+Anima
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
| + Anima | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| プラスアニマ (+ Anima) |
|
| Genre | Adventure, Fantasy, Shōnen |
| Manga | |
| Authored by | Natsumi Mukai |
| Publisher |  MediaWorks  Tokyopop
Other publishers:
|
| Serialized in | Dengeki Comic Gao! |
| Original run | January 2001 – 26 March 2005 |
| No. of volumes | 10 |
+Anima is an internationally published manga series of 10 volumes authored by Natsumi Mukai. The story is about four anthropomorphic characters who are outcasts and are searching for others of their kind. Despite its popularity, the manga ended on its tenth volume.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The plot of this story revolves around four +Anima. These four travel the world in search of others and of a place to call home. They encounter some villains and a +Anima friend every now and then. The story begins with Cooro meeting Husky and then with a promise the two take off on a journey. At this point there is no hint given to what Cooro planned on doing in an adventure. All he says is traveling is more fun with a group.
[edit] Main characters
Manga
- Cooro
- A boy with crow-like powers, he can spring black feathered wings from his back and is able to fly with them like any bird. He is naïve, a bit absent-minded, and slow to make decisions. However, he is optimistic and always cheerful. It is revealed that he fell from the sky when younger. Another thing revealed at the end of volume one is he is involved with a man who appears to be a scientist or a priest and he acts as if Cooro went into hiding or ran away.
Parallel In the original short story, Cooro is much more violent, wields a small hatchet, and has noticeably larger wings Likes- Food, flying, discovering, helping, anything fun
Dislikes- Bees
Alias- Black Angel, Black wings of death
- Husky
- A fish-boy, whose legs completely transform into a fish-tail when jumping into water. Similar to a merman, he also grows gills, allowing him to breathe underwater and stay submerged indefinitely. Although Husky is male, he is appears effeminate, and is even thought to be a girl by some of the characters. He is considered to be the most intelligent and rational of the group. He wields a long staff for a weapon. When he was younger apparently he was captured in a fishermens net and then sold to the circus, although he claims he works there willingly. That possibility is low because he is bound and gagged in his final performance as the Mermaid Princess. Has stud earrings that he apparently treasures.
Parallel the only differences in the original are that he wears a headband and has a more detailed transformation, instead of a flash of light.
Likes- Money, valuables
Dislikes- Girls, getting wet
Alias- Mermaid Princess, silver princess
- Senri
- A bear +Anima. A boy presumably older than the other 3 characters, probably in his late teens. He is capable of transforming his right arm into a bear-like arm, giving him sharp claws and great strength. He is the strongest melee combatant from the group; thanks to his Anima, he does not need any melee weapons, although he does have a falchion-like sword which he uses when does not want to reveal his +Anima identity. Not a man of many words, he very rarely says anything and often demonstrates odd behaviour- like licking the blood off of a comrade's wound. He has a book — possibly a diary (suggested by husky), or a gardening book (explaining why he is such a good cook with spices and knows more about most plants than the other characters) — in which he collects souvenirs, especially flowers, as reminders of places and people he has seen. He is also quite skilled at cooking. He was revealed to have grown up with a caravan and is possibly a Kim-un-kur.
Parallel In the original, Senri has no book, and armor plates on his bear arm. He also talks much more.
Likes- Cooking, collecting stuff for his book, abon weed
Dislikes- Losing his book
- Nana
- Wields bat powers. The only girl in the group, Nana is capable to sprouting wings much like Cooro; however, they are bat-wings. She is also capable of flight. Nana's ears can grow very large, gifting her with superior hearing that is capable of detecting sound in the ultrasound frequency. In addition, she has uniquely-developed vocal cords, making her capable of emitting ultrasound waves from her mouth, which she may use either to navigate when her eyesight is useless, as bats do, or as a powerful area-effect weapon. Her personality is kind, albeit immature, and quite feminine. Nana does not like violence and does not use any weapons. Her past was growing up with a drunken father who beat her and her mother. She stabbed him one night and took off into the forest. In a flashback near the end of Volume 1 she reveals that she discovered her powers that night. It is apparent she joined a group of all-girl-orphans that she ran away from after believing she was hated. In volume 2, she appears to have a crush on Senri
Parallel In the original, Nana seems older and has small notches in her ears in her bat form
Likes- Cooro, cute boys
Dislikes- Night, dark forests, camping
[edit] Other +Anima
Rose: A 16 year old merchant. Despite her age she claims to be an adult, making her Nana's idol. She also has some form of attraction or affection for Senri, possibly because he reminds her of her little brother. She is a cat +Anima- when she transforms, her fingernails turn into claws and she gains catlike speed.
Hopps: The sheriff of Antsmine in the Parallel story "Shining in the Darkness". At first it is assumed he is one of the people that hate +Animas. However at the end of Volume 2 it is shown that he can turn his head into a gator's head. Despite being one, he throws the four +Animas out of town, but not before advising them to be proud of their gifts and to not give normal people a reason to hate +Anima.
[edit] The +Anima phenomenon
In the +Anima fantasy world, some humans have an unusual gift that grants them the ability to morph one or more of their body parts, such as limbs, into a form similar to an animal's body part. Some are capable of even more radical changes, such as growing wings or full-body transformation. The transformation processes are very fast, and occur at the user's whim. When inactive, the morphed areas revert back to normal, leaving person's clothing and body completely untouched. The only visual mark of this ability appears on the body of the person, in the form of a black tattoo-like marking. Occasionally, the user bears some behavioral characteristics of their animal, but this is not common.
All who have such an ability are collectively referred to as +Animas (Plus Animas).
The +Animas are capable of controlling their powers at will. Their abilities range widely — including, but not limited to, superhuman strength, agility, and reflexes, as well as heightened senses, and the growth of physical features such as claws or wings. All of these originate from the characteristics of a +Anima's animal. Every +Anima bears the characteristics of only a single animal.
The origin of this phenomenon is unexplained, but is slowly revealed that there is more than one way to obtain this power; the vast majority of the characters acquired their +Anima features when facing a desperate situation, as if the powers came to their help; but the Kinmunkles, the people among which the phenomenon began to spread (and the people Senri comes from), chose willingly to become a +Anima.
[edit] Outcasts
The +Anima's powers are not understood by the normal people, and the +Anima are subject to negative prejudice. Similar to the X-Men of Marvel Comics, they are feared as monsters, and even hated by some. Some are envious of such powers and seek to gain control over them. Thus, afraid of the negative reaction from others, most +Animas tend to hide their true powers whenever possible.
[edit] External links
- +Anima (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- English Tokyopop webpage
- (German) German Tokyopop webpage
