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It has been suggested that Silvana (Last Exile) be merged into this article or section. () |
| Last Exile | |||
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| ラストエグザイル (Rasuto Eguzairu) |
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| Genre | Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Steampunk | ||
| TV anime | |||
| Director | Koichi Chigira | ||
| Studio | GONZO | ||
| Network |  TV Tokyo |
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| Original run | April 8 2003 – September 29 2003 | ||
| Episodes | 26 | ||
HYPER
Last Exile (ラストエグザイル Rasuto Eguzairu?) is a steampunk anime directed by Koichi Chigira for the anime studio Gonzo Digimation. It ran on TV Tokyo from April to September, 2003. It was brought to American audiences through Tech TV's (now G4) television program Anime Unleashed in March 2004. It ended in December of the same year, with a full season marathon on Christmas Day. In Canada, it began to air on the digital channel G4TechTV Canada on July 22, 2007, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The animation features a combination of 2-D and 3-D CGI sequences; several key staff members such as the character designer Range Murata and Gonzo veteran Mahiro Maeda had previously worked on the production of Blue Submarine No. 6 which was done in a similar style. The series is also notable for having much of the text in English but written with Greek letters, with all numbers given in Roman numerals, though longer sections of visible text use actual Greek.
Contents |
Plot
The story revolves around Claus Valca and Lavie Head, a young courier pilot and his navigator, and their adventures in the floating world of Prester. In this romantic sky world based on stylized Victorian fashion and society, two countries, Anatole and Dysis (sometimes phonetically rendered as Anatoray and Disith), are engaged in a long and bloody war under the supervision of the mysterious Guild. Claus and Lavie, piloting their vanship (a small wingless aircraft) find themselves involved in a plot surrounding a mysterious little girl named Alvis Hamilton, whom they must deliver as "cargo" to the much-feared neutral battleship "Silvana".
Characters
- Claus Valca (Κλαυς Βαλκα) (クラウス・ヴァルカ Kurausu Varuka?)
A fifteen-year-old vanship pilot who finds himself at the center of the Exile mystery.
- Lavie Head (Λαβιε 'Εαδ) (ラヴィ・ヘッド Ravi Heddo?)
Claus Valca's navigator and mechanic.
- Alvis Hamilton (Αλβις 'Αμιλτον) (アルヴィス・ハミルトン Aruvisu Hamiruton?)
Daughter of the Hamilton family, and key to the mystery of Exile.
The enigmatic captain of the infamous battleship Silvana of Genocide.
- Sophia Forrester (Σοφια Φορεστρ) (ソフィア・フォレスター Sofia Foresutā?)
The Silvana's first officer, and future Empress of Anatoray.
- Tatiana Wisla (Τατιανα Φισλα) (タチアナ・ヴィスラ Tachiana Visura?)
The only child of "the proud and noble" Wisla house of Anatoray, and the Silvana's best fighter pilot.
- Alister Agrew (Αλιστρ Αγγρω) (アリスティア・アグリュー Arisutia Aguryū?)
Tatiana Wisla's trusted confidant, best friend, and expert navigator.
- Dio Eraclea (Διο Ελακλαρ) (ディーオ・エラクレア Dīo Erukurea?)
The younger brother of the most powerful Guild member, Maestro Delphine Eraclea.
- Mullin Shetland (Μαλην Σετλανδ) (モラン・シェトランド Moran Shetorando?)
Nineteen-year-old rifleman and mechanic aboard the Silvana.
- Dunya Scheer (Δωνια Σερ) (デゥーニャ・シェーア Dūnya Shēa?)
A soldier from Disith who fights with Anatory against the Guild.
Member of the Guild and personal bodyguard to Dio Eraclea.
- Maestro Delphine Eraclea (Δελβινε Ελακλαρ) (マエストロ・デルフィーネ・エラクレア Maesutoro Derufīne Erakurea?)
Leader of the Guild, and older sister to Dio Eraclea.
- Vincent Alzey (Βινξεντ Αρδαι) (ヴィンセント・アルツアイ Vinsento Arutsuai?)
Captain of the Urbanus, and friend to Alex and Sophia.
Episode list
There are twenty-six (26) episodes of Last Exile in all. There is a common pattern behind most of the titles. All but two of the titles in the series refer to certain chess moves, which often represent the actions taken by the characters in the episodes. Each opening sequence, where the title is displayed, has a closed book with a picture of a map of Prester. The title of the book is "λαστ εξιλε ιν τηε βοττλε" ("last exile in the bottle").
