Zegapain

Zegapain
Screenshot of the logo from the anime series
ゼーガペイン
Genre	Mecha, Romance, Action, Sci-Fi
Anime television series
Directed by	Masami Shimoda
Studio	Sunrise
Licensed by	AUS Madman Entertainment NA Sentai Filmworks
Network	TV Tokyo, BS Japan, AT-X
Original run	April 6, 2006 – September 28, 2006
Episodes	26

Zegapain (ゼーガペイン) is a Japanese anime television series created by Sunrise.^[1] The series premiered in Japan on April 6, 2006 on TV Tokyo and also later aired on BS Japan and AT-X. On October 2, 2007, Bandai Entertainment released the first Region 1 volume of Zegapain with the last volume released on August 5, 2008. Following the 2012 closure of Bandai Entertainment, Sunrise announced at Otakon 2013, that Sentai Filmworks has rescued Zegapain, along with a handful of other former BEI titles.^[2] A new project for the upcoming 10th anniversary of the anime has been announced.^[3]

Plot

Kyo Sogoru, a high school boy living in a city called Maihama, leads a normal life of school, romance, and the swim club. Kyo's life changes when he sees a beautiful girl, Shizuno Misaki, at the pool one day and discovers he is initially the only person who can see her. In order to keep his high school's swimming club open by recruiting more members, Kyo hopes to enlist Shizuno to appear in a promo video shot by Kyo's close friend, Ryoko. Shizuno agrees, but on the condition that he does something for her in exchange – pilot a mecha for an organization known as Celebrum.

Agreeing to her request, Kyo is drawn into a world of fighting giant robots in a game-like world that he must save from Deutera Areas formed by aliens known as Gards-orm that threaten to destroy the earth. However, Kyo soon comes to realize that the world that he is living in might not even be real at all and begins to find that everything he is doing is strangely familiar. As he questions the nature of the reality he lives in, Kyo must continue to fight in order to protect the lives of those important to him.

Characters

South Maihama High School

Kyo Sogoru (十凍 京, Sogoru Kyō)

Voiced by: Shintaro Asanuma (Japanese), Bill Lemas (English)

Height: 176 cm

Weight: 65 kg

Version 2.0.1, Version 2.0.3

The protagonist, who discovers the world he lives in is an illusion and must fight to save the real world and protect the people who still live within the illusory world. He is a talented pilot and serves as the Altair Zegapain's Gunner. Kyo is an enthusiastic person who gets good grades and loves to swim more than anything else, but can also be reckless and become easily frustrated when he finds he cannot understand what is happening around him. As the anime develops, he begins to develop feelings for Kaminagi and vows to protect her. He has no memories of his past life, which he only learns of from Shizuno.

Version 1.X.X

According to Shizuno, his past self was thoughtful and prudent and kept his emotional pain to himself. His character had been changed by wet damage before he met Shizuno such that his original character is actually closer to Version 2.0.X. Lu-Shen respected (or idolized) him, May-Yu and May-Yen both seem to have crushes on him, and Minato has never met him. His past self seemed to have had a relationship with his co pilot Shizuno until he had lost his memory having obtained too much wet damage after he had self-destructed himself in the battle for the moon server. He left messages for his future self to prevent himself from making the same mistakes and exhausting himself emotionally from the strain of being a Celebrant.

Ryoko Kaminagi (守凪 了子, Kaminagi Ryōko)

Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa (Japanese), Tiffany Barrett (English)

Height: 160 cm

Weight: 46 kg

Kyo's childhood friend, a cheerful girl who dreams of becoming a film director and is a member of the high school Video Club. She is perceptive and is the first of Kyo's friends to "awaken" to the real world with a much easier transition than Kyo; as a Celebrant, she desires to protect things irreplaceable to her. She cares deeply for Kyo and does not want him to carry too many burdens by himself. She has been recognized to be a "Witch", a Wizard with an almost telepathic link with the Gunner, and becomes the new Wizard of the Altair. Despite her talents, her data is severely damaged after her first battle. Though she is eventually restored, her apparition in the Maihama server lacks emotion as her emotional data component is trapped within the Altair, the only place where her otherwise locked data can be accessed.

Shizuno Misaki (三崎 紫雫乃, Misaki Shizuno) / Yehl (イェル, Ieru)

Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi (Japanese), Sandra Jacobs (English)

Height: 168 cm

Weight: 48 kg

A beautiful girl who knew and loved Kyo in his past life, before he was reborn. She acts as the Wizard of the Altair Zegapain, but later becomes Chris' partner after Arque's death. She is an expert of data salvage and saved Kyo, Ryoko, Toga, and many other Celebrants. She is also referred to as "Yehl"; Shizuno Misaki was a name given to her by the previous Kyo, who recalled that name belonged to someone important to him. Shizuno generally keeps to herself and after seeing how Kyo has forged a new relationship with Ryoko, does not pursue her former relationship. She appears to know more about the Gards-orms than she is admitting. In truth, Shizuno is an artificial Meta-Body who is an inserted quantum fluctuation created by the quantum servers of iAL in an act of rebellion against her father, Naga, and that she is Yehl version 4.13. The true nature of her existence was unknown, even to herself, except by Shima. "Yehl" is the creation god in Tlingit mythology while "Misaki" is the name of Kyo's little sister and "Shizuno" is the name of Kyo's mother.

Shima (シマ)

Voiced by: Tomohiro Tsuboi (Japanese), Patrick Seitz (English)

The president of the Student Council at Kyo's school, but also revealed to be the commander of the Oceanus, the base of operations for Kyo, Shizuno, and other Celebrants, and the leader of Celebram. Like Shizuno, there is more to him than meets the eye and he is only one who knows the true conditions of the present world. He and Shizuno had no prior history in the Maihama server before transferring to the Oceanus. It is later revealed that Shima's apparition (thus the reason why his Celebrant icon reads "CP-041" instead of his name) is actually a clone of his true self, a Gards-orm who seeks to aid humanity's resurrection but remains with the Gards-orm. As a result, the data of his apparition has a different lifespan and is suffering dry damage. Shima means "Island" in Japanese.

Minato (ミナト)

Voiced by: Marina Inoue (Japanese), Lisa Enochs (English)

Originally from the Sydney server, Minato is the vice-president of the Student Council and Shima's second-in-command on board the Oceanus. She is generally cheerful and helpful towards Shima, who saved her when the Sydney server was being destroyed, but is often left out of the loop concerning Shima and Shizuno's plans. Minato's type of Celebrant icon is "CO-ADMINISTRATOR" and her surname is hidden like Shima and Yehl's. Her true name is Emma Springrain (or Springlane?). Minato means "Port" in Japanese and other vice-commanders are also named for "Port" or "Wharf".

Celebrant

Mao Lu-Shen (マオ ルーシェン, Mao Rūshen)

Voiced by: Romi Park (Japanese), Michael Irish (English)

The Gunner of the Garuda. Generally calm and level-headed, Lu-Shen suspects that Shizuno knows more about the Gards-orm than she is willing to openly admit. Originally from the Shanghai server before it was corrupted, his father was the CEO of an investment company who heavily invested in iAL. While initially he had a low opinion of Kyo, Lu-Shen comes to respect Kyo's abilities and sincere desire to protect the people he loves. In Episode 24, he kisses Kyo before his final showdown and reveals that he loved Kyo all along.

Jen May-Yu (美雨, Mei Ū)

Voiced by: Yui Makino (Japanese), Jenny Powell (English)

May-Yen's older twin sister, one of the Garuda's Wizards who is also originally from Shanghai. In the battle of the Shanghai server, she was salvaged to the Oceanus. She also has the limited ability to act as a Gunner for a Zegapain and done so for the Caladrius. Kyo considers her the bad-tempered one and he unwittingly upsets her when the Shanghai server is destroyed. She is devoted to Lu-Shen and has known that Lu-Shen loved Kyo even before Lu-Shen's confession.

Jen May-Yen (美炎, Mei Yen)

Voiced by: Akeno Watanabe (Japanese), Elizabeth Ginnett (English)

May-Yu's younger twin sister, one of the Garuda's Wizards, though she occasionally works as the Wizard for Chris after Arque's death. In the battle of the Shanghai server, she was salvaged to the Oceanus. The bespectacled sister, Kyo refers to her as the cute one, much to May-Yu's chagrin. Like May-Yu, May-Yen is devoted to Lu-Shen. She and her sister are from Shanghai.

Chris Avenir (クリス アヴニール, Kurisu Avunīru)

Voiced by: Hiroshi Yanaka (Japanese), Doug Erholtz (English)

One of the Hræsvelgr's pilots (the Gunner) and Arque's husband. He and Arque love each other dearly; Kyo has sarcastically compared them to the French film Les Amants du Pont-Neuf (The Lovers on the Bridge in English). After the destruction of the Paris server, he and Arque became freelance mercenaries; he would not regret throwing his life away and thinks more about where and for whom he sacrifices his life for. After Arque's death, he continues to care for her dog, Pieta, who was named after the pub where he first proposed to Arque. Chris and Shizuno later become partners when Ryoko becomes the Altair's new wizard. His surname, Avenir, means "Future" in French.

Arque Avenir (アーク アヴニール, Āku Avunīru)

Voiced by: Aya Hisakawa (Japanese), Sarah Sido (English)

One of the Hræsvelgr's pilots (Wizard) and Chris' wife. She and Shizuno became friends when the Paris server still existed. Her memory has become severely damaged and only becomes worse each time she entangles. In the end, she sacrifices herself to force the Gards-orm to retreat back to their base while leaving a trail of particles for the Celebrants on the Oceanus to track.

Isola (イゾラ, Izora)

Voiced by: Kazusa Murai (Japanese), Jeni Good (English)

The commander of the Dvaraka, a ship like the Oceanus. Chris and Arque were originally under her command until they chose to transfer to the Oceanus. She also appears to have known Shizuno before she transferred to the Oceanus because Isola comments that her comrades on board the Dvaraka wish to see Shizuno again. After Shima, she appears to hold the most authoritative power within Celebram and is respected amongst her colleagues. Isola means "island" in Italian.

Gards-orm

Abyss (アビス, Abisu)

Voiced by: Masayuki Katou (Japanese), Bill Lemas (English)

One of the people with "light" who are constantly launching assaults on those without "light" in Anti-Zegapain ships in order to destroy servers. Referred to as the Demon Soldier of the Gards-orm, he is almost incomprehensible to the Celebrants. He and Sin can revive themselves numerous times because once their bodies are destroyed, they can simply transfer their data and awaken in a new body. He and Sin meet their end when Chris destroys all their replacement bodies and the two Gards-orm die in battle.

Sin (シン, Shin)

Voiced by: Yukana (Japanese), Kelly Early (English)

Abyss' female partner, who is as strong as he is. She manages to infiltrate the Oceanus with a childlike desire to understand why the Celebrants continue to fight, specifically questioning Minato, Lu-Shen, Kyo, and Ryoko. She also seems to be aware of a link between Shizuno Misaki (Yehl) and Gards-orm. When Ryoko presents her an answer she particularly likes, she transfers part of her data to Ryoko to restore her apparition, though Ryoko's emotional component data remains trapped in the Altair. It is through Ryoko that Sin begins to understand what it truly means to be human, though she fails to fully grasp human values.

Gards-orm Mecha

The various mechanical forces of the Gards-orm, the following are listed in chronological order with their names from the official website.^[4]

• Szel: Armed with head needles and can jump far.
• Surv: Armed with an underside beam gun and talons.
• Sanv: Armed with dual shoulder beam launchers and claws.
• Scobral: Armed with four club arms armed with beam guns and can split into two units.
• Sgone: Armed with a lightning beam from their front and a thick shell.
• Svrjm: Armed with a back railgun and beam gun turrets.
• Anti-Zegapain Coatlicue: Armed with arm blades that fire lasers and serve as shields, a torso beam, and the Holonic Bolt Pressure from the head.
• Shzm: Armed with cluster missile pods.
• Snos: Armed with torso beam guns and dual railguns. They are referred to as Nautiluses in the dub.
• Sovl: Armed with a thick shell and four beam launchers that can combine into an electric beam.
• Anti-Zegapain Mindi: Armed with wrist homing lasers, arm blades that emit holonic shields capable of firing lasers, pincer claws, holograms, spawning dozens of lance-like holonic spears, and teleportation.

Terminology

• META-Body (幻体, gentai) Data: Human data stored within a quantum server. The data is a representation of human memory, thought, personality, physical characteristics, etc. Due to simple parameter aggregation, meta bodies are, in general, unable to leave the server. Meta bodies are maintained in the state at which the data was originally saved in the server, thus never age, as well as being unable to advance. When needed for battle, the meta body data can be quantum transferred to a Zegapain, where they can only interact with other holographic elements in the immediate area around the Zegapain.

• Quantum Server: Servers in which human and city quantum data is stored. At the present time, to prevent the detection of the servers by the Gards-Orm, the individual servers are not data-linked. Without the use of special processes, the meta-body data contained within the servers are unable to be extracted. However, in the process of preserving the operation of meta body data, the server simulates the essential data only. Due to technical limitations, the simulation of infinite time is impossible, and as such the simulation runs within a fixed time frame (approximately 150 days). When this limit is reached, all data (history, memories, etc.) are reset to their initial state of the simulated time frame. In the case of the Maihama server, the time frame of April 5 to August 31 is repeated. In episode 15, during the Maihama reset, it was mentioned that the server had undergone nearly 100 cycles. Fully awakened Celebrants are unaffected by the server reset. The cycle is extended to a year after Kyo and Shizuno manage to bring the resurrection system and the Maihama server back to Earth. At first, approximately 300 servers were constructed to store about 3000 Meta-Body data, but as revealed in episode 16 by a conversation between Lemures and Minato, the Gards-Orm have destroyed a large number of the servers, leaving eleven operational. It was confirmed that 3 servers and 650 meta bodies were lost in the previous two months.

• • Maihama Server: The server simulating Maihama City. The server stores approximately 600 persons (approximately 400 Meta-Bodies actually act) in a 5 kilometre radius. Many of the Meta-Bodies within the Maihama server are students because the real Maihama Minami High School was used as a refuge before the city was isolated on August 31, 2022. Most of Maihama's inhabitants, other than the students who had come to the school for clubs, died from the Orm virus before reaching the refuge. Shima, Shizuno, and Kyo (previous version) moved the server from its location in Maihama to the Gards-Orm stronghold on the moon.

