Argento Soma
Encyclopedia
is a 25-episode anime
TV series that aired on TV Tokyo
from October 6, 2000, to March 22, 2001.
Episode 26, , was released direct-to-video.
), unidentified soldiers invade the MORGUE facility. They cut the power, leading to a power surge which violently brings Frank to life and causes an explosion that kills everyone in the facility except Takuto.
"Mr. X" visits the scarred (emotionally and physically) Takuto in the hospital, and offers him a chance to get his vengeance on the monster he blames for killing Maki and destroying his life. Months later Lt. Ryu Soma is reborn from the ashes of Takuto's soul, as a military pilot who joins FUNERAL. This is the organization which deals with the attacking aliens, and has also recaptured Frank (who escaped after the explosion at MORGUE).
It quickly becomes clear that Frank has become the best weapon FUNERAL has to defend against the aliens, which leaves Ryu torn between revenge and the desire to protect his comrades. Further complicating the picture, the only person who can communicate with Frank is a young girl named Hattie, who bears a striking resemblance to Ryu/Takuto's lost love Maki. As it becomes apparent that Frank is more than a simple monster, Ryu and his FUNERAL comrades have to come to terms with questions of human identity, grief, and loss.
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
TV series that aired on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
from October 6, 2000, to March 22, 2001.
Episode 26, , was released direct-to-video.
Plot
In an effort to learn more about the metallic aliens that have been plaguing the planet for the past years, Dr. Noguchi and his assistant Maki Agata try to bring to life a construct pieced together from the destroyed aliens. They recruit Takuto Kaneshiro, Maki's boyfriend at the college they both attend, into this project because of his talent for metallurgy. While Takuto is unhappy with Maki keeping secrets from him again, he reluctantly helps with the project. However, in the process of reviving the monster that Dr Noguchi has aptly called Frank (short for FrankensteinFrankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
), unidentified soldiers invade the MORGUE facility. They cut the power, leading to a power surge which violently brings Frank to life and causes an explosion that kills everyone in the facility except Takuto.
"Mr. X" visits the scarred (emotionally and physically) Takuto in the hospital, and offers him a chance to get his vengeance on the monster he blames for killing Maki and destroying his life. Months later Lt. Ryu Soma is reborn from the ashes of Takuto's soul, as a military pilot who joins FUNERAL. This is the organization which deals with the attacking aliens, and has also recaptured Frank (who escaped after the explosion at MORGUE).
It quickly becomes clear that Frank has become the best weapon FUNERAL has to defend against the aliens, which leaves Ryu torn between revenge and the desire to protect his comrades. Further complicating the picture, the only person who can communicate with Frank is a young girl named Hattie, who bears a striking resemblance to Ryu/Takuto's lost love Maki. As it becomes apparent that Frank is more than a simple monster, Ryu and his FUNERAL comrades have to come to terms with questions of human identity, grief, and loss.
Japanese cast
- Houko KuwashimaHouko Kuwashimais a Japanese voice actress and singer. She is capable of playing a variety of roles, ranging from young boys to feminine women. Kuwashima is currently affiliated with Aoni Production. Her given name, , is sometimes misread as Noriko, even in Japan...
as Harriet "Hattie" Bartholomew/Maki Agata - Souichiro Hoshi as Takuto Kaneshiro/Ryu Soma
- Jouji NakataJouji Nakata, better known by his screen name , is a Japanese voice actor born in Tokyo, Japan. He is affiliated with Ōsawa Office, and is most well known as the voices of Giroro , better known by his screen name , is a Japanese voice actor born in Tokyo, Japan. He is affiliated with Ōsawa Office, and is most...
as Michael Heartland - Kikuko InoueKikuko Inoueis a popular Japanese voice actress and singer. She has been part of the singing groups DoCo and Goddess Family Club, among others, and is the manager of her voice-acting company, Office Anemone. Inoue tends to play the "perfect girlfriend" or "motherly" role in many series, but she has also played...
as Guinevere Green - Sayuri as Lana Ines
- Takehito KoyasuTakehito Koyasuis a Japanese voice actor.-Career:Koyasu is part of the voice actor quartet Weiß consisting of Weiß Kreuz voice castmates Shinichiro Miki, Tomokazu Seki, and Yuuki Hiro...
as Dan Simmonds - Yūji TakadaYuji Takadais a Japanese actor and voice actor represented by Ōsawa Jimusho. Takada has featured in numerous television anime and drama series, and has also appeared as a narrator in numerous productions...
