Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike(Japanese:テイルズ オブ ヴェスペリア 〜The First Strike〜,Hepburn:Teiruzu Obu Vesuperia ~The First Strike~)is a 2009 Japaneseanimatedfilm byProduction I.G.It is directed by Kanta Kamei and written byReiko Yoshida,featuring the voice talents ofKōsuke Toriumi,Mamoru Miyano,Mai Nakahara,Rika Morinaga,andEiji Takemoto.The film is the prequel to theNamco Tales Studio'srole-playing gameTales of Vesperiaand the first animated feature film in theTalesseries.Tales of Vesperia: The First Strikerevolves around the two knights,Yuri LowellandFlynn Scifo,from the Niren Corps as they protect a town from monsters with their allies.
| Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Kanta Kamei |
| Screenplay by | Reiko Yoshida |
| Story by | Namco Bandai Games |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Kazuhiro Yamada |
| Edited by | Junichi Uematsu |
| Music by | Akira Senju |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Kadokawa Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Box office | $941,610 |
The project was led by Kenta Kamei who previously worked on the animated cutscenes from theTalesgames. He expressed pressure due toFirst Strikebeing his debut as a director and also elaborated on how difficult was creating the storyboard. Yoshida was given the role of screenwriter in order to appeal to the female fanbase the series has always had. It was released in Japan on October 3, 2009, as a result of delays in production.Kadokawa Picturesdistributed the film. It was released in North America on June 26, 2012, byFunimation Entertainmentand in the United Kingdom on December 3, 2012, on DVD and Blu-ray byManga Entertainment.
The film grossed a total of US$941,610 in Japan. Its home media release had positive sales in Japan, with the Blu-ray being one of the bestselling from the year it was released. Critical reception of the film has been generally positive for its accessibility to the non-gamers ofTales of Vesperiaas well as the appeal of the main cast and the production value. Nevertheless, it has also attracted criticism for its slow pace.
Plot
editUsing a powerful substance known as aer, the people of Terca Lumireis live in an age of discovery and prosperity. The crystallized form of aer,Apatheia,is considered a potent energy source as it is essential to human life. Large amounts of Apatheia are being produced to protect towns from attacks by monsters and create barriers around towns. One day, in a forest near the town of Shizontania,Yuri LowellandFlynn Scifo,two knights who have just joined the Niren Corps, together with two of their senior knights and fellow Corps members, Hisca and Chastel, are sent on a mission to investigate an abnormal gushing of aer in the area.
After their first assignment to help destroy a monster infestation near the town, Yuri, Flynn, Hisca, and Chastel meet the local guild leader, Merzhom Keida. Niren, the captain of the knights stationed in Shizontania, was once dedicated to following the letter of the rules and regulation of the knights. However, he attributes the death of his wife and daughter to this trait, saying that if he had defied orders, he might have been able to protect them. The knights' efforts to repel the monsters around the area prove to be in vain. Despite being called byCommandant Alexeito attend a formal gathering at the imperial capital of Zaphias, Niren sends Flynn in his stead to attend the gathering and to request aid in defending the town. Niren and Chastel leave in search of a "strange blastia expert" namedRita Mordio.Yuri and Hisca are left to care for Lambert, Niren's hound, andRepede,Lambert's son. Niren succeeds in finding Rita Mordio and obtaining a device with which to return the aer to normal. Commandant Alexei admonishes Flynn, and his request for reinforcements to hold Shizontonia is denied until the end of the gathering. Yuri and Hisca assist in defending the town against a strange monster made out of aer. While they successfully repel the invasion, the monster takes control of Lambert along with two other wardogs. As Lambert rages out of control, Yuri is forced to kill him to protect Hisca.
When Flynn returns from Zaphias, he and Yuri come to blows, as each believes the other had an effortless assignment. Meanwhile, a platoon of high-ranking knights from central is seen in the forest being slaughtered by monsters. One survives and flees to Shizontonia's front gate, where he delivers a report to an unseen individual in the city. Niren, upon receiving the news that reinforcements would not be arriving anytime soon, decides to take the knights to investigate the source of the aer, which he believes to be a fortress at the center of a nearby lake. Flynn disagrees with Niren's decision, viewing it as disobedience of a direct order.
Garista, the strategist for the Niren Corps, attempts to dissuade Niren but to no avail. The investigation in the fortress turns out to be more dangerous as the aer begins to turn the fortress into a living weapon to attack the knights. The knights make their way into the fortress' center, where a giant blastia is found to be using the aer. Niren uses the device given by Rita to stifle the gushing of aer, but the sudden ceasing of aer flow causes a backlash, and the blastia explodes, destroying the barrier blastia that keeps Shizontonia safe, knocking out Chastel and causing the fortress to begin to crumble. As Niren attempts to carry Chastel to safety, the floor beneath him crumbles. Niren is able to throw Chastel to Yuri and is stranded in a sinkhole of gushing aer. Despite Yuri's attempts to save him, due to a wound he received during the investigation, Niren is unable to pull himself to safety. Leaving his blastia with Yuri, Niren has the knights leave without him.
The knights and the entire town mourn over Niren's death. Flynn realizes that the blastia used in the fortress where the aer abnormality originated, along with the piece he spotted on the floor, were a specialized type used only by Garista. Yuri and Flynn confront Garista with this information. Garista reveals that he attempted to create a new kind of blastia illegally but failed. He decided to leave the blastia to destroy itself, destroying Shizontonia and killing all witnesses. Yuri and Flynn attempt to arrest Garista, but a fight ensues, and Yuri kills him. In the aftermath, Shizontonia is evacuated due to the failure of the barrier blastia. Yuri leaves the knights, taking Niren's blastia as a keepsake and bringing Repede along with him, saying his goodbyes to everyone in the town. Flynn sees him off at the gates, and the two share a fond farewell, swearing to meet again.
Voice Cast
edit| Character name | Japanese[1] | English[2] |
|---|---|---|
| Yuri Lowell | Kosuke Toriumi | Troy Baker |
| Flynn Scifo | Mamoru Miyano | Sam Riegel |
| Niren Fedrok | Takashi Taniguchi | Christopher Sabat |
| Hisca Aiheap | Arisa Ogasawara | Trina Nishimura |
| Chastel Aiheap | Fumie Mizusawa | Leah Clark |
| Garista Luodur | Mitsuru Miyamoto | J. Michael Tatum |
| Merzhom Keida | Daisuke Gori | R. Bruce Elliot |
| Yurgis | Yasuyuki Kase | Mike McFarland |
| Rita Mordio | Rika Morinaga | Luci Christian |
| Estellise Sidos Heurassein | Mai Nakahara | Cherami Leigh |
| Kansuke | Yukito Soma | Ricco Fajardo |
| Chris | Chikara Oosaka | Newton Pittman |
| Elvin | Masafumi Kimura | Scott Freeman |
| Raven | Eiji Takemoto | Jonathan Brooks |
| Gradana | Wataru Takagi | Barry Yandell |
| Hanks | Kouzou Douzaka | Cris George |
| Ivan | Ryuichi Aizawa | Christopher Bevins |
| David | Masanori Iwasaki | Josh Grelle |
| Alexei Dinoia | Jurota Kosugi | Jason Douglas |
| Emma | Reika Uyama | Lindsay Seidel |
Development
editTales of Vesperia: The First Strikewas officially announced in early 2009 with the staff confirming the return ofKousuke ToriumiandMamoru Miyanoas the protagonists.[3]Production of the movie started whenTales of Vesperiawas still in plot stage. The team discarded the idea of making an adaptation of the game due to its large length. The team was also against making a sequel or a sidestory due to the required time-consuming character introductions that would make it required to play the game to enjoy.[4]Director Kenta Kamei wanted a movie that anybody would enjoy. As a result, it was decided to make it a prequel as they could explore Yuri and Flynn's background. Kamei was originally involved in the movie parts of theTalesseries. When he was assigned as the movie's director, he recalls feeling "honoured, surprised and a bit nervous at the same time".[4]
