Seikai no Danshō
Fragments of the Stars (星界の断章, Seikai no Danshō) is a series of books collecting short stories by Hiroyuki Morioka, set in the same universe and involving characters from his novels Crest of the Stars and Banner of the Stars, with many of them originally published in the S-F Magazine. The word Dansho refers to a passage from a written work, but there is currently no consensus on how the title should be translated. One story later included in the 2005 compilation Seikai no Dansho I, "Birth", was made into an anime OVA in 2000, four years after it was published in the S-F Magazine and 5 years before the consolidation of that story into the 2005 edition.
| Seikai no Danshō | |
.jpg.webp) Seikai no Danshō I book cover | |
| 星界の断章 | |
|---|---|
| Serial novel | |
| Written by | Hiroyuki Morioka |
| Illustrated by | Takami Akai |
| Published by | Hayakawa Publishing |
| Imprint | Hayakawa Bunko |
| Magazine | S-F Magazine |
| Original run | August 1996 issue – November 25, 2013 |
| Volumes | 3 |
| Original video animation | |
| Passage of the Stars – Birth | |
| Directed by | Osamu Nabeshima Yasushi Nagaoka |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Licensed by |
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| Released | April 7, 2000 |
| Runtime | 25 minutes |
| Related | |
Plot
Seikai no Danshō consists of short stories involving characters from the world of novels Crest of the Stars and Banner of the Stars.
Media
Books
| No. | Title | Release date | ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seikai no Dansho I (星界の断章I) | July 8, 2005 | 978-4150308025 | |
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| 2 | Seikai no Dansho II (星界の断章II) | March 9, 2007 | 978-4150308803 | |
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| 3 | Seikai no Dansho III (星界の断章III) | March 20, 2014 | 978-4150311537 | |
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Anime
A 2000 anime OVA adapted the first published Seikai no Danshō story, "Birth", that was included 5 years later in the 2005 book Seikai no Dansho I. It was released in North America by Bandai Entertainment on the final DVD volume of Banner of the Stars II release in 2003, and in 2013 was re-licensed by Funimation for a 2018 release with the Crest of the Stars DVD collection. It was also included in Crest of The Stars and Banner of the Stars Blu-ray collection, released in Japan on December 25, 2019.
| Title | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|
| "Birth" Transcription: "Tanjou" (Japanese: 誕生) | April 7, 2000 | |
| Although anxious to get back to the capital and resume active military duty, Plakia agrees with the impulsive Debeus to take a brief detour from their honeymoon to view a supernova remnant up close. While talking about all sorts of degradation and prejudice that landers have poured against the Abh as a non-human race, an unrecognized object shows up on their monitor which they soon identify as a possible obsolete type of interplanetary ship. The couple board the dilapidated and seemingly empty ship to explore it. The old ship lurches into motion, leaving their own ship behind. To prevent the possibility of spending the rest of their lives floating aimlessly in space, Plakia decides to use explosives to alter the ship's course but suffers briefly from radiation leaving Debeus to finish up. Plakia stumbles upon a mummified corpse in the cockpit which unsettles her. In spite of her protestations, Debeus investigates and confirms that the corpse belong to a bioroid that seemed better built than their own Abh ancestors. As the explosives activate, the hold also cracks open and releases its cargo which bursts to reveal the bodies of other bioroids. As they successfully escape to their own ship, Debeus expresses his love for Plakia in the ultimate way that only the Abh can do. Thus, shortly thereafter, a baby girl is born. She is named Lafiel, a gem and source of life – a daughter of love. | ||
Radio drama
"Contact", "Original Sin", "Annexation" and "Childhood Friend" adaptations were broadcast in 2006 by FM Osaka internet radio. "Original Sin" was the last work of the Seikai series starring Hirotaka Suzuoki, who died the same year.
CD Drama
"Birth" was released as a CD drama in 2001 ahead of the radio broadcast. It was later included in the Banner of the Stars II radio drama CD-BOX (First Limited Edition) released in 2006 as an appendix along with the 5th episode "Childhood Prank". Also, the third episode "Blessing" was released as an appendix to the Crest of the Stars CD-BOX, the fourth episode "Ball Games" as an appendix to the Banner of the Stars CD-BOX, and the sixth episode "Jealousy" in Banner of the Stars III CD-BOX appendix. All of the above dramas were broadcast in 2006 after the end of the radio drama Banner of the Stars IV on FM Osaka. On February 23, 2011, "Contact", "Original Sin", "Annexation", "Childhood Friend" were released as "Star World Audio Drama CD Book with the Crest of the Stars and Banner of the Stars". For Bandai Namco Arts Official Shop December 25, 2019 release of "Seikai Series Complete Blu-ray BOX", "Separation of the Star World: Day of the Fall of Lakfakar" was recorded.
External links
- Passage of the Stars – Birth (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
