Japanese anime television series
Amaim Warrior at the Borderline (Japanese: 境界戦機, Hepburn: Kyōkai Senki, "War Machines on the Borderline") is an original Japanese anime television series animated by Sunrise Beyond. A photonovel series titled Kyōkai Senki: Frost Flower has been serialized in Hobby Japan's Monthly Hobby Japan magazine since July 2021. The series aired from October 2021 to June 2022.
Plot
In the mid-20th century, as a result of the economic crisis and a collapsing birthrate, Japan was on the verge of becoming a failed state. In response, foreign nations sent forces to intervene. However, foreign intervention quickly became a foreign occupation, and the competing foreign nations started the destructive Boundary War, fought with autonomous drone mecha called AMAIMs.
By the year 2061, the Boundary War has ended but Japan has been divided into four occupied zones where native Japanese are treated like second-class citizens. In the wake of the resulting social upheaval and unrest, a young boy named Amō Shiiba stumbles across an abandoned AMAIM called Kenbu and a rogue autonomous AI named Gai. With Kenbu and Gai, Amō has the opportunity to change the course of history for both himself and the entire nation of Japan.
Media
Photonovel
A photonovel series titled Kyōkai Senki: Frost Flower (境界戦機 フロストフラワー, Kyōkai Senki Furosuto Furawā) began serialization in Hobby Japan's Monthly Hobby Japan magazine since July 21, 2021.[3]
Anime
Sunrise Beyond and Bandai Spirits revealed the project on March 16, 2021. The series was directed by Nobuyoshi Habara and written by Noboru Kimura. Character designs were provided by Kenichi Ohnuki, while Rasmus Faber composed the music.[4] It aired from October 5 to December 28, 2021, on TV Tokyo, MBS and BS11.[a] Blank Paper performed the series' opening theme song "enemy".[5] Funimation licensed the series outside of Asia.[6] Just right after the first part ended, a second part was announced, and it aired from April 12 to June 28, 2022.[7][8][b]
On April 11, 2022, Crunchyroll announced that the series would receive an English dub, which premiered on April 25.[9][2]
Episode list
Original net animation
An original net animation spinoff series titled Amaim Warrior at the Borderline: UltraSteel Ogre-Gear (Japanese: 境界戦機 極鋼ノ装鬼, Hepburn: Kyōkai Senki Kyokkō no Sōki) is also produced by Sunrise Beyond and will premiere in Bandai Spirits' YouTube Channel on April 10, 2023.[13] Masami Obari will direct the series alongside returning staff from the previous anime handling the writing (Noboru Kimura), music (Rasmus Faber) and mecha designs (Ippei Gyōbu, Kanetake Ebikawa, and Takayuki Yanase).
Reception
Anime News Network felt the main protagonist was generally unoriginal and uninspired. They were also critical of the story, calling its political aspects poorly-executed.[14] In their review, Anime Feminist felt that the anime contains content of nationalism and anti-immigration ideas. They felt the introduction part of the anime's first episode can be summarized as "we let foreigners in and they outbred us, and now the True Japanese People are being subjugated by the foreign powers they heralded".[15]
Bilibili removal
Chinese streaming website Bilibili removed the series from its service due to the portrayal of Asian foreign powers as human traffickers in the fifth episode, "Determination".[16]
