The Weathering Continent

The Weathering Continent
Cover of Part 24, illustrated by Mutsumi Inomata.
風の大陸
(Kaze no Tairiku)
GenreAdventure, Fantasy
Serial novel
Written bySei Takekawa
Illustrated byMutsumi Inomata
Published byFujimi Shobo
MagazineDragon Magazine
DemographicSeinen
Original runApril 1990 – 2006
Volumes28 (plus 7 side story volumes)
Anime film
Directed byKōichi Mashimo
Written byKōichi Mashimo
Music byMichiru Oshima
StudioI.G. Tatsunoko
Licensed by
ReleasedJuly 18, 1992
Runtime54 minutes
Light novel
Shin Kaze no Tairiku
Written bySei Takekawa
Illustrated byMutsumi Inomata
Published byKadokawa Haruki Corporation
DemographicSeinen
Original runNovember 15, 2010 – March 15, 2011
Volumes2

The Weathering Continent (風の大陸, Kaze no Tairiku) is a Japanese fantasy light novel series written by Sei Takekawa and illustrated by Mutsumi Inomata. The Weathering Continent centers on three travelers – the delicately beautiful sorcerer Tieh, the burly and reticent warrior Bois, and the spritely young Lakshi – as they trek through the shattered wastelands of the ancient continent of Atlantis.

The first installment of the series was published in Monthly Dragon Magazine in April 1988, with a total of 28 collected novels released from November 1990 to April 2006. An anime feature film based on the novels was also released theatrically in Japan in July 1992. It is available in the United States courtesy of Media Blasters. During the novels' original run, several side stories were published. A short, sequel series also followed when the original series ended.

Media

Novels

The Weathering Continent, serial novels written by Sei Takekawa and illustrated by Mutsumi Inomata, was first serialized in the Fujimi Shobo publication Monthly Dragon Magazine in the April 1990 issue. The series totals 28 collected volumes. The first was released on November 11, 1988 and the last was released on April 20, 2006.[1][2] The entire The Weathering Continent series was also collected into five larger volumes and published on September 28, 2007.[3][4][5][6][7]

During the publication of The Weathering Continent, several related stories were issued: The three volume Kaze no Tairiku Gaiden (風の大陸 外伝1, lit. "The Weathering Continent Side Story");[8][9][10] the three volume Kaze no Tairiku Koori no Shima (風の大陸 氷の島, lit. "The Weathering Continent: Island of Ice");[11][12][13] and the single volume Kaze no Taikiku Gekkou Nisamayoumono (風の大陸 月光にさまようもの, lit. "The Weathering Continent: Something to Wander in the Moonlight").[14] A sequel light novel series, Shin Kaze no Tairiku (新 風の大陸, lit. "The New Weathering Continent), has been published in two volumes by Kadokawa Haruki Corporation from November 2010 to March 2011.[15][16]

Anime film

The Weathering Continent anime film was produced by I.G. Tatsunoko (later Production I.G) and released theatrically in Japan on July 18, 1992 as part of a triple bill with The Heroic Legend of Arislan II and Silent Möbius: The Motion Picture 2.[17][18] It was written and directed by Kōichi Mashimo and features character designs by Nobuteru Yūki and music by Michiru Oshima. The film made its way to VHS in Japan via Bandai on December 16, 1992.[19] It has aired on both the NHK network and the Bandai Channel.[20][21] The film was localized in the United States by Media Blasters with English voice recordings by NYAV Post.[22] It was released on DVD on July 29, 2003.[23][24] The film was aired on the Starz network channels throughout 2006.[25][26][27][28]

CDs and artbooks

A number of audio CDs relating to The Weathering Continent have been published in Japan. An original soundtrack to the anime film, consisting of a total of 25 background and vocal tracks, was released in two volumes by Victor Entertainment on July 18, 1991 and January 21, 1993.[29][30] The company also released CD singles for the anime's vocal songs by Yui Nishiwaki and Arai Akino.[31][32]

Three art books based on The Weathering Continent have also been issued: Mutsumi Inomata Paintings Collection The Weathering Continent: Un Ballo en Maschera, Dragon Magazine Collection The Weathering Continent The Approach of Atlantis, and Fujimi Fantasia Comics: The Weathering Continent.[33][34][35]

Reception

Brian Hanson of Anime News Network summarized the anime film as "a group of mopey kids on a dying mid-Atlantic continent from long, long ago comment on their bleak lives and their bleak world and how bleak everything is".[27] Raphael See of THEM Anime Reviews called the pace of the plot "a little faster than the diffusion of molasses through a granite wall" and that the key characters constantly reflect on past events.[36]

References

  1. ^ 風の大陸 [The Weathering Continent] (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  2. ^ 風の大陸 [The Weathering Continent] (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  3. ^ "風の大陸 I" [The Weathering Continent I] (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  4. ^ "風の大陸 II" [The Weathering Continent II] (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  5. ^ "風の大陸 III" [The Weathering Continent III] (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  6. ^ "風の大陸 IV" [The Weathering Continent IV] (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  7. ^ "風の大陸 V" [The Weathering Continent V] (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  8. ^ 風の大陸 外伝1 [The Weathering Continent 1] (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  9. ^ 風の大陸 外伝2 [The Weathering Continent 2] (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  10. ^ 風の大陸 外伝3 [The Weathering Continent 3] (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  11. ^ 風の大陸 氷の島 1 [The Weathering Continent: Island of Ice 1] (in Japanese). ASIN 4829125098.
  12. ^ 風の大陸 氷の島 2 [The Weathering Continent: Island of Ice 2] (in Japanese). ASIN 4829125934.
  13. ^ 風の大陸 氷の島 3 [The Weathering Continent: Island of Ice 3] (in Japanese). ASIN 4829128135.
  14. ^ 風の大陸 月光にさまようもの [The Weathering Continent: Something to Wander in the Moonlight] (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  15. ^ 新 風の大陸 [The New Weathering Continent] (in Japanese). Kadokawa Haruki Corporation. Archived from the original on October 8, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  16. ^ 新 風の大陸II [The New Weathering Continent II] (in Japanese). Kadokawa Haruki Corporation. Archived from the original on October 8, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  17. ^ McCarthy, Helen (July 1997). The Anime! Movie Guide. The Overlook Press. p. 168. ISBN 978-0-87951-781-6.
  18. ^ Clements, Jonathan; McCarthy, Helen (2006). The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917 (Revised and Expanded ed.). Stone Bridge Press. p. 587. ISBN 1-933330-10-4.
  19. ^ "風の大陸 [VHS]" [The Weathering Continent [VHS]] (in Japanese). December 16, 1992. Archived from the original on September 2, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  20. ^ "BS冬休みアニメ特選 風の大陸" [Special Look at the Winter Holidays: The Weathering Continent] (in Japanese). NHK. 2004. Archived from the original on October 22, 2009. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  21. ^ "風の大陸 The Weathering Continent" (in Japanese). Bandai. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  22. ^ "Projects". NYAV Post. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  23. ^ "Upcoming Releases". Anime News Network. May 8, 2003. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  24. ^ Beveridge, Chris (February 16, 2004). "Year in Review: Media Blasters in 2003". Mania.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2010. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  25. ^ "New Anime on Encore WAM, Starz Action". Anime News Network. June 19, 2006. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  26. ^ Hanson, Brian (July 29, 2006). "The Click April 7th - April 13th". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 22, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  27. ^ a b Hanson, Brian (July 29, 2006). "The Click July 29th - August 4th". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 22, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  28. ^ Hanson, Brian (July 29, 2006). "The Click October 27 - November 2". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 22, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  29. ^ "【中古】アニメ系CD「風の大陸」オリジナル・サウンドトラックVol.1" [(Used) Anime-type CD The Weathering Continent Original Soundtrack Vol. 1] (in Japanese). Rakuten. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  30. ^ "【中古】アニメ系CD「風の大陸」オリジナル・サウンドトラックVol.2" [(Used) Anime-type CD The Weathering Continent Original Soundtrack Vol. 2] (in Japanese). Rakuten. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  31. ^ "風の大陸 [Single]" [The Weathering Continent [Single]] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 8, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  32. ^ "凍る砂(風の大陸) [Single]" [Freezing Sand (The Weathering Continent) [Single]] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 2, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  33. ^ "The Weathering Continent-- Inomata Mutsumi-- art book". WorthPoint. Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  34. ^ "Weathering Continent THE APPROACH OF ATLANTIS 106p". WorthPoint. Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  35. ^ "* WEATHERING CONTINENT * Anime MUTSUMI INOMATA ART BOOK". WorthPoint. Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  36. ^ See, Raphael. "The Weathering Continent". THEM Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on August 25, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2011.