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A 26-episode, 2008 anime adapted from two related [[Light Novels|Light Novel]] series by the same author-illustrator team behind ''[[Kino's Journey]]''. The series is set on an alternate world of roughly 1930s-era technology, with one big continent split down the middle by a huge river. As a result, two distinct cultures developed in the East and West, neither of which can seem to get along with the other: there have been countless wars in the past, and the west's Allied Kingdoms of Bezel-Iltoa and the east's Roxcheanuk Confederation are technically only in the middle of an armistice, albeit the longest one to date. (It's not as grim as it sounds; the two warring sides are able to hold at least one joint military exercise during the armistice.) The origination of the war is that both sides believe their ancestors to be the true ancestors to humanity; apparently, neither one has heard of river valley civilizations. By the "World Calendar" shared by both sides, they are in their 3287th year of recorded history.
A 26-episode, 2008 anime adapted from two related [[Light Novels|Light Novel]] series by the same author-illustrator team behind ''[[Kino's Journey]]''. The series is set on an alternate world of roughly 1930s-era technology, with one big continent split down the middle by a huge river. As a result, two distinct cultures developed in the East and West, neither of which can seem to get along with the other: there have been countless wars in the past, and the west's Allied Kingdoms of Bezel-Iltoa and the east's Roxcheanuk Confederation are technically only in the middle of an armistice, albeit the longest one to date. (It's not as grim as it sounds; the two warring sides are able to hold at least one joint military exercise during the armistice.) The origination of the war is that both sides believe their ancestors to be the true ancestors to humanity; apparently, neither one has heard of river valley civilizations. By the "World Calendar" shared by both sides, they are in their 3287th year of recorded history.


The story revolves around [[Teen Genius]] / [[Ordinary High School Student]] Wilhelm "Wil" Schultz and [[Genki Girl]] / [[Ace Pilot]] Allison Whittington, two orphaned childhood friends who unwittingly stumble onto a tale of a treasure that could end the war. Complicating matters throughout are Allison's growing feelings for Wil, which, despite his [[Photographic Memory|perfect memory]] and [[Hyper Awareness|keen observation skills]], he [[Selective Obliviousness|completely fails to notice]]. (It doesn't help that she just can't seem to confess due to the plot continually interrupting her.) Over the course of their travels, they first encounter Carr Benedict, an [[Chivalrous Pervert|overly-amorous]] officer of the Sou Beil Air Force, and Fiona, a young woman in a mountain village who harbors a [[King Incognito|great secret]]. After three major adventures spanning a single year, the story flashes forward to introduce Lillia, {{spoiler|Allison and Wil's daughter}}, and her own adventures with her friend Treize, {{spoiler|Benedict and Fiona's son}}. The adventures the pair stumble into revolve around the consequences of decisions made at the end of the war fifteen years earlier, as well as Treize's inner struggle {{spoiler|between the need to protect his true identity and the desire to reveal his feelings to Lillia}}.
The story revolves around [[Teen Genius]] / [[Ordinary High School Student]] Wilhelm "Wil" Schultz and [[Genki Girl]] / [[Ace Pilot]] Allison Whittington, two orphaned childhood friends who unwittingly stumble onto a tale of a treasure that could end the war. Complicating matters throughout are Allison's growing feelings for Wil, which, despite his [[Photographic Memory|perfect memory]] and [[Hyper Awareness|keen observation skills]], he [[Selective Obliviousness|completely fails to notice]]. (It doesn't help that she just can't seem to confess due to the plot continually interrupting her.) Over the course of their travels, they first encounter Carr Benedict, an [[Chivalrous Pervert|overly-amorous]] officer of the Sou Beil Air Force, and Fiona, a young woman in a mountain village who harbors a [[King Incognito|great secret]]. After three major adventures spanning a single year, the story [[Time Skip|flashes forward]] to [[Changing of the Guard|introduce]] Lillia, {{spoiler|Allison and Wil's daughter}}, and her own adventures with her friend Treize, {{spoiler|Benedict and Fiona's son}}. The adventures the pair stumble into revolve around the consequences of decisions made at the end of the war fifteen years earlier, as well as Treize's inner struggle {{spoiler|between the need to protect his true identity and the desire to reveal his feelings to Lillia}}.


A straight-up Adventure with Action and Mystery elements, it avoids (for the most part) the frequent [[Mind Screw|Mind Screwery]] of the aforementioned ''Kino's Journey''. It is also features continuing plots, rather than the standalone, episodic nature of ''Kino''. This is a blessing and a curse, with the upshot that the producers of the anime were faced with the unenviable task of cramming 10 books into a single 26-episode series. As a result, the anime dispenses with Sigsawa's flowery descriptions of the landscapes and obsessive technical profiling of every new bit of technology that crops up, while [[Bowdlerise|toning down the violence]], [[Compressed Adaptation|leaving out important bits of plot and characterization]], and pushing [[Suspension of Disbelief]] to the breaking point. Nevertheless, the series retains a certain charm that makes it hard to resist, with an [[Anime Theme Song|opening theme]] that [[Thematic Theme Tune|sets the tone perfectly]]. (See [http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=R3vTkJJr1Yc here].)
A straight-up Adventure with Action and Mystery elements, it avoids (for the most part) the frequent [[Mind Screw]]ery of the aforementioned ''Kino's Journey''. It is also features continuing plots, rather than the standalone, episodic nature of ''Kino''. This is a blessing and a curse, with the upshot that the producers of the anime were faced with the unenviable task of cramming 10 books into a single 26-episode series. As a result, the anime dispenses with Sigsawa's flowery descriptions of the landscapes and obsessive technical profiling of every new bit of technology that crops up, while [[Bowdlerise|toning down the violence]], [[Compressed Adaptation|leaving out important bits of plot and characterization]], and pushing [[Suspension of Disbelief]] to the breaking point. Nevertheless, the series retains a certain charm that makes it hard to resist, with an [[Anime Theme Song|opening theme]] that [[Thematic Theme Tune|sets the tone perfectly]]. (See [http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=R3vTkJJr1Yc here].)


Oh -- did I mention there were planes?
Oh -- did I mention there were planes?
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* [[Ace Pilot]]: Allison
* [[Ace Pilot]]: Allison
* [[Anime Hair]]: ''Averted'', with characters sporting realistic hair colors and styles. Black hair does tend to get a purplish cast in illustrations for the sake of contrast though, which can lead to confusion.
* [[Anime Hair]]: ''Averted'', with characters sporting realistic hair colors and styles. Black hair does tend to get a purplish cast in illustrations for the sake of contrast though, which can lead to confusion.
* [[Arc Words]]: Mr. Terror, the steel magnate, is name-dropped in each of the first two ''Allison'' stories, but exactly ''who'' he is or ''what'' he has to do with these plots isn't discussed until the third arc, when he finally shows up in person.
* [[Arc Words]]: Mr. Terreur, the steel magnate, is name-dropped in each of the first two ''Allison'' stories, but exactly ''who'' he is or ''what'' he has to do with these plots isn't discussed until the third arc, when he finally shows up in person.
* [[Author Appeal]]: Keiichi Sigsawa appears obsessed with minutiae of all sorts of technology, judging by the overly-detailed descriptions of all weapons and vehicles that appear, plot-centric or not. Even his ''pen name'' is based on a [http://www.sigsauer.com gun brand].
* [[Author Appeal]]: Keiichi Sigsawa appears obsessed with minutiae of all sorts of technology, judging by the overly-detailed descriptions of all weapons and vehicles that appear, plot-centric or not. Even his ''pen name'' is based on a [http://www.sigsauer.com gun brand].
* [[Bifauxnen]]: {{spoiler|Carlo aka Carla}}
* [[Bifauxnen]]: {{spoiler|Carlo aka Carla}}
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* [[Calling Your Attacks]]: "Lillia Kick!" Oddly, although she uses it in the same scene in both light novel and anime, the people she uses it '''against''' and to '''protect''' are swapped.
* [[Calling Your Attacks]]: "Lillia Kick!" Oddly, although she uses it in the same scene in both light novel and anime, the people she uses it '''against''' and to '''protect''' are swapped.
* [[Cassandra Truth]]: At the end of the first book, Wil tells his friend what ''really'' happened when he and Allison went missing for several days. The friend doesn't believe it, thinking Wil is just trying to avoid sharing the scandalous details of their abscondment.
* [[Cassandra Truth]]: At the end of the first book, Wil tells his friend what ''really'' happened when he and Allison went missing for several days. The friend doesn't believe it, thinking Wil is just trying to avoid sharing the scandalous details of their abscondment.
* [[Changing of the Guard]]: Halfway through the anime, there's a [[Time Skip]]: this is where Lillia is first shown (and becomes the main character) and Allison moves to the supporting cast.
* [[Charlie Brown From Outta Town]]: {{spoiler|Major Travas}}.
* [[Charlie Brown From Outta Town]]: {{spoiler|Major Travas}}.
** This probably also qualifies as a [[Paper-Thin Disguise]], considering all he did was {{spoiler|dye his hair}}...
** This probably also qualifies as a [[Paper-Thin Disguise]], considering all he did was {{spoiler|dye his hair}}...
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* [[Cute Little Fangs]]: Treize's sister Merielle.
* [[Cute Little Fangs]]: Treize's sister Merielle.
* [[Dead Man Writing|Dead Woman Writing]]: A short chapter in the Light Novels is a letter Allison wrote to Wil, shortly before the events of the first book, to be delivered if she were ever declared dead. It included an admission that already at that point, she was totally in love with him. She also expressed worry that if, before her death, she mustered the courage to confess and ''he'' didn't love ''her'', the confession may have ruined their friendship. At the end of the chapter, it's shown that ''Lillia'' is reading this, because the Air Force mailed the letter to Allison, having decided it'd been in storage too long and was probably outdated.
* [[Dead Man Writing|Dead Woman Writing]]: A short chapter in the Light Novels is a letter Allison wrote to Wil, shortly before the events of the first book, to be delivered if she were ever declared dead. It included an admission that already at that point, she was totally in love with him. She also expressed worry that if, before her death, she mustered the courage to confess and ''he'' didn't love ''her'', the confession may have ruined their friendship. At the end of the chapter, it's shown that ''Lillia'' is reading this, because the Air Force mailed the letter to Allison, having decided it'd been in storage too long and was probably outdated.
* [[Disappeared Dad]]: Allison and her father, as well as Lillia and ''her'' father, {{spoiler|Wil}} who came back.
* [[Disappeared Dad]]: Allison and her father, as well as Lillia and ''her'' father, {{spoiler|Wil}} who came back.
* [[Disney Villain Death]]: {{spoiler|Owen Nikhto}} in episode 8, rather unconvincingly changed from his [[Family-Unfriendly Death|Family Unfriendly ''suicide'']] in the book.
* [[Disney Villain Death]]: {{spoiler|Owen Nikhto}} in episode 8, rather unconvincingly changed from his [[Family-Unfriendly Death|Family Unfriendly ''suicide'']] in the book.
** Indeed, the anime episode had a [[Deus Ex Machina|Kaze ex Machina]] ending: {{spoiler|Nikhto falls off a building due to being blown by the draft from Allison's plane.}}
** Indeed, the anime episode had a [[Deus Ex Machina|Kaze ex Machina]] ending: {{spoiler|Nikhto falls off a building due to being blown by the draft from Allison's plane.}}
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* [[Noblewoman's Laugh]]: Lillia in episode 15, when asked about her piloting skills.
* [[Noblewoman's Laugh]]: Lillia in episode 15, when asked about her piloting skills.
* [[Officer and a Gentleman]]: Carr Benedict.
* [[Officer and a Gentleman]]: Carr Benedict.
* [[Old School Dogfighting]]: Though since this is 1930s-level technology, it actually makes sense.
* [[Old School Dogfighting]]: Since this is 1930s-level technology, it actually makes sense.
