Episodes of Figure 17 also frequently observe the school lives of the titular characters Tsubasa and Hikaru, exploring their developing bond as well as themes involving coming of age and emotional connection.

[4][3] Tsubasa Shiina is a timid grade schooler who is forced to move to Hokkaido from Tokyo with her father, as he pursues his dream of being a baker in the aftermath of her mother's death.

One night shortly after the Tsubasa and her father begin to settle in their new home, an alien spaceship comes crashing down to earth in the forest behind their house.

The monster quickly overtakes the alien, seemingly killing him and in the process releasing him from some sort of transformation, before attempting to reach Tsubasa within the ship.

In its effort, the monster accidentally cracks a mysterious container open, causing the mostly-liquid contents to leak onto the floor next to Tsubasa.

Once the battle is over, Tsubasa reverts back to her normal form, though the strange substance turns into an visually identical copy of herself upon separation.

In an interview, Takamizawa said that he was told that Figure 17 was a mix of John Carpenter's The Thing and the J-Drama series Kita no Kuni Kara (From a Northern Country).

[8] The series was licensed in North America by Media Blasters (under the AnimeWorks label) and released in six DVD volumes from 2003 to 2004, as well as a box set in 2005.

[14] A novelization of the series was penned by screenplay writer Shoji Yonemura with illustrations by character designer Yuriko Chiba and published by Dengeki Bunko.