FrontMissionFrontLineReport
In the year 2090, war has broken out between the two superpowers of the Oceania Cooperative Union and the United States of the New Continent over the territory of Huffman Island. Blamed for inciting the "Larcus Incident" that started the war, former O.C.U. GDF Captain Royd Clive enters the mercenary unit Canyon Crows and returns to the front. Here is the long-awaited novelization of the popular Super Famicom title.
Summary
Front Mission: Front Line Report is a novel which was released on July 22, 1995. The Front Line Report novel is an expanded universe supplement to the original Front Mission. Although the novel is a partial adaptation of the video game, it is mostly comprised of new story content. As the subtitle implies, the novel revolves around the viewpoints of Front Mission protagonists, Royd Clive and Frederick Lancaster. However, it does not exclusively focus on Royd and Frederick as the story occasionally shifts focus to other characters seen in Front Mission.
Front Line Report begins days before the events of the original Front Mission in June 2090, and ends several days after the video game in May 2094. The story of Front Line Report can be split into three acts.
1. An O.C.U. investigation led by Royd of a U.S.N. munitions plant goes awry and results in the Second Huffman Conflict. In Japan, Frederick attempts to save his job at the Tokyo Times after publishing a controversial article about the government.
2. The Canyon Crows mercenary outfit is formed to help the O.C.U. military turn the tides of the Second Huffman Conflict into their favor. Meanwhile, reports of missing soldiers and civilians begin to occur throughout Huffman Island.
3. In the aftermath of the war, Frederick attempts to expose the Republic of Zaftra as the true instigator of the war. His efforts to break the silence are met with heavy opposition from the U.S.N., O.C.U., and Zaftran governments.
Dramatis Personae:
The main dramatis personae of the novel are Royd Clive, Karen Meure, Ryuji Sakata, Natalie F. Blakewood, Keith Carabell, Joynas Jeriaska, Frederick Lancaster, Guri B. Olson, Willas E. Blakewood, and Driscoll. Other notable dramatis personae include Yang Meihua, Hans Goldwin, Yang Yeehin, Gentz Weizer, Koichi Sakata, Reiji Sakata, Mizette Brown, Maria Paredes, and Sayuri Mitsuzuka.
Major Sub-plots
- Royd's struggle with depression after believing he incited the Second Huffman Conflict, giving way to an addiction to alcohol and drugs.
- Ryuji's familial disputes with Koichi and Reiji about Sakata Industries.
- Natalie's attempts to keep the rowdy Canyon Crow members in line.
- Frederick's difficulties getting scoops during the Second Huffman Conflict.
- Meihua's dogged search for her missing younger brother Yeehin.
- Gentz's zealous battles to stop Sakata Industries and its unethical research.
- Driscoll's relentless push to test the latest experimental weapons developed by the Nirvana Institute.
- The search for Karen, her fate, and the one who killed her on Huffman Island.
- The collusion between shadowy O.C.U. and U.S.N. military factions to exploit the war for their own benefit.
- The general public's fascination over Frederick's account of the real nature behind the Second Huffman Conflict.
Other Notes
- The novel officially reveals Porunga's ethnicity as an Australian Aboriginal.
- The novel officially introduces Sayuri Mitsuzuka and foreshadows her appearance in Front Mission 2. This also marks the first time she appears in the Front Mission storyline chronologically.
- References to other Front Mission story elements include: African Conflict, Wanderwagen (WAW), First Huffman Conflict, Huffman Crisis, Sakata Industries, Bioneural Device, and the Peace Mediation Organization.
- There are 13 black-and-white (B&W) illustrations inside the novel, three of which are spread out across two pages.
Information
Front Mission: Front Line Report
- Publisher: LOGOUT Paperback Adventures, Aspect Novels
- Writer: Fumihiko Iino, Hideo Iwasaki
- Illustrator: Yoshitaka Amano
- Length: 368 pages
- ISBN: 978-4-8936-6375-7
- Audience: Mature, intended for readers ages 18 and older.