| Last Exile | |
 Cover art of the Japanese volume 1 compilationDVD forLast Exile, featuring main characters Lavie Head and Claus Valca | |
| Genre | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Gonzo |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Koichi Chigira |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by |
|
| Music by | Hitomi Kuroishi |
| Studio | Gonzo |
| Licensed by | Crunchyroll |
| Original network | TV Tokyo |
| English network | |
| Original run | April 8, 2003 – September 30, 2003 |
| Episodes | 26(List of episodes) |
| Manga | |
| Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing | |
| Written by | Gonzo |
| Illustrated by | Robo Miyamoto |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| Magazine | Young Ace |
| Original run | July 4, 2011 –October 4, 2012 |
| Volumes | 3 |
| Manga | |
| Last Exile: Travelers from the Hourglass | |
| Written by | Gonzo |
| Illustrated by | Minoru Murao |
| Published by | Kadokawa |
| Magazine | Newtype Ace |
| Original run | September 10, 2011 –June 10, 2012 |
| Volumes | 2 |
| Anime television series | |
| Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing | |
| Directed by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Kiyoko Yoshimura |
| Music by | Hitomi Kuroishi |
| Studio | Gonzo |
| Licensed by | Crunchyroll |
| Original network | CBC |
| English network | |
| Original run | October 15, 2011 – March 24, 2012 |
| Episodes | 21(List of episodes) |
| Anime film | |
| Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing: Over the Wishes | |
| Directed by | Yukio Takahashi |
| Written by | Shūichi Kōyama |
| Music by | Hitomi Kuroishi |
| Studio | Gonzo |
| Released | February 6, 2016 |
| Runtime | 120 minutes |
 Anime and manga portal | |
Last Exile (ラストエグザイル,Rasuto Eguzairu) is a Japaneseanime television series created byGonzo. It featured a production team led by directorKoichi Chigira, character designerRange Murata, and production designerMahiro Maeda. The three had previously worked together inBlue Submarine No. 6, one of the firstCG anime series. It aired onTV Tokyo from April to September 2003. A sequel series,Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing (ラストエグザイル～銀翼のファム～,Rasuto Eguzairu Gin'yoku no Famu), aired from October 2011 to March 2012. A film adaptation of the series,Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing: Over the Wishes, was released in February 2016.
The story is set on the fictional world of Prester, where its inhabitants useaerial vehicles known as vanships as a means of transportation. On this world, which is divided in eternal conflict between the nations of Anatoray and Disith, skycouriers Claus Valca and Lavie Head must deliver a girl who holds the key to uniting the two factions. Although Prester itself is not a representation of Earth, it features technology reminiscent of nineteenth century Europe at the dawn of theIndustrial Revolution. Many of its designs were also inspired by Germany's technological advances during theinterwar period.
The series was licensed in North America byGeneon Entertainment in June 2003, two months after the first episode aired in Japan.Funimation began licensing the series after Geneon ceased production of its titles, later licensing the sequel series. It was also licensed for English releases in the United Kingdom, originally byADV Films until its closure in 2009, and is now licensed byManga Entertainment, and in Australia byMadman Entertainment. Other published media included two soundtracks, two manga, and artbooks.
Last Exile has received widespread critical acclaim and is considered to be one of Gonzo's best works. It has been praised for its narrative, visuals, themes, soundtrack and production values.
