Xenosaga: The Animation

Xenosaga: The Animation
Screenshot of the series' title screen
ゼノサーガ THE ANIMATION
Genre	Mecha
Anime television series
Directed by	Shigeyasu Yamauchi
Studio	Toei Animation
Licensed by	NA Funimation Entertainment
Original network	TV Asahi
English network	US Anime Network
Original run	January 5, 2005 – March 23, 2005
Episodes	12

Xenosaga: The Animation (ゼノサーガ THE ANIMATION, Zenosāga: Za Animēshon^?) is a 12-episode Japanese anime television series by Toei Animation, which premiered on TV Asahi in Japan on January 5, 2005. The series is based on the PlayStation 2 game Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht. The anime series was picked up by ADV Films but, in 2008, the series, along with over 30 other ADV titles, was transferred to Funimation Entertainment.

Xenosaga: The Animation is based on the first entry Xenosaga series of video games: Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht. The twelve half-hour episodes cover the length of Xenosaga: Episode I's plot, remaining largely faithful to the game's main content, which some changes being made in how individual characters are handled. Of note, the character Cherenkov is killed far earlier in the anime, Lt Virgil stays alive longer, and Jin Uzuki, who only has a minor cameo in Episode I, is introduced sooner, largely taking on his appearance and role as he is in Xenosaga Episode II. The handling of the Kirschwassers in relationship to key characters also differs between the game and anime.

Of note are the use of the Zohar Emulators in the title card; each one contains a Hebrew numeral which denotes the episode's number.