Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers

Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers
The stock rental DVD cover for Disk Wars: Avengers. By Character Designer Tadayoshi Yamamuro.
ディスク・ウォーズ：アベンジャーズ (Disuku Wōzu: Abenjāzu)
Genre	Comedy, Superhero fiction, Action, Drama, Adventure
Anime television series
Directed by	Toshiaki Komura (Series Director)
Produced by	Masahiro Sugasawa (TV Tokyo) Satoshi Ochiai Scott Dolph
Written by	King Ryū
Music by	Studio Kitchen
Studio	Toei Animation
Network	TXN (TV Tokyo) Disney XD[1]
English network	PH Disney Channel (Asia) SEA Disney XD (Southeast Asia)
Original run	April 2, 2014 – March 25, 2015
Episodes	51
Game
Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers - Ultimate Heroes
Developer	Bandai Namco Games
Publisher	Bandai Namco Games
Genre	Action
Platform	Nintendo 3DS
Released	November 13, 2014

Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers (ディスク・ウォーズ：アベンジャーズ, Disuku Wōzu: Abenjāzu) was a television anime series produced by Toei Animation and Walt Disney Japan, based on the Marvel Comics universe.^[2][3][4][5] The series began airing in Japan from April 2, 2014, on TX Network stations.^[6][7] The series was aimed at boys 6-12^[7] and tied in with merchandising produced by Bandai.^[4]

Plot

With help from Japan's Dr. Nozomu Akatsuki, Tony Stark aka Iron Man develops a new device called the Digital Identity Securement Kit, known as DISKs for short,^[7] designed to help the cause of stopping and detaining supervillains. However, whilst presenting the DISK project on the Raft, the villainous Loki appears and uses the very same DISKs to launch a breakout of all the captured supervillains, trapping Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Wasp and Hulk inside DISKs as well. Nozomu's sons, Akira and Hikaru, along with three other children, Edward, Chris, and Jessica, come to possess these DISKs and obtain biocodes, allowing them to bring out these heroes for a short period of time.^[8] Teaming up with the Avengers, the group travel across the world to search for DISKs before they fall into the wrong hands.^[7]

Characters

The Heroes

Akira Akatsuki (アキラ・アカツキ)

Voiced by: Mitsuki Saiga

A cheerful, carefree young boy and the main protagonist. The second son of the DISK developer Nozomu Akatsuki, he's hot-blooded and has a strong sense of justice.^[8] He and his older brother Hikaru are invited to visit his father's research lab on the Raft and to discuss about the DISK project when it was under attack by the villainous Loki's forces. Akira possesses the red DISK, which contains Iron Man.

Hikaru Akatsuki (ヒカル・アカツキ)

Voiced by: Yūichi Iguchi (Japanese); Steve Staley (English)

Akira's older brother, and is the more calm and mature of the two. He's a prodigy with a quiet and composed personality.^[8] He possesses the purple DISK which contains Thor.

Edward Grant (エドワード・グラント, Edowādo Guranto)

Voiced by: Yayoi Sugaya (Japanese); Tara Sands (English)

The youngest of the five children.^[9] He is a shy and sweet boy and good student.^[8] A big fan of superheroes, he joined the tour on the Raft in hopes of meeting Captain America, who is his favorite hero. He possesses the green DISK, which contains the Hulk. His name appears to be a nod to Edward Norton who played the Hulk.^[10]

Chris Taylor (クリス・テイラー, Kurisu Teirā)

Voiced by: Yūsuke Kuwahata (Japanese); Ben Diskin (English)

The oldest of the five children. Being "hotblooded" he comes across like a "cynical bad boy", but is gentle hearted and likes to make sweets.^[8] He possesses the blue DISK which contains Captain America. His name appears to be a nod to Chris Evans who played Captain America.^[10]

Jessica Shannon (ジェシカ・シャノン, Jeshika Shanon)

Voiced by: Naomi Ōzora (Japanese); Danielle Judovits (English)

A rich girl from France whose parents run a business, she is "naive and selfish" and is forthright in speaking her mind but isn't necessarily with malice. She possesses the yellow DISK which contains Wasp.

The Avengers

Tony Stark / Iron Man

Voiced by: Eiji Hanawa (Japanese); Matthew Mercer (English)

Genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist, Tony Stark led the DISK project with Dr. Nozomu Akatsuki, which he was presenting at the Raft when Loki attacked. He fights using a sturdy suit of armor with flight and various integrated mechanical weapons. He becomes Akira's partner.

Steve Rogers / Captain America

Voiced by: Kazuhiro Nakaya (Japanese); Roger Craig Smith (English)

A World War II veteran and super soldier. He always puts duty and the mission above everything else, and has a tendency to take things too seriously. He fights with his unbreakable vibranium shield and hand-to-hand combat skills. He becomes Chris' partner.

Thor Odinson / Thor

Voiced by: Yasuyuki Kase^[8]

The Norse God of Thunder and the future king of Asgard. He wields Mjolnir, an indestructible hammer that can control thunderstorms and lightning. He becomes Hikaru's partner.

Bruce Banner / Hulk

Voiced by: Kenichirou Matsuda^[8]

A gamma irradiated scientist turned monster. He has incomparable physical strength and a body that can withstand intense punishment. He becomes Edward's partner.

Janet Van Dyne / Wasp

Voiced by: Kaori Mizuhashi (Japanese); Colleen O'Shaughnessey (English)

The only female member of the Avengers. She is a fashion designer as well as superhero, and uses her small size and superior agility to outwit opponents. She becomes Jessica's partner.

The Villains

Loki Laufeyson / Loki (ロキ)

Voiced by: Tadashi Mutou (Japanese); Crispin Freeman (English)

The main antagonist. He orchestrated the plan to use the DISKs to allow all the prisoners on the Raft to escape and to summon them in battle. In the aftermath, he disguises himself as Senator Robert Winters and takes over S.H.I.E.L.D. in an attempt to find the DISKs scattered around the globe. He is the adopted brother and archenemy of Thor. In episode 22 he loses a fight against the Avengers and the X-Men and was trapped in another world with Dr. Akatsuki. In episode 40 he is seen in a holographic form from the teleportation ball, and captured in a DISK by Akira in the final episode.

Media

Anime

Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers, produced by Toei Animation, began airing on TV Tokyo from April 2, 2014. The series is helmed by series director Toshiaki Komura, a veteran director for Toei Animation's Precure franchise. Series organization is provided by King Ryū, whom has no previous credits in the entertainment industry. Veteran Dragon Ball animator and character designer Tadayoshi Yamamuro provides character designs, much in the same style as Dragon Ball. As of Episode #27 the role of character designer is shared with Naoki Tate due to Yamamuro's directing of Dragon Ball Z: Fukkatsu no F. The opening and ending themes are "Tsuki Yabureru - Time to SMASH!" (突（つ）キ破（やぶ）レル-Time（タイム） to（トゥ） SMASH（スマッシュ）!, Break On Through - Time to SMASH!) and "Thread of Fate" respectively, both performed by T.M.Revolution.^[11] An English dub began airing on July 6, 2015 on Disney XD (Southeast Asia) and Disney Channel (Asia) (Philippines only).

Video game

A video game based on the series, titled Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers - Ultimate Heroes (ディスクウォーズ：アベンジャーズ　アルティメットヒーローズ) is developed by Bandai Namco Games and was released in Japan for the Nintendo 3DS on November 13, 2014.^[12]

Bachicombat

Bachicombat is Bandai’s collectible game tied in with the TV show. The game is similar to the game Pogs.^[7] It is meant to simulate the plot of the show which sees young kids who possess a unique “Biocode” summon heroes and villains trapped inside S.H.I.E.L.D. tech that Loki’s turned against the Marvel Universe.^[10]

See also

• Marvel Anime

References

External links

• Official website at TV Tokyo (Japanese)
• Official website at Walt Disney Japan (Japanese)
• Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers at the Internet Movie Database