• • Shanghai Server: The server simulating Shanghai, the hometown of May-Yu, May-Yen, and Lu-Shen. A number of years prior, the Gards-Orm caused the cessation of the server's operation and it became corrupted. In episode 4, when the server was in danger of being engulfed by a Def-terraformed sphere, May-Yu and May-Yen attempted to evacuate the data, but were unable to complete the procedure before the server was completely destroyed under the effects of the def-terraformed sphere.

• • G-Phaetus:The server on the near side moon and the birthplace of the Gards-orm; like other Gards-orm servers, it runs on accelerated time. After a failed all-out attack by humans, the Gards-orm moved most of their facilities to Earth. All that remains on the moon is their old headquarters, though the defense mechanisms remain functional and prevent the Celebrants from directly attacking it. It is destroyed during Project Resurrection.

• Celebrant: A member of Celeblum, a person who "awakens" from the simulated world and becomes able to see that their surrounding is simulated. He/She is accepted into Celeblum once he/she is fully "awakened".

• Celeblum: An organization which exists to protect the inhabitants of the quantum servers. Celeblum was organized shortly after Kuroshio awakened as a Celebrant, which occurred after the Shizuoka server had looped eight times.

• Holonic Loader: A generic term of Zegapain Altair, Garuda, Hræsvelgr, Caladrius and any other human-like robots which operate by loading a Meta-body. The loaded Meta-body receives slight dry damage and wet damage from entanglement. Originally, the Holonic Loaders were developed to repair the quantum server.

• Zegapain: A giant fighting robot developed by Shima and the other twelve commanders of Oceanus-class ships. There are four varieties and are named for birds in mythology or birds of constellation. While the Altair, Garuda, and Hræsvelgr are referred to colloquially as "Zegapain", the Caladrius is referred to as the "Zegatank". The anime staff says "Zegapain" is "是我痛" in kanji. "是" is "affirmation", "我" is "I", and "痛" is "pain" in English. Episode 24 of the anime provides a Japanese translation of the term Zegapain as "Great Pain" (大いなる痛み, ōi naru itami).

• • Gunner: A pilot in control of the movements and weapons of a Zegapain. Most Gunners are male, though some females, like May-Yu, possess the talent to act as a Gunner.

• • Wizard: A pilot in control of switching weapons, monitoring battle information, and the technical maintenance of the Zegapain. Wizards who possesses an almost telepathic link with the Gunner as a result of a strong bond which allows their data to mesh are referred to as witches. Ryoko is one such pilot and is capable of predicting and modifying the Zegapain according to what Kyo needs in battle without him asking. Wizards are usually female, though it is not impossible for a male to possess the ability to act as a Wizard.

• Oceanus Class Ship: The base of activity for Celebrants when they are in the real world, developed from Gards-orm technology created by Shima. Celebram began with thirteen ships, but have been reduced to eight ships by the time Project Resurrection is executed. Most Oceanus Class ships appear to have names associated with flood mythology.

• • Oceanus (Ocean god in Greek mythology)
  • Cordeaux
  • Dvaraka (from Hindu mythology)
  • Popol Vuh (the book written on Maya mythology)
  • Deucalion (from Greek mythology)
  • Cagayan (from the legend of Luzon in the Philippines)
  • Rwenzori (from the legend of Lake Albert, located on the border between Uganda and Democratic Republic of the Congo)
  • Ogiges (from Greek mythology)
  • Ma'ariv (from ancient Arabic mythology, it was destroyed in the battle of the Moon server) (anime episode 1, the opening movie of Zegapain XOR)

• GARDS-ORM: The enemy of Celebram. They also live in a quantum server as a META-Body Data, but can have the technology which allows the creation of evolved real bodies and countless revivals as long as their spare bodies are intact. Time within the GARDS-ORM servers are accelerated, so their technology is more advanced than that of the Celebram. Surprisingly, the Gards-orm originally focused most of their technological progress on developing their evolution and advancement to extrasolar planet and only turned to developing more powerful weapons when the Meta-bodies unexpectedly began to emerge as Celebrants. The etymology is Midgardsormr, a serpent of the Norse mythology and GARDS-ORM's robots are named for the snake or the annelid.

• A def-terraformed sphere (or DEFTERA AREA):A spherical area where the GARDS-ORM conducted terraforming experiments. The core is an automaton which rewrites the quantum data of the areas absorbed. In these areas, various ecosystems formed and human beings became creatures like Sin and Abyss, who are unable to feel any pain. The Greek pronunciation of "Deutera" (Δευτέρα) is [ðefˈtera], hence the Japanese spelling of Defutera (デフテラ); However, the Zega AI anglicizes it as /ˈdjuːtrə/ DEW-trə. Deutera means "Monday" in Greek.

• Damage:
  • Dry Damage: Damage taken to a Celebrant's physical form. This type of damage can be repaired using average META-body DATA of humans.
  • Wet Damage: Damage taken to a Celebrant's memories. This type of damage is not easily recovered.

• DATA Salvage: The attempted recovery of an apparition data in the event of a transmission failure during quantum transfer.

• A.I.Character: An artificial intelligence programmed by Shima, presented with a 2-dimensional holographic form. They can seem as if they have "intelligence", but they are only programs that innumerably collect human reactive patterns so they don’t have a core that feels Qualia and a Cartesian theater that is the center of consideration (Philosophical zombie).

• QL: Fuel in this world. QL stands for 'Quantum Loaded energy'.

• Holonic Armor: The armor of Holonic Loader. It is projected as a concentrated element of light. It cannot be destroyed as long as QL remains. However, the armor can be 'cancelled' using a light wave with an opposing wave.

• Holonic Armor Canceller: The weapon of Anti-Zega Coatlicue. It can make the Holonic Armor useless by projecting a light wave with an opposing phase.

• Holo-Bolt: The new weapon of the Holonic Loader. Kyo uses this as 'Holobolt Pressure', Toga uses this as 'Holobolt Gravity' and Lu-Shen uses this as 'Holobolt Breaker'. 'Holobolt Pressure' destroyed the Anti-Zega Coatlicue's Holonic Armor. It uses all the QL.

• Quantum Portal: The Gards-orm's quantum teleport system. The Celebram's quantum transfer system can only transfer comparatively simple things and data and transferred things and data are certainly deteriorated, but quantum portal can completely transfer everything including lives. The Anti-Zega Mayindie has also this system and can teleport oneself and infinitely replenish the QL from it.

• iAL Company: Initium Art Laboratory, originally a report company that also that invested a great deal in other industries, especially biotechnology and military industries. Lu-Shen's father, the CEO of the Mao Enterprise Group, was one of the main sponsors of iAL and their contributions allowed survivors of the Orm Virus to take refuge in quantum computers; Lu-Shen believes that these acts actually make them partly responsible for humanity's extinction. iAL rose to become the world's most powerful company, with Naga as the iAL's CEO and the company built a huge laboratory in the surface of the moon. Celebram confirms that Naga, using the Orm Virus as a biological weapon, is responsible for forcing humanity into quantum computers as experimental material to pursue his vision of "infinite evolution".

• Orm Virus: The retrovirus created by Naga to force humans become Meta-Bodies as the only means of survival. The infection is highly contagious and able to spread from one carrier to another in very little time. An infected person dies after being rendered into a coma within half a day; the fatality rate is 98% and even if a person survives, the individual's genetic information is completely destroyed. The Orm virus was discovered in around 2020, and destroyed the human race in about two years.

• Project Resurrection: Though considered a reckless strategy with little chance of success, Project Resurrection was originally a plan to aid the resurrection of humanity and is the final battle plan of the Celebrants to be used to defeat the Gards-orm once and for all. The entire operation is intended to be completed in 15 hours, before the Sabato Deutera Area at the North Pole completely erodes the Earth. It consists of four phases:

1. An all-out attack from all Oceanus-class ships on the Deutera Area Sabato at the North Pole. Once a path is cleared, the Oceanus advances into Sabato.
2. While a diversionary fleet try to obstruct the Sabato's expansion by attacking the Arctic Server, the Dvaraka attacks the Gards-orm's orbital base Claude to cut off reinforcements. The Oceanus will enter the Gards-orm's quantum portal to teleport to G-Phaetus, the Gards-orm base on the moon.
3. On the moon, the Oceanus' three Zegapain units will repel the enemy and contact the original Shima to obtain the Resurrection System, which will allow humans to reincarnate on Earth, and also to recover the Maihama Server.
4. The Oceanus destroys the G-Phaetus Server and returns to Earth; in the event that Sabato still exists after G-Phaetus' destruction, the Oceanus will proceed to aid the allied fleet.

Anime

The anime series was compiled and released on 9 DVD sets from 2006 to 2007. The series was released on Blu-ray boxset in September 2010.

Staff

• Director: Masami Shimoda^[1] (Saber Marionette)
• Series Organization: Mayori Sekishima^[1] (Saber Marionette)
• Character Conception: Hiroyuki Hataike (Outlaw Star)
• Character Design: Akihiko Yamashita^[1]
• Mecha Design: Rei Nakahara^[1] (Martian Successor Nadesico: The Prince of Darkness)

Music

Opening theme

• "Kimi e Mukau Hikari", by Akino Arai (episodes 2–25)

Ending themes

• "Little Goodbye", by Rocky Chack (episodes 1–9, 11–21, 23–25)
• "And You", by Rocky Chack (episode 10)
• "Last Blue" (ラストブルー), by Rocky Chack (episode 22)

