Alice Gear Aegis

Alice Gear Aegis (Japanese: アリス・ギア・アイギス, Hepburn: Arisu Gia Aigisu) is a Japanese mobile game developed by Pyramid and published by Colopl released in 2018.

Alice Gear Aegis
アリス・ギア・アイギス (Arisu Gia Aigisu)
Genre	Mecha[1]
Video game
Developer	Pyramid
Publisher	Colopl
Music by	Zuntata
Genre	Action
Platform	iOS Android PC
Released	January 22, 2018
Original video animation
Alice Gear Aegis: Heart Pounding! Actress Packed Mermaid Grand Prix!
Directed by	Hirokazu Hanai
Written by	Masahiro Okubo
Music by	Zuntata
Studio	Nomad
Licensed by	Sentai Filmworks
Released	September 15, 2021
Runtime	20 minutes
Video game
Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix
Developer	Pyramid
Publisher	JP: Mages WW: PQube AS: Sega
Music by	Zuntata
Genre	Action, Fighting game
Platform	Nintendo Switch PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5
Released	JP: September 8, 2022 WW: March 16, 2023
Anime television series
Alice Gear Aegis Expansion
Directed by	Hirokazu Hanai
Written by	Kenji Sugihara
Music by	Kazuma Jinnouchi Nobuko Toda
Studio	Nomad
Licensed by	Sentai Filmworks SA/SEA: Medialink
Original network	Tokyo MX, MBS, BS11, AT-X
Original run	April 4, 2023 – June 20, 2023
Episodes	12 (List of episodes)

A console spin-off of the mobile game, titled Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix, by Mages was released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 in September 2022 in Japan, followed by a worldwide release in March 2023.

The game received an original video animation by Nomad in September 2021. An anime television spin-off, also by Nomad, aired from April to June 2023.

Media

Mobile game

The game was first announced on July 25, 2017; it was also announced to be developed by Pyramid and published by Colopl, with character designs from Fumikane Shimada, mech designs from Kanetake Ebikawa and Takayuki Yanase, and music written by Zuntata.^[2] The game released on January 22, 2018, on iOS and Android.^[3] The game was released on PC on June 4, 2019.^[4]

Console game

Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix, a bullet hell fighting game, was released in Japan by Mages on September 8, 2022, for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.^[5] Published by PQube, a worldwide launch on the same systems is set for a March 16, 2023, release.^[6]

Anime

In October 2020, it was announced that the game would be receiving an original video animation (OVA) adaptation.^[7] The OVA, titled Alice Gear Aegis: Heart Pounding! Actress Packed Mermaid Grand Prix!, was produced by Nomad and directed by Hirokazu Hanai, with Rikiya Okano designing the characters, Masahiro Okubo writing the scripts, and Zuntata composing the music.^[1] It was released on September 15, 2021.^[8] Sentai Filmworks began streaming the OVA on Hidive on March 29, 2023.^[9]

In January 2022, an anime television series adaptation of the game was announced. Nomad, Hirokazu Hanai, and Rikiya Okano all reprised their roles from the OVA as producer, director, and character designer respectively. However, Kenji Sugihara replaced Okubo as script writer.^[8] The series, titled Alice Gear Aegis Expansion, aired from April 4 to June 20, 2023, on Tokyo MX and other networks.^[10][11][a] The opening theme song is "Dash and Go!" by Aina Suzuki, while the ending theme song is "Just a little bit" by Marina Horiuchi.^[13]

Sentai Filmworks licensed the series in North America, and streamed it on Hidive.^[14] Medialink licensed the series in Asia-Pacific and Oceania (except Australia and New Zealand),^[15] and streamed on the Ani-One Asia/Thailand YouTube channels; as well as Bilibili in Southeast Asia;^[16] Catchplay+ in Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan and MeWATCH in Singapore.^[17]

No.	Title [18][19]	Directed by [b]	Written by [b]	Storyboarded by [b]	Original release date [20]
OVA	"Heart Pounding! Actress Packed Mermaid Grand Prix!" Transliteration: "Doki! Akutoresu Darake no Māmeido Guranpuri" (Japanese: ドキッ！アクトレスだらけのマーメイドグランプリ♡)	Hirokazu Hanai	Masahiro Okubo Hirokazu Hanai	Hirokazu Hanai	September 15, 2021 (2021-9-15)
1	"Farewell, Narikozaka Manufacturing!" Transliteration: "Saraba Narikozaka Seisakusho!" (Japanese: さらば成子坂製作所！)	Hirokazu Hanai	Kenji Sugihara	Hirokazu Hanai	April 4, 2023 (2023-4-4)
2	"Actresses VS Maintenance Crew!" Transliteration: "Akutoresu Buiesu Seibi-bu!" (Japanese: アクトレスVS整備部！)	Yūma Suzuki	Kenji Sugihara	Hirokazu Hanai	April 11, 2023 (2023-4-11)
	"Welcome to the Actress Cafe!" Transliteration: "Akutoresu Kafe e Yōkoso!" (Japanese: アクトレスカフェへようこそ！)
3	"The Narikozaka Nightmare!" Transliteration: "Narikozaka no Akumu!" (Japanese: 成子坂の悪夢！)	Yoshiyuki Kumeda Kōichirō Kuroda	Yasunori Yamada	Hiroyuki Yamada	April 18, 2023 (2023-4-18)
	"Ninpuu Raiya Gaiden!" Transliteration: "Ninpū Raiya Gaiden!" (Japanese: 忍風来弥外伝！)
4	"Festival Revelry! Narikozaka! (Preparations)" Transliteration: "Omatsuri Sawagi da yo! Narikozaka! (Junbi-hen)" (Japanese: お祭り騒ぎだヨ！成子坂！（準備編）)	Yūri Hagiwara Susumu Yamamoto	Shirō Gohongi	Akira Nishimori	April 25, 2023 (2023-4-25)
	"Festival Revelry! Narikozaka! (The Event)" Transliteration: "Omatsuri Sawagi da yo! Narikozaka! (Tōjitsu-hen)" (Japanese: お祭り騒ぎだヨ！成子坂！（当日編）)
5	"Terrifying Hiking?!" Transliteration: "Kyōfu no Haikingu!?" (Japanese: 恐怖のハイキング！？)	Yūichi Satō	Kenji Sugihara	Hiroyuki Yamada	May 2, 2023 (2023-5-2)
	"Fight on, Vapor Haze?!" Transliteration: "Tatakae Veipā Heizu!?" (Japanese: 戦えヴェイパーヘイズ！？)
6	"The Touka Shimoochiai Murder Case (Shitara Chapter)" Transliteration: "Shimoochiai Tōka Satsujin Jiken ~Shitara-hen~" (Japanese: 下落合桃歌殺人事件 ～シタラ編～)	Masateru Inada	Yasunori Yamada	Akira Nishimori	May 9, 2023 (2023-5-9)
	"The Touka Shimoochiai Murder Case (Yotsuyu Chapter)" Transliteration: "Shimoochiai Tōka Satsujin Jiken ~Yotsuyu-hen~" (Japanese: 下落合桃歌殺人事件 ～夜露編～)
7	"Yotsuyu-sama's a Former Delinquent?!" Transliteration: "Yotsuyu-sama wa Moto Yan!?" (Japanese: 夜露様は元ヤン！？)	Yūma Suzuki	Yasunori Yamada	Yūma Suzuki	May 16, 2023 (2023-5-16)
	"Life for the Maintenance Crew!" Transliteration: "Seibi-bu no Nichijō!" (Japanese: 整備部の日常！)
8	"Nodoka in Wonderland" Transliteration: "Fushigi no Kuni no Nodoka" (Japanese: 不思議の国ののどか)	Tomonori Mine	Kenji Sugihara	Tomonori Mine	May 23, 2023 (2023-5-23)
	"Narikozaka a La Carte" Transliteration: "Narikozaka Arakaruto" (Japanese: 成子坂アラカルト)
9	"Rin-chan Expedition Party Mystery! Search for the Legendary Sasshie!" Transliteration: "Rin-chan Tankentai Shinpi! Maboroshi no Sasshī o Sagase!" (Japanese: リンちゃん探検隊 神秘！幻のサッシーを探せ！)	Yūta Suzuki	Yasunori Yamada	Hiroyuki Yamada	May 30, 2023 (2023-5-30)
	"Fluff: The Terrifying Invader" Transliteration: "Mofu ~Kyōfu no Shinryaku Seibutsu~" (Japanese: MOFU ～恐怖の侵略生物～)
10	"It's a Vacation to the South, Narikozaka! (Vacation)" Transliteration: "Nangoku Bakansu da yo! Narikozaka! (Bakansu-hen)" (Japanese: 南国バカンスだヨ！成子坂！（バカンス編）)	Yoshiyuki Kumeda	Yasunori Yamada	Shinpei Nagai	June 6, 2023 (2023-6-6)
	"It's a Vacation to the South, Narikozaka! (Contest)" Transliteration: "Nangoku Bakansu da yo! Narikozaka! (Kontesuto-hen)" (Japanese: 南国バカンスだヨ！成子坂！（コンテスト編）)
11	"Rain" Transliteration: "Ame" (Japanese: 雨)	Sumio Watanabe	Shirō Gohongi	Akira Nishimori	June 13, 2023 (2023-6-13)
12	"Farewell, Nodoka Takahata!" Transliteration: "Saraba Takahata Nodoka!" (Japanese: さらば高幡のどか！)	Hirokazu Hanai	Kenji Sugihara	Hirokazu Hanai	June 20, 2023 (2023-6-20)

Reception

The Alice Gear Aegis Expansion anime adaptation received mixed reviews. Alex Henderson of Anime Feminist reviewed the first episode, stating the world of fighting aliens in space seems "unrelated to the cutesy character storyline" which comprises the premiere, and called it "very silly" because the lore and tone, in Henderson's view, are "so at odds" with one another, with a refusal to engage with the sci-fi premise.^[21]

See also

• Arcanadea
• Busou Shinki
• Frame Arms Girl
• Infinite Stratos
• Little Battlers Experience
• Symphogear

Notes

1. Tokyo MX listed the season premiere at 25:05 on April 3, 2023, which is April 4 at 1:05 a.m. JST.^[12]
2. Information is taken from the ending credits of each episode.