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).
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
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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.