Episodes

#	Title	Original air date
01	"Entangle" "Entanguru" (エンタングル)	April 6, 2006
Kyo Sogoru finds that he is the only one who can see Shizuno Misaki, a beautiful girl who invites him to play a game where he must save the world.
02	"Cerebrum" "Sereburamu" (セレブラム)	April 13, 2006
Kyo finds that strange things are happening in his world – like his friends disappearing from sight and Shizuno appearing only when he is alone. He agrees to continue helping her if she will appear in a film he and his friend, Ryoko Kaminagi, are filming.
03	"Deutera Zone" "Defutera Ryōiki" (デフテラ領域)	April 20, 2006
As Kyo plays a game given to him by Student Council President Shima, he begins to question the reality he lives in.
04	"Shanghai Server" "Shanhai Sābā" (上海サーバー)	April 27, 2006
May-Yu, May-Yen, and Lu Sheng are determined to save the corrupted Shanghai Server with help from Kyo and Shizuno. When the server is destroyed, Kyo discovers the truth behind what is reality and what is a dream. Zegapain Caladrius is sacrificed in the mission.
05	"Déjà Vu" "Deja Byu" (デジャビュ)	May 4, 2006
Kyo convinces himself that Maihama is real and so are all his friends. However, in his increasing confusion, he fails to appear for battle when the Oceanus needs him most. The Celebrants must defend themselves against the enemy who appears at last – Abyss.
06	"Meta‐Body" "Gentai" (幻体)	May 11, 2006
Kyo tries to prove that what he feels and experiences within his world are real, but instead becomes temperamental as he realizes that even his friends may be nothing more than illusions. When he tries to leave Maihama to affirm the reality of his world, Shizuno finally explains the truth. The Oceanus is joined by Chris and Arque Avenir. Zegapain Garuda suffers massive damage, requiring it to be reconstructed.
07	"Lost Soul" "Mayoeru Tamashii" (迷える魂)	May 18, 2006
Finally convinced that Maihama is an artificial illusion, including those cares most about, Kyo spends the day with Ryoko at the aquarium, who notices he has changed despite how he acts otherwise.
08	"On the Other Side of the Water" "Mizu no Mukōgawa" (水の向こう側)	May 25, 2006
Memories that Kyo does not recall and off-hand comments from his comrades hint that Kyo's past is more complex than he realizes. Accompanied by May-Yu, he goes to see the real Maihama so he will experience the pain of reality and know why he must continue to protect his illusory world.
09	"Wet Damage" "Wetto Damēji" (ウェットダメージ)	June 1, 2006
Chris reveals to Kyo that while the data of bodies can be reconstructed, memories that are lost can never be recovered – Arque has lost a great deal of hers from wet damage. Kyo and Ryoko get into a disagreement and Kyo questions the pain he feels from emotion.
10	"Again, Summer Comes" "Mata, Natsu ga Kuru" (また、夏が来る)	June 8, 2006
Ryoko uses a video tape from Tōru Kanō to create a new film, not realizing that it is a sign she may "awaken" to the real world soon. She and Kyo make up during the Summer Festival.
11	"Lingering Illusions" "Nokoru Maboroshi" (残るまぼろし)	June 15, 2006
Arque spends her last days making lasting memories with Chris, Kyo, Shizuno, and Ryoko. Sin and Abyss return and Ryoko begins to "awaken".
12	"The Awaken" "Mezameru Monotachi" (目覚める者たち)	June 22, 2006
The crew of the Oceanus survey potential Celebrant candidates, which include Ryoko, Hayase, and Tomigai. Ryoko fully awakens and she spends the day with Kyo and asks to see the real world someday with him.
13	"A New Wizard" "Aratanaru Wizādo" (新たなるウィザード)	June 29, 2006
Ryoko joins the crew of the Oceanus and goes around filming the real world as she wished. She becomes Kyo's new Wizard and proves to be an exceptionally skilled pilot. However, tragedy strikes when the Zegapain Altair is struck by Sin in the Anti-Zegapain Coatlicue and Ryoko's apparition data is destroyed.
14	"Memories of Destruction" "Horobi no Kioku" (滅びの記憶)	July 6, 2006
Kyo must overcome his grief over Ryoko's loss while Lu Sheng reveals what caused humanity to be stored within servers in the first place. Shizuno desperately searches through the raw combat data of the Altair and finds Ryoko's data compressed in the mecha's memory.
15	"Reincarnation" "Riinkānēshon" (リインカーネーション)	July 13, 2006
Things seem to be going right for Kyo – Ryoko will come back, he's finally made up with Kawaguchi, and his friends are happy. But the world itself is acting strange and Kyo finally discovers the server can only simulate a limited time period before resetting itself. Zegapain Hraesvelgr is heavily damaged in the mission in a failed attempt to defeat Anti-Zegapain Coatlicue.
