The appeal and reviews of "Fantasy Children": A thorough explanation of this masterpiece of fantasy anime

Fantastic Children - A story of adventure and love that transcends time and space

■Overview of the work

"Fantastic Children" is a 26-episode anime series that aired on TV Tokyo from October 4, 2004 to March 28, 2005. It was written and directed by Takashi Nakamura and produced by Nippon Animation and the FC Production Committee. This original anime work depicts a grand fantasy set hundreds of millions of light years away in space, and a love story that transcends time and space.

■ Story

At the end of the 15th century, a civil war broke out over the powerful princess Tina on the planet Greece, 200 million light years away from Earth. Tina travels to Earth using the Reincarnation Device, a collection of the best of the planet's technology. Reincarnated on Earth, Tina is reborn as an orphaned child, Helga, in the year 2001, 500 years later. 11-year-old Helga meets a boy named Toma on a small island in the south. Toma is drawn to Helga, but pursuers from Greece are closing in. Seven scientists, Georka, and his son Duma try to recover Tina's soul. Toma fights to protect Helga, but the story is complicated and intertwined as it unravels what happened in Greece 500 years ago, what the scientists' purpose is, and what the meeting between Helga and Toma means.

■Explanation

"Fantastic Children" is a work that aims to deliver a full-scale adventure fantasy to boys and girls. It is an original project that the original author and director Nakamura Takashi and Nippon Animation have been working on for many years, and it is a genuine fantasy adventure work that boys and girls can enjoy while having a taste of nostalgic mystery and adventure series. The story is a love story of children who travel across two hundred million light years of space and five hundred years on Earth. It answers the questions that children have such as "Where do people come from and where are they going?", "What happens when people die?", "What was my past life? And do people reincarnate?", and provides an exciting adventure fantasy full of entertainment.

■Cast

・Helga/Shiho Kawaraki・Thoma/Junko Minagawa・Chit/Nozomi Kobayashi・Duma/Eiji Hanawa・Thoma's father/Toru Okawa・Thoma's mother/Yuki Kaida・Agi/Yu Urata・Soleto/Sachiko Takaguchi・Heesma/Katsuhiro Harazawa・Hasmodai/Sachi Matsumoto・Tallant/Asami Yaguchi・Mel/Maaya Sakamoto・Parza/Chihiro Suzuki・Gerta/Yuki Kaida・Cucks/Shinpachi Tsuji・Alice/Yuko Sumitomo・Seth/Tetsu Goto・Solan/Wataru Hatano

■ Main staff

・Original story, director, character design / Nakamura Takashi・Screenplay / Mitsui Hideki, Nakamura Takashi・Art director / Yamamoto Nizo・Art assistants / Masuyama Osamu, Konno Akemi・Chief animation director / Nakamura Miyuki・Storyboards / Terahigashi Katsumi, Fukutomi Hiroshi, Sugiyama Masaki・Direction / Kaburagi Hiroshi, Nishida Kenichi, Shimizu Kenichi, Tsuda Yoshizo・Animation directors / Maruyama Koichi, Aoki Tetsuro, Iwato, Sakuma Yasuko, Naganuma Norihiro・Director of photography / Morishita Seiichi・Editing / Nakano Kazuho, ​​Kimura Sumimi, Natori Shinichi・Color design / Sato Mayumi・Color design / Asano Yumi, Nishidate Makiko・Music / Ueno Koji・Sound director / Hayase Hiroyuki・Producer / Sato Kenichi・Production / Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Nippon Animation, FC Production Committee

■ Main Characters

●Earth Chapter - Helga The heroine of this story. She was in an institution but escaped with Chitto. She has a mysterious world inside her and is searching for what it is. The story begins when she meets Toma. (Age 11)

・A master of Toma Papan martial arts. He lived with his parents on Papan Island, but when he met Helga, they began to work together to help her. He can't help but be interested in Helga, though he doesn't know why. His surprising past is revealed at the end. (Age 11)

- Chitto A boy who was in the same institution as Helga. He loves Helga and has gone through many hardships for her. He escapes from the institution and is saved by Toma just as he is about to be caught. From then on, he helps Helga together with Toma. (Age 8)

The Children of Belfort: A mysterious mass disappearance of children that occurs every 100 years. The children, known as the "Children of Belfort", are scientists from the royal family of planet Greece who were researching the world of death (the Zone) and who were reincarnated on Earth in pursuit of Princess Tina. On Earth, they lose their memories of their past lives once they reach the age of 11, so for 500 years, they have been reincarnating as a group, searching for Tina. The story begins with the search for the mass disappearance of children that has continued for over a century.

Dumas Came from the planet Greece to search for his sister. He doesn't appear in public very often, and there are many mysteries surrounding him. As the story progresses, many of the mysteries surrounding him are revealed. (18 years old)

・Head of the Geltaged Organization. He deciphered the symbols on the fragments and created a mysterious machine. He was originally one of the "Children of Belfort". Inspired by Dr. Rugen's inventions, he set out on the path to becoming a scientist. But even there, he is hindered by his past... (52 years old)

Cooks is a detective investigating the "Children of Belfort." "His grandfather was a journalist and was heavily involved in this case." He investigates the "Children of Belfort" with his partner Alice, but they end up running into a big case.

・Dad Toma's dad. He is the head priest of Papan Monastery and a master of Papan Kempo. He doesn't show much emotion, but that doesn't mean he has attained enlightenment. He is still weak when it comes to his mother. (42 years old)

・Mom Toma's mom. She is a fortune teller on Natsuna Island. She wears strange makeup on her face and does a mysterious dance to tell her fortune, but is her prediction accurate or not? Toma drives her to and from school every day, and on the way, he meets Helga. (36 years old)

●Greece: One of the seven scientists at the Royal Scientific Bureau of Melgirisia, Thanatorum. She was in a romantic relationship with Parza and planned to marry him in the near future.

Tina is the only daughter of King Titus of Greece, who lives on a beautiful, blue water planet 200 million light years away from Earth. She is a beautiful and cheerful girl who was doted on by her father. She is a bit of a tomboy and a bit strong-willed. (15 years old)

Parza: One of the seven scientists at the Greek Royal Scientific Agency, Thanatorum. He is the only one out of the seven who has misgivings about the use of the Zone.

・Sestina's fiance. She is Solan's best friend and has a deep friendship with him. (20 years old)

Solan: A young Greek soldier. Captain of the royal guards who guard the royal palace. When he was five years old, his commoner father learned of a rebellion against the palace and took him to the battlefield, but he was seriously injured by artillery fire from the rebel army and was left with prosthetic limbs and a mask.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: From the End of Darkness (2004/10/04)
Episode 2: Wandering Feelings (2004/10/11)
Episode 3: A Place I Want to Go (2004/10/18)
Episode 4: Sinon (2004/10/25)
・Episode 5: Kokkuri Island (2004/11/01)
・Episode 6: Kokkuri Island (2) (2004/11/08)
Episode 7: The Child of Belfort (2004/11/15)
Episode 8: A Warm Family (2004/11/22)
Episode 9: Oesel (2004/11/29)
Episode 10: Tales from Earthsea (2004/12/06)
Episode 11: An Important Person (2004/12/13)
・Episode 12: Enma (2004/12/20)
Episode 13: Greek Memories (2004/12/27)
・Episode 14/Trajectory (2005/01/03)
・Episode 15/Reminiscence (2005/01/10)
Episode 16: Return to the Fog (2005/01/17)
・Episode 17/Tina (2005/01/24)
Episode 18: Tragedy (2005/01/31)
Episode 19: Oath (2005/02/07)
Episode 20: The Circulation of Life (2005/02/14)
Episode 21: Duma (2005/02/21)
・Episode 22: Flying (2005/02/28)
・Episode 23/Gerta (2005/03/07)
・Episode 24: The Truth About Toma (2005/03/14)
Episode 25: Into the Zone (2005/03/21)
Episode 26: The End and the Beginning (2005/03/28)

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・VOYAGE
Lyrics: Mikio Sakai; Music: Masumi Yamazaki; Arrangement: Takanori Eguchi; Singer: Inori

・ED1
・Water Sleeping・Lyrics by Rie Hamada・Music by Kunihiko Yanagi・Arrangement by Kunihiko Yanagi・Singer by ORIGA

■Work evaluation and recommendation

"Fantasy Children" is a fascinating work that draws viewers in with its grand setting and deep story development. In particular, the fusion of a timeless love story and an adventure fantasy will impress not only boys and girls but also adults. Below, we will give a detailed evaluation of the work and recommend it.

1. The appeal of the story

The greatest appeal of the story of "Fantastic Children" is that it intertwines a grand fantasy set 200 million light years into space with a love story that spans 500 years of time and space. The story of Tina begins on the planet Greece at the end of the 15th century, and leads to Helga and Toma meeting on Earth, gradually unraveling the complex tangle of mysteries. The unfolding of this story deeply moves viewers by asking universal questions such as "Where do people come from, where are they going?" and "What happens when people die?"

2. The appeal of the characters

Each character in this series has their own unique personality and captures the hearts of viewers. In particular, the relationship between Helga and Toma is at the heart of the story, and their growth and deepening bond move viewers. Sub-characters such as Chitto, Duma, and Gerta also add depth to the story and play an important role in drawing viewers in. Each character's background and feelings are carefully depicted, allowing viewers to enjoy the adventure with them.

3. Beautiful images and music

The visual beauty of "Fantastic Children" beautifully depicts the landscapes of space and earth, providing visual appeal. In particular, the beautiful blue waters of the planet Greece and the natural landscapes of Earth give the viewer a sense of a fantastical worldview. Music is also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the story, with the opening theme "VOYAGE" and the ending theme "Water's Slumber" resonating deeply in the hearts of viewers. The beautiful melodies by music director Koji Ueno further enhance the moving story.

4. Recommendation points

"Fantastic Children" is a work recommended for anyone who loves fantasy and love stories. It is especially perfect for those who want to enjoy adventure fantasy for boys and girls, and those who want to follow a deep story and character growth. It is also recommended for those who are interested in a grand setting that transcends space and time. In addition, this work will satisfy those who want to enjoy beautiful images and music.

5. How to watch and related products

"Fantastic Children" can be viewed on DVD and Blu-ray. It is also available on streaming services, so you can enjoy it easily. Related products such as character goods and soundtrack CDs are on sale, and are worth collecting for fans. The soundtrack CD in particular helps you relive the excitement of the story, so be sure to check it out.

Conclusion

"Fantastic Children" is a moving anime that depicts a story of adventure and love that transcends time and space. It combines a spectacular setting, a deep story, charming characters, beautiful visuals and music to provide viewers with an unforgettable experience. I highly recommend this work to anyone who loves fantasy and love stories. Please watch it and experience the emotions.