Gunparade March
A manga adaptation by Hiroyuki Sanadura was serialized in the magazine "Dengeki Daioh". The three volumes published by MediaWorks between 2001 and 2003 were translated by ADV Manga between 2004 and 2005. An anime television series adaptation titled was animated by J.C.Staff and aired on MBS from 6 February 2003 to 23 April 2003. It is licensed for distribution in the United States by Media Blasters as simply "Gunparade March". A spin-off, , was animated by Brain's Base and aired from 5 October 2005 to 29 March 2006. A trilogy of games, the Gunparade Orchestra Trilogy, were  released for PlayStation 2 in 2006. Plot. In 1945, World War II was abruptly ended when an alien race appeared on Earth and began to slaughter the human population. This alien force, known as the "Phantom Beasts" (or Genjyu in Japanese) had effectively taken over more than half of the Earth. The year is 1999 – 54 years later, mankind is still fighting to survive against the alien forces. Earth forces now use advanced mecha called Humanoid Walking Tanks (HWTs) to combat the invaders, but throughout the ordeal, far too many pilots have been killed in action. To ensure the future  of the human race, the Japanese government enforced a student draft which recruited high school students to become HWT pilots. Gunparade March follows the lives of the 5121st Platoon, which consists mainly of drafted high school students and their struggle to defeat the Phantom Beasts and at the same time, lead a normal social life. Adaptations. Manga. A manga adaptation by Hiroyuki Sanadura was serialized in the magazine "Dengeki Daioh". The three volumes published by MediaWorks between 2001 and 2003 were translated by ADV Manga between 2004 and 2005. Anime. Section::::"Gunparade Orchestra". The story focuses and revolves around the 108th  Guard Squad, stationed in Aomori, Aomori. A poorly equipped unit with very little military standing, it is often viewed as a 'reject camp' for pilots not making the grade for the elite units based in Hokkaido. The apparent helpless nature of this force is hardly a deterrent for the encroaching enemy armies, ever closing in on both the 108th and the rest of the empire. The young pilots of the 108th, who had dreamed on returning home, are plunged forcefully and unwillingly into a war. Reception. On release, "Famitsu" magazine scored the game a 31 out of 40. Due to  its creativity and attention to detail, it won the prestigious 32nd Seiun Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, beating October Sky, Bicentennial Man, Juvenile, X-Men, and The Iron Giant. and It was a nominee for the "Game of the Year" from Japan Game Awards but lost to Phantasy Star Online (for Dreamcast, GameCube, Xbox and Windows 9x Compatible-PC).