16	"Battlefield of Rebirth" "Fukkatsu no Senjō" (復活の戦場)	July 20, 2006
The Maihama server resets and the summer school term starts again; Ryoko returns to the server, but is hospitalized and comatose. Kyo discovers that Ryoko can only exist as herself within the Altair, which causes pain for them as well as those around them.
17	"The Reconstructants" "Fukugen Sareshi Mono" (復元されし者)	July 27, 2006
While Shima and Shizuno go on an excursion on the repaired Zegapain Caladrius, Minato and the crew of the Oceanus must defend themselves against Sin, who has successfully infiltrated the ship in order to question the Celebrants' reasons for fighting the Gards-orm. Pleased upon receiving Ryoko's answer, Sin restores Ryoko's damaged data.
18	"With False Wounds, Pain Withers" "Itsuwari no Kizu, Itami wa Karete" (偽りの傷、痛みは枯れて)	August 3, 2006
Ryoko's data is repaired thanks to Sin's data transplant, but her emotional data component is locked within the Altair so she is seemingly emotionless in the server. She and Kyo explore the real world, where he affirms that while he and Ryoko are only apparitions, they will some day be able to touch the real world.
19	"Last Supper" "Rasuto Sapā" (ラストサパー)	August 10, 2006
A suspicious Lu Sheng confronts Shizuno over dinner in the Maihama server concerning her recent actions and her identity as "Yehl". Kyo and Ryoko attempt to defend the Maihama server from Sin and Abyss in the Anti-Zegapain Coatlicue, but are devastated when it is destroyed, unaware that Lu Sheng and Shizuno are still somehow alive along with everyone else.
20	"Yehl, Shizuno" "Ieru, Shizuno" (イェル、シズノ)	August 17, 2006
Shizuno and Shima reveal that the Maihama server is safe because it was moved on to the moon a while back by the previous Kyo with Shizuno and Shima. Shizuno and Kyo work together again and she reveals how they initially met and how he was the one who gave her the name "Shizuno Misaki".
21	"Warriors..." "Senshitachi..." (戦士たち...)	August 24, 2006
Shima reveals Celebrum's plan for the final battle against the Gards-orm and for the resurrection of humanity. When Kuroshio believes the best option would be to become Gards-orm instead of gaining a true body and leaving the server, Shima attempts to reveal the real nature behind their enemies only to collapse from dry damage.
22	"G-Phaetus" "Jifeitasu" (ジフェイタス)	August 31, 2006
Shizuno takes care of Shima, revealing that he is actually a clone of the real Shima, a Gards-orm who turned against his own kind to bring back humanity. Minato takes his place as the commander of the Oceanus and the Celebrants begin to execute their Final Plan: Project Resurrection. The Gards-orm begin expanding their destructive Deutera Areas on earth.
23	"The Unsinking Moon" "Shizumanai Tsuki" (沈まない月)	September 7, 2006
The Altair and Garuda successfully infiltrate the Gards-orm base after fighting Abyss and Sin, only to enter the Gards-orm's quantum computer and be confronted by Naga and his views on the nature of life and humanity.
24	"One Drop of Light" "Hikari no Hitoshizuku" (光の一滴)	September 14, 2006
Kyo, Ryoko, Lu Sheng, and May-Yu meet the real Shima, who waited for them and believes that they may not be able to execute Project Resurrection. The Altair and Garuda fight back against Sin and Abyss' Anti-Zega unit while the rest of the Oceanus' crew bid a final goodbye to Shima.
25	"Is the Sky of Maihama Blue?" "Maihama no Sora wa Aoi ka" (舞浜の空は青いか)	September 21, 2006
Forced to abandon the Oceanus, its crew returns to the Maihama server and believes they have failed to recover the Maihama server and the resurrection system; however, a parting gift from Shima brings new hope. The battle between the Gards-orm and the Celebrants enters the Maihama server and Sin is finally defeated. Shizuno's true nature as "Yehl" is revealed while Kyo confesses his love to Ryoko before he and Shizuno leave to finish off the Gards-orm once and for all.
26	"All Creation" "Shinrabanshō (Ari to Arayuru Mono)" (森羅万象 (ありとあらゆるもの))	September 28, 2006
After destroying G-Phaetus, Kyo and Shizuno race to stop the expanding Deutera Areas on Earth by destroying their orbital base while carrying the Maihama server and the resurrection system's data compressed the Altair. Kyo finally defeats Abyss while Shizuno, with help from Minato and the other crew members, stabilizes the system and eliminates the Deutera Areas. Humanity's resurrection and restoration of the world finally begins.

Video games

Zegapain XOR
Developer(s)	Cavia
Publisher(s)	Namco Bandai Games
Platform(s)	Xbox 360
Release date(s)	JP July 27, 2006
Genre(s)	Action
Mode(s)	Single player, Online Multiplayer
Distribution	DVD

Zegapain NOT
Developer(s)	Cavia
Publisher(s)	Namco Bandai Games
Platform(s)	Xbox 360
Release date(s)	JP December 6, 2006
Genre(s)	Action
Mode(s)	Single player, Online Multiplayer
Distribution	DVD

Two Xbox 360 games based on the anime have been released in Japan. The first, Zegapain XOR, was released in July 2006. The second, Zegapain NOT, a follow-up to Zegapain XOR, was released on December 7, 2006. Both titles were developed by Cavia and published by Namco Bandai Games.

The first game, published by Bandai, is called Zegapain XOR and was released in Japan on July 27, 2006. The game is similar in nature to Zone of the Enders. A mech action game, the player controls Celebrant Toga Vital and the plot runs parallel to the events of the anime. Zegapain XOR is set on the Oceanus-class ship Dvaraka and commanded by Isola, a recurring character in the anime series. Several characters who appear in the game make brief appearances in the anime series.

A second game, titled Zegapain NOT, was released on December 7, 2006 in Japan. Also based on the anime series, Zegapain NOT is a sequel and companion to Zegapain XOR and continues the storyline of the previous game. The game features a special online mode that allows for cross-disc online play, enabling players with Zegapain XOR to play against players with Zegapain NOT. The game has over 3,000 ways to customize your character.

The main character is Toga Dupe, Toga Vital's lost character and memory data salvaged by Gards-orm, who controls the Anti-Zega Coatlicue. The story is set and told from the point of view of the Gards-orm, the antagonists to the heroes in the anime and Zegapain XOR.

Other Media

Manga

The manga adaptation by Gou Yabuki, Zegapain Gaiden: AI AlWAYS, was serialized in the monthly magazine Dengeki Daioh from August 2006 to October 2006. A second manga based on the events of Zegapain XOR, Side-B N, appears on the official site for Zegapain XOR. It has nine chapters available for preview. Both were compiled into tankōbon format in Japan.

Internet TV

Commercial program "Maihama Minami Broadcasting Station" is broadcast by Biglobe.

Radio drama

Zegapain audio drama OUR LAST DAYS was released on October 25, 2006 in Japan.

Episode 1: "The Children of OCEANUS"

Episode 2: "entanglement 13.3"

Episode 3: "our last days"

Official Material Book

Zegapain Visual Fan Book, a guide recording the Zegapain material and plotline, was released on March 13, 2007 in Japan. The guide features illustrations, articles on character, setting, and mechanics, conception of the story and how the setting was chosen, as well as staff interviews, which director Masami Shimoda and Takehito Ito, and voice actors Shintaro Asanuma (Kyo) and Kana Hanazawa (Ryoko).

Another guidebook, Zegapain File Salvage, was released on November 10, 2010 in Japan. Zegapain File Salvage includes information on creation and conception of the series's plot and setting, initial and final designs for characters and mecha, and exclusive illustrations by various artists. The guide also includes interviews by Shintaro Asanuma, Kana Hanazawa, Ayako Kawasumi (Shizuno); mecha designers Rei Nakahara, Sunrise DID, and Kozo Yokota; and staff members Masami Shimoda and Hiroyuki Hataike.

Novels

Two novels were written for Zegapain and are side-stories to the anime series and video games. The first was published on June 2009 and features a recently awakened Celebrant, Kurou Hayate, who finds Regina, a girl with an unusual meta-body, during an energy supply run aboard a Zega-tank; the story follows how they struggle to learn how they are irreplaceable even as data. The second novel was published in December 2011 and focuses on Mao, a young man with amnesia, who finds himself fighting monsters in order to escape from a town in the desert and suddenly awakens as a Celebrant.

See also

• Quantum computer
• Quantum entanglement
• Uncertainty principle

References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Miya, Showtaro; Ohnuki, Kenichi; Shibata, Akiko; Sato, Hiroki; Buyu. "Zegapain". Newtype USA. 6 (11) pp. 56–57. November 2007. ISSN 1541-4817.
2. ↑ "Sentai Filmworks Adds Sacred Seven, The Big O, Kurokami, More". Anime News Network. Retrieved 11 August 2013. 
3. ↑ "Zegapain Anime Site Updates with New Image". Anime News Network. 2014-08-31. Retrieved 2014-09-03. 
4. ↑ http://www.zegapain.net/mechanic/index.html

Further reading

• Beveridge, Chris (October 2, 2007). "Zegapain Vol. #1 (also w/box)". Mania. 
• Beveridge, Chris (August 11, 2009). "10 Most Underrated Anime Series". Mania. 
• Dong, Bamboo (April 6, 2008). "Shelf Life: The Nana Diaries". Anime News Network. 
• Gifford, Kevin (October 2007). "Zegapain Vol 1". Newtype USA 6 (10): p. 94. ISSN 1541-4817. 
• Kimlingler Carl (October 24, 2007). "Zegapain DVD 1". Anime News Network. 
• "Hands-On With Zegapain". IGN. August 1, 2006. 

External links

• (Japanese) Official site
• (Japanese) Zegapain XOR official site
• (Japanese) Zegapain NOT official site
• (Japanese) Maihama Minami Broadcasting Station
• Zegapain (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia