Multi-talented anime professional Kanta Kamei brings the Tales of universe on the big screen!

Production I.G and Namco Bandai Games present Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike, a full-length animated feature film based on the universe of the 2008 role-playing game Tales of Vesperia, that is part of the million-selling video game franchise known as Tales of series. This is the first theatrical film adaptation of the Tales of universe.

The film will be directed by veteran animator Kanta Kamei (Tales of Legendia game movie part director, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 animation segment visual supervisor, Innocence visual effects), and will be theatrically distributed in Japan by Kadokawa Pictures from October 3, 2009.

About the Tales of Franchise
The Tales of series is a hugely popular franchise of role-playing games published worldwide by Namco Bandai Games. The first title was released in Japan in 1995 for the Super Famicom console (also known outside Japan as Super NES), and the on-going series now features a line-up that counts 12 main or Mothership Titles and several side games, or Escort Titles. Many entries have been localized for North America, Europe and Asia, and the franchise has sold more than 12 million units in Japan alone.

The Tales of game series features appealing characters designed by popular manga artist Kosuke Fujishima and illustrator Mutsumi Inomata, and offers a unique game system called Linear Motion Battle System, that allows characters to move freely around the battlefield to combat their enemies in real-time. Furthermore, although the single games are virtually unrelated to each other in terms of story and characters, the series has some recurring themes and features, one of them being compelling story-settings revolving upon conflict between different cultures and beliefs that cannot be easily categorized under Good-vs-Evil clichés. All these distinctive characteristics have made Tales of a virtually universal franchise, boasting a wide support from all ages and both sexes.

The Tales of series also stands on its own for the high-quality short animated movies included in each game. Such movies have been produced since the very beginning by Production I.G.

Worldview
The game version of Tales of Vesperia was released in August 2008 for Xbox 360, and has been rated by the press as one of the peaks of the series. The story takes place on the planet Terca Lumireis, where people rely on an ancient civilization's technology called blastia in order to power their cities and machinery or cast magic spells. However, two factions are in conflict: the powerful Imperial Knights and the dissenting group known as the Guild. Yuri and his childhood friend Flynn had joined the Imperial Knights together, but Yuri has left to stay true to his belief, while Flynn has continued to rise in the ranks. As the two young men travel separate paths in pursuit of the ideal of justice they once shared, their fates interwine in an epic adventure that threatens the existence of all. The story of the movie, Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike will be set before the events narrated in the game.

official website (Japanese only):
http://www.tov-movie.net/

MAIN STAFF
Original Story: Namco Bandai Games / Director: Kanta Kamei (Tales of Legendia, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Innocence) / Screenplay: Reiko Yoshida (Kaleido Star, Romeo x Juliet) / Original Character Design: Kosuke Fujishima (Oh My Goddess!, You Are Under Arrest) / Character Design, Character Animation Supervisor: Tokuyuki Matsutake (Tales of series, The Sky Crawlers, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) / Animation Directors: Takuya Saito (Reideen, Macross Zero), Kazuchika Kise (Innocence, Musashi: The Dream of the Last Samurai) Toshihisa Kaiya (Tales of series, IGPX) / Art Director: Hiroshi Ono (Le Chevalier D'Eon, Kiki's Delivery Service) / 3D Director: Makoto Endo (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex)

Release Date in Japan: October 3, 2009
Format: 1 x 110'

© BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc./TOV Project
Original Character Design © KOUSUKE FUJISHIMA