Who doesn't enjoy a good girl-powered mecha-space adventure jam-packed with plenty of action and fanservice? When the world has become overrun with invading mechanical Weiss (also spelled Vice), only those with high-dimensional energy stand a chance against them, which just happens to be an exclusively female trait. These chosen Action Girls, called Actresses, are empowered with specialized Alice Gear that siphons their energy to fight for humanity's cause as they protect the various Shards that home those who survived.
These AEGiS escapades all began with (COLOPL) Pyramid's compelling 3D Android iOS shooting mobile game that premiered in 2018. For the most part, Japan has had the most access to the Alice Gear Aegis franchise (almost exclusively); but thankfully, as of 2023, these action-packed Actresses will be available for all to enjoy, in both the console gaming and anime industries.
Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix Console Game
After gaining a great deal of momentum in the Japanese mobile gaming field, Pyramid has finally decided to broaden its horizons by making the Alice Gear girls playable on numerous platforms. This includes PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch, whereas the PC version has been available since June 2019. The premise of this game is to protect the Shard (a moon-fragment spaceship housing some of Earth's survivors) in a 21st-century Tokyo setting, whilst rising up the ranks of Narukozaka Manufacturing as a newbie Actress with heroic dreams. Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix's grand debut was on 16 March 2023, thanks to the efforts of PQube and Pyramid.
Alice Gear Aegis: Doki! Actress Darake no Mermaid Grand Prix OVA
Produced by Nomad and directed by Hirokazu Hana, The Alice Gear Aegis OVA is a bit more lighthearted and goofy, originally airing in September 2021. The storyline focuses on a festival that will determine who the National Mermaid is, with a grand prize of ten million yen on the line. The girls work in teams of two as they compete in several challenges that are supposed to be physical but quickly cross into the magical realm (ironically, making things more difficult as a result).
Furthermore, the participating Actresses have taken a well-deserved break from their mecha-gear and are conveniently underdressed in bikinis to match the beach-resort setting. The babes take a ride in a giant frog, race speedboats, and relentlessly banter all the way, as friendships are pushed aside (temporarily) in the name of competition.
Alice Gear Aegis Expansion Anime
As with the console game, the Alice Gear Aegis Expansion anime is set on the Tokyo Shard, taking place in the aftermath of Operation Mirai Aki. Things appear to have calmed down regarding the waves of Weiss attacks, giving the Narikozaka Seisakusho members a moment to catch their breath. Meanwhile, an anime original character namedNodoka Takahata (Kyori Nemoto) gets introduced into the mix as an aspiring Actress; however, she tends to get rather excitable and emotional, ultimately leading to unfortunate nosebleeds. Nodoka will be joining a wide selection of fan-favoring gaming characters, alongside the following leading ladies:
- The boisterous rookie, Yotsuyu Hirasaka (Manami Numakura) from Awara High School
- The senior Actress and enthusiastic otaku, Shitara Kaneshiya (Maaya Uchida) from Toin Gakuen General High School
- The Murakumo Industry transfer and dandere-type, Kaede Agatsuma (Chika Anzai) from Seijō University
- The blunt and logical Fumika Momoshina (Yui Ishikawa), also from Seijō University
Thankfully, the anime doesn't seem to rely heavily on CGI and rather follows in the footsteps of the seamless animation displayed in the OVA (along with the familiar crowd of faceless blue people as depicted in the games.) Considering that the Alice Gear Aegis girls have done numerous collaborations with other shows such as Saga of Tanya the Evil and Battle Girl High School in the past opens up the pathways for some potential crossover anime episodes in the future (although this is mere speculation at this point.)
Alice Gear Aegis Expansion is due to debut on April 3, 2023, in Japan and, fortunately, this time around, Nomad has decided to broaden its audience and welcome international viewers into the fold on both Amazon Prime Video and Hulu, with new episodes released weekly during the 2023 Spring lineup, starting from 10 April.
Source: Anime News Network