The appeal and evaluation of "Kishin Houkou Demonbane": New possibilities for robot anime

Demonbane - Demonbane

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

18+ games

■ Release date

July 1, 2004

■Release and sales

Kadokawa Shoten

■Frequencies

25 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

・Original work: Nitro+

■ Director

・Director: Shintaro Inokawa

■ Production

Animation production: Viewworks, Group Duck Production: Kadokawa Shoten, DEGITURBO

■Works

©Kadokawa Shoten/DigiTurbo ©Nitroplus 2004-2006

■Explanation

The OVA included with the PS2 game "Kishin Houkou Demonbane" is a side story that visualizes episodes not told in the main game. Demonbane's greatest appeal is the action scenes between robots, but the well-paced animation and the performances by the stellar voice actors create an excitement that is different from the game!

"Kishin Houkou Demonbane" is based on an 18+ game created by Nitro+, and its world view and story have captivated many fans. The OVA version is a spinoff of the main game, depicting the story from a new perspective, making it enjoyable for both existing fans and new viewers.

The story is set in the fictional city of Arcadia. The protagonist, Kuro Ouji, obtains the ancient magic book "Necronomicon" and rides the giant robot "Demonbane" to fight the evil "Cult" that is attacking the city. The OVA depicts new battles between Kuro and his friends that were not depicted in the main game, and is characterized by a story development that draws viewers in.

The OVA version also takes the robot battle scenes, a draw from the game, to the next level. Directed by Shintaro Inogawa, animation by Viewworks and Group Duck has been done with good tempo and powerful action, leaving a strong impression on viewers. In particular, the battle scenes between Demonbane and enemy robots combine detailed drawings and dynamic direction to provide even more excitement than the game.

Furthermore, the performances by the stellar voice actors are not to be missed. The performances of the voice actors who bring out the individuality of each character, such as Kentaro Ito as Oojuuji Kuro, Rie Kanda as Al Azif, and Junko Asami as Hadou Ruri, add depth to the story. In particular, Rie Kanda's performance as Al Azif brings out the charm of the character to the fullest, capturing the hearts of viewers.

The production staff for the OVA version is also impressive. The original creator Nitro+ supervised the production, while Hagaya Jin was in charge of the plot and script supervision. Director Inogawa Shintaro also worked on the storyboards, ensuring the overall unity of the work. Additionally, Nishi was in charge of the character and mecha design, while Sakurai Masaaki was in charge of character design and animation direction, bringing together professionals from various fields.

In terms of music, the theme song "Redeem your Dream" is sung by Yuichi Ikuzawa, with lyrics by Ikuko Ebata and music composed and arranged by Shintaro Jinbo, and is packed with elements that add excitement to the worldview of the work. This theme song expresses the strong will to "make dreams come true," which is the theme of the story, and will resonate with the hearts of viewers.

The OVA version of "Kishin Houkou Demonbane" is recommended not only for fans of the main game, but also for those who like anime and robot action. The story told from a new perspective, the evolved action scenes, and the world woven by the performances of the gorgeous voice actors will provide viewers with new excitement. Be sure to enjoy it along with the main game.

■Cast

・Daijuuji Kuro/Kentaro Ito・Al Azif/Rie Kanda・Hadou Ruri/Junko Asami・Laika/Nami Kurokawa・Dr. West/Takumi Yamazaki・Elsa/Mikako Sato・Winfield/Takehito Koyasu・Sonya/Satomi Koorogi・Chiaki/Kaoru Morota・Makoto/Yu Asakawa・Ness/Kazuhiro Nakata・Stone/Takuo Kawamura・Lily Bridge/Tomoko Kawakami・Editor-in-Chief/Masashi Ehara・Blake/Tomoyuki Morikawa・Child/Yu Asakawa

■ Main staff

・Original work: Nitro+
・Planning: Takeshi Yasuda (Kadokawa Shoten), Takaki Kosaka (DigiTurbo)
・Plot concept, script supervision: Jin Hagaya (Nitroplus)
・Director, Storyboard: Shintaro Inokawa ・Scriptwriter: Katsuhiko Takayama ・Direction: Hong Heon-pyo ・Character design, original mecha design: Nishi~ (Nitroplus)
・Character design, animation director: Masaaki Sakurai ・Storyboard, assistant animation director, prop design: Yukio Takatsu ・Color design, color design: Hirono Noji ・Composite coordinator: Yasuaki Takeuchi ・Setting supervision: Nitroplus ・Setting supervision management: Daisuke Ono (Nitroplus)
・3D layout: Yukio Takatsu ・Original 3DI modeling: Nitroplus, Makoto Ishiwata, Naomasa Kurihara ・Animation producers: Rikiya Shinzaki, Kenjiro Kawato ・Animation production: Viewworks, Group Duck ・Production producers: Shinhiko Fujioka, Jun Kato (Kadokawa Shoten), Yoshinao Doi (DigiTurbo)
Produced by Kadokawa Shoten and DEGITURBO

■ Related works

・Kishin Houkou Demonbane TV anime version

■ Theme songs and music

・ED1
・Redeem your Dream
Lyrics: Ikuko Ebata; Composition: Shintaro Jinbo; Arrangement: Shintaro Jinbo; Singer: Yuichi Ikuzawa