Secret of Cerulean Sand

Secret of the Cerulean Sand
パタパタ飛行船の冒険 (Patapata Hikōsen no Bōken)
Genre	Adventure, science fiction
Anime television series
Directed by	Yuichiro Yano
Studio	Telecom Animation Film
Original network	WOWOW
Original run	5 January 2002 – 29 June 2002
Episodes	26

Secret of Cerulean Sand (パタパタ飛行船の冒険, Patapata Hikōsen no Bōken) is a 26-episode anime television series. The main character is a 15-year-old English girl named Jane Buxton, who dreams of building a flying machine due to the influence of her brother. The series documents her journey through the Near East to find her brother, who went missing after headed to the Near East to look for a floating liquid in an expedition. It is set in the late 19th century where impossible technologies such as landships and "floating liquid" exist side by side in a steampunk world.

The series is loosely based on two works by Jules Verne—his posthumous 1919 novel The Barsac Mission, which was largely written by his son Michel Verne (L’Étonnante Aventure de la mission Barsac, published in English in two volumes—Into the Niger Bend (Book One of the Barsac Mission), and City in the Sahara (Book Two of the Barsac Mission)) as well as his 1896 novel Facing the Flag (Face au drapeau).

It was included in Jury selections in the 2002 Japan Media Arts Festival for the animation division.

Characters

Jane Buxton (ジェーン・バクストン, Jane Buxton)

Voiced by: Ema Kogure

The Main protagonist of the series, Jane is the little sister of George and stepsister of William.

George Buxton (ジョージ・バクストン, George Buxton)

Voiced by: Masakazu Suzuki

The big brother of Jane and stepbrother of William.

William Buxton (ウィリアム・ファーニー・バクストン, William Buxton)

