Fafner [TV]

A small cluster of islands can be found in the backwater of the Japanese isles wherein the central island in the middle of this small cluster is called Tatsumiyajima. Nothing usually happens on this small island and its teen inhabitants go to school knowing that life will continue to be uneventful and peaceful. Or so they initially thought… but the truth is the opposite. The fate of mankind is in danger; the small island of Tatsumiyajima is the last line of defense against a hostile and unexplainable enemy. Smack in the middle of all of this, is the giant dragon robot, Fafner, who guards mankind’s final treasure.

About the Show

Fafner in the Azure is an anime series written by Yasuo Yamabe, Kazuki Yamanobe, and Tow Ubukata. It was produced by studio Xebec under the direction of Nobuyoshi Habara having a total of 26 episodes. The series aired from July 4, 2004, until December 26, 2004.

Season Summary

Episode 1: “Paradise ~ The Beginning”
A sick Shoko Hazama gets visited by Maya Tomi on her way to school. Soshi Minashiro is believed to have returned back from Tokyo. Kazuki senses something strange in the sky. As the Alvis base has detected a Sphinx Type Festum, all students are requested to go into the shelter. The pilots get overwhelmed by the Festum’s barrage of attacks. Soshi gets convinced by Kazuki to pilot the Fafner Mark Elf. To get directly connected to Kazuki, Soshi links with the Siegfried System.

Episode 2: “Confession ~ Life”
Kazuki’s moves get predicted and anticipated by the Festum. Receiving a rail gun at the last minute, he manages to defeat the enemy. After the battle, many children are oblivious to their parents’ involvement with other alien invasions in the past. It is revealed to Kazuki that Japan apparently got destroyed 29 years ago. Kazuki informs his father that he wants to be a pilot. He tries on a synergetic suit for the first time in his first training session.

Episode 3: “Labyrinth ~ Truth”
To the despair of the island’s parents, a number of children get selected for enrollment into the service, which was held by Fumihiko and Dr. Chizuru Tomi. The children also go through their first training sessions. Kazuki discovers a body confined in the basement of the base after he follows a female ghost. The small island gets planned to be relocated but it gets interrupted as an enemy appears.

Episode 4: “Escape ~ Departure”
Kazuki rescues the plane that flew in the direction of the island from the Festum chasing it. The person inside the search plane watches as Kazuki battles the Festum. To avoid taking further damage, the island activates its camouflage. Kazuki manages to shoot down the enemy but the island gets seen and the search plane gives a report back to its headquarters.

Episode 5: “Promise ~ Pledge”
The Alvis base gets a request to surrender the Fafner Mark Sechs to the Neo UN fleet is received from Hester Gallop, the Neo UN secretary general. Shoko gets visited in the nurse’s office by Koyo after she faints from anemia, followed soon after by Kazuki and Maya. The Neo UN fleet gets attacked by a Festum as it approaches the island. Kazuki prepares to face it off but a second Festum breaches the defenses of the island and attacks the pilots.

Episode 6: “Soaring Sky ~ Sacrifice”
Piloting the Fafner Mark Sechs, Shoko plans to save the island from the second Festum as Kazuki is still dealing with the other Festum. The alien still managed to pierce the Fafner even after it was repeatedly attacked by Shoko. Finally out of ideas, Shoko launches the Festum into the atmosphere, at the same time, activating a self-destruction sequence. The other children look on as the Shoko, together with the alien, disappears.

Episode 7: “Family ~ Parents and Children”
Shoko’s death gets mourned. On the other hand, Sakura Kaname sees Shoko’s death as a sign of valor. Using paintball pellet guns, Koyo and Sakura trains against Kazuki. Changes in Koyo’s chromosomes are found during their training session. Another island gets discovered and a scouting team is formed to investigate. Sakura stays behind.

Episode 8: “Strife ~ Koyo”
The scouting team arrives on the island, which appeared to be uninhabited. Maya is called to treat the people injured in a submarine hangar. Meanwhile, inside an abandoned command center, other locates a red male core. Kyosuke Mizoguchi finds Maya in the hangar, however, Yukie Kariya force-activates his self-destruction sequence. Koyo gets allowed by Soshi to rescue Maya and Kyosuke while Kazuki and Sakura lends a hand in fighting off the Festums on the surface.

Episode 9: “Assimilation ~ Parting”
Suddenly attacked by a Festum, the submarine containing Maya and Kyosuke is given to Kazuki by Koyo before she gets dragged down into the ocean. Sakura manages to take out Koyo’s cockpit using her Fafner seconds before it exploded. Koyo is then seen losing much of his memories. It is found out that his central nervous system was absorbed. After this, Koyo’s parents are seen distraught over what happened as they get sent away from the island.

Episode 10: “Disintegration ~ Crossing Paths”
Kazuki recalls that he is the reason why Soshi lost his left eye. Upset that his dream of becoming a star may not come true, Hiroto Doma rebels and locked himself up in the school’s studio. He apologizes for his actions once he was convinced to unlock the door. Maya invited Kazuki over for dinner with her family. Kazuki suddenly feels chest pains after he told Maya on how he has changed because of the alien invasions. After Maya left, green crystals are shown to be growing from his hands.

Episode 11: “Old & New ~ The Neo UN Force”
After leaving the small island, Kazuki and Yukie arrived at a rundown city using Fafner Mark Elf that they took with them. After they decided to make camp, they get attacked by a Festum. They are saved by Michio Hino and Canon Memphis after they arrived in their Fafners. However, Kazuki’s Fafner gets disabled by Michio and Canon. Kazuki and Yukie are taken as prisoners by the Neo UN fleet. Soshi informs Maya of Kazuki attempt of escaping the island.

Episode 12: “Absence ~ Desperation”
Among the candidate pilots to fly the Fafners are Mamoru Kodate, Kenji Kondo and Sakura Kaname. Kazuki and Yukie question the reason of them being taken as prisoners. The new pilots are tested soon after a new Festum appears. Ignoring Soshi’s orders, Mamoru creates a plan. The three manages to defeat the Festum but they get put into confinement for ignoring orders. Soshi learns that Kazuki daily bypasses any assimilation. Maya realizes Soshi’s feelings for Kazuki. Kazuki is brought to the deck of the ship, encountering Canon before arriving at the Moldova base.

Episode 13: “Erosion ~ Festum”
Mitsuhiro Bertrand explains about the past, saying that the country got destroyed thirty years ago after toxins were released from the core. These toxins prevented the citizens in producing children. Through gene manipulation, the children became immune to the Festums. Having the stolen Fafner Mark Elf displayed, Hester announced that it is a new weapon created to defeat the Festums. Revealing that he had left the island years ago to create weapons, Yoji Hino, offers Kazuki work as a staff member. Kazuki is prompted to fight back as Grendel Type Festums start to invade the base.

Episode 14: “Awakening ~ Occupation”
With a rescue mission for Kazuki, Maya and Kyosuke heads to the Moldova base. During this, the Alvis base gets invaded by the Neo UN fleet with them trying to secure the red female core, which was revealed to have left its container. Meanwhile, Mjonir, the Master Type Festum, managed to get convinced by Yoji to give the Fafner Mark Sein to Kazuki. Fuhimiko and Soshi get questioned about the whereabouts of the female core by Yukie and Col. Dudley Barns, to which they replied with them also unaware of its location. Yoji gives Maya the research data of the Fafner Mark Sein as Kyosuke is warding off the Festum in the laboratory.

Episode 15: “Memory ~ Scream”
With the female core still reported as missing, the Neo UN fleet occupies the Alvis base. Kazuki receives the Fafner Mark Sein from Mjolnir. Mjolnir gets consumed by a fellow Master Type Festum which angers Kazuki. Both Kazuki and Idun, the one who consumed Mjolnir, sinks into a lava pit. Kazuki faces his internal conflict about his past. Kyosuke and Maya witnesses as Kazuki defeats Idun. After realizing what he is dealing with, Kazuki later informs them that he is looking forward to protecting the island.

Episode 16: “Friends ~ Welcome Home”
A new Festum assaults the Neo UN fleet. Seri Tatekami is shown being with the female core who is recognized as Tsubaki Minashiro before she return to the base. Tsubaki is taken to the lighthouse by Chizuru. Tsubaki then leads Fuhimiko and Soshi into a second command center. Barely putting up a fight against the new Festum, Mamoru, Kenji and Sakura get defeated. Kazuki arrives in time and after synchronizing with Soshi, kills the Festum.

Episode 17: “Survival ~ Device”
Fuhimiko is given the research data Maya received from Yoji, who, to destroy the Festums in the laboratory, sacrificed himself. Tsubaki is revealed to be Soshi’s younger sister. Canon is requested to stay but Michio gets ordered to leave the island. Yukie activates the Fenrir System self-activation sequence of the submarine she docks near the island. Becoming aware of this, Michio warns the base of the threat. Canon overrides the system, stopping Kyosuke’s attempts of disarming the sequence. The missiles get taken care of by Michio while Kazuki fortunately convinces Canon to disarm the sequence.

