English)
A pink-haired girl who meets Van during an armor tournament. She later joins his company on their quest. Her armor is Brownie and she controls it differently than Van and the others using a suit that responds to her movements. She develops a crush on Van and asks him to go out with her.
Voiced by: Saeko Chiba (Japanese), Carrie Savage (English)
The primary antagonist and the subject of Van and Ray's hatred. His goal is supposedly saving the world but he commits many violent acts along the way. He treats everyone as a friend. He is really an old man with a failing body, and is known as the Claw Man because the lower half of his right arm is replaced by a golden clawed arm.
Voiced by: Kenyuu Horiuchi (Japanese), Kirk Thornton (English)
Pilot: Michael Garret
Saudade of Sunday was retrieved from the sunken ruins of a city in episode 10, therefore, it is the only Original Seven armor without a satellite station. When it is in its compact form it has the appearance of a gigantic bayonet. In humanoid form it sprouts several large wings which functions as large solar panels, thus allowing Saudade to function without continuous refueling as the other armors. Saudade wields a large sword with a gun at the hilt which fires energy beams.
Saudade is later launched into space and to the moon as part of the Clawed Man's scheme, but calculations showed that there was a 20% chance of it colliding with Dann of Thursday's base, and the satellite was destroyed because of it. Later, Saudade also destroyed Diablo of Monday's satellite station when it was reentering the planet, after Dann used it to recharge. A battle between the two armors ensues, interrupted by an explosion brought about by the Claw's plan.
Saudade was the first to reenter the Endless Illusion's atmosphere in episode 24, in pretty good condition. It launches into another attack against Dann when the latter returns and threatens the Birthday and the Clawed Man. In the second and final confrontation, Dann of Thursday slashes a V into Saudade and destroys it, much to Michael's disbelief, since Saudade of Sunday was supposed to be the most advanced of the Originals.
Pilot: Gadved
In appearance, Diablo is a bulkier version of Van's armor Dann of Thursday and appears in episode 12, where Gadved fought Van. It appears to be slightly stronger than Van's armor, although it is unknown if this due to Gadveds longer experience in piloting or the Diablo itself.
In its compact form it resembles a giant axe and it therefore wields a large axe with a long shaft (a halberd) in its human form. It was defeated by Dann of Thursday with Van's greater drive and conviction. Later near to the end of the series Dann of Thursday used Diablo's satellite to repair itself after Saudade of Sunday destroyed Dann's storage satellite while on its way to the Moon. Diablo's satellite station was destroyed when Saudade of Sunday was reentering the planets surface.
Pilot: Wu
Metsä is a slender armor which first appears in episode 15, where it does battle with Van and his armor Dann. In its compact form, Metsä takes the shape of an enormous lance, wielding a Rapier in humanoid form.
During the first battle, Dann is no match against Metsä due to Van's inexperience in using the mech's electromagnetic shield and other capabilities. However, in the rematch, Van finds the strength he needs to bring forth Dann's potential and destroys Metsä, along with its pilot.
Metsä also means forest in Finnish. "The forest answers in the same way one shouts in it", is a Finnish proverb.
Pilot: Fasalina
Dahlia is Fasalina's unique armor which she reveals in episode 20. In its compact form it is shaped as a three-part staff and accordingly wields a similar weapon in humanoid form. Dahlia is very agile and has speed to match, despite its appearance. Fasalina controls it by swinging around a pole installed in the cockpit of the armor, which is also her staff.
Dahlia possesses some unconventional weapons as it can fire a burst of its own G-ER Fluid against the enemy armor, effectively binding them since the liquid solidifies on contact. Another unique weapon is its ability to create organic tendrils (presumably also made from the same blue fluid) from its chest for close range combat. It can also fire rocket missiles for long range combat, and even use camouflage to evade or surprise an enemy, as Dahlia looks very much like a large flower.
During its fight with Dann of Thursday it was almost destroyed until it was kicked out of the way by the Eldorado Five. However during its second fight, Ray and Vulcan destroy her mech's arm and body with Vulcan's guns at point-blank range.
