éX driver
| éX driver | |
|---|---|
| Original title | エ ク ス ド ラ イ バ ー |
| transcription | Ekusudoraibā |
| genre | Science fiction , action |
| Original video animation | |
| Country of production |
 Japan
|
| original language | Japanese |
| Year (s) | 2000, 2001 |
| Studio | Actas , A-Line |
| length | 30 minutes |
| Episodes | 6th |
| Director | Jun Kawagoe |
| music | Hikaru Nanase |
| Anime movie | |
| title | éX-Driver the Movie |
| Original title | エ ク ス ド ラ イ バ ー the Movie |
| transcription | Ekusudoraibā the Movie |
| Country of production |
Japan
|
| original language | Japanese |
| Publishing year | 2002 |
| Studio | Actas |
| length | 63 minutes |
| Director | Akira Nishimori |
| script | Shinzo Fujita , Takeshi Mochizuki |
| music | Hikaru Nanase |
| Original video animation | |
| title | éX-Driver Nina & Rei Danger Zone |
| Original title | エ ク ス ド ラ イ バ ー Nina & Rei Danger Zone |
| transcription | Ekusudoraibā Nina & Rei Danger Zone |
| Country of production |
Japan
|
| original language | Japanese |
| year | 1985 |
| Studio | Actas |
| length | 25 minutes |
| Episodes | 1 |
| Director | Shin'ichi Watanabe |
éX-Driver ( Japanese エ ク ス ド ラ イ バ ー , Ekusudoraibā , also éX-D ) is a six-part anime from 2000 and 2001, which was published as an original video animation . In 2002 the work was continued with a film and another OVA. The story takes place in a future in which almost exclusively self-driving cars will be used and the éX drivers should be used should one of these vehicles get out of control.
content
In the near future, most residents of the big cities will only use self-driving electric cars and let them chauffeur them to their destination. But even if this technology is very secure, it occasionally fails and vehicles get out of control. Saving the drivers and averting dangers is the task of the éX drivers , who are one of the few still driving old, self- driving cars with internal combustion engines . In Tokyo, the two high school students Lisa Sakakino ( 榊 野 理 沙 ) and Lorna Endō ( 遠藤 ロ ー ナ ) take on this task.
The well-rehearsed team, who drive a Subaru Impreza and a Lotus Europa , become uneasy when they are assigned a new partner in the form of the intelligent, talented 12-year-old Sōichi Sugano ( 菅 野 走 一 ). And although much younger, he is still in the same class with both of them and is their equal in handling his vehicle. The daredevil Lisa is initially furious about the newcomer and does not want to accept him as a partner. The quiet Lorna, on the other hand, quickly gets along with Sōichi. For their task, however, the three of them have to quickly form a functioning team when a terrorist sabotages the controls of cars and uses them as a threat.
Production and publication
The anime series was produced under the direction of Jun Kawagoe at the Actas and A-Line studios. The idea and concept come from Kōsuke Fujishima and the script was written by Shinzo Fujita . The character design was created by Ken'ichi Hamazaki based on Fujishima's templates and Jiro Khono was the artistic director . The series was released by Bandai Visual from July 2000 to September 2001 as an original video animation on commercial media. A German dubbed version was released on three DVDs by Panini Video in 2003 and again as a complete box in April 2005. An English version was published by AnimeWorks , an Italian version by Panini Video and a Chinese version by Proware Multimedia. The station Locomotion showed the anime in Spain and Brazil.
In 2002 Actas made a film about éX-Driver under the direction of Akira Nishimori . The script was written by Shinzo Fujita and Takeshi Mochizuki and the character design was created by Ken'ichi Hamazaki and Takeshi Itō . Mitsuharu Miyamae and Yoshiko Kitamura were the artistic directors. The film was released in Japanese cinemas on April 20, 2002 and was later shown on television by Kids Station . An English version was broadcast by Animax Asia and published on commercial media by Geneon Entertainment . Proware Multimedia released the film in Taiwan.
At the same time as the movie, the 25-minute OVA éX-Driver Nina & Rei Danger Zone was released in Japan. Also created at Studio Actas, this production was directed by Shin'ichi Watanabe . Koichi Hatsumi, Ken'ichi Hamazaki and Takeshi Itō were responsible for the character design. The anime tells a story about the other parts of the franchise, with the two women Nina and Rei as éX drivers . Geneon Entertainment also released this anime in English.
synchronization
The German dubbed version of the six OVA episodes was made by Hermes Synchron.
| role | Japanese speaker ( seiyū ) | German speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Lisa Sakakino | Miki Nagasawa | Anja Stadlober |
| Lorna Endo | Yoko Asada | Sonja Spuhl |
| Sōichi Sugano | Yumiko Kobayashi | Fabian Hollwitz |
| Rei Kazama | Mommy Kingetsu | |
| Nina Anna Thunder | Michiko Neya |
music
The music for the anime was composed by Hikaru Nanase . The opening credits are Kaze ni Nare by Jam Project featuring Rica Matsumoto and Hironobu Kageyama. The song Sogekite (Sniper) by Milk was used for the credits .
radio play
A three-part series of radio plays on the anime was also released in Japan, which deals with other adventures by Lisa, Lorna and Sōichi. As an extra, draft drawings were enclosed with the radio plays.
reception
The German magazine Animania particularly praises the animation quality and also the sound, for which the driving noises of original vehicles were recorded. Only a few details in the background are sometimes implemented carelessly. The "easily digestible story with a lot of action and little character depth" is characterized by "slapstick and gags paired with a trace of self-irony" as well as "lovable characters, [...] rocking soundtrack" and "fast car chases". The series is primarily something for “lovers of powerful engines in combination with lovely femininity”. The German version is also well implemented and the synchronization is convincing. In the case of renewed criticism of the new edition in 2005, the OVA in Animania is only recommended to viewers with “a weakness for music, girls and motors” without high demands on animation and story, the synchronization is “entirely acceptable”. In its review, Mangaszene magazine refers to Kōsuke Fujishima's previous work You're Under Arrest! , which has great similarities and whose concept has been moved into the future with éX-Driver . And the adult protagonists have become young people. The anime offers a tried and tested mixture of soap opera, everyday comedy and fast-paced action with car chases, together with "technology presented in loving detail". However, character development does not take place in the series or in the film. In return, éX-Driver offers high quality animation and sound, but not "interesting, funny stories or original characters". The fan magazine Funime criticizes the apparently strongly marketing-oriented, non-developing characters in an unrealistic constellation and the excessive fan service with a focus on vehicle technology. So the series can only rely on its good animation and the "quite acceptable soundtrack".
In the cinema, according to Animania , jokes are not neglected and the aesthetics of the vehicles make car lovers' hearts beat faster. The funime calls the story of the film confusing, with loads of car races and light comedy interludes. Again and again "a rabbit is conjured out of a hat" to give the story a twist. The character quality is "rather mediocre for a movie". The 3D animations couldn't even compete with contemporary video games. In the OVA episode from 2002 the quality of the characters is worse than in the film, but the plot is "more believable and more self-contained".
Web links
- Entry at Anime News Network (English)