bpS Battle Programmer Shirase - The appeal and evaluation of the anime depicting a realistic programming battle

Battle Programmer Shirase (BPS) - The world of the internet woven by a legendary hacker

■Overview of the work

"Battle Programmer Shirase" (BPS) is a 15-episode TV anime series that aired on UHF stations from October 4, 2003 to January 3, 2004. The original story is original to the anime, and AIC was in charge of animation production based on the original idea by Charatech. The director is Hiroki Hayashi, and the series composition is by J/R Sakurajimae. This work is a story about the battles that the lone freelance programmer Shirase Satoshi wages in the world of the Internet.

■ Story

Shirase Satoshi is a solitary freelance programmer with an extraordinary processing brain, and is known as a legendary hacker. Few know his true identity, but what does he find and think in the vast world of the Internet? What comes and goes through his dry, melancholy eyes? What has he lost, what has he gained, and what has he seen in the gaps between the Internet? What does he think now, among illusion, reality, and symbols? People call him Battle Programmer Shirase, or BPS.

■ Characters

Shirase Kei (CV: Kazuya Nakai)

The protagonist. A solitary freelance programmer and legendary hacker. A man with an extraordinary processing brain, he fights various battles in the online world. His past and goals are shrouded in mystery, and the full picture will be revealed as the story progresses.

Misao (CV: Misato Fukuen)

She is a childhood friend of Shirase Kei and an important character who supports him. Her presence is a source of emotional support for Shirase and holds an important key to the story.

Yoriko Yuzuki (CV: Fumiko Orikasa)

A talented female programmer. Although she sometimes clashes with Shirase, she recognizes his talent. Her appearance adds even more depth to the story.

Iku Akizuki (CV: Hiroshi Ienaka)

Shirase's friend and comrade in the fight. He supports Shirase in the battle in the online world.

King of America (CV: Yasuhiro Takato)

Shirase's rival and an important antagonist in the story. He uses a supercomputer to battle Shirase.

Hideki (CV: Hiroki Takahashi)

A friend of Shirase's who takes part in the battles in the online world and supports Shirase in his battles.

Sae Motoki (CV: Yuko Nagashima)

She is a potential lover for Shirase and someone who moves his heart. His relationship with her is an important element of the story.

Takeshi Kawahara (CV: Chihiro Suzuki)

A friend of Shirase's who takes part in the battles in the online world and supports Shirase in his battles.

Kotoe (mother) (CV: Atsuko Tanaka)

Shirase's mother, a character deeply connected to his past. Her presence influences Shirase's actions.

Shop owner (CV: Hajime Iijima)

The owner of a store that Shirase often visits. He is an important character who influences Shirase's actions and way of thinking.

Narration (CV: Takaya Hashi)

A narrator helps move the story forward, explaining the background and situation to the audience.

■ Staff

draft

Character Tech

plan

GANSIS, AIC

director

Hiroki Hayashi

Series Composition

J/R Sakurajima Liquid

Character design, chief animation director

Ryuichi Makino

Mechanical design, chief mechanical animation director

Takashi Hashimoto

Art Director

Takahashi Maho

Color design

Onishi Mineyo

Director of Photography

Yoshifumi Ayuda

3D Director

Mitsutaka Iguchi

edit

Shota Uyama

Sound Director

Toshiki Kameyama

music

Nagaoka Shigetsugu

producer

Atsushi Moriyama and Tomoko Kawasaki

Animation Producer

Kinya Watanabe

Animation Production

AIC

Production, writing

BPS Production Committee

■ Main robot items

magnesium

Its chemical symbol is Mg. It emits a strong light when ignited, so it is used as a photo flash and a military flare. It is also used as an alloy material and health food, and has a wide range of uses.

Elevator

It is a device that uses wires and motors to move people and luggage up and down in a box-shaped room. It is said that its origins lie in a pulley-equipped lifting device invented by Archimedes in 236 BC. Modern elevator mechanisms were established in the UK and the US from the 19th century onwards, and in Japan the first elevator was installed in the Ryōunkaku Tower in Asakusa, Tokyo on November 10th, 1890. To commemorate this day, November 10th has been designated as "Elevator Day" in Japan.

Metropolitan Police Department Public Security Bureau

The Public Security Bureau is a division within the Metropolitan Police Department whose role is to prevent crimes that threaten national security, such as terrorism and guerrilla acts, as well as to resolve such incidents in the unlikely event that they occur.

Bridal Consultant

This is the general term for private businesses that help men and women meet ideal partners, and is also known as a "marriage consultation agency." They mediate between men and women who are too busy to meet, and offer a variety of meeting plans, including membership registration and party types.

Instantaneous power

This is a power outage that occurs momentarily. When a power outage occurs at a facility that has its own power generating equipment for power outages, there is a slight time lag before the equipment switches over to the private power generation, and this time lag is called a "power outage."

