IS <Infinite Stratos> (IS〈インフィニット・ストラトス〉 IS <Infinitto Sutoratosu>) is a Japanese light novel series by Izuru Yumizuru with illustrations provided by Okiura. As of April 2011, 7 volumes have been published by Media Factory under their MF Bunko J label. A manga adaptation by Kenji Akahoshi started serialization in the seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Alive on May 27, 2010. An anime adaptation aired in Japan from January 6 to March 31, 2011, and an OVA was released on December 7, 2011. The anime is licensed by Sentai Filmworks in North America, and are planning to release the series in April 2012.
Plot
In the near future, a Japanese scientist engineers a powered exoskeleton called "Infinite Stratos" (IS). Possessing technology and combat capabilities far more advanced than any other weapon system, the IS threatens to destabilize the world. Faced with such an overpowering weapon, the nations of the world enact the "Alaska Treaty", which states that IS will never be used for military combat and that existing IS technology must be equally distributed to all nations, to prevent any one nation from dominating the others. The introduction of the IS does, however, have a major effect on society. As IS can only be operated by women, there is a shift in the power balance between men and women, where women now dominate society over men.Ten years after IS was initially introduced, the world has entered a new age of peace. The peace is shattered, however, by an unexpected discovery. A 15 year-old Japanese boy, Ichika Orimura, is discovered to be capable of operating an IS. Realizing the potential, Ichika is forced by the Japanese government to attend the prestigious Infinite Stratos Academy, an international academy where IS pilots from all over the world are trained. Thus his busy high school life surrounded by nothing but girls who can use IS begins.
Characters
Main characters
- Ichika Orimura (織斑 一夏 Orimura Ichika)
- Voiced by: Kōki Uchiyama (Japanese), Josh Grelle (English)
- The protagonist of Infinite Stratos. He is a first year student at the IS Academy. His older sister, Chifuyu, is a legendary IS pilot who raised him when the siblings' parents abandoned them at a young age. Despite how harshly she treats him, he loves his sister dearly. As the first male IS pilot, his new reputation has made him somewhat famous as many scientists and engineers would like to study him. He is oblivious to the fact that some of his female friends have feelings for him. He pilots the Byakushiki (白式, lit. White Expressions) IS,[1] a prototype, one of only two developed 4th generation IS and a short-range melee-class IS. He also possesses the Yukihira Type 2 (雪片弐型 Yukihira Nigata), an upgraded version of the IS energy blade that once belonged to his sister's machine, and Core Number 001, the very first IS core.
- Later on, Byakushiki undergoes Second Shift shortly after Houki acquires her personal unit, Akatsubaki. In the resulting Second Shift form, named Byakushiki Setsura (白式雪羅), it is equipped with a multi-purpose unit (named Setsura, for which the form is named after), which has multiple functions including a large caliber charged particle cannon, an energy claw for close-quarters combat, and an energy shield with One Off attribute. In its Second Shift, Byakushiki also gains an increase in mobility through the addition of 4 large wing thrusters, enabling it to execute Double Ignition Boost.[volume & issue needed] In this Second Shift form, it is the best IS ever made along with Houki's Akatsubaki.
- Houki Shinonono (篠ノ之 箒 Shinonono Hōki)
- Voiced by: Yōko Hikasa (Japanese), Monica Rial (English)
- Houki is a first year student at the IS Academy and Ichika's childhood friend, though they have not seen each other for six years.[2] She has a very long ponytail.[3] Her place of residence is home to a kendo dojo and she has been interested in kendo since she was young. Houki even competes in kendo competitions at a national level, and was the winner of the national tournament that was hosted one year before the story of Infinite Stratos began.[4] She is part of the kendo club at the IS academy. Her older sister, Tabane Shinonono, is the creator of the IS, though their relationship is strained. Six years ago, Ichika agreed to become her boyfriend if she could win the national kendo tournament of their grade. However, the day of the tournament was also the day the IS was introduced to the world. Due to the familal links to Tabane, Houki's family was placed under government protection and Houki was forced to withdraw from the kendo tournament. Since that incident, Houki has hated her sister for moving her away from the boy she loves and abandoning their family.
- Despite not seeing him for a long time, Houki still harbors strong feelings for Ichika, as her continuing practice of kendo was her only link to him. She was his initial roommate prior to Charles's (and later Sarashiki's) arrival, and tends to get jealous when other girls are around him. Originally not possessing a personal IS, in Volume 4 she receives and pilots the Akatsubaki (紅椿, lit. Red Camellia) IS, one of only two developed 4th generation IS and a short-range melee-class IS, armed with twin katana named Amatsuki (雨月, "Rainy Moon") and Karaware (空裂, "Cracked Sky"). The Akatsubaki has a one-off ability called Kenran Butō (絢爛舞踏, "Magnificent Dance"), which allows Houki to replenish both her own and other IS's energy when she comes in contact with them. However, because she is still unskilled as a pilot and her compatibility with the IS is only at grade C, she is still considered to be on the same level of the other girls. As of Volume 7, her compatibility has been increased to grade S.
- Cecilia Alcott (セシリア・オルコット Seshiria Orukotto)
- Voiced by: Yukana (Japanese), Brittney Karbowski (English)
- Cecilia is a first year student at the IS Academy and is an IS Cadet Representative of England, as part of the British Aristocracy. Her father was a spoiled and timid man who had little influence both inside and outside the Alcott family which made her swore to never marry a weak man (A difficulty due to the shift in social status). She was lost both of her parents at the age of 12 after a deadly train accident, and she was forced to protect her family fortune from those who wished to claim a stake of it. After showing high IS aptitude, she makes a deal with the British government, who, in exchange for protecting her family's assets, wants her to go to the IS Academy as a Cadet Representative to gather data for their latest 3rd generation model. She was almost defeated by Ichika for the position of class representative but won due to a technicality, but later cedes her position to Ichika. She soon starts to see him as a true man and falls in love with him. She pilots the Blue Tears (ブルー・ティアーズ Burū Tiāzu) IS, a long-range sniper-class IS, which can deploy four remotely controlled "drones" (aka "Blue Tears", for which the IS is named) for engaging enemies at short and medium range. The Blue Tears IS is also equipped with the Starlight Mark III (スターライトmkIII Sutāraito Māku Surī), a large laser rifle, and Interceptor (インターセプター Intāseputā), a short blade used for close-range combat. In the anime, Blue Tears is shown to also have a pair of rocket launchers attached to the hips, in place of two other Blue Tears shown in the light novels, used at close to long-range on different occasions.
- Huang Lingyin (凰 鈴音 Fan Rin'in)
- Voiced by: Asami Shimoda (Japanese), Hilary Haag (English)
- Lingyin is a first year student at the IS Academy, the class representative of her class and is an IS Cadet Representative of China. Like Houki, Lingyin has been friends with Ichika since they were little. She has been in love with Ichika since he protected her against four school bullies. Lingyin at first becomes extremely hostile to Ichika after he forgets the details of a promise they made as kids (which was if she became an excellent cook, he would be her boyfriend). She is also called "Ling" (鈴 Rin) as a pet name by others. Her family ran a Chinese restaurant that Ichika would often eat at before Ling's parents divorced and she moved back to China. She pilots the Shenlong (甲龍 Shenron/Kōryū) IS, a short-to-medium-range melee-type IS with powerful "Impact Cannons" hidden in the shoulder armor. It is also armed with the Sōten Gagetsu (双天牙月), a pair of liuyedao that can be connected to form a naginata-like weapon.
- Charlotte Dunois (シャルロット・デュノア Sharurotto Dyunoa)
- Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa (Japanese), Shannon Emerick (English)
- Charlotte is a first year student at the IS Academy and is an IS Cadet Representative of France. Charlotte was originally introduced in the series as "Charles", the second "male" IS pilot student that was transferred into Ichika's class. Charlotte's true purpose at the academy, however, was to spy on Ichika, discover how he is able to pilot an IS and acquire data from his IS (which at the time was considered the most advanced 3rd-generation unit). Because she enrolls as a male IS pilot, she is paired with Ichika as roommates since they are "both" guys. As a result of this arrangement, Ichika later discovers her true gender. When Ichika learns Charlotte's father and his corporation used her to spy on him, Ichika decides to help protect her. She later falls in love with Ichika due to his bravery. She pilots the Raphael-Revive Custom II (ラファール・リヴァイヴ・カスタムII Rafāru Revaivu Kasutamu Tsū) IS, a 2nd-generation custom multi-range IS possessing a wide array of interchangeable weapons allowing for fast battlefield adaptation and capable of performing the Ignition Boost. Her weapons, once called upon, can be used by another IS pilot as long as she grants permission. Due to her training to make her a convincing male prior to her entry to the IS Academy, Charlotte uses "boku" (the male equivalent of "I") when referring to herself. Following the Silver Gospel Incident in later novels, Charlotte becomes Laura's roommate.
