Kiddy Grade

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Kiddy Grade
Gonzo
Light novel
Kiddy Grade Pr. ("Pre-story")
Written by
Tomohiko Aoki
Illustrated byHidefumi Kimura
Published byKadokawa Shoten
ImprintKadokawa Sneaker Bunko
DemographicMale
Original runSeptember 1, 2001 – February 1, 2002
Volumes2
Anime television series
Directed by
Funimation Channel, Colours TV
  • ZA: Animax
    • Original run October 8, 2002 – March 18, 2003
    Episodes24 (List of episodes)
    Manga
    Kiddy Grade Reverse
    Written byHIYOHIYO
    Published by
    Shōnen Ace
    DemographicShōnen
    PublishedMarch 1, 2003
    Manga
    Kiddy Grade Versus
    Written by
    Dragon Jr.
    DemographicShōnen
    Original runMarch 1, 2003 – November 1, 2003
    Volumes2
    Light novel
    Written byFumihiko Shimo
    Illustrated byHidefumi Kimura
    Published byKadokawa Shoten
    ImprintKadokawa Sneaker Bunko
    DemographicMale
    Original runNovember 1, 2002 – September 1, 2003
    Volumes3
    Light novel
    Kiddy Grade EX-Partner ("Extra story")
    Written byHidefumi Kimura
    Illustrated byMegumi Kadonosono
    Published byKadokawa Shoten
    PublishedSeptember 25, 2003
    Light novel
    Kiddy Grade Secret Affair
    Written byHidefumi Kimura
    Illustrated byMegumi Kadonosono
    Published byKadokawa Shoten
    PublishedJanuary 29, 2004
    Anime film
    Kiddy Grade -Ignition-
    Directed by
    Gonzo
    ReleasedApril 7, 2007
    Runtime90 minutes
    Anime film
    Kiddy Grade -Maelstrom-
    Directed by
    Gonzo
    ReleasedJune 23, 2007
    Runtime90 minutes
    Anime film
    Kiddy Grade -Truth Dawn-
    Directed by
    Gonzo
    ReleasedSeptember 1, 2007
    Runtime90 minutes

    Kiddy Grade (キディ・グレイド) is a Japanese 24-episode

    FUNimation Entertainment
    .

    In October 2006, news of a Kiddy Grade sequel was announced, under the working title of Kiddy Grade 2 (キディ・グレイ) (K-G.2), to be animated by Asread (Shuffle! anime).[1] On February 26, 2009 it was re-announced[2] under the new title Kiddy Girl-and (キディ・ガーランド, Kidi Gārando) along with news of a new manga adaptation, Kiddy Girl-and Pure (キディ・ガーランド ぴゅあ, Kidi Gārando Pyua). The sequel is set 50 years after the original series and introduces two new female protagonists, Ascœur (アスクール, Asukūru)[3] and Q-feuille (ク・フィーユ, Ku Fīyu).[4]

    Overview

    Story and setting

    Kiddy Grade takes place in a future where the human race has expanded and inhabits a multitude of planets in the universe with fantastic technology. Unsurprisingly, crime has grown alongside technology, and thus the Galactic Organization of Trade and

    Tariffs
    (GOTT, German for "God") is formed as a sort of universal police force. Within this organization, there is a special (and secret) branch known as the ES Force (ES standing for "Encounter of Shadow-work"), consisting of twelve physically young people who possess amazing superpowers. Each ES member operates with another as a team, and the series' focus is a team of two low-level members, Éclair and Lumière. As the series progresses, they start to see the darker side of GOTT and its secrets.

    Characters

    Main article: List of Kiddy Grade characters

    Most of the central characters in the series are ES members of GOTT "Shadow Unit". The Shadow Unit is a group of superpowered individuals that acts as the elite enforcement division of GOTT and hence, of the Galactic Union. Their powers are ranked by "class", of which three are named in the series: C class is the lowest, S is high, and G is the highest. At the beginning of the series, it is believed that no ES member possesses G class abilities but it is later revealed to be false. ES members are organized in pairs of the same class and each is issued a customized and very advanced spaceship and a guard robot.

    The protagonists of the series are

    Muse) and their guard robot is Donnerschlag (German: Thunderclap); both are also part of their back-story. As ES members, Éclair and Lumière report directly to the chief of GOTT, Eclipse, a strict and collected woman whose orders they cannot disobey. Often accompanying them in the early episodes is the Galactic Union auditor Armbrust (German: Crossbow
    ) who appears to have multiple hidden agendas.

    Other ES members are:

    mercenaries with a long-standing rivalry with them; and Sinistra and Dextera (S class), a bishōnen pair held in high regard by all their colleagues for their professionalism. Also of note are Mercredi, Eclipse's personal assistant with a hidden agenda, and Chevalier d'Autriche
    , the Secretary General of GOTT whose past is intertwined with Éclair's.

    Media

    Anime

    Main article: List of Kiddy Grade episodes

    Kiddy Grade originally aired on

    FUNimation Channel in both its "syndicated block" and its 24-hour channel. In 2007, the series was re-released as three movies (each 80–90 minutes in length) to specific Japanese theatres.[5][6]
    The following are the individual titles for each film and their release dates.

    1. Ignition (initial screening April 8, 2007, DVD released July 27, 2007)
    2. Maelstrom (initial screening June 23, 2007, DVD released September 28, 2007)
    3. Truth Dawn (initial screening September 1, 2007, DVD released December 21, 2007)

    Crew

    Theme songs

    • Opening
    1. "Memories of the Future" (Mirai no Kioku) by Yuka
    • Ending
    1. "Future" by Little Viking

    Print media

    The Kiddy Grade franchise started right in the form of a series of light novels, published by Kadokawa Shoten under the label of Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko from 1 September 2001 to 1 February 2002 and later collected into two volumes (Kiddy Grade Pr1, September 1, 2001 and Kiddy Grade Pr2, February 1, 2002). Following are other light novel dedicated to the characters of the series were published: Kiddy Grade, 3 volumes published from 1 November 2002 to 1 September 2003; Kiddy Grade EX-Partner, single volume published September 25, 2003; and finally Kiddy Grade Secret Affair, single volume published January 29, 2004.

    The series was adapted into two manga series. The first, Kiddy Grade Reverse was made by Hiyohiyo and published in the magazine Shonen Ace of Kadokawa Shoten, before being collected in a single volume published on 1 March 2003. The second series, Kiddy Grade Versus was made by Hidefumi Kimura and Arikui Fujimaru and published in the magazine Dragon Jr Kadokawa Shoten, before being collected in two volumes published February 27, 2003 (the first volume) and 1 November 2003 ( the second volume).

    See also

    References

    1. ^ Keiji Gotoh. "Gotoh Keiji Home Page" (in Japanese). pp. Goto Keiji Information. Retrieved October 26, 2006.
    2. ^ "キディ・ガーランド -WORKS ON WEB-" (in Japanese). Retrieved February 26, 2009.
    3. ^ "キディ・ガーランド -WORKS ON WEB-" (in Japanese). pp. キディ・ガーランド データベース. Retrieved July 7, 2009.
    4. ^ "キディ・ガーランド -WORKS ON WEB-" (in Japanese). pp. キディ・ガーランド データベース. Retrieved July 7, 2009.
    5. ^ "Anime News Network". Retrieved February 21, 2007.
    6. ^ "Kiddy Grade Homepage" (in Japanese). Retrieved February 21, 2007.

    Further reading

    External links

    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kiddy Grade.
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kiddy_Grade&oldid=1179394997"