Красный шар Зиллион (Krasny shar Zillion)

Japanese anime television series

Zillion (赤い光弾ジリオン) is a Japanese anime television series produced by Tatsunoko Productions. It ran from April 12 to December 13, 1987, on Nippon Television, comprising 31 episodes.

The story takes place on the planet Maris in the year 2387. Around this time, the Nohzas (ノーザ) civilization, led by Empress Admis, started a genocide program to kill all humans in order to lay eggs and reproduce on the planet. Three mysterious guns dubbed the "Zillion Weapon System" appear and three teen soldiers (JJ, Champ, and Apple) are chosen to wield them as a task force called White Nuts (ホワイトナッツ) (W. N.) (known as the White Knights in the English version), whose purpose is to fight back against the Nohzas.

J. J. (ＪＪ): the series' 16 year old main protagonist and third member of the White Nuts. He is an avid fighter. Champ (チャンプ Chanpu): the 18 year old primary leader of the White Nuts. Apple (アップル Appuru): the 17 year old female member and navigator of the White Nuts. Amy Harrison (エイミ・ハリソン Eimi Harison): a primary assistant of Mr. Gord. She has a liking for J. J.
Mr. Gord (Mr.ゴード Mr. Gōdo): the commissioner/commander of the White Nuts. Dave (デイブ Deibu): a mechanic and assistant pilot, later member of the White Nuts. Opa Opa: White Nuts' companion robot and ally, and later member of the White Nuts. Bernstein (バーンスタイン): Commander in Chief of Maris.

Admis (アドミス): empress of the Nohza Empire. Baron Ricks (バロン・リックス): the main antagonist of the story, leader of the invasion troops. Navarro (ナバロ): a big Nohza soldier, filled with micromissiles, specially created to fight against the White Nuts, one of the three Nohza Warriors (N. W.)
Solar (ソラール): a flying Nohza woman, also specially built to fight the White Nuts, the second N. W., shaped somewhat like a wasp. Gurdock (ガードック): a soldier with stretchable arms, the third Nohza Warrior created to counter the White Nuts.

CharacterJapaneseEnglish J. J. Toshihiko Seki Doug Stone Champ Kazuhiko Inoue Kerrigan Mahan Apple Yūko Mizutani Barbara Goodson Amy Chieko Honda Wendee Lee Dave Daiki Nakamura Eddie Frierson Gord Yuzuru Fujimoto Michael Forest BernsteinNarrator Osamu Kobayashi Tom Wyner Baron Ricks Show Hayami Doug Stone

Despite the cult success of the video games, the Zillion anime received only a very brief release in the early 1990s in the United States. The first five episodes of the TV series, as well as the Burning Night OVA were dubbed and released on VHS by Streamline Pictures. The anime was featured in the music video for Michael and Janet Jackson's collaboration "Scream". In October 2018, Funimation has released the complete series and the OVA on a Blu ray/DVD set with Japanese audio and English subtitles. According to Toshinori Otsuri, it's inspired by Streets of Fire.

In the peaceful aftermath of the Nozsa wars, the charismatic heroes known as "White Nuts" have changed career paths to becoming music making rock stars. Their music career would soon be interrupted by a new threat of colonial settlers. Apple is kidnapped by the sadistic ODAMA Clan a family of ruthless killers. Located in a heavily fortified mountain retreat, J. J. and company attempt a rescue mission with their laser weapon Zillion, but the former Knights only have a limited supply of Zillium for the Zillion guns. A mysterious stranger named Rick, a wondering bodyguard for the ODAMA Clan, turns out to be an old lover of Apple.

In 1993, Eternity Comics published a comic book adaptation, written by Tom Mason, drawn by Harrison Fong, and lettered by Tim Eldred.

Two games were made based on the series, both by Sega for the Master System: Zillion, an action game similar in play style to Metroid and Impossible Mission, and a sequel, Zillion II: The Tri Formation, which was a faster paced game involving a powered armor mecha which transformed into a motorcycle.

A Zillion based laser tag toy line also by Sega was also released in Japan and Brazil. The design of the gun, which was also featured in the series released in 1987, was reused from the Master System Light Phaser light gun which was released in 1986 in North America, Europe and Brazil. Later in the series, Sega and Tatsunoko changed the design of the anime series' guns, simultaneous with a cosmetic change in the laser tag guns on which they were based. In 2009, a Brazilian man used the toy in a hostage crisis situation where a woman was held for more than 10 hours.

After the production of the anime, Tatsunoko Production and Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, the producer of Zillion, established IG Tatsunoko (which later became Production I. G) to obstruct the dispersing of the excellent staffs of Tatsunoko branch which had done actual production. Therefore, Zillion is considered to be Production I. G's first work. The anime's mechanical designs were done by Studio "Ammonite".