The First Strikewas Kamei's first movie, and he wanted to rely on an experienced screenwriter. He eventually requestedReiko Yoshida's help as theTalesseries had a strong female fanbase and thus needed "feminine sensitiveness" in designing the script.[4]The film uses 2D andcomputer-generatedanimation. The director was demanding with the 3DCG director, and he relied on a very skilled team. He started from the director of photography, Kazuhiro Yamada, who he personally insisted to join the production. Kamei elaborated on how blending hand-drawn animation and CGI was one of the most difficult and time-consuming tasks.[5]As a result, especially in the opening scene, the film had hand-drawn characters running on a 3D background. It took a while before he could get the result he was aiming for. The plot took two years and a half to produce. Originally, there were plans to release the movie before the game, but a delay in the schedule resulted inVesperiabeing released first. Kamei believes that this was due to how demanding he was.[5]
Much of the plot was affected by Yuri and Flynn's youth. Niren Fedrok was created to serve as a mentor figure as well as the possible future of the two's careers. Since Yuri was surer of his interest, the coming-of-age story was more focused on Flynn.[6]This is meant to act as a counterpart to the video game, where not much of Flynn's past and his weaknesses are exposed. The friendship between Yuri and Flynn was seen as "priceless" by Kamei due to the mutual respect they share as well as the occasion each gets angry.[6]
The storyboard took six months to complete. Kamei struggled with several difficulties as he was under pressure due to how it would influence the entire film. The climax of the film also proved difficult to make.[5]He also noted how the first scene had the challenge of attracting the audience's attention. Kamei's favorite scene is when Yuri looks up at the sky of Shizontania the night before the knights' expedition to the old ruins. It meant to emphasize the importance of Yuri's decision in regards to his future.[5]
Music
edit| Tales of Vesperia The First Strike Original Soundtrack | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack albumby | |
| Released | October 21, 2009 |
| Length | 53:17 |
| Label | Lantis |
The music of the film was composed byAkira Senju.According to Elliot from Japanator Senju "brings an orchestral sound that really elevates the film in a way that veteran Tales series composer Motoi Sakuraba seems to struggle with these day".[7]The source game's theme song, "Ring a Bell"(Chung を minh らして,Kane o Narashite)byBonnie Pink,was reused as the movie's theme song. A 27-track original soundtrack,Tales of Vesperia The First Strike Original Soundtrack(テイルズ オブ ヴェスペリア ～The First Strike～ オリジナル・サウンドトラック),was released byLantison October 21, 2009.[8]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nhạc dạo ～ ma lực と ma vật ～ / ngàn trụ minh" | 1:22 |
| 2. | "First Operations / ngàn trụ minh" | 2:51 |
| 3. | "Ma đạo khí / ngàn trụ minh" | 1:51 |
| 4. | "テイルズ オブ ヴェスペリア～The First Strike～ / ngàn trụ minh" | 2:09 |
| 5. | "シゾンタニア の kỵ sĩ đoàn / ngàn trụ minh" | 2:24 |
| 6. | "Một ngày を chung えて / ngàn trụ minh" | 0:50 |
| 7. | "(ギルド / ngàn trụ minh)" | 1:32 |
| 8. | "Bridge ～Bonus Piece～ / ngàn trụ minh" | 0:22 |
| 9. | "Phụ の hồi ức / ngàn trụ minh" | 0:41 |
| 10. | "Xích いエアル の mê / ngàn trụ minh" | 2:02 |
| 11. | "Đế đô と の cán lịch / ngàn trụ minh" | 2:53 |
| 12. | "Dư kỳ せぬ tập kích / ngàn trụ minh" | 2:53 |
| 13. | "Ma vật へ の 変 mạo / ngàn trụ minh" | 1:49 |
| 14. | "Thấy えない làm / ngàn trụ minh" | 1:32 |
| 15. | "Kỵ sĩ の cát đằng / ngàn trụ minh" | 3:07 |
| 16. | "Xuất động へ / ngàn trụ minh" | 2:45 |
| 17. | "Đột nhập の とき / ngàn trụ minh" | 2:32 |
| 18. | "Dị thường hiện tượng / ngàn trụ minh" | 2:35 |
| 19. | "Golem Fight / ngàn trụ minh" | 1:32 |
| 20. | "Đại きな âm mưu / ngàn trụ minh" | 0:44 |
| 21. | "ナイレン / ngàn trụ minh" | 2:58 |
| 22. | "Bi しみを nghênh えて / ngàn trụ minh" | 0:47 |
| 23. | "Dũng giả と の đừng れ / ngàn trụ minh" | 3:18 |
| 24. | "Cuối cùng の cúi chào / ngàn trụ minh" | 0:34 |
| 25. | "Hắc mạc と の quyết đừng / ngàn trụ minh" | 2:08 |
| 26. | "それぞれ の nói, một つ の hữu nghị / ngàn trụ minh" | 2:15 |
| 27. | "テイルズ オブ ヴェスペリア～The First Strike～ (エンディング) / ngàn trụ minh" | 2:51 |
| Total length: | 53:17 | |
Release
