2001 Nights

2001 Nights (2001夜物語, Nisen'ichi Ya Monogatari) is a science fiction manga series written and illustrated by Yukinobu Hoshino and originally serialized in Futabasha's Monthly Super Action starting from June 1984. It was then collected into three bound volumes by Futabasha, released between August 18, 1985[1] and October 24, 1986.[2] The series was licensed for an English-language release by Viz Media and published in North America starting in 1990.[3] 2001 Nights is largely inspired by classic hard science fiction, with many visual homages to previous science fiction novels and films.

2001 Nights
Japanese manga cover of 2001 Nights volume 1
2001夜物語
(Nisen'ichi Ya Monogatari)
GenreScience fiction
Manga
Written byYukinobu Hoshino
Published byFutabasha
English publisher
MagazineMonthly Super Action
DemographicSeinen
Original runJune 1984 – June 1986
Volumes3
Original video animation
Space Fantasia 2001 Nights
Directed byYoshio Takeuchi
Produced byJunichi Iioka
Tomoko Satō
Takahisa Yokomizo
Written byChiho Katsura
Ken Echigoya
Music bySatoshi Kadokura
StudioTMS Entertainment
ReleasedJuly 1987
Runtime60 minutes
Original video animation
TO
Directed byFumihiko Sori
Produced byYoshito Takaya
Yumiko Yoshihara
Written byFumihiko Sori
Music byTetsuya Takahashi
StudioOxybot
Licensed by
ReleasedNovember 2009
Episodes2

Media

Manga

2001 Nights consists of several loosely connected short stories, all taking place in the same timeline, with the whole series spanning several hundred years. Many of the stories are related to each other (even across books), each building upon the achievements of the previous ones. The stories are often (but not always) scientifically plausible, recalling much of the early science fiction of the 1950s and 1960s.

2001 Nights

2001 Nights was adapted into a one-episode original video animation (OVA) under the name Space Fantasia 2001 Nights by TMS Entertainment and released on VHS on June 21, 1987.[4]

TO

Two stories from 2001 Nights, Night 12 ("Symbiotic Planet") and Night 14 ("Elliptical Orbit") respectively, were adapted into TO, a two-episode computer animation (CGI) original video animation (OVA). Fumihiko Sori directed. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Avex in December 2009, in Japan.[5] TO was released on rental DVDs on October 2, 2009, and in December 2009 as regular DVD and Blu-ray release.[6] It was scheduled to air on TBS and BS-TBS (Japanese satellite TV broadcaster) in November and December 2009,[7] prior to the DVD and Blu-ray release.[8] A 10-minute trailer was released on YouTube by Avex on November 11, 2009.[5][7] Manga Entertainment a UK distributor acquired licensing in late 2010.[9] Funimation licensed To for North American release in 2011.[10]

Stories

The stories that make up the complete manga are placed in chronological order, with two exceptions. By the technology used, Night 14 ("Elliptical Orbit") seems to belong somewhere between Nights 6 and 7 (after the invention of suspended animation and interstellar travel, but before the Lucifer discovery). The second, Night 6 ("Discovery") is referenced in Night 4 ("Posterity") which occurs 20 years after the launch of the probe Discovery.

Volume list
No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 August 18, 1985[1]4-575-93074-1March 22, 1996[11]1-56931-056-4
  • 01. "Night 1: Earthglow"
  • 02. "Night 2: Sea of Fertility"
  • 03. "Night 3: Maelstrom III"
  • 04. "Night 4: Posterity"
  • 05. "Night 5: Rendezvous"
  • 06. "Night 6: Discovery"
  • 07. "Night 7: Lucifer Rising"
2 December 28, 1985[12]4-575-93075-XJune 22, 1996[13]1-56931-102-1
  • 08. "Night 8: The Lights of Heaven"
  • 09. "Night 9: Journey Beyond Tomorrow"
  • 10. "Night 10: Medusa's Throne"
  • 11. "Night 11: A Stranger's Footsteps"
  • 12. "Night 12: Symbiotic Planet"
  • 13. "Night 13: Final Evolution"
  • 14. "Night 14: Elliptical Orbit"
3 October 24, 1986[2]4-575-93076-8February 22, 1996[14]1-56931-125-0
  • 15. "Night 15: An Hour's Song in a Birdless Sky"
  • 16. "Night 16: Colony"
  • 17. "Night 17: So Brief. So Lasting a Love"
  • 18. "Night 18: Odyssey in Green"
  • 19. "Final Night: Children of the Earth"

