Eureka Seven: AO
| Eureka Seven: AO | |
| File:Eureka Seven AO Blu-ray vol 1.jpg Cover of the first Blu-ray volume | |
| Genre | Adventure, Mecha |
|---|---|
| Manga | |
| Written by | Yūichi Katō |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shotenj. |
| Magazine | Shōnen Ace |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | January 2012 – October 2013 |
| Volumes | 5 |
| Manga | |
| Eureka Seven AO ~Save a Prayer~ | |
| Written by | Ran Fudou |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| Magazine | Newtype A |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | 2012 – present |
| Volumes | 2 |
| Manga | |
| Eureka Seven nAnO | |
| Written by | Katsuwo |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| Magazine | 4-koma Nano A |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | 2012 – January 2013 |
| Volumes | 1 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Tomoki Kyoda |
| Written by | Shō Aikawa |
| Music by | Kōji Nakamura |
| Studio | Bones |
| Licensed by | |
| Original network | MBS, TBS, CBC, BS-TBS, Animax |
| Original run | April 13, 2012 – November 20, 2012 |
| Episodes | 24 + OVA |
Eureka Seven: AO (エウレカセブンAO, Eureka Sebun Ei Ō, "Astral Ocean") is a 2012 Japanese mecha anime television series by Bones, serving as a sequel to the original Eureka Seven anime. AO tells the story of Ao Fukai, a young boy who "sets destiny in motion again when he held the power." It is being adapted into both an anime and a manga.
On December 22, 2011, Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Shōnen Ace magazine announced that a sequel manga titled Eureka Seven: AO would be launched in their January 26 issue. Yūichi Katō is drawing the manga based on the original story by BONES. Later that same day, an anime adaption of the manga was announced, and began airing on April 13, 2012, on MBS (Animeism block). The anime has been licensed for streaming and home video release by Funimation Entertainment who will stream the series on the video site.[1]
Originally set to air its last episode on September 28, 2012, the series went on a two-week hiatus due to the 2012 Summer Olympics, thus ending its run on the third-to-last episode. The two final episodes were broadcast on November 20, 2012.[2]
On May 16, 2013 Funimation released a trailer of the English dub, followed by stating that the DVD/Blu-ray release would be scheduled for August 13, 2013.[3] The show currently airs on the Funimation Channel on Tuesday nights at 10:00 PM starting October 8, 2013.[4]
Plot and Themes
Ao Fukai is a 13-year-old boy living in the year 2025 in Okinawa on the island of Iwato Jima with Dr. Toshio Fukai ever since Ao's mother disappeared 10 years ago. When a mysterious organization attacks the local Scub Coral, Ao somehow gets mixed up in the battle and manages to activate an enigmatic robot called the Nirvash while it is being transported by the Self-Defense Forces. Later, Ao finds out that the Nirvash belonged to his mother Eureka, and embarks on a journey to find her and learn the truth about his origins.
Like its' predecessor, Eureka Seven: AO work on a variety of themes. Among them are the themes of acceptance, love, growing up, and responsibility. Allegories of world conflicts, wars, political climates, and environmental movements are presented in the series. Racial discrimination is presented via how Ao and Eureka were ostracized for their unusual appearances. The series serves as an example that happy endings are not guaranteed; how Eureka Seven ended so hopefully after so many conflicts that it appeared Renton and Eureka would be able to achieve a lifetime of happiness, but instead they endure the loss of a child and sacrifice their own happiness to save Ao, who in turn makes a difficult decision to save them. Eureka Seven: AO serves as a powerful message about life and what happens when adults forget hope, and the legacy of children. The series also covers the themes of family, parental love, and self-sacrifice; how Renton and Eureka were willing to give up everything they believed in to protect their son, and Ao concluding that he was born to free them from the burden of making sacrifices. Personal identity plays a huge role for Ao as he struggles to discover the origins of his existence and find his place in his world.
Terminology
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Mechanics
While the original Eureka Seven featured mechs known as "LFOs" (Light Finding Operations), Eureka Seven: AO features mechs known as "IFOs" (Intelligent Flying Objects) which were developed by reverse-engineering the RA272 Nirvash (ニルヴァーシュ, Niruvāshu), also known as the Mark I, which was created by Renton Thurston almost 10,000 years into future from a parallel universe via combining his knowledge of LFOs and Scub Coral. When his son, Ao, comes into contact with it, he is somehow able to reactivate it, even though it has been immobile for 10 years, as somehow only Eureka,Renton and their son are able to pilot it.
Prior to Ao joining them, Team Pied Piper only had two IFOs. The RA164 Alleluia (アレルヤ, Areruya) is an IFO used by Team Pied Piper that is primarily piloted by Fleur Blanc, built for electronic warfare. It is highly mobile, but it is not heavily armed. The other Team Pied Piper IFO is the RA304 Kyrie (キリエ, Kirie) piloted by Elena Peoples and designed for long-range combat. It is heavily armed, but it is not very mobile.
Team Goldilocks has three IFOs at its disposal. Maeve McCaffrey pilots the RA121 Gloria (グロリア, Guroria), which is specialized for airborne combat. The RA302 Credo (クレド, Kuredo), piloted by Maggie Kwan, specializes in heavy artillery. The RA169 Requiem (レクイエム, Rekuiemu) piloted by Chloe McCaffrey is specialized for electronic reconnaissance.
Team Harlequin has other three IFOs at its disposal. The RA122EB Sanctus piloted by Liu Ing, the RA121E Recordare piloted by Lerato Food, and the RA122E Benedictus, piloted by Rajkumar Nair.
The U.S. Army and Allied Forces operates multiple IFOs of the Eisenhower (アイゼンハワー, Aizenhawā) class. The original Nirvash was first recovered by the U.S. after being separated from Eureka.
Also in possession of Generation Bleu is the LFO "Kanon", but it is never activated until it fuses itself with Truth. Other LFO's featured in the series are two variations of the The Nirvash; the LFO Nirvash typeZERO, one being a recreation of the spec2, and the original Nirvash, further evolved into a new form called "Nirvash typeZERO specV3" piloted by Renton.
Politics
In the world of Eureka Seven: AO, mankind's expansion is hindered by the Scub Corals and Secrets altering history, thus the human population is around half of its original number. Okinawa Prefecture has become an independent nation from Japan, existing as the Union of the Okinawa Islands (沖縄諸島連合, Okinawa Shotō Rengō), officially the United Okinawa and Ryukyu Islands (沖縄及び琉球諸島連合国, Okinawa Oyobi Ryūkyū Shotō Rengōkoku), consisting of the real world Okinawa and Sakishima Islands, with its capital city being Naha, officially the Naha Metropolis Special Administrative District (那覇首都機構・特別行政区, Naha Shuto Kikō Tokubetsu Gyōseiku). This nation was created after the governments of Okinawa, China, and Japan settled after a recent war as a result of a Scub Burst. Okinawa lost fishing rights to China and the locals still believe they are not truly independent (and protest against U.S. military presence), but the nation is surrounded by a Trapar bubble that allows for the use of FPs. Iwato Jima (磐戸島), the island that is home to the main characters, is in territory disputed by the three parties. Still, the Japanese Armed Forces (日本軍, Nippongun) often perform operations in its former territory. Due to a Scub Burst after the end of World War II, Japan's economic recovery was delayed, leading to its evident lack of power and influence in comparison to real-life Japan. The Soviet Union, supposedly dissolved near the end of the 20th century, still exists in this alternate realm. The United States makes up the majority of the Allied Forces and maintains military bases in Okinawa.
Technology and Scub Coral
The IFOs or Intelligent Flying Objects are the predecessors to the LFOs from Eureka Seven. They are humanoid robots created by combining FP technology with the Scub Coral (スカブコーラル, Sukabu Kōraru). "FP" stands for "Flying Platform", a vehicle that is a cross between an automobile and an airplane that uses Trapar waves (トラパー, Torapā, short for Transparence Light Particles (トランサパランス・ライト・パーティクル, Toransaparansu Raito Pātikuru)), a clean energy source naturally produced by the Scub Coral, to fly at an altitude of 10 meters (33 ft).
The Scub Coral seen in the world of Eureka Seven: AO are fragments of the planet-sized Scub Coral from the original Eureka Seven timeline that mysteriously appear in the past as far as the end of 18th century, drastically altering history as mankind originally had its first contact with Scub Corals in the 21st century. This turn in causes the appearance of beings called "Secrets" (シークレット, Shīkuretto) and G-Monsters (Ｇモンスター, Jī Monsutā) by Okinawans, that exist for the purpose of nullifying any anomaly, including the Scub Coral. Once finding a Scub Coral, a Secret initiates a phenomenon called the Scub Burst (スカブバースト, Sukabu Bāsuto), which causes massive destruction around them. A Scub Burst of such power occurred ten years prior to the beginning of the series, until what the Okinawan locals call the "Sea Giant" (海巨人（うみきょんちゅ）, Umi Kyonchu) saved the people of the island. The area around a Secret is called the ZOA or Zone Out of Action. Secrets cannot detect the presence of IFOs inside the ZOA.
At the center of a Scub Coral outcropping is a nucleus called the "Quartz" (クォーツ, Kwōtsu). By removing the Quartz, the Trapar waves in the surrounding area plummet and the Secret that is seeking out the Scub Coral to initiate a Scub Burst will disappear. It is one of Team Pied Piper's missions to collect Quartz's. It is possible to find a Damaged Quartz (ダメージドクォーツ, Damējido Kwōtsu), usually after a Scub Coral outcropping has been destroyed.
The use of IFOs and FPs is only possible by the use of the Plant Corals (プラントコーラル, Puranto Kōraru), Scub Corals that have been harvested upon their arrival in order to produce Trapar waves. The Scub Coral at the center of the Scub Burst in Okinawa ten years ago is the world's largest Plant Coral and is used to power much of the world's Trapar-based energy. Some (Japan among them) believe that the Damaged Quartz may be reused as the energy source for a Plant. An object known as the Coral Relic (コーラル・レリック, Kōraru Rerikku) is being kept by Generation Bleu in its basement, but the existence of the object is limited knowledge.
It is revealed that the Scub uses its Quartz to navigate through alternate universes. By destroying the Quartz, the Secrets can deny the Scub its mean to escape to another universe. The Secrets even go as far as tracing the Scub's root into Eureka's and Renton's era where they attempt to exterminate the Scub once and for all, together with mankind whose bodies have been contaminated with the Scub. It is also revealed that the level of trapar is a danger to the well-being of a Human-Coralian hybrid; Renton and Eureka's daughter died shortly after birth due to the high trapar density atmosphere causing the human and Coralian cells to reject each other. This event motivates them to send their unborn son, Ao, to the past because a world with less trapar would allow him to survive.
In the final scenes, Ao Fukai decides to shoot the Quartz Gun (クォーツガン, Kwōtsu Gan) at the Secrets, effectively erasing their existence from history and leaving behind a world where the Scub would arrive and co-exist with humanity.
Media
Anime
| No. | Title | Musical reference | Writer | Original air date[5][a] | English air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Born Slippy" (deep blue) Transliteration: "Bōn Surippī" (Japanese: ボーン・スリッピー) | "Born Slippy" by Underworld | Tobito Bura | April 13, 2012 | October 8, 2013[6] |
| 2 | "Call It What You Want" (AO's cavern) Transliteration: "Kōru Itto Howatto Yū Wonto" (Japanese: コール・イット・ホワット・ユー・ウォント) | "Call It What You Want!" by Richie Hawtin | Tobito Bura Shō Aikawa | April 20, 2012 | October 15, 2013[7] |
| 3 | "Still Fighting" (secret operation) Transliteration: "Sutiru Faitingu" (Japanese: スティル・ファイティング) | "Still Fighting" by the Sabres of Paradise | Tobito Bura Shō Aikawa | April 27, 2012 | October 22, 2013[8] |
| 4 | "Walk This Way" (plant coral) Transliteration: "Wōku Disu Wei" (Japanese: ウォーク・ディス・ウェイ) | "Walk This Way" by Aerosmith | Shō Aikawa | May 4, 2012 | October 29, 2013[9] |
| 5 | "Tighten Up" (génération bleu) Transliteration: "Taitun Appu" (Japanese: タイトゥン・アップ) | "Tighten Up" by Archie Bell & the Drells | Shinichi Inotsume | May 11, 2012 | November 5, 2013[10] |
| 6 | "Light My Fire" (noblesse oblige) Transliteration: "Raito Mai Faiā" (Japanese: ライト・マイ・ファイアー) | "Light My Fire" by the Doors | Shinichi Inotsume | May 18, 2012 | November 12, 2013[11] |
| 7 | "No One Is Innocent" (bye bye angel) Transliteration: "Nō Wan Izu Inosento" (Japanese: ノー・ワン・イズ・イノセント) | "No One Is Innocent" by the Sex Pistols | Shō Aikawa | May 25, 2012 | November 19, 2013[12] |
| 8 | "One Nation Under a Groove" (blue thunder) Transliteration: "Wan Neishon Andā A Gurūvu" (Japanese: ワン・ネイション・アンダー・ア・グルーヴ) | "One Nation Under a Groove" by Funkadelic | Hiroyuki Kawasaki | June 1, 2012 | November 26, 2013[13] |
| 9 | "In the Dark We Live" (enemy below) Transliteration: "In Za Dāku Wī Rivu" (Japanese: イン・ザ・ダーク・ウィー・リヴ) | "In the Dark We Live" by Felix da Housecat | Naohiro Fukushima | June 8, 2012 | December 3, 2013[14] |
| 10 | "Release Your Self" (the pied piper of Hamelin) Transliteration: "Rirīsu Yua Serufu" (Japanese: リリース・ユア・セルフ) | Release Yourself by Graham Central Station | Hiroyuki Kawasaki | June 22, 2012 | December 10, 2013[15] |
| 11 | "Plateaux of Mirror" (mirror of the world) Transliteration: "Puratō Obu Mirā" (Japanese: プラトー・オブ・ミラー) | The Plateaux of Mirror by Harold Budd and Brian Eno | Shō Aikawa | June 29, 2012 | December 17, 2013[16] |
| 12 | "Step into a World" (heaven and earth) Transliteration: "Suteppu Intu A Wārudo" (Japanese: ステップ・イントゥ・ア・ワールド) | "Step into a World" by KRS-One | Shō Aikawa | July 6, 2012 | December 24, 2013[17] |
| 13 | "She's a Rainbow" (moonlight ship) Transliteration: "Shīzu A Reinbō" (Japanese: シーズ・ア・レインボウ) | "She's a Rainbow" by the Rolling Stones | Shō Aikawa | July 13, 2012 | December 31, 2013 |
| 14 | "Starfire" (another truth) Transliteration: "Sutāfaiā" (Japanese: スターファイアー) | "Starfire" by DragonForce | Shō Aikawa | July 20, 2012 | January 7, 2014 |
| 15 | "War Head" (humanoid secret) Transliteration: "Wō Heddo" (Japanese: ウォー・ヘッド) | "WAR HEAD" by Ryuichi Sakamoto | Shinichi Inotsume | July 27, 2012 | January 14, 2014 |
| 16 | "Guardians Hammer" (next phase) Transliteration: "Gādianzu Hanmā" (Japanese: ガーディアンズ・ハンマー) | "Guardians Hammer" by KAGAMI | Shinichi Inotsume Shō Aikawa | August 17, 2012 | January 21, 2014 |
| 17 | "La Vie en rose" (Johannson's book) Transliteration: "Ra Vian Rōzu" (Japanese: ラ・ヴィアン・ローズ) | "La Vie en rose" by Édith Piaf | Shō Aikawa | August 24, 2012 | January 28, 2014 |
| 18 | "Don't Look Down" (third engine) Transliteration: "Donto Rukku Daun" (Japanese: ドント・ルック・ダウン) | "Don't Look Down" by David Bowie | Akiko Waba | August 31, 2012 | February 4, 2014 |
| 19 | "Maybe Tomorrow" (the day) Transliteration: "Meibī Tumorō" (Japanese: メイビー・トゥモロー) | "Maybe Tomorrow" by the Jackson 5 | Shō Aikawa | September 7, 2012 | February 11, 2014 |
| 20 | "Better Days Ahead" (last message) Transliteration: "Betā Deizu Aheddo" (Japanese: ベター・デイズ・アヘッド) | Better Days Ahead by Norman Brown | Shō Aikawa | September 14, 2012 | February 18, 2014 |
| 21 | "World 2 World" (rising sun) Transliteration: "Wārudo Tu Wārudo" (Japanese: ワールド・トゥ・ワールド) | World 2 World by Underground Resistance | Shinichi Inotsume | September 21, 2012 | February 25, 2014 |
| 22 | "Galaxy 2 Galaxy" (coral carriers) Transliteration: "Gyarakushī Tu Gyarakushī" (Japanese: ギャラクシー・トゥ・ギャラクシー) | Galaxy 2 Galaxy by Mike Banks | Shō Aikawa | September 28, 2012 | March 4, 2014 |
| 23 | "The Final Frontier (Renton Thurston)" Transliteration: "Za Fainaru Furontia" (Japanese: ザ・ファイナル・フロンティア) | The Final Frontier by Iron Maiden | Shō Aikawa | November 20, 2012 | March 11, 2014 |
| 24 | "The Door Into Summer" Transliteration: "Natsu e no Tobira" (Japanese: 夏への扉) | Natsu e no Tobira (The Door Into Summer) by Tatsuro Yamashita | Shō Aikawa | November 20, 2012 | March 18, 2014 |
The anime began airing on April 12, 2012, and ended on November 20, 2012. There is a total of 24 episodes. It has been released in Japan on Blu-ray and DVD, along with an OVA called Eureka Seven: AO : The Flower Fields of Jungfrau.
On May 16, 2013, Funimation announced the official release date in English dub. The first twelve dubbed episodes were released on DVD/Blu-ray on August 13, 2013, and the rest of the series will be released on October 15, 2013. It has not been announced if or when it will appear on Adult Swim; as Star Wars the Clone Wars replaced Eureka Seven on August 13, 2013.
Manga
The manga began on January 2012, and concluded on October 2013, with a total of 21 chapters spanning over 5 volumes. A spin-off manga called Save a Prayer began shortly after the manga was first released.
Music
- Opening Theme
- "Escape" by Hemenway
- "Braveblue" (ブレイブルー, Bureiburū) by FLOW
- Ending Theme
- "stand by me" by Stereopony
- "Iolite" (アイオライト, Aioraito) by Joy
- Insert songs
Reception
The anime was widely panned by fans and some critics. Commonly complaining about it's differences from the manga and it's predecessor. Some fans have criticized the character Ao Fukai, calling him boring and noting his lack of charisma. The Nihon Review gave the anime a 2 out of 10, claiming that Eureka 7 AO "actually contradicts and retroactively smears some of the most important revelations of the original series. "[1]
A Redo Over
There are fans who are demanding for a new Eureka Seven: AO series involving Ao living with his parents and older siblings and dealing with a new threat that's coming.
References
- ^ "Funimation Adds Eureka Seven AO TV, King of Thorn Film". Anime News Network. April 28, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
- ^ "「エウレカセブンＡＯ 完結編」放送日決定！＆第一話～第二十二話一挙ライブ配信決定！". Eurekaao-prj.net. 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
- ^ "Eureka Seven AO English Dub Trailer". Goboiano.com. 2013-05-16. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
- ^ http://uverseonline.att.net/tv/show/eureka-seven-ao
- ^ "検索結果 / アニメ / メディア芸術データベース – 作品情報（シリーズ）– エウレカセブンAO ASTRAL OCEAN" [Search results / Animation / Media Arts database – work information (series) – Eureka Seven AO Astral Ocean]. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Japan: Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ "Funimation Week 41 of 2013 (Mon 7 Oct 2013-Sun 13 Oct 2013)". Funimation Channel. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
10:00p Eureka Seven AO [01] (P) -Episode 01 - deep blue
- ^ "Funimation Week 42 of 2013 (Mon 14 Oct 2013-Sun 20 Oct 2013)". Funimation Channel. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
10:00p Eureka Seven AO [02] (P) -Episode 02 - AO's cavern
- ^ "Funimation Week 43 of 2013 (Mon 21 Oct 2013-Sun 27 Oct 2013)". Funimation Channel. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
10:00p Eureka Seven AO [03] (P) -Episode 03 - secret operation
- ^ "Funimation Week 44 of 2013 (Mon 28 Oct 2013-Sun 3 Nov 2013)". Funimation Channel. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
10:00p Eureka Seven AO [04] (P) -Episode 04 - plant coral
- ^ "Funimation Week 45 of 2013 (Mon 4 Nov 2013-Sun 10 Nov 2013)". Funimation Channel. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
10:00p Eureka Seven AO [05] (P) -Episode 05 - génération bleu
- ^ "Funimation Week 46 of 2013 (Mon 11 Nov 2013-Sun 17 Nov 2013)". Funimation Channel. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
10:00p Eureka Seven AO [06] (P) -Episode 06 - noblesse oblige
- ^ "Funimation Week 47 of 2013 (Mon 18 Nov 2013-Sun 24 Nov 2013)". Funimation Channel. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
10:00p Eureka Seven AO [07] (P) -Episode 07 - bye bye angel
- ^ "Funimation Week 48 of 2013 (Mon 25 Nov 2013-Sun 1 Dec 2013)". Funimation Channel. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
10:00p Eureka Seven AO [08] (P) -Episode 08 - blue thunder
- ^ "Funimation Week 49 of 2013 (Mon 2 Dec 2013-Sun 8 Dec 2013)". Funimation Channel. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
10:00p Eureka Seven AO [09] (P) -Episode 09 - enemy below
- ^ "Funimation Week 50 of 2013 (Mon 9 Dec 2013-Sun 15 Dec 2013)". Funimation Channel. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
10:00p Eureka Seven AO [10] (P) -Episode 10 - the pied piper of Hamelin
- ^ "Funimation Week 51 of 2013 (Mon 16 Dec 2013-Sun 22 Dec 2013)". Funimation Channel. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
10:00p Eureka Seven AO [11] (P) -Episode 11 - mirror of the world
- ^ "Funimation Week 52 of 2013 (Mon 23 Dec 2013-Sun 29 Dec 2013)". Funimation Channel. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
10:00p Eureka Seven AO [12] (P) -Episode 12 - heaven and earth
External links
- Eureka Seven: AO (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Official Eureka Seven: AO website Template:Ja icon
- Eureka Seven: AO on MBS Template:Ja icon
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