Star Ocean EX - DVD

Claude C. Kenni is a young Federation ensign on his first assignment — accompanying his father's ship to investigate mysterious energy readings on the unexplored planet Milokeenia. When Claude ventures too close to a strange device, he is transported to an entirely different world: Expel, a medieval planet of magic, monsters, and people who have never seen a laser gun. He saves a girl named Rena Lanford from a monster in the forest. She takes him back to her village, where the arrival of this strange young man — who looks uncannily like a legendary hero — coincides with the community's fear of the Sorcery Globe: a massive meteorite that landed on Expel and has been spreading monsters and corruption across the land ever since. Claude and Rena set out to destroy it. Joining them is a growing ensemble of companions — the half-Elf archer Celine, the mercenary Ashton who ends up with two dragon heads fused to his back through an unfortunate misunderstanding, the opera singer Opera, and the young inventor Ernest — each with their own reasons to journey and their own charm.

Star Ocean EX is a 26-episode anime series produced by Satelight, directed by Hiroshi Watanabe — who also directed Sorcerous Stabber Orphen — and based on Mayumi Azuma's manga adaptation of tri-Ace's PlayStation RPG Star Ocean: The Second Story. It aired on TV Tokyo from April 3 to September 25, 2001. 

Notable Staff & Voice Talent

Director: Hiroshi Watanabe (Sorcerous Stabber Orphen Seasons 1 & 2)
Original Manga: Mayumi Azuma (Star Ocean: The Second Story adaptation; serialized in Monthly GFantasy, Square Enix)
Original Game: tri-Ace (Star Ocean: The Second Story, PlayStation, 1998)
Studio: Satelight (later Macross Frontier, AKB0048)
Opening Theme: "To the Light" by Amika Hattan
Ending Theme: "Hearts" by Saori Nishihata

English Dub Cast (Geneon Entertainment):
• Yuri Lowenthal as Claude C. Kenni (Texhnolyze — Mitsuru)
• Michelle Ruff as Rena Lanford (Noir, Claymore)
• Dave Wittenberg as Ashton Anchors 
• Mona Marshall as Precis F. Neumann 
• Lex Lang as Dias Flac  

DVD Volume Breakdown (Geneon Entertainment)

• Vol. 1 — Episodes 1–5: Character Profiles, Limited Edition with artbox available
• Vol. 2 — Episodes 6–10: Character Profiles
• Vol. 3 — Episodes 11–14: Character Profiles
• Vol. 4 — Episodes 15–18: Character Profiles
• Vol. 5 — Episodes 19–22: Illustration Gallery, Original Japanese Cover Art
• Vol. 6 — Episodes 23–26: Illustration Gallery, Original Japanese Cover Art 

Spoken Languages: English & Japanese Audio, English Subtitles

Edition Details

Japanese Title: スターオーシャンEX (Sutā Ōshan EX / Star Ocean EX)
Runtime: ~650 Minutes (Complete Series, 26 Episodes, 6 Volumes)
Director: Hiroshi Watanabe
DVD Release Year: 2005 (U.S. Individual Volumes, January 4 – November 2005 — Geneon Entertainment); Vol. 1 Limited Edition includes artbox; Complete Box Set also available 2006
Original Broadcast Date (Japan): April 3 – September 25, 2001 (TV Tokyo)
Publisher: Geneon Entertainment (Pioneer)
Rating: 13+
Region: Region 1 (U.S. / Canada)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Themes: Isekai Science Fiction to Fantasy World, JRPG Adaptation, Sorcery Globe Threat,

Media assumed VG+ unless otherwise noted.