editOn October 3, 2009,Tales of Vesperia: The First Strikedebuted in Japan's box office in seventh place with US$230,917.[9][10]It grossed a total of US$941,610 in Japan and US$4,351 in Taiwan for a total of US$945,961.[11]It was released on home media on May 28, 2010, in Japan. It was released on three different formats:DVD,Blu-ray Disc,andUniversal Media Disc.[12]In its first week of release, the DVD sold 14,314 units, while the Blu-ray ranked second in the charts.[13][14]In 2010, the Blu-ray sold a total of 36,059 units.[15]
Funimation Entertainmentannounced in April 2011 that they would release the movie in 2012 on Blu-ray and DVD in North America. The movie was released on June 26, 2012.[16]In June 2011,Madman Entertainmentannounced they also licensed the film for an Australian release.[17]In the United Kingdom, the film was released in December 2012 by U.K. Anime Industry.[18]The film debuted in the sixth International Animation Film Festival of Cordoba feature film competition section.[19]
Critical reaction
editCritical reception to the film has generally been positive. Rebecca Silverman ofAnime News Networkgave the film a positive review. Despite criticizing the film's pace, she said that "It may still appeal primarily to fans of the game, but for those who enjoy aheroic fantasytale, this is one worth checking out. "[20]Elliot Gay from Japanator praised the development of its cast and agreed with Frith in regards to the film's accessibility. He gave the film a "Great" 8 out of 10 calling it "A well executed film that defines its genre without resorting to cliches".[7]John Rose from the Fandom Post praised both Yuri and Flynn's characters as "neither character is simply some cardboard cutout incapable of growth or prevented from having another aspect to their personality and it is in these moments where the characters are able to show off their differences and complexities that the two really shine." He also called the film "a fantastically animated feature that may also be one of the best adaptations of an RPG world that has been created in a different medium".[21]Carly Frith fromEGMNowgave it a 9 out of 10 praising its accessibility and the work from the English voice cast. He said "The story is good and absorbing with only a few times when it feels like it’s tripping up" criticizing some aspects that felt poorly translated from the video game.[22]
The film also attracted criticism. UK Anime Network's Andy Hanley stated "It has potential in its characters and concept, but does very little with them over the course of this film to make for a disappointly mediocre movie."[23]Similar to Silverman, Jeffrey Kauffman from Blu-ray noted that the film had a slow pace in developing Yuri and Flynn's relationship. He gave high praise to the animation used in the story. He criticized its supporting cast as he believes "Tales of Vesperia: The First Strikeis a standalone offering, or at least one that might have done better had it focused solely on Yuri and Flynn and left the rest of the 'cast of thousands' far in the background. "[24]Gay was saddened by the lack of appearances from the side characters such as Siren, Hisca, and Chastel.[7]
The production value has been met with positive critical response. Silverman praised the film's animation, stating that "the movie is gorgeous, and not just for theatrical animation." Silverman also praised the cast, most notably Yuri's voice actors.[20]EGMnow also gave high praise to the animation calling it "beautiful and rich" and said "It is top-of-the-line in artwork, artistic style and coloring. The action sequences, though reminiscent of the game, are not repetitive nor silly. This is a very serious movie and it was treated as such."[22]The Fandom Post agreed saying "the feature has some absolutely stunning visuals which create lush and vibrant environments for the characters to live in which adds a wonderful polish to the work."[21]Similar praise was given by Jeffrey Kauffman from Blu-ray.[24]Andy Hanley praised the distinctive character designs despite criticizing some aspects from the fight scenes.[23]
References
edit- ^"STAFF & CAST".Production I.G.Archivedfrom the original on August 26, 2014.RetrievedAugust 20,2014.
