Last Exile is an animated television series created by Gonzo in celebration of the company's 10th anniversary. The steampunk fantasy series was directed by Koichi Chigira, and character designs were created by Range Murata. The story is set on a fictional world divided in eternal conflict between the nations of Anatoray and Disith, and sky couriers Claus Valca and Lavie Head must deliver a girl who holds the key to uniting the two factions. Last Exile aired in Japan on TV Tokyo from April 7, 2003 to September 29, 2003.
The series was previously licensed for English-language broadcast and distribution in North America by Geneon Entertainment (then Pioneer Entertainment) in June 2003. Currently, the series North America license is now owned by Funimation Entertainment. Geneon premiered its dubbed version of the series in TechTV's Anime Unleashed programming block on March 8, 2004. The first 13 episodes aired nightly until March 14, 2004. The remaining 13 episodes premiered on December 6, 2004, with new episodes airing each weeknight until the series concluded on December 22, 2004.
ADV Films previously owned the license for the series' English release in the United Kingdom before the company's demise and is now licensed by Manga Entertainment as of January 2013, and distribution rights in Australia and New Zealand are owned by Madman Entertainment.Last Exile was licensed for regional language release in France, Germany, and Sweden. On December 26, 2008, American production house Funimation Entertainment announced it was taking over production and distribution of the show from Geneon.Last Exile has also been hosted at the streaming media website Crunchyroll.