Here are a couple pages from the World Inside book. As you can see, these pages are heavily watermarked. This was intentional. Please do not ask for unwatermarked or raw scans. Please purchase the Drakengard 10th Anniversary Box Set if you’d like to have a clean copy of the book.

Let the forbidden visualisation begin.
Special Project 2

Drag-on Dragoon X Nier Replicant
Theatrical Animation TrilogyProduction Hard at Work!

Let the whole world hear the good news! Word that an animated version of “DOD1”, “DOD2”, and “Nier Replicant” to commemorate the 10th Anniversary has been confirmed!

Full speed ahead with the first segment of the animation process with character designs and storyboards! 

* Illustrations by Yamamoto Mika / Yakou Hiroshi

First off, let’s introduce the illustrators. Mika Yamamoto (“Sengoku Basara” series, “Tiger&Bunny”, etc.) is in charge of the main character designs with the powerful Hiroshi Yakou (“Waiting in the Summer”, “A Certain Scientific Railgun”, etc.) as art director. Even some original scenes concerning the past that never made it into the previous games will be animated this time around. If you only knew the details of the animated version, your anticipation for it would be insatiable!

CAIM

The main character in DOD1. He used to be the prince but has since lost both his kingdom and his parents. In order to exact his revenge by channeling his vengeance into great power and strength, he enters into a contract with the Red Dragon. 

(Top right): This is a happy, 15 year old version of Caim, the prince of Caerleon. He shares the same bracelet with his sister, Furiae. After his parents are brutally murdered by the Black Dragon and his sister taken, his smile is lost forever…

ANGEL / ANGELUS

After being captured by the Empire’s forces, the Red Dragon forges a contract with Caim while they are both critically injured. We hope you look forward to the spectacular image of the dragon with its great wings streaking across the sky.

FURIAE

Caim’s little sister. When she is chosen as the next Goddess, she is forced to give up her body for the future stability of the world. Since then, she rarely shows any outward feelings, however she cannot suppress the love she has for her brother, which eventually drives her to madness.

INUART

A childhood friend of Caim and Furiae. He was once betrothed to Furiae. Although he loves both Furiae and singing more than anything in the world, he decides to defile them by entering into a pact with the Black Dragon when he believes he has been betrayed by this love. 

VERDELET

The High Priest in charge of caring for the Goddess. After making a pact with a petrified dragon, he loses all hair on his body. The illustrations for the anime depict him with gorgeous locks of hair, broad shoulders, and eyelashes!

NOWE

The main character in DOD2. He can understand the language of dragons since he was raised by the black dragon Legna. Although he was among the Knights of the Seal, who are sworn to protect the Goddess, once he met the saintly Manah, his destiny was forever altered.

LEGNA

A black dragon, once the pact partner with Inuart. He took Nowe under his wing and raised him like his own son.

URICK

Once a member of the Knights of the Seal and a sort of big brother figure to Nowe. Due to a certain event, he entered into a pact with the Reaper and has thusly obtained an immortal body. Since then, he has hidden his face under a mask.

ERIS

A member of the Knights of the Seal and childhood friend of Nowe. Witnessing him slowly change after meeting Manah, an intense flame of uncontrollable envy ignites within her.

EXPERIMENTAL WEAPON No7

Utilizing massively powerful magic, he is exactly what the name implies: an experimental weapon. With a purely skeletal body, he cares very deeply for Nier as he tags along on his journey. He doesn’t walk upon the ground like other characters but rather levitates in mid-air.

NIER

Lives alone with his younger sister in a village known for its extensive library. In order to care for his weak sister, he hunts Shades and even sells his own body. His hatred for the Shades increases over time as his sister and the other villagers suffer at their hands.

KAINE

A warrior living on the outskirts of a village built among steep cliffs. As a foul-mouthed, violent hermaphrodite dressed only in light undergarments, she is detested by the villagers. A decorative flower, the Lunar Tear, is her prized possession.

YONAH

Nier’s younger sister. Although she suffers from an severe illness, she is still innocently positive and bright. She absolutely adores her brother. Even after contracting the strange “Black Scrawl Disease”, she continues to put on a brave face for him.

FURIAE AND INUART (Storyboard) – Ending B
Cut 326, 327, 328
Senario Script, p. 174

The game had multiple endings, one in which depicts Furiae stretching out her hand in which to touch Inuart’s stomach. Among these depicts Ending B in which Furiae stabs Inuart through the chest with her tentacles. Perhaps the anime version will also feature multiple endings?

FURIAE’S SUICIDE (Storyboard)
Cut 125, 126, 127, 128
Senario Script, p. 135

Manah:  I broke the seal. Now she’s useless.
Caim:  ……!
Manah:  The Watchers laughed. The Watchers laugh. la la la la la

Caim witnesses Furiae commit suicide as she stabs herself in the chest with a large knife. Manah’s insanity reaches its peek as she looks upon the tragedy just as brother and sister are finally reunited and smiles. Perhaps the next scene to the right is of her dancing in circles……?

DANCING MANAH (Genga)
A3, A7, A8, A9

Manah became the leader of the “Cult of Watchers”. The scene in which Manah spins and spins in her mad dance is a scene that really lets the player feel the insanity in the moment. This is also a must see in the anime version as well, with all the flower petals blown softly in the air as Manah dances and dances, spins and spins.

MEMORIES OF AGE 15 (Layout)
Opening Sequence, Cut 5
Background: Road
Time: 3 Seconds

We come to realize that before Furiae became the Goddess of the Seal, the Kingdom of Caerleon was a calm and peaceful place. These few images depict the royal family’s precious past of true innocence. Who, either Caim or Inuart, would be the one to catch Furiae as she trips?

NOWE – RAID (Genga)
A* B1, A* B3, B4, B6, B7, B8, B9 

Nowe jumps from the back of the Black Dragon Legna from high in the air to plunge upon enemies on the ground! The shot is filled with his swinging sword and and his eyes. But the close up of his eyes shows his rather inhuman pupils that actually resemble that of a dragon……  This is the hidden truth to the boy who was raised by the Black Dragon.  For those who are familiar with the story, you should recognize this particular scene which only lasts a few seconds.

ERIS AND GISMORE (Genga)
A*, B1, A* B2, A* B3, Ba (in-between), A* B6 

(Note: the “in-between” images are generally added after the original set of genga are drawn to flesh out the scene)

This is the moment when Nowe attempts to strike Gismor down only for his attack to be met unexpectedly by someone else. At the last moment, Gismor uses Eris, Nowe’s childhood friend, as a shield. The vision of Eris spitting up blood in front of the atrocious Gismor makes quite a frightful scene. 

NIER – SPELL CASTING (Genga)
C1, C3, C*, C6, ?, A7 C10 D5, A8 C11 D7, ?, D11 End

Several action scenes Nier using Weiss to unleash powerful blasts of magic just like in the game have also been made. The anime version reconstructs these scenes extremely accurately. Here Nier summons the “Dark Hand” ability, a gigantic black fist, which swings its way toward Kaine. The screen is nearly flooded with the fist racing toward her from a camera angle shot between her legs! With the in-between action sequences added in, the completed version of these drawings creates a smooth and intense sequence.

THE APPEARANCE OF DEVOLA AND POPOLA (Genga)
A3, A4, A7, A8, A9, A10, A13, A15 End

This is a scene of Devola and Popola’s appearance, the twin sisters who had watched and cared for Nier and Yonah along the way. The two are often found singing and dancing cheerfully in the local bar. Actually, just what sort of situation might these two make their first appearance……The anticipation is far too great!

JUST KIDDING.

So, did you enjoy the designs for this anime project that has absolutely no truth to it whatsoever? Although I had said, “Huh? Material for the book? Why not make some basic plans for a fake anime?” completely in jest, I never thought that such gorgeous designs would fill these pages. I’m sorry. My bad. –Yoko Taro

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Please be aware that any “confirmation” of an anime version of the Drakengard / Nier series is FALSE. It is merely some of the Drakengard creators and staff having a little fun… *ahem* at the fans’ expense, of course. I would *die* for some of these production materials…!!!

I should also mention that these pages were originally published in the World Inside book that was released on December 19, 2013. This is not new news; it’s more like images from these certain pages tend to recirculate from time to time to give the impression that it’s new, which it is–unfortunately–not. 😛

・Novella: The Garden of Light