- ^"Tales of Vesperia Film's English Dub Cast Revealed".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on 2019-05-13.RetrievedAugust 21,2014.
- ^"Tales of Vesperia Film, New Jinki Manga Titled. Dated".Anime News Network. April 7, 2009.Archivedfrom the original on July 25, 2014.RetrievedAugust 30,2014.
- ^abc"Interview with Kanta Kamei (1)".Production I.G.Archivedfrom the original on August 26, 2014.RetrievedAugust 20,2014.
- ^abcd"Interview with Kanta Kamei (3)".Production I.G.Archivedfrom the original on August 26, 2014.RetrievedAugust 20,2014.
- ^ab"Interview with Kanta Kamei (2)".Production I.G.Archivedfrom the original on August 26, 2014.RetrievedAugust 20,2014.
- ^abc"Japanator Recommends: Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike".Japanator.Archivedfrom the original on May 31, 2014.RetrievedMay 30,2014.
- ^"Tales of Vesperia -The First Strike Original Soundtrack)".CDJapan.Archivedfrom the original on September 7, 2023.RetrievedAugust 20,2014.
- ^"Japanese Box Office, October 3–4".Anime News Network. November 15, 2009.Archivedfrom the original on June 26, 2014.RetrievedAugust 16,2014.
- ^"By weekend".Box Office Mojo.Archivedfrom the original on March 4, 2016.RetrievedAugust 29,2014.
- ^"Teiruzu obu vesuperia: The first strike (Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike)".Box Office Mojo. January 27, 2010.Archivedfrom the original on March 5, 2016.RetrievedAugust 18,2014.
- ^"Products".TOV-Movie. January 27, 2010.Archivedfrom the original on April 22, 2015.RetrievedAugust 18,2014.
- ^"Japan's Animation DVD Ranking, May 24–30".Anime News Network. June 3, 2010.Archivedfrom the original on August 17, 2014.RetrievedAugust 20,2014.
- ^"Japan's Animation Blu-ray Disc Ranking, May 24–30".Anime News Network. June 5, 2010.Archivedfrom the original on January 25, 2021.RetrievedAugust 20,2014.
- ^"Top-Selling Animation Blu-ray Discs in Japan: 2010 (Part 1, Updated)".Anime News Network. December 22, 2010.Archivedfrom the original on June 19, 2017.RetrievedAugust 20,2014.
- ^"Funimation Adds Tales of Vesperia Anime Film".Anime News Network. April 2, 2011.Archivedfrom the original on May 21, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 15,2012.
- ^"Madman Acquisitions Announced at Supanova Sydney".Anime News Network. June 19, 2011.Archivedfrom the original on August 22, 2011.RetrievedJanuary 15,2012.
- ^"U.K. Anime Industry Announcements at MCM Expo (Updated)".Anime News Network. May 27, 2012.Archivedfrom the original on June 14, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 15,2012.
- ^"Tales of Vesperia screening in competition at Animacor 2010".Production I.G. October 29, 2010.Archivedfrom the original on August 26, 2014.RetrievedAugust 16,2014.
- ^abRebecca, Silverman (June 29, 2012)."Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike Blu-Ray + DVD".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on April 15, 2014.RetrievedMay 19,2014.
- ^abRose, John (August 10, 2012)."Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike Anime DVD Review".The Fandom Post.Archivedfrom the original on September 24, 2015.RetrievedMay 27,2014.
- ^abFrith, Carly (June 27, 2012)."Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike Review [Anime]".EGMnow. Archived fromthe originalon August 17, 2014.
- ^abHanley, Andy (March 12, 2012)."ANIME REVIEW: Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike".UK Anime Network.Archivedfrom the original on December 18, 2012.RetrievedAugust 20,2014.
- ^abKauffman, Jeffrey (June 26, 2012)."Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike Blu-ray Review".Blu-ray.Archivedfrom the original on August 10, 2014.RetrievedAugust 21,2014.
External links
edit- Official website(in Japanese)
- Tales of Vesperia: The First StrikeatAnime News Network's encyclopedia