Final Fantasy: Unlimited

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Final Fantasy: Unlimited

FF:U ～ファイナルファンタジー:アンリミテッド～ (FF:U ~Final Fantasy: Unlimited~)
Genre	Seinen
TV anime
Directed by	Mahiro Maeda
Studio	GONZO
Network	TV Tokyo
Original run	2 October 2001 – 26 March 2002
No. of episodes	25

Final Fantasy: Unlimited (FF:U ～ファイナルファンタジー:アンリミテッド～, FF:U ~Fainaru Fantajī: Anrimiteddo~^?) is an animated Japanese television series based on Square Enix's popular Final Fantasy role-playing game franchise. It was released in Japan in October 2001 and was originally scheduled for 52 weekly episodes, but was cut down to 25 episodes. It is widely believed that low ratings are the cause for this, however it has been suggested that the actual reason is Square's budget drying up due to the failure of the Final Fantasy movie. Final Fantasy: Unlimited was intended to bring in a new audience base and attract new interest in the Final Fantasy realm.

Final Fantasy: Unlimited also incorporates both 2D animation and 3D graphics, and takes elements from the Final Fantasy games with quite a few easter eggs, some obvious, others obscure. It was licensed for North America and the British Isles by ADV Films, and 7 volumes of videos were released on DVD. In 2003, the series soundtrack Final Fantasy: Unlimited After 2 was released. The continuation of the story has also been released in a variety of other media.

1 Overview
2 Characters
- 2.1 Heroes
3 Episodes
4 Theme songs
5 Continuation of FF:U
6 External links

[edit] Overview

Final Fantasy: Unlimited incorporates characteristics of the Final Fantasy games. Summoning is used in the series and is performed by using a demon gun. By using three cartridges of Soil as ammunition, different summons can be created depending on the types of soil used.

The Ghost Train is used by the protagonists to ride into the inner world, Wonderland. Although Elizabeth, the Ghost Train, is the main mode of transportation, the submarine Jane and the airship Sylvia are also methods of transportation, as well as keeping the Final Fantasy tradition. These were created by the character Cid, and is another example of a recurring Final Fantasy theme. Mascots from the series such as the Chocobo, Moogle and Cactuar are also included.

[edit] Characters

Main article: List of Final Fantasy: Unlimited characters

[edit] Heroes

Ai Hayakawa: This twelve-year-old daughter of the Hayakawas rode on the Subway into Wonderland with her younger twin brother, Yu, in search of their lost parents. She is an energetic and intensely curious little girl who is very positive and outgoing. But, her good moods don't last too long. Ai loves creepy, cute things like her gift from Fabula, Poshepocket, with whom she fell in love with at first sight.

Poshepocket: Poshepocket is the living pocket creature of Wonderland. He can store away huge amounts of objects in his mouth and also spit up very useful items. From time to time, whenever he feels like it, he mutters in unintelligible speech.

Yu Hayakawa: Yu is Ai's younger twin brother. Always sure to introduce himself when he meets someone new, he shows no signs of shyness, even towards someone like Kaze (who is surrounded by such an unapproachable aura). Yu tends to act like an adult in that he always proceeds with caution along their journey. But he also has an innocent, childish side that can be seen in such acts as mindlessly chasing cute animals like Chocobo. Through the use of Penna, he can converse with Chobi.

Chobi: Chobi is one of the birds of happiness that lives in Wonderland. He becomes emotionally attached to Yu after Yu finds a Chocobo feather in the forest. Chobi joins them on their journey and always knows when the Subway will be arriving next.

Lisa Pacifist: Ai and Yu first meet the 22 year old Lisa in the Subway, where she decides to help the twins search for their parents in Wonderland. She is able to manipulate spirits found in nature through the use of her Kigen Arts and uses this power to protect the two twins from the various monsters of Wonderland. Ai believes that Lisa came to Wonderland in search of her boyfriend, but her true reason for coming is still a mystery...

Kaze: This silent, expressionless man defeats monsters once he thaws the Magun on his right arm. The Magun is used to summon Final Fantasy monsters, such as Shiva and Phoenix. All of his memories of the past have been lost, and he walks through life without knowing who or what he is. The only thing he is sure about in his life is his fight with Makenshi. He longs only to see things finished between them.

Lou Lupus: Lou is a little girl whose homeland was destroyed by Omega. She now travels in search of a place where she belongs. She meets Ai and the others on the Subway, where they are attacked by Omega. When Kaze saves them, she falls in love with him. She decides that the place she belongs is by Kaze's side. She has a special ability that makes her turn into a Werewolf!

Werewolf Lou: The Werewolf is Lou's appearance when she is transformed. She is a survivor of a race that has the ability in transform when they gaze into their own eyes reflected in a mirror. Her ultimate attack is her howl, which is a super-high frequency wave.

Cid: Cid is a member of the Camodeen. A genius inventor, Cid can make anything, which includes the Wonderland Watch that Chobi wears, the Subway, and even a Submarine. He gives each of his inventions a woman's name and loves them dearly. However, due to his love for them, if they receive even the slightest scratch, his personality changes drastically, and he attacks the opponent in a rage. Normally, he is a pleasant young man who uses gentle and polite speech, even towards the kids Ai and Yu.

Sagi: Sagi is a little boy who appears in the room where Dead Pepper's grew in Herba's Mansion. He actually turns out to be the manifestation of a Sagiso Flower that Lisa had raised as a child. In the language of flowers, it means, "my thoughts will follow you into your dreams".

Chocobaba: Chocobaba is the old lady who loves Chocobo. In response to lisa, Yu, and Ai's questions she responds with nothing but, "I have no clue," or "At least that's the rumor." They cannot have much of a conversation with her.

Chocoiba: Chocoiba is Chocobaba's younger sister. She commands a flock of Chocobo and is on a journey in search of the legendary Ciel. Her stock phrases are, "Let me see..." and "Or something like that."

Joe Hayakawa: Joe is one of the world's leading researcher in the field of Wonderland physics. After traveling once to Wonderland, he came back and published the book called "Day of Conjunction," about his experiences.

Mary Hayakawa: Mary is the mother of Ai and Yu, she is Joe's wife who she assists him in his research. When Joe and Mary once again go back into Wonderland, their whereabouts become unknown.

[edit] Episodes

NOTE** - There have been various conflicts on the actual titles of the episodes. All episodes have a sub-title, and the translation from Japanese to English sometimes isn't always 100% complete. These lists come from DVD subtitles, translators & official guides.

Episode Number	Episode Title
01	"Wonderland - Journey into the Darkness"
02	"Magun - Man of the Black Wind"
03	"Fruit - The Town of Sweet Scent"
04	"Makenshi - The White Etude"
05	"Cid - The Adventure of the Underground Waterway"
06	"Kigen Arts - The Savior of Souls"
07	"Subway - Enemy of the Dimensional Tunnel"
08	"Soil - The Heart of the Magun"
09	"Oscha - The Endless Project"
10	"Mansion - The Memory of Sagiso"
11	"Ciel - The Departure of Chocobo"
12	"Fungus - Eternal Life"
13	"Meteor - Abominable Memory"
14	"Omega - Reunion and Departure"
15	"Jane - The Moving Ocean Puzzle"
16	"Kigen Dragon - Behind the Smile"
17	"Frog - A Tiny Huge Adventure"
18	"Madoushi - The Battle Between Mist and Clouds"
19	"Ai - An Encounter With Clear"
20	"Yu - The Secret of Gaudium"
21	"Cactus - The Wandering Ocean"
22	"Moogle - Nostalgic Memories"
23	"Teros - Long Lost Memories"
24	"Chaos - The Earl Unveiled"
25	"Kaze - The Glory of Life"

[edit] Theme songs

Opening

"Over the Fantasy" by Kana Ueda

Ending

"VIVID" by Fairy Fore
"Romancing Train" by move
"Over the Fantasy" by Kana Ueda--Episode 25

[edit] Continuation of FF:U

The story of Final Fantasy: Unlimited, left incomplete by the television series, was continued in several other media and released only in Japan. These are listed below, ordered by the chronology of the events they cover.

Sou no Kizuna (双の絆 – literally "The Bonds of Two") is a novel. It explores a side-story that is set in the time of the television series (somewhere before episode 12).
Final Fantasy: Unlimited Before is a drama CD that features a flashback to the destruction of Kaze and Kumo's worlds. FF:U Before was awarded to competition winners in Japan.
Final Fantasy: Unlimited After is a book containing a 32 page manga and 120 page script. It was released in 2002 by DigiCube. It covers the twins' return to their own world, journeys into Lisa's past and introduces the new villain Soljashy.
The After Spiral is a series of web novels published on the official Japanese FF:U website (which has been taken down). The first of these short stories takes a quick plunge into Kumo's past, while the rest describe an encounter between the show's heroes and Soljashy on Sado Island, where Ai and Yu are briefly reunited with their old friend Touya Satomi.
Final Fantasy: Unlimited After 2 is another radio drama. It deals with Comodeen's final attack on Gaudium and brings a conclusion to the conflict between Lisa and Soljashy, however it leaves many questions yet unanswered.