MapleStory (TV series)

Synopsis

Ten years before the series, the World Tree, which protected peace and order, was targeted by the Black Wings. The human race led five other races—warriors, magicians, archers, thieves, and pirates—against the Black Wings. The World Tree activated self-destruction to protect itself, but other races blamed humans. Many races fled to Maple Island, where living conditions worsened, sparking endless war. Ten years later, Al seeks to revive the World Tree by finding its seeds, while the Black Wings reappear to seize the seed first.

Characters

Al is the son of warrior Grande. He disguises himself as a monster because humans are seen as enemies, but his identity is revealed in the fourth episode. He trains constantly, often carrying a heavy stone, and is known for his stubborn, never-give-up attitude. He wields a wooden sword and later Grande's Hero's Gladius, a blade of light and purification only he and Grande can channel.

Nina and Anji consider Al gullible. Kino, based on the Orange Mushroom monster, is fond of Al and collects shiny stones, once mistaken for a World Tree Seed. Barrow, leader of Seron Henesys archers on Maple Island, fought alongside Grande and uses a Maple Soul Searcher; his students include Drumming Bunnies, Fairies, and Turkeys. Gallus, leader of Seron Perion warriors, is based on the Muscle Stone monster and wields a Maple Dragon Axe but prefers fists; his students include Yellow King Goblins, Wooden Masks, and Rocky Masks.

Production

The anime adaptation of the South Korean video game MapleStory was produced by Madhouse. Takaaki Ishiyama directed the series, with Toshiki Inoue handling scripts, Yoshinori Kanemori designing characters, and Satoshi Togawa composing the music. Younha performed the opening theme "Scratch on the Heart," while Fumiko Orikasa performed the ending theme. The show ran for 25 episodes on TV Tokyo from October 7, 2007, to March 30, 2008. These episodes were later collected into nine DVD volumes, with a 26th unaired episode included in the final volume. In South Korea, it aired on SBS TV from April to June 2008. Singapore saw the series on Hello! Japan in 2014 with Japanese audio and English subtitles.