Kurogane Communication DVD

A devastating global war ended thirty years ago and left the Earth nearly empty. Haruka is a thirteen-year-old girl who slept through most of it — placed in a cold sleep chamber by her parents, who sacrificed themselves to power it. She woke up a year ago to find five robots who had discovered her and adopted her as their own. Spike is her closest companion, cheerful and endlessly willing to help. Angela is a combat robot who initially wanted to destroy Haruka and has since become her fiercest protector. Reeves is a maintenance robot who serves as something of a father figure. Cleric gathers information and runs daily lectures. Trigger collects guns and is shaped like a ball. Together they travel the ruins of Japan looking for other human survivors, fending off Combat Machines whose war subroutines never received a cease-fire command. When they encounter Kanato — a boy Haruka's age who survived alone and has developed a deep hatred of all robots — something shifts. He is the first human her own age she has ever known, and his anger at the machines that replaced human civilization complicates everything she has come to accept about her robot family.

Kurogane Communication is a 24-episode television series produced by A.P.P.P. — the studio behind the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OVA and Angel Cop — based on the manga by Hideo Kato and Tomomasa Takuma serialized in Dengeki Daioh. 

The series is notable for its gentle, character-driven tone — unusually quiet and introspective for a post-apocalyptic premise — and for the opening and ending themes performed by Yui Horie in one of her earliest major vocal roles.

Released in North America by Media Blasters (Anime Works) across three DVD volumes beginning February 2002; the complete 3-disc boxset was released December 17, 2002. 

Notable Staff & Voice Talent

Original Manga: Hideo Kato & Tomomasa Takuma (serialized in Dengeki Daioh, MediaWorks)
Studio: A.P.P.P. (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OVA, Angel Cop)
Opening Theme: "my best friend" by Yui Horie
Ending Theme: "Dear mama" by Yui Horie

Japanese Cast:
- Yui Horie as Haruka (Love Hina, Fruits Basket)
- Rica Fukami as Angela (Sailor Moon, Battle Athletes Victory)
- Yuka Imai as Kanato (Burn Up W, Now and Then Here and There, El-Hazard)
- Norio Horiuchi as Reeves
- Houchu Ohtsuka as Cleric
- Koji Ishii as additional cast (Now and Then Here and There, Ceres Celestial Legend)

English Dub Cast (Media Blasters):
- Julie Maddalena as Haruka
- Wendee Lee as Angela / Trigger (El-Hazard, Tenchi Universe, Gestalt)
- Mona Marshall as Spike (Steel Angel Kurumi, Mahoromatic, Ninja Cadets)
- Kirk Thornton as Reeves
- Dave Mallow as Cleric
- Dave Wittenberg as Kanato

DVD Features (3-Disc Boxset)

- All 24 Episodes Across 3 Volumes
- Media Blasters / Anime Works Previews

Spoken Languages: English & Japanese Audio, English Subtitles

Edition Details

Japanese Title: 鉄コミュニケイション (Kurogane Komyunikeishon / Iron Communication)
Runtime: ~360 Minutes (Complete Series, 24 Episodes)
Studio: A.P.P.P.
DVD Release Year: 2002 (U.S. Release, individual volumes Feb–Jun 2002); 3-Disc Boxset December 17, 2002
Original Broadcast Date (Japan): October 5, 1998 – March 29, 1999 (WOWOW)
Publisher: Media Blasters (Anime Works)
Rating: 13+
Region: Region 1 (U.S. / Canada)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Post-Apocalyptic, Drama
Themes: Last Human Survivor, Robot Family, Post-War Earth, Human Connection, Yui Horie Early Vocal Work

Media assumed VG+ unless otherwise noted.