Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike

Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike
Official Japanese Theatrical Release Poster
Directed by	Kenta Kamei
Produced by	Hidekazu Terakawa Shin Yoshizumi Jun Yukawa
Written by	Reiko Yoshida
Starring	Kōsuke Toriumi Mai Nakahara Rika Morinaga Eiji Takemoto Mamoru Miyano
Music by	Akira Senju
Studio	Production I.G
Distributed by	Kadokawa Pictures Funimation (US)
Release date(s)	October 3, 2009 (2009-10-03) (Japan) 2012 (2012) (North America)
Running time	110 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike (テイルズ オブ ヴェスペリア 〜The First Strike〜, Teiruzu obu Vesuperia ~The First Strike~) is a 2009 Japanese animated film directed by Kenta Kamei and written by Reiko Yoshida. It is the prequel to the game Tales of Vesperia and the first animated feature film in the Tales series. It was released in Japan on October 3, 2009. While other Tales games have been adopted into other media, this is the first Tales game made into a film. The source game's theme song, "Ring a Bell" (鐘を鳴らして, Kane o Narashite) by Bonnie Pink, was reused as the movie's theme song.

Development

Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike was officially announced on February 9, 2009. Four previous games in the Tales Series have been adopted into anime television series in Japan, with only Tales of Phantasia: The Animation and Tales of the Abyss being released in North America . This is the first time a Tales game has been adopted into an anime film.

Plot

The film takes place shortly before the tenth anniversary of the end of the Great War and some unspecified amount of time before the events in Tales of Vesperia. (This is something of a continuity error.) The previous Emperor had just died and his position remains vacant with no heir appointed before his death, however the world seemingly remains in a state of peace. Utilizing the power of a powerful substance known as aer the people of the planet Terca Lumireis are in an age of discovery and prosperity. The crystallized form of aer which is known as Apatheia, is considered to be a very powerful energy source as it is essential to human life. In order to protect towns from attacks by monsters large amounts of Apatheia are being produced to create barriers around towns.

One day in a deep forest near the town of Shizontania, Yuri Lowell and Flynn Scifo, two knights who have just joined the Niren Corps, together with two of their senior knights and fellow Corps members, Hisca and Chastel, are sent on a mission to investigate an abnormal gushing of aer in the area.

The abnormal gushing of aer has caused forests to wilt and aberrations in the behavior of the local monsters. After their first assignment to help in destroying a monster infestation near the town, Yuri, Flynn, Hisca, and Chastel meet the leader of the local guild, Melzome Kaid, after Yuri starts a bar fight with his guild members. Yuri and Flynn, despite being childhood acquaintances, have a standoffish attitude against each other, with Flynn's stringent adherence to rules and regulation clashing against Yuri's free-spirited and just nature. Through flashbacks, it is revealed that Flynn's personality is attributed to his father, who was once a member of the Imperial Knights himself. During a battle to defend his hometown, Flynn's father disobeyed his given orders and continued to fight fervently to protect the town. Though his valiant efforts were successful, he perished as a result, leaving not even a body for Flynn and his mother to bury. In sharp contrast, Niren, the captain of the knights stationed in Shizontania, was once dedicated to following the letter of the rules and regulation of the knights. However, he attributes the death of his wife and daughter to this trait, saying that if he had defied orders he may have been able to protect them. Niren confides in Yuri that he has a great deal of respect for what Flynn's father did.

The knights' efforts to repel the monsters around the area prove to be in vain, and their blastias start to malfunction due to the abnormal amount of aer. Niren decides to take steps to protect the town. Despite being called by Commandant Alexei to attend a formal gathering at the imperial capital of Zaphias, Niren sends Flynn in his stead to attend the gathering and to request aid in defending the town. Niren and Chastel leave in search of a 'strange blastia expert' named Rita Mordio. Yuri and Hisca are left to care for Lambert, Niren's personal hound, and Repede, Lambert's son. While Niren succeeds in finding Rita Mordio and obtaining a device with which to return the aer to normal, Yuri and Flynn's assignments end in disaster. Flynn is admonished by Commandant Alexei, and his request for reinforcements to hold Shizontonia are denied until the end of the gathering, as the town is viewed as out of the way and thus unimportant. Furthermore, Alexei orders Flynn to tell Niren to stay in the town and not take any actions until reinforcements arrive, but privately he gives his subordinate different order related to the town. Afterward Flynn has a small chat with Estellise. Yuri and Hisca assist in defending the town against a strange monster made out of aer, and while they successfully repel the invasion, the monster takes control of Lambert. As Lambert rages out of control, Yuri is forced to kill him in order to protect Hisca, leaving Yuri dispirited.

When Flynn returns from Zaphias, he and Yuri come to blows, as each believes the other had an effortless assignment. Niren, upon receiving the news that reinforcements would not be arriving anytime soon, decides to take the knights to investigate the source of the aer, which he believes to be a fortress at the center of a nearby lake. Flynn disagrees with Niren's decision, viewing it as disobedience of a direct order. Garista, the strategist for the Niren Corps, attempts to dissuade Niren, first directly, then through appealing to Flynn's personality, to no avail. The investigation in the fortress turns out to be more dangerous than originally thought, as the aer begins to turn the fortress into a living weapon to attack the knights. Melzome arrives and assists Niren's group, and the knights make their way into the center of the fortress, where a giant blastia is found to be using the aer. Niren uses the device given by Rita Mordio to stifle the gushing of aer, but a backlash is caused by the sudden ceasing of aer flow and the blastia explodes, destroying the barrier blastia keeping Shizontonia safe, knocking out Chastel, and causing the fortress to begin to crumble. As Niren attempts to carry Chastel to safety, the ground beneath him crumbles. Niren is able to throw Chastel to Yuri, and is stranded in a sinkhole of gushing aer. Despite Yuri's attempts to save him, due to a wound he received during the investigation, Niren is unable to pull himself to safety. Leaving his blastia with Yuri, Niren tells the knights to leave without him. The fortress collapses around him as the knights, as well as Melzome and his guild, are forced to leave Niren behind.

The knights and the entire town mourn deeply over Niren's death, and during the funeral service Yuri tells Flynn that even though Niren sacrificed his life as a result of disobeying orders, he left behind a town full of people willing to live on, much like Flynn's father did when he was a child. At this Flynn openly weeps as the captain's casket is taken away. However, Flynn soon realizes that the blastia used in the fortress where the aer abnormality originated were a specialized type used only by Garista. Yuri and Flynn confront Garista with this information, and Garista reveals that he was attempting to create a new kind of blastia that would give humans total control over aer. The duo say they will arrest him, but Garista implies (without directly admitting) that the higher ups of the knights already knew of his research and allowed it. Infuriated, Yuri and Flynn attack Garista, who overpowers them with his blastia. However, Yuri uses Niren's blastia to catch Garista off guard and stabs him through the chest, killing him.

In the aftermath, Shizontonia is evacuated due to the failure of the barrier blastia, and Jurgis, having been told from the beginning by Niren that Garista was likely behind the current events, overlooks Yuri and Flynn's killing of Garista. Yuri leaves the knights, taking Niren's blastia as a keepsake and bringing Repede along with him, saying his goodbyes to everyone in the town. Flynn sees him off at the gates, and the two share a fond farewell, swearing to meet again one day as Yuri leaves.

Characters

Characters of Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike
Bottom Row(Left to Right): Flynn, Yuri and Repede
Middle Row(Left to Right): Hisuka, Shastere and Raven
Top Row(Left to Right): Nylen, Estelle and Rita

Most of the original Japanese voice actors from Tales of Vesperia returned to voice their respective characters in this film. The film showcases the main protagonist of the original game, Yuri Lowell, as an Imperial Knight; as well as a younger version of Flynn Scifo, Yuri's childhood friend and Imperial Knight. Many other characters from the original game were also featured such as Repede when he was a puppy, Rita Mordio, Estellise "Estelle" Sidos Heurassein and Raven. The only non-protagonist from the original game featured in this movie is Alexei who reprised his role as the Imperial Commandant of the Imperial Knights.

New characters

Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike showcases a number of new characters who were not originally shown in the original game, including a pair of orange-haired female Imperial Knights who are twins. Also included is the Niren Corps who were not featured at all in the original game and an extensive amount of new characters.

Niren Corps

• Yuri Lowell (ユーリ・ローウェル, Yūri Rōweru)

He is one of the main protagonists of the story, Yuri was born and raised in the Lower Quarter of the Imperial Capital, Zaphias. He joined the Imperial Knights because like Flynn, he wanted to change the imperial law and justice.

• Flynn Scifo (フレン・シーフォ, Furen Shīfo)

He is also one of the main protagonists of the story, Flynn is a childhood friend of Yuri's, as well as a friend to Estelle. He joined the Imperial Knights in order to uphold the law and justice. The two were once childhood friends, brought up in the lower parts of the Empire. Several years later, the two meet once again by chance as they join the knights together.

• Niren Fedrok (ナイレン・フェドロック, Nairen Fedorokku)

He is the commanding officer of the Nylen Corps. Although he has the aura of a commanding officer, he also exudes that of a friendly middle-aged man. Both Yuri and Flynn are under his command.

• Hisca Aiheap (ヒスカ・アイヒープ, Hisuka Aihiipu)

She is a female knight who belongs to the Niren Corps, together with her twin sister, Chastel. She is a knight senior to Yuri and Flynn and is the little sister of the twins. She was earlier seen in the first few character arts released for the movie.

• Chastel Aiheap (シャスティル・アイヒープ, Shastir Aihiipu)

She is also a female knight like her twin sister, Hisca, in the Niren Corps. Though she appears to be identical to her sister, with the exception of being "the bigger one" of the two, her personality is completely different.

• Garista Luodur (ガリスタ・ルオドー, Garisuta Ruodoo)

He is the strategist of the Niren Corps, he often showcases his wisdom in military affairs and especially excels those of others.

• Jurgis (ユルギス, Yurugisu)

He is the vice captain of the Niren Corps, second in command to Niren.

• Lambert (ランバート, Rambaato)

He is the official wardog of the Niren Corps and is also Repede's sire.

• Repede (ラピード, Rapiido)

He is a puppy who acts as the mascot for the Niren Corps, and is always carrying something in his mouth.

Edit: While not an official character in the plot of the movie, Karol Capel makes a small appearance in the background passing behind the characters at 12 minutes and 28 seconds into the movie.

Voice actors

Character	Voice Actor
Yuri Lowell	Kosuke Toriumi
Flynn Scifo	Mamoru Miyano
Estellise "Estelle" Sidos Heurassein	Mai Nakahara
Rita Mordio	Rika Morinaga
Raven	Eiji Takemoto
Chastel Aiheap	Fumie Mizusawa
Hisca Aiheap	Arisa Ogasawara
Niren Fedrok	Takashi Taniguchi
Garista Luodur	Mitsuru Miyamoto

Release

Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike was released on home media on May 28, 2010 in Japan. It was released on three different formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc and Universal Media Disc. Funimation Entertainment announced in 2011 that they will release the movie in 2012 on Blu-ray and DVD in North America, although they haven't specified if it will be a dubbed version or simply English subs like Tales of the Abyss' anime North American release.

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia