"Air" (2005) TV series

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

6 January 2005 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Plot:

Yukito Kunisaki is on a journey, seeking a girl with wings who flies in the sky, as mentioned in a childhood tale...

Plot Keywords:

Small Town | Wings | Ren'ai | Japan | Anime

Cast

Daisuke Ono	...	Yukito Kunisaki / ... (12 episodes, 2005)
Tomoko Kawakami	...	Misuzu Kamio (12 episodes, 2005)
Monica Rial	...	Misuzu Kamio (12 episodes, 2005)
Luci Christian	...	Haruko Kamio (11 episodes, 2005)
Aya Hisakawa	...	Haruko Kamio (9 episodes, 2005)
Hiromi Konno	...	Potato / ... (9 episodes, 2005)
Ryôka Yuzuki	...	Minagi Tohno (8 episodes, 2005)
Yumi Tôma	...	Hijiri Kirishima (7 episodes, 2005)
Yukari Tamura	...	Michiru (7 episodes, 2005)
Vic Mignogna	...	Yukito Kunisaki (7 episodes, 2005)
Serena Varghese	...	Michiru (7 episodes, 2005)
Asami Okamoto	...	Kano Kirishima (6 episodes, 2005)
Kaori Tanaka	...	Boy / ... (6 episodes, 2005)
Stephanie Wittels	...	Kano Kirishima (6 episodes, 2005)
Kenjirô Tsuda	...	Keisuke Tachibana (5 episodes, 2005)
Tiffany Grant	...	Potato (5 episodes, 2005)
Kira Vincent-Davis	...	Minagi Taho / ... (5 episodes, 2005)

Series Directed by
Tatsuya Ishihara		(3 episodes, 2005)
Noriyuki Kitanohara		(3 episodes, 2005)
Yutaka Yamamoto		(3 episodes, 2005)

Series Writing credits
Itaru Hinoue		(13 episodes, 2005)
Jun Maeda		(13 episodes, 2005)
Kathleen Moynihan		(13 episodes, 2005)
Fumihiko Shimo		(13 episodes, 2005)

Series Produced by
Joey Goubeaud	....	executive producer (13 episodes, 2005)
Yoko Hatta	....	producer (13 episodes, 2005)
Kozue Kaneniwa	....	producer (13 episodes, 2005)
John Ledford	....	executive producer (13 episodes, 2005)
Scott McClennen	....	producer (13 episodes, 2005)
Shinichi Nakamura	....	producer (13 episodes, 2005)
Yoshihisa Nakayama	....	producer (13 episodes, 2005)
Nagaharu Ohashi	....	assistant producer (12 episodes, 2005)
Takashi Takano	....	assistant producer (12 episodes, 2005)
Yuusuke Iida	....	publicity producer (unknown episodes)
Eharu Oohashi	....	assistant producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Jun Maeda		(13 episodes, 2005)
Shinji Orito		(13 episodes, 2005)
Magome Togoshi		(13 episodes, 2005)

Series Cinematography by
Ryuuta Nakagami		(8 episodes, 2005)

Series Film Editing by
Seiji Morita		(13 episodes, 2005)
Chieko Takayama		(9 episodes, 2005)
Masaki Sakamoto		(8 episodes, 2005)

Series Art Direction by
Jôji Unoguchi		(8 episodes, 2005)

Series Production Management
Katsuhiko Muramoto	....	production manager (5 episodes, 2005)
Shin'ichirou Hatta	....	production manager (2 episodes, 2005)
Hiroyasu Ueno	....	production manager (2 episodes, 2005)
Mayumi Yamaguchi	....	production manager (2 episodes, 2005)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Noriyuki Kitanohara	....	assistant director (1 episode, 2005)

Series Art Department
Tomoe Aratani	....	character designer (13 episodes, 2005)
Tatsuya Ishihara	....	storyboard artist: ending credits / storyboard artist: opening credits / ... (12 episodes, 2005)
Kazuki Kurihara	....	setting manager (12 episodes, 2005)
Keiko Maekawa	....	logo design cooperation (12 episodes, 2005)
Mutsuo Shinohara	....	assistant art director (12 episodes, 2005)
Jôji Unoguchi	....	art setting (12 episodes, 2005)
Akiyo Takeda	....	color designer / color setting check / ... (9 episodes, 2005)
Naomi Ishida	....	color design check / color designator / ... (3 episodes, 2005)
Noriyuki Kitanohara	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 2005)
Ayumi Shimoura	....	color design check / color designator (3 episodes, 2005)
Rie Takagi	....	color setting check / color designator (3 episodes, 2005)
Yutaka Yamamoto	....	storyboard artist (2 episodes, 2005)

Series Sound Department
Kyle Jones	....	adr director (13 episodes, 2005)
Mika Kamemoto	....	assistant sound recordist (12 episodes, 2005)
Eiko Morikawa	....	sound effects (12 episodes, 2005)
Yasushi Nagura	....	sound recordist (12 episodes, 2005)
Yoshimi Sugiyama	....	sound production coordinator (12 episodes, 2005)
Yota Tsuruoka	....	sound director (8 episodes, 2005)

Series Special Effects by
Rina Miura	....	special effects (12 episodes, 2005)

Series Animation Department
Tomoe Aratani	....	animation director: opening credits / chief animation director / ... (13 episodes, 2005)
Yukiko Horiguchi	....	key animator: opening credits / key animator (12 episodes, 2005)
Kazumi Ikeda	....	key animator: opening credits / key animator / ... (12 episodes, 2005)
Shoko Ikeda	....	key animator: opening credits / key animator / ... (12 episodes, 2005)
Taichi Ishidate	....	key animator: ending credits / key animator (12 episodes, 2005)
Satoshi Kadowaki	....	key animator: opening credits / key animator / ... (12 episodes, 2005)
Noriyuki Kitanohara	....	key animator: opening credits / key animator (12 episodes, 2005)
Kazuya Sakamoto	....	key animator: opening credits / key animator (12 episodes, 2005)
Hiroyuki Takahashi	....	key animator: opening credits / key animator (12 episodes, 2005)
Yasuhiro Takemoto	....	key animator: opening credits / key animator (12 episodes, 2005)
Mariko Ueno	....	key animator: opening credits / key animator (12 episodes, 2005)
Kana Miyata	....	digital paint artist (11 episodes, 2005)
Mariko Nishizawa	....	digital paint artist (11 episodes, 2005)
Miyuki Hiratoko	....	background artist (10 episodes, 2005)
Naoki Hosokawa	....	background artist (10 episodes, 2005)
Hitomi Imaizumi	....	digital paint artist (10 episodes, 2005)
Mutsuo Shinohara	....	background artist (9 episodes, 2005)
Tomiko Kisuki	....	inbetween animator (8 episodes, 2005)
Mie Kiyohara	....	inbetween animator (8 episodes, 2005)
Kenji Murayama	....	inbetween animator / animation checker (8 episodes, 2005)
Chitose Nakamine	....	inbetween animator / animation checker (8 episodes, 2005)
Emi Nakano	....	animation checker / inbetween animator (8 episodes, 2005)
Aya Sato	....	inbetween animator (8 episodes, 2005)
Tomoko Aizawa	....	digital paint artist (7 episodes, 2005)
Naoko Fujita	....	inbetween animator / key animator (7 episodes, 2005)
Yumiko Hashi	....	inbetween animator / key animator (7 episodes, 2005)
Hiroshi Karada	....	key animator / inbetween animator (7 episodes, 2005)
Kumi Kuroda	....	inbetween animator (7 episodes, 2005)
Saeko Oofuji	....	key animator (7 episodes, 2005)
Mayumi Taguchi	....	digital paint artist (7 episodes, 2005)
Atsuko Abe	....	inbetween animator (6 episodes, 2005)
Saiichi Akitake	....	key animator (6 episodes, 2005)
Emi Ebisu	....	digital paint artist (6 episodes, 2005)
Masato Fukushima	....	inbetween animator / key animator (6 episodes, 2005)
Nanako Kitaoka	....	digital paint artist (6 episodes, 2005)
Mihoko Koda	....	digital paint artist (6 episodes, 2005)
Tomoyo Kurita	....	inbetween animator (6 episodes, 2005)
Yoshiaki Urata	....	key animator (6 episodes, 2005)
Yasumi Kawai	....	digital paint artist (5 episodes, 2005)
Chiyomi Koura	....	digital paint artist (5 episodes, 2005)
Sachie Tsuda	....	digital paint artist (5 episodes, 2005)
Chiyoko Ueno	....	key animator (5 episodes, 2005)
Seiji Watanabe	....	key animator (5 episodes, 2005)
Ayumi Yamamori	....	digital paint artist (5 episodes, 2005)
Kaori Furukawa	....	inbetween animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Isako Higashino	....	animation checker / inbetween animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Maki Inoue	....	inbetween animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Yuichi Ito	....	inbetween animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Eisaku Kawanami	....	key animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Youhei Kawasaki	....	inbetween animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Takako Kurebayashi	....	inbetween animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Hiroko Kuroda	....	inbetween animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Masaya Makita	....	key animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Mitsunori Marumoto	....	inbetween animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Ryouhei Muta	....	key animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Manami Natsumeda	....	inbetween animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Futoshi Nishiya	....	key animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Yukina Sadamura	....	inbetween animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Tomoko Shima	....	digital paint artist (4 episodes, 2005)
Yoko Shukutani	....	digital paint artist (4 episodes, 2005)
Yoko Takada	....	key animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Mariko Takahashi	....	key animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Kazuhiro Tamura	....	inbetween animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Yukie Tsuda	....	digital paint artist (4 episodes, 2005)
Naoko Yamada	....	inbetween animator / key animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Mitsuyoshi Yoneda	....	animation director / key animator (4 episodes, 2005)
Masumi Ichinose	....	digital paint artist (3 episodes, 2005)
Emi Kesamaru	....	background artist (3 episodes, 2005)
Yoshiko Kimura	....	digital paint artist (3 episodes, 2005)
Mami Komatsu	....	key animator / inbetween animator (3 episodes, 2005)
Yumi Oohashi	....	inbetween animator (3 episodes, 2005)
Shoko Sasaki	....	digital paint artist (3 episodes, 2005)
Ayumi Shimoura	....	digital paint artist (3 episodes, 2005)
Rie Takagi	....	digital paint artist / color setting checker (3 episodes, 2005)
Noriko Takao	....	key animator / inbetween animator (3 episodes, 2005)
Satomi Tanaka	....	inbetween animator (3 episodes, 2005)
Miyuki Tsukazaki	....	background artist (3 episodes, 2005)
Tomoyo Awada	....	animation checker (2 episodes, 2005)
Tomoko Edamatsu	....	digital paint artist (2 episodes, 2005)
Ayako Endô	....	inbetween animator (2 episodes, 2005)
Akiyoshi Shito	....	key animator (2 episodes, 2005)
Itaru Hinoue	....	character designer: Visual Arts (unknown episodes)
Kazuya Sakamoto	....	key animator: opening credits (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Naoki Kanazawa	....	on-line editing coordinator (6 episodes, 2005)

Series Music Department
Shinji Orito	....	composer: opening theme (13 episodes, 2005)
Kazuya Takase	....	music arranger (13 episodes, 2005)
Magome Togoshi	....	composer: closing theme / music arranger: theme song (13 episodes, 2005)

Series Other crew
Fumihiko Shimo	....	series composition (13 episodes, 2005)
Yusuke Iida	....	publicity producer (12 episodes, 2005)
Koji Shinmyo	....	planning cooperation: BS-i (12 episodes, 2005)
Mikie Nishiguchi	....	publicity producer (11 episodes, 2005)
Kyle Jones	....	director: english language & subtitle versions (4 episodes, 2005)

Production Companies

• ADV Films
• Movic
• Pony Canyon
• Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS)
• Yokujin Denshokai

Distributors

• ADV Films (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• BS-i (2005) (Japan) (TV)
• FUNimation Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Pony Canyon (2005) (Japan) (DVD)
• TBSchannel (2008) (Japan) (TV) (cable)
• Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) (2004) (Japan) (TV)

Other Companies

• Ani Village  in-between animation
• Animation DO  production assistance
• Gakuonsha  sound effect production
• Gakuonsha  sound effects production
• Morita Editing Room  editing facility
• Studio Gong  recording studio
• Visual Art's/Key  original game

Runtime:

24 min (13 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-14 (DVD) | South Korea:15

Company:

ADV Films

Trivia:

AIR TV was made after an adult game of the same name. However, there is also an all ages version released for PC, Dreamcast (DC), and PS2.

Quotes:

[repeated line]
Misuzu Kamio: Gao.

Movie Connections:

Version of Air (2005)

Bring a Hanky

At times, Air felt dangerously close to "emotional pornography," but I think I'm OK with that because it rarely was cloying or saccharine. Even the basic concept of the story itself seems designed to choke you up. While some series ply you with ultra-violence, giant robots, unrequited love, or fan service, Air's stock in trade is a weepy assault of inevitable sadness on its unsuspecting victim-viewers.

That said, when inevitability strikes, it's about as sad as they come. The series is too short to cause you to be completely invested in the characters the "natural" way (although it's thankfully lacking in the kind of filler episodes you normally see in a run of 24), but the characters are well-written, likable, and three-dimensional enough to make up for it.

What I liked the most about the story was how open it was to interpretation. Depending on who you are, what your view on the supernatural elements might be (don't want to give too much away here), that will determine what the story actually means to you. But the central themes, largely about the nature of families, will resonate no matter what your opinion of the plot.

Technically, the show is top notch, no complaints. The art style is endearing, though you may find it overly "cute" at first, and the animation is smooth. The colors and style make Air dreamlike at times, which is appropriate. I've watched it dubbed and subtitled, and this may be heresy to say but I find ADV's dub to be very well done. Air is very nice to look at, and having to keep reading subtitles was distracting to me. Plus, this is all about character and there's something far easier about relating to characters speaking your language.

If you're ready to get a little choked up, this might be a good choice for you. There is no action, no real romantic love story, and little in the way of comic relief after the first few episodes. But there's plenty of good character-driven, emotionally striking story.