Last Exile is set on the fictional world of Prester.[3][a] Prester's two nations of Anatoray and Disith are separated by a turbulent region of the sky known as the Grand Stream and are engaged in conflict according to the code ofchivalric warfare. A superior faction known as the Guild enforces these rules. It also provides the two nations with technology but, unknown to them, has dishonorable intentions, to preserve the status quo and enforce its dominance of both sides. Although the story is set in the future, the technology employed differs from that in a typicalspace opera.[4] Instead, the show'sretro-futuristic setting resembles nineteenth-century Europe at the height of theIndustrial Revolution. Inhabitants of Prester operate aerial vehicles known as vanships in the world's Golden Age of Aviation; although the technology is primitive, the aerial vehicles use a form ofantigravity (developed by the Guild) and lighter-than-air methods of flight rather than the use ofwings.[5]
Various scenes in the series also show existing tension between the upper and lower classes.[4] Anatoray's nobility and military officers generally believe that commoners do not understand their codes of chivalry. On the other hand, the lower class also despise the aristocracy for their monopoly on resources.[b] This tension extends to the accessibility of clean water, which varies in price according to purity grades.[c] In the larger story, the advanced Guild society is portrayed as degenerate and lazy, while the people of Anatoray and Disith are creative and industrious.
The series introduces viewers to a wide range of naval and military vocabulary.[10][d] More primitive navigational methods such asdead reckoning and instruments such as thesextant are also used in the series.[e]
The story revolves around fifteen-year-old pilotClaus Valca and navigatorLavie Head, who fly their vanship as skycouriers in the nation of Anatoray. Although they usually take up missions of relatively low difficulty, they are one day asked to complete the mission of a dying courier. The mission, rated seven stars out of ten, is to deliver a young girl namedAlvis Hamilton to the mysterious battleshipSilvana.[12] Despite their fears, Claus and Lavie deliver Alvis to the battleship but decide to remain aboard to keep her safe.[13] Claus and Lavie are initially treated as intruders but eventually befriend the crew of theSilvana. They learn that the Guild intends to capture Alvis for reasons unknown to them. In the first battle between theSilvana and Guild forces, Guild memberDio Eraclea takes an interest in Claus's flying skills and his signature move, theImmelmann turn.[14] Wanting to learn more about Claus, Dio willingly allows himself to be captured. He reveals to theSilvana's captain,Alex Row, the existence of one of four Mysteria which act as a key to something known asExile.[11]
When theSilvana's executive officer,Sophia Forrester, is revealed to be the Emperor's daughter and heir, she returns to Anatoray at the request of the prime minister. Sophia assumes the throne after the Emperor is killed during a surprise attack at the capital by the Disith nation and pleads for an alliance with Disith in order to captureExile and end the Guild's control.[15] Sophia reveals to Claus that Alvis is linked to the Mysteria,[16] but as preparations for the assault are made, Alvis is captured by the Guild.[17]
Delphine Eraclea, the Maestro of the Guild, reveals thatExile is acolony ship used by those who first settled their world, and she intends to use Alvis and the Mysteria to take control of it.[18] However, Claus and Alvis escape the Guild stronghold and are reunited with Lavie when the alliance fleet attacks.[19] As the fleet followsExile past the Grand Stream and enters Disith, it is able to destroy Delphine's forces. After Claus and Alvis recite the four Mysteria,Exile reveals itself as a starship that will carry people back to their old home world.[20]
A manga set right after the events ofLast Exile and beforeFam, the Silver Wing,Travelers from the Hourglass continues the story of Claus, Lavie, Alvis, and the others who left Prester and settled on Earth, their ancestors' home world. As they get used to their new home, Al is pursued by the Earth Guild.
Taking place two years after the events ofLast Exile,Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing is set on Earth, the original home world of the colonists of Prester. The new story focuses on Fam Fan Fan and Giselle Collette, two vespa vanship pilots who work asSky Pirates, capturing and selling battleships for a living. Fam and Giselle get into an adventure when they and the Sky Pirates rescue Liliana il Grazioso Merlo Turan and her younger sister, Millia Il Velch Cutrettola Turan, Princesses of the Turan Kingdom, from the clutches of the mighty Ades Federation. The Federation, led by Empress Sārā Augusta and Premier Luscinia Hāfez, is on an all out war against nations who descended from immigrants who came back to Earth by Exile ships.
As Ades was the only nation to stay on Earth when it was in a state of chaos and ruin, Luscinia believes that the Exile immigrants have no right to return to Earth since their ancestors abandoned Earth when it was in chaos only to return when Earth was viable to live on again and force the original inhabitants of Earth off their lands to form their own nations. To return these lands to their original inhabitants, Luscinia leads the Ades Federation to conquer the immigrant nations and destroy their armies, with Turan being one of them. After Luscinia kidnaps Liliana, who has the ability to control an Exile, Luscinia summons an Exile to destroy Iglasia, the capital of Turan, killing its soldiers and the King of Turan, leading to the surrender of Turan to Ades. With everything she cared for lost, Millia is given refuge by the Sky Pirates, where Fam promises to help Millia regain her kingdom.
Last Exile was created byGonzo in celebration of the company's 10th anniversary.[21] It featured a production team led by directorKoichi Chigira, character designerRange Murata, and production designerMahiro Maeda. The three had previously worked together to createBlue Submarine No. 6, one of the firstCG anime series.[22]
Conceptual designs were created byRange Murata, who was given complete freedom to create the setting. He began drawing detailedsketches of machines and everyday objects from a daily newspaper. His research was given no constraints with the exception of production deadlines.[6] Gonzo initially intended forLast Exile to be shown in a space setting, but producers did not want the characters to wear sterilespace suits. Murata believed the design took "the course the story had laid out".[23] His character conceptualization included a great amount of time spent oncostume design. Wanting to portray each character's personality more fully, he "tried to draw in the kind of material that would have been used in creating their clothes and try to represent the stitches connecting the fabric." In contrast to crewmembers of the battleshipSilvana who wear modern and utilitarian uniforms, other characters wear traditionally aristocratic attire.[24] High amount of attention was given to character animation. Animators especially experienced difficulties withAlex Row's hair and flowing cape.[25]
Production ofLast Exile relied heavily on3Dcomputer animation. Of the 350 shots used in the first episode, more than 200 included computer-generated animation. In comparison, Gonzo's previous work,Vandread, used an average of 40 to 50 computer-generated shots per episode.[26] Animation was also supplemented withVictorian era flourishes.[10] In order to combine hand-drawn animation with computer-generated ones, the production team used a technique fornon-photorealistic rendering, which could not be used forBlue Submarine No. 6 because of a stylistic conflict.[23] At the 2003Anime Expo, Maeda, who also worked withStudio Ghibli's production ofCastle in the Sky, commented that "[Last Exile] is very advanced in how it will incorporate the two mediums".[27]
Real-world historical designs were also adapted for the fictional world. Flying battleships of the Anatoray and Disith nations included components of Japanesedreadnoughts in commission at the turn of the twentieth century. Uniform designs for Anatoray'smusketeers were based onNapoleon Bonaparte's army andAmerican Civil War soldiers. On the other hand,Soviet Red Army fur coats provided the basis for Disith uniforms. Another inspiration for creators came from asilent film of the airshipHindenburg, which depicted the aircraft'sUFO-like silver-plated design in contrast to the traditional buildings below. This imagery was reproduced in the series.[6]
Producers selected a specific historical time frame to serve as a point of reference.
We had this image of Germany at the beginning of the twentieth century. We thought that Germany of theinterwar period had very interesting characteristics. People think of something of dark and negative because of the rise of theNazism. But so much of things appeared at that time, like a rapid growth of the cities and richness. Industrial technology, chemistry, scientific discoveries, much of inventions also in the design.Bauhaus appears there, for example. [...] I think that all that Germany produced at that time was extreme and unique.
— Mahiro Maeda, interview in Geneon Entertainment's volume 1 compilation DVD ofLast Exile[6]
Several characters were also named after historical figures. The name of Claus Valca's father was derived fromHamilcar Barca, the leading commander ofCarthaginian forces during theFirst Punic War and father of the talented tacticianHannibal.[28] An Anatoray general was named afterVitellius, who led theRoman Empire for several months during theYear of the Four Emperors.[29]
Last Exile premiered in Japan on April 8, 2003, and aired onTV Tokyo until the airing of its final episode on September 30.[3] A total of 13DVD compilations were released byVictor Entertainment from July 23, 2003 to July 21, 2004. A complete seven-disc boxed set was released on November 21, 2004. The deluxe edition of this set included a model of Tatiana's and Alister's red vanship, a short story on the fictional Battle of Otranto;[Note 2] unpublished articles on the series, and illustrations by character designer Range Murata.[30]
Pioneer Entertainment (laterGeneon Entertainment) licensed the series in June 2003, two months after the first episode aired in Japan;[5] and the first compilation DVD was released on November 18.[31]TechTV premiered the series in English during itsAnime Unleashed programming block on March 8, 2004. The first thirteen episodes aired nightly until March 14;[32] and remaining episodes premiered on December 6 after channel was merged intoG4techTV, with new episodes airing each weeknight until the series concluded on December 22. All 26 episodes were also aired in a marathon broadcast on Christmas Day.[33]AZN Television andG4techTV Canada also broadcast the series in 2007.[2][34] After Geneon ceased distribution of its licensed titles in North America, rights to the series were transferred toFunimation;[5] and a four-disc boxed set was released on May 5, 2009;[35] and again on June 14, 2011, under the "Anime Classics" line.
ADV Films originally owned the license for the series' English release in the United Kingdom until its parent company's shutdown in 2009. It was then relicensed byManga Entertainment,[36] while distribution rights in Australia and New Zealand are owned byMadman Entertainment.[37]Last Exile is also licensed for regional language release in France;[38] Germany;[39] Sweden;[40] Russia;[41] and Taiwan.[42] It has been hosted at the streaming media websiteCrunchyroll.[5]
On February 1, 2011, Gonzo revealed that a newLast Exile anime was planned titledLast Exile -Fam, the Silver Wing-;[43] described as "a new series ofLast Exile [with] new story, [main] characters, and mechanical designs."Koichi Chigira and Hitomi Kuroishi returned to direct and score the anime, respectively.[44] The series aired in Japan from October 15, 2011 to March 24, 2012 and was also simulcasted on the same day in Asia byAnimax Asia, making it the fifth anime to be simulcasted the same time as its Japanese premiere on the channel, afterTears to Tiara,Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood,Inuyasha: The Final Act, andMaid Sama!.Funimation licensed the series for streaming and home video release and simulcast the series as it aired.[1] A film adaptation of the series, titledLast Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing: Over the Wishes, was released in theaters on February 6, 2016.[45] The film recompiles the events of the television series with some newly animated footage.[46]
Two pieces of theme music were used for the series. "Cloud Age Symphony", performed by Shuntaro Okino, was used as the opening theme for all 26 episodes. It was released byVictor Entertainment as amaxi single on May 21, 2003, and remained on theOricon music charts for six weeks, where it peaked at 52nd position.[47] Hitomi Kuroishi's "Over the Sky" was used as the ending theme.[48] Music trio Dolce Triade, which includes Kuroishi, produced two CD soundtracks for the series.Last Exile O.S.T. was released by Victor Entertainment on June 21, 2003, and remained on the Oricon music charts for seven weeks, where it peaked at 52nd position. It includes both theme songs and 17 additional instrumental tracks.[49] The second soundtrack,Last Exile O.S.T. 2 was released on September 3, 2003, and remained on the Oricon music charts for five weeks, where it peaked at 55th position. It includes an alternate version of the ending theme song and 19 additional instrumental tracks.[50]
Geneon Entertainment licensed both soundtracks for release in North America. The first soundtrack was released on February 17, 2004;[51] and the second was released on April 13.[52] Both soundtracks are out of print in North America after Geneon ceased production of its licensed titles in 2007.[53]
A 136-page art book titledLast Exile Aerial Log, was released in February 2005. It was published in Japanese and was never translated for English-language release. The book contains detailed character sketches and descriptions as well as technical manuals for aircraft that appeared in the series. It also includes exclusive interviews with members of the production staff.[54]
There are twomanga series published in Japan. The first, is an adaptation ofLast Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing written by Gonzo and illustrated by Robo Miyamoto, serialized inYoung Ace magazine and published byKadokawa.[55] The second, titledLast Exile – Travelers from the Hourglass (ラストエグザイル – 砂時計の旅人,Rasuto Eguzairu – Sunadokei no Ryojin), tells what happened to the Claus and his friends after the events ofLast Exile and before the events ofLast Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing. The manga was written by Gonzo and illustrated by Minoru Murao, one of the original animators of theLast Exile anime.Last Exile – Travelers from the Hourglass was serialized inNewtype Ace and published by Kadokawa.[56]
On February 11, 2005, a report onAnime News Network mentioned a possiblelive-actionLast Exile film. It was based on a blog post byPatrick Macias, writer forAnimerica and author of several books on Japanese pop culture and anime, which noted that while he was attending theTokyo International Anime Fair, a Gonzo employee suggested that an unnamedNew Line Cinema producer was interested in adapting the series for a live-action production.[57][f] On July 8, 2009, a concept art image was leaked on the Internet but was removed at the request of filmmakers.[59] However, as of 2013, there has been no new news about the film, suggesting it has been canceled.
After receiving a respectable amount of attention in the United States, the series was licensed to Pioneer Entertainment (laterGeneon Entertainment) in June 2003, only two months after the first episode aired in Japan.[5] It received numerous praises for its artwork and production, placing it as one ofGonzo's best work. By integrating music and sounds of a European theme, the soundtrack contributed to the series' unique flavor. Divers Allen ofAnime News Network gave it an A, and describes the series as "Last Exile is filled with breathtaking scenery, non-stop action and intriguing characters that will keep even the most casual anime fans glued to the edge of their seats. It is a stunning series that leaves viewers craving for more, it continues to shine as a TV series that has the production values of a theatrical animated film. A visual masterpiece with the story to back it up".[60][61]
Last Exile has been likened toHayao Miyazaki's classic workNausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and the earlysteampunk novel trilogyA Nomad of the Time Streams.[39][60]
Enoch Lau ofTHEM Anime Reviews gave the anime series 5 out of 5 stars. Lau praised the series for its great story, outstanding animation and characters. Saying that "resembling something from Miyazaki more than Gonzo,Last Exile looks different. From the faces of the characters down to the stylings of the battleships, it evokes a classic feel but all the while look entirely new. The vanships and battleships are rendered in CG, and so are the myriad of battle effects and the plot is quite solid and intriguing.Last Exile has one of the most interesting settings that I have come across in recent anime. It is a time of war, and chivalry dictates how the opposing forces battle. But instead of using horses and chariots, they use battleships".[62] When Geneon's compilation DVDs were released, reviewers such asIGN praised them despite the use of Dolby Digital 2.0 audio mix over a 5.1 mix. "The separation is masterfully taken care of with voices, music, and sound effects leveled off very cleanly for both the Japanese and English audio tracks."[63] In an interview with directorKoichi Chigira given in July 2004, he was surprised to find that the series had reached a great level of popularity among fans in the United States.[64]
TechTV vice president Laura Civiello stated thatLast Exile "had more universal appeal than other types of anime shown on the network, which often contained lots of references recognizable only by hard-core fans." When the series premiered on the network,The New York Times recommended it for young audience as well with the headline "An Anime Marathon, and It is Not Just for Adults."[4] The network moved itsAnime Unleashed programming block into prime time to take advantage of the quality of the series;[65] eventually launching it into a top ten position on theNielsen VideoScan anime survey in the middle of 2004.[66]Sony Pictures Entertainment selectedLast Exile,Blood+,Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo, andR.O.D the TV as part of its promotional campaign throughout 2007 and 2008 targeting a bigger audience. It streamed the four series throughout Europe, Latin America, and other parts of Asia onAnimax andAnimax Asia through various3G mobile phone services.[67][68]