as Frank, Yuri Leonov, Defense Official, Henry Harris - Yui HorieYui Horieis a popular Japanese singer and voice actress. She is sometimes affectionately nicknamed by her Japanese fans.She hosts a radio show called and is the founding member of the singing group, Aice5. She is also a member of the band Kurobara Hozonkai, with the name YUIEL...
as Sue Harris
English cast
- Stephen ApostolinaStephen ApostolinaStephen F. Apostolina is a voice actor who is also known as Steve Apostolina, Jim Taggert, Sean Mitchell, Mitchell Ray, Randy Alan/Randy Allan.-Anime roles:...
- Army Official B - Beau BillingsleaBeau BillingsleaBeau M. Billingslea is an American actor and voice actor. He is best known as the voice of Jet Black from the popular anime Cowboy Bebop. In addition to voice acting, Billingslea has appeared in many popular TV series as a prolific guest actor...
- Captain Michael Heartland - Richard CansinoRichard CansinoRichard Cansino is an American voice actor. He is also known as Richard Hayworth because he is the nephew of Rita Hayworth, and occasionally goes by the name Steve Davis after the British snooker player of the same name...
- Mr. X - Dorothy Elias-FahnDorothy Elias-FahnDorothy Ann Elias-Fahn is an American voice actress who is the wife of Tom Fahn . She is also known as Dorothy Melendrez and Annie Pastrano...
- Maki Agata - Lynn FischerLynn FischerLynn Fischer is a voice actress.-Anime Roles:* Argento Soma - P.A., Kroka Leonov* Battle Athletes Victory - Nerilian* Figure 17 - Ms...
- P.A., Kroka Leonov - Sandy FoxSandy FoxSandra Marie "Sandy" Fox is an American voice actress who has had numerous roles in various animated cartoon and Japanese anime series, and video games....
- Harriet 'Hattie' Bartholomew - Crispin FreemanCrispin FreemanCrispin McDougal Freeman is an American voice actor, and Mythology scholar. His roles have included Alucard from Hellsing, Kyon from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Karasu from Noein, Togusa from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, as Holland Novak from Eureka Seven, Touga Kiriyu in...
- Morgue Military Official, First Lt. Dan Simmons - Steve KramerSteve Kramer (actor)Steven M. Kramer is an American voice actor for many anime titles. He has also done voice acting for various Power Rangers series in the past, with the best-known of those roles being the voice of Darkonda in Power Rangers in Space. His wife, Melora Harte, is a voice actress...
- Funeral Board, Army Official A, Astronomer, Cook - Lex LangLex LangWalter Alexis "Lex" Lang is a two-time Emmy Award–winning American voice actor, producer and entrepreneur. He is the cofounder of The Love Planet Foundation, a non-profit organization which creates educational materials for children on the importance of recycling, world water awareness, and the...
- Frank - Wendee LeeWendee LeeWendee Lee is an American voice actress. While she has done voice work for many video games as well as several episodes in the Power Rangers franchise, she is particularly prolific in the dubbing of anime. As of April 2009, with 223 credits to her name, she has more credits in this medium than any...
- Joan - Dave MallowDave MallowDave Mallow is an American voice actor. One of his known aliases is Colin Phillips.-Life and career:Mallow was born in Park Ridge, Illinois. His father worked in radio and television and was a thirty year on-air veteran at Chicago's WGN. He attained a BFA in Theater Arts from Drake University in...
- Bird House Operator, Guard, Doctor, Defense Man B, Base Guard, Ulysses Transmission, Ground Control, Additional Voices - Michael McConnohieMichael McConnohieMichael D. McConnohie is a voice actor and is the President of the Nevada-based Voxworks voice-acting corporation. He is known for his recognizable deep booming voice and is generally known for playing more charismatic characters...
- Funeral Unit Commander, Dignitary A, General - Mary Elizabeth McGlynnMary Elizabeth McGlynnMary Elizabeth McGlynn is an American voice actress, ADR director, writer, and singer best known for her extensive English-language dubbing of various anime, and her singing in multiple games from the Silent Hill series, as well as the movie adaptation and Dance Dance Revolution EXTREME. She has...
