Kiddy Grade

Kiddy Grade
Éclair (left) and Lumière with LaMuse and Planet Aineias in the background.
キディ・グレイド (Kidi Gureido)
Genre	Adventure, Mystery, Science Fiction
Light novel
Kiddy Grade Pr. ("Pre-story")
Written by	Tomohiko Aoki
Illustrated by	Hidefumi Kimura
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic	Male
Imprint	Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko
Original run	September 1, 2001 – February 1, 2002
Volumes	2
Anime television series
Directed by	Keiji Gotoh
Studio	Gonzo
Licensed by	AUS Madman Entertainment NA Funimation UK MVM Films
Network	Fuji Television
English network	US Funimation Channel, Colours TV ZA Animax
Original run	October 8, 2002 – March 18, 2003
Episodes	24
Manga
Kiddy Grade Reverse
Written by	HIYOHIYO
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Shōnen Ace
Published	March 1, 2003
Manga
Kiddy Grade Versus
Written by	Hidefumi Kimura
Illustrated by	Arikui Fujimaru
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Dragon Jr.
Original run	March 1, 2003 – November 1, 2003
Volumes	2
Light novel
Written by	Fumihiko Shimo
Illustrated by	Hidefumi Kimura
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic	Male
Imprint	Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko
Original run	November 1, 2002 – September 1, 2003
Volumes	3
Light novel
Kiddy Grade EX-Partner ("Extra story")
Written by	Hidefumi Kimura
Illustrated by	Megumi Kadonosono
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
Published	September 25, 2003
Light novel
Kiddy Grade Secret Affair
Written by	Hidefumi Kimura
Illustrated by	Megumi Kadonosono
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
Published	January 29, 2004
Anime film
Kiddy Grade -Ignition-
Directed by	Keiji Gotoh
Studio	Gonzo
Released	April 7, 2007
Runtime	90 minutes
Anime film
Kiddy Grade -Maelstrom-
Directed by	Keiji Gotoh
Studio	Gonzo
Released	June 23, 2007
Runtime	90 minutes
Anime film
Kiddy Grade -Truth Dawn-
Directed by	Keiji Gotoh
Studio	Gonzo
Released	September 1, 2007
Runtime	90 minutes

Kiddy Grade (キディ・グレイド) is a 24 episode science fiction anime series produced in 2002 and created by gímik and Gonzo Digimation and directed by Keiji Gotoh. The series is licensed and distributed in North America by FUNimation Entertainment.

In October 2006 news of a Kiddy Grade sequel was announced, under the working title of Kiddy Grade 2 (キディ・グレイ) (K-G.2), to be animated by asread (Shuffle! anime). On February 26, 2009 it was re-announced under the new title Kiddy Girl-and (キディ・ガーランド, Kidi Gārando) along with news of a new manga adaptation, Kiddy Girl-and Pure (キディ・ガーランド ぴゅあ, Kidi Gārando Pyua). The sequel is set 50 years after the original series and introduces two new female protagonists, Ascœur (アスクール, Asukūru) and Q-feuille (ク・フィーユ, Ku Fīyu).

Overview

Story and setting

Kiddy Grade takes place in a future where the human race has expanded and inhabits a multitude of planets in the universe with fantastic technology. Unsurprisingly, crime has grown alongside technology, and thus the Galactic Organization of Trade and Tariffs (GOTT, German for 'God') is formed as a sort of universal police force. Within this organization, there is a special (and secret) branch known as the ES Force (ES standing for "Encounter of Shadow-work"), consisting of twelve physically young people who possess amazing superpowers. Each ES member operates with another as a team, and the series' focus is a team of two low-level members, Éclair and Lumière. As the series progresses, they start to see the darker side of GOTT and its secrets.

Characters

Main article: List of Kiddy Grade characters

Most of the central characters in the series are ES members of GOTT "Shadow Unit." The Shadow Unit is a group of superpowered individuals that acts as the elite enforcement division of GOTT and hence, of the Galactic Union. Their powers are ranked by "class," of which three are named in the series: C class is the lowest, S is high, and G is the highest. At the beginning of the series, it is believed that no ES member possesses G class abilities but it is later revealed to be false. ES members are organized in pairs of the same class and each is issued a customized and very advanced spaceship and a guard robot.

The protagonists of the series are Éclair and Lumière, a C class pair of ES agents, who have a long back-story together from before joining GOTT. Their past is gradually revealed throughout the series as they come to realize and accept it. Their spaceship is called La Muse (French: The Muse) and their guard robot is Donnerschlag (German: Thunderclap); both are also part of their back-story. As ES members, Éclair and Lumière report directly to the chief of GOTT, Eclipse, a strict and collected woman whose orders they cannot disobey. Often accompanying them in the early episodes is the Galactic Union auditor Armbrust (German: Crossbow) who appears to have multiple hidden agendas.

Other ES members are: Alv and Dvergr (S class), an arrogant pair who eventually become Éclair and Lumière's antagonists; Tweedledee and Tweedledum (S class), fraternal twins with a complicated relationship towards the protagonists; Viola and Cesario (C class) who are generally on good terms with Éclair and Lumière; Un-ou and A-ou (S class), former mercenaries with a long-standing rivalry with them; and Sinistra and Dextera (S class), a bishōnen pair held in high regard by all their colleagues for their professionalism. Also of note are Mercredi, Eclipse's personal assistant with a hidden agenda, and Chevalier d'Autriche, the Secretary General of GOTT whose past is intertwined with Éclair's.

Media

Anime

Main article: List of Kiddy Grade episodes

Kiddy Grade originally aired on Fuji Television in Japan from October 8, 2002 – March 18, 2003. The series ran for 24 episodes and was produced by Gonzo. The series currently airs on the FUNimation Channel in both its "syndicated block" and its 24-hour channel. In 2007, the series was re-released as three movies (each 80–90 minutes in length) to specific Japanese theatres. The following are the individual titles for each film and their release dates.

1. Ignition (initial screening April 8, 2007, DVD released July 27, 2007)
2. Maelstrom (initial screening June 23, 2007, DVD released September 28, 2007)
3. Truth Dawn (initial screening September 1, 2007, DVD released December 21, 2007)

Crew

• Keiji Gotoh – Director
• Hidefumi Kimura – Scenario
• Megumi Kadonosono – Character design
• Shirō Hamaguchi – Composer

Theme songs

• Opening

1. "Memories of the Future" (Mirai no Kioku) by Yuka

• Ending

1. "Future" by Little Viking

Reception

Reviews for Kiddy Grade are often mixed. As the main plot does not become apparent until mid-series (Episode 9), it has been criticized as being too slow, particularly when reviews are based on the first few episodes. Negative comments are also made about excessive fanservice, particularly in the case of Lumière. Despite her actual mental age, she has the appearance of a 10-year-old, and is often shown in a sexualized fashion. Fanservice is an ongoing quality of Kiddy Grade, but does occur less frequently as the series progresses.

Nevertheless, as a series it is usually given credit for high-quality animation and the strengths of the story in the later episodes.

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Official FUNimation KIDDY GRADE website
• Kiddy Grade (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia