is a Japanese

mecha In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines, typically depicted as piloted, humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the meaning in Japan ...

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

franchise created by

Xebec A xebec ( or ), also spelled zebec, was a Mediterranean sailing ship that originated in the barbary states (Algeria), it was used mostly for trading. Xebecs had a long overhanging bowsprit and aft-set mizzen mast. The term can also refer to a ...

in collaboration with Starchild Records. The story focuses on a group of children who pilot the titular Fafners in an escalating war against giant aliens called Festum. The first series, subtitled ''Dead Aggressor'', is directed by Nobuyoshi Habara and written by Yasuo Yamabe and

Tow Ubukata is the pen name of , a Japanese novelist, mangaka and anime screenwriter who primarily writes fantasy and science fiction. His major works include '' Mardock Scramble'', ''Le Chevalier D'Eon'' and '' Heroic Age''. He also did series composition ...

with character designs from

Hisashi Hirai is a Japanese animator, character designer, and manga artist. He is noted for his work with Sunrise (company), Sunrise, having worked on ''Infinite Ryvius'', ''s-CRY-ed'', ''Gundam SEED'', ''Gundam SEED Destiny'' and ''Fafner of the Azure''. He ...

and mecha designs by Naohiro Washio. It aired on

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network.MBS MBS may refer for: People * Mohammed Ben Sulayem (born 1961), president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile * Mohammed bin Salman (born 1985), crown prince and prime minister of Saudi Arabia * Mohan Bikram Singh (born 1935), Nepales ...

and several other stations for 26 episodes from January to December 2015. Another sequel subtitled ''The Beyond'' was released as four films from May 2019 to November 2021. A special episode subtitled ''Behind the Line'' premiered in theaters in January 2023. The series heavily borrows elements from

Norse Mythology Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology, is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia as the Nordic folklore of the modern period. The ...

, referencing some of the terminology used.

Synopsis

''Dead Aggressor'' (2004)

At the beginning of the ''Dead Aggressor'' story arc, much of the world has been destroyed by the Festum and the remote Japanese island of has only remained unscathed by virtue of an advanced cloaking shield. The island's young people continue with their daily lives unaware of these events, but after many years of peace, a lone Festum discovers Tatsumiya and attacks. The adults activate Tatsumiya's hidden defense systems and attempt to repel the attacker but to no avail. Many of them are killed by the Festum in a process of assimilation. In desperation, they order the deployment of a mecha called the Fafner Mark Elf, but its pilot is killed en route to the hangar. Left with no further options, they send a young boy named Kazuki Makabe as the replacement pilot assisted by Sōshi Minashiro from within the Siegfried System. The Festum is destroyed, but with Tatsumiya Island's whereabouts exposed, the adults choose to relocate the island. Production is accelerated on additional Fafner units and more children are recruited to pilot them. It is also revealed that the cloaking was not meant to conceal Tatsumiya Island from only the Festum, but from the rest of humanity who would seek to use its technology in the greater war against them.

''Right of Left'' (2005)

A prequel to the first series. Yumi Ikoma and Ryou Masaoka are children who have been selected to take part in a top secret mission, to be the pilots of the first Fafner combat units; the last chance of survival for the human race. The enemy is ruthless, remorseless and is able to read the minds of humans. Therefore, the details of this mission are kept a secret even from the personnel involved. The young pilots must use all their courage and faith in order to survive and complete their mission or the fate of mankind would be compromised.

''Heaven and Earth'' (2010)

The year is 2148. Two years after the end of the original Fafner in the Azure TV series, Tatsumiya Island and its surviving residents have returned to some semblance of recovery. However, things have become desperate for our hero, Kazuki; nearly blind now, and partially crippled from his battles with the Festum two years earlier, he clings to the promise his fallen friend Sōshi made to him to return to the island and set things right again. Kazuki's hopes flare when a lifeform is detected within an unmanned submarine that comes floating into Tatsumiya Bay one night, but the person aboard isn't Sōshi; it is a mysterious "boy" named Misao Kurusu who may not be entirely human, and who claims to have been sent by Sōshi. With Misao's arrival, hostilities break out anew between the Human Army and the Festum, and the Fafner pilots are thrown into the most desperate battle of their lives - this time, with the fate of TWO races riding on their shoulders.

