Absolute Boy
Encyclopedia
is a 26-episode Japanese anime
television series, produced by Ajia-do Animation Works
and Bandai Visual
, which first aired on NHK
between May 21, 2005 and November 19, 2005. Directed by Tomomi Mochizuki
and written by Kazunori Itō
, the series featured character designs by Sunaho Tobe
, who also illustrated the series' light novel
adaptation, which was serialized in Dengeki Bunko
between August 10, 2005 and December 10, 2005. It was subsequently broadcast by the anime television network, Animax
, who aired it in English across its networks
in Southeast Asia
and South Asia
.
The plot centers around two major arcs in the storyline, the first involving Ayumu Aizawa, who is visiting his father in the small town of Tana during the summer; the second concerning Kisa Tanigawa in Yokohama, a year and a half after the events of the first arc.
These lights seem to be invisible to most of the people in town, but appear in reflections in people and animals' eyes. A local reporter, Akira Sukawara, shows up, attracted by reports of kappa and other mysterious events. She follows the animals, notably a cat one of the local boys saw fighting a kappa, to the yellow lights, and grills a reluctant Ayumu for information. Unable to remember the summer he spent in Tana as a child, Ayumu, with the help of Miku and several other people from Tana, tries to understand what happened when he was a child, and the mysterious connection between him, Wakkun, Dosshiru, and Shisshin...
The city's population becomes increasingly aware of the situation, as pictures of the material evils, spheres of blue light, circulate among cell-phone users, accompanied by rumors that they bring good luck. Murals appear urging people to think and trust themselves. Eventually, a giant spiral, resembling the metal construction of the material evils, appears in the sky, and the police evacuate a section of the city. Some of the same phenomena are present as in Tana, such as the failure of electronic devices.
and Bandai Visual
, and directed by Tomomi Mochizuki
. The music for the series was composed by Masumi Itō
, under her pseudonym
, Hikaru Nanase.
Ending theme:
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
television series, produced by Ajia-do Animation Works
Ajia-do Animation Works
is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise, noted for several anime series, including Spirit of Wonder, Zettai Shōnen, and several others...
and Bandai Visual
Bandai Visual
, is a Japanese anime, film production and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai Co., Ltd. and a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., which is based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Since the reorganisation of Namco Bandai Holdings in 2006, Bandai Visual now heads the group's Visual and...
, which first aired on NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
between May 21, 2005 and November 19, 2005. Directed by Tomomi Mochizuki
Tomomi Mochizuki
, sometimes incorrectly romanized as Tomomichi Mochizuki, is an anime director and producer. He is married to animator Masako Gotō and sometimes uses the alias when writing screenplays or working on storyboards...
and written by Kazunori Itō
Kazunori Ito
is a Japanese anime screenwriter and artist who is well known for his work in the .hack Franchise and his writing for the Ghost in the Shell movie. Itō also provided the art for .hack//Another Birth. He is a member of the artist group known as Headgear....
, the series featured character designs by Sunaho Tobe
Sunaho Tobe
is a Japanese freelance illustrator and character designer.She began her career with the video game company Compile. During her time at Compile, she designed the characters for the company's DiskStation games Apple Sauce: Anoko to Natsu Matsuri and Float Land no Otogi Banashi, and illustrated...
, who also illustrated the series' light novel
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
adaptation, which was serialized in Dengeki Bunko
Dengeki Bunko
is a publishing imprint affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works . It was established in June 1993 with the publication of Hyōryū Densetsu Crystania volume one, and is a light novel imprint aimed at a male audience...
between August 10, 2005 and December 10, 2005. It was subsequently broadcast by the anime television network, Animax
Animax
is a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
, who aired it in English across its networks
Animax Asia
Animax Asia is the Japanese anime TV network Animaxs English language feeds in Southeast Asia and South Asia, as well as its feeds across other regions of mainland Asia, including Hong Kong and Taiwan...
in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
.
Plot
The series focuses on two major characters, in two different plot arcs, who find themselves caught up in a series of mysteries involving so-called "material fairies" and "material evils". While they are dealing with these paranormal entities, life continues around them as their friends deal with the ups and downs of life.The plot centers around two major arcs in the storyline, the first involving Ayumu Aizawa, who is visiting his father in the small town of Tana during the summer; the second concerning Kisa Tanigawa in Yokohama, a year and a half after the events of the first arc.
Summer Arc
The first twelve episodes of the series focus on the day-to-day life of Ayumu Aizawa as he visits his father, a veterinarian, at a small town in the countryside. Ayumu has spent his visit thus far aimlessly biking across the valley, but a chance meeting with a girl named Miku sends him searching for a long-lost friend of his, Wakkun. Upon finding Wakkun, he discovers that the boy has not aged since he and Ayumu played as children. Wakkun is also wearing clothes very similar to the raincoat and galoshes that Ayumu wore habitually as a child. Wakkun introduces Ayumu to his two friends, Dosshiru (Doss) and Shisshin (Sense), mysterious flying objects that alternate between a mechanical form and a sphere of yellow light.These lights seem to be invisible to most of the people in town, but appear in reflections in people and animals' eyes. A local reporter, Akira Sukawara, shows up, attracted by reports of kappa and other mysterious events. She follows the animals, notably a cat one of the local boys saw fighting a kappa, to the yellow lights, and grills a reluctant Ayumu for information. Unable to remember the summer he spent in Tana as a child, Ayumu, with the help of Miku and several other people from Tana, tries to understand what happened when he was a child, and the mysterious connection between him, Wakkun, Dosshiru, and Shisshin...
Winter Arc
One and a half years later, Kisa Tanigawa, a depressed high school student, routinely skips class. One evening, wandering aimlessly around the city, she stumbles upon another mysterious mechanical object. Naming it "Bun-chan" or "Ping" in the English dub, after the sound it makes, she takes it home and treats it as a pet. When she tries building a fish out of old scraps of metal, the top fin of the fish does not stay, so Bun-chan (Ping) helps glue it on. Meanwhile, Sukawara reappears, now trying to prove the existence of the mysterious objects that appeared at the Cat Dance in Tana a year and half ago, which she terms "material fairies", and hears about Bun-chan. Upon witnessing a meeting between Kisa and Ayumu, she calls Bun-chan not a material fairy, but a "material evil", as its outward appearance does not resemble those of the material fairies spotted in Tana. The material fairies and the material evils, however, seem to be at war with each other. When the three meet, Dosshiru, Shisshin and Bun-chan. Dosshiru and Shisshin start chasing Bun-chan and soon destroy it, leaving Kisa very upset that Bun-chan is gone. After a while the connection of Kisa's fish's metal fin starts glowing. One night the fish turns into a sprite form of Bun-chan. Kisa then decides to name it Po-chan.The city's population becomes increasingly aware of the situation, as pictures of the material evils, spheres of blue light, circulate among cell-phone users, accompanied by rumors that they bring good luck. Murals appear urging people to think and trust themselves. Eventually, a giant spiral, resembling the metal construction of the material evils, appears in the sky, and the police evacuate a section of the city. Some of the same phenomena are present as in Tana, such as the failure of electronic devices.
Summer Arc
Winter Arc
Production
The series was produced by Ajia-do Animation WorksAjia-do Animation Works
is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise, noted for several anime series, including Spirit of Wonder, Zettai Shōnen, and several others...
and Bandai Visual
Bandai Visual
, is a Japanese anime, film production and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai Co., Ltd. and a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., which is based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Since the reorganisation of Namco Bandai Holdings in 2006, Bandai Visual now heads the group's Visual and...
, and directed by Tomomi Mochizuki
Tomomi Mochizuki
, sometimes incorrectly romanized as Tomomichi Mochizuki, is an anime director and producer. He is married to animator Masako Gotō and sometimes uses the alias when writing screenplays or working on storyboards...
. The music for the series was composed by Masumi Itō
Masumi Ito
born May 21, is a Japanese singer and composer from Ibaraki prefecture in Japan. Itō has composed the soundtracks to many anime television shows and is part of the bands Oranges & Lemons and Heart of Air.- Singles :...
, under her pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
, Hikaru Nanase.
Staff
- Planning: Takao Seki, Satoshi Katō, Tarō Maki
- Original Work: Zettai Shōnen (Kazunori ItōKazunori Itois a Japanese anime screenwriter and artist who is well known for his work in the .hack Franchise and his writing for the Ghost in the Shell movie. Itō also provided the art for .hack//Another Birth. He is a member of the artist group known as Headgear....
, Ajiadō, Toys Works, Sōgō Vision, Genco) - Director: Tomomi MochizukiTomomi Mochizuki, sometimes incorrectly romanized as Tomomichi Mochizuki, is an anime director and producer. He is married to animator Masako Gotō and sometimes uses the alias when writing screenplays or working on storyboards...
- Series Composition: Kazunori ItōKazunori Itois a Japanese anime screenwriter and artist who is well known for his work in the .hack Franchise and his writing for the Ghost in the Shell movie. Itō also provided the art for .hack//Another Birth. He is a member of the artist group known as Headgear....
- Script: Kazunori Itō, Miu Kawasaki, Tatsuya Hamazaki
- Original Character Design: Sunaho TobeSunaho Tobeis a Japanese freelance illustrator and character designer.She began her career with the video game company Compile. During her time at Compile, she designed the characters for the company's DiskStation games Apple Sauce: Anoko to Natsu Matsuri and Float Land no Otogi Banashi, and illustrated...
- Plastic Art Design: Masato Satō
- Character Design and Chief Animation Director: Masayuki Sekine
- Art Director: Katsufumi Hariu
- Background Artist: Kōji Ōno
- Color Design: Miyoko Ichinose
- Director of Photography: Katsuyoshi Kishi
- Editing: Shigeru Nishiyama
- Sound Director: Hozumi Gōda
- Sound Production: Jinnan Studio
- Sound Effects: Junichi Sasaki (Anime Sound ProductionAnime Sound Productionis a sound effects company working in the television, movie, radio, video, CD, cassette and game animation industry in Japan.-Company history:The company was founded on January 1, 1977 by , a former sound effects artist from Fizz Sound Creation .-Principal Productions:*B-Daman series*El Hazard...
) - Opening Animation: Masaya Fujimori
- Ending Animation: Ryūichi Kimura
- Music: Hikaru Nanase
- Music Production: Mellow Head
- Music Producer: Shunji Inoue
- Producer: Eiza Kondō, Kōji Morimoto, Daisuke Itō, Kazuaki Morijiri, Masahiro Okamura
- Animation Production: AjiadōAjia-do Animation Worksis a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise, noted for several anime series, including Spirit of Wonder, Zettai Shōnen, and several others...
- Production Assistance: Gingaya (episodes 1-26), ArtlandArtland (anime studio)is a Japanese animation studio. It has produced numerous noted anime series, including the award-winning Mushishi and epic Legend of the Galactic Heroes...
(episodes 3, 8, 13, 21, 25), Magic BusMagic Bus (studio)is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Nishi-Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. The company was founded in 1977 by producer and director Satoshi Dezaki in order to produce the anime TV series Shin Kyojin no Hoshi. In 1983, with Dezaki directing, Magic Bus collaborated in the animation production of...
(ep. 4, 9, 14, 20), Studio Kuma (episodes 5, 10, 16, 22) - Production : Genco, Zettai Shōnen Project
Theme music
Opening theme:- Performance: CooRieCooRieCooRie is a self-produced Japanese music unit by singer-songwriter Rino that performs songs for anime and games. CooRie used to be a two-persons unit when it debuted in 2003, with Rino doing the lyrics and vocals and doing the music compositions and arrangements...
, lyrics and composition: rinoCooRieCooRie is a self-produced Japanese music unit by singer-songwriter Rino that performs songs for anime and games. CooRie used to be a two-persons unit when it debuted in 2003, with Rino doing the lyrics and vocals and doing the music compositions and arrangements...
, arrangement: Masaya Suzuki
Ending theme:
- Performance: Masumi ItōMasumi Itoborn May 21, is a Japanese singer and composer from Ibaraki prefecture in Japan. Itō has composed the soundtracks to many anime television shows and is part of the bands Oranges & Lemons and Heart of Air.- Singles :...
, lyrics: Aki HataAki Hatais a Japanese musician and lyricist. She is noted for having penned and composed songs for various anime and games, including popular titles like Zettai Shōnen, Azumanga Daioh, Haibane Renmei, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yūutsu, and Lucky Star, and for singers and seiyū. She has even composed game...
, composition and arrangement: Masumi ItōMasumi Itoborn May 21, is a Japanese singer and composer from Ibaraki prefecture in Japan. Itō has composed the soundtracks to many anime television shows and is part of the bands Oranges & Lemons and Heart of Air.- Singles :...