- Star Ocean: The Second Story
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Star Ocean: The Second Story 
Developer(s) tri-Ace
TOSE (PSP)[citation needed]Publisher(s) Square Enix (PSP) Artist(s) Minato Koio Composer(s) Motoi Sakuraba Platform(s) PlayStation, PlayStation Portable Release date(s) PlayStation
PlayStation Portable
Genre(s) Action role-playing Mode(s) Single-player Rating(s) PlayStation
PlayStation Portable
Media/distribution 2 CD-ROMs (PS)
1 UMD (PSP)Star Ocean: The Second Story (スターオーシャン セカンドストーリー Sutā Ōshan Sekando Sutōrī) is a action role-playing PlayStation video game developed by tri-Ace and published by Enix. It is the second game in the Star Ocean series and the first game in the series to be released in North America (in 1999) and Europe (in 2000), courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment. A PlayStation Portable remake was announced prior to the 2007 Square Enix Party event[3] and released in Japan in 2008 and in North America and Europe in 2009.
The game was the basis of manga and anime adaptations.
Contents
Gameplay
The game gives the player the choice of playing as Rena or Claude, with the journey evolving and ending differently depending on the choices one makes.
The Second Story's gameplay is broadly similar to that of most RPGs. The player goes from town to town and dungeon to dungeon, following the central story and occasionally branching off to perform side quests. Characters gain Experience Points from battle and level up as a result, becoming gradually stronger as time passes and more battles are fought.
However, The Second Story is a member of the Star Ocean franchise, and as such features various deviations from the standard RPG format. Battles are much more action-oriented: they take place in real time, during which the player has manual control over their character, as opposed to choosing options from a menu. Battles take place on a broad battlefield, over which the player's character can move without limit, allowing them to trade blows face-to-face with the enemy or circle around for a flanking attack. The other party members (up to 3 others) are controlled by the game's AI; the player may change an ally's Strategy to one of six different pre-determined options (ranging from "Spread out and attack" to "Save your Magic Points" to "Stand Still and Don't Do Anything").
Star Ocean: The Second Story features a comprehensive Skill system. Nine different batches of skills are sold in in-game shops; once unlocked this way, they must be learned by committing battle-earned "Skill Points" to them. Some skills raise a character's statistics; some unlock Specialty abilities; and some provide bonuses in battle (such as the ability to counter-attack). Specialties allow the characters to create a wide variety of items, and include Cooking, Writing, Composing and Musicianship, Pickpocketing and Training. Furthermore, the entire party can contribute to "Super Specialty" skills such as "Master Chef", Blacksmithing, Publishing and "Reverse Side", which allows the character to counterfeit valuable items at the risk of lowering their allies' opinion of them. Every item created has some sort of tangible benefit—foods restore Hit Points and/or Magic Points, training increases the gain in Experience Points, and written novels can be submitted to a publisher, with royalties collectable later—but every attempt requires the expenditure of a consumable item, and may fail to produce anything useful.
Finally, a mechanic called "Private Actions" allows the player to influence the relations between their characters. During a "Private Action", the player's party temporarily breaks up during a visit to a town, with each character going their own way to shop, visit friends and family (if applicable) or otherwise relax. The player's main character (either Claude or Rena) can then interact with their allies, often with the option of making one of those allies like another character more (or less). This "relationship point" mechanic can have a major effect in battle—if Character A's close friend is felled, Character A will get major combat bonuses for a short time—and also determines what ending the player will see, as each party member's scene plays out differently depending on who they did (or didn't) befriend. There are 86 possible endings (or 87, depending on how one wants to count them).
Plot
Star Ocean: The Second Story takes place twenty years after the original game, Star Ocean. The game tells the stories of Claude C. Kenny, son of Ronixis J. Kenny, and Rena Lanford, a young girl living on the planet Expel. Claude, having recently been commissioned as an Ensign in the Earth Federation, is given his first mission under the supervision of his father. This first mission is to survey the planet Milocinia, where a mysterious energy field appears. Finding a mysterious device on Milocinia, Claude begins to examine it close-up, despite orders to keep away from it. As he approaches, the machine activates, teleporting him to Expel. Once on Expel, Claude meets Rena who mistakes him for the "Hero of Light," spoken of in legends on Expel because he wields a "Sword of Light" (actually the standard-issue Phase Gun all Federation officers carry) and is dressed in "alien raiments." She takes him back to her village, Arlia, for corroboration.
In Arlia, it is explained to Claude that a meteorite crashed into Expel. Almost immediately afterwards, monsters began appearing, and natural disasters occurred with increasing frequency and intensity. Believing that these events were related, the people of Expel called the meteorite the "Sorcery Globe". Though he explains that he is not the Hero of Light, Claude offers to investigate the Sorcery Globe, in the hopes that it might help lead him home. Rena assists him as his native guide and hopes to find knowledge about her origin, being an orphan.
Though their journey takes them the long way around, Claude and Rena (and whichever characters the player decides to recruit) manage to travel across Expel and finally reach the Sorcery Globe and encounter the Ten Wise Men. The Sorcery Globe, which the Ten Wise Men call the "Quadratic Sphere", is a device they planted on Expel in order to steer it into a massive energy formation called Energy Nede, from which the Ten Wise Men were exiled thousands of years ago. It is their hope to return to Energy Nede using Expel as a vessel. They succeed and the entire planet of Expel is destroyed by its collision with Energy Nede.
Through unspecified means, Claude and Rena survive the impact and wake up on Energy Nede. They are met by Mayor Narl who explains who the Ten Wise Men are, why they were exiled, and that, now that they are back, they hope to destroy the entire universe using advanced Heraldry (magic). Narl furthermore announces that Energy Nede has the ability to restore Expel by using powerful Heraldry to turn back time, but this is only possible if the Ten Wise Men are defeated. Claude and Rena agree to help in the resistance, and embark on various voyages to strengthen themselves, obtain information and learn about the enemy.
Eventually Claude and Rena along with their friends assault the Ten Wise Men's stronghold at Fienal, where they put an end to the enemy once and for all. The ending is composed of scenes describing the fates of the party's characters, and changes slightly depending on if you discovered the Ten Wise Men's true identity and " raison d'être " through the means of Private Actions.
Characters
Protagonists
Star Ocean: The Second Story has two main characters, the human Claude (Voiced by Yuji Ueda (Japanese original), Jimmy Freeman (English original), Daisuke Namikawa (Japanese PSP remake), Spike Spencer (English PSP remake), Hiro Yuuki (Japanese anime dub), Matt Hill (English anime dub)) and the Nedian (member of a pointy-eared humanoid race) Rena (Voiced by Aya Hisakawa (Japanese original), Donna Mae Wong (English original), Nana Mizuki (Japanese PSP remake), Claudia Lenz (English PSP remake), Mayumi Iizuka (Japanese anime dub), Nicole Bouma (English anime dub)), and upon starting a new game the player is asked to choose one of them. The choice has impact upon the game's plot and story, though the vast majority of content is identical to both lines. There are ten other playable characters in the game, though the player can only recruit six of them to fill out their eight-member party, and some recruitment choices will make other characters no longer available.
- Celine Jules
- Voiced by: Yuki Kaida (Japanese original), Kana Koinuma (English original), Saki Nakajima (Japanese PSP remake), Allison Hollingshead (English PSP remake), Mami Kingetsu (Japanese anime dub), Venus Terzo (English anime dub)
- She hails from the Expelian town of Marze, which is known for its well-trained magicians; she is a treasure hunter, wandering the world in search of money and new loot.
- Ashton Anchors
- Voiced by: Daisuke Sakaguchi (Japanese original), David Babich (English original), Akira Ishida (Japanese PSP remake), Jeffrey Maxwell (English PSP remake), Tomokazu Seki (Japanese anime dub), Gabe Khouth (English anime dub)
- He is an Expelian warrior whom the party meets while attempting to defeat a marauding two-headed dragon. Much to Ashton's consternation, they become fused to his body; though he constantly bemoans their presence, he refuses to separate them from himself when given the option. He serves as comic relief in the game and anime.
- Precis F. Newman
- Voiced by: Yuuko Sumitomo (Japanese original), Kana Koinuma (English original), Rie Kugimiya (Japanese PSP remake), Jhoanna Trias (English PSP remake), Tomoe Hanba (Japanese anime dub), Tabitha St. Germain (English anime dub)
- She is the rebellious daughter of an Expelian inventor, who is foisted on the player's party because her father feels she needs friends.
- Bowman Jeane
- Voiced by: Ryo Horikawa (Japanese original), Michael G. Davis (English original), Keiji Fujiwara (Japanese PSP remake), Doug Erholtz (English PSP remake), Yasunori Matsumoto (Japanese anime dub), Alistair Abell (English anime dub)
- He is an easy-going Expelian pharmacist from the same town as Precis, who makes herbal medicines for a living. He is a skilled martial artist, using fists, feet and poisons in combat.
- Opera Vectra
- Voiced by: Yuko Nagashima (Japanese original), Marie Shell (English original), Atsuko Tanaka (Japanese PSP remake), Nickie Kendall (English PSP remake), Rica Matsumoto (Japanese anime dub), Willow Johnson (English anime dub)
- She is noblewoman from the Tetrageniot race who is visiting Expel in search of her boyfriend Ernest.
- Ernest Raviede
- Voiced by: Hiroki Touchi (Japanese original), Phillip Mayall (English original), Hiroki Touchi (Japanese PSP remake), Terrence Stone (English PSP remake), Hiroshi Yanaka (Japanese anime dub), Trevor Devall (English anime dub)
- He is a Tetrageniot archaeologist who travels across the galaxy with his girlfriend Opera; he came in hopes of important archaeological discoveries.
- Dias Flac
- Voiced by: Ryo Horikawa (Japanese original), Erik Bergmann (English original), Tomokazu Sugita (Japanese PSP remake), Kyle Hebert (English PSP remake), Takehito Koyasu (Japanese anime dub), Brent Miller (English anime dub)
- He is an experienced swordsman from Rena's home of Arlia. He left his home after the tragic loss of his sister. Rena considers him the older brother she never had. Their closeness and Dias' clear skill with a sword engenders something of an inferiority complex in Claude, but the two eventually establish a mutual respect.
- Leon D. Geeste
- Voiced by: Yuki Kaida (Japanese original), Grant Wachspress (English original), Yumiko Kobayashi (Japanese PSP remake), Zack Goldman (English PSP remake), Kanako Mitsuhashi (Japanese anime dub), Reece Thompson (English anime dub)
- He is a young Fellpool genius with numerous scientific and magical accomplishments to his name. He often brags about his intellect, but is deeply insecure, especially when out from under his parents' wing.
- Noel Chandler
- Voiced by: Daisuke Sakaguchi (Japanese original), Jimmy Freeman (English original), Takahiro Mizushima (Japanese PSP remake), Peter Doyle (English PSP remake)
- He is a Nedian zoologist and reclusive nature-lover who lives alone in a cabin.
- Chisato Madison
- Voiced by: Rumi Kasahara (Japanese original), Jessica K. Heidt (English original), Fuyuka Ooura (Japanese PSP remake), Julie Ann Taylor (English PSP remake)
- She is a Nedian newspaper reporter who initially stalks the party as a way to get her next story written. Once she learns that Claude and Rena are on a quest to save the world, she offers to accompany them.
Antagonists
The main antagonists of the game make their first appearances mid-way through the game, introducing themselves as the "Ten Wise Men." In the original Japanese game, they are named after various angels from Christian theology. In the initial English release, they are renamed, but the original names are restored in Second Evolution.
- Indalecio, originally Gabriel
- Voiced by: ??? (Japanese original), Erik Bergmann (English original), Rikiya Koyama (Japanese PSP remake), Richard Epcar (English PSP remake)
- He is the "leader" of all the 10 Wise men, but secretly he has his own plans for Universe destruction. He is only contained by his love Filia, whom limits his abilities to do battle. If the right events occur in the game and Filia dies, Indalecio can become a much more formidable foe.
- Cyril, originally Lucifer
- Voiced by: ??? (Japanese original), Brian Vouglas (English original), Shinichiro Miki (Japanese PSP remake), Dick Neptune (English PSP remake)
- He is the second in command, but, like Gabriel, also has his own plans for domination and/or destruction of the universe.
- Decus, originally Michael
- Voiced by ??? (Japanese original), J.S. Gilbert (English original), Hiroki Touchi (Japanese PSP remake), Peter Spellos (English PSP remake)
- He is a pyromaniac.
- Vesper, originally Haniel
- Voiced by ??? (Japanese original), Brian Vouglas (English original), Taiten Kusunoki (Japanese PSP remake), Steven Memel (English PSP remake)
- He accompanies Micheal.
- Berle, originally Metatron
- He is the first Wise man in the game at Eluria Tower. He attacks the party to tests it strength, and later reappears in the town of Armlock, where he attacks the blacksmith that was creating the weapons needed to kill the wise men.
- Zaphkiel, originally Marsilio
- He is the second Wise man, encountered at lower tower of Fienal. Through this encounter, the party learns that the wise men cannot be killed with normal equipment. After the party obtains the necessary weaponry, Marsilio attacks the party as they train to use it.
- Jophiel, originally Shiego
- He is an android wise man. He speaks in all capital letters, and has no emotion at all. It is not known whether he was created by other wise men to serve his true immortality as a machine, or if he was created by residents of Nede in an experiment concurrently along with the other wise men.
- Zadkiel, originally Rupercht, Raphael, originally Jibril, and Camael, originally Nicolus
- They are the 3 guardian Wise Men of the Fienal tower entrance.
Second Evolution
Star Ocean: Second Evolution is an enhanced remake of Star Ocean: The Second Story for the PSP.[4] It serves as a sequel to Star Ocean: First Departure. The first details of the game were revealed at the "Star Ocean Special Stage" during the Square Enix Party 2007. Yoshinori Yamagishi, producer of the series, stated that he wants the remakes to feel as though they are completely new games.[5] The game has seen a release in Japan on April 2, 2008, in North America on January 19, 2009,[1] in Australia on February 12, 2009 and in Europe on February 13, 2009.[2]
Second Evolution features new content, including new playable character. Production I.G provided new artwork and animated cutscenes for the game. There are new voice actors and extensive amounts of new, fully voiced dialogue. The opening song is "START", performed by SCANDAL.
Hori, the Japanese game peripheral manufacturer, have unveiled a Second Evolution-branded PSP accessory set to be released alongside the game on April 2, 2008. The kit includes the following: a limited, gray PSP case with the Star Ocean logo (not a new PSP entirely, like some thought), matching headphones, a cell phone strap, and finally, 2 UMD cases to hold both First Departure and Second Evolution games.[6][7] The kit's release seems to coincide with First Departure Eternal Edition package.
Reception
Reception Aggregate scores Aggregator Score GameRankings (PS) 78.73%[8]
(PSP) 76.87%[9]Metacritic (PS) 80/100[10]
(PSP) 75/100[11]Review scores Publication Score GameSpot (PS) 8.3/10[12]
(PSP) 7.5/10[13]IGN (PS) 8.8/10[14]
(PSP) 8/10[15]RPGFan (PS) 90/100[16]
(PSP) 80/100[17]Star Ocean: The Second Story was a commercial success, having sold approximately 1.09 million copies worldwide, with over 700,000 copies sold in Japan alone and 370,000 copies sold overseas.[18][19] It was the 13th best-selling game of 1998 in Japan.[20]
As of November 30, 2008, Star Ocean: Second Evolution has sold 141,218 copies in Japan.[21] Star Ocean: Second Evolution was the 90th best-selling game in Japan in 2008, selling 143,434 copies.[22]
Manga and anime adaptations
Star Ocean: The Second Story 
Cover of the first volume of the Japanese release of the manga seriesスターオーシャン セカンドストーリー
(Sutā Ōshan Sekando Sutōrī)Genre Adventure, Science fantasy, Sword and sorcery Manga Written by Mayumi Azuma Published by Enix Demographic Shōnen Magazine Shōnen Gangan Original run June 22, 1999 – December 21, 2001 Volumes 7 TV anime Star Ocean EX Directed by Hiroshi Watanabe Written by Kenichi Kanemaki Studio Studio Deen Licensed by Geneon North America Network TV Tokyo Original run April 3, 2001 – September 25, 2001 Episodes 26 A 7 volume manga series was written and illustrated by Mayumi Azuma. Based on the tri-Ace video game of the same name, it follows the exploits of Claude C. Kenny, a young ensign in the Earth Federation who finds himself stranded on the Planet Expel. He meets Rena Lanford, a young girl living in the village of Arlia who declares that he is the legendary warrior their legends speak of who will save their troubled world from disaster. The series was serialized in Shōnen Gangan, premiering June 22, 1999 and running until December 21, 2001 when it ended without reaching the conclusion of the story.
Studio Deen adapted the manga series into a twenty six episode anime series entitled Star Ocean EX which aired on TV Tokyo from April 3, 2001 until September 25, 2001. The anime series was released to Region 1 DVD by Geneon Entertainment. To complete the story left unfinished by both the manga and anime, five drama CDs were released in Japan, using the same voice actors from the anime series.
List of manga
Written by Mayumi Azuma Star Ocean: The Second Story is based on the tri-Ace video game Star Ocean: The Second Story. It first premiered in Shōnen Gangan on June 22, 1999.[23] The final chapter was published on December 21, 2001, having covered only half of the video game and without concluding the story. Enix published the series in seven collected volumes in Japan starting on June 1999. Two volumes were released per year until the seventh volume was released in November 2001.
No. Release date ISBN 1 June 1999 ISBN 978-4-7575-0029-7 2 November 1999 ISBN 978-4-7575-0130-0 - Navigation 9: Kaikō (邂逅?)
- Navigation 10: A feeling lag
3 March 2000 ISBN 978-4-7575-0196-6 4 September 2000 ISBN 978-4-7575-0311-3 5 January 2001 ISBN 978-4-7575-0383-0 6 August 2001 ISBN 978-4-7575-0524-7 7 November 2001 ISBN 978-4-7575-0584-1 List of anime episodes
Studio Deen adapted the manga series into an anime series, naming it Star Ocean EX (スターオーシャンＥＸ Sutā Ōshan EX). The series premiered on TV Tokyo from April 3, 2001 and ran for twenty-six episodes until September 25, 2001.[24][25] Movic released to VHS tape and Region 2 DVD across nine volumes, with the first released on July 27, 2001 and the final volume released March 29, 2002. Each volume contained two episodes, except the final volume which had three.[26]
In 2004, Geneon Entertainment announced they had acquired the license to release the series to Region 1 DVD.[27] They released the first of six volumes on January 4, 2005 and the final volume on November 22, 2005. In Geneon's release, the first two volumes contained five episodes each, while the remaining volumes contained four.[28][29] On August 8, 2006, Geneon released all twenty-six episodes in a series box set.
This is a complete episode listing for the anime series Star Ocean EX (スターオーシャンEX Sutā Ōshan EX). Adapted from Mayumi Azuma's seven-volume manga series Star Ocean: The Second Story, the twenty-six episode series is directed by Hiroshi Watanabe and was produced by Studio Deen. The series first premiered in Japan on TV Tokyo from April 3, 2001.[24] The final episode aired on September 25, 2001.[25] The source manga was based on the video game Star Ocean: The Second Story, however it only covered the first half of the game, resulting in both it and the anime adaptation telling an incomplete story.
Star Ocean EX was released to VHS tape and Region 2 DVD by Movic, with the first volume released on July 27, 2001 and the final volume released March 29, 2002. Movic also released a series of five drama CDs to complete the story.[30] In 2004, Geneon Entertainment announced they had acquired the license to release the series to Region 1 DVD.[27] They released the first of six volumes on January 4, 2005 and the final volume on November 22, 2005. In Geneon's release, the first two volumes contained five episodes each, while the remaining volumes contained four.[28][29]
Two pieces of theme music are use for all twenty-six episodes. "To the Light", performed by Amika Hattan is used for the opening theme. Saori Nishihata's "Hearts" is used for the ending theme for the first twenty-five episodes, while the twenty-sixth episode uses "To the Light" for its ending.
# Title Original air date 1 "Transport"
"Navigation 1 Jikuu Tensou" (Navigation 1 時空転送)April 3, 2001 2 "Encounter"
"Navigation 2 Souguu Kontakuto" (Navigation 2 遭遇〜コンタクト〜)April 10, 2001 3 "The Magic Stone"
"Navigation 3 Ma Seki" (Navigation 3 魔石)April 17, 2001 4 "Heraldic Magic"
"Navigation 4 Monshoujutsushi" (Navigation 4 紋章術師)April 24, 2001 5 "Kuhazan"
"Navigation 5 Kuuhazan" (Navigation 5 空破斬)May 1, 2001 6 "Two-Headed Dragon"
"Navigation 6 Soutou Ryuu" (Navigation 6 双頭竜)May 8, 2001 7 "Tetragenes"
"Navigation 7 Ihou Jin [Tetorajunesu]" (Navigation 7 異邦人[テトラジュネス])May 15, 2001 8 "Teardrop"
"Navigation 8 Namida" (Navigation 8 涙)May 22, 2001 9 "Harley"
"Navigation 9 Shiokaze [Haa Rii]" (Navigation 9 潮風[ハーリー])May 29, 2001 10 "Ghost Ship"
"Navigation 10 Yuurei Sen" (Navigation 10 幽霊船)June 5, 2001 11 "The Invention Girl"
"Navigation 11 Hatsumei Shōjo" (Navigation 11 発明少女)June 12, 2001 12 "Metox"
"Navigation 12 Gekkou Hana [Metookusu]" (Navigation 12 月光花[メトークス])June 19, 2001 13 "Rampage"
"Navigation 13 Bousou" (Navigation 13 暴走)June 26, 2001 14 "Lacour"
"Navigation 14 Ma Ken [Rakuuru]" (Navigation 14 魔剣[ラクール])July 3, 2001 15 "Suspicion"
"Navigation 15 Giwaku" (Navigation 15 疑惑)July 10, 2001 16 "Leon"
"Navigation 16 Shōnen [Reon]" (Navigation 16 少年[レオン])July 17, 2001 17 "Ruins"
"Navigation 17 Iseki" (Navigation 17 遺跡)July 24, 2001 18 "Fortress"
"Navigation 18 Yousai" (Navigation 18 要塞)July 31, 2001 19 "Solitude"
"Navigation 19 Kodoku" (Navigation 19 孤独)August 7, 2001 20 "Faith"
"Navigation 20 Kibou" (Navigation 20 希望)August 14, 2001 21 "Reunion"
"Navigation 21 Saikai" (Navigation 21 再会)August 21, 2001 22 "Friends"
"Navigation 22 Nakama" (Navigation 22 仲間)August 28, 2001 23 "Lacour Hope"
"Navigation 23 Kessen [Rakuuruhoopu]" (Navigation 23 決戦[ラクールホープ])September 4, 2001 24 "Machine Castle"
"Navigation 24 Kikai Jou" (Navigation 24 機械城)September 11, 2001 25 "Energy Stone"
"Navigation 25 Teru Kou Seki [Enajii Sutoon]" (Navigation 25 輝光石[エナジーストーン])September 18, 2001 26 "Man of Valor"
"Navigation 26 Yuusha [Kuroodo]" (Navigation 26 勇者[クロード])September 25, 2001 DVD releases
Region 1
Geneon Entertainment announced that they had acquired the license to release Star Ocean EX to Region 1 DVD in July 2004.[27] They first released the series in six individual volumes with each volume included English and Japanese audio tracks and English subtitles. The first two volumes contain five episodes each, and the remaining volumes have four each.[28][29] With the first four volumes, the on-disc extras included character profiles, while last two volumes had galleries of illustrations and the original Japanese cover art. The first volume was available in both regular and limited editions, with the limited edition including an art box that could hold all six volumes of the series.[31]
Geneon also released the entire series as a box set that includes all six volumes in their original cases, but features a different art box.[32]
Volume Title[32] Release Date[32] Eps 1 Star Ocean EX - The Inception January 4, 2005 1-5 2 Star Ocean EX - Dragon's Teeth March 22, 2005 6-10 3 Star Ocean EX - Magical Moonlit Flowers May 24, 2005 11-14 4 Star Ocean EX - Ruins and Hopes July 19, 2005 15-18 5 Star Ocean EX - El Continent September 20, 2005 19-22 6 Star Ocean EX - The Legendary Warrior November 22, 2005 23-26 NA Star Ocean EX - Complete Box Set August 8, 2006 1-26 Region 2 (Japan)
Star Ocean EX was originally released to Region 2 DVD and VHS in Japan in nine individual volumes by Movic. The first volume, containing two episodes, was released on July 27, 2001. Subsequent volumes, each containing three episodes, followed on a monthly schedule.[26]
Title[26] Release Date[26] Eps[26] Star Ocean EX 1 July 27, 2001 1-2 Star Ocean EX 2 August 24, 2001 3-5 Star Ocean EX 3 September 28, 2001 6-8 Star Ocean EX 4 October 26, 2001 9-11 Star Ocean EX 5 November 22, 2001 12-14 Star Ocean EX 6 December 21, 2001 15-17 Star Ocean EX 7 January 25, 2002 18-20 Star Ocean EX 8 February 22, 2002 21-23 Star Ocean EX 9 March 29, 2002 24-26 Soundtracks
Two CD soundtracks were released in Japan by Pony Canyon for the Star Ocean EX series. The first soundtrack, Star Ocean EX Original Soundtrack (スターオーシャンEX ― オリジナル・サウンドトラック), contained forty-seven tracks and released on August 1, 2001. Among the tracks are the TV length versions of the opening and ending themes and background music played during various episodes.[33][34] The second, Star Ocean EX Original Soundtrack II (スターオーシャンEX ― オリジナル・サウンドトラック II) was released on September 19, 2001. It contained an additional forty-five tracks of background music from the series.[35][36]
Neither official soundtrack includes the full version of either the opening or ending theme of the series. Amika Hattan did release the full version of the opening theme "To the Light" as a CD single. Likewise, Saori Nishihata released a single with the full version of the ending theme "Hearts".
Other
Movic, the company which released the Star Ocean EX anime series to VHS and DVD, also had a series of drama CDs produced. These CDs take the place of the series' missing second season and complete the story left incomplete by both the manga and anime series.[30] The CDs feature the same voice actors as those in the anime and each volume contains approximately one hour of dialog. The first CD was released in Japan on July 7, 2001, picking up where the last episode of the anime stopped. The fifth and final volume was released December 8, 2001. All five volumes are now out-of-print.[26][37]
Enix published two art books for Star Ocean. The first, Treasure: Star Ocean The Second Story Mayumi Azuma Art Book (トレジャー スターオーシャンセカンドストーリー 東まゆみ画集 Torejā : Sutā Ō̄shan Sekando Sutōrī Azuma Mayumi Gashū) was published in October 2000. Spanning eight-eight pages, it included sixty four pages of color art and a full-color fold out poster created by artist Mayumi Azuma.[38]
The second art book, Second Treasure: Star Ocean The Second Story Mayumi Azuma Art Book (セカンドトレジャー スターオーシャンセカンドストーリー 東まゆみ画集 Sekando Torejā : Sutā Ō̄shan Sekando Sutōrī Azuma Mayumi Gashū) was published in August 2001. It contains sixty pages of color illustrations, twenty pages of black-and-white images and some character profiles.[39]
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- ^ "2008 top 100". Kyoto.zaq.ne.jp. http://www.kyoto.zaq.ne.jp/dkbkq103/yso/top100/2008.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
- ^ Clements, Jonathan; Helen McCarthy (2001-09-01). The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese animation since 1917. Berkeley, California: Stone Bridge Press. p. 375. ISBN 1-880656-64-7. OCLC 47255331.
- ^ a b "New Anime in Japan for Spring 2001". Anime News Network. 2001-03-21. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2001-03-21/new-anime-in-japan-for-spring-2001. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
- ^ a b "Update on Japanese TV Broadcasts". Anime News Network. 2001-10-03. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2001-10-03/update-on-japanese-tv-broadcasts. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
- ^ a b c d e f "スターオーシャンＥＸ: DVD (Star Ocean EX: DVD)". Amazon.co.jp. http://www.amazon.co.jp/s?__mk_ja_JP=%83J%83%5E%83J%83i&url=search-alias%3Ddvd&field-keywords=%83X%83%5E%81%5B%83I%81%5B%83V%83%83%83%93%82d%82w. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ a b c "Geneon Entertainment Licenses". Anime News Network. 2004-07-31. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2004-07-31/geneon-entertainment-licenses. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
- ^ a b c Beveridge, Chris (2004-12-06). "Star Ocean EX Vol. #1 (also w/box) (of 6)". AnimeOnDVD.com. http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/3410.php. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
- ^ a b c Beveridge, Chris (2005-11-07). "Star Ocean EX Vol. #6 (of 6)". AnimeOnDVD.com. http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/3718.php. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
- ^ a b Godek, Jake. "Star Ocean EX". THEM Anime Reviews. http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=1008. Retrieved 2008-04-03. ""This anime is based on the manga to so much an extent that it ends prematurely, meaning that characters such as Noel Chandler and Chisato Madison are not brought in before the end. To help this, a series of audio drama CDs were created in order to finish off the story in the anime.""
- ^ "Star Ocean EX". AnimeOnDVD.com. http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews/seriespage.php?series=10399. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ a b c "Anime - Star Ocean EX". Geneon Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2008-03-01. http://web.archive.org/web/20080301140036/http://geneonanimation.com/MainContentPage.aspx?PageUID=57464a8a-7851-4ec0-9b3c-1b73a1715e80&CatUID=7e51ecae-1202-4cf7-bba0-0c37b9953f93&Letter=S&TitleType=bc3bba18-208c-4534-9697-f3719fd13683&Title=9b51ff04-2584-4f3a-b261-7266f0e66cc0&ctl_BrowseGridpg=0. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ "Star Ocean EX [Original Soundtrack"] (in (Japanese)). CD Japan. Neowing. http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=PCCR-328. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ "スターオーシャンEX ― オリジナル・サウンドトラック" (in (Japanese)). Amazon.co.jp. http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00005LCN6/. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ "STAR OCEAN EX ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK II" (in (Japanese)). CD Japan. Neowing. http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=PCCR-332. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ "スターオーシャンEX ― オリジナル・サウンドトラック II" (in (Japanese)). Amazon.co.jp. http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00005NJRH/. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ "Hiro Yuuki Complete Listings (Page 4)". CDJapan. Neowing. http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/list_from_code_banner.html?current=60&key=204238&sort=title&media=CDA. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
- ^ Azuma, Mayumi (October 2000). Star Ocean The Second Story Treasure Art Book. Tokyo: Enix. ISBN 978-4-7575-0333-5.
- ^ Azuma, Mayumi (August 2001). Star Ocean: The Second Story Second Treasure Art Book. Tokyo: Enix. ISBN 978-4-7575-0497-4.
External links
- Japanese Star Ocean: Second Evolution official site
- North American Star Ocean: Second Evolution official site
- European Star Ocean: Second Evolution official site
- Star Ocean: The Second Story (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Star Ocean EX (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
Star Ocean series Works by Production I.G Feature films Blood-C • Blood: The Last Vampire • Book Girl • Broken Blade • Cyber Team in Akihabara: Summer Holidays of 2011 • Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic • Dead Leaves • Evangelion: Death and Rebirth • The End of Evangelion • Ghost in the Shell • Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence • Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. Solid State Society • Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade • Kill Bill: Volume 1 (animated sequence) • A Letter to Momo • Loups=Garous • Nadesico: Prince of Darkness • Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror • MiniPato • Patlabor: The Movie • Patlabor 2: The Movie • Sakura Wars: The Movie • Tachigui: The Amazing Lives of the Fast Food Grifters • The Sky Crawlers • Tennis no Ōjisama – Futari no Samurai • The Weathering Continent • Tales of Vesperia: The First StrikeTelevision series Ani*Kuri15 (animated sequence) • Blade of the Immortal • Blood+ • Blood-C • Blue Seed • Bunny Drop • Cromartie High School • Eden of the East • Medabots Damashii • Ghost Hound • Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex • Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG • Guilty Crown • Idaten Jump • Immortal Grand Prix • Kimi ni Todoke • K-tai Investigator 7 • Kuroko's Basketball • Le Chevalier D'Eon • Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit • Otogi Zoshi • PaRappa the Rapper • PoPoLoCrois • The Prince of Tennis • Reideen • Real Drive • Sengoku Basara • Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings • Toshokan Sensō • Vampiyan Kids • Windy Tales • xxxHolicOriginal video animations Batman: Gotham Knight (animated sequence) • Book Girl • Chocolate Underground • FLCL • Halo Legends (animated sequence) • Kai Doh Maru • One Piece: Defeat The Pirate Ganzak! • Please Save My Earth • The King of Fighters: Another Day • Zillion: Burning Night • The Prince of Tennis • Tokyo Marble Chocolate • HiyokoiVideo games Children of Mana • Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance • Ghost in the Shell • Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū 12 • Namco × Capcom • Professor Layton and the Curious Village • Sonic Riders • Star Ocean: First Departure • Star Ocean: Second Evolution • Summon Night 4 • Surveillance Kanshisha • Tales • Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria • Wario Land: The Shake Dimension • Xenogears • Sands of DestructionCategories:- Manga series
- Anime series
- 1998 video games
- PlayStation games
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- Production I.G
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- 2001 television series debuts
- 2001 television series endings
- Adventure anime and manga
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- Anime of 2001
- Geneon Universal Entertainment
- Manga of 1999
- Science fantasy anime and manga
- Shōnen manga
- Sword and sorcery films
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