"Jyo Oh Sei" is an eleven episode Japanese anime series that had aired from April 13 to June 22 of 2006. It was directed by Hiroshi Nishikiori and produced by the studio known as BONES. In Japan, it aired on "Fuji TV". In South Korea, it aired on "Animax." The series is adapted from the manga which was in circulation through "LaLa Magazine", published by "Hakusensha", and authored by Natsumi Itsuki. This series has a lot to do with science fiction as it takes place in the far future. The year is 2436 AD to be exact as the time setting for Jyo Oh Sei.
It is established that the humans have achieved the ability of space exploration. Humans have colonized and terraformed an area called the Balkan Star System which is over a hundred light years from the planet Earth. The series revolves around twin brothers: Thor and Rai. Both brothers happen to have lived on the space station called Space Colony Juno located in that star system. Things look to be normal as one Thor has aspirations of going to Earth. He explains to his brother that there are real oceans and real fields on Earth.
Upon coming home, they witnessed that both of their parents have been murdered. A gas grenade gets thrown into the room where both brothers lose consciousness. Thor looks up and sees that the Federal Army’s special forces soldiers are responsible for the attack. As they are knocked out by the gas, the two of them are strapped inside some escape pod and launched into space. They are exiled to an uncharted planet which is called "Chimera." For anybody that knows what a chimera is, it’s a beast. Chimera is also dubbed as "Jyo Oh Sei" which is "Planet of the Beast Kings."
There are all sorts of interesting animal and plant life present on Chimera. The pod lands in a large body of water surrounded by giant lily pads. It is revealed that most of Chimera’s plant life is carnivorous as the two brothers must be extra careful. This looks as one specific plant has been trying to capture Rai. It is revealed that Chimera is a penal planet as criminals are set there. The so-called leader theorizes that something fishy is going on in the government as the two brothers have been sent there.
It’s also revealed that men and women live separately on Chimera. Thor learns that one must become a "beast" to live. To roam freely, one must become the "beast king." It also shows that life is going to be harsh on Chimera as Rai is constantly picked on. However, Thor decides to take the beating for Rai. Zagi said that as long as Rai is alive, Thor’s life will be harsh.
Zagi also explains that there are four tribes of humans on Chimera. It’s explained that they are separated politically into four "rings": Ochre Ring, Sun Ring, Blanc Ring, and the Night Ring. The leader of each ring is called the "Top" with a "Second" and "Third." It is also explained that both daybreak and sunset are marked by stormy weather. The temperature at night can go to minus forty degrees Celsius.
On that planet, Rai is eventually killed by being swallowed by a carnivorous plant from the ground as they leave the village. Then he’s rescued by a young girl named Tiz who is part of the twenty percent population that is female. It is revealed that tribal leaders are decided by duels. Whoever kills the leader in a duel becomes the new leader. These duels are basically death matches.
It is revealed that Thor must be the beast-king if he wishes to survive. It eventually turns into a bunch of politically driven wars for dominance or independence with Thor dragged into this mess. Humorously, it’s also explained that the marrying age has gone down to thirteen years of age. However, it’s not uncommon in certain cultures.
But this is an interesting take on science fiction and the existence of other worlds. The storyline behind Jyo Oh Sei is interesting enough. It would be better if the creators decided to go for more than eleven episodes. After watching the first few episodes, I was pretty impressed with Jyo Oh Sei. Recently, it looks as if FUNimation has picked up the license for North America.
The graphics look pretty crisp. Everything looks to be impressive from the setting to the characters.
It’s unknown when the series will be dubbed in English and released to North America.
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