Thunderbolt Fantasy
A glove puppetry fantasy series from Japan and Taiwan.
Thunderbolt Fantasy, also known as Thunderbolt Fantasy: Sword Seekers, is a Japanese-Taiwanese glove puppetry television series created and written by Gen Urobuchi. It was produced as a collaboration between Japanese companies Nitroplus and Good Smile Company and Taiwanese puppet production company Pili International Multimedia, creators of the Pili series. The series began airing in Japan on July 8, 2016, and was simulcast in multiple regions including the United States via Crunchyroll.
Quick Facts
- Creator
- Gen Urobuchi
- Director
- Chris Huang (chief)
- Jia-Shiang Wang
- Pao-Pin Cheng
- Starring
- Kohsuke Toriumi
- Junichi Suwabe
- Mai Nakahara
- Tomokazu Seki
- Takanori Nishikawa
- Katsuyuki Konishi
- Composer
- Hiroyuki Sawano
- Takafumi Wada (Seasons 2–4)
- Kohta Yamamoto (Seasons 3–4)
- Country
- Taiwan; Japan
- Language
- Japanese
- Taiwanese Hokkien
- Mandarin
- Seasons
- 4
- Episodes
- 51
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | thunderBOLTfantasy | 5:35 |
| 2 | show-no-feel | 4:37 |
| 3 | tanh1 | 4:05 |
| 4 | 5in4 | 5:46 |
| 5 | tpfp1 | 2:57 |
| 6 | coldsnowcrow | 4:43 |
| 7 | GKpeople | 4:11 |
| 8 | ⚡bolt-arr1 | 4:07 |
| 9 | from either way | 4:54 |
| 10 | kill don't 生kill-FUe | 1:03 |
| 11 | Kguy&kill don't 生kiLL | 5:35 |
| 12 | thedead | 4:02 |
| 13 | 蔑、guy | 4:36 |
| 14 | ⚡bolt-arr2 | 4:15 |
| 15 | tfpf2 | 2:39 |
| 16 | devigod | 5:28 |
| 17 | Darkest | 5:17 |
| 18 | tfpf3 | 2:42 |
| Total length | 76:32 | |
Track listing from the source article.
Did You Know?
- A film partially adapting the side novel was released on December 2, 2017.
- A film prequel to the second season was released on October 25, 2019.
- A series finale film was released on February 21, 2025.
Development
In 2014, Urobuchi encountered Pili's exhibition booth at a Taiwanese comic convention while attending as a special guest. Impressed by their puppetry, he took home a full set of Pili's puppet show series to share with associates in the Japanese ACG industry, hoping to plan an original story or license series for Japanese dubbing. News of his interest reached Pili, whose staff included many anime-savvy Urobuchi fans. Both parties contacted each other within a day, and after discussions decided to create an original story that would be straightforward for first-time puppetry viewers and the anime demographic.
Media
The franchise includes four television seasons, home video releases, theatrical films, manga, and novels. The soundtrack, composed by Hiroyuki Sawano, was released on August 24, 2016, with lyrics by Benjamin & mpi. Two manga adaptations were released in Japan: one illustrated by Yui Sakuma, serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Morning from July 21, 2016, to April 6, 2017, and collected into four volumes (licensed in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment); the other, a webmanga titled Otome Genyūki illustrated by Kairi Shimotsuki, serialized in Akita Shoten's Champion Cross from September 27, 2016, to February 28, 2017. A side novel, Thunderbolt Fantasy Gaiden, focusing on Lǐn Xuě Yā, Xíng Hài, and Shā Wú Shēng's pasts, was released on April 7, 2017.
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