Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV - Final Fantasy
Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV is an original anime series based on the story of Final Fantasy XV , a fantasy role-playing video game produced by Square Enix. The series aired from March 30, 2016 to September 17, 2016 online and features some of the most iconic Final Fantasy characters, including Noctis Lucis Caelum and his closest friends. The series focuses on a conflict between the Niflheim Empire and the throne of Lucis. After the Niflheim Empire steals a magical crystal from Lucien's throne, Noctis is called upon to reclaim the crystal and subdue the Niflheim Empire.
Reviews of the animated series have been generally positive and have achieved high views on streaming platforms. In addition to Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, another spin-off animated production based on the same plot introduced in Final Fantasy XV is Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Brotherhood was produced as an element of the Final Fantasy XV universe and is also related to Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy.
Characters
- Noctis Lucis Caelum - Heir to the Lucian throne who embarks on a mission to save Eos and recover the stolen crystal.
- Ignis Scientia - A longtime friend and advisor to Noctis. He is skilled at formulating strategies. He cooks for his friends.
*Gladiolus Amicitia - Sworn bodyguard and old friend of Noctis. His mission is to protect the king at all costs.
*Prompto Argentum - Noctis's best friend since high school. A commoner, he wants to prove himself worthy.
*Cor Leonis - Member of the Crown Guard who fought alongside King Regis.
*Iris Amicitia - Gladiolus's younger sister who befriended Noctis in his youth.
*Aranea Highwind - A mercenary recruited by the Empire. She is a commander in the Imperial Army.
Plot and setting
Brotherhood takes place on an Earth-like planet called Eos. The kingdom of Lucis is the guardian of the world's last magical crystal and has been at war with the technologically advanced Niflheim Empire for many years. Eventually, Lucis and the Niflheim Empire reach a peace treaty. As part of this treaty, Noctis Lucis Caelum, the son of King Regis and heir to the throne of Lucis, is to marry Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, a former princess of Tenebrae and hostage of Niflheim. As he and his companions head to Tenebrae, the Niflheim Empire betrays Lucien's throne, invades the city, kills Regis, and steals the crystal. Following these events, Noctis is tasked with reclaiming the crystal and subduing the evil Niflheim Empire. Since the game shares many similarities with the anime series, those familiar with the game will easily find it difficult to understand the story and events that take place in it.
Episodes
Each episode of the 5-episode series was streamed online and made available for free to fans via YouTube and Crunchyroll.
List of episodes:
- Episode 1: Before the Storm
- Episode 2: Hard Runner
- Episode 3: Sword and Shield
- Episode 4: Bittersweet Memories
- Episode 5: The Heat of Light
Production
One of the main reasons the developers decided to adapt Final Fantasy XV into an anime series was the original game's production team. The team felt that the story and plot of Final Fantasy XV were deeper than what was actually depicted in the game. To the point that they could have created multiple games from a single story. Therefore, the decision was made to elaborate on the story of Final Fantasy XV in another medium. This also created another method of introducing the game's characters and their deep backstories. Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV shows how Noctis and his friends reunited, and this anime allowed fans to learn more about their favorite characters. It also serves as another way to help new fans familiarize themselves with the story before playing Final Fantasy XV. When planning this anime series, members of Square Enix were hesitant about incurring production costs for an anime that would be streamed online for free.
Distribution of production
Director: Soichi Masui, Producer: Kazuki Adachi, Akio Ofuji (Square Enix). Written by Akio Ofuji and Yuniko Ayana. Music by Yasuhisa Inoue and Susumi Akizuki.
Reception
The series' reception went better than the production team expected, with views significantly higher than initial estimates. In November 2016, the episodes received the highest number of views on the game's official YouTube channel. In November 2016, the anime episodes were among the most-watched in the gaming category of their official YouTube channel. The first episode of the series, "Before the Storm," was the most popular on the channel, with over 2,330,000 views.
The second episode, "Dogged Runner," ranked fifth with over 614,000 views, while "Sword and Shield" and "Bittersweet Memories" ranked 13th and 14th with over 431,790 and 344,000 views respectively. The final episode had the lowest viewing figures, with just over 110,000 views at the time.
