Portal:Anime and manga/Selected series/2006
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2006 2007
Week 2
Last Exile is a steampunk anime series produced in 2003 and created by Gonzo Digimation, the same studio responsible for works such as Blue Submarine No. 6, Full Metal Panic! and Hellsing.
The story revolves around Claus Valca and Lavie Head, a young courier pilot and his navigator, and their adventures in the floating world of Prester. In this romantic sky world based on stylised Victorian fashion and society, two countries, Anatole and Dysis (rendered phonetically as Anatoray and Disith in some versions), are engaged in a war under the constant supervision of the mysterious Guild. Claus and Lavie, piloting their vanship (a wingless plane-like machine) find themselves involved in a plot surrounding a mysterious little girl named Alvis Hamilton, whom they must deliver as "cargo" to the much-feared neutral battleship Silvana.
Week 3
Berserk (ベルセルク Beruseruku?) is a heroic fantasy manga by mangaka Kentaro Miura.
With over 29 million volumes sold, it is one of the most successful adult manga ever. Berserk takes place in a fictional country called Midland, which bears many similarities to Europe in the Middle Ages. It centers around the life of Guts (Gattsu on Japanese version), an orphaned mercenary warrior, and his relationship to Griffith, the leader of a mercenary band called The Hawks. Both the manga and anime are noted for their heavy content of violence and nudity.
Currently, 29 volumes of the manga have been published in Japan.
Week 4
Cowboy Bebop (カウボーイビバップ?) (1998) is an adult anime television series and motion picture that follow a band of five American-stylized bounty hunters thrown together by circumstance and necessity, but each with passionately disparate private agendas. Each episode tells the story of how the group tracks down wanted criminals in a futuristic setting while dealing with personal issues that arise by location, people they meet, or misgivings about the morality of the subject of their bounty. While every episode, or the movie, stands on its own, the back-stories of the characters and their growing intimacy together make the whole much greater than the sum of its parts. Director Shinichiro Watanabe recently characterized the series as "Firefly (2002) on steroids."
Week 5
Slayers (スレイヤーズ Sureiyāzu?) is an anime and manga series based on a series of light novels written by Hajime Kanzaka that parodies RPGs with the story of Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev. Some of the novels, of which there are fifteen in the series, have only recently been released in English in North America; the rest are scheduled to be released in the future.
The stories take place in a mostly medieval style world, with magic. The TV show is organized into cycles starting out humorous, then slowly working towards serious until at the end of the cycle the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Until the very end of each of these cycles though, even the most serious moments will usually have a few short comic relief moments.
Week 6
Genshiken (げんしけん? sub-title: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture) is a manga and anime series.
Genshiken was written by Kio Shimoku and has been running in Kodansha's monthly manga anthology Afternoon since June 2002. The story follows a group of obsessed youths who are members of a sort of "catch-all" fandom club on their university campus, known as "The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture" (現代視覚文化研究会 Gendai Shikaku Bunka Kenkyūkai). Their interests vary from anime to video games (and it seems every other activity that could be labeled "otaku" in between). Many of the characters are especially interested in a fictional manga series called Kujibiki Unbalance.
Week 7
Paranoia Agent (妄想代理人 Mōsō Dairinin?) is a 2004 13-episode anime television series. It was created by Japanese director Satoshi Kon and produced by Madhouse.
On May 28, 2005 Paranoia Agent began airing on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim using an English language dub produced by New Generation Pictures. The show has finished airing in both Japan and the United States.
An elementary school boy on rollerblades dubbed Lil' Slugger (Shōnen Bat in Japanese) is said to be responsible for a series of mysterious hit-and-run assaults in Tokyo. None of the victims can recall the boy's face and only two distinct details are left in their memories: golden rollerblades and the weapon, a golden baseball bat bent like a dog's leg.
Two police detectives, Keiichi Ikari and Mitsuhiro Maniwa, are assigned to the case to track down the perpetrator and put an end to his crimes. Starting with the first victim, Tsukiko Saki, a shy character designer who created the immensely popular pink dog Maromi, the detectives follow what little clues they have and try to apprehend the mysterious "boy". Just when they think they have solved the case, new evidence about the attacker leads them towards a frightening revelation.
Week 8
Planetes (Ancient Greek: ΠΛΑΝΗΤΕΣ (Wanderers), Japanese Katakana: プラネテス, puranetesu) is a manga by Makoto Yukimura and a 26-episode anime of the same name, that was produced by Sunrise and broadcast on NHK in Japan from October 2003 through April 2004. The story revolves around a team of space debris collectors based in the debris ship Toy Box in the year 2075.
The manga is published in English by TOKYOPOP and it retains its right-to-left format. The anime has been licensed for US and Canadian distribution by Bandai Entertainment.
The story of Planetes follows the crew of the DS-12 "Toy Box" of the Space Debris Section, a unit of Technora Corporation. Debris Section's pupose is to prevent the damage or destruction of satellites, space stations and spaceships from collision with debris in Earth's and the Moon's orbits. They use a number of methods to dispose of the debris (namely by burning it via atmospheric reentry or through salvage), accomplished through the use of EVA suits, where the participants are all licensed to collect debris.
The episodes sometimes revolve around debris collection itself, but more often the concept of collecting "trash" in space is merely a storytelling method for building character development. The members of the Debris Section are looked down upon as the lowest members of the company and they must work hard to prove their worth to others and accomplish their dreams.
Week 9
Bleach (ブリーチ Burīchi?, also romanized as BLEACH) is a manga and anime series by Tite Kubo (久保 帯人 Kubo Taito?), mangaka of Zombie Powder. Bleach is currently at 22 volumes in length in Japan (as of May 2006), and new chapters are featured weekly in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. The total number of chapters as of this writing is 228. Currently, VIZ Media has released 13 volumes in English in the US.
Bleach follows the life of Ichigo Kurosaki, a 15 year old high school student with the ability to see ghosts; and a female shinigami (死神? lit. god of death), or Soul Reaper in the English manga, named Rukia Kuchiki, who runs into him one day while searching for a hollow (an evil spirit). During the ensuing confrontation with the spirit, she is wounded and forced to transfer all of her powers into Ichigo. Thus the adventures of Ichigo and Rukia begin. Together they search for hollows and perform soul burials on wayward souls, cleansing the spirits and sending them to Soul Society.
Week 10
Eyeshield 21 (アイシールド21 aishīrudo nijūichi?) is a manga about American football written by Riichiro Inagaki and illustrated by Yusuke Murata. It has been adapted into an anime movie in 2004, an anime television series in 2005, and two console games are due for release.
The manga started in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump. The manga is published in English by VIZ Media. The anime version, produced by NAS, began airing on TV Tokyo on 6 April 2005. The anime is sponsored by NFL Japan.
Week 11
Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し Sen and Chihiro's Spiriting Away?) is a 2001 movie by the Japanese anime studio Studio Ghibli, directed by renowned artist Hayao Miyazaki.
Spirited Away was released in Japan in July 2001, drawing an audience of around 23 million and revenues of 30 billion yen (approx. $250 million US), to become the highest-grossing film in Japanese history (beating Titanic (1997)). It was the first movie to have earned $200 million at the worldwide box office before opening in the United States. [1] By 2002, a sixth of the Japanese population had seen it.
The film won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film at the 75th Annual Academy Awards ceremony in 2003, and it has received numerous other awards.
In the movie, Chihiro Ogino is a little girl who is moving to a new town with her parents, Akio and Yuko (Yūko). She is clearly unhappy about the move and appears rather petulant. They lose their way and come across a tunnel, and out of curiosity enter it, unaware that it actually provides access into a spirit world—specifically, to a spirit bathhouse, where the spirits and gods (drawn from the Shinto religious tradition) go to rest and relax.
It is often commented that the film constitutes an allegory on the progression from childhood to maturity, and the risk of losing one's nature in the process. The main character's development in the setting could also be seen as a sullen, spoiled and very modern Japanese ten-year-old being forced to grow up when faced with more traditional Japanese culture and manners. A separate understanding holds that the film is based on the prevention of greed: those swallowed by No-Face were attempting to receive the gold he made.
Week 12
Vandread (ヴァンドレッド Vandoreddo?) is an anime series directed by Takeshi Mori and created by GONZO and Media Factory animation studios. Vandread, as a science fiction space opera anime, aims to combine elements of action, romance, ecchi, comedy, and mecha space combat. This anime presents a mix of comedy ranging from slapstick to subtle humor. Vandread also utilizes well-animated characters and cleanly rendered CG action sequences.
Set in a universe where men and women are completely segregated (on completely different planets, Mejare by the women, Tarak by the men), the gender wars are more than just a metaphor.
Hibiki Tokai, a 3rd class laborer, takes up a bet to steal a high-tech humanoid robot, known as a Vanguard, from the male attack force about to fight the "evil females". Caught onboard when it takes off, the ship is rapidly attacked and all males evacuated, with the exception of Hibiki, Duelo McFile, and Bart Garsus. Stuck onboard the damaged warship with female pirates all around, things seem to have hit an all time low until the retreating males fire a rather large torpedo at the ship to prevent it from falling into women's hands. The core of the ship, a mysterious crystalline entity, protects itself by eradicating the missile, forming a wormhole sending the pirates and warship to a distant sector, and fusing the large warship with the female craft. This results in a quirky ship with very smooth lines, a host of technical problems, which episodes are often aimed at solving, and various hidden capabilities that become apparent in later episodes. The "Vanguard" Hibiki attempted to steal has also been altered along with three of the women's fighters, known as Dreads, allowing the separate ships to combine. The fusion of Hibiki's mech with one of the fighters is called a Vandread, the title mecha of the series.
Week 13
Neo Ranga (南海奇皇ネオランガ Nankai Kio Neoranga?) is an anime television series created by Studio Pierrot which consists of two seasons, totaling forty-eight episodes. The story is about the three orphaned sisters who have, through a mysterious twist of fate, inherited their very own god - the 18 meter tall Neo Ranga. The anime series was originally based on a manga by Sho Aikawa.
The Shimabara sisters (Manami, Ushio, and Yuuhi) are living on their own, with the eldest sister as their breadwinner, when a young man from the fictional South Pacific Island of Barou arrives with news of their long-missing brother. Their brother had married into the Barou royalty, but since passed away, leaving the sisters as the hereditary rulers of Barou. As the rulers of Barou, they now fall under the protection of the island's god, Neoranga, which turns out to be a gigantic monster, reminiscent of Godzilla. It follows them back to Japan, where Neoranga quickly runs afoul of the Japanese Self Defense Force.
Week 14
Zatch Bell!, known in Japan as Konjiki no Gash Bell!! (anime) and Konjiki no Gash!! (manga) (金色のガッシュベル!! Konjiki no Gasshu Beru!!?, lit. translates to Golden Gash Bell!!), is a shōnen manga series by Makoto Raiku, which has been adapted as an anime TV series by Toei Animation. Many of the Zatch Bell! graphic novels have short comics inside titled Zatch & Suzy (Gash and Suzume in the Japanese versions).
One hundred demons (called "mamodos" in the English-language dub) go to Earth every 1,000 years to battle to be the king of the demon world. Each demon needs a human partner in order to use his or her spell book, and if his or her spell book is destroyed, the demon has to return to the demon world.
The main character, Kiyo Takamine (Kiyomaro Takamine in the Japanese version), is