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‘Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV:’ 5 Things You Probably Haven’t ‘Uncovered’ From The Anime Announcement

By Asma M
Published on: 15:00 PST, Mar 31, 2016

When Square Enix raised the curtain to reveal their plans for Final Fantasy XV during their “Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV” event on March 30, the announcement of an all-new anime series was quite the prominent staple in the new Final Fantasy XV universe. Fittingly, the last time fans got to indulge in a Final Fantasy anime series was about 15 years ago with Final Fantasy Unlimited. It’s big news in its own right, but on a night featuring over 15 newsworthy revelations, it’s possible some aspects of the anime may have slipped by the curious onlooker or even the avid fan. Check out five things you might not have uncovered about the new Final Fantasy XV anime, plus watch the first episode embedded below.

1. Love anime, but don’t know the difference between a Cactuar and a Chocobo? Don’t worry. Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV is made for you.

Although many Final Fantasy fans may love the prospect of a Final Fantasy anime, the series is being made for anyone who enjoys watching a good story play out in anime form. Unlike Unlimited, which features numerous Final Fantasy references that only long-time fans would appreciate, Brotherhood starts viewers at the beginning of an adventure for four young men and shows how their strong bond of friendship is forged along the way. There’s no need to be a Final Fantasy fan or know anything about XV to enjoy the anime series.

Brotherhood is giving those who regularly watch and enjoy anime the opportunity to meet the characters diehard fans have already fallen in love with from the Episode Duscae demo. Just as the gripping story and characters of Sword Art Online has spurred many anime fans to take up reading light novels, Square Enix is looking to get more players to dive into the game when its September 30 release date comes around.

2. A1-Pictures, the studio behind hits like Sword Art Online and Persona 4: The Golden Animation, has been tapped to make Brotherhood.

Speaking of SAO, one look at the anime’s combat scenes and you might think Noctis and the gang are pulling off a Kingdom Hearts crossover moment. However, that’s not the case. Rather, the animation might seem vaguely familiar because the studio that makes Sword Art Online is also making Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV. Anime viewers will likely recognize A1-Pictures as the studio responsible for action-packed fare like Black Butler and Aldnoah.Zero. But they’re also lauded for tearjerkers like Your Lie In April and Anohana: The Flower She Saw That Day.

This isn’t A1-Pictures’ first time adapting a video game world to an animated series, either. According to IMDb, A1-Pictures has also worked with Square Enix on Gunslinger Stratos: The Animation. They’ve also made the Persona 4: The Golden Animation in partnership with Atlus and a Valkyria Chronicles anime for Sega. Plus, they currently have an Ace Attorney anime in production for Capcom that is scheduled to debut in April.

3. Despite the light Disney influence on some elements of the game’s development, the Final Fantasy XV anime is not for kids.

When addressing the press at the Uncovered: Final Fantasy press conference, Director Hajime Tabata admits the Final Fantasy XV game does have a degree of influence from the Kingdom Hearts series since several members of the development team have also worked on that franchise. Despite this “Disney influence,” it’s clear the story features some themes and situations that would likely prevent it from earning an all-ages “E” rating from the ESRB. Which means, like many anime series, Brotherhood includes some content that may not be suitable for young viewers. And as tempting as it might be for adults to stream episodes from the office, there are a few scenes with blood and violence that might be deemed mildly NSFW. Case in point, the opening scene of the first episode shows that life for Noctis is not all “sugar and rainbows,” as viewers meet the young protagonist regaining consciousness while drenched in a pool of blood.

4. Yes, it really is an original anime series that is completely free to watch. But, viewers may have a long wait between episodes.

Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV is not just an anime based off a yet-to-be-released video game; it’s an original anime series that is free for all to watch on YouTube. No pre-orders, discs, exclusive channels or subscriptions are required for viewing. Just download on demand and enjoy. However, each episode may be a bit shorter than your typical 20- to 30-minute anime episode. Brotherhood episodes only last around 10 to 15 minutes, per Square Enix, via Twitter, but some may be longer. The first of the five episode series clocks in at just under 12 minutes.

Although the series is free, viewers may have to wait a month or more for the next episode since Square Enix originally planned for episodes to air monthly. The first episode has been released as part of the Uncovered: Final Fantasy event and there’s not yet any official word on when Episode 2 will become available.

Watch Episode 1 of Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV in the video embedded below.

5. There will be bonus scenes, but they are currently exclusive to the Ultimate Collector’s Edition.

Limited to only 30,000 copies and sold only on the Square Enix Online Store, the Ultimate Collector’s Edition includes a Blu-ray disc featuring the complete Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV anime series. As an added bonus feature for those lucky enough to get one, this limited edition disc is currently the only confirmed way for fans of the anime to see the bonus scenes originally billed as a sixth episode. Square Enix has clarified via Twitter.

Does Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV sound like your kind of anime? Sound off in the comments below.

[Image courtesy of Square Enix]

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