The Tower of Druaga (anime)

The Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk (ドルアーガの塔 〜the Aegis of URUK〜) and its sequel, The Tower of Druaga: The Sword of Uruk (ドルアーガの塔 ～the Sword of URUK～) is an anime TV series, created by Gonzo and is an animated continuation of Namco's The Tower of Druaga franchise which began as an arcade game originally released in 1984. This series is amongst the first to be officially broadcast on the internet by Gonzo simultaneously in Japanese and subtitled in English on YouTube, Crunchyroll and BOST TV.

At the 2009 New York Comic Con, Funimation announced their license for the series.

Plot
It has been eighty years since King Gilgamesh defeated "the tower" single-handedly, and now the tower is reborn again. The "Summer of Anu" is a season that comes every few years during which the powers of the monsters within the Tower wane thanks to the grace of the great god Anu. Each Summer of Anu, the armies of the Uruk Kingdom secure their strongholds within the Tower, aiming to eventually conquer the upper floors. The story begins with the third Summer of Anu. The city of Meskia is the first stronghold built on the first level of the Tower. In addition to the Uruk Army preparing for their third campaign against Druaga, innumerable adventurers called "climbers" have been drawn to Meskia by rumors of a legendary treasure believed to be hidden on the top floor of the Tower. Jil, a young guardian, has traveled to the tower and Meskia, the last safe stop on the first floor of the tower. Jil wants to gain the Blue Crystal Rod, the legendary treasure that resides on the top floor of the tower. On the top floor is the evil lord Druaga, and numerous monsters along the way.

The second season, titled The Tower of Druaga: The Sword of Uruk, picks up "half a year after" the events of the first season. With Druaga's guardian defeated, the monsters of the tower have disappeared and a period of peace and prosperity have descended upon the people. Jil and Fatina, having survived the tower's collapse, attempt to move on with their lives while still coming to terms with Neeba and Kaaya's betrayal. This all changes when they rescue a mysterious girl from a group of soldiers. They learn that this young girl, Ki, may be the key to unlocking a great secret within the tower. Armed with this knowledge and haunted by a troubling vision of the future, Jil once again prepares to climb the tower.

Characters
The Tower of Druaga focuses primarily on groups of adventurers seeking to climb the Tower of Druaga and defeat the monstrous Druaga, a god that continues to terrorize human beings even after being defeated by King Gilgamesh. Aegis of Uruk introduces Jil as the hero of the story. While he is initially part of a group consisting of his older brother, Neeba, the mage Fatina, Utu, and Kally, Jil is quickly removed from the group because of his incompetence. However, Jil is soon recruited by the oracle, Kaaya, to join her group and ascend the tower to obtain the wish granting Blue Crystal Rod. Jil's group, composed of himself, Kaaya, Ahmey, Melt, and Coopa, form the main group of the story. In addition to Neeba's group, the Royal Army led by Kelb and Ethana, the Succubus, and the spirit of Ki play secondary roles in story.

In Sword of Uruk, Jil attempts to climb the tower again in order to learn the fates of Kaaya and Neeba, who continued to ascend the tower while everyone else was swept back down to Meskia. This time, he is joined by Fatina and Utu, and several new characters, including the mage Henaro and the spirit of Ki in the form of a child. However, Jil's quest to ascend the tower is hindered by a number of groups seeking to capture Ki or prevent him from successfully reaching the top of the tower.

Music

 * Opening theme
 * "Swinging" by Muramasa☆ (The Aegis of Uruk, episodes 1-12)
 * "Questions?" by Yu Nakamura (The Sword of Uruk, episodes 1-12; the final episode does not use any opening theme)


 * Ending theme
 * "Tōchōshatachi" (塔頂者たち) by Kenn (The Aegis of Uruk, episodes 1-12)
 * "Mahōtsukai Desu Kedo" (魔法使いですけど.) by Fumiko Orikasa (The Sword of Uruk, episodes 1-11)
 * "Swinging" by Muramasa☆ (The Sword of Uruk, episode 12)

Hitoshi Sakimoto was the composer for the music heard in the anime, with Eminence Symphony Orchestra playing the pieces created by Sakimoto specifically for The Aegis of Uruk.