Solty Rei: A Retrospective on the Gonzo and AIC Anime
Solty Rei is a Japanese anime television series animated by Gonzo and AIC. It follows the inhabitants of a city where an Aurora prevents aerial travel, and it aired on TV Asahi from October 2005 to March 2006. Produced by Gonzo and AIC and directed by Yoshimasa Hiraike, the series ran for 24 episodes, broadcast between October 7, 2005, and March 31, 2006.
The premise places its characters in a distinctive setting: a city cut off from the sky by an Aurora that makes aerial travel impossible. That single environmental fact shapes the daily life and movement of the people within the story, and it gives the series a confined, atmospheric backdrop against which its events unfold.
Broadcast and Music
The series was broadcast for 24 episodes on TV Asahi from October 7, 2005, to March 31, 2006. Its music helped define its identity during that run. Megumi Hinata, performing under the name "meg rock," sang the opening theme, "Clover." Tomoe Ohmi performed the ending themes, "Float ~Sora no Kanata de~" (Float ～空の彼方で～, Furōto Sora no Kanata de) and "Return to Love."
North American and International Distribution
In April 2006, Funimation confirmed at Anime Expo that it had the rights to distribute Solty Rei. In January 2009, the series made its North American television debut on the Funimation Channel. That sequence of events marked the show's transition from its original Japanese broadcast to an English-language audience, first through home video distribution and later through television.
Elsewhere, Madman Entertainment acquired the rights for distribution of the series in Australia and New Zealand. Madman released the series on six DVD volumes between August 15, 2007, and January 23, 2008. A complete collection, including the OVA as episodes 25 and 26, was released on September 17, 2008. The inclusion of the OVA in that complete collection extended the series beyond its original 24-episode broadcast count for viewers who purchased the set.
Manga Adaptation
A manga adaptation, titled Solty Rei: Aka no Shukujo (SoltyRei―赤の淑女―, "Solty Rei: The Red Lady"), was illustrated by Takimiya Kazutaka. It was serialized in Ichijinsha's Monthly Comic Rex from December 9, 2005, to April 8, 2006. A collected tankōbon volume was released on June 9, 2006. The manga therefore ran alongside the anime's original broadcast period, offering a parallel version of the material for readers of Monthly Comic Rex.
Other Media
A fanbook, Solty Rei: Visual Fanbook (SoltyRei ビジュアルファンブック, Soruti Rei Bijuarufanbukku), was released by Ichijinsha on July 29, 2006. Like the collected manga volume, it appeared in the months following the conclusion of the television broadcast, serving as a companion piece for audiences interested in the series' visual material.
Reception
Contemporary commentary on the series often focused on its visual approach. Hyper noted that "Studio Gonzo are famous for using computer-generated elements along with their traditional cell animation, and this same technique is used fairly frequently on Solty Rei. The hand drawn animation is nicely done and the CGI is good too." The same publication criticized the CGI graphics, observing that they show "the strings" in many sequences that use CGI, "which can be an unwelcome distraction." That mixed assessment reflects a broader conversation about how traditional cel animation and computer-generated imagery were being combined in anime of the period.
Chris Johnston reviewed the series for Newtype USA, writing about "Solty Rei volume 1" in the January 2007 issue. The series also maintained an official Japanese website, an official blog, and listings in anime reference resources, which helped keep information about the show available to audiences after its broadcast run ended.
Across its broadcast, music, home video releases, manga adaptation, and companion publications, Solty Rei represents a specific moment in mid-2000s anime production, when Gonzo and AIC were working with a blend of hand-drawn and computer-generated techniques, and when international distributors were bringing such series to audiences in North America, Australia, and New Zealand.