Xam'd: Lost Memories Episode 1

As announced at E3 2008, last week marked the launch of the Playstation Store's video download service for the Playstation 3 and PSP consoles. Attention anime fans, this new service may be of interest to you as a nice helping of anime titles are included care of Funimation, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and BONES studio. The Playstation Store currently hosts the following titles: Afro Samurai, Basilisk, Burst Angel, Desert Punk, Gunslinger Girl, Kiddy Grade, MoonPhase, Samurai 7, Trinity Blood, Astro Boy, Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, and the feature of this post, Xam'd: Lost Memories.

BONES Animation Studio (Full Metal Alchemist, Eureka Seven) brings us another winning title, that has yet to premiere in Japan, as part of the store's original exclusive content, Xam'd Lost Memories. The store will host the full two season, 26 episode run with a new episode being released each week. Not much I can describe after one episode, but I can say that the first episode is spectcularly done is setting us up nicely for what promises to be an exciting anime series.

Xam'd: Lost Memories is set in a time of wartime conflict between two differing parties: the Northern Government and the Southern Continent Free Zone. And in between them is a neutral zone, Sentan Island. In enters a boy name Akiyuki who is heading to school, along with two friends, when an explosion occurs. By the end of the first episode, in the crossfire from the explosion, Akiyuki is infected with some sort of substance and transforms into the titular creature known as Xam'd.

Already, we see a great deal of behind the scenes look at the different parties at play and the drama about to unfold. Visually, Xam'd: Lost Memories is fluid, very Eureka Seven-esque. And character development is oozing with such potential. With Akiyuki alone, he has to deal with his school, his parent's divorce, his social life, and now his newfound transformation.

You'll definitely want to check out this new series. As can be expected, BONES pulls out all the stops and proves just why it is one of my favorite animation studios in the anime industry.