Little Battlers Experience

Danball Senki

Cover of the first DVD volume
ダンボール戦機
(Danbōru Senki)
Genre Action, Science fiction, Mecha
Manga
Written by Hideaki Fujii
Published by Shogakukan
English publisher United States Canada Viz Media
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine CoroCoro Comic
Original run February 2011 – March 2013
Volumes 6
Anime television series
Directed by Naohito Takahashi
Written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
Music by Rei Kondoh
Studio OLM
Licensed by United States Canada Dentsu Entertainment USA
Network TV Tokyo
English network
Original run March 2, 2011 – January 11, 2012
Episodes 44 (original)
26 (dubbed)
Game
Developer Level-5
Publisher Level-5
Genre Action role-playing
Platform PlayStation Portable
Released
  • JP June 16, 2011
Game
Danball Senki Boost
Developer Level-5
Publisher Level-5
Genre Action role-playing
Platform PlayStation Portable
Released
  • JP November 23, 2011
Manga
Danball Senki Kaidō Jin Gaiden
Written by Hiroyuki Takei
Published by Shogakukan
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine CoroCoro G
Original run 2011 – ongoing
Anime television series
Little Battlers eXperience W
Directed by Naohito Takahashi
Written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
Music by Rei Kondoh
Studio OLM
Licensed by United States Canada Dentsu Entertainment USA
Network TV Tokyo
English network
Original run January 18, 2012 – March 20, 2013
Episodes 58
Game
Danball Senki Baku Boost
Developer Level-5
Publisher Level-5
Genre Action role-playing
Platform Nintendo 3DS
Released
  • JP July 5, 2012
Game
Danball Senki W
Developer tri-Ace
Publisher Level-5
Genre Action role-playing
Platform PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Vita
Released
  • JP October 18, 2012
Anime television series
Little Battlers eXperience Wars
Directed by Naohito Takahashi
Written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
Music by Rei Kondoh
Studio OLM
Network TV Tokyo
Original run April 3, 2013 – December 25, 2013
Episodes 37
Game
Danball Senki W Super Custom
Developer tri-Ace
Publisher Level-5
Genre Action role-playing
Platform Nintendo 3DS
Released
  • JP June 27, 2013
Manga
Danball Senki Wars
Written by Hideaki Fujii
Published by Shogakukan
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine CoroCoro Comic
Original run July 2013 – ongoing
Volumes 2
Game
Danball Senki Wars
Developer Level-5
Publisher Level-5
Genre Action role-playing
Platform Nintendo 3DS
Released
  • JP October 31, 2013

Danball Senki (ダンボール戦機 Danbōru Senki, lit. "Cardboard war-machines"), generally known as Little Battlers eXperience or known simply as LBX, is a series of Action role-playing video games created by Level-5, involving small plastic model robots known as LBXs (standing for "Little Battler eXperience") that fight on dioramas made out of cardboard, with the main character setting out to battle against LBXs created by other characters. The first game of the series was released on June 16, 2011 for the PlayStation Portable and has expanded to six official games and three Japanese anime series.

Plot

AD 2046, technology has grown all over the world and innovation is leading the way. The way of delivery methods has changed since the creation of the super strong cardboard, which can resist every impact and keeping its contents intact. As the popularity of the material grew, so did its purposes. The super strong cardboard was used as material for special battlefields for LBX's, specialized miniature robots made by Tiny Orbit that were once banned due to their destructive purposes. Their popularity has again risen due to the specialized battlefield, and special models of LBX were made.

Four years after the creation of the super strong cardboard, in AD 2050, Ban Yamano (Van Yamano in the Nicktoons dub), a male middle school student has been entrusted with the LBX "AX-00" by a mysterious woman, containing a Platinum Capsule. Van learned from the woman that his father is still alive and knew about a secret conspiracy in the government. Van himself must protect the LBX and the Platinum Capsule, as its contents could change the world forever.

Development

Development of the franchise began in 2008 alongside the game which is once titled "LEVEL5 VISION 2008". In December 2009, Level-5 announced that the anime/manga series is under production to accompany the release of their latest PlayStation Portable game, with Bandai releasing a series of plastic models featuring the mecha from the game.[1] Although initially set for release in 2010, the anime is delayed a year later and aired in March 2, 2011 while the game is released on June 16, 2011.[2]

Media

Anime

The first series, based on the first game is produced by Oriental Light and Magic under the direction of Naohito Takahashi and began airing on TV Tokyo from March 2, 2011 to January 11, 2012 with a total of 44 Episodes. The sequel series, Danball Senki W (ダンボール戦機W Danbōru Senki W, lit. "Cardboard war-machines double") was announced in late December, and aired between January 18, 2012 and March 20, 2013 with a total of 58 episodes.

A third series titled Danball Senki Wars (ダンボール戦機WARS Danbōru Senki Wōzu, lit. "Cardboard war-machine wars") aired on TV Tokyo in April 3, 2013 to coincide with the third game's release. It was also said that Danball Senki Wars would be the final season for the Danball Senki series. Danball Senki Wars ended at December 25, 2013 with a total of 37 episodes.

Dentsu Entertainment USA confirmed that they have licensed the anime in the U.S, and began airing in Nicktoons on August 24, 2014.[3] [4] [5] [6] After the dub was aired in its entirety, it was revealed the series was abridged from 44 episodes to 26 episodes. Episodes with what was considered questionable content were merged with other episodes or in some cases skipped altogether. Because of the large difference in content, the list of dubbed episodes are listed under a new section called Little Battlers Experience.

An adaptation of the sequel series Danball Senki W will air on Nicktoons as the second season of Little Battlers Experience in fall 2015.[7]

Movie

A movie adaptation was announced in the July issue of CoroCoro Comic titled Inazuma Eleven GO vs. Danbōru Senki W, which premiered in theaters in December 1, 2012.[8]

Manga

A manga adaptation was serialized in Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comic from February 2011 to March 2013.[9]It lasted for six volumes. In the US, it is distributed by Viz Media. Another manga adaptation, entitled Danball Senki Kaidō Jin Gaiden (ダンボール戦機 海道ジン外伝), was written and illustrated by Hiroyuki Takei under the pen name Hiro was published in CoroCoro G.[10] There is also a manga adaptation of Danball Senki Wars which is also serialized in CoroCoro Comic.

Music

A lot of the background music for the English version was composed by John Mitchell and Tom Keenlyside. Michael and Andrew Twining also wrote several of the main action and dramatic cues used in the series. The English version theme song "Battle On" was written by Michael and Andrew Twining.

The anime's music is composed by Rei Kondoh, who composed the soundtrack for the game Ōkami and Sengoku Basara 3.

The first anime series has four official theme songs. The first opening is titled "1 Dream" (1ドリーム 1 Dorīmu) and the second opening is titled "Telepathy" (以心伝心 Ishindenshin), both performed by Little Blue boX. The first ending song is titled "My Savings Bank" (僕の貯金箱 Boku no chokin-bako) and the second ending is titled "Secret Base" (ヒミツキチ Himitsukichi), both performed by Hiroki Maekawa.

Danball Senki W has eight official theme songs. The first being BRAVE HERO, the second opening theme is "Three as One" (三位一体 Sanmi Ittai), the third opening theme is "2 Spirits" (2スピリッ 2 Supiritsu), and the fourth opening song Telepathy, all performed by Little Blue boX. The first ending song is "Do Wak Parappa" (Do Wak パラッパ Do Wak Parappa), the second ending is "Close your Eyes..." (目を閉じて… Me wo Tojite...), and the third ending is "Even if born again, it's good to be me" (生まれ変わっても僕でいいよ Umarekawatte mo boku de ī yo), all performed by Hiroki Maekawa. The fourth ending theme is "Bonds of Earth" (地球の絆 Chikyu no Kizuna), performed by Dream5.

Danball Senki Wars has five official theme songs. The first opening is titled Mugen Myself and the second opening is titled Eternal, both performed by Little Blue boX. The first ending song is Kamisama Yāyāyā performed by Dream5. The second ending song is Bokutachi no Wars performed by Ryota Ohsaka, Sayori Ishizuka, and Tomoaki Maeno. The third ending song is Hirameki performed by Ryota Ohsaka.

Games

References

  1. ↑ "Level 5's Danbōru Senki Robot Game to Get TV Anime". Anime News Network. August 25, 2009. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Level 5's Danbōru Senki Anime Promo Video Streamed". Anime News Network. January 25, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Little Battlers eXperience/Danbōru Senki Anime Offered in U.S.". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  4. ↑ http://www.licensemag.com/license-global/dentsu-brings-japanese-hit-us
  5. ↑ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-02-18/little-battlers-experience/danboru-senki-coming-to-nicktoons
  6. ↑ http://www.licensemag.com/license-global/dentsu-debut-new-anime-property
  7. ↑ http://kidscreen.com/2015/04/06/nicktoons-gears-up-for-more-lbx/
  8. ↑ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-06-12/inazuma-eleven-go-vs-danboru-senki-w-film-revealed
  9. ↑ 連載マンガ [Manga Serializations]. CoroCoro Official Site (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on February 8, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  10. ↑ "いきなりですが、コロコロG夏号で「ダンボール戦機 海道ジン外伝」を描かれるHIRO先生というのは武井先生なのでしょうか？" (in Japanese). Twitter. Retrieved June 8, 2013.

External links