Zegapain STA Film Gets Spinoff Novel – News

Book publisher Tokyo Sogensha published a spinoff novel for Bandai Namco Filmworks‘ Zegapain STA (Zegapain Statement Alpha) film sequel titled Holonic: Girl on Monday.

The novel is a full-length original story by Yūya Takashima (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury novel adaptation, sci-fi research for Zegapain ADP film) that follows the story after the events of the film.

The film opens on August 16.

Shintarō Asanuma, Kana Hanazawa, Ayako Kawasumi, and Romi Park return from the previous anime as their characters Kyo Sogoru, Ryoko Kaminagi, Shizuno Misaki, and Lu Sheng, respectively.

Masami Shimoda returns from the previous Zegapain anime as director at Sunrise. Katsuhiko Takayama (Aldnoah.Zero, Ga-Rei: Zero, Looking Up At The Half-Moon) is penning the film’s script. Akihiko Yamashita returns as character designer, alongside other character designers Tatsuya Suzuki and Marie Tagashira, the latter of whom worked as character designer for the new footage in the Zegapain ADP compilation film. Rei Nakahara, Noriyuki Jinguji, Takahiro Yamada, and Hideki Fukushima all return from the previous anime as mechanical designers. Ayako Ōtsuka also returns to compose the music.

The film has two parts. The first part, titled “Reminiscence Arc,” recounts the Zegapain television anime series, and Zegapain ADP (Zegapain Adaptation) compilation film. The second part, titled “Olta Moda Arc,” depicts the future after the final episode of the Zegapain TV series. The “Olta Moda Arc” is named after a “new force” in the Zegapain world.

Zegapain STA is part of the franchise’s overall new Zegapain Project Reunion initiative.

The original 2006 Zegapain television anime series’ story follows Kyo, the lone member of his high school swim team. To keep the team afloat, he recruits Misaki to create a promotional video for the club. She agrees, but only if Ryo will pilot a mecha under the wing of Celebrum, a resistance organization fighting to destroy Deutera Areas formed on Earth by the aliens Gards-orm. Bandai Entertainment released the series on six DVD singles in North America from 2007 to 2008, and released it again in a Complete Collection DVD release in 2009. Sentai Filmworks licensed the anime in 2013.

Zegapain ADP (Zegapain Adaptation), a compilation film of the Zegapain television anime with new footage and characters, opened in Japan in October 2016. The film celebrated the anime’s 10th anniversary. The film screened again for one week starting on July 12 in three cinemas in Japan.

Sources: PR Times, Comic Natalie