Virus Buster Serge
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| Virus Buster Serge | |
| ウイルス (Uirusu) |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Adventure, Mecha |
| Game | |
| Publisher | Hudson Soft |
| Genre | Adventure |
| Platform | Sega Saturn |
| Released | August 22, 1997 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Masami Ōbari |
| Studio | J.C.Staff, Plum |
| Licensed by | |
| Network | AT-X, TV Tokyo |
| English network | |
| Original run | October 2, 1997 – December 19, 1997 |
| Episodes | 12 |
| Light novel | |
| Virus: Birth of STAND | |
| Written by | Masami Ōbari |
| Illustrated by | Chitaka Katou |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Magazine | Shōnen Ace |
| Published | April 1998 |
| Game | |
| Virus: The Battle Field | |
| Developer | Polygram Magic of Japan |
| Publisher | Polygram Magic of Japan |
| Genre | Adventure |
| Platform | PlayStation |
| Released | April 8, 1999 |
Virus Buster Serge, known in Japan simply as Virus (ウイルス?), is a Japanese media franchise. It originated as an adventure game for the Sega Saturn. It was adapted into an anime television series which was directed by Masami Ōbari, produced by J.C.Staff and Plum, and aired on AT-X and TV Tokyo from October 2 to December 19, 1997. A light novel and second video game (for the PlayStation) were also created.
In the year 2097 in the city of Neo Hong Kong, man and machine have melded nicely and the city has been blooming with technological advances. However, an entity that takes over the machines called the Virus is becoming a problem. For this problem, there exists the organization STAND equipped with their Gears (machine suits) led by the mysterious Raven. The latest member of the team is Serge, a man who cannot remember his past and thought joining STAND and confronting Raven would help him better understand. Little does he know how important he will become to the whole Virus conflict.
Only the anime has been adapted into English. It was licensed by Madman Entertainment in Australia and New Zealand and by Manga Entertainment in North America and the United Kingdom. The anime briefly aired on the American cable television Sci Fi Channel in 2007 and the Canadian cable channel IFC in 2008.
Characters
Serge Train, age 25: Serge is the latest member of the counter Virus organization STAND. His Gear is colored red. He is a man without a past, or at least doesn't remember it. An offer by Raven to join STAND could be his opportunity to remember his past. He has a rivalry with fellow member Jouichirou, and a blooming relationship with member Erika. Voiced by: Shinichiro Miki (Japanese), Joey Rapporte (English)
Erika Tinen, age 23: Erika is a member of STAND's offensive sector. Her Gear is colored pink. She was living in the streets until she was picked up and raised by a caring man. Because she and Serge used to live in the same neighborhood but never met, she finds herself intrigued by this mysterious man and eventually attracted to him. In episode 11, she and Serge had their first kiss and, eventually, had sex. Erika was going to tell Serge that she is pregnant with his child in episode 12. Voiced by: Mayumi Iizuka (Japanese), Shannon Conley (English)
Jouichirou, age 25: Jouichirou is a member of STAND's offensive. His Gear color is blue. He's a bit cocky and arrogant and likes to tease fellow member Mirei about her concern for him. He does, however, worry about her and tries to comfort her when needed. Because Serge seems to be better than him at everything even though he is a recent applicator to STAND, he shares a rivalry with him and sometimes calls him "Rookie". Voiced by: Nobuyuki Hiyama (Japanese), Frankie Rome (English)
Mirei, age 15: Mirei is not part of the team's offensive but she is their resident skilled hacker. She may be young in years but she's very intelligent. Erika acts as a big sister towards Mirei. She sometimes gets very concerned for Jouichirou, a fact that Jouichirou loves to tease her about. Voiced by: Haruna Ikezawa (Japanese), Debora Rabbai (English)
Macus Alexander Bogard, age 29: He's a part of the offensive for STAND. His Gear color is yellow. He may or may not be a descendant of Terry or Andy Bogard; both from Fatal Fury; due to their similar last names as well as physical appearance. He is field leader when the team is out on missions. Voiced by: Keiichi Nanba (Japanese), Michael Schwartz (English)
Raven, age 35: The boss of STAND. He offers Serge the opportunity to work for them after displaying great ability in defeating a new machine taken over by the Virus. He doesn't go on missions or hack but he does supervise the team. He spends most of his time at his desk talking to a mysterious ghost woman called Donna about Serge and how he's linked to their past. Voiced by: Hirotaka Suzuoki (Japanese), Frankie Rome (English)
Donna, age 24: A blond, mysterious entity in the form of a spirit that spends most her time talking with Raven about Serge. She has been linked to both these men while she was still alive and as the story continues, we see just how linked they really are. Voiced by: Ai Orikasa (Japanese), Jessica Calvello (English)
Episodes
| No. | Title | Original airdate | English airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Cutthroat Puppets" | October 2, 1997 | October 1, 2007 |
| 2 | "The Path Via Hell" | October 9, 1997 | October 1, 2007 |
| 3 | "We Stand Alone" | October 16, 1997 | October 8, 2007 |
| 4 | "Deep Down Exposure" | October 23, 1997 | October 8, 2007 |
| 5 | "Incubating the Succubus" | October 30, 1997 | October 15, 2007 |
| 6 | "Behold Change Or Die" | November 7, 1997 | October 15, 2007 |
| 7 | "Another Boy Missing" | November 14, 1997 | October 22, 2007 |
| 8 | "Behold Change Or Die II" | November 21, 1997 | October 22, 2007 |
| 9 | "Reactivate the Body" | November 28, 1997 | November 12, 2007 |
| 10 | "The Struggle Within" | December 5, 1997 | November 12, 2007 |
| 11 | "Blend the Strength" | December 12, 1997 | November 19, 2007 |
| 12 | "To Have and to Hold" | December 19, 1997 | November 19, 2007 |
