Blood+
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Blood+ | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Horror, Action, Drama, Mystery, Supernatural, Romance |
| TV anime : Blood+ | |
| Directed by | Jun'ichi Fujisaku |
| Studio | Production I.G |
| Network |  Animax, TBS Animax |
| Original run | October 8, 2005 – September 23, 2006 |
| No. of episodes | 50 |
| Related | |
Blood+ is an anime series, produced by Production I.G and Sony's anime production arm, Aniplex, and is a continuation on the 2000 animated film, Blood: The Last Vampire.[1]
It premiered in Japan across Sony's anime satellite television network, Animax, as well as terrestrial networks such as MBS, TBS, RKB, and others from October 8, 2005, to September 23, 2006. The series is available as internet high resolution streaming video provided by AII.co.jp for Japanese internet users on a subscription basis.
Blood+ was licensed for international distribution in numerous regions, including North America, by Sony's international film distribution arm, Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) .[2]
It was discovered on November 1, 2006 that Blood+ will be broadcast in the USA on Cartoon Network in the future. A schedule on Adult Swim appeared sometime in early February and stated that a new anime would be premiering March 10, 2007 after Trinity Blood ended its run; this was later confirmed to be Blood+.[3] It has been given a TV-MA rating for violence.
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
Blood+ is set decades after the events of Blood: The Last Vampire. Under the care of her adoptive family, Saya Otonashi has been living the life of an anemic and amnesiac, but otherwise ordinary schoolgirl. Saya’s happy life is shattered when she is attacked by a chiroptera, and learns that she is the only one who can defeat them. Armed with her sword, Saya embarks on a journey with her family, allies and faithful servant, Haji, to rid the world of Chiroptera and rediscover her identity.
The series is initially set in present day (September 2005) Okinawa City (Koza), on Okinawa Island, near the US Kadena Air Base. In the course of the series, Saya visits locales across the world, while fighting enemy chiropterans and searching for her origins.
[edit] Characters
Saya's Friends and Family
The series revolves around Saya Otonashi, a seemingly ordinary high school student who lives with her adopted family and secretly guarded by her Chevalier, Hagi (Haji in the English translation). Her adopted father, George Miyagusuku, is a veteran of the Vietnam War and was entrusted with Saya by David's father. Her elder brother, Kai Miyagusuku, is a star athlete, while her younger brother, Riku Miyagusuku, is a kind and smart boy who loves to cook.
Red Shield (Goldschmidts)
An organization formed to combat the Chiroptera, the Red Shield was founded by the descendants of Joel Goldschmidt, the man who originally found Saya and Diva and unleashed the Chiropteran menace into the world. Most Red Shield members are culled from survivors of Chiroptera attacks, and all possess a trinket with an embedded Chiropteran crystal. The Red Shield's greatest enemy is Diva, and are responsible for Saya's protection and well-being.
Cinq Flèches Group (Goldsmiths)
The Goldsmiths are a branch of the Goldschmidt family dedicated to protecting Diva; all their family members are Diva's Chevaliers. They control the Cinq Flèches Group, a powerful and influential conglomerate, with the ultimate goal of creating a world of Chiroptera for Diva's future. The family crest of five arrows (Cinq Flèches) and the names of the brothers are modelled after the family of Mayer Amschel Rothschild. One member of the Goldsmith family, Solomon, breaks ties with Diva, being the only Chevalier to ever do so.
The Schiff (Shifu, Sif)
An unstable balance between Chevaliers and Chiropterans, they are prototypes for the Corpse Corps, pseudo-Chevalier soldiers created by a group of scientists led by Boris under the sponsorship of Amshel Goldsmith in Khirbet--most likely based on Khirbet Beit Lei in Israel. Although they have similar regenerative abilities, the Schiff will eventually die from an attribute they call the “Thorn”--whereby their bodies gradually crystalize. As imperfect beings, the Schiff must avoid direct contact to sunlight otherwise their bodies will combust in a green flame. Unable to attain Diva’s blood (the only supposed cure for the “Thorn”), they gradually die off; Lulu is the last Schiff that survives by the end of the series.
[edit] Timeline
- 1809 Publication of Philosophie Zoologique
- 1829 Death of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
- 1833 Joel Goldsmith sets up the "Zoo" near Bordeaux, France and presumably begins "Joel's Diary."
- 1833 The mummy of an unknown life-form named SAYA is transferred to the Zoo. The life-form is later identified as a Chiropteran. Extracted from its pregnant belly are two cocoons, which react to drops of human blood. Extracted from the cocoons are two children that are human in appearance: One is named Saya and raised as a normal human in the Zoo, and the other remains unnamed, is locked up in a tower, and is used by Joel for experimentation purposes. Saya, upon discovery of this child in 1863, names her Diva.
- 1859 Publication of Darwin's Origin of Species
- 1863 Saya ceases aging. Joel becomes aware of the special properties of her blood. Saya becomes aware of the existence of Diva locked up in the tower. 12 year old Haji is introduced to Saya to investigate her reproductive potential. Experimentation on Diva presumably continues, with Amshel, a member of a branch family, acting as an aid to Joel.
- 1883 The "blank page" in Joel's Diary. Saya releases Diva from the tower. Haji falls from a cliff, and Saya turns him into a Chevalier via a mouth-to-mouth transfusion of her blood. Diva kills Joel. The descendant of Joel founded the Red Shield to pursue Diva.
- End of 19th Century Saya suddenly enters 30 year period of hibernation.
- Early 20th Century Saya and Diva awaken. Saya and Haji pursue Diva and Chiroptera in Russia.
- 1914 First World War
- 1917 Russian Revolution
- 1918 Saya kills Diva's Chevalier, Grigori, then she enters her second hibernation. End of First World War. Physician Solomon Goldsmith is introduced to Diva and becomes a Chevalier.
- 1939 Second World War - Carl becomes Diva's Chevalier
- 1945 James becomes a Chevalier in Berlin. Under orders from Amshel, Solomon kills Chevalier Martin Bormann.
- 1965 Start of Vietnam War
- 1966 The events of Blood: The Last Vampire take place. Saya, in another active period, infiltrates a US military high school to track down two Chiroptera, whom she successfully kills. It is assumed that she re-enters hibernation shortly thereafter.
- 1972 Chiroptera sightings in Vietnam confirmed. Christmas bombing. The Red Shield injects Haji's blood into a hibernating Saya to cause an artificially induced awakening, resulting in her going berserk, killing Chiroptera and humans alike. Saya cuts off arms of both Haji and Carl. The dying original David entrusts Saya to George Miyagusuku. Haji, displeased by the incident, distances himself from Red Shield. Red Shield are unable to establish his whereabouts, but there are sightings of him in Hong Kong.
- 1975 End of Vietnam War
- 1990 George adopts Kai and Riku. Their parents were killed in a traffic accident.
- 2002 Joel (6th) becomes the head of the Red Shield.
- 2004 Saya awakens in Okinawa without her previous memories. Lives with Miyagusuku Family, under the surveillance of (the 2nd) David, with the agreement that once Saya remembers her past awakenings, she will go with the Red Shield.
- 2005 Saya reunites with Haji and is caught up with the fight against Chiroptera. George Miyagusuku becomes a Chiropteran. Saya is forced to kill him. With Kai and Riku in tow, Haji and Saya once again ally themselves with Red Shield. Diva awakens soon after.
- 2006 Nathan Mahler becomes a chevalier to Diva. Diva and Carl launch an attack on the Red Shield Headquarters. Diva kills Riku amidst the assault but not before forcing him to impregnate her. Carl's projectile spikes impale Joel in the spine and he is confined to a wheelchair thereafter. The Red Shield's command ship was forced to self-destruct in an attempt to take down Diva.
- 2007 Chiroptera sightings in London. Unable to resist his desire to fight Saya, Carl disobeys Diva in order to do so, but ends up losing his life. Amshel orders Solomon not to save Carl. Solomon betrays Diva repeatedly by warning Saya of her plans and eventually leaves Diva, no longer wishing to be her Chevalier. Saya tracks the Chiropteran to an Air Force base in North Carolina, and pursues Diva to New York City. D67 is used in food spread throughout the world. In New York City, Diva and Amshel are finally killed. Haji goes missing, they are unable to confirm if he died or not, Kai and Saya return to Okinawa along with everyone else. She then falls into her deep sleep. Kai carries her into his family's grave, where George had once shown Saya her cocoon she had slept in.
- 20XX Kai visits his family's grave where Saya sleeps. He takes his adopted children (Diva's twin daughters) and they both see the rose Haji has left for Saya.
[edit] Novels
There are two different novels based on the Blood+ mythology. They are published by Kadokawa Shoten.
- Blood+: The official adaptation of the TV series.
[edit] Manga
There are three different manga based on the Blood+ mythology. These are published by Kadokawa Shoten.
- Blood+: The official adaptation of the TV series, by Asuka Katsura (桂 明日香?), serialized in Monthly "Shonen Ace".
- Blood+ Adagio: A story focused on Saya and Hagi's past in Russia, by Kumiko Suekane, serialized in "Beans Ace".
- Blood+ Yakou Joushi: A Hagi solo story, prior to the events of the TV series, by Hirotaka Kisaragi, serialized in "Ciel".
[edit] Game
There is a PS2 game, Blood+: One Night Kiss and is directed by Goichi Suda and produced by his studio, Grasshopper Manufacture, famous for the GameCube/PS2 game, Killer7. In the game, players control Saya, and an original character by the name of Aoyama.
There is a PS2 game called "Blood: The Last Vampire" with two volumes based on the Blood+ film with over 2 hours of footage from the film. In the game the player is given the choice of how they wish the story/plot is to be developed and the gameplay leads to 42 possible endings. A PSP version of this game has been made and it contains both parts of the PS2 game on one UMD. The PSP version contains a strategy flow chart, a CG gallery and specially edited movies.
[edit] Episodes
- Main article: List of Blood+ episodes.
[edit] Music
| Opening themes | |||
| # | Transcription/Translation | Performed by | Episodes |
| 1 | Aozora no NAMIDA, 青空のナミダ (lit. Tears of the Blue Sky) | Hitomi Takahashi | 1-13 |
| 2 | SEASON’S CALL | HYDE | 14-25 |
| 3 | Colors of the Heart | UVERworld | 26-38 |
| 4 | Raion, 雷音 | Jinn | 39-50 |
| Ending themes | |||
| # | Transcription/Translation | Performed by | Episodes |
| 1 | Kataritsugu koto, 語り継ぐこと (lit. the things I pass down) | Chitose Hajime | 1-13, 50 |
| 2 | CRY NO MORE | Mika Nakashima | 14-25 |
| 3 | This Love | Angela Aki | 26-38 |
| 4 | Brand New Map | K | 39-49 |
Blood+ OST
- Blood+ Original Soundtrack 1. Composed by Mark Mancina. Produced by Hans Zimmer.
- Blood+ Original Soundtrack 2. Composed by Mark Mancina. Produced by Hans Zimmer.
Compilations
- Blood+ Complete Best. Composed by Mark Mancina. Produced by Hans Zimmer. - Release date: October 25
[edit] References
- ^ Blood+ at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- ^ Blood+ Licensed: 01/23/2006 @ Anime News Network
- ^ Adult Swim schedule
