Dragonaut: The Resonance

Dragonaut: The Resonance (Japanese: ドラゴノーツ -ザ・レゾナンス-, Hepburn: Doragonōtsu -Za Rezonansu-) is a Japanese anime television series directed by Manabu Ono and co-produced by Gonzo and Nihon Ad Systems (NAS). It was broadcast for 25 episodes on TV Tokyo from October 2007 to March 2008. An additional original video animation (OVA) episode was released in 2009. In North America, the series was licensed by Funimation.

Dragonaut: The Resonance
Key visual, featuring Jin Kamishina (left) and Toa (right)
ドラゴノーツ -ザ・レゾナンス- (Doragonōtsu -Za Rezonansu)
Genre	Action^[1] Mecha^[2] Romance^[1]
Created by	Shin'ichi Miyazaki Gonzo
Anime television series
Directed by	Manabu Ono
Produced by	Masanori Miyake Masaru Nagai Naoki Miura
Written by	Atsushi Maekawa (#1–17) Shigeru Morita (#18–25)
Music by	Kousuke Yamashita
Studio	Gonzo
Licensed by	NA: Funimation
Original network	TV Tokyo
Original run	October 4, 2007 – March 27, 2008
Episodes	25 + OVA (List of episodes)
Manga
Written by	Satoshi Kinoshita
Published by	Shueisha
Imprint	Jump Comics SQ.
Magazine	Jump Square
Demographic	Shōnen
Original run	November 2, 2007 – April 4, 2008
Volumes	1

A manga adaptation by Satoshi Kinoshita was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Jump Square from November 2007 to April 2008, with its six chapters collected in a single tankōbon volume.

Plot

See also: List of Dragonaut: The Resonance characters

Twenty years prior to the story's beginning, an asteroid headed for Earth destroys Pluto. Due to Pluto's destruction, the asteroid, which is dubbed Thanatos, becomes temporarily stagnant in Pluto's orbit. Now, in order to avoid Earth's impending destruction, the International Solarsystem Development Agency (ISDA) works on the "D-Project", and secretly creates weapons called "Dragons" after finding a dragon egg under the ocean. However, they soon find out that the asteroid is not their only threat, as powerful, destructive dragons from Thanatos appear on Earth.

After witnessing what looks like a murder by a strange creature, Jin Kamishina, a lonely 18-year-old boy who lost his family in a shuttle accident two years ago, gets involved with the ISDA and their efforts to battle the dragons from Thanatos. Helping him is Toa, a mysterious girl who saves him from falling to his death after the creature attacks him. As they delve deeper into the mysteries of the dragons, they encounter new friends and enemies, and also develop a closer relationship.

Production

The original concept of Dragonaut: The Resonance was developed by Nihon Ad Systems (NAS).^[3] NAS and Gonzo studios, which produced anime series such as Last Exile and Brave Story, co-produced the series,^[4] along with a subsidiary of Konami, Konami Digital Entertainment.

On March 24, 2007, at the International Anime Fair in Tokyo, the first promotional image for the anime series was revealed.^[5] In addition, series' director Manabu Ono, and two of the series' voice actors, Daisuke Ono and Minori Chihara, attended the fair in order to promote the series. At the time, the complete cast for the anime was not yet assembled^[3][5] as the anime was still in the development stage. In fact, Manabu Ono expected that the series would continue being developed on, even after it begins broadcast in October 2007.^[6]

While a majority of series designs are done in 2D animation,^[7] the mechanics of the dragons and their corresponding battles are done in 3D computer graphics. However, the dragon battles are the only confrontations done in CG, as character fights are in 2D since the director believes that highspeed character movements are best expressed in that form.^[6]

Media

Anime

Main article: List of Dragonaut: The Resonance episodes

Directed by Manabu Ono and co-produced by Gonzo and Nihon Ad Systems (NAS), Dragonaut: The Resonance was broadcast for 25 episodes on TV Tokyo from October 4, 2007, to March 27, 2008.^[8][9] The episodes were collected in nine DVDs, released from January 23 to September 24, 2008;^[10][11] an additional 26th episode was bundled with the last DVD.^[12][13]

In North America, the series was licensed by Funimation.^[14] They produced an English dub, and released the 26 episodes on two DVDs on November 3 and December 29, 2009.^[15][16] A complete DVD set was released on December 28, 2010.^[17]

Music

There are three pieces of theme music used in the anime series: one opening theme and two closing themes. The opening theme, "perfect blue", is performed, composed, and written by the J-pop group Jazzin' Park. ATSUMI also performed the piece alongside Jazzin' Park, as a guest vocal. The two ending themes are "Rain Of Love", which is performed by Yukari Fukui and composed by Hiroshi Takaki, with the lyrics written by Shoko Fujibayashi,^[18] and "Fight or Flight", which is performed by Yū Kobayashi.

On November 21, 2007, Jazzin' Park and Yukari Fukui each released a four track single.^[18] The titles of the theme songs are used as the titles for its corresponding single, which each contains an instrumental version of its theme song, along with at least one different song sung by the artist.^[19][20] Yū Kobayashi's second single, "Fight or Flight", also contained four tracks, and was released on January 23, 2008.^[21] Yukari Fukui's "Rain Of Love" is also the second single she has released,^[20] while Jazzin' Park's "perfect blue" is the first single they have ever released.

Manga

 

Manga volume cover

A manga adaptation by Satoshi Kinoshita was serialized for six chapters in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Jump Square from November 2, 2007,^[a] to April 4, 2008.^[b] Its chapters were collected in a single tankōbon volume, released on May 2, 2008.^[26]

Internet radio

An internet radio broadcast began airing on September 5, 2007. The Dragonaut Station ISDA Information Agency [ja] centered around three voice actors from the anime answering e-mail questions about the series. The three female voice actors are Yukari Fukui, Yū Kobayashi, and Chise Nakamura, who voices Saki Kurata, Ryōko Kakei, and Megumi Jinguuji, respectively. Junichi Suwabe, Takuma Takewaka, Daisuke Ono, Eiji Maruyama, who voices Gio, Raina Cromwell, Jin Kamishina, and Amadeus, respectively, were guests during separate sessions.^[27] The broadcast was hosted by Onsen [ja], an internet radio station.^[28]

Reception

Both of the first two DVD collections released in North America by Funimation have been reviewed. The reviews have generally run from average to above average.

• The first DVD collection (episodes 1–13) was reviewed by Chris Beveridge of Mania.com, who gave it an overall grade of "C+".^[29] Theron Martin of Anime News Network awarded grades from "D+" (story) to "B+" (music).^[30]
• The second DVD collection (episodes 14–26) was reviewed by Chris Beveridge, who gave it an overall grade of "C".^[31] Theron Martin awarded grades from "B−" (story) to "B+" (music).^[32]

Notes

1. It started in the magazine's December 2007 issue (debut issue),^[22] released on November 2 of that same year.^[23]
2. It finished in the magazine's May 2008 issue,^[24] released on April 4 of that same year.^[25]

References

1. Hitzler, Sabina (September 20, 2010). . Animepro (in German). Archived from the original on March 5, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
2. "Funimation Entertainment Acquires Dragonaut from GDH". Funimation via Anime News Network. February 14, 2009. from the original on December 8, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
3. (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 3, 2007. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
4. (in Japanese). April 26, 2007. Archived from the original on December 11, 2008.
5. "Official Dragonaut site - Event Report for the Tokyo Anime Fair" (in Japanese). from the original on March 23, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
6. "Episode 00 - Interview with Director Manabu Ono" (in Japanese). from the original on February 25, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
7. "Link to Official Site - The Making of... (series and character designs)" (in Japanese). from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
8. "DRAGONAUT-THE RESONANCE-" (in Japanese). ADK Emotions Inc. from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
9. "DRAGONAUT-THE RESONANCE-". Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
10. (in Japanese). Konami. Archived from the original on July 3, 2009. Retrieved December 5, 2007.
11. (in Japanese). Konami. Archived from the original on January 20, 2009. Retrieved December 5, 2007.
12. Loo, Egan (August 13, 2008). "Extra Dragonaut - The Resonance Episode's Promo Posted". Anime News Network. from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
13. TV未放映話も収録！ DVD「ドラゴノーツ」最終巻が9月24日発売. Dengeki Online (in Japanese). September 22, 2008. from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
14. Loo, Egan (February 14, 2009). "Funimation Acquires Bamboo Blade, Druaga, Dragonaut". Anime News Network. from the original on February 15, 2009. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
15. "Dragonaut: The Resonance DVD Part 1 (Hyb)". The Right Stuf International. September 2009. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
16. "Dragonaut: The Resonance DVD Part 2 (Hyb)". The Right Stuf International. October 20, 2001. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2009.
17. Manry, Gia (December 28, 2010). "North American Anime, Manga Releases: Dec. 26–Jan. 1". Anime News Network. from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
18. "Dragonaut -The Resonance- Goods" (in Japanese). from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2007.
19. "Jazzin' park ｢perfect blue｣" (in Japanese). Konami. from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2007.
20. "福井裕佳梨 2ndシングル ｢Rain Of Love｣" (in Japanese). Konami. from the original on December 5, 2007. Retrieved December 5, 2007.
21. ドラゴノーツ-ザ・レゾナンス- エンディングテーマ FIGHT OR FLIGHT/小林ゆう (in Japanese). Konami. from the original on January 12, 2008. Retrieved February 15, 2008.
22. (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on November 11, 2007. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
23. (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on November 5, 2007. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
24. ジャンプSQ.2008年5. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
25. . Jbook (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 23, 2008.
26. (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on December 22, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
27. (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved October 4, 2007.
28. (in Japanese). October 1, 2007. Archived from the original on October 16, 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2007.
29. Beveridge, Chris (November 3, 2009). . Mania. Archived from the original on June 5, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
30. Martin, Theron (November 9, 2009). "Dragonaut: The Resonance DVD - Complete Series Part 1". Anime News Network. from the original on January 22, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
31. Beveridge, Chris (December 22, 2009). . Mania. Archived from the original on June 5, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
32. Martin, Theron (February 11, 2010). "Dragonaut DVD - Part 2". Anime News Network. from the original on January 22, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2013.

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)
• Official website at Funimation
• Dragonaut: The Resonance (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia