Zoids Genesis (ゾイドジェネシス, Zoido Jeneshisu) is the fourth anime installment of the Zoids franchise. It tells the story of Ruuji Familon, a young boy who finds a Liger-type Zoid during a salvage mission. Initially, the village is attacked by Bio-Raptor Bio-Zoids, and later a Bio-Megaraptor. After the village generator is destroyed in combat, Ruuji takes the Murasame Liger Zoid and leaves the village alongside Ra-Kan and Rei Mii to find a generator mechanic or the village will be destroyed. Through his journey Ruuji learns he must fight against Digald. It aired on TV Tokyo from April 2005 to March 2006.
In July 2006, the series was announced to appear as a part of Toonami Jetstream, an online internet streaming project featuring current Toonami shows and all-new titles. Viz Media has indeed licensed the show as of August 2007,[1]. However, Toonami Jetstream was removed from the internet shortly after the Toonami television block was removed, so it is unknown if Zoids: Genesis will ever get a North American release, online or otherwise. It has been shown, however, in several markets of South East Asia with local English dubbing on Cartoon Network Saturday mornings.
Contents
Series background
Much like Zoids: Fuzors, Genesis still takes place on Planet Zi, and also seems to share no connection to the previous series. The show takes a more post-apocalyptic setting, following a cataclysmic environmental/geological event known as "Gods' Fury" that has destroyed much of the civilizations on Zi and devastated the planet. Many of Zi's survivors have created new civilizations with the use of giant structures called "Generators" that are scattered around the planet. However, out of the ashes of "Gods' Fury", the technology of the Zoids still existed and are constantly excavated for human use. The show returns to the more adventurous and war-themed styles reminiscent of Zoids: Chaotic Century. It focuses on a boy named Ruuji who lives in a small seaside village called Miroodo and eventually becomes the pilot of the Murasame Liger after excavating it from the ocean.
Plot
Generations ago on planet Zi, at the height of human development, Zoids were used in an epic war that eventually led to the destruction of the world. So devastated was the world that the planet was barely habitable for humanity and nature. The catastrophe was named "Gods' Fury" and was considered a supernatural event by locals who believed the world was punished because of humanity's foolishness.
Using one of their most powerful and largest Zoids, the surviving people of this conflict rode on Gildragons for safety and shelter. While one group returned to the earth and founded Iron Rock City, another group built a floating city in the heavens called Sky City. The people there rebuilt their society and eventually began researching ways to restore the planet. After many years of research, they planned to use their advanced bio-mechanical technology to restore the world in order to eventually re-inhabit the land their ancestors almost destroyed; as they lived in their advanced city, they became hubris, comfortable where they are and no longer desired to return.
Although not returning, the technology they developed was implemented upon the planet, which utilized to what the surviving locals refer as generators. It has unique capabilities to maintain energy and growth for machinery and life in the surrounding area. Eventually, Sky City would encounter energy depletion and scouted Zi with their own secret agents. As other agents monitored the growth and progress of the humans that survived "Gods' Fury," others approached people to make special arrangements. The council of Sky City chose a city called Digu and traded off advanced technology for Reggel (universal energy resource, like oil, from their generators). Their arrangement not only involved treaties, but also sending a Sky citizen to be adopted as part of the agreement. The King of Digu would accept Jiin as his son and Digu has since invested resources and developed their own technologies to form their own army, the Digald Army. Eventually, Digald would mass-produce their own special units, Bio-Zoids (a nigh-indestructible unit in combat, only weakness is weapons made of Zi-alloy and damage inside its mouth), with the aid of technology provided by Iron Rock.
The Bio Zoids were made in rapid numbers and gradually started conquering neighboring villages, towns, and cities that had generators to help produce more energy for Digald's energy consumption. They used special stones that could detect a human's ability to pilot a Bio-Zoid and drafted them into Digald forces, never to see their friends and family again. Though known and feared throughout the continent, people couldn't do much to defend themselves as their Zoids were no match against the formidable armor of the Bio-Zoids and they couldn't survive without having a generator; people either surrendered or were destroyed.
Characters
Ruuji Familon
Ra-Kan
Rei-Mii
Kotona Elegance
Thunder Galaga
Ron Mangan
Seijuurou
Tize
Hou
Paruburo
Dinga
Hakku
Danbul
Gaball
Kanpyuu
Zantsu
Bon Tigger
Zairin
Jiin
Felme
Georg
Souta/Gin
Whips De Zaltz
Muteki-Dan
Rinna Elegance
Zoids
Despite the disaster a thousand years ago, Zoids are still in use by the nations and cities of planet Zi. The main difference between other series is the use of a substance called Regel. Originating from a series of tree-like generators that help maintain the planet's ecosystem, Regel is an orange, sap-like fluid which Zoids depend on. Because of the sheer size and intake volume needed, it is possible that Zoids use it for maintenance functions, like lubricant oil, rather than as an energy source; it may also be used in this way to prevent Zoids from spreading too far away from human control.
Protagonist Zoids
The seven Zoids used by the protagonists are all armed with a metal Zi weapon, capable of disintegrating Digald armor. Because of their inferior numbers, they are occasionally overwhelmed by greater forces. The seven Zoids are;
Murasame Liger: Ruuji's Liger-type Zoid
Sword Wolf: Ra-Kan's wolf-type Zoid.
Lance Stag: Rei Mii's moose-type Zoid.
Rainbow Jerk: A peafowl-type aerial Zoid piloted by Kotona Elegance.
Deadly Kong: A large gorilla-type Zoid piloted by Garaga.
Bambu Lion: A panda-type Zoid piloted by Ron.
Soul Tiger: A Zoid that resembles the Rayse Tiger, except that it's white and the "energy lines" are red instead of green. It has four large claws on each paw and is very fast. Piloted by Seijuurou.
Digald Zoids
The militaristic nation of Digald has been steadily expanding across planet Zi, meeting little opposition. Occupied cities have their populations used as forced labor or Zoid pilots. The key to their success has been a silver-plating over their Zoids, which is immune to beam-weaponry. However, it is extremely vulnerable to high temperatures, or the effect of weapons made from a substance called metal Zi. Upon contact with either of these, the silver-coating melts and evaporates, and the internal crimson structure disintegrates, leaving only bleached white skeletons.
Zoids piloted by higher-ranking officers have gold claws or spikes that can block metal Zi weapons, though these are rare. The pilots, unlike most Zoids, remain suspended in a dark cockpit, and wear bulky suits with connecting wires to control their Zoids. Most are controlled using humanoid drones with rotary, three-eyed helmets, later revealed to be the drained consciousness of occupied peoples encased in robotic forms. Later model commander-type Bio-zoids such as the Bio-Volcano and presumably the Bio-Kentro have armor made of crystal that are completely resistant to Metal Zi weapons.
Theme songs
Opening
"夜鷹の夢" (Yotaka no Yume, Nighthawk's Dream) by Do As Infinity
Endings
"Real Love" by PARADISE GO!!GO!!
"ありのままでLovin'U (Arino Mamade Lovin'U)" by Shizuka Ito (Kotona) & Kimiko Koyama (Re Mii) (First Airing ep. 29)
"握りしめたその手に (Nigirishimeta sono Te ni)" by Shizuka Ito (Kotona) & Kimiko Koyama (Re Mii) (First Airing ep. 44)
