Re:Creators (stylized as Re:CREATORS) is a Japanese anime television series produced by Troyca. The series is about a high school student who becomes involved in a battle between several characters from manga, anime, and video games who somehow manifest in the real world. It aired from April to September 2017 and was exclusively streamed on Amazon Prime Video. A manga adaptation by Daiki Kase was serialized in Shogakukan's Monthly Sunday Gene-X from April 2017 to November 2019.
Contents
Plot
Sōta Mizushino is a young high school student and an avid anime fan who dreams of writing his own light novel. While watching the anime adaptation of the mecha light novel Elemental Symphony of Vogelchevalier to look for inspiration, the tablet computer he is watching on sputters and drags him into the anime's world, where he witnesses a battle between the anime's character Selesia and a mysterious girl wearing a military uniform. After returning with Selesia, Sōta discovers that other characters from different stories and forms of media were also brought to the real world, with some of them aligned with the military uniform princess, who promised them ways to end the strife in their worlds and a way back home, unaware of her true intentions. To stop her, Sōta and Selesia agree to find the other characters and bring them home, lest the military uniform princess bring untold destruction to every world that exists.
Characters
Main
Sōta Mizushino (水篠 颯太, Mizushino Sōta)
Voiced by: Daiki Yamashita
A 16-year old high school student who is timid but good-natured. He aspires to write his own light novel, but struggles to draw. He was friends with Altair's creator, Setsuna until he got jealous of her because of how everyone liked her due to her superior drawing skills while his mostly went ignored. Because of this, he brushed her off when she was accused of plagiarism and even felt satisfaction in her suffering. However, after learning of her suicide, he was left traumatized with self-loathing. As a result, upon learning Altair's true identity, he initially kept this a secret from the others, unable to face his demons. However, he eventually pulls through and resolves to stop Altair to atone for his actions.
Altair (アルタイル, Arutairu)
Voiced by: Aki Toyosaki
A mysterious, nihilistic young girl initially known as the Military Uniform Princess (軍服の姫君, Gunpuku no Himegimi) who brought the other creations into the real world. While she claimed to do this to force their creators to alter their worlds, she actually aims to destroy the real world out of spite over the death of her own creator. It is eventually revealed that she originated from the music video Altair: World Étude. Being a creation without a story, she is able to adopt powers from fan-fictions about her; she calls this ability "Holopsicon". However, overusing these abilities will cause her to fade from the real world, though she can bypass this by getting her viewers' approval.
Selesia Upitiria (セレジア・ユピティリア, Serejia Yupitiria)
Voiced by: Mikako Komatsu
The main female protagonist of the anime Elemental Symphony of Vogelchevalier (精霊機想曲フォーゲルシュバリエ, Seireikisōkyoku Fōgerushubarie). She is a princess and a knight who, alongside her partner Charon, fights the series' antagonists. She uses a sword and is capable of flight. She also owns a mecha called Vogelchevalier and later temporarily gained the ability to use fire magic. Upon arriving in the real world, she initially struggled to cope with the revelation that she is a creation, but quickly came to terms with it. She retains her strong morals and drive in the real world, striving to stop Altair and protect the creators.
Creations
Creations (被造物, Hizōbutsu) are fictional characters that are taken out from various forms of 2D entertainment such as anime, manga, light novels, and video games by the "Military Uniform Princess". Much like in their respective worlds, they are able to use their own powers, making them unbalanced with normal humans in the real world. Characters that can be taken out are those who receive approval and 'enough' popularity from their readers and viewers.
Mamika Kirameki (煌樹 まみか, Kirameki Mamika)
Voiced by: Rie Murakawa
The main protagonist of the magical girl anime series Magical Slayer Mamika (マジカルスレイヤー・まみか, Majikaru Sureiyā Mamika). Being from a series aimed at children, she was initially very naive, quickly resorting to violence if others do not agree with her. However, she eventually realizes the hypocrisy in her actions. While initially a supporter of Altair, she turns against her after discovering her true motives. She was the only creation whose creator was never revealed nor introduced in the series.
Yūya Mirokuji (弥勒寺 優夜, Mirokuji Yūya)
Voiced by: Kenichi Suzumura
The main antagonist of the Lockout Ward Underground -Dark Night- (閉鎖区underground-dark night-, Heisaku Underground – dark night -) action manga. He was once the best friend of the protagonist, Shō, until he supposedly killed their friend and Shō's sister. In reality, however, he was set up by the true culprit. Afterward, he became a gang-boss in a lawless Adachi. He uses a bokken called "Kuronagimaru" that can produce gusts of air and can summon a spirit called an "Astral Double" named "Hangaku" to fight by his side. Upon arriving in the real world, he desires to fight strong opponents, which prompts him to join Sōta's group.
Alicetaria February (アリステリア・フェブラリィ, Arisuteria Feburarī)
Voiced by: Yōko Hikasa
The protagonist of the fantasy epic manga and anime franchise Alicetaria of the Scarlet (緋色のアリステリア, Hiiro no Arisuteria). She is a princess and a knight who constantly fights a losing battle against the series' antagonists. She fights using a lance and uses magic through her "Gauntlet of Götz von Berlichingen". She also rides on a pegasus. Upon arriving in the real world, she gained an intense hatred of her creator, Gai, for making her world into such a dark setting for the sake of "entertainment" and suffered from a mild identity crisis upon learning that she is a creation. She desired to use the creators' power to save her world and fell into denial upon learning that this is impossible. She is aligned with Altair, due to her desire to change her world.
Creators
Creators (創造主, Sōzōshu) are people who created the Creations. They can be the scenario writer, character designer, planner, or the author of their respective series. They are able to 'upgrade' their respective characters if they receive enough positive responses and approval from their readers, fans and viewers.
Setsuna Shimazaki (シマザキ セツナ, Shimazaki Setsuna) / Yuna Shimazaki (島崎 由那, Shimazaki Yuna) (real name)
Voiced by: Ayaka Ōhashi
The creator of the online video called Altair: World Étude, from which Altair originated. She was originally an amateur manga artist, and upon being noticed by the community, became a more well known name. She befriends Sōta in middle school before her drawings get noticed, but they drift apart after she gains recognition.
Takashi Matsubara (松原 祟, Matsubara Takashi) / Takeshi Ōsawa (大沢 武志, Ōsawa Takeshi) (real name)
Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi
The author of the light novel Elemental Symphony of Vogelchevalier. While he and Selesia initially clashed over his attitude towards her, he has developed a greater sense of respect for her, and began to care for her just like his own daughter.
Marine (まりね) / Ayano Kōura (皇浦 綾乃, Kōura Ayano) (real name)
Voiced by: Hisako Kanemoto
The illustrator of the light novel Elemental Symphony of Vogelchevalier. She takes custody of Selesia and Meteora since Sōta could not continue to provide for them. She is actually rather insecure about her own illustrations, believing them to be inferior to those of other great illustrators. However, she uses this insecurity as resolve to continue to improve her drawing skills.
Masaaki Nakanogane (中乃鐘 昌明, Nakanogane Masaaki)
Media
Anime
The series' original concept is by Rei Hiroe and directed by Ei Aoki. Hiroe provided the original character designs, Ryuichi Makino provided the adapted character designs and Hiroyuki Sawano composed the music for the anime. Hiroe's original story for the anime was published on Shogakukan's Sunday Webry website, under the title Re:Creators Naked. The series aired in Japan from April 8 to September 16, 2017, on Tokyo MX and other television networks, and was simulcast exclusively on Amazon's Amazon Video service. The first opening theme is "gravityWall" by SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:Tielle & Gemie, and the ending theme song is "NewLook" by Mashiro Ayano. The second opening theme is "sh0ut" by SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:Tielle & Gemie, and the ending theme song is "Rubicon" (ルビコン, Rubikon) by Sangatsu no Phantasia. Episode 13 features an ending song by Aki Toyosaki under her character name Altair titled "World Étude". The anime ran for 22 episodes with 3 special programs.
Specials:
"Enter the World of Re:Creators" (April 1, 2017 (2017-04-01))
"Re:Creators Summer Special: Spending Time with the Girl Creations!" (July 22, 2017 (2017-07-22))
"Re:Creators Summer Special Continued: It's Summer! It's Yukata! It's a Girls Party!" (August 5, 2017 (2017-08-05))
Soundtrack
The series' soundtrack was composed by Hiroyuki Sawano. The soundtrack album was released by Aniplex on June 14, 2017, with a total of 34 tracks split across two discs.
Manga
A manga adaptation by Daiki Kase was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Monthly Sunday Gene-X from April 19, 2017, to November 19, 2019. Shogakukan collected its chapters in six tankōbon volumes, released from August 7, 2017, to December 19, 2019.
Another manga adaptation by Yūki Kumagai, that served as a spin-off to the main anime series that focused on a different set of characters, titled Re:Creators One More! (Re:CREATORS わんもあ！), was serialized in Shogakukan's Monthly Shōnen Sunday from June 12 to November 10, 2017. Shogakukan released a compiled tankōbon volume on December 19, 2017.
A spin-off manga by Tatsuhiko Ida, titled Chikujōin-san Hashagisugi (築城院さんハシャギ過ぎ; Chikujōin-san is Having Way Too Much Fun), was serialized on Shogakukan's Sunday Webry website from August 6 to November 5, 2017. A collected tankōbon volume was released on December 19, 2017.
