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Japanese anime television series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zillion (Japanese: 赤い光弾ジリオン, Hepburn: Akai Kōdan Jirion, literally Red Photon Bullet Zillion, fully titled Red Photon Zillion) is a Japanese anime television series produced by Tatsunoko Production. It ran from April 12 to December 13, 1987, on Nippon Television, comprising 31 episodes.[2]
| Zillion | |
Official Blu Ray-DVD cover in North America from Funimation. | |
| 赤い光弾ジリオン (Akai Kōdan Jirion) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Adventure, science fiction |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Mizuho Nishikubo[1] |
| Produced by | Hidehiko Takei Minoru Ōno Hiro Iwata |
| Written by | Tsunehisa Ito |
| Music by | Jun Irie |
| Studio | Tatsunoko Production |
| Licensed by | Crunchyroll |
| Original network | NNS (NTV) |
| Original run | April 12, 1987 – December 13, 1987 |
| Episodes | 31 |
| Original video animation | |
| Zillion: Burning Night | |
| Directed by | Mizuho Nishikubo |
| Written by | Mizuho Nishikubo |
| Music by | Jun Irie |
| Studio | I.G. Tatsunoko |
| Licensed by | Crunchyroll |
| Released | June 21, 1988 |
| Runtime | 45 minutes |
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2023) |
The story takes place on the planet Maris in the year 2387. Around this time, the Nohzas (ノーザ, Nōza) civilization, led by Empress Admis, started a genocide program to kill all humans in order to lay eggs and reproduce on the planet. Three mysterious guns dubbed the "Zillion Weapon System" appear and three teen soldiers (JJ, Champ, and Apple) are chosen to wield them as a task force called White Nuts (ホワイトナッツ, Howaito Nattsu) (W.N.) (known as the White Knights in the English version), whose purpose is to fight back against the Nohzas.
| Character | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| J.J. | Toshihiko Seki | Doug Stone |
| Champ | Kazuhiko Inoue | Kerrigan Mahan |
| Apple | Yūko Mizutani | Barbara Goodson |
| Amy | Chieko Honda | Wendee Lee |
| Dave | Daiki Nakamura | Eddie Frierson |
| Gord | Yuzuru Fujimoto | Michael Forest |
| Bernstein Narrator | Osamu Kobayashi | Tom Wyner |
| Baron Ricks | Show Hayami | Doug Stone |
Equipment of the White Nuts team:
Despite the cult success of the video games, the Zillion anime received only a very brief release in the early 1990s in the United States. The first five episodes of the TV series, as well as the Burning Night OVA were dubbed and released on VHS by Streamline Pictures.[3] The anime was featured in the music video for Michael and Janet Jackson's collaboration "Scream".[3] Samples from the English dub of the anime were also featured in Del the Funky Homosapien's single "Cyberpunks".[4]
In October 2018, Funimation has released the complete series and the OVA on a Blu-ray/DVD set with Japanese audio and English subtitles.[3]
Zillion: Burning Night, known in Japan as Red Photon Zillion: Songstress's Nocturne (赤い光弾ジリオン 歌姫夜曲, Akai Kodan Jirion Utahime Yakyoku), is a Japanese direct-to-video anime release by Tatsunoko. It is also referred to as "Red Bullet Zillion: Burning Night" and "Zillion: Burning Night Special". It was released on June 21, 1988.[5]
According to Toshinori Otsuri, it's inspired by Streets of Fire.[6]
In the peaceful aftermath of the Nozsa wars, the charismatic heroes known as "White Nuts" have changed career paths to becoming music making rock stars. Their music career would soon be interrupted by a new threat of colonial settlers. Apple is kidnapped by the sadistic ODAMA Clan - a family of ruthless killers. Located in a heavily fortified mountain retreat, J.J. and company attempt a rescue mission with their laser weapon Zillion, but the former Knights only have a limited supply of Zillium for the Zillion guns. A mysterious stranger named Rick, a wondering bodyguard for the ODAMA Clan, turns out to be an old lover of Apple.
In 1993, Eternity Comics published a comic book adaptation, written by Tom Mason, drawn by Harrison Fong, and lettered by Tim Eldred.
Two games were made based on the series, both by Sega for the Master System: Zillion, an action game similar in play style to Metroid and Impossible Mission, and a sequel, Zillion II: The Tri Formation, which was a faster-paced game involving a powered armor mecha which transformed into a motorcycle.
A Zillion-based laser tag toy line also by Sega was also released in Japan and Brazil. The design of the gun, which was also featured in the series released in 1987, was reused from the Master System Light Phaser light gun which was released in 1986 in North America, Europe and Brazil.[7][8]
Later in the series, Sega and Tatsunoko changed the design of the anime series' guns, simultaneous with a cosmetic change in the laser tag guns on which they were based.
In 2009, a Brazilian man used the toy in a hostage crisis situation where a woman was held for more than 10 hours.[9]
After the production of the anime, Tatsunoko Production and Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, the producer of Zillion, established IG Tatsunoko (which later became Production I.G) to obstruct the dispersing of the excellent staffs of Tatsunoko branch which had done actual production. Therefore, Zillion is considered to be Production I.G's first work.[10][11]
The anime's mechanical designs were done by Studio "Ammonite".
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