Strange Dawn

is a 13-episode anime television series created by Hal Film Maker for Pioneer LDC (now Geneon) in 2000. The series follows the adventures of Eri and Yuko after they are transported to a strange world where all the people are very short.

The series aired on Britain's Channel 5 during their Saturday morning children's slot in early 2002 and was later licensed by Urban Vision in North America, and the first two DVD volumes were released. However, the company never had any plans for releasing the final two DVDs in the series. Anime DVD distributor: 'Dybex' did release all 4 volumes on DVD with French and Dutch subtitles.

Synopsis
Two high school girls (Yuko and Eri) are transported to a magical planet which is dominated by small semi-humans. To the girls' surprise, they are treated as Gods by the little creatures and learn from Princess Alia that she magically transported them here believing that they are the 'protectors' and will end the horrible war that has been going on for years.

However Yuko and Eri try to convince them that they are nothing more but two ordinary girls and all they want is to go home. They befriend Shall who comes to the decision to protect Yuko and Eri after he tells them that Princess Alia was captured right after she summoned them. Shall then leads them into a long journey to find Princess Alia, but unfortunately other countries discover the appearance of the two girls and are doing anything that they can to use them for their own benefit.

Novel
Sony Magazines released a novel based on the anime by Hiroshi Ishizaki. Novel "Strange Dawn SP" by Yoji Ishizaki. A completely original work, not a novelization of the anime version.


 * Strange Dawn Special: TV Anime Strange Dawn Side Story (ストレンジドーンSP(スペシャル)テレビアニメ版STRANGEDAWN外伝, Sutorenji Dōn Supesharu: Terebi Anime-ban Sutorenji Dōn Gaiden)
 * ISBN 4-7897-1599-X (195 pp., B6, August 2000, ¥940)

Manga
A manga adaptation by Hajime Miyakawa. It was serialized in the monthly magazine "Young King Hours" (Shonen Gahosha).

TV Anime
The series aired overseas on Britain's Channel 5 during their Saturday morning children's slot in the early 2002 and was later licensed by Urban Vision in North America, and the first two DVD volumes were released. However, the company never had any plans for releasing the final two DVDs in the series. Anime DVD distributor: 'Dybex' did release all 4 volumes on DVD with French and Dutch subtitles.

Staff

 * Planning/Original story - Junichi Sato, Hull Film Maker
 * General Director- Junichi Sato
 * Director - Shogo Kawamoto
 * Series Composition/Screenplay - Michiko Yokote
 * Character Design - Akihiko Yamashita
 * Chief animation director - Akemi Kobayashi
 * Art Director - Kenichi Tajiri
 * Color design - Kunio Kunio
 * Cinematographer - Kojiro Hayashi
 * Editing - Shigeru Nishiyama
 * Music - Kaoru Wada
 * Production Producer - Kohei Kawase
 * Producers - Katsunori Haruta, Yuichi Sekito
 * Animation Production - Hull Film Maker
 * Production - "STRANGE DAWN" Production Committee

Theme
The subtitles of each episode, with the exception of the first episode, are the titles of famous opera arias. However, the aria and the content of each story are not necessarily intended to be directly related.
 * Opening theme: Sora E (To The Sky), performed by Eri Kawai in Japanese and Donna Burke in English.
 * Ending Theme: Melody Ni... (On The Melody...), performed by Shoko Enomoto and Kaori Shimizu

Trivia
to be added.