Episode 18: “Father ~ Memory”
Michio resides with Yumiko Tomi and Canon stays with Yoko Hazama as they adjust to the life on the island. Everybody enjoys a day at the beach. The moment gets disrupted after Mitsuhiro arrives on the island and discovering that Maya’s pilot aptitude test was false. Wanting to claim custody of Maya, he takes the issue to trial. But, he was not allowed due to the testimonies of the other pilots and Tsubaki’s verification of their involvement in the falsification of the data. Mitsuhiro angrily leaves the island.

Episode 19: “Maya ~ Sight”
Maya gets assigned to be a sniper after she showed progress at their training session. Kazuki and Fuhimiko get invited to have dinner with Michio, Yumiko, Maya and Chizuru. A bone festival is going to be held in the evening as a tribute to those who have died. But the festival gets interrupted by the arrival of a group of Rare Type Festums. As the pilots proceed to fight them, Sakura gets caught by a Festum but, luckily, Kazuki manages to save her in time. Maya successfully shoots down the Festum trying to attack her from above.

Episode 20: “Lantern ~ Light”
The bone festival’s preparation gets back on track. Canon and Sakura make up for what happened in the recent attack. Next, it is shown that Koyo is released by Tsubaki after Chizuru had frozen him in the capsule. The people on the island enjoy the bone festival. The next day, Koyo is found out to have left the base. To protect him, they decided to enclose him in a shrine. Soshi is seen sparring with Kazuki as Kyosuke prepares to snipe Koyo. Koyo is reminded of Shoko when Canon arrived in clothing similar to Shoko.

Episode 21: “Sakura ~ Future”
After relaxing in the bathhouse, the pilots are told that they will have a training camp. A realization that the recent attacks made by the Festums might be a diversion tactic is made by Fuhimiko. After defeating the Festums flying towards the island, sunflowers and cherry blossoms begin to bloom. The pilots get assigned to cleaning duties. After the training camp, they are plagued by their anxieties.

Episode 22: “Protection ~ Power”
It is revealed that Sakura has gone under assimilation. After the pilots defeat the Festums that appeared, they are shocked with the news of Sakura’s hospitalization. Fuhimiko confronts Tsubaki about his theory of what is happening. The integration of the Siegfried System within the Fafner Mark Sien is discussed. A new Festum shows up that is able to counter every attack made by the pilots. Mamoru struggled in his attempt to keep the Festum from moving, while doing so, Kazuki successfully defeats the Festum. Unfortunately, in the process, Mamoru is killed.

Episode 23: “Pillage ~ Decoy”
Yukie is being tested to pilot the new Fafner Mark Nicht, but after getting assimilated to Idun, in his human form, is used to destroy the development facility. Following Mamoru’s death, Kazuki, together with Maya and Canon, are unable to bring back Kenji. Kazuki, with Tsubaki’s help, tries to save Soshi but their rescue attempt gets interrupted when Idun attacks the island and tries to assimilate the base. Maya, Michio and Canon got easily defeated after they attempted to intercept Idun. Activating the self-destruction system in his Fafner, Michio starts to eject but he got captured and dies in the explosion. Along with the Siegfried System, Soshi disappears, which infuriated Kazuki.

Episode 24: “Conversation ~ Mir”
Akane is rejected from also merging with Meir as she proceeds to the island. Kazuki gets challenged to a match by Kenji. To the dismay of Kyouhei, Fuhimiko decided to join the Neo UN fleet. Mjolnir arrives on the island and explained to Fuhimiko how Akane accepted and blessed the Festums. He then gives the data to reduce the assimilation process and a data to restore those who have been assimilated. As the other pilots prepare for the final battle, Koyo and Mjolnir fend off the attacks of the Festums attack on the island.

Episode 25: “The Final Battle ~ Symbiosis”
Charging toward the entrance of the core to save Soshi, Kazuki, Maya, Kenji and Canon are accompanied by Kyosuke. Tsubaki experiences the death process to complete the learning process for the Festums to understand life and death as they proceed with their rescue operation. Kenji devises a plan of attack, Canon confirms their formations, and Maya reminds them to return to alive. Still controlled by Idun, Soshi uses the Siegfried System to exploit the other pilot’s weaknesses which broke their battle formation.

Episode 26: “Azure ~ The Sky”
The four pilots reunite and manage to defeat Idun. During this, Tsubaki is seen struggling with her emotions at leaving to synchronize with the island core. Kazuki, with Akane’s help, successfully rescues Soshi. Maya snipes at the Meir as it began to make its way to the atmosphere. Tsubaki dissolves into thin air as she merges with the island. Kazuki and Soshi get hindered by a barely alive Idun but Koyo saves them. Soshi vanishes due to his near assimilated state on their way back.