“Estab Life” (エスタブライフ, Esutabu Raifu) stands as a multifaceted initiative from Japan, devised by Gorō Taniguchi. It encompasses an anime series called Estab Life: Great Escape, produced by Polygon Pictures, which aired on Fuji TV’s +Ultra block from April to June 2022. Additionally, a Polygon Pictures anime film titled Bloody Escape: Jigoku no Tōsō Geki debuted in January 2024. Square Enix has also announced the development of a mobile game titled Estab Life: Unity Memories.
CHARACTERS
- Equa (エクア, Ekua), voiced by Tomomi Mineuchi (Japanese) and Julie Shields (English), leads the Escape Shop Extractors, aiding clients in escaping heavily guarded clusters while managing Cafe Vostok and attending Ochanomizu cluster school.
- Feles (フェレス, Feresu), voiced by Rie Takahashi (Japanese) and Alexis Tipton (English), is a “Gun Wizard” in the Escape Shop Extractors, skilled in bullet manipulation spells and proficient with guns.
- Martes (マルテース, Marutēsu), voiced by Maria Naganawa (Japanese) and Sarah Wiedenheft (English), is a humanoid slime girl within the Extractors, displaying affection for Equa and composed of multiple slime lifeforms.
- Alga (アルガ, Aruga), voiced by Show Hayami (Japanese) and Anthony Bowling (English), is the technical support robot of the Extractors.
- Ulula (ウルラ), voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki (Japanese) and Cris George (English), a wolf beastman skilled in close combat, communicates through growls and barks.
- Characters from Estab Life: Unity Memories include Ashley (アッシュ, Asshu), voiced by Gakuto Kajiwara, Herbert (ハーバート, Hābāto), voiced by Toshiyuki Toyonaga, and others like Charles (チャールズ, Chāruzu), Occa (オウカ, Ōka), Kokuto (コクトウ, Kokutou), Mithril (ミスリル, Misuriru), Fel (フェル, Feru), Sidden (シデン, Shiden), Hajun Shogun (波旬将軍, Hajun Shōgun), and Prime Minister Akimori (秋森首相, Akimori Shushō).
- Characters from Bloody Escape: Jigoku no Tōsō Geki include Kelvin (キサラギ, Kisaragi), voiced by Yūki Ono, Loretta (ルナルゥ, Runarū), voiced by Reina Ueda, Cruz (クルス, Kurusu), voiced by Soma Saito, Jimmy (ジャミ, Jami), voiced by Yuma Uchida, Lalac (ララック, Rarakku), voiced by Satsuki Yukino, Nonoc (ノノック, Nonokku), voiced by Masayo Kurata, Zanza (ザンザ), voiced by Jun Fukuyama, Zesh (ゼッシュ, Zesshu), voiced by Ryōtarō Okiayu, and Yaohachi (ヤオハチ), voiced by Kazuhiro Nakaya.
STORYLINE
The narrative unfolds in a distant future marked by dwindling global populations, where the H.D.E.D. (Human Diversity Experimental Department), overseen by ecosystem management AI, strives for species proliferation. Amidst this backdrop, a myriad of beings including humans, beasts, demons, and cyborgs have emerged. These diverse entities coexist within designated zones termed “clusters,” each enclosed by towering walls. Within these clusters, distinct cultures, norms, and values have taken root, shaping the fabric of society. Tonkyork Metropolis and Chicagosaka, amalgamating New York City with Tokyo and Chicago with Osaka respectively, stand as experimental urban hubs partitioned by clusters. Under the watchful gaze of AI surveillance, inhabitants find their movements restricted, rendering free passage a thing of the past.