- Laura Bodewig (ラウラ・ボーデヴィッヒ Raura Bōdevihhi)
- Voiced by: Marina Inoue (Japanese), Tiffany Grant (English)
- Laura is a first year student at the IS Academy and is an IS Cadet Representative of Germany. A genetically engineered super-soldier, Laura is the commander of the German IS special forces, Schwarzer Hase (シュヴァルツェア・ハーゼ Shuvarutsea Hāze, German for "Black Rabbit"). She has red eyes and long silver hair, her most distinct feature being a black eye patch covering her left eye. Her left eye glows yellow, the result of a failed nano-machine experiment that was meant to help her pilot an IS better. Laura was under Chifuyu's tutelage when the latter was an instructor for the German army following the 2nd Mondo Grosso, and holds Chifuyu in high regard as Chifuyu helped her and was her role model when she suffered a depression for not being the strongest.[5] It should be noted that her current name is actually a code name given to her by the German military and her real name remains unknown.
- Laura's original purpose for coming to the IS Academy was to punish Ichika, who she blames for his sister withdrawing from the 2nd IS International Fighting Tournament. She was unaware that Ichika has been kidnapped and that Chifuyu had withdrawn in order to go save him. She at first easily defeats Ling and Cecilia but struggles against the team play of Ichika and Charlotte and is beaten by Charlotte during the class tournament. In desperation, the dormant VT-System within her activates, causing her to go berserk, defeating both Charlotte and Ichika. She is then stopped by Ichika who also calms and console her in the Inter-IS subspace. After consoling her in the subspace, she realizes what Chifuyu sees in him and falls in love with him. Upon learning Ichika's strength is his freedom to choose and helping those around him and Chifuyu's advice, Laura decides to become Ichika's bodyguard to protect him against the other girls by kissing him in front of his class, declaring Ichika will be her wife (a misunderstanding of her knowledge of Japanese culture) and she won't accept any objections. She later becomes Charlotte's roommate in later novels following the Silver Gospel incident.
- Laura pilots the Schwarzer Regen (「シュヴァルツェア・レーゲン Shuvarutsea Rēgen, German for "Black Rain") IS, a medium-to-long-range artillery-type IS. The Schwarzer Regen possess several remotely guided tethers, which Laura uses to capture and restrain her opponents while she attacks them with her slow, but extremely powerful rail gun. The Schwarzer Regen also possesses an "Active Inertial Canceller", which can be used to stop the movements of any object within its range. While a very powerful defense, the canceller can only be used against one target at a time.
IS Academy staff
- Chifuyu Orimura (織斑 千冬 Orimura Chifuyu)
- Voiced by: Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese), Luci Christian (English)
- Chifuyu is Ichika's 24 year-old older sister, and is in charge of the latter's class at the IS Academy. She was the Japanese pilot for the first-generation IS machines and was said to be the strongest IS pilot at one point before retiring. During her retirement, she looked after her brother and raised him by herself after their parents abandoned them. She deeply cares for Ichika as she sees him as her only family. Chifuyu was also the one who enrolled Ichika to the IS Academy to keep him safe from other countries. Chifuyu once wielded Yukihira, a powerful IS energy blade that is now in Ichika's possession. Chifuyu was a close friend of Tabane Shinonono, the creator of the IS, which explains how their younger siblings became childhood friends. She is also heavily implied to be the pilot of the "White Knight" (白騎士 Shirokishi)–an IS that protected Japan 10 years prior to the series–by Tabane.
