Ask John: How Much Vandread is There?

Question:
Set aside the Vandread Second Stage and First Stage, what is Vandread: Turbulence OVA and the Vandread: Integral OVA. Are they before Vandread ever started or aftermath of both series or in between both?

Answer:
The 13 episode Vandread TV series aired on Japanese television between October 3rd and December 19, 2000. The 13 episode Vandread Second Stage television series was broadcast on Japanese television between October 5, 2001 and January 18, 2002.

The Vandread Taidouhen OAV, also known as “Vandread Movement Stage” and “Vandread Integral,” was broadcast on Japanese television on October 14, 2001, between the broadcast of Vandread Second Stage episodes 2 & 3. This 90 minute long film was a summary of the first Vandread TV series with a few minutes of original animation added in, created primarily for the benefit of television viewers watching Second Stage that had not seen the first TV season. The most significant addition to Vandread Taidouhen is its opening which reveals the Majer Pirates preparing themselves for the attack that occurs during the end of Vandread episode 1, and a new opening theme song titled “Spacy Spicy Love.” The majority of the Vandread Taidouhen OAV, though, is simply animation from the Vandread TV series heavily edited to squeeze 13 episodes of story into a single feature length film.

The Vandread Gekitouhen OAV, also known as “Vandread Fierce Fighting Stage” and “Vandread Turbulence,” was made available on a pay-per-view basis on Japanese television from September 14-30, 2002. It was then released to Japanese DVD on October 25, 2002. Like the Taidouhen OAV, Gekitouhen was simply a re-edited, condensed version of the Second Stage TV series, this time including a brief bit of new original animation of the Vandread girls enjoying themselves at a hot spring bath resort.