Trinity Blood Anime FAQ version 1.5
partial update 11-09-07; more complete update pending


===========================
Basic data:
============================
Episodes: 24 (26 were planned, only 24 made)
Original air dates: 04-28 to 10-27-2005
Opening Theme: "Dress (BLOODY TRINITY MIX)" by BUCK-TICK
(2 different versions: episodes 1-12 and episodes 13-24)
Ending Theme: "Broken Wings" by Tomoko Tane
Series Director: Tomohiro Hirata
Series Composition:
Atsuhiro Tomioka, Tomohiro Hirata
Scripts:
Atsuhiro Tomioka, Yuuji Hosono
Music: Takahito Eguchi
Character Design:
Atsuko Nakajima, THORES Shibamoto
Art director: Toshiyuki Tokuda
Art design: Kazunari Roppongi

Based on the original novel series by Sunao Yoshida

Partial US voice cast:

Troy Baker as Abel Nightroad
Greg Ayres as Pope Alessandro XVIII
Lydia Mackay as Cardinal Catherina Sforza
John Gremillion as Cardinal Francesco di Medici
Christopher R. Sabat as Father Tres Iqus
Jason Douglas as William Walter Wordsworth
Colleen Clinkenbeard as Sister Esther Blanchette
Gwendolyn Lau as Sister Kate Scott
Justin Cook as Dietrich von Lohengrin
Amber Cotton as Jessica Langston
Brina Palencia as Elise Wasmeyer
Eric Vale as Albert
Kent Williams as Count Gyula

Dedicated to Irene Yuan, founder of Trinity Blood Community, for her tireless service to the TB fan community worldwide and her dedication to the beautiful old-fashioned ideal of sharing and cooperation between enthusiasts.
I owe so much to her.

================================================

So what is this thing called Trinity Blood?

First off, it needs to be noted that the anime is only a tiny slice of the enormous TB storyline. Both the Trinity Blood --or Toribla, short for "Toriniti Blood", as it's called--anime and manga are based on two series of novels by Sunao Yoshida, which began in 1999 (serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's "Sneaker" magazine) and continued on to 2005. Most regrettably, Sunao died on July 15th 2004, aged only 34, with his epic left unfinished in either series.

It's quite a popular title in Japan, consisting of:
== two novel series, "Reborn on the Mars" (ROM) and "Rage Against the Moons" (RAM), totalling 12 books --now being translated into English, in sequential order, and released in the USA through TokyoPop;
==nine drama CDs under the ROM and RAM titles (drama CDs are apparently rather like old-time radio shows: voice actors performing a story in the studio);
==four+ CDs under the separate title "Trinity Blood Files"

The manga is ongoing, with the writing taken up by Sunao's friend Kentaro Yasui. The series is still being serialized by Sneaker magazine, but it's unclear if these are new stories or repeats.

The novels are:

Reborn on the Mars I - The Star of Sorrow 2001-03
Rage Against the Moons I - Die Erst Serie (The First Series) 2001-05
R.O.M II - The Iblis 2001-08
R.A.M II - Die Zweit Serie (The Second Series) 2002-01
R.O.M III - The Night Lords 2001-07
R. A.M III - Die Dritt Serie (The Third Series) 2002-09
R.O.M IV - Imitation Star 2003-01
R.A.M IV - Die Viert Serie (The Fourth Series) 2003-04)
R.O.M V - 2003-08
R.O.M VI - 2003-11
R.A.M V - 2004-02
R.A.M VI - 2005-01

Toribla manga stats:
First issue 2004-03-17, currently 8 volumes (ongoing)
Character design: THORES Shibamoto (as is all of the character design for the series)
Story: Sunao Yoshida (now written by Kentaro Yasui)
Art: Kiyo Kujou
English publisher: TOKYOPOP (first volume to be published in US Nov. 7, 2006)

While the manga follows the plot of "Reborn on the Mars" (yes, "the" Mars) --which is chronologically the later of the two novel series-- the anime makes an ambitious attempt to stitch together the plots and characters of both series AND the drama CDs as well. As can be imagined with such a wealth of backstory, though, it can't do much more than than brush the surface. To give you an idea how complicated a task this is, here's a rundown of the episodes and their sources:

01. Flight Night (from Mission 1: Flight Night; Rage Against the Moons drama CD )
02. Witch Hunt (from Mission II: Witch Hunt; Rage Against the Moons drama CD )
03. The Star of Sorrow 1: City of Blood (from Reborn on the Mars book 1)
04. The Star of Sorrow II: Hunter's Banquet (from Reborn on Mars book 1)
05. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (contains elements from both novel series)
06. Sword Dancer (from Mission ?: Rage Against the Moons drama CD)
07. Never Land (from Rage Against the Moons book 1)
08. Silent Noise (from Rage Against the Moons book 1)
09. Overcount I: The Belfry of Downfall (from Rage Against the Moons book 1)
10. Overcount II: Lucifer's Choice (from Rage Against the Moons book 1)
11. From the Empire (from Mission III: From The Empire; Rage Against the Moons drama CD)
12. The Ibelis I: Evening Visitors (from Reborn on the Mars book 2)
13. The Ibelis II: Betrayal Blaze (from Reborn on the Mars book 2)
14. The Ibelis III: A Mark of Sinner (from Reborn on the Mars book 2)
15. The Night Lords I: The Return of Envoy (from Reborn on the Mars book 3)
16. The Night Lords II: Twilight of the Capital (from Reborn on the Mars book 3)
17. The Night Lords III: The Island of Her Darling Children (from Reborn on the Mars book 3)
18. The Night Lords IV: The Palace of Jade (from Reborn on the Mars book 3)
19. The Night Lords V: A Start of Pilgrimage (from Reborn on the Mars book 3)
20. The Throne of Roses I: Kingdom of the North (from Reborn on the Mars book 5)
21. The Throne of Roses II: The Refuge (from Reborn on the Mars book 5)
22. The Throne of Roses III: Lord of Abyss (from Reborn on the Mars book 5)
23. The Crown of Thorns I: City in the Mist (from Reborn on the Mars book 6)
24. The Crown of Thorns II (from Reborn on the Mars book 6)

(The two cancelled episodes, 25 and 26, would apparently have been from either Reborn on the Mars 6, or from the in-progress Reborn on the Mars 7.)


Quick plot background:

Hundreds of years ago, in the midst of an atomic war, invaders from space took advantage of the chaos to strike at Earth. The invaders, human in appearance but with superhuman strength and agility plus a taste for blood, inevitably came to be called "vampires" --though their preferred term for themselves is "Methuselah". Fought to a standstill but not driven away, the Methuselah settled on Earth and founded an Empire, based in Byzantium (Istanbul) and encompassing territory from Eastern Europe to Egypt and North Africa, while Terran culture claimed the West and rebuilt civilization around Rome and the Vatican. (The situation parallels both the relationship between the old Byzantine and Holy Roman Empires, and the long-standing animosity between the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Church of Rome--a detail any fan of Vlad the Impaler, the historical Dracula, will appreciate.) An uneasy truce exists between West and East: there's a steady simmer of trouble-making factions, but at the time the series begins, in the mid-30th Century, there's been a decade of relative peace…

Alessandro XVIII, His Holiness the Pope--a very young and uncertain pontiff. Depends on his older siblings for advice, which makes just about every decision a tug-of-war.
Cardinal Francesco di' Medici, Duke of Tuscany--the Pope's hot-tempered, power-hungry older brother. Arrogantly certain that the Vatican is God's empowered agent on Earth, he advocates a military-based zero-tolerance policy toward the Methuselah.
Cardinal Catherina Sforza, Duchess of Milan--their strong-willed, adamantly diplomatic sister. Catherina insists on maintaining civil relations between the Empire and the cities of the West. She can always be counted on to argue for a peaceful solution anytime her brother calls for war. Very tough, but often wearied by the constant demands of balancing so many responsibilities while keeping Francesco in check.


The Vatican controls two teams of operatives:
AX, under command of Cardinal Sforza, and
The Inquisition, under command of Cardinal di' Medici.
The two are as different and as frequently opposed as their commanders.

AX
(Click on their names to see their character designs from the series.)

Short for "Arcanum cella ex dono dei" (Latin: Secret Chamber in virtue of the gift of God), AX is the Vatican's Department of Ecclesiastical Affairs, both foreign and internal. Answering directly to Lady Catherina, it's tasked with "doing what can't be resolved through words alone"; i.e. when formal diplomacy fails, AX is called in to investigate and, when necessary, kick butt as tactfully as possible. AX's numbers vary over the course of the aforementioned long story, but in the anime they are a force of nine:

Abel Nightroad (code name: Krusnik) [More here] --On the surface, Abel seems ideally suited for the quiet life of a priest. Compassionate and peace-loving, he always has the right words to encourage a troubled soul. Ask him to deal with the outside world and he's hopeless: klutzy, forgetful, no sense of direction, can't keep to a budget and panics at the drop of a hint. So what's this sweet scatterbrain doing in an elite fighting unit like AX? You guessed it: when called to duty, he's all business, and throws down an impressive display of high-level programming and technical skill. And that's only one of the secrets tucked away behind those innocent china-blue eyes. (--Which aren't always so innocent. Or china-blue.) ---Abel is one of Lady Catherina's oldest and most trusted friends, and her most valued battle ally. He works well with all the AX members, and on missions is often accompanied by his protégé, Sister Esther.

Tres Iqus/HC-IIIX (code name: Gunslinger; "Tres Iqus" means 3X)--A cyborg sharpshooter, Father Tres is part Terminator, part gun-kata master, precise and relentless. Despite his terse vocabulary and seemingly cold personality, Tres is capable of emotion and even of mercy--though if called on it he'll maintain that he just ran out of bullets. He is completely committed to AX and devoted to Lady Catherina. With his logical and efficient mind he makes an excellent balance for Abel, and the two have been partnered on several missions; also often rides shotgun with Sister Kate.
--(The Toribla universe is hazy on the distinction between cyborg and robot, and it does seem that Tres is 100% machine, but of a highly advanced design. Only ten of his model, known as "Killing Dolls", were ever made and only two are known to still be in operation.)

Kate Scott (code name: Iron Maiden--also the name of her battleship)--Sister Kate never physically leaves her ship (this may be the reason they share a name: they are almost literally one and the same entity) , and appears in the series only as a hologram, apparently able to project herself nearly anywhere in the world (despite the lack of a visible projector =). She is AX's control center, overseeing all operations, constantly gathering and relaying information for the agents; that's her voice you hear in their earpieces. Very no-nonsense British in personality, she dislikes noise and insists on proper courtesy. Her special blend of herb tea is AX's favorite treat.

William Walter Wordsworth (code name: Professor) --A cultured, pipe-smoking gentleman of Albion, Wordsworth is the group's scientist and inventor, and his devices are usually of great value to the team, though they have been known to backfire spectacularly. Good at strategy and tactics, he's often involved in the planning of AX missions. The Professor has a dry sense of humor and appears to take most things lightly, but is a brilliant thinker and keen observer. [More here]

Esther Blanchett--a very young nun, she is an orphan raised by the Church, and comes under Abel's protective wing early in the series. She has a large star-shaped birthmark on her side, the source of her name (Esther is Hebrew for star). Esther is brave, impulsive, a bit quick-tempered, and handy with a pistol; she hates being left out of anything and earns several stern rebukes from Abel for disobeying orders. But she's basically good-hearted and sympathetic, and takes her position in AX very seriously.

Leon Garsia de Asturias (code name: Dandelion)-- This dashing Spaniard, said to be modeled on actor Antonio Banderas, has a devil-may-care attitude and takes drastic chances with aplomb--usually scaring the heck out of Abel in the process. He's very protective of children and dislikes seeing them involved in the team's cases or endangered in any way. (The locket he always wears holds a picture of his daughter.) His weapon is a throwing-ring similar to a chakram , coated in silver, which is a deadly poison to the Methuselah. Leon loves a good brawl and is never happier than when AX gets to butt heads with the bad guys, especially when Gunslinger is on hand. [More here]

Hugue de Watteau (code name: Sword Dancer)--The most independent member of AX, much-scarred Hugue has his own agenda and often disappears for weeks at a time; Wordsworth regards him as a reckless kid who's not very trustworthy. Hugue apparently has a personal vendetta against the Methuselah, though it's never explained in the anime [More here]. He's quiet, intensely focused, utterly gorgeous--ooops, sorry-- and rather an enigma to the rest of the team. His extraordinary speed, agility and skill with the twin sword are the source of his code name.

Noelle Bor (code name: Mistress) --Sister Noelle has the ability to read people's thoughts and feelings, which she sees as colors, and to see the energy trace left behind where people have been, making her a useful tracker. She's also a very shrewd judge of character. Flirtatious and dramatic, she's generally upbeat but given to moments of melancholy: sensitivity to others' emotions is a two-edged sword…

Vaclav Havel (code name: Know Faith)-- Father Havel's special ability is optical camouflage-- he can literally become invisible at will-- and can apparently fly for short distances. He is Lady Catherina's closest personal friend and confidante. A strong and calm presence, Havel is patient, reasonable, and the anchor of the AX team.

The Inquisition

The Vatican's army, bossed by Cardinal Francesco di' Medici. Tasked with the destruction of heretics by any means necessary; this puts them into opposition to AX and Catherina's more moderate attitude much more often than not. Unlike AX, which goes in with concealed weapons and prefers to use its special abilities in a fight, the Inquisition is a massive military force with heavy body armor and battle cruisers, armed to the teeth.

In the anime its leading officers are:

Brother Petros (The Knight of Destruction) Cardinal di' Medici's right-hand man, he loathes the Methuselah above all things, and is deeply mistrustful of Catherina's tolerant policies. Despite his very stern demeanor, he's just and honorable, and having made a vow will keep it at any cost, no matter who's involved. Resembling a medieval knight in his full armor, his primary battle tools are a jet pack and a huge mechanical lance called "Screamer".

Sister Paula (The Lady of Death) Cardinal di' Medici's most valuable spy, and a deadly efficient fighter, using two swords.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
=======================
The Methuselah Empire (New Human Empire)
=======================

The Methuselah of Trinity Blood are mortal, not supernatural, and it's a vulgar insult to call one "vampire" to his or her face. [MUCH more here.] Empire scientists have developed a blood substitute, so not many of them regularly consume the real stuff anymore. They do, however, share some other traits with folkloric vampires: ultraviolet light will kill them (Methuselah cities have lots of awnings and tinted glass) and silver is a mortal poison to them. Presumably they chose the Biblical name "Methuselah" to reflect their very long lives (the Biblical Methuselah lived over 900 years).

The prime mover and most visible figure of the Empire is:

Empress 'Augusta Vladica' It's hard to imagine a more respected leader than the "Goddess of the Empire", whose merest wish is her subjects' command. Though 900 years old, she looks much younger, and is independent and intelligent with a mischievous sense of humor. Down-to-earth despite her exalted status, she likes to mingle with her people incognito to stay in touch with all the Empire's doings. Seth is well-inclined toward Terrans and hopes for a future of greater cooperation and peace between the two kindreds, but she's well aware of the thread of discord running through her domain, and of its source.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
=========================
The Rosen Kreuz Orden (also Rosencreutz Orden/RCO)
==========================

The third player in the series' trinity, allied with neither the Vatican nor the Empire. The Orden is an organization bent on "renewing the world through fire" (in Latin, Igne Natura Renovatur Integra-- Through fire all of nature is renewed)--that is, complete destruction followed by rebuilding anew, in order to create an utopia. The organization is very much shrouded in mystery, and so are the details about the members, their races, leaders and plans. Many of the members possess powers and abilities that can only be described as "magic" to a normal human. The head of the organization is "Contra Mundi" (= Against the world), also called "mein Herr" (my lord). Most members have their own agenda, though, and the RCO is constantly caught up in inner power struggles. The Orden was formerly nothing but a small society in Berlin, consisting of humans, vampires, and artificial vampires, who considered themselves enemies of the Vatican but did not oppose it actively. Only under its current leadership did it develop into the powerful terrorist organization it is now.