- Maya Yamada (山田 真耶 Yamada Maya)
- Voiced by: Noriko Shitaya (Japanese), Cynthia Martinez (English)
- Maya is the other instructor in charge of Ichika's class, possessing a noticably large bust. She used to be an IS Representative Cadet of Japan. In the anime, this former status of hers is very apparent, as she was able to defeat both Cecilia and Lingyin single-handedly by using a mass-produced Raphael Revive IS in a training exercise.
Other characters
- Tabane Shinonono (篠ノ之 束 Shinonono Tabane)
- Voiced by: Yukari Tamura (Japanese), Allison Keith (English)
- Tabane is Houki's older sister and the creator of the IS. She mysteriously disappeared after introducing the IS technology, and is currently the most wanted person in the world as many seek her for her knowledge about it. She is a close friend of Chifuyu, Ichika's older sister. Houki resents being related to her due to what happened to their family and Ichika 6 years ago and has hated her since. Despite her intelligence, she is rather eccentric and acts childishly, much to the chargin of those who know her. She has a thing for rabbits, hence the metal bunny ears on her head and the carrot pod she arrived in to give Houki her IS.
- Dan Gotanda (五反田 弾 Gotanda Dan)
- Voiced by: Makoto Yasumura (Japanese), Chris Ayres (English)
- Dan is a close friend of Ichika's back from their days in middle school.
- Ran Gotanda (五反田 蘭 Gotanda Ran)
- Voiced by: Noriko Obato (Japanese), Luci Christian (English)
- Ran is Dan's younger sister and is currently attending a private girls' school. She is in her third year of middle school and is the student council president. Ran apparently has feelings for Ichika.[6]
- Clarissa Harfouch (クラリッサ・ハルフォーフ Kurarissa Harufōfu)
- Voiced by: Kei Mizusawa
- Laura's comrade and the deputy commander of the Schwarzer Hase special forces. Like Laura, she, too, wears an eyepatch. Clarissa is also an Otaku and teaches Laura about Japanese culture through anime and manga, which is not very accurate. She is the pilot of the Schwarzer Zweig (シュヴァルツェア・ツヴァイク Shuvarutsea Tsuvaiku, German for "Black Branch") IS.
- Natasha Fairs (ナターシャ・ファイルス Natāsha Fairusu)
- The IS Representative Cadet of the United States. In the novels, she was the test pilot for the Silver Gospel (銀の福音（シルバリオ・ゴスペル） Shirubario Gosuperu), an IS co-built with Israel, before she loses control of it when it goes berserk. It is only when the intervention by Ichika and the rest of his comrades are they able to stop the Silver Gospel. As gratitude for saving her life, Natasha kisses Ichika on the cheek as thanks, much to the anger of the girls. She does not appear in the anime, as the Silver Gospel is an unmanned IS.
- Tatenashi Sarashiki (更識 楯無 Sarashiki Tatenashi)
- The Student Council President of the IS Academy. She is the most powerful IS pilot in the Academy, as the position of Student Council President is only given to the strongest IS Academy student. In the novel, she is assigned to protect Ichika after the Silver Gospel incident and used her position of president to become Ichika's roommate. She is the 17th leader of the Sarashiki Family and the IS Representative of Russia. She is the pilot of the Mysterious Lady (ミステリアス・レイディ Misuteriasu Redi) IS. She has a younger sister named Kanzashi Sarashiki, who is the complete opposite of her.
Terminology
- Infinite Stratos (インフィニット・ストラトス Infinitto Stratosu)
- Abbreviated as IS, IS are powered exoskeleton's which possess advanced technology and combat capabilities. Originally designed for outer space exploration, it has now become the new mainstream weapon of the world. The IS are further divided into training and personal units.
- Uchigane (打鉄)
- A Training IS to train IS Academy students in how to use an IS. Its settings remain the same despite the user.
- Personal IS
- Special IS units that "bond" and change to fit with the user's specifications. Originally harder to use in their default settings but once formatted to their users, they become like an extension of the users themselves. Personal IS units' abilities far surpass those of the Training IS units, boasting greater output in firepower, speed and maneuverability, etc. Personal IS units are currently divided into four generations, with each generation surpassing the previous in terms of overall specifications.
- IS Cores
- The Black box of an IS that allows it to function. Because only 467 Cores were created, most of them are shared by the world's governments where only a few IS pilots, who work under certain organizations and large corporations, possess their own personal IS.
- Mondo Grosso (モンド・グロッソ Mondo Gurosso)
- The IS International Fighting Tournament that is held every three years. The first tournament winner was Chifuyu, while the latest tournament winner was the Italian IS, Tempest.
- Absolute Defense
- An energy shield that surrounds an IS user whenever a direct attack is made to the user's own body instead of the IS. It consumes a lot of energy and in return protects the user's body during matches. IS matches usually end when the energy reserved for the shield is depleted.
- Impact Cannon
- A cannon that compresses space and fires it as a bullet. Its specialty is that both the barrel and bullet are invisible to the naked eye. It is the special weapon of the Shenlong IS, and is also known as the Dragon's Cannon (龍咆 Ryūhō).
- Ignition Boost
- A speed burst that allows an IS pilot to travel at top speed for a moment and close in or escape from an opponent. There is also an advanced version called "Double Ignition Boost".
- A.I.C.
- Short for Active Inertial Canceller (アクティブ・イナーシャル・キャンセラー Akutibu Ināsharu Kyanserā). A system designed to negate the inertia of a moving mass. In simple terms, it stops the movement of any object the user wishes. It is the special weapon of the Schwarzer Regen IS. Its weakness is that its range of effect depends on the total area its user can concentrate on; in other words, it is weak against multiple foes.
- Valkyrie Trace System (ヴァルキュリー・トレース・システム Varukyarī Torēsu Shisutemu)
- Also known as the VT System, it is a program developed to increase the performance of the IS by mimicking the former winners of Mondo Grosso. Due to various reasons including pilot safety, the research, development, and application of this system is strictly banned by the IS Treaty.
Media
Light novels
Infinite Stratos began as a light novel series written by Izuru Yumizuru, with illustrations provided by Okiura.[7] The first volume was published by Media Factory under their MF Bunko J label on May 31, 2009. As of April 8, 2011, seven volumes have been released.[8]The light novels are being translated into traditional Chinese and the first volume was published and released by Sharp Point Press[9] on November 9, 2010. The Chinese translations of the light novels were originally under an indefinite suspension.[10] Yumizuru cited that Media Factory's overseas representatives were engaging in contracts with foreign publishers without the author's permission as the reason for the suspension.[10] Yumizuru had also stated that he was willing to fight over this matter in court if necessary.
Volumes list
| No. | Release date | ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | May 25, 2009[11] | ISBN 978-4-8401-2788-2 | |
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| 02 | August 25, 2009[12] | ISBN 978-4-8401-2870-4 | |
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| 03 | December 25, 2009[13] | ISBN 978-4-8401-3086-8 | |
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| 04 | March 25, 2010[14] | ISBN 978-4-8401-3179-7 | |
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| 05 | June 25, 2010[15] | ISBN 978-4-8401-3428-6 | |
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| 06 | December 24, 2010[16] | ISBN 978-4-8401-3516-0 | |
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| 07 | April 8, 2011 [8] | ISBN 978-4-8401-3856-7 | |
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Manga
A manga adaptation by Kenji Akahoshi began serialization in the seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Alive on May 27, 2010, its July 2010 issue. The first tankōbon was released on December 22, 2010,[7] the second tankōbon was released on March 23, 2011, and the third tankōbon was released on September 22, 2011.Internet radio
An Internet radio show named Radio IS, produced by Super A&G+, aired from January 1 to March 26, 2011.[17] The show was hosted by Yōko Hikasa, the voice actor of Houki Shinonono, and Asami Shimoda, the voice actor of Huang Lingyin. The first episode was available in the listening archives for three weeks, whereas subsequent episodes were available for two weeks.[17] A second radio show, called Radio IS Overtime (RADIO IS 延長戦 Rajio IS Enchōsen) began airing on April 9, 2011, and aired four biweekly episodes until May 21, 2011.Anime
See also: List of IS (Infinite Stratos) episodes
An anime adaptation for Infinite Stratos was first announced on June 21, 2010,[18] and its official website opening on August 8, 2010.[19] The adaptation is directed by Yasuhito Kikuchi who also directed Macross Frontier[20] with 8-Bit, who also handled Macross Frontier,[20] animating the adaptation.[21] The character designer and chief animation director of the anime is Takeyasu Kurashima and the mecha designer is Takeshi Takakura.[21] The script was handled by Atsuhiro Tomioka, Chinatsu Hōjō, and Fumihiko Shimo.[21] Shimo will also be handling the series' composition.[21] The anime aired in Japan between January 6 to March 31, 2011 on TBS, with subsequent runs on Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting, Sun Television, KBS, and BS-i. Six DVD and Blu-ray volumes will be released by Media Factory between March 30 and September 21, 2011.[22] An OVA, entitled IS <Infinite Stratos> Encore: A Sextet Yearning for Love (IS＜インフィニット・ストラトス＞アンコール 『恋に焦がれる六重奏』 IS <Infinitto Sutoratosu> Ankōru: Koi ni Kogareru Rokujūsō), was released in Japan on DVD and Blu-ray on December 7, 2011.[23]The anime is licensed in North America by Sentai Filmworks,[24] with simulcasts provided by Anime Network on its video website. Section23 Films will release the series and the OVA with an English dub (produced by Seraphim Digital) on DVD and Blu-ray on April 10, 2012
Music
The anime's soundtrack is composed by Hikaru Nanase.[21] The opening theme song for the anime is "Straight Jet", performed by Minami Kuribayashi.[26] The ending theme song is "Super∞Stream", with the first episode version sung by Yōko Hikasa, the second and third episode version sung by Hikasa and Yukana, the fourth and fifth episode version sung by Hikasa, Yukana and Asami Shimoda, the sixth and seventh episode version sung by Hikasa, Yukana, Shimoda and Kana Hanazawa and the final version for the rest of episodes sung by Hikasa, Yukana, Shimoda, Hanazawa and Marina Inoue.[26] Each version of the song reflects the voice actresses' character who is running with Ichika in the episodes' ending credits. The CD single for "Straight Jet" was released on January 26, 2011, and the CD single for "Super∞Stream" was released on February 16, 2011.[26] Both singles are published under the Lantis label.[26] For the OVA, the ending theme is "Best Partner" (ベストパートナー Besuto Pātonā) by Yōko Hikasa.Reception
The light novels have collectively sold 1.2 million copies to date.[27]The opening theme of the anime adaptation, "Straight Jet", reached No. 16,[28] and the ending theme, "Super∞Stream", reached No. 10 on the Oricon charts.[29]
The Blu-ray disc release of its first volume sold around 22,000 copies in its first week, becoming only the sixth-ever first volume of any television anime series to reach number 1 on Oricon's Blu-ray Disc weekly overall sales chart
| IS <Infinite Stratos> | |
 Cover of IS <Infinite Stratos> Volume 1 as published by Media Factory featuring Houki Shinonono | |
| IS〈インフィニット・ストラトス〉 (IS <Infinitto Sutoratosu>) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Science fiction, Romance, Comedy, Harem |
| Light novel | |
| Written by | Izuru Yumizuru |
| Illustrated by | Okiura |
| Published by | Media Factory |
| Demographic | Male |
| Imprint | MF Bunko J |
| Original run | May 31, 2009 – ongoing |
| Volumes | 7 |
| Manga | |
| Illustrated by | Kenji Akahoshi |
| Published by | Media Factory |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Magazine | Monthly Comic Alive |
| Original run | May 27, 2010 – ongoing |
| Volumes | 3 |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Yasuhito Kikuchi |
| Written by | Fukihiko Shimo |
| Music by | Hikaru Nanase |
| Studio | 8-Bit |
| Licensed by |   Sentai Filmworks |
| Network | TBS, Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting, Sun Television, KBS Kyoto, BS-i |
| English network | Anime Network |
| Original run | January 6, 2011 – March 31, 2011 |
| Episodes | 12 |
| Anime | |
| IS <Infinite Stratos> Encore: A Sextet Yearning for Love | |
| Directed by | Yasuhito Kikuchi |
| Written by | Fukihiko Shimo |
| Music by | Hikaru Nanase |
| Studio | 8-Bit |
| Licensed by | Sentai Filmworks |
| Released | December 7, 2011 |
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