* [[Orphaned Etymology]]: The moon is much closer to the Earth and revolves around it in about 8 days. So, why are months still around 30 days long?
* [[Orphaned Etymology]]: The moon is much closer to the Earth and revolves around it in about 8 days. So, why are months still around 30 days long?
* [[Orphan's Plot Trinket]]: {{spoiler|Fiona's}} locket, which marks its bearer as a member of the Royal Family of Ikstova.
* [[Orphan's Plot Trinket]]: {{spoiler|Fiona's}} pendant, which marks its bearer as a member of the Royal Family of Ikstova.
* [[Parental Abandonment]]: Unlike [[Freudian Excuse|Allison's case]], it would appear that Wil's parents were run-of-the-mill [[Jerkass]]es.
* [[Parental Abandonment]]: Unlike [[Freudian Excuse|Allison's case]], it would appear that Wil's parents were run-of-the-mill [[Jerkass]]es.
* [[Photographic Memory]]: Wil combines this with his [[Hyper Awareness]] to help him figure things out.
* [[Photographic Memory]]: Wil combines this with his [[Hyper Awareness]] to help him figure things out.
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* [[That Man Is Dead]]: {{spoiler|Allison's father}}, and later, {{spoiler|Wil}}.
* [[That Man Is Dead]]: {{spoiler|Allison's father}}, and later, {{spoiler|Wil}}.
** Although for having discarded his original identity, {{spoiler|Wil}} is remarkably involved with his past life.
** Although for having discarded his original identity, {{spoiler|Wil}} is remarkably involved with his past life.
* [[Those Two Guys|That One Guy]]: Wil's friend Epstein, who shows up in all 3 books before the timeskip. In book 3, his family even gets in on the act, with his sister developing a massive crush on Wil.
* [[Those Two Guys|That One Guy]]: Wil's friend Epstein, who shows up in all 3 books before the [[Time Skip]]. In book 3, his family even gets in on the act, with his sister developing a massive crush on Wil.
* [[Time Skip]]: Between Allison's stories and Lillia's stories.
* [[Time Skip]]: Between Allison's stories and Lillia's stories.
* [[Train Station Goodbye]]: A key part of the anime-only [[Tear Jerker]] episode.
* [[Train Station Goodbye]]: A key part of the anime-only [[Tear Jerker]] episode.
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* [[Translator Microbes]]: Personified in Allison and Wil, who are fluent in both languages and serve as the justification for them being equally understandable to the audience.
* [[Translator Microbes]]: Personified in Allison and Wil, who are fluent in both languages and serve as the justification for them being equally understandable to the audience.
** The books also play with this trope a bit: in plot-relevant situations, the narrative sometimes gives critical information that only parties who speak the same language can understand. Wil frequently plays the role of interpreter, especially in the presence of Fiona (alone among the main cast in not understanding Bezelese.
** The books also play with this trope a bit: in plot-relevant situations, the narrative sometimes gives critical information that only parties who speak the same language can understand. Wil frequently plays the role of interpreter, especially in the presence of Fiona (alone among the main cast in not understanding Bezelese.
*** In the first book, this is how the two of them {{spoiler|get the location of the treasure from Walter}} without the guard being any the wiser. In the third book {{spoiler|Major Stork}} reacts to statements before Wil has had a chance to translate them, hinting at his true nature.
*** In the first book, this is how the two of them {{spoiler|get the location of the treasure from Walter}} without the guard being any the wiser. In the third book {{spoiler|Major Stork}} reacts to statements before Wil has had a chance to translate them, hinting at his true nature.
* [[Victorious Childhood Friend]]: Quickly subverted by putting Wil [[Put on a Bus|on a bus]].
* [[Victorious Childhood Friend]]: Quickly subverted by putting Wil [[Put on a Bus|on a bus]].
** {{spoiler|Double Subverted actually. [[The Bus Came Back]] only with a new paint job.}}
** {{spoiler|Double Subverted actually. [[The Bus Came Back]] only with a new paint job.}}
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