Pilot: Van
Dann is Van's armor, built along the same lanky statures as Van himself. In compact form it resembles a giant sword and thus wields a huge sword in humanoid form, which again can be split into two smaller swords. A giant blade is mounted on its back, and can spin to allow temporary flight. Dann is one of the few armors which possesses no long range attacks, and it depends entirely on Van's movements and swordmannship in order to inflict damage on its opponents. In the beginning of the series, Van had not learned to activate all of Dann's power yet, but by the middle of the series he had discovered how to utilise Dann's electromagnetic shield, which greatly improves Dann's odds against a long range-attacking opponent. Later towards the end of the series Dann's satellite station was shot down by Saudade of Sunday during its rocket to the moon because of the chances Saudade might have collided with the satellite station, therefore stopping Dann from repairing itself after its battle with Dahlia of Wednesday. Dann later repairs itself using Diablo of Monday's satellite station which is later destroyed by Saudade of Sunday. In the end, Dann is stored in another of the remaining satellites, though is not mentioned which one.
Most unusual is its ability to heal injuries or illnesses that Van has, including hangovers, once he enters the cockpit. Furthermore, Van's combination of natural piloting ability and the armor implants he received allow Dann to reach a state called Overflow. This allowed Dann to harness the G-ER Fluid of the Prison Planet Destroyer to form a gigantic blade.
During the battle against Diablo of Monday, Gadved states that Van's ability to access Dann's pilot healing feature is the reason Dann of Thursday was the "strongest armor" in existence. Whether this includes Saudade of Sunday and Birthday, which haven't been activated yet, is not clear. It is also not clear if all of the Original Seven could heal their pilots or if said pilots could access this ability successfully. However, based on episode 12, Gadved is healed of his bruising of his cheek once he enters Diablo of Monday's cockpit; so at least Gadved and Van had access to this ability.
Pilot: Carossa
Sin, along with its sister armor Sen, differs from the other Original Seven because it has a nonhumanoid structure. In its compact form it is in the shape of a tonfa, while in its battle state, it is hunched backwards with large hind legs and a tail. When battling it wields a tonfa which can morph into different weapons. Sin and Sen can combine into a single Armor to increase their attack and defense, but can just as easily separate again. It can also fire energy beams. It is destroyed along with its pilot by Vulcan's beam howitzer.
Pilot: Melissa
Sen is Sin's sister armor, but smaller. In its battle state it is more humanoid than its sibling but the head is very alien looking. In its compact form it resembles a chakram, which is also its weapon when in battle form. The chakram is a deadly ring which can be thrown against an enemy and pierce its armor and will return to its owner like a boomerang. Sen can interlock with Sin to a single armor, where Sen resides in the interior and bottom section, protected by the stronger and bigger Sin. Like Sin, it can fire energy beams. It is destroyed by Vulcan's beam howitzer.
| # | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Tuxedo Blowing in the Wind" "Tuxedo wa Kaze ni Mau" (タキシードは風に舞う) |
05.07.2005 |
| A strange man in a tuxedo and cowboy hat enters a church looking for food, but rescues a girl named Wendy Garret from some thieves. His name is Van. In gratitude, Wendy brings him back to her town of Evergreen for some food. Wendy's town is under siege by the 'Wild Bunch' gang led by their boss, Lucky Roulette, who is an Armor pilot. Van declines to help, but Wendy persistently chases after him, even offering to be his bride. Finally Lucky attacks the mall with his armor. Van then defeats Lucky and saves the townspeople. Wendy confronts Lucky on the whereabouts of her brother, but he tells her that the Clawed Man kidnapped him. Van attacks Lucky and asks him where the Clawed Man is hiding. Lucky has no clue, only that they left about a week ago. The next day Van and Wendy start their journey in search of the Clawed Man and Wendy's brother, Michael. | ||
| 2 | "Funny Stream" "Fanii Sutorimu" (ファニーストリーム) |
12.07.2005 |
| Van and Wendy enter a town on a long bridge called Bridge City, looking for information on the Clawed Man's whereabouts. While staying at a hotel, Van meets an old friend named Carul Mendosa, aka "Carmen 99" who offers her services as an information broker. Next they go to the gate that allows them to cross the bridge but no one has been crossing for the last few days because of repairs. They learn that the mayor, Baron Mayor, is building an immense Armor while under the guise of constructing the bridge. Only 200 women are allowed to cross the bridge, but he captures them as slaves for his utopian nation. Amongst the kidnapped are Carmen and Wendy. Van then comes to save them, but Baron summons his Armor... | ||
| 3 | "Heroes One More Time" "Yuusha wa futatabi" (勇者は再び) |
19.07.2005 |
| Van and Wendy's journey brings them through a town in the Desert, called Gloria. There are four old men: Nero, Jose, Barrio, and Carlos, who were heroes in the old days when they protected the town with their armor, 'El Dorado'. But these days, the young generation have no respect for them, so they usually drink all day at their old hangout, the Pink Amigo. When a local mad scientist, Bucchi, attacks the town with his Armor, the 'El Dorado Five' get the chance to relive their glory days. However, they're missing the fifth member of the El Dorado Five, Chizuru, who is deceased, and age has caught up to them. Even Van seems to be content sitting on the sidelines... | ||
| 4 | "And the Rain Kept Falling" "Soshite, ame wa furiyuku" (そして、雨は降りゆく) |
26.07.2005 |
| While traveling through a forest, Wendy gets harassed by a thug piloting a small Armor. Van rescues her but becomes increasingly ill and develops a fever. Wendy nurses Van in a cave and discovers the strange symbol on Van's chest. But as his fever gets worse, she determines that she needs to hurry to the nearest town to obtain medicine. After receive medicine from a kind doctor at a private clinic, Wendy races back to the cave only to find Van gone. Just then, the thug from earlier returns with some friends looking for payback. | ||
| 5 | "Twin's Guards" "Tsuinzu Gaado" (ツインズガード) |
02.08.2005 |
| Van and Wendy's journey brings them to a city inside a ravine ruled by identical twin sisters who hate each other. The twins fight to claim their deceased father's prize all for themselves. Carmen meets up with Van and informs him that he can get information about the Claw Man if he becomes one side's bodyguard and does battle with another hired gun to determine the winner in the twins' conflict. Van is hired by the twin, Earl Driver and another man is hired by her sister, Elle. Van's opponent is Ray Lundgren, whose hatred for the Claw Man may be even more intense than Van's. And he will kill anyone who steps in the way of his revenge. | ||
| 6 | "Light My Fire" "Haato ni Hi o Tsukete" (ハートに火をつけて) |
09.08.2005 |
| Van and Wendy continue onto a port town called Harbor Parade. Two lawless lovebirds, nicknamed Muscat (Sweet Grapes) and Honey-Cherry, try to finance their wedding by stealing Van's armor, but their intended prey becomes their heroic rescuer when a mob boss comes looking for a piece of the action. It's revealed that Tony, the mafia boss, is actually Honey-Cherry's father and her real name is Bunny Montana. Tony is enraged that "Muscat", whose real name is Klatt, remodeled the armour into a green and pink car named the Love Deluxe. So Tony plans to kill Muscat, but Wendy urges Van to help, and so he comes to the rescue. | ||
| 7 | "Vengeance Within" "Fukushuu suru wa Ware ni ari" (復讐するは我にあり) |
16.08.2005 |
| Thieves maroon Wendy and Van on a remote island where a mysterious man of great wealth, named Joe Lutz, welcomes them into his palatial estate until another boat passes the island. Joe speaks to Van about the purpose of his hunt for the Claw man and tries to convince him to let go of his lust for vengeance. But despite Joe's hospitality and the beautiful scenery, both Van and Wendy feel there is something eerie about the place. | ||
| 8 | "Bound By Blood" "Sono Kisuna ni You ga Aru" (その絆に用がある) |
23.08.2005 |
| A dragon shaped Armor attacks Van and Wendy while they traverse through a mountainous path. An obnoxious boy named Joshua Lundgren tries to help them but causes more harm than good. Ray shows up in his Vulcan and forces the dragon Armor to retreat. The boy reveals himself as Ray's brother, and has been chasing after his brother much like Wendy has. Ray and Van meet again in town, Ray hatches a plan to defeat the dragon Armor with both of them working together. It requires Van to hold the dragon immobile while Ray shoots at its vulnerable spot, but how far can Van trust a ruthless enemy like Ray? | ||
| 9 | "Carmen Goes Home" "Carmen Kokyou ni Kaeru" (カルメン故郷に帰る) |
30.08.2005 |
| Van and the others hitch a ride with Carmen99 to a town named Trinolia, her hometown. Van asks her to take him to an engineer named Findley. It turns out that he and her father were business partners, and he took care of her when Carmen's parents died (thus, "Uncle Findley"). Carmen meets her childhood friend, Haeta, at the door of Findley's house. Van asks Findley to analyze the data disk recovered from the dragon armor (episode 8). The town has prospered in the last six years thanks to a special flower Haeta has helped cultivate. But the flower hides a deadly secret and its origin is tied to the Claw Man. | ||
| 10 | "Thank You Ocean" "Umi yo Sankyuu" (海よサンキュー) |
06.09.2005 |
| After arriving at the seaside city of Meuuniere, Van's group plans to take the train to Zonnet Junction to rendezvous with Carmen99. However, their plans take a detour when the railway is attacked by pirates. Vivian, a foreman with a local salvage group, asks Van to assist in stopping the pirates in their next operation to retrieve an enormous metal case from the ocean floor. Van agrees when he hears the reward includes express tickets to Zonnet Junction. But the pirate submarine's captain is a cunning seaman named Kaiji, and when underwater he has the upper hand over Dann... | ||
| 11 | "Where The Goodbyes Are" "Sayonara no Arika" (さよならのありか) |
13.09.2005 |
| Upon arriving at Zonnet Junction, Wendy is shocked to find her brother Michael at the train station. The siblings finally reunite but Michael has changed. Most surprisingly, he tells Wendy he has joined the Claw Man's cause and is happy. Michael then tells Wendy to return back home to Evergreen and leaves. Van is angry when he hears Wendy met his brother but did not inform him, hence missing a crucial opportunity to find the Claw Man. He tells Wendy to go home like her brother suggested since she has no reason to go on anymore. Meanwhile the metal coffin retrieved from Meuuniere (episode 10) arrives at Zonnet. Michael and his comrades witness its opening to reveal the Original Seven Armor: Saudade of Sunday... | ||
| 12 | "The Days Of No Return" "Kaerasaru Hibi" (帰らざる日々) |
20.09.2005 |
| Gadved, formerly Van's close friend, appears before him at Zonnet offering him to join the new Original Seven. When Gadved reveals he is now working for the Claw Man, Van becomes enraged and challenges him to an Armor duel. Meanwhile other members of the Claw man's Original Seven are also on the move. Fasalina, the woman who introduced the poisonous flower to Carmen's hometown (episode 9), confronts Carmen at the station. Wendy's brother, Michael, has begun activating Saudade of Sunday deep underneath Zonnet Junction. Wendy, while wandering the station's park, unknowingly encounters the Claw Man himself, and discusses dreams... | ||
| 13 | "Dream in Progress" "Yume no Tochuu" (夢の途中) |
27.09.2005 |
| Ray locates the Claw Man in the sky park and lets loose an all out attack. Fasalina manages to hold him off until Michael arrives in Saudade of Sunday and they make their escape. All the while, Van is in a pitch battle against his former friend, Gadved, in his Diablo of Monday. But Van is vastly outclassed by Gadved's experience and is clearly on the losing end of this fight. | ||
| 14 | "Swift Brownie" "Suifuto Buraunii" (スウィフト·ブラウニー) |
04.10.2005 |
| Van and friends arrive at Duel Park, a town famous for holding Armor battle events. The favorite contender in the current tournamnent, the B-1 Grand Prix, is an agile Armor called Brownie piloted by a young girl named Priscilla. RWC, an Armor manufacturer, hires Van to defeat Priscilla in a duel while trumpeting Dann as one of their own products. Carmen trails Prisicilla to discover her weaknesses but instead finds out she's using her prize money to support a group of orphans. Priscilla and Van meet in person before their fight and find they share a great deal in common. They agree to have a fair battle the next day with each side fighting with full strength. | ||
| 15 | "Neo Originals" "Neo Orijinaru" (ネオ·オリジナル) |
11.10.2005 |
| Van and Wendy are hitchiking, with Van offering bodyguard services since they're low on cash. Van says that they should just go to the nearby casino and win money. The two go inside and Wendy bets her money on a turtle race, with Kameo as her contestant, and they win. Wendy spends the money on one-way tickets to Jhoschdarn, via the blimp called Birca One. From there they can walk to Missoghi, where they plan to meet with Carmen99. However, one of the newly reborn Original Seven, by the name of William Will Woo attacks the blimp looking for Van. He seeks to get rid of him since he stands in the way of his comrade, the Claw Man. Piloting the armor Metsä of Tuesday, Woo and Van begin a fight. | ||
| 16 | "Electric Fireworks" "Kagayaku wa Denryuu Hibana" (輝くは電流火花) |
18.10.2005 |
| Van is left lying on the ground in his armor Dann, with Woo announcing to him that he'll give him three days to leave this land. Back at Woo's castle, he declares to the portrait of his mother that he'll kill Van on the anniversary of her death. Meanwhile, Wendy is nursing Van back to health, but as soon as he wakes up, she catches a fever and Van has to take care of Wendy. Van spends his days shaken up about his upcoming battle with Woo, and experiences some flashbacks involving Gadved, Elena, and his hexagonal puzzle. As dawn of the third day approaches, Van is on the brink of giving up and running away from his fight. However, one more reflection of his love for Elena might be just what he needs to win the match. | ||
| 17 | "Follow the X Spot" "Zahyou X o Oe" (座標Xを追え) |
25.10.2005 |
| Finally meeting at the rendezvous point, Van and Wendy are surprised by the El Dorado Five as well as Carmen 99. Along with them are Yukiko, Joshua, and Priscilla. They all use Priscilla's Hoverbase as a headquarters and agree their goal is to stop the Claw. Carmen forms a plan to get to the coordinates on the data disk, and get money for supplies - through a man named Mr. Manson. The coordinates point to the ocean, just off Missoghi, but they must get there through a seaport controlled by the Queen of Missoghi (the Swimsuit Kingdom), Catherine Nakata. Carmen's plan is to capture the Queen and sail through. But they must win a test of strength - a swimming challenge - and Wendy is the only one who knows how to swim! Meanwhile, Ray is drilling his way underground to the Missoghi Kingdom to catch up with Van, and Fasalina is seen making a transaction with Catherine for materials called "Impregnable Armor Stock". | ||
| 18 | "Prayers Are For Saudade" "Inoru wa Saudade" (祈るはサウダーデ) |
01.11.2005 |
| 19 | "Prayer's End" "Sokai no Hate" (素懐の果て) |
08.11.2005 |
| 20 | "Wonderful Universe" "Wandafuru Yunibaasu" (ワンダフル·ユニバース) |
15.11.2005 |
| 21 | "Prayers to Heaven & Peace on Earth" "Sora ni Negai o Chini Heiwa o" (空に願いを 地には平和を) |
22.11.2005 |
| 22 | "For Whose Sake?" "Dare ga no Tame ni" (誰がために) |
29.11.2005 |
| 23 | "A Song for Everyone" "Minna no Uta" (みんなのうた) |
06.12.2005 |
| 24 | "End of a Dream" "Yume no Owari" (夢の終わり) |
13.12.2005 |
| 25 | "Fool Comes by Armor" "Baka ga Yoroi de Yattekuru" (バカがヨロイでやってくる) |
20.12.2005 |
| With Ray dead, and Eldorado and Brownie down, the Claw Man initiates Birthday Celebration after a momentary repair time. Michael, guarding the Birthday armor, finds Fasalina and she returns to the base. Elsewhere, Carmen, Yukiko, and Wendy begins their operation: Using the repair time as a diversion, Carmen was to sneak inside and destroy the distribution chambers while Wendy was to remain in the hovercar. Their plan goes awry when the repair time finishes before schedule, and Carmen encounters Fasalina inside the chamber growing the flowers that destroyed her hometown. While Carmen engages Fasalina, Yukiko frees Joshua, and the two began sabotaging the Birthday launch. Just then, Dann of Thursday reenters the atmosphere and challenges Saudade of Sunday. After a long battle, Dann manages to cripple Saudade, and goes to challenge The Claw Man. The Eldorado Five, bolstered by Van's reappearance, activates a back-up engine for Eldorado, and, joined by Priscilla and Brownie, take on the One-on-Ones. Meanwhile, Wendy crash-lands into the hangar of the base and encounters Michael, returning from the destruction of Saudade. | ||
| 26 | "Tuxedo Blowing in Tomorrow" "Tuxedo wa Ashita ni Mau" (タキシードは明日に舞う) |
27.12.2005 |
These are a series of 13 omake episodes of Gun X Sword tied in very loosely to the plot with the characters as chibi puppets. The main characters are Wendy and her turtle, Kameo, the size of a human in this series and able to talk. Michael, Van and Carmen also appear voiced by their voice actors in the mainstream episodes. All the episodes seem to center around analysing various events in Gun X Sword and mocking the themes displayed.
In the DVD volumes of Gun X Sword there are 2 episode tied in to each volume in the extras with episode 13 on its own in the final one.
The series is included in the 2009 Super Robot Wars game, Super Robot Wars K, for the Nintendo DS.