''Exodus'' (2015)

2150 A.D. The fight against the Festum, a silicon-based alien life form that destroyed much of the world, enters a new phase. The first Azure Operation crushed the Arctic Mir, scattering its pieces around the world. Soon those fragments began to act of their own volition. While the majority of the Mir wage war, embracing a hatred for mankind, some of the Festum chose to co-exist with humanity. There were humans who also thought it was possible. Mankind and the Festum, co-existing. The concept questioned the very reason for the war, giving birth to even more hatred. This is no longer simply a fight between humans and the Festum. Under such circumstances, Tatsumiya Island disappeared from the front lines, going silent. Through the encounter with Misao Kurusu two years ago, the island had the means to converse with the Mir. It gave the island a unique capability. The children of ALVIS, prepared for battle, sought a way to better understand the enemy. And now, a new chapter is about to begin on the island. A girl who understands the Festum language. A girl the Festum protected. When the two meet, they will open the door to a new world...

Media

Anime

: ''Fafner in the Azure: Dead Aggressor'' aired on

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network.theme music Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...

and one insert theme. angela performed the opening theme entitled "Shangri-La", the insert theme "Proof" in episode 15, and the ending theme "Separation". ''Sōkyū no Fafner: RIGHT OF LEFT'', a 50-minute prequel special to the television series, aired on December 29, 2005. The ending theme "Peace of Mind" for the special was also performed by angela. The TV series was originally licensed by

Geneon (abbreviated as NBCUEJ) is a Japanese music, anime, and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise that is a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, owned by American telecommunications/media company Comcast headquartered in Akasaka, Tokyo ...

under the shortened title, ''Fafner'', but has since been out of print. Two OVAs named ''Fafner in the Azure: Arcadian Memory'' released in 2005 and 2006 that summarize the series. A film, titled ''Fafner in the Azure: Dead Aggressor: Heaven and Earth'' premiered in Japan on December 25, 2010. Once again, angela performed all theme songs (image, opening and insert) for the film. "FORTUNES" and "Rikai to Hakai e no Prelude (Prelude to Comprehension and Destruction)" are used as the image theme songs for the movie. "Sōkyū (Azure)" is used as ending theme and "Sayonara no Toki Kurai Hohoen de (At Least, Smile When We Are Saying Goodbye)" is used as insert theme for the movie. A twitvideo post from lead vocalist Atsuko announced that a sequel to the ''Fafner in the Azure'' series has been green-lit for production. The announcement was originally made at the live streaming event, ''Soukyuu Sakusen'', which was for the film. The sequel, titled, ''Fafner in the Azure: Dead Aggressor -EXODUS-'', aired on

MBS MBS may refer for: People * Mohammed Ben Sulayem (born 1961), president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile * Mohammed bin Salman (born 1985), crown prince and prime minister of Saudi Arabia * Mohan Bikram Singh (born 1935), Nepales ...

and several other stations from January 8, 2015, to December 26, 2015. It takes place two and a half years after ''Heaven and Earth''. The first episode is extended by 10 minutes on home media. A sequel, titled ''Fafner in the Azure: The Beyond'', was announced at the Sōkyū no Fafner Soshi Minashiro Birthday Festival in Yokohama on December 29, 2016. A teaser trailer of the sequel was officially streamed on January 6, 2017. A teaser trailer of the sequel was officially streamed on January 6, 2017. Staff from the previous series worked on the production. The series was later confirmed to be a 12-episode anime series, with the first three episodes premiering in theaters on May 17, 2019. Episodes four to six premiered on November 8, 2019. Episodes seven to nine premiered on November 13, 2020. Episodes ten to twelve premiered on November 5, 2021. It was released as "Fafner THE BEYOND" on

Crunchyroll Crunchyroll is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service owned by Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The service primarily distributes fi ...

on March 25, 2025. On December 27, 2021, a 53-minute spinoff episode titled ''Fafner in the Azure: Behind the Line'' was announced, featuring the returning staff and cast. It premiered in theaters on January 20, 2023. It is set between the Heaven and Earth film and Exodus. At New York Anime Festival/

New York Comic Con The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to comics, Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, Film, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006. With an attendance of 200,00 ...

2011,

Funimation Entertainment Crunchyroll, LLC is an American entertainment company based in Coppell, Texas. It currently operates the anime-focused eponymous over-the-top subscription video on-demand streaming service. The company was founded as Funimation in May 1 ...

had announced that both the original TV series and the ''Heaven and Earth'' film were licensed, and they were released on DVD and

Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...

in 2012. The series made its North American television debut on the

Funimation Channel Funimation was an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. Launched in 2016, the service was one of the leading distributors of anime and other foreign entertainment properties in North America. It streamed popula ...

on October 29, 2012.

Light novel

A novelization of the ''Dead Agressor'' series written by

and featuring illustrations by Hisashi Hirai was published on January 10, 2005. It was published in English by

Digital Manga Publishing Digital Manga is a California-based publishing company that licenses and releases Japanese manga, anime, and related merchandise in the English language. Digital Manga also owns and operates eManga, a digital publishing site for manga and l ...

on July 22, 2008.

Manga

Two manga adaptations of the ''Dead Aggressor'' story have been released and they both share the same title as the first TV series. The first one is illustrated by Mikami Akitsu. It ran in ''

Dengeki Daioh is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works (formerly MediaWorks) under the ''Dengeki'' brand. Many manga serialized in ''Dengeki Daioh'' were later published in ''tankōbon'' volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comi ...

'' magazine from July 4, 2004, to December 26, 2004, and was collected into two tankōbon volumes by MediaWorks.

licensed this manga for release in North America and published the volumes on July 7, 2010, and April 30, 2011. The second one is illustrated by Tomomi Matsushita. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''

Monthly Shōnen Sirius is a Japanese monthly ''shōnen'' manga magazine published by Kodansha, and first issued in May 2005. It is issued in perfect-bound B5 format and retails for 580 yen. The magazine also serializes manga through their ''Twi Siri'' Twitter ...

'' magazine from September 26, 2014, to February 26, 2018, and transferred to Kodansha and pixiv's Palcy manga app in 2018, where it ended on August 25, 2021. It was collected into nine tankōbon volumes. A "complete version" of the story, adapted from the original anime, its light novel, drama CDs, and stage play. Tow Ubukata supervised the manga, and XEBEC is credited with the original work.

Music and Drama CD

Numerous soundtracks, drama CDs and character CDs have been released for the series. Fafner features music composed by Tsuneyoshi Saito and performed by the

Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra The Warsaw Philharmonic (full Polish name: ''Orkiestra Filharmonii Narodowej w Warszawie'', "National Philharmonic Orchestra in Warsaw"), as it is legally set up, is a Polish orchestra based in Warsaw. Founded in 1901, its home is the Warsaw ...

. Japanese band angela consistently write and perform all of Fafner's opening, insert and ending theme songs that achieve strong sales and popularity. They also released a Fafner tribute album titled "Yakusoku" (約束, "Promise") on December 25, 2008, celebrating the series' fifth anniversary.

Video games

''Fafner in the Azure: Dead Aggressor'' was adapted by

Bandai is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered ...

into a video game released for the

PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...

in Japan on January 27, 2005, being one of the first releases for the platform. It follows the storyline of the first season almost directly with two bonus missions and also features new weapons such as the dimension gun. In 2009, the series made its debut in the long-running ''

Super Robot Wars ''Super Robot Wars'', known in Japan as is a series of Japanese tactical role-playing video games produced by Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Banpresto. Starting out as a spinoff of the '' Compati Hero'' series, the main feature of the fr ...

'' series as a part of ''Super Robot Wars K'' for the

Nintendo DS The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...

. It returned in 2013 in ''

Super Robot Wars UX is a tactical role-playing game for the Nintendo 3DS developed by Banpresto and published by Namco Bandai Games. It is the first ''Super Robot Wars'' (SRW) game for the 3DS and was released in Japan on March 14, 2013. The theme of this game is "P ...

'' for the

Nintendo 3DS The is a foldable dual-screen handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, ...

, which also marks the debut of the series' movie sequel, ''Heaven and Earth''.