Reception

Reviewing the manga Mark Aragona praised Hoshino's skill in striking a balance between the scientific and the fantastical elements in his stories, noting the opus of Lucifer Rising.[15] Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News praised the work for its portrayal, but overcomes its inspiration One Thousand and One Nights and 2001: A Space Odyssey, noting "It is reminiscent of the classics and develops its science fiction well enough on its own that is not diminished by comparisons."[16]

Anime-focus.com reviewed the TO OVA and offered a mixed review of the work.[17] While praising the graphics and special effects, it focused on the emotionless Funimation English dub which made all the worse by lifeless characters and the lack of attachment to the stories.[17] Closing with, "This should have been a gem but the flaws are too great to make this the masterpiece it could have been."[17] Charles Packer, found the same flaws in his review, "Whilst the disc may look eye watering spectacular, it’s difficult to get over the fact that the stories rely too heavily on clichés."[18]

References
  1. 2001夜物語 1(ニセンイチヤモノガタリ) (in Japanese). Futabasha. 1985. ISBN 4-575-93074-1. Retrieved December 5, 2008.
  2. 2001夜物語 3(ニセンイチヤモノガタリ) (in Japanese). Futabasha. 1986. ISBN 4-575-93076-8. Retrieved December 5, 2008.
  3. "2001 Nights (1990)". Comic Book DB. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  4. スペース・ファンタジア ２００１夜物語 (1987). allcinema (in Japanese). Stingray. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  5. Anime News Network (2009-11-13). "10 Minutes of Fumihiko Sori's To Sci-Fi CG Anime Posted". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 9 August 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  6. "10月2日レンタル開始！『TO（トゥー）』公式サイトにて 曽利文彦監督とメインキャストのコメント動画掲載中！" (in Japanese). Animax. 2009-09-29. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  7. "『TO』TBS地上波・BS-TBSで本編放送決定！" (in Japanese). Avex. 2009-11-12. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
  8. darkhorse_logg (2009-11-16). "3D Sci-Fi Action Anime "TO" to be aired on TBS before the DVD and Blu-ray Release". GigaZine. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  9. "Manga UK Adds Sci-Fi Anime TO From Vexille's Sori". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  10. "Funimation Adds Fumihiko Sori's To Science-Fiction Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  11. Hoshino, Yukinobu (22 March 1996). 2001 Nights, Volume 1: The Death Trilogy Overture (2001 Nights): Yukinobu Hoshino: Books. VIZ Media LLC. ISBN 1569310564.
  12. 2001夜物語 2(ニセンイチヤモノガタリ) (in Japanese). Futabasha. 1985. ISBN 4-575-93075-X. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2008.
  13. Hoshino, Yukinobu (22 June 1996). 2001 Nights, Volume 2: Journey Beyond Tomorrow (2001 Nights): Yukinobu Hoshino: Books. VIZ Media LLC. ISBN 1569311021.
  14. Hoshino, Yukinobu (22 February 1996). Children of Earth (2001 Nights, Vol. 3): Yukinobu Hoshino: Books. VIZ Media LLC. ISBN 1569311250.
  15. Aragona, Mark (26 June 2011). "Comic Book Review 2001 Nights". Digital Science Fiction. Archived from the original on 1 July 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  16. "AICN Anime - A Look Back at Sci-Fi Classic 2001 Nights, Redline in Theaters, ReBoot DVD Bound and More". Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  17. Hughs, Adam (16 August 2011). "Review: TO – 2001 Nights". Anime Focus. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  18. Packer, Charles. "Blu-ray Review TO - 2001 Nights". Sci-Fi-Online.com. Sci-Fi Online. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
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