| 17th | Top series featured in Super Robot Wars |
| 61st | Top anime distributed by TV Tokyo |
| 43rd | Top anime broadcast by Hero |
| Genesis of Aquarion | |
|---|---|
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| 創聖のアクエリオン (Sōsei no Akuerion) |
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| Genre | Mecha, Science fiction, Romance |
| TV anime | |
| Director | Shoji Kawamori |
| Studio | Satelight |
| Licensor |   Madman Entertainment  FUNimation |
| Network |  TV Tokyo |
| English network | FUNimation Channel |
| Original run | 4 April 2005 – 26 September 2005 |
| Episodes | 26 |
| Anime film | |
| Gekijouban Aquarion | |
| Director | Shoji Kawamori |
| Studio | Satelight |
| Released | 15 September 2007 |
Genesis of Aquarion (創聖のアクエリオン Sōsei no Akuerion) is an anime TV series written and directed by Shoji Kawamori, produced by Satelight.
The science fiction series is a homage to the Super Robot shows of the 1970s and 1980s, executed with modern animation techniques and aesthetics. Set in the future, a giant fighting machine called Aquarion is humanity's only weapon in the fight against the technologically advanced species called the Shadow Angels.
Aquarion aired from April 4, 2005 to September 26, 2005 on TV Tokyo. An alternate retelling of the television series, the Genesis of Aquarion OVA, is in production. A feature film adaptation premiered on September 15, 2007. The television series is licensed in North America by FUNimation while on the 14 February 2006 it aired on MTV Italia.
On April 27, 2009, the series made its North American television debut on the FUNimation Channel.[1]
Contents |
Eleven years before the start of the series, a disaster only referred to as the "Great Catastrophe" destroyed significant parts of the world and killed off many of its inhabitants. Along with the disaster came the appearance of the Shadow Angels, winged-beings who have been in slumber for twelve thousand years in their city of Atlandia and have technology so advanced, it may be defined as very nearly magic. The Shadow Angels begin to harvest humans on Earth, dubbing them as "the wingless ones", like cattle, extracting their prana (life force) from them to serve as energy and nutrition to the Shadow Angels, but also to feed the legendary Tree of Life. The Shadow Angels facilitate their harvesting via giant, floating harvesting machines called harvest beasts guarded by giant mecha called Cherubim Soldiers. They are sentient, yet there are times when they are piloted by Shadow Angels.
Ordinary weapons prove ineffective against the Cherubim, but a human expedition under the leadership of Gen Fudou eventually excavates three very technologically advanced fighter planes. Gen Fudou disappears, but an organization called Deava takes over the research of these machines, called Vectors, trying to find out how to use them. The three Vectors are the green Vector Luna, the blue Vector Mars and the red Vector Sol. Deava discovers only people with special powers called Elements can control the Vectors and, ultimately, unite the three to form a giant fighting machine with three transformations called Aquarion.
During the first sortie to fight a Cherubim by uniting the vectors into Aquarion, Deava encounters 15 year-old Apollo, who seems to be the reincarnation of the hero Apollonius, also known as the "Solar Wing", who betrayed his Shadow Angel brethren for his love of the human warrior Seliane.
In the process of Unification, the Vectors combine to form the humanoid robot Aquarion, with the head being the leading section. This process also merges the souls of the Elements to some degree, as each supplies one of the supposed three aspects of their soul into one when Aquarion is formed. During Unification, the Elements experience an influx of power and energy, which in classic Japanese fan-service style is shown to be a feeling of wondrous power for the men, while for the women it is blatantly orgasmic in nature.
All three forms are capable of using the powers and/or the abilities of the elements that are piloting it separately or in any combination, as well as combining them with the main powers of the form Aquarion is in at the time (Mugen Punch, bow and arrows or sword) and using the main powers in special ways such as classifying them with unique names or using them in unique ways. The elements piloting it can combine their status such as strength, speed, targeting, mental strength and willpower in any way as well, and enable Aquarion to use it as its own in battle.
The following are other forms the Aquarion can take, but only appear in specific situations:
The Assault Type Aquarion is a copy of the original Aquarion, constructed in a joint operation between DEAVA and the New United Nations using Shadow Angel DNA collected by force. It follows the same basic architecture of the original with a couple of physical differences and uses conventional weaponry of cannons, rockets and machine guns as opposed to the original's more traditional weapons of bow and arrows, sword and Mugen punch. Colored mostly in gray/black, this Aquarion is normally piloted by one cyborg element or even a normal human being, while the other two corresponding Vectors AI-controlled. It can configure into six different forms and is composed of Vectors named Alpha, Delta and Omega, which corresponds to the Vector Sol, Vector Luna and the Vector Mars, respectively. The Vectors are compatible with normal elements and the original Aquarion's vectors and they are mass produced by the New United Nations.
Despite early references to biblical trees, the Book of Genesis and such, the bulk of Aquarion is tied to many other non-Christian myths.
Age of Aquarius, also known as the Aquarian Age, was a concept popularized by Carl Gustav Jung. The Age of Aquarius was seen in contraposition with current the Age of Pisces: whereas the Age of Pisces represents duality and antithesis (thus, conflict), the Age of Aquarius is an age of synthesis and spiritualism (in some ways, a new golden age). In the New Age, because of the implications of love, comprehension and one-ness, it can be associated with the fourth chakra. Aquarion as a name is a reference to this concept, but the show digs deeper in symbolism in using the Aquarion as an instrument for a "new era of holy genesis", managing to resolve conflict between the opposing parties of humans and Shadow Angels and showing a not-so-metaphorical process of oneness with the Earth.
Aquarion's main theme references Indian lore. The word yoga is translated as "unite" and means "union with the divine through the integration of body, mind and spirit" (in Japanese, the word "kokoro" refers to both heart or mind, but is more often translated as just the heart). During Unification, the Elements merge together their bodies, minds and spirits, but a real Unification of the Aquarion can only be obtained with a Shadow Angel onboard, fitting the scheme of the divine element necessary into order to achieve true Unification and completing Aquarion's power.
Yogis are said to develop special powers called siddhis. One of them is called prapti (acquisition) and with this siddhi, the perfect mystic yogi can not only touch the moon, but he can extend his hand anywhere and take whatever he likes. In the series, the Solar Aquarion's Mugen Punch manages to reach the moon, although the real prapti should not involve greatly elongated arms, but rather the ability to cancel distances between objects (resulting in the idea of omnipresence). In this sense, the real prapti in the show is perhaps used by Gen Fudo, who makes things appear out of nothing from his hand. It is worth noting another siddhi called Mahima is the ability to become incredibly big; this may be referenced to the Aquarion's ability to expand itself in size during particular battles with the Cherubim.
The character Apollonius is a passing nod to Greek mythology. Seemingly inspired by Prometheus, he gave fire to humans and was punished by Zeus through an eagle feasting on his liver; similarly, Apollonius gives the humans a fighting chance against the Shadow Angels with the Aquarion, but loses his wings as punishment. Like Apollonius of Tyana, Aquarion's Apollonius dies and reincarnates as the protagonist Apollo, while the Greek god Apollo is stated to have been born in the bank of a lake, Aquarion's Apollo is given his name after he swims in a lake.
Atlandia's Tree of Life seemingly takes on dual roles, referencing the Tree of Life (image to the right) from the Kabbalah as well as the Yggdrasil of Norse mythology. The arrangement of the flowers at the end of the central flowering portion can be easily seen forming the ten interconnecting nodes of the Sephirot, only that as everyone can or cannot see, the flower at top middle center, the spot that is supposed to symbolize the unity of the nodes is absent, which possibly explains the cause of the tree's unexpected reaction at the end of the series. The tree also acts in a similar function to the Yggdrasil, as it literally holds the entire planet together.
Yoko Kanno is the composer of the soundtrack music. Performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra.
In America, Genesis of Aquarion has been praised for its excellent mecha designs, musical score and animation style. The story, however, has mixed reviews. AnimeonDVD, and Anime News Network has rated the series overall a C+, stating that Aquarion tries to please everyone with the different elements that are reminiscent of other series, and fails to establish its own identity.
Most fans consider the series to be a homage to other like-minded mecha series, and appreciated the above average enjoyment that its predecessors lacked. Other fans found that the lack of a completely original story from Kawamori, was countered by a smoother, less complex manner of execution that familiar stories couldn't pull off.
Overall, Aquarion has been received well by the majority of fans and critics, appealing more to the former than the latter.
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