"Kurau: Phantom Memory" (2004) TV series 2004-2005

Director:

Yasuhiro Irie

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

24 June 2004 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Comedy | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot Keywords:

Martial Arts | Anime | Scientist | Cartoon Violence | Future

Cast

Daisuke Hirakawa	...	Ed (1 episode, 2004)
Rie Kugimiya	...	Naoki (1 episode, 2004)
Kenta Miyake	...	Ayaka's Husband (1 episode, 2004)
Mamoru Miyano	...	Ted (1 episode, 2004)

Series Directed by
Yasuhiro Irie		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Yasuyuki Suzuki		(4 episodes, 2004)
Yasuhiro Irie		(2 episodes, 2004)
Shin Yoshida		(2 episodes, 2004)

Series Produced by
Matt Greenfield	....	producer (15 episodes, 2004)

Series Art Department
Yasuhiro Irie	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 2004)
Tsukasa Sunaga	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 2004)
Katsumi Teratô	....	storyboard artist (2 episodes, 2004)

Series Animation Department
Hiroyuki Kanbe	....	mechanical animation director (4 episodes, 2004)
Takeshi Ito	....	animation director (3 episodes, 2004)
Kôichi Horikawa	....	animation director (2 episodes, 2004)
Atsuko Sasaki	....	animation director (2 episodes, 2004)

Series Other crew
Takao Abo	....	technical director (2 episodes, 2004)
Masaki Kitamura	....	technical director (2 episodes, 2004)
Shinsaku Sasaki	....	technical director (2 episodes, 2004)
Ikuro Sato	....	technical director (2 episodes, 2004)

Production Companies

• Bones
• Kurau Project
• Studio BONES

Distributors

• Animax (2004) (Japan) (TV)
• Media Factory (2004) (Japan) (DVD)

Runtime:

Japan:30 min (24 Episodes) | 25 min (24 Episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:12 (part 2 & 4) | Canada:G (Quebec) (VHS/DVD rating) | New Zealand:M | UK:PG (part 1 & 3)

Company:

Bones

Lovely anime, it deserves more recognition

I picked this Kurau: Phantom Memory anime DVD set up really cheap at Big Lots. I had never heard of it before but thought for under 5 dollars for six discs how could I go wrong? ;) It turned out to be a very moving and heartfelt anime series about a motherless young girl named Kurau who lives with her scientist father. It's 1000 years in the future and he's experimenting with an alternative energy source called Rynax.

He takes his daughter to the lab with him on her 12th birthday and she is the victim of an accident; she is hit by this energy source and while her outside body remains the same she is inwardly a Rynax, with no memories of her past. She has special powers including flying, going through solid matter, and turning into light beams.

Ten years later she works as a detective / agent of sorts, until one day she is re-united with her energy source "pair", who is like a younger version of herself. She calls her "Christmas" because she's so sweet and Kurau passes her off as her younger sister to other people.

Each episode builds upon the next as Kurau and Christmas work to prevent the Rynax from entering other human beings. They also have to battle a security force called the GPO who are out to destroy them. There is a bittersweet ending that is beautifully animated.

Well worth your time if want to watch something where characters truly love one another and help each other. The music soundtrack is beautiful too and the animation quality is above average for anime series.

10 out of 10 stars.