| Episode Number | Episode Title | Episode Number | Episode Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Move | 14 | Etude Lavie |
| 2 | Luft Vanship | 15 | Fairy Chess |
| 3 | Transpose | 16 | Breakthrough |
| 4 | Zugzwang | 17 | Making Material |
| 5 | Positional Play | 18 | Promotion Sophia |
| 6 | Arbiter Attack | 19 | Sicilian Defense |
| 7 | Interesting Claus | 20 | Grand Stream |
| 8 | Take Back | 21 | Rook Dio |
| 9 | Calculate Alex | 22 | Queen Delphine |
| 10 | Swindle | 23 | Castling Lucciola |
| 11 | Develop | 24 | Sealed Move |
| 12 | Discovered Attack | 25 | Quiet Move |
| 13 | Isolated Pawn | 26 | Resign |
The Mysteria
The Mysteria (singular Mysterion) are the key to opening Exile. They are a set of four questions and responses which, when spoken aloud near Exile, will cause it to transform into its true form. Each one of these questions was entrusted to one of four noble Guild houses, three of whom had been purged by House Eraclea. Only special individuals of these houses—such as Alvis Hamilton—can speak the answers to the Mysteria. The power generated by these individuals while they are in their Mysterion trance causes them to shine like spotlights and has remarkable effects on their surroundings—small flames will flare into bonfires, complex machinery(particularly Claudia engines) will overload, and all visible atmosphere will begin to swirl around the speaker like a low-powered hurricane. Here are the Mysteria, in the order spoken by Claus Valca and Alvis Hamilton: House Eraclea's Mysterion
- Poem: What lies beyond the furthest reaches of the sky?
- Alvis: That which will lead the lost child back to its mother's arms: Exile.
House Dagobert's Mysterion
- Poem: The waves that flow and dye the land gold.
- Alvis: The breath of blessing that nurtures life: A Land of Wheat.
House Bassianus' Mysterion
- Poem: The path upon which the angels walk.
- Alvis: You are the path of great winds: The Grand Stream.
House Hamilton's Mysterion
- Poem: What lies beyond the furthest reaches of memory?
- Alvis: The place where all were born and to where all will return: A Blue World.
The Mysteria also appear to be influenced by the poem Some Last Questions by W.S. Merwin as both poems have the same pattern of question followed by answer.[original research?]
Theme songs
Opening
- "Cloud Age Symphony" by Shuntaro Okino
Ending
- "Over the Sky" by Hitomi Kuroishi
Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- When Mullin first boarded the Silvana, he was humiliated by Ethan and the rest of the mechanics, who forced him to strip. This is probably an insider joke; Mullin is voiced by Miki Shinichiro while Ethan was voiced by Seki Tomokazu, his Weiss bandmate and best friend.
- This is the second of 2 GONZO anime in consecutive years in which Kuwatani Natsuko, Morikawa Toshiyuki, and Nagata Ryoko voiced characters. The 3 voiced characters in Kiddy Grade in 2002. (Coincidentally, in Kiddy Grade, the 3 seiyuu voiced characters on the same side as well, with Natsuko as Tweedledee, Toshiyuki as Cesario and Ryoko as Eclair - in Last Exile, she voiced Winna Lightning, the sonar officer onboard the Silvana.)
- The name of Claus's father, Hamilcar Barca (Valka in the anime) is taken from a real-life historical figure. Hamilcar was the father of Carthaginian general and military mastermind Hannibal. Hannibal is historically noted for his excellent battlefield strategy (drawing parallels to the themes of chess within Last Exile) and his campaigns against the Roman Empire (much like Claus's struggle against the forces of the Guild, a similarly powerful and vast empire).
- It is stated in an interview placed in the Last Exile art book Aerial Log that Dio Eraclea was picked up by a passing Guild ship after he fell from his vanship in the final episodes of the show. In addition, there is a scene depicted in the series' official artwork showing Claus, Lavie, and their friends living on the farm turning and smiling at an individual stepping into the frame with them. Though all that can be seen is one foot and a waving hand, the individual appears to be wearing Dio's Guild uniform.
- The name "agoon" from the Trial of Agoon comes from the Ancient Greek word meaning test or fight (αγών).
See also
Reception
| Source | Reviewer | Grade / Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anime News Network | Allen Divers | Overall (dub): A Overall (sub): A Story: A Animation: A Art: A Music: A |
DVD/Anime Review of DVD 1: First Move + Artbox + Limited Extra |
| AnimeOnDVD | Bryan Morton | Content: B+ Audio: B Video: A Packaging: B+ Menus: B+ Extras: B |
DVD/Anime Review of Complete Collection |
| Spectrum Nexus | Cacaoatl | 3.5 out of 5 | Anime Review |
| THEM Anime Reviews | Enoch Lau | 5 out of 5 | Anime Review |
External links
Official Links
Other sources
- Last Exile (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- AnimeNfo
- Review on THEMAnime
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| Info | Episode List • Plot Summary |
| Characters | Claus Valca • Lavie Head • Alvis Hamilton • Alex Row • Sophia Forrester • Tatiana Wisla • Alister Agrew • Dio Eraclea • Mullin Shetland • Dunya Scheer • Luciola • Maestro Delphine Eraclea • Vincent Alzey |
| Locations | Prester • Norkia • Grand Stream |
| Nations | Anatoray • Disith • The Guild |
| Technology | Vanship • Exile • The Mysteria • Silvana |
