Deltora Quest (デルトラ・クエスト) is a Japanese anime television series based on the series of children's books of the same name, written by Australian author Emily Rodda.It was announced by Rodda herself at Sydney's Book Council of Australia Conference and at an ABC Kids convention.The series was produced by Genco and SKY Perfect Well Think.It was broadcast for 65 episodes on TV Aichi from January 2007 to March 2008.It began airing on Cartoon Network Australia and New Zealand in May 2010.It premiered in the United States on The Hub on October 10, 2010.[2]
Story
The Shadow Lord, an evil sorcerer and The Lord of Shadows which comes from The Shadowlands, has taken over Deltora by destroying a magical object known as The Belt of Deltora and scattering the seven gems that give it power, which is Deltora's only protection against him. On his sixteenth birthday, Lief, son of Jarred the blacksmith of Deltora's capital city Del, and his wife Anna, is given the repaired Belt and told the truth; that his father was the best friend of the former king, Endon, and helped him escape with his wife and unborn child when the Shadow Lord took over. Accompanied by Barda, a former palace guard, and given a map of Deltora showing where the seven gems of the Belt are believed to be, Lief sets out to restore the gems to the Belt and save the land.
Their first destination is the Forests of Silence.
After meeting a girl named Jasmine who has been alone ever since her parents were taken by the Shadow Lord's soldiers when she was seven, Lief and Barda are directed to the location of the first gem. After destroying the guardian Gorl, they find the Topaz and continue to the Lake of Tears, accompanied by Jasmine after she is encouraged by the spirit of her now-deceased mother. Along the way, they meet a silent man named Manus and with his help defeat Jin and Jod, two of the sorceress Thaegan's thirteen children. Eventually, after discovering the existence of a resistance against the Shadow Lord, they reach the Lake and persuade the gem's guardian, the monster Soldeen, to give it to them. However, they are forced to fight with Thaegan and retrieve the Ruby. Thaegan is defeated when Jasmine's raven, Kree, creates a cut in her finger, causing her to lose blood. Since Thaegan is a witch, she instantly dies as a result of it, restoring the Lake to its former appearance, Soldeen and the other creatures in the Lake to their original human forms, and the voices of Manus and his people, the Ralads.
On their way to the next gem, the trio are trapped by Thaegan's remaining eleven children, but manage to fool them and escape. Then, they visit a mysterious shop owned by Tom, and meet a scar-faced man, Doom, who is part of the resistance. After finding and escaping from Noradz, a city revealed to be supplying the Shadow Lord's servants with food, they manage to reach the City of Rats. There Lief, Barda and Jasmine defeat the giant snake Reeah and get the Opal. They leave, but after losing their remaining money are forced to enter the deadly Rithmere Championships to raise funds. Jasmine wins, and then they are subsequently captured. With the help of Doom, who also competed, and his friend Dain, who was disguised as a server, they manage to escape and reach the Shifting Sands, where they obtain the fourth gem, the Lapis Lazuli, from the living Hive.
Attempting to travel to Dread Mountain, they are trapped by Thaegan, who has been revived by the Shadow Lord, but manage to destroy her again, along with four of her children. They encounter a race of sentient animals called the Kin, and with their help, travel to Dread Mountain, pursued by the Shadow Lord's elite soldiers, the Carn Squad. On Dread Mountain, they defeat the monstrous toad Gellick with the help of the Dread Gnomes, who form an alliance with the Kin, and retrieve the Emerald. On the way, they discover the years-old grave of another man named Doom, realizing the man they know is not who he claims to be. Lief also discovers that his parents have been taken captive by Fallow, the Shadow Lord's advisor, but his friends persuade him that the only way to save them is to complete the quest.
Traveling toward the Maze of the Beast, they encounter Dain, who saves them from two Ols, shapeshifting servants of the Shadow Lord. He directs them to a stronghold of the resistance, but Doom, revealed to be the leader, distrusts them and has them locked up. Dain helps them escape on the condition that they bring him to the city of Tora. They go on the boat the River Queen, but are attacked by pirates, who kidnap Dain and end up leaving after finding out that a few of the passengers are Ols. To avoid putting the other passengers in danger, the trio are dropped off nearby. Eventually found by pirates again, they are sent into the Maze of the Beast and are able to find the Amethyst, barely escaping the slug-like Glus.
The Shadow Lord revives Thaegan again, and she attempts to defeat them with their worst fears, but they triumph over her once more and leave her to destroy herself along with all but one of her remaining children, Ichabod. After this, pursued by both the Carn Squad and a pyrokinetic sorcerer, Oacus, they rescue Dain and find Tora, empty of its people after they broke a magical vow to shelter King Endon. Shortly after they arrive, they encounter Doom, who reveals he escaped the Shadowlands after receiving his scar and was rescued by the other Doom who was killed by the Shadow Lord's minions when they pursued him, but does not remember anything before this, including his name, which is why he uses the other man's. While Doom and Dain leave to return to the resistance, the trio journey to the Valley of the Lost and defeat the guardian, retrieving the last gem, the Diamond, after a scuffle with Oacus.
Doom and Dain arrive at the Valley, revealed to now be home to the people of Tora, and are eventually informed about the quest to restore the gems. Doom agrees to help them find the heir, and arranges a meeting of members of all the seven tribes of Deltora at another resistance stronghold near Del. At the stronghold, they are once again attacked by the Carn Squad and realize they have a spy in their midst, but the tribes unite and kill their attackers. When they all swear loyalty to the new heir, Lief comes to believe that Dain is Endon's child, but he is quickly kidnapped by Ichabod and brought to Del. The group journeys to Del, defeating Oacus for the final time along the way, and rescues Dain, killing Ichabod in the process.
However, when Dain is given the Belt, he reveals himself to be Ol, and the spy, and has them ambushed. Most of the resistance escapes, but Barda, Jasmine and Doom are captured, while Lief manages to kill Dain and retrieve the Belt. Doom, who suffered a head injury in the capture, remembers his past, including that he is Jasmine's long-lost father, before they are rescued by Lief and the Kin. Lief suspects Jasmine of being the heir, but she maintains she is not. When Fallow threatens to kill Lief's parents if they do not surrender, the people of Del come to the resistance's aid, and the Shadow Lord's forces, including Fallow, are defeated, while Jarred and Anna are rescued.
Jarred and Doom recognize each other, and reveal the truth; Jarred is really King Endon, while Doom is the real Jarred, the two men having switched identities to protect the heir to the throne, Lief. However, Fallow is revealed to still be alive, and attacks Endon before being stopped by Lief. More of the Shadow Lord's minions, including the seven Ak-Baba, dragon-like birds who hid the gems, attack the people, but Lief eventually kills Fallow, though the gems are scattered from the Belt when he does so. The Shadow Lord himself arrives to destroy the resistance, but Lief manages to put the gems back on the Belt in the right order this time (Diamond, Emerald, Lapis Lazuli, Topaz, Opal, Ruby, Amethyst, spelling "Deltora") before wearing it, banishing the Shadow Lord. Endon, fatally wounded in the fight, thanks Lief for saving the people when he could not, and dies peacefully, leaving Lief as the new king of the now united Deltora.
Characters
Lief
At the start of the series, Lief is the son of a blacksmith who lives in the run down city of Del. He is (as Barda describes him) 'A young hot-head' and spends his time roaming the streets and both tempting and dodging trouble. On his 16th birthday he leaves Del on his father's quest to find the magical gems missing from the Belt of Deltora and the heir destined to wear it. Lief is tempted in many ways and by the end of the first series we see that he has grown not only in bravery and strength, but also in wisdom and patience. During the series, he competes in a contest in which he describes his special skill as speed. Lief is very courageous and extremely trustworthy. He shows romantic interest in Jasmine, even though they do not always see eye to eye. Only a few times does he consider giving up the quest but the thought of his friends or allies suffering always helps him to continue.
Barda
At the start of the series Barda appears to be a poor beggar living on the streets of Del. He is revealed to be an ex-palace guard who assumes the role of protector to Lief, much to both his and Lief's dismay. He is a skilled swordsman and frequently makes jokes about being stuck with two young hot-heads Lief and Jasmine. He is about the same age as Lief's parents. He is also the son of Min who was the childhood nurse maid of both Endon and Jarred, who was killed by Prandine when she warned King Endon he was being deceived, but he did not believe her. During the series, Barda competes in a contest in which he describes his special skill as strength. He helps Lief and Jasmine along the quest and is always strong-hearted, never gives up hope and is rather a gentle giant.
