Appleseed Alpha
| Appleseed Alpha | |
|---|---|
 Blu-ray Disc cover | |
| Directed by |
Shinji Aramaki Steven Foster (co-director) |
| Produced by |
Joseph Chou Eiichi Kamagata |
| Written by | Marianne Krawczyk |
| Based on |
Appleseed by Masamune Shirow |
| Music by | Tetsuya Takahashi |
Production company |
Sola Digital Arts |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country |
Japan United States |
| Language | English |
Appleseed Alpha (also styled as Appleseed α) is a computer-animated military science fiction cyberpunk action thriller film. The English version's voice cast includes Luci Christian (Deunan Knute), David Matranga (Briareos) and Wendel Calvert (Two Horns).
Appleseed Alpha had an advance digital release on July 15, 2014.[1]
Plot
Set in a different series of events, this story does not follow the previous Appleseed movie canon (despite being directed by the same director of the previous movies); it is an alternate story to their beginnings. Briareos is already a cyborg and did not become separated from Deunan to be later reunited in Olympus to join ESWAT.
Appleseed Alpha depicts the early days of Deunan Knute and Briareos in the 22nd century, as they embark on a journey throughout dystopic ruins of New York in search of the city of Olympus. They are hired by Two Horns, the warlord of the ruined city, to eliminate bipedal combat machines. During the fight, they encounter Iris (voiced by Brina Palencia) and Olson, both on a mission. Deunan and Briareos befriend them and decide to join their mission.
Iris is tasked with preventing the malevolent cyborg Talos from capturing a secret weapon humans were building. Talos uses Iris to activate the gigantic war machine.
Voice cast
| Character | English voice actor | Japanese voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Deunan | Luci Christian | Yuka Komatsu |
| Briareos | David Matranga | Junichi Suwabe |
| Two Horns | Wendel Calvert | Tessho Genda |
| Mattews | Chris Hutchison | Katsunosuke Hori |
| Olson | Adam Gibbs | Hiroki Takahashi |
| Iris | Brina Palencia | Aoi Yūki |
| Talos | Josh Sheltz | Hiroki Touchi |
| Nyx | Elizabeth Bunch | Kaori Nazuka |
Reception
The film received a PG-13 rating by the Motion Picture Association of America due to "sci-fi action and violence throughout, and a sexual reference".[2] Zac Bertschy from Anime News Network called it "the most visually stunning Appleseed movie yet".[3] Hollywood Outbreak website wrote that "thanks to the extensive motion and facial capture work on the project, the animation is a perfect balance of realism and science fiction-esque fantasy".[4] Appleseed Alpha was selected for screening at Fantasia Festival on July 19, 2014.[3]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Behind the Voice Actors (BTVA) Voice Acting Award for Best Female Lead Vocal Performance in an Anime Feature Film/Special | Luci Christian | Nominated |
| 2015 | Behind the Voice Actors (BTVA) Voice Acting Award for Best Male Vocal Performance in an Anime Feature Film/Special in a Supporting Role | Wendel Calvert | Nominated |
References
- ↑ Max Nicholson (May 12, 2014). "Appleseed Alpha Blu-ray Announced, Trailer Released". IGN. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
- ↑ "Appleseed Alpha Brand New Clip & Trailer". Impulse Gamer. July 9, 2014. Archived from the original on July 26, 2014. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
- 1 2 "Appleseed Alpha". Fantasia Festival. Archived from the original on August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
- ↑ "'Appleseed Alpha' Blu-Ray Provides Early Vision of Olympus 22". Hollywood Outbreak. July 22, 2014. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
External links
- Appleseed Alpha (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