- Countdown Announcement, Stacey, News Anchor, Apartment Super, Scarlet, Auntie - Lara Jill MillerLara Jill MillerLara Jill Miller is an American television, stage and voice actress.-Biography:Miller was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania on April 20, 1967. She graduated from Allentown's William Allen High School...
- Second Lt. Sue Harris - Tony OliverTony OliverRafael Antonio Olivier , better known as Tony Oliver, is an American voice actor best known for voicing Rick Hunter from Robotech and Arsène Lupin III from Lupin The 3rd...
- Gate Guard, Border Patrol Pilot B, Dr. Takahashi, Air Force Official B - Paul St. PeterPaul St. PeterPaul Schmidl Peter , better known as Paul St. Peter, is an American voice actor. He also uses the names George C. Cole, George Z. Cole and Francis C. Cole...
- Morgue Officer - Tony PopeTony PopeAnthony Pope , also known as Anthony Mozdy, was a voice actor.He was born in Cleveland, Ohio and was known for providing the voice of Furby, as well as the voice of Newton Gimmick and other voices in the popular toy series The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin in the 1980s.-Death:He died on February 11,...
- Official - Simon PrescottSimon PrescottSimon Prescott Born in Brooklyn,New York 26 May 1936;has many Stage,TV & Film credits...also has many V.O. credits including Japanese Anime Cartoon Series and Video games; He has also voice-matched and dubbed many Foreign & Domestic films.-Anime:...
- Air Force Official A, Scientist A - Jamieson PriceJamieson PriceJamieson Kent Price is an American voice actor.Price was born in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is most well known for his deep and booming voice and can be heard in numerous anime shows and video games. He is also known as Taylor Henry and James Lyon...
- Base Alert, Funeral Board, Government Man, Colonel Kilgore, Control Tower - Derek Stephen PrinceDerek Stephen PrinceDerek Stephen Prince is an American voice actor who is most memorable for his various roles in the Digimon series, as well as the voice of Elgar in the live-action Power Rangers Turbo and Power Rangers in Space.While a talented actor, with vocal skills capable of anything from High School girls to...
- Lab Assistant B - Michelle RuffMichelle RuffMichelle Suzanne Ruff is an American voice actress known for her work in anime and video games.-Anime roles:* Angel Tales - Akane the fox* Ai Yori Aoshi - Aoi Sakuraba* Arc the Lad - Meril...
- Narrator, Reporter, Funeral Operator, Nurse (voice: English version) - Philece SamplerPhilece SamplerPhilece P. Sampler is an American voice actress and television actress, whose credits include various characters in anime. She also goes by the aliases of Sue Beth Arden, Victoria Pryne, and Debra Cunningham...
- Ai, Elaine Symond, Secretary (voice: English version) - Melodee SpevackMelodee SpevackMelodee M. Spevack is a voice actress and vice president of the Nevada-based Voxworks voice-acting corporation. She is also credited as Sonja S...
- Commander Lana Ines - Steve StaleySteve StaleySteve Staley is a voice actor who is also known as Steve Cannon. He is represented by Arlene Thornton & Associates.When he is not working in the booth, he teaches a voice acting class at Kalmenson & Kalmenson in Burbank, California....
- Takuto Kaneshiro/Second Lt. Ryu Soma - Doug StoneDoug Stone (voice actor)Douglas David Stone is a voice actor who is most notable for his representation of the character Psycho Mantis from the popular video game Metal Gear Solid, as well as the voice of Matt Trakker and several other characters in M.A.S.K., and Dragonborg in Beetleborgs Metallix...
- Dr. Ernest Noguchi - Julie Ann TaylorJulie Ann TaylorJulie Ann Taylor is an American voice actress who is best known for her role of Ai Tanabe in Planetes, Mutsumi Otohime in Love Hina, Yukari Hayasaka in Paradise Kiss and Taiga Fujimura in Fate/Stay Night among others...
- Joan #2, Amian - Paula Mattiloi Walker - First Lt Guinevere Green
- Dave WittenbergDave WittenbergDavid Richard Paul "Dave" Wittenberg is a prolific South African-born American video game and anime voice actor with nearly one hundred titles to his credit. While Wittenberg was born in a hospital in South Africa, he was primarily raised in Boston...
- Sheriff - Tom WynerTom WynerThomas Halperin "Tom" Wyner is an English-born voice actor for anime series who usually gets tough guy or villain roles. He is also a producer, director, and writer...
- UN Officer, Grandpa
Episode Titles
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- OVA.