It is based on the famous Rosicrucian Order, which is believed to have been founded by Christian Rosenkreutz in the 15th century, and is grounded in ancient Egyptian, Babylonian, and Graeco-Roman occultism, as well as the mysterious "Book of the World". The Rosicrucian Order promotes the use of science and natural law to improve both one's own life and life in general, and has been linked to early theoretical science and to alchemy. (The legendary master alchemist Count St. Germain is believed by some to have been the reincarnation of Rosenkreutz.) Regarded in the 1600s as "a secret brotherhood of alchemists and sages who were interpreted as preparing to transform the arts, sciences, religion, political, and intellectual landscape of Europe while wars of politics and religion ravaged the continent", they still exist in various forms more or less serious.
["Rosencreutz Orden" is the Old High German spelling of what would be "Rosenkreuz Orden" in modern German. THORES specifically uses the old spelling in her artwork as well as her notes.]


The rulers of the Orden in Trinity Blood are:

Cain (Contra Mundi) --A mysterious being of unfathomable power, operating in shadow, implacably devoted to the extermination of humankind. [More here.]

Isaak Fernand von Kämpfer (Codename: Panzermagier--Armored Magician or Machine Magician depending on what you read)--Second only to Cain in authority and the Orden's Master for all practical purposes, he's one of the RCO's founders and a master of "black ops style" military technology. Holds the magickal rank of Magus. A cool, elegant, vicious character, to whom just about everything is a simple matter of business.

Dietrich von Lohengrin (Codename: Marionettenspieler--Puppeteer or Puppet Master). The code name is literal as well as figurative: a skilled manipulator of people and events, he also has the ability to physically control the body of anyone, human or vampire, living or dead. A Terran himself, he is passionately dedicated to the Orden's ideals and is Isaak's primary enforcer.
=========================================================

=================
Some series art...
=================


GeckoZero writes: "There is so much art for Trinity Blood it's staggering. Simply mind-blowing. And most of it is by the very talented THORES Shibamoto (her capitalization). Sh has done designs for all of the characters, and all of the published media (book covers, manga covers, calendars (which, btw, I'm actively in search of), CD covers, etc, from day one. Trinity Blood seems to be the only series she's been involved with; the only previous credit I can find is for her is for various doujinshi. It's known she is/was a student of Amano Yoshitaka (character designer for Vampire Hunter D, Final Fantasy, Angel's Egg, Mospeada...you know, that guy.), and... Her work speaks for itself. Last year saw the publication in Japan of her book Fabrica Theologiae, which is a huge, heavy enormous production (about 260 pages, bound in suede, slipboxed...) of nothing but her Trinity Blood art up to late 2004. Since I'm probably one of the only people in the States to have shelled out the mega bucks for this tome, plus the shipping, I feel I should share some of these images...:)

Abel Nightroad, 1999
Abel Nightroad, 2001
AX, 2000
Caterina Sforza
Deitrich 2002
Isaak, 2002
Leon, 2002
Noelle, 2002
Tres, 2001

"I'm unfortunately limited a bit by the size of the book, and the wimpiness of my scanner at the moment; I can only easily scan images at the very front, or the very back. I'm very tempted to get one of the bootlegged copies (there's both a softcover, and an alleged 'limited edition slipcased version' that both feature double-sided printing, as opposed to the single-sided art print quality the real thing has) that are floating around on eBay. It'd be so easy to take one of those apart to share more...:)

But wait--there's more! Just a little, but:
cover to the first volume of the manga (Yay! they're keeping the THORES covers for the US!)
And if that's not enough:
Manga interior art, by Kiyo Kujou (after designs by THORES)".