Hiwou War Chronicles

Hiwou War Chronicles (Japanese: 機巧奇傳ヒヲウ戦記, Hepburn: Karakuri Kiden Hiwō Senki, lit. "Karakuri Amazing Legend Hiwou War Chronicles") is an anime series, and the first to be produced by Bones. The series was first aired on NHK BS-2 and ran for twenty six episodes, from October 24, 2000, 'til May 1, 2001. Created by Shō Aikawa and directed by Tetsurō Amino, the series' character designer and chief animation director was the late Hiroshi Ōsaka.

Hiwou War Chronicles
Promotional art by Bones
機巧奇傳 ヒヲウ戦記 (Karakuri Kiden Hiwō Senki)
Genre	Mecha, Adventure
Created by	Bones Shō Aikawa
Manga
Written by	Shō Aikawa
Illustrated by	Ichi Jinguuji
Published by	Kodansha
Magazine	Magazine Z
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	1999 – 2001
Volumes	4
Anime television series
Directed by	Tetsurō Amino
Produced by	Katsuhiko Gotō Mitsuyuki Yokohama Michiru Ōshima Shirō Sasaki Korefumi Seki Masahiko Minami
Written by	Akihiko Inari Fuyunori Gobu Naruhisa Arakawa Shō Aikawa (screenwriter) Yutaka Nada
Music by	Hiroshi Yamaguchi
Studio	Bones
Licensed by	NA: Bandai Entertainment
Original network	NHK BS-2
English network	SEA: Animax Asia
Original run	October 24, 2000 – May 1, 2001
Episodes	26

The series was subsequently aired by the anime television network Animax, who also aired it across its English language networks in Southeast Asia and South Asia.

Story

The series is set within the Meiji period of Japan, following a small boy named Hiwou. The townspeople have lived simply, making "Clockwork Dolls" or "karakuri" for festivals. Hiwou's father left the family on a long trip, and their mother has since died. The children live with friends.

Their simple life vanishes when the "Wind Gang" appears, destroys the city with their own clockwork dolls, and captures its citizens. Hiwō and his siblings and friends, Shishi, Machi, Tetsu, Mayu, Sai, and baby Jyobu (who are exploring a cave at the time), escape unharmed and embark on a quest to save the town. They take with them Homura, a huge clockwork doll that functions like a giant robot.

Along the way, they are forced to use their clockwork dolls as weapons - something they were never supposed to do, according to Hiwō's father. Early in the series, they meet Arashi, a member of the Wind Gang, and Hana and Yuki, two samurai daughters who ended up traveling with the group.

Hiwō and his friends encounter a number of historical figures, before these people entered the history books during the Meiji Restoration.

Production

Staff

• Director: Tetsuro Amino
• Music: Hiroshi Yamaguchi
• Original creator: Shō Aikawa
• Character Design: Hajime Jinguji, Hiroshi Osaka
• Art director: Nobuto Sakamoto
• Mecha design: Junya Ishigaki
• Director of Photography: Youichi Ōgami
• Color Coordination: Kenji Chiba
• Historical Verification: Tetsunori Iwashita
• Main Animation Director: Hiroshi Osaka
• Sound director: Yasuo Uragami
• Animation Production: BONES

Cast

• Houko Kuwashima as Hiwō
• Kaori Mizuhashi as Machi
• Rikako Aikawa as Shishi
• Akiko Yajima as Mayu
• Haruna Ikezawa as Hana
• Omi Minami as Yuki
• Kazuhiko Inoue as Ryōma Sakamoto
• Nobuo Tobita as Sai
• Shinasichiro Miki as Arashi
• Yoko Teppouzuka as Tetsu
• Yuko Mizutani as Alexander
• Yūji Takada as Aka
• Masako Ebisu as Narrator
• Chisato Nakajima as Child (ep 2)
• Yukimasa Kishino as Gennosuke (ep 6)

Music

Opening theme

Hiwou no Theme(ヒヲウのテーマ) by Hiroshi Yamaguchi

Ending theme

CROSSROAD by Kumiko Endō

External links

• Official site Archived 2020-09-12 at the Wayback Machine
• Clockwork Fighters Hiwou's War (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia