Flag

2006

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1
  • 0

EP1 Flag Jun 16, 2006

An armed extremist faction had stolen the Flag, which was previously seen as the symbol of peace that triggered the cease-fire initiative between armed factions and the government forces in Uddiyana. The UN secretly dispatched an SDC unit to retrieve the Flag. Saeko Shirasu was assigned as the embedded reporter.

EP2 Portrait Jun 30, 2006

Saeko started her reporting inside the SDC secret base. However, Captain Chris denied Saeko's request to follow any military operations involving the use of HAVWC. Saeko tried to capture the soldiers on camera as they returned to base.

EP3 Frontline Reporting Jul 14, 2006

The SDC unit is planning scouting missions in area where the FLAG was believed to be hidden. Once again Saeko's request to accompany the unit was denied. Nadi Olowokandi offered his helping hand.

EP4 The Night of New Moon Jul 28, 2006

It was established that the defence capabilities of the armed faction base were much stronger than expected. The SDAC unit decided to launch an operation to retrieve the Flag on the night of the new moon. Preparation of the HAVWC mecha, the key element of the operation, became a race against time, and Saeko spent all night covering the activities of the unit. Meanwhile on the same night, as reporter Akagi was pursuing a young girl, a reincarnate of the goddess Kuhura.

EP5 Parabola of Darkness Aug 11, 2006

On the night of the new moon, the SDC unit began its campaign to retrieve the flag and was heading towards the "Ruins", the armed faction's stronghold. Shirasu witnessed the crossfire while accompanying the unit. At the same time, the journalists, suspicious of the UN forces, found out about the UN's plan to bomb the city. Akagi had some idea where the target of the bombing would be.

EP6 Light in Darkness Aug 25, 2006

Ichiyanagi stormed into the armed faction's stronghold to retrieve the flag. As the team were following the IC tag signal, something unexpected was waiting for them. They discovered the conspiracy to hinder the ceasefire. Facing return attack from the enemy and with nowhere to retreat, he attempted to break through.

EP7 Reactivation Jan 12, 2007

UN forces block access to the bombarded parts of the city and stonewall at the daily press conference, trying to cover up the incident. SDC researches how the flag's military grade IC encryption could have been broken and faked. In that course, more questions are raised. The UN started to move in more weapons into the country in secret, and attacked another target 400 km away without telling the public. This increases doubt on the official narrative in which the temple faction is the only violent actor.

EP8 XR-2 Longku Jan 19, 2007

A replacement for the HAVWC mecha lost in the attack of the temple arrives, but training it to accept Ichiyanagi as pilot makes only slow progress. An unknown power penetrates the training camp's perimeter with three helicopters and the prototype of a Chinese XR-2 mecha. Ichiyanagi and Eversalt fight off the intruders in their mechas. This is considered a warning to the SDC, and complicates the situation because obviously a powerful member of the UN security council entered the playing field.

EP9 Yurts and the Land Jan 26, 2007

Shirasu spends a day and a night with the indigenous nomads. She assists their medical doctor, who was trained in both native and western medicine, with house visits and learns about the way of life of those people. Olowokandi is interrogated. The flow of news from the UNF to journalists comes to a grinding halt. Highly increased reconnaissance flight activity hints at a brewing political and military storm.

EP10 SDAC + 1 Feb 09, 2007

Investigators from UN HQ are sent to SDC, blocking their activity. In the background of a picture of the temple's leader, the flag is spotted. Eversalt, backed by the complete SDC team, decides to ignore orders and launch a fact finding mission into the temple. Ichiyanagi is freed from investigative detention so he can pilot a smaller mecha model he was involved in developing. One member of the investigators, only named Chief, backs the operation by delaying information sent to HQ. Shirasu is instructed by Eversalt to document the operation, for a possible future court martial trial. SDC intrudes the temple and finds the flag, but fails to capture it. Meanwhile, the temple's masked soldiers supported by improvised tanks and a mecha of unknown origin capture UNF's headquarters in a surprise attack and hold staff hostage.

EP11 Reunion through the Viewfinder Feb 16, 2007

SDC decides to launch a counter attack to take UNF HQ back using their two HAVWC mechas. The operation succeeds because in the last minute massive reinformcent by regular UNF troops arrives. Akagi and Shirasu have eye contact for the first time since she was deployed as an embedded journalist with SDC. Akagi films her in a helicopter labeled with the SDC logo.

EP12 Recapture the Flag Feb 23, 2007

The temple leader, in front of the flag, calls for violence and nation-wide the insurgency flares up. SDC embarks on the mission to finally capture the flag. The two HAVWC mechas successfully infiltrate the temple by force, but it's masked soldiers manage to escape with the flag seconds before capture. A fierce battle between SDC and temple forces supprted by helicopters and their mecha takes place. Eventually SDC prevails, with Shirasu capturing the moment one of the mechas can get it's hand on the flag in another iconic photo. Akagi films that scene. Shirasu is arrested by UNF troops on the battlefield.