Jasmine
At the start of the series Jasmine is a wild orphan girl who lives a solitary life in the dangerous Forests of Silence. She has messy coal black hair which frames her elfin face and emerald green eyes. She is often described as impatient and lonely but with a good heart. Her only friends in the Forests are the raven named Kree and a small furry animal called Filli. Jasmine understands the language of trees and many other animals. She is independent, like Lief, though she displays far less tact. She is also unafraid of standing up for what she believes in, if she feels something is unjust or incorrect she explains her view without any fear of reprimand. She believes in equal rights and fairness, her only problem is that she cannot understand people who will not fight for themselves. Growing up all alone, Jasmine knows how to fend for herself. She usually gets her own way. Jasmine is unable to comprehend how easily many people can be tricked by fancy words and promises. In the series she finds her long lost father and they are once again reunited. She is about the same age as Lief (16). Also during the series, Jasmine competes in a contest in which she describes her special skill as agility. She shows romantic interest in Lief, even though they do not always see eye to eye.
Kree
Kree is a raven who was adopted by Jasmine after his family were eaten by the sorceress Thaegan. He joins Lief, Barda and Jasmine on the quest, and is shown to be able to communicate with Jasmine. He is sent back to the Forests of Silence when they head to the Lake of Tears for his own protection, but returns to help them, and stays with them afterwards. He is often used to scout ahead.
Filli
Filli is a small, rodent-like creature who is a pet of Jasmine. Like Kree, he joins the companions when Jasmine decides to accompany them on the quest. He is also able to communicate with Jasmine. He manages to help the companions out sometimes, but can also get them into trouble.
The Shadow Lord
At the start of the series, the Shadow Lord is a malevolent entity who has taken over the land of Deltora after destroying its protection against him, the Belt of Deltora, and scattering the gems that give it power. He resides in the Shadowlands beyond the mountains of Deltora, but regularly communicates with Fallow, his servant who runs his operations in Deltora from the palace of Del. He frequently has Fallow send servants to stop the trio from continuing the quest, and expresses fury when they fail. He is shown to be a master schemer, never having just one plan.
Dain
Dain is first introduced as a waiter during the contest Lief, Barda and Jasmine compete in. He is later shown to be a member of a resistance against the Shadow Lord, and appears to come from Tora, a magical city from which many of the royal family's consorts also came. He and Jasmine show romantic interest in each other. He is at one point implied to be the long lost son of King Endon and the heir to the throne, but it is later revealed that he is actually a servant of the Shadow Lord whose purpose is to trick the resistance into thinking that this is the case. He also attempts to replace Fallow as the Shadow Lord's second-in-command.
Doom
Doom is first encountered as a scar faced stranger at a shop the companions stop at to get supplies, where he is revealed to be part of a resistance against the Shadow Lord. The companions later encounter him again when competing in a contest, where he saves them from the Shadow Lord's servants and attempts to get them to join the resistance, though they refuse. They later find out he is not who he says he is when they find an old grave of a man with the same name as him. When they meet him again, they find out he is the leader of the resistance, and escape after he does not trust them. He eventually reveals to them that he does not remember his real name or past due to torture in the Shadowlands. They eventually tell him everything, and he agrees to help them find the heir. After suffering a head injury, he regains his memory, including that he is the long lost father of Jasmine.
Neridah
Neridah is a woman Lief's age who competes with the companions in a contest, where she charms Lief. She is saved by Doom from the Shadow Lord's servants and joins the resistance, but later leaves to join the companions when hearing about the quest, once again charming Lief into allowing it, to Jasmine's disgust. She nearly ruins their plan by stealing the last gem, but they manage to get it back. She then leaves, taking their remaining money.
Glock
Glock is a large, aggressive man who competes with the companions in a contest. He is saved by Doom from the Shadow Lord's servants and joins the resistance. He is later revealed to be the only remaining member of one of the original seven tribes of Deltora, requiring him to help them. He clashes with Jasmine when they meet again, but later they come to terms after saving each other's lives.
Fallow
At the beginning of the series, Fallow is the Shadow Lord's advisor who rules Deltora from the capital city of Del and regularly communicates with his master in the Shadowlands. He sends out other minions to find the companions when they begin to recover the gems, and the Shadow Lord becomes displeased with his lack of progress, frequently threatening him. He eventually captures Lief's parents, but is unable to get any information from them. Despite his efforts, the companions succeed in their quest, and eventually return to Del, where he leads the attempt to stop them, but fails. He dislikes Dain, who attempts to steal his position.
Sorceress Thaegan
Sorceress Thaegan is an evil sorceress who allies with the Shadow Lord. A hundred years before the series she took over a portion of the Deltora and warped it to her liking. She also has thirteen monstrous children who she has some affection for. She ate Kree's family. She is killed by the companions early in the series, but later revived by the Shadow Lord who sees her potential, and sent to stop them. After this fails, the Shadow Lord revives her again, giving her one final chance, which also fails, and she destroys herself when this happens.
Gla-Thon
A Dread Gnome, who lives on the mountain known as Dread Mountain. Like her people, she likes riches and is an excellent archer. After helping the companions defeat the monster oppressing her people and giving them a gem, she later joins them in trying to find the heir, and participates in the battle for Del.
Anna
At the start of the series, Anna is Lief's mother, and wife of Jarred, the blacksmith of Del. She makes a cloak for her son that is later revealed to make those covered by it invisible on his sixteenth birthday before he goes on the quest. Her memory, and that of her husband, keeps Lief going. She and Jarred are later shown to have been captured by Fallow, though they do not give up any information. They are later saved by the companions and the resistance, and reveal the truth.
Jarred
At the start of the series, Jarred is Lief's father, and the blacksmith of Del. He makes a sword for his son on his sixteenth birthday before he goes on the quest. He also reveals that he once lived in the palace and was a friend of King Endon, and helped him and his wife escape when the Shadow Lord invaded. His memory, and that of his wife, keeps Lief going. He and Anna are later shown to have been captured by Fallow, though they do not give up any information. They are later saved by the companions and the resistance, and reveal the truth.
Production
The series was produced by Genco and the animation production at OLM and SKY Perfect Well Think. Rodda was originally approached with many film offers, but it was only this studio that promised to not change the story. The first episode was aired on January 6, 2007, in Japan.
It was directed by Mitsuru Hongō, designed by Hiroyuki Nishimura and Junya Ishigaki, and written by Oketani Arawa, Reiko Yoshida, and Natsuko Takahashi.The music was composed by Kow Otani, but was replaced with an original soundtrack in the English version.
Although the series employs mostly traditional animation it uses CGI for the Guardians.[3]
Deltora Quest was originally licensed in North America by Geneon as one of their final licenses but shut down before doing anything with the series.[4] The series was then rescued by Dentsu's newly established North American branch, and they produced an English version of the series in association with Ocean Productions in Vancouver, British Columbia and recorded at their Calgary-based Blue Water Studios.[5] All music for the English version was composed and produced by John Mitchell and Tom Keenlyside at Anitunes Music Inc.
Due to the series' popularity in Japan, it was extended to 65 episodes from the original 52, containing stories not present in the original novels. The English dub restores the ending of the original novels, and ignores the 13 added episodes in the anime.
Cinedigm released the series onto DVD in a complete boxset on May 13, 2014.[6][7]
Music
Opening theme
1) HEART☆BEAT by Maria (episodes 1–28)
2) "Boku no Taiyō" (僕の太陽) by AKB48 (episodes 29–52)
3) "'In This Life~Tabidachi made no 3 Step" (In This Life~旅立ちまでの3ステップ) by Delta Goodrem (episodes 53–65)
Ending theme
The English version uses an original instrumental composed by John Lee Mitchell and Tom Keenlyside for Anitunes Music Inc.
1) "Sakura Uta" (桜唄) by Rythem (episodes 1–14)
2) "Hey Now!" by Coolon (episodes 15–26)
3) "Go to Fly" by Sunbrain (episodes 27–39)
4) "Yume x Yume" (夢x夢) by Yurika Ohyama (episodes 40–52)
5) "Yubikiri Genman" (ユビキリゲンマン) by Hoi festa (episodes 53–65)
Episodes
Video game
A video game for the Nintendo DS titled Deltora Quest: Nanatsu no Houseki was released in Japan by Bandai Namco on September 20, 2007.[9]
