Amaim Warrior at the Borderline

Amaim Warrior at the Borderline (境界戦機) is an original Japanese anime television series animated by Sunrise Beyond. A photonovel series titled Kyōkai Senki: Frost Flower has been serialized in Hobby Japan's Monthly Hobby Japan magazine since July 2021. The series aired from October 2021 to June 2022.

Plot
In the mid-20th century, as a result of the economic crisis and a collapsing birthrate, Japan was on the verge of becoming a failed state. In response, foreign nations sent forces to intervene. However, foreign intervention quickly became a foreign occupation, and the competing foreign nations started the destructive Boundary War, fought with autonomous drone mecha called AMAIMs.

By the year 2061, the Boundary War has ended but Japan has been divided into four occupied zones where native Japanese are treated like second-class citizens. In the wake of the resulting social upheaval and unrest, a young boy named Amō Shiiba stumbles across an abandoned AMAIM called Kenbu and a rogue autonomous AI named Gai. With Kenbu and Gai, Amō has the opportunity to change the course of history for both himself and the entire nation of Japan.

Main characters

 * Amō Shiiba (椎葉 アモウ)
 * A 16-year-old boy orphaned by the Boundary Wars, he became a mechanic after discovering an abandoned AMAIM workshop, in which he found a left-over human-piloted, interface-comtrolled AMAIM unit, whose name Gai identifies as "Kenbu", and later becomes its designated pilot. While shy and kind, he enjoys any new experiences he makes.
 * A 16-year-old boy orphaned by the Boundary Wars, he became a mechanic after discovering an abandoned AMAIM workshop, in which he found a left-over human-piloted, interface-comtrolled AMAIM unit, whose name Gai identifies as "Kenbu", and later becomes its designated pilot. While shy and kind, he enjoys any new experiences he makes.


 * Gashin Tezuka (鉄塚 ガシン)
 * A mecha pilot ace for the Japanese resistance group Yatagarasu. His father was the previous pilot of his AMAIM unit "Jogan", but he was killed, leaving Tezuka embittered about Japan's occupation.
 * A mecha pilot ace for the Japanese resistance group Yatagarasu. His father was the previous pilot of his AMAIM unit "Jogan", but he was killed, leaving Tezuka embittered about Japan's occupation.


 * Shion Shishibe (紫々部 シオン)


 * I-LeS Gai (I-LeS ガイ)
 * An autonomous AI unit with a grandiloquent but loyal personality. After he is rescued by Amō, he finishes assembling the Kendu for him and acts as the AMAIM's control computer. He is linked with the military and public information and communication networks, an asset which saves Amō more than once. His onscreen avatar is an over-fluffed, scarlet red Komainu.
 * An autonomous AI unit with a grandiloquent but loyal personality. After he is rescued by Amō, he finishes assembling the Kendu for him and acts as the AMAIM's control computer. He is linked with the military and public information and communication networks, an asset which saves Amō more than once. His onscreen avatar is an over-fluffed, scarlet red Komainu.


 * I-LeS Kei (I-LeS ケイ)
 * Tezuka's AI control unit controlling "Jogan". Her avatar is a white kitsune.
 * Tezuka's AI control unit controlling "Jogan". Her avatar is a white kitsune.


 * I-LeS Nayuta (I-LeS ナユタ)
 * Shion's ANAIM AI control unit. His avatar form is a purple Jakalope with hooves.
 * Shion's ANAIM AI control unit. His avatar form is a purple Jakalope with hooves.

Yatagarasu

 * Gōken Kumai (熊井 ゴウケン)
 * The leader of Yatagarasu Special Forces Group Two.
 * The leader of Yatagarasu Special Forces Group Two.


 * Risa Kōzaki (甲咲 リサ)
 * A friendly leading member of Yatagarasu whose family was killed in a crash with an Asia Entente car, whose drivers were unjustly cleared of any wrongdoing. She is killed when the Ghost attacks the camp shortly after Amō's arrival.
 * A friendly leading member of Yatagarasu whose family was killed in a crash with an Asia Entente car, whose drivers were unjustly cleared of any wrongdoing. She is killed when the Ghost attacks the camp shortly after Amō's arrival.


 * Eiji Umasaki (馬﨑 エイジ)


 * Misuzu Maki (槙 ミスズ)
 * The Special Forces Group Two's chief mechanic.
 * The Special Forces Group Two's chief mechanic.


 * Takeru Muramatsu (村松 タケル)


 * Kiryu Udou (宇堂 キリュウ)

Arahabaki

 * Anna Takayanagi (高柳 アンナ)


 * Takeru Konno (今野 タケル)

Confederation of Oceania

 * Jeffrey Wilson (ジェフリー・ウィルソン)
 * A ruthless Oceania officer who despises his duty in Japan and therefore seeks to reap merits by any means necessary.
 * A ruthless Oceania officer who despises his duty in Japan and therefore seeks to reap merits by any means necessary.


 * Kate Byrne (ケイト・バーン)
 * A female Oceania lieutenant and Wilson's subordinate.
 * A female Oceania lieutenant and Wilson's subordinate.


 * Simon Tate (サイモン・テイト)


 * Oliver Martin (オリバー・マーティン)

North America Coalition

 * Brad Watt (ブラッド・ワット)
 * A captain of the North American Coalition. An exceptionally skilled military analyst, he is intrigued by the concept of piloted AMAIMs.
 * A captain of the North American Coalition. An exceptionally skilled military analyst, he is intrigued by the concept of piloted AMAIMs.


 * Raymond Hardy (レイモンド・ハーディー)
 * An American warrant officer, and Watt's subordinate and friend.
 * An American warrant officer, and Watt's subordinate and friend.


 * Charley Orley (チャーリー・オーレイ)


 * Roger Young (ロジャー・ヤング)


 * Sofia Louis (ソフィア・ルイス)


 * Joe Spears (ジョウ・スピアーズ)


 * Tony Blanc (トニー・ブランク)


 * Elliot Knox (エリオット・ノックス)


 * Roy Walker (ロイ・ウォーカー)


 * Gregory Cartland (グレゴリー・カートランド)


 * Mike Weaver (マイク・ウィーバー)

Asia Free Trade Entente

 * Ho Guan (ホウ・グアン)


 * Sun Chong (スン・チョン)


 * Liu Fu (リウ・フウ)


 * Xin Haoran (シン・ハオラン)


 * Zhao Kweihua (ツァオ・クェイワァ)


 * Nadeck Elam (ナデート・イーラム)


 * Luang Thanarat (ルアン・タナラット)

Federation of Great Eurasia

 * Alexei Zelenoy (アレクセイ・ゼレノイ)


 * Dahlia Lvov (ダリア・リヴォフ)


 * Boris Gretkov (ボリツ・グレツコフ)

A.R.E.S

 * Collin Dialo (コリン・ディアロ)

Brenson Corp

 * German Gobert (ジェルマン・ゴベール)

Others

 * Takuto Ōnishi (大西 タクト)


 * Tsubasa Mishima (三島 ツバサ)


 * Ken Tanasaka (田名坂 ケン)


 * Gen Sakuma (佐久間 ゲン)


 * Yoriko Sakuma (佐久間 ヨリコ)


 * Tokuji Iwata (岩田 トクジ)


 * Yūsei Suenaga (末永 ユウセイ)

Photonovel
A photonovel series titled Kyōkai Senki: Frost Flower (境界戦機 フロストフラワー) began serialization in Hobby Japan's Monthly Hobby Japan magazine since July 21, 2021.

Anime
Sunrise Beyond and Bandai Spirits revealed the project on March 16, 2021. The series was directed by Nobuyoshi Habara and written by Noboru Kimura. Character designs were provided by Kenichi Ohnuki, while Rasmus Faber composed the music. It aired from October 5 to December 28, 2021, on TV Tokyo, MBS and BS11. Blank Paper performed the series' opening theme song "enemy". Funimation licensed the series outside of Asia. Just right after the first part ended, a second part was announced, and it aired from April 12 to June 28, 2022.

On April 11, 2022, Crunchyroll announced that the series would receive an English dub, which premiered on April 25.

Original net animation
An original net animation spinoff series titled Amaim Warrior at the Borderline: UltraSteel Ogre-Gear (境界戦機 極鋼ノ装鬼) is also produced by Sunrise Beyond and will premiere in Bandai Spirits' YouTube Channel on April 10, 2023. Masami Obari will direct the series alongside returning staff from the previous anime handling the writing (Noboru Kimura), music (Rasmus Faber) and mecha designs (Ippei Gyōbu, Kanetake Ebikawa, and Takayuki Yanase).

Reception
Anime News Network felt the main protagonist was generally unoriginal and uninspired. They were also critical of the story, calling its political aspects poorly-executed. In their review, Anime Feminist felt that the anime contains content of nationalism and anti-immigration ideas. They felt the introduction part of the anime's first episode can be summarized as "we let foreigners in and they outbred us, and now the True Japanese People are being subjugated by the foreign powers they heralded".

Bilibili removal
Chinese streaming website Bilibili removed the series from its service due to the portrayal of Asian foreign powers as human traffickers in the fifth episode, "Determination".