EP13 Into the Light Mar 02, 2007

At Shirasu's release, she is told by an official that her photos will be withheld for censorship because they include footage inconvenient for the UN. She's told she'll never see any SDC team member again and given a last letter from Eversalt. It contains her lucky charm, which she had lost during the battle. At home, she discovers an SD card with her uncensored photo material in it. An accompanying video by the SDC members bides her a heartfelt farewell and encourages her to publish the truth.
6.5| 0h30m| TV-14| en| More Info
Released: 16 June 2006 Ended
Producted By:
Country: Japan
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://www.flag20xx.net/
Synopsis

Saeko Shirasu is a 25-year-old war front-line photo-journalist who became a celebrity after taking a picture of civilians raising a makeshift UN flag in war-torn Uddiyana. The image then became an instant symbol for peace. However, just before the peace agreement is achieved, the flag was stolen by an armed extremist group in order to obstruct the truce. The UN peacekeepers decide to covertly send in a SDC (pronounced as "Seedac"—Special Development Command) unit to retrieve the flag. Because of her connection with the "Flag" photo, Saeko Shirasu was offered the job of following the SDC unit as a front line journalist. Among the SDC unit's equipment is the HAVWC (High Agility Versatile Weapon Carrier—pronounced "havoc") mecha armored vehicle.

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Reviews

clarkmc2 There must be a lot of people like me. Older, turned off by Anime's deliberately juvenile Manga artwork, Disney Channel level plots, and voices completely obnoxious to anyone over the age of nineteen. I have enjoyed Cowboy Bebop and Tactics, but that is about it. Tactics at least has a genuine sense of humor that is not completely juvenile, and at least a hint of a thoughtful darker side that is not lifted from cheap scare films.With Flag, the basic artwork is for grownups. Not a triangle mouth or Keane painting set of eyes to be found. Beyond that, the 100% camera, photographic print and web cam viewpoint, with selective focus and hand held movement, is groundbreaking, done to perfection and generally brilliant. The music employed is moving and appropriate, and also very grown up.The narrative content is WAY past anything I have ever seen in Anime. Serious drama, intelligently portrayed. The major themes encompass pretty much everything that is actually important to the life of human beings. I can't recount very many narrative films that covered this much serious ground. The web of life, death, religion, politics, war, ethics, bravery, power, nature, faith, love and the big picture is all woven convincingly into a really first rate film experience. It is very compact for a serially presented film, having been envisioned from the beginning as a limited series. While there is much action, it is presented realistically. No animated recycled Power Rangers rip-offs here.Kids' stuff is fine, but fantasy has its limitations as a story telling medium. This is much deeper and ultimately more rewarding and satisfying. Anime has been giving us The Three Stooges and Star Wars. Now I realize it could also give us Wild Strawberries, Pather Panchali and Cross Of Iron.The details are outstanding. Just one example, I had no idea that the camera at the end of the credits in each episode was setting up for the final resolution. I am going beyond recommending Flag as Anime, I am giving it a top rating as a movie.
Marc McKenzie FLAG is a new series (well, relatively new; it just came out this month in the US and originally aired in Japan in 2006) that takes a different approach to telling a war story.-This is a Spoiler Alert!- During a brutal civil war in an East Asian country, a single photograph taken by a female Japanese photographer becomes a symbol of hope, a symbol of peace. It is a picture of UN soldiers and rebels hoisting a flag together. The flag itself is now a physical symbol of the possibility of peace. However, when that flag is stolen, the UN recruits her and her teacher/mentor to join a special forces unit consisting of pilots and new, prototype bipedal combat machines to get the flag back...but as it turns out, the _real_ reason for the war is a lot more complicated...and a lot darker.--End spoiler-- Of course, this is just a bare-bones summary. What really struck me about the series was how it was filmed. The whole series--only 13 episodes--was "shot" to make it look like it was cobbled together from video cameras, digital cameras--it has a strong documentary feel, with the cameras going in and out of focus, shaky hand-held footage, and still photographs. I have never seen anything like it in animation before...and I've seen a lot.I wanted to see this show because the creator/director was Ryosuke Takahashi. I seriously respect his works, because he knows how to tell gritty, character-driven war stories that happen to have a lot of cool mecha. His most famous work is ARMORED TROOPER VOTOMS (1983-1984) and FLAG is a worthy follow-up. Once again, Takahashi is never afraid to show us the true horrors of war and its effects.FLAG is an excellent, ADULT animated series. It is only 13 episodes, and the action is not high, but if you like serious, character-driven stories (and if you're a fan of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA), please see this show, which is now on sale in America. It isn't NARUTO or BLEACH--but it is another fine gem from one of anime's legendary directors.