Voiced by: Tooru Ookawa

The main antagonist of the series and stepbrother of Jane and George. He was eleven years old when his mother Marguerite married into the Buxton Family, but William did not like the new environment, step family and depened on his mother. After his mother died of an illness, he felt more lonely, when Jane showed him kindness and calling his mother as her own, William begins to love Jane as his own and felt no longer alone.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"The Three Siblings of the Buxton Family" Transliteration: "Bakusuton-ka no san kyōdai" (Japanese: バクストン家の三兄妹)	Unknown	Unknown	January 5, 2002 (2002-01-05)
In the late 1800s in England, the wealthy aristocrat Edward Buxton hurries home with his son George for the arrival of his second child. But his wife Anna dies after giving birth and the daughter is named Jane. Few years later Mr. Buxton marries Marguerite who has a young son named William, but William did not like his step family and depended on his mother. Many months later Marguerite is struck with illness and tells her son to be strong before passing away, days later William sees Jane go alone and follows her, Jane shows him kindness and care that causes William to love his step sister. Many years later Jane is 10 years old who tries to create a flying machine but still fails, George is studying to find a way for humanity to have a machine that flies.
2	"A Small Crack" Transliteration: "chiisana kiretsu" (Japanese: 小さな亀裂)	Unknown	Unknown	January 12, 2002 (2002-01-12)
George talks his research to the professors at the academy about the legend of The Floating Liquid; a cerulean sand that gives the ability to fly located in the East, George and Jane shares the same dream of being able to build a flying machine and soar through the sky one day, but George couldn’t convince the professors but a man named Barsac have listened to him. Mr. Buxton is trying to figure out who will be his successor and is eyeing William for his great work in the bank, but sees William talking to someone, the next day during breakfast Mr. Buxton confronts William for embezzlement the clients‘ money. St. Berain arrives with a letter to George, George has been accepted in to a exploration team to the Middle East by Barsac. William leaves the room and Jane runs after him, William is upset and talks about getting back at Mr. Buxton. The next day, George is making preparations to leave, and promise Jane that when he returns, he and Jane will be the first people to fly. Later that night, William walks into George’s room and reads his notes about the Floating Liquid, this gives William a plan.
3	"The Dark Shadow Seeps Out" Transliteration: "Nijimi dashita kuroi in" (Japanese: 滲み出した黒い陰)	Unknown	Unknown	January 26, 2002 (2002-01-26)
George is about to leave on his journey to the East, he can`t seem to find his watch. William has left on an sudden business trip and can`t be there when George leaves. Jane bids George goodbye but William is on the same ship having the Buxton watch. Meanwhile, Mr. Buxton suspect that William has run away, and finds evidence that he has and have taken the embezzlement money, Jane wonders why he has left without telling her. Few weeks later a letter arrives and it says that George has been executed because of treason. Five years later, flying object is above the Buxton Bank and masked figures rob it but a cloaked figure leaves behind a watch. Mr. Buxton is informed by the police about the robbery and they show him the Buxton watch, Mr. Buxton is suspected for theft insurance and the stress of all of it causes him to fall ill. Jane receives an unsigned letter, but the handwriting is the same as George and opens it, the letter is empty but there is a small blue stone, Jane's tear falls on it and the stone makes the water fly, the stone turns to blue sand. Jane realize it is the Floating Liquid and believes George is still alive and have found it, she sets out on a journey to the East together with St. Berain to find him.
4	"First Voyage" Transliteration: "Hajimete no kookai" (Japanese: はじめての航海)	Unknown	Unknown	February 2, 2002 (2002-02-02)
Jane is getting ready to leave for her trip to find George and she and St. Berain then leave the Manor. At the harbor to take the boat at same time Mr. Barsac is going the same way, to search for the floating liquid. Jane spots a suspicious man but she is met by a dachshund dog who is owned by a rude and overbearing woman. The boat begins to leave, Jane meets the Captain of the boat and follows after him and is then met by the young sailor Banchi, the Captain tells Jane how the boat works. The woman's dog creates a commotion and Jane grabs the dog, she meets Barsac again and spot the same suspicious man who is on the same boat who appears to be tailing Barsac. Jane is bored with her studies and wants to learn about ships, Jane asks Banchi refuses to teach her. Banchi tells Jane if she can pass a test that all sailors must pass he will tell her by getting the white flag on the top of the boat, believing that she wouldn't do it but Jane is determined and he is shocked to see her climb to get the flag. Everyone sees this and Jane reach the flag but she then lose balance and falls, Jane is saved by Banchi. The Captain yells at Banchi getting Jane into danger like that as a sailor must protect the safety of the passengers, Banchi then runs off.
5	"The Badge of a Sailor" Transliteration: "Funanori no kunshoo" (Japanese: 船乗りの勲章)	Unknown	Unknown	February 9, 2002 (2002-02-09)
Jane goes back to her room while St. Berain goes to eat dinner, the snobbish woman complains about the plate and the fork and the knife. Jane tells the Captain it is her fault as she insisted and Banchi tried to stop her, the Captain tells her it is Banchi himself who decide if he wants to stay a sailor or not. Jane finds Banchi who wishes to leave the ship but Jane wishes he will teach her about ships, before he leaves, which he agree to. New incident occurs as the woman's earrings has been stolen, the woman accuses Jane to have taken them as they roam around the ship late last night, and then accuse Banchi but the Captain defends him and Barsac scold the woman not to accuse someone so easily without proof. Noticing that the dog likes shiny things, Jane uses her brooch to the dog and then Jane and the others follows the dog to the storage room, the dog have collected shiny things and the woman's earrings thus the dog is behind this, the woman throws apples at her dog and is stopped. Banchi still wants to be sailor and Jane will try to create a flying machine, the ship finally arrives to the Middle East's harbour, Jane bids Barsac goodbye and to Banchi as well. The dog goes to Jane and it turns out have been abandoned by the woman, Jane decide to keep the dog and is renamed as Sky, their next one is taking the train.
6	"Mr. Barsac" Transliteration: "Baruzakku-san" (Japanese: バルザックさん)	Unknown	Unknown	February 16, 2002 (2002-02-16)
Jane and St. Berain goes to the train, the man from the boat in a disguise still tails Barsac. When Jane and St. Berain can't get train tickets, Barsac offers to help them. On the train they introduce themselves, and Jane by instinct says her last name is "Stuart" and says they are on a trip to find her elder brother who is working in a faraway city. Barsac who also sort of lies by saying his work is to discover something valuable things and bring them back to their country, as they are alone St. Berain asks her why she lied about her last name and Jane says Barsac is a good man but there is something odd about him, Barsac looks at the map where George believed about the legend and Jane tells St. Berain they have to keep George a secret, the man who follows Barsac is on the same train. A woman and her child get sick and Jane together with St. Berain and Mr Barsac searches desperately for a doctor. Sadly, they won't arrive at the next station until next morning and they are in the middle of the mountains, therefore they decides to take care of them until they arrive at the next station. Meanwhile the man sends a report to a flying machine in the sky. Barsac is reminded by the time that his wife Amanda and his daughter Karen died from sickness. The woman and girl survives and travels to a doctor the next day. While Jane and Barsac continue he talks about how he lost his wife and daughter in a influenza epidemic, because the doctor couldn't help them as the bridge was washed away, Jane realize to Barsac what he meant about having wings and can go anywhere. Once they arrive the city in the east, they say goodbye to Barsac and the man is seen talking to his mysterious boss who tells him infiltrate Barsac and his men, he then sees Jane and is surprised to see her. Meanwhile, Barsac is readying his team for the search for the floating liquid and the other mission is to subdue the mysterious band of bandits that is attacking the area, and with the captain Marcenay are going to lead the team.

External links

• Patapata Hikousen no Bouken (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia