Kerberos Panzer Jäger

Kerberos Panzer Jäger (ケルベロス 鋼鉄の猟犬, Keruberosu kōtetsu no ryōken) is a 2006 radio drama series based on a story written by Japanese filmmaker and novelist Mamoru Oshii.

Title

Kerberos Panzer Jäger, the official international title, can be translated to English as "Hellhound Tank Hunter", with "Jäger" being the German word for "hunter". "Panzer" in German can mean "armour", in this context however it is commonly used as abbreviation of "Panzerwagen" which means "armoured vehicle" = tank. In military use, the word "Panzer" always refers to tanks, so in World War II "Panzerjäger" were specially trained anti- tank units who were supposed to hunt enemy tanks down and destroy them.they were very powerful. Although the correct German spelling would be "Kerberos-Panzerjäger," ケルベロス 鋼鉄の猟犬 is Japanese for "Kerberos Steel Hunting Dog".

d="Kerberos_saga">Kerberos saga

Kerberos

Primarily, the term kerberos is a reference to Hades' three-headed watchdog of hell in the Greek mythology. It is also used to designate the Panzer Cops.

Protect-Gear

The Protect-Gear is the full body armour used by both the Kerberos Panzer Cop and Kerberos Panzer Jäger assault units. Various types are used within the saga.

Jäger

Jäger is a German military term for light infantry. There is a "Panzerjäger"- team in every squad of German infantry units. They are specially equipped with anti-tank weapons. In Kerberos Panzer Cop, the Panzer Jäger unit is part of the Ground Self-Defense Force (陸上自衛隊).

Prequel (1999)

The Kerberos Panzer Jäger characters made their first appearance in 1999, in Kerberos Panzer Cop: Conclusion's Act 5 "War Dogs".

Anime adaptation project (2009)

On late May 2006, Mamoru Oshi has officially unveiled his plan to direct an anime feature of the German Kerberos blitzkrieg narrated in Kerberos Panzer Jäger.

Since recreating such a battle is extremely ambitious, the Japanese director doesn't plan to produce his project until 2009. In order to help the dramatization of the epic battle, the movie will heavily use 3DCG.

Short bootleg (2005)

A 2005 young freelance director's short film, also based on 3DCG and similar to the Kerberos Panzer Jäger story, was showcased at the Kerberos saga radio drama series launch party as a trailer.

Story

Chronicles

Kerberos saga historical background and significant dates in both the real and fictitious History.

Prologue

The plot of Kerberos Panzer Jäger is based on the popular Kerberos saga which started in 1987 as the black and white live-action feature film The Red Spectacles.

This 2006 extension explores the European, military, origins of the Kerberos Panzer Cops, the German troopers known as Kerberos Panzer Jäger. The story is mainly set on the "Eastern Front", in East Europe, during the 1940s, with the Germans fighting the Soviets and eventually defeating them at the 1942 Battle of Stalingrad, creating a paradox and a major change in the course of History leading to the parallel world portrayed in the Kerberos saga.

Plot

In September 1942, German Captain Maki Stauffenberg, in command of the 808th Propagandakompanie (Ärmelstreifen des Heeres), leaves the Warsaw station to start his long journey into the Soviet mainland.

His duty in the Propagandakompanie sends him from one front to another, conveying up-to-date information to both military-men and civilians. But his real mission is to secretly store and transport Protect-Gears parts for the 101st Panzer Company fighting in the fierce battle of Stalingrad.

Captain Maki must journey from Warsaw to Stalingrad in an armoured train which does not even have windows, in order to maintain maximum security. If successful, his secret mission, and long travel into the Far East, might change both the tide of the battle and the course of History.

Characters

• Captain Maki Stauffenberg
• Sergeant Major Hollerbach
• Corporal Lauth
• Captain Deisler
• Major Klose
• Sergeant Beinlich
• Sergeant Kahn

Historical similarities

Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg was the German colonel who failed to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944 delivering him a bomb.

Chapters

Interview program

• 2006.04.26: Interview Part.1: Radio drama's appeal

(ラジオドラマの魅力ã‚'探る)

• 2006.04.26: Interview Part.2: Listeners questions about Kerberos Panzer Jäger

(ケルベロス鋼鉄の猟犬)ã‚'語る

• 2006.04.26: Kenji Kawai & Mamoru Oshii

(川井憲次×押井守)

Drama program

Act I: Armoured Train

(装ç"²åˆ—車編, Sōkō ressha hen)

• 2006.04.31: Vol.1: Propagandakompanie (Propaganda Company)

(宣伝中隊, Senden chūtai)

• 2006.06.28: Vol.2: Kursk

(クルスク, Kurusuku)

• 2006.07.26: Vol.3: Kriegspferd (Charger)

(軍馬, Gunba)

Act II: Panzer Jäger

(装ç"²çŒŸå…µ, Sōkō ryoÅ« hei)

• 2006.08.30: Vol.1: Die Langen Kerle Potsdam (Potsdam Giant Guards)

(ポツダムの巨人兵, Potsudamu no kyojin hei)

• 2006.09.27: Vol.2: Die Dritte Armee (The Third Army)

(第三の軍隊, Daisan no gunntai)

Act III: Blitzkrieg

(é›»æ'ƒæˆ¦, Dengeki sen)

• 2006.11.10: Vol.1: Blumenkrieg (Flowery War)

(花の戦争, Hana no sennsou)

• 2006.11.24: Vol.2: Westaufklärung (Study of the West)

(西方ç "究, Seihō kenkyu)

Act IV: Barbarossa

(バルバロッサ, barubarossa)

• 2007.01.12: Vol.1: Säuberung (Purge)

(粛清, Syukusei)

Licensed products

Books

• 2007.04: Kerberos Panzer Jäger Official Guide Book (official guide book)

Japanese text, Mamoru Oshii, Barque, 32p.

Production

Cast

• Yoshiko Sakakibara: Cpt. Maki Stauffenberg (マキ・シュタウフェンヴェルク大尉)
• Michihiro Ikemizu: Sgt. Major Hollerbach (ホラーバッハ曹長)
• Yuya Uchida: Cpl. Lauth (ラウト伍長)
• Masashi Ebara: Cpt. Deisler (ダイスラー大尉)
• Ikuya Sawaki: Mjr. Klose (クローゼå°'佐)
• Tetsuo Goto: Sgt. Beinlich (バインリãƒ'軍曹)
• Otoya Kawano Sgt. Kahn (カーン軍曹)

Production staff

• Original story / Scenario / Director: Mamoru Oshii
• Music: Kenji Kawai
• Sound director: Kazuhiro Wakabayashi
• Recording: 宮澤二郎
• Effects: 伊藤é"広 (Soundring)
• 音楽制作: 安ç"°çŽ²å­ /　仲野智子　/ 奥澤麻ç"±ç¾Ž /　大久保絵美 (Aube Inc.)
• 音響制作担å½": 好永伸恵
• 音響制作: フォニシア
• 録音Studio: Tokyo TV Center
• Supervisor: 小泉聰

Recording staff

• Recording Engineer: Kitagawa Teruaki /　Kyouhei Fukushiro
• Strings: 内ç"°è¼ Group　
• A.Piano: Tohru Shigemi
• Keyboards: Kenji Kawai
• Recording studio: 一口坂 Studio /　Aube Studio /　i@ Recording Studio
• Assistant Engineer: 山本篤士 /　中ç"°æ­¦å£« /　菊地å'Œå­ (一口坂 Studio) / 長谷部智子 (Aube Studio) / 見留ç"±ç´€ (i@ Recording Studio)

Musical theme

• Die Antwort ("the answer"):

Composer:　Paolo Bozzola

Arrangement:　Kenji Kawai

Vocal:　Akane Kawabe

See also

• Battle of Stalingrad
• Operation Barbarossa
• Battle of Kursk

Notes

The surnames of the German soldiers seem to be taken from professional soccer players Bernd Hollerbach, Benjamin Lauth, Sebastian Deisler, Miroslav Klose, Stefan Beinlich and Oliver Kahn.

Sources

• Kerberos Panzer Jäger official website (Japanese)
• Kerberos Panzer Jäger@Raiden Kinema channel 2 (kinema) (Japanese)
• Kerberos Panzer Jäger@Raiden Kinema channel 9 (archives) (Japanese)
• Mamoru Oshii's official website (Japanese)
• Kenji Kawai's official website (Japanese/English)
• JOQR Radio (Japanese)
• Images of the Last Battalion@Digital Frontier Grand Prix 2005 (Japanese)
• DCAJ Digital Contents Association of Japan (Japanese/English)
• Digital Hollywood (Japanese)
• Axis Animation (English)
• Watch Impress (Japanese)

External links

• Keruberosu Koutetsu No Ryōken Gaisetsu Wiki (Japanese)
• Kerberos saga official website (Japanese)