Firepower Exercise

This training uses actual firearms and is conducted to enable SDF personnel to understand the effects of various firepower methods and the reality of firepower combat. It is also open to the public with the aim of introducing the various capabilities of the SDF to the public and deepening their understanding and trust.

Doujinshi sales event

It is an event where doujinshi, creative works created by people with the same aspirations, are exhibited and sold. Most of the doujinshi are made up of fans of anime and manga, and there are many doujinshi sales events that deal in doujinshi, which are derivative works of anime and manga.

plutonium

It is a radioactive substance with the atomic symbol Pu and atomic number 94, and is rarely found in nature. Plutonium, which is produced when uranium absorbs neutrons in a nuclear reactor, can be used as a nuclear weapon, so it is strictly controlled at the national level.

LD-ROM

A large-capacity digital recording medium that was used to record and play large volumes of digital data before the advent of the DVD standard. This role has now been taken over by DVD.

Military satellites

This artificial satellite was launched for military surveillance, exploration, and support of military operations, and orbits more than 35,000 km above the Earth.

SCSI

It is a standard for connecting peripheral devices, and is currently being replaced by another standard called USB. Although it is an old standard, it is highly stable and is still used in some computers (servers) that provide data to other computers over a network.

Supercomputer

A general term for computers with advanced computing power, mainly used in the research and development field. It is difficult to clearly define the difference between commercial computers and supercomputers, but research institutions purchase supercomputers based on the standard of "having a computing power of more than 5GFLOPS." Incidentally, FLOPS refers to the number of floating-point operations that can be performed per second, and having a computing power of 5GFLOPS means that it can perform 5 billion floating-point operations per second.

■Subtitle

Episode 1

Introducing BPS! E-mode VS Supercomputer The King of America also appears! (Part 1-3)

Episode 2

Hot BPS! Misao-chan is in danger at the seaside school where she wears school swimsuits! (Part 1-3)

Episode 3

BPS in Danger! The Talented Female Programmer is an Elementary School Student!? (Part 1-3)

Episode 4

Kotobuki retires? BPS! Sae-sensei is the matchmaking partner for "Sekisokuzekyou" (part 1-3)

Episode 5

The bewildering BPS! A female spy's sweet trap: a good day for a trip, kidnapping and confinement (parts 1-3)

■ Theme songs and music

OP1

suddenly

Lyricist: Naomi Amakata

Composer: Naomi Amakata

Arrangement: Koji Kubo

Singer: Naomi Amakata

ED1

Pure enough

Lyricist: Yuki Matsuura

Composer: Yuki Matsuura

Arrangement: Yuki Matsuura

Vocals: Yuki Matsuura

■ Appeal and evaluation of the work

"Battle Programmer Shirase" is a fascinating work with a unique setting set in the world of the internet and the character of a lone hacker named Shirase Kei. The story draws viewers in as it intertwines Shirase's battles in the world of the internet with mystery elements that explore his past and purpose. In addition, unique characters such as Misao and Yoriko Yuzuki add excitement to the story and support Shirase's lonely battle.

The animation quality of AIC, the studio in charge of animation, is also high, with excellent character and mechanic designs. In particular, the scenes depicting the internet world show off the skills of 3D director Mitsutaka Iguchi, creating a visual impact. In addition, the music by Shigetsugu Nagaoka also adds to the atmosphere of the story, stirring the emotions of the viewer.

The show was highly praised for its innovative approach set in the world of the internet, and was especially well received by viewers who are interested in IT and programming. Additionally, the character of Shirase Kei was appealing, and many viewers sympathized with his lonely struggle and growth. However, some viewers felt that the story development was a bit difficult to understand.

■ Recommendation points

"Battle Programmer Shirase" is a unique story set in the world of the internet, and features the character of the lone hacker Shirase Kei. Recommended for those who are interested in IT and programming, those who like mystery elements, and those who like unique characters. Also, don't miss AIC's high-quality animation and Nagaoka Shigemitsu's music. Be sure to experience the battle of Shirase Kei at least once.

Related information

Information related to "Battle Programmer Shirase" can be found on the official website, official Twitter account, fan site, etc. Blu-ray and DVD are also available for viewing. In addition, related books and merchandise are also on sale, making them must-see items for fans.

Official website: King Amusement Creative official website

Official Twitter: @bps_anime

Blu-ray/DVD: Amazon

Related Book: Battle Programmer Shirase Official Guidebook

Goods: AmiAmi

Conclusion

"Battle Programmer Shirase" is a fascinating work with its unique setting in the world of the internet and the character of the lone hacker Shirase Satoshi. The story development and character growth draw viewers in and move them deeply. Don't miss AIC's high-quality animation and Nagaoka Shigetsugu's music. Be sure to experience Shirase Satoshi's battles.