Beatless Final Stage
Movies
Synopsis
One-hundred years into the future. A world in which society is mostly operated by humanoid robots called hIE. With the introduction of an ultra-advanced AI that surpasses human intelligence, beings that mankind is yet to fully comprehend made from materials far too advanced for human technology begin coming into being. Lacia, an hIE equipped with a black coffin-shaped device, is one of these. In boy-meets-girl fashion, 17-year-old Arato Endo has a fateful encounter with the artificial Lacia. For what purpose were these artificial beings created? Amid questions regarding the coexistence of these artificial beings and humans, a 17-year-old boy makes a decision…
Background
Beatless began as a light novel series written by Satoshi Hase with illustrations by Supercell member redjuice. The novel began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten’s Newtype magazine in 2012 and was compiled and published in book form in October 2012. An English version of the light novel translated by Edwin Hawkes with animated versions of redjuice’s artwork created by Wit Studio and animator Satoshi Kadowaki was released in 2013.
The novel has inspired three manga adaptations. The first, Beatless: Dystopia, is a two-volume series written by Kagura Uguisu and published by Kadokawa in Monthly Shonen Ace between 2012 and 2013. The second, a four-panel spin-off titled Beatless, is a single volume manga written by Kila and published under the Kadokawa Comics Ace Extra imprint. The third, Ptolemy's Singularity, is a spin-off written by Gun Shark and illustrated by Mitsuru Ohsaki that launched in April 2014 on Kadokawa's Famitsu Comic Clear website. It has been compiled into four volumes as of February 2018.
An anime adaptation of the series premiered in Japan on Jan. 12, 2018. It is directed by Seiji Mizushima (Gundam 00, Fullmetal Alchemist, Concrete Revolutio) with series composition by Tatsuya Takahashi (Idolmaster Cinderella Girls, Grimoire of Zero) and Go Zappa (Tenshi no 3P!, Blend S), character designs by Hiroko Yaguchi (Aikatsu!, Un-Go), and music by Narasaki (Mawaru Penguindrum, Un-Go) and kz from Livetune. It features opening theme "Error" by Garnidelia and ending theme "Primalove" by ClariS. It ran for 20 episodes before going on hiatus in June 2018.
A four-part sequel to the anime, Beatless Final Stage, will premiere in September 2018.
Characters
Arato Endo (Voiced by: Takuto Yoshinaga)
A 17-year-old high second year school student who is the first to encounter Lacia. He lives in Shin Koiwa with his father Kozo Endo, an hIE researcher currently working on Next Generation Total Environment Cities as part of the Societal Automation Experiment, and his younger sister Yuka Endo.
Being unassertive and unassuming, Arato is easily influenced by his classmate and friend Ryo Kaidai, and easily taken advantage of by his younger sister. After falling under the spell of the enchanting Lacia, he finds himself thrown into the heart of the Lacia-class hIE Escape Incident.
Ryo Kaidai (Voiced by: Kaito Ishikawa)
Arato’s classmate and childhood friend. His father is the founder of Memeframe, the world’s leading hIE behavior management cloud platform company, and he has a younger sister named Shiori. He has great interest in the Lacia-class hIE Escape Incident, following its latest developments, which acts to deepen his involvement in the inner circle of Memeframe.
Kengo Suguri (Voiced by: Daiki Yamashita)
A classmate of Arato’s who comes into contact with the Lacia-class hIE Kouka. Kengo is half-Japanese and half-Russian on his mom’s side and his father runs the Sunflower Diner in Azumabashi. He has a younger sister named Olga.
Quiet and gentle-hearted, Kengo is often easily swayed and pushed around by others. Being deeply suspicious of the hIE, he joins the Antibody Network, an anti-hIE organization that isn’t above resorting to violent tactics to achieve its mission. Nevertheless, he is a loyal friend to Arato and helps him track down Lacia after she’s kidnapped.
Yuka Endo (Voiced by: Saki Ono)
The 14-year-old younger sister of Arato’s, Yuka is free-spirited and a bit of a ditz when it comes to schooling, but she cares deeply for her brother. She is friends with Olga and Shiori.
Shiori Kaidai (Voiced by: Uki Satake)
Ryo’s 16-year-old sister, Shiori is the same age as her brother and acts mature for her age, having a generally calm and collected demeanor. After becoming involved in Memeframe’s factional struggles, she tries to take back Lacia from Arato.
Olga Suguri (Voiced by: Yuuki Wakai)
Kengo’s 15-year-old younger sister, Olga gets most of her physical traits from her Russian mother, unlike her brother who has much stronger Japanese traits. This gives her a inferiority complex that manifests as an obsession with classical Japanese fashions and adorning her hair with traditional Japanese head beads.
Lacia (Voiced by: Nao Toyama)
One of a select band of special hIE who escape from the Memeframe Tokyo research facility, Lacia has a chance encounter with Arato and immediately forms a contract with him, making him her new owner. Lacia is a Red Box, a being that mankind is yet to fully comprehend. She was developed by an ultra-advanced AI named Higgins and comes equipped with Black Monolith, a transforming device fitted with a powerful quantum computer.
Kouka (Voiced by: Misako Tomioka)
Radiant and alluring with scarlet hair and glittering crimson eyes, Kouka is a high-ranking member of the anti-hIE organization Antibody Network who first appears to Arato’s classmate Kengo. A wild trickster who loves mischief, Kouka’s true identity is an hIE and a younger sister model to Lacia. She wields Blood Prayers, a giant sword-like device fitted with blades that can each extend over a meter in length and features a quantum computer powerful enough to rival an entire military command center.
Snowdrop (Voiced by: Hiromi Igarashi)
With flowing jade-green locks, Snowdrop is a phantom of an hIE with the ability to fill the space around her with colorful and controllable nanomachines in the shape of flower petals that are able to neutralize all electronics in the area. She is also able to manipulate the crystalline spheres on her necklace causing them to shoot out like deadly projectiles. Her true identity is close to that of an older sister to Lacia. Her attack on Arato is the impetus for his first encounter with Lacia.
Saturnus (Voiced by: Shino Shimoji)
A wandering hIE with flaxen hair and brown eyes, her official name is Saturnus but she was nicknamed Mariage due to her looks. After escaping from Memeframe’s Tokyo research facility, she changes her name, reinvents herself, and begins a new life working at the mansion of multi-millionaire Erica Burroughs. An older sister to Lacia, Saturnus is a “Gold Weaver” hIE equipped with a spinning-wheel-like device capable of digging into the ground and can create all sorts of objects on command. She possesses the potential to change the world.
Erica Burroughs (Voiced by: Emiri Suyama)
A multi-millionaire who owns a mansion in Tokyo where Saturnus begins working after escaping from the Memeframe Tokyo research facility.
Methode (Voiced by: Sora Amamiya)
A Class Lacia Type-004 Prototype and one the most vigorous of the five extremely intelligent and powerful AI-controlled machines.
International Streaming
- Amazon Video
Official Links
Staff
- Original Author: Satoshi Hase
- Original Illustrator: redjuice
- Director: Seiji Mizushima
- Series Composition: Tatsuya Takahashi, Go Zappa
- Character Designer: Hiroko Yaguchi
- Mechanical Designer: Kenji Teraoka
- Art Director: Yoshimi Mineda
- Storyboards: Shuichi Okubo, Kayoko Tomono, Miho Norisue
- Color Designer: Yoshiki Hayashi
- Director of Photography: Yasuyuki Ito
- CG Director: Youhei Miyabara
- Editor: Toshihiko Kojima
- Sound Director: Hiromi Kikuta
- Sound Production: Rakuonsha
- Music: Narasaki, kz
- Music Production: INCS toenter
- Producer: Junichiro Tamura, Hiroshi Asai, Hiroshi Kamei, Hiroyuki Sekigawa, Satoshi Tanaka, Gouta Aizima
- Animation Producer: Shota Amano
- Animation Production: Diomedéa
- Production: Beatless Production Committee