is an 11-episode Japanese anime television series created by Mandelbrot Engine, an artist collective consisting of critic and novelist Hiroki Azuma, screenwriter Mari Okada, and director Yutaka Yamamoto. The anime aired in Japan between January and March 2011 on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block. A manga illustrated by Mutsumi Akasaki was serialized in Square Enix's Gangan Online between September 2010 and November 2011.

Plot
The story takes place on an island resembling a 22nd-century Republic of Ireland (certain scenes are taken directly from Galway, a city in the west of Ireland), in a world ruled by "Fractale", a satellite-based virtual reality and content delivery system which ensures mankind's stability and prosperity. One day, Clain meets a fleeing girl called Phryne, who disappears during the night leaving a pendant. When he is able to activate the pendant (which turns into a "doppel" named Nessa), Clain sets out on a journey with the girl-shaped avatar Nessa to look for Phryne and discovers the secret behind the Fractale System.

Characters

Main characters

Clain is the main character. At the beginning of the series, he lives alone with "doppels"—holographic robots-which are representations of his parents. Although they act exactly as his real parents would, Clain is able to disperse them at will when he is tired of their talk. In terms of interests, Clain holds a strong curiosity in items created before the Fractale system was established such as an antique digital camera or a 21st century cell phone. Throughout the series, he is shown to be emotionally simple; all he really wants is to live happily together with his friends Phryne and Nessa.

Phryne is a priestess of the Fractale system and later revealed to be the incomplete key to resetting Fractale. She is very closed about her background, partially due to sexual abuse. Often, she makes Clain blush due to her little sense of embarrassment and lack of decency. At the beginning of the series, Phryne runs away to try to stop the Fractale cycle. She is reluctant to make friends because she believes it is necessary for her to sacrifice herself for the good of all.

Nessa is a "doppel" copy of Phryne's younger self, composed of "data" important to the Fractale system. Her existence is unique because, unlike other doppels, she can be touched, but only by people she chooses. Her character is very cheerful, energetic, and carefree. Clain meets Nessa for the first time when she suddenly appears out of Phryne's brooch. She smiles a lot and likes to explore, even occasionally dragging Clain into trouble. Her motto is often quoted to be that she "loves love." Like Clain, she expresses that she simply wants to be together with her friends.

Supporting characters

The leader of the Granitz faction of Lost Millennium that Clain first encounters with. He is harsh and rude to Clain at first, but gradually, he lightens up. During the final confrontation, Sunda helps Clain enter the Temple and search for Phyrne. While in the Temple, Sunda sacrifices himself to allow Clain to join Phyrne and Nessa while they journey to reach the Temple's inner sanctum.

Enri is Sunda's little sister. Although clumsy in many ways, she supports her brother in every way she can, and often helps command Lost Millennium troops. Enri is often accompanied by two sidekicks,  and , the latter being killed during a confrontation with Temple forces. At the conclusion of the series, Enri becomes the leader of the Granitz faction and helps teach those who were once dependent on Fractale to live independent lives.

Dias is the leader of the Alabaster faction of Lost Millennium. While Dias seems friendly at first, he is actually extremely manipulative and cold hearted, such as tricking a group of Fractale refugees into removing their terminals and forcing them to join his faction, gunning down one refugee when he attempts to flee. Dias joins with Sunda to rescue Phryne and Clain from the Temple, but exploits the opportunity to destroy the facility instead. During the final confrontation between Lost Millennium and the Temple, Dias's troops sacrifice themselves to destroy the Temple. When Archpriestess Moeran offers Sunda, Clain, and himself safety so that they may witness the restart of Fractale, he uses the opportunity to get close to Moeran, killing both in a suicidal explosion.

Antagonists

Moeran is the Archpriestess of the Temple and a Phryne clone. Although she is the head of the temple, Moeran has a great hatred for Phryne because the younger clone is "beloved", giving Phryne a greater importance than Moeran. When Phryne confronts Moeran in order to stop the violence between the Temple and Lost Millennium, Moeran attempts to strangle the younger clone out of jealousy. In the conclusion of the series, she offers Sunda, Clain, and Dias safety while they witness the restart of Fractale. However, Dias uses the opportunity to get close to Moeran, killing both in an explosion.

Barrot is a priest in charge of raising Phryne to become the "key" to restarting Fractale. Barrot is often overly affectionate towards Phryne, frequently groping her body when he is together with her and even insists on witnessing her gynecological exam to check that she has not been "spoiled". At the end of the series, Barrot reveals the full truth about Phryne and Nessa to Clain and that he had been using some of the clones for his own sexual pleasure. However, while proclaiming that Phryne is his alone, she stabs him with a knife and runs off.

Media

Manga
A manga adaptation illustrated by Mutsumi Akasaki was serialized in Square Enix's Gangan Online magazine between September 30, 2010 and November 17, 2011. Three tankōbon volumes were published.

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Anime
The 11-episode Fractale anime television series produced by A-1 Pictures in cooperation with Ordet, aired in Japan between January 13 and March 31, 2011 on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block. The anime aired on Kansai TV and Tokai TV at later dates. The anime is directed by Yutaka Yamamoto, the story was developed by Hiroki Azuma, and the screenplay was written by Mari Okada. Chief animator Masako Tashiro based the character design used in the anime on the illustrator Hidari's original concept. The music was produced by Sōhei Shikano and the sound director is Yōta Tsuruoka. The anime's opening theme song is , and the ending themes are English and Japanese versions of  that was written in 1889 by William Butler Yeats; both songs are sung by Hitomi Azuma. The single containing the opening theme and the English version of the ending theme was released on March 9, 2011 by Epic/Sony Records. The series was released on four DVD and Blu-ray compilation volumes between April 22 and July 22, 2011. North American anime distributor Funimation Entertainment streamed the series one hour after the premiere on their video portal and other sites after a brief interruption by the Fractale Production Committee that lasted until Funimation started taking legal action against illegally released episodes of the anime. Funimation released the series in 2012 on DVD and Blu-ray.

Episode list

Novel
A serial novel written by Hiroki Azuma based on Fractale titled  was serialized between the February and May 2011 issues of Media Factory's Da Vinci magazine. The novel features a different story in the Fractale universe than the manga and anime, which follow the same story.

Notes

References

External links
Anime official website 
Manga official website 

2010 manga
2011 Japanese novels
2011 Japanese television series debuts
2011 Japanese television series endings
A-1 Pictures
Aniplex franchises
Anime with original screenplays
Funimation
Gangan Online manga
Japanese serial novels
Japanese webcomics
Noitamina
Ordet (studio)
Science fiction anime and manga
Shōnen manga
Television shows written by Mari Okada
Webcomics in print
《프랙탈》(, FRACTALE)은 만델브로 엔진 원작의 일본의 만화이다. 웹코믹 연재 사이트 《간간 ONLINE》에서 연재되고 있으며, 2011년 1월부터 A-1 Pictures에 의해 제작된 동명의 TV 애니메이션이 후지 TV의 노이타미나를 통해 방영되고 있다. 애니메이션의 감독인 야마모토 유타카는 이 작품이 실패하면 은퇴도 불사하겠다고 발언하였다.

줄거리 

22세기에 확립된, 세계를 관리하는 ‘프랙탈 시스템’. 그것은 네트워크화 된 수 조개의 계산기의 집합으로, 인체에 ‘프랙탈 터미널’을 심어 라이프 로그를 정기적으로 부유중인 서버에 송신하는 것만으로 모든 사람들이 기초 소득을 받을 수 있는 시스템이다. 이로 인해 일할 필요도, 싸울 필요도 없어지자 인류는 낙원과 같은 생활을 손에 넣게된다.

시스템이 시작된 후 1000년이 지난 세계. 도펠로 불리는 아바타를 통해 위치에 구애받지 않고 자유롭게 커뮤니케이션을 할 수 있게되자, 많은 사람들이 한 곳에 정착하지 않고 세계를 떠돌면서 개인주의적 사회를 형성하고 있었다.

그러한 세계에서 드물게 집에 거주하며 도펠도 가지지 않은 소년 클레인은 어느 날, 이상한 3인조에게 쫓기고 있는 소녀 프류네와 만난다. 크레인은 다친 그녀를 간호하지만, 다음 날 그녀는 브로치를 두고는 사라져버린다.

브로치를 해석하자 나타난 넷사라는 도펠. 그 둘은 프류네를 쫓고 있던 그라닛츠 일가에 납치되어 버린다. 슨다를 리더로 하는 그들은 프랙탈 시스템을 부정하고 이 세계를 바꾸는 것을 목적으로 하고 있으며, 넷사가 그 열쇠가 된다고 생각하고 있었다.

납치된 다음 날, 슨다 일행은 ‘별 축제’ 습격 준비를 진행한다. 일반적으로 단순한 축제로 인식되어 있는 축제, 하지만 그 실태는 프랙탈 터미널이 내장된 사람들이 지금의 타성에 젖은 세계에 의문을 가지지 않게 세뇌하기 위한 의식이었다. 처음은 반신반의하던 클레인도 시스템의 비정상적 측면을 목격해 버린다.

등장인물 
클레인
 성우 - 코바야시 유우

프류네
 성우 - 쓰다 미나미

넷사
 성우 - 하나자와 카나

엔리
 성우 - 이구치 유카

슨다
 성우 - 아사누마 신타로

바로
 성우 - 미야모토 미츠루

모란
 성우 - 시마모토 스미
제사장. 자신도 수많은 프류네 중의 하나이다. 세상을 뒤집을 도박을 하는 듯.

애니메이션 
2011년 1월부터 3월까지 후지 TV의 노이타미나를 통해 방영되었다. 대한민국에서는 애니플러스가 일본어 음성에 한국어 자막을 덧씌운 형식으로 방영하였다.

제작진 
 원작 - 만델브로 엔진
 감독 - 야마모토 유타카
 시리즈 구성 - 오카다 마리
 스토리 원안 - 아즈마 히로키
 캐릭터 원안 - 히다리
 캐릭터 디자인·총 작화감독 - 다시로 마사코
 메카닉 디자인 - 하야시 이사오
 세트 디자인 - 아오키 도모유키, 이노세 유키에
 소품 디자인 - 다나카 유스케
 미술감독·이미지 디자인 - 게사마루 에미
 색채 설계 - 나카지마 가즈코
 촬영감독 - 이시구로 세이지
 편집 - 쓰보네 겐타로
 음악 - 가노 소헤이
 음향감독 - 쓰루오카 요타
 책임프로듀서(CP) - 야마모토 고지
 프로듀서 - 이소다 아쓰히토, 도모노리 오치코시
 애니메이션 프로듀서 - 시미즈 사토루
 프로덕션 협력 - Ordet
 애니메이션 제작 - A-1 Pictures
 제작 : 프랙탈 제작위원회(후지 TV, 아스믹·에스 엔터테인먼트, A-1 Pictures, 소니 뮤직 엔터테인먼트, 덴쓰, 도호）

주제가 
오프닝 테마 〈고슴도치〉()
작사·작곡 - AZUMA HITOMI / 편곡 - AZUMAYA
노래 - AZUMA HITOMI

엔딩 테마
"Down By The Salley Gardens" (제1화~제4화, 제9화~)
작사 - WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS / 작곡 - 아일랜드 민요 / 편곡 - AZUMAYA
노래 - AZUMA HITOMI
〈샐리 가든〉() (제5화~제8화)
작사 - WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS / 작곡 - 아일랜드 민요 / 일본어 번역 작사 - AZUMA HITOMI / 편곡 - AZUMAYA
노래 - AZUMA HITOMI

삽입곡 〈낮의 별〉()
작사 - 오카다 마리 / 작·편곡 - 고사키 사토루

방영 목록 
부제의 풀이는 애니플러스의 표기를 따른다.

각주

외부 링크 
  애니메이션 공식 사이트
  후지 TV 《프랙탈》 소개 페이지
  스퀘어 에닉스 《프랙탈》 소개 페이지
 애니플러스 《프랙탈》 소개 페이지 

일본의 만화
2011년 애니메이션
A-1 Pictures
노이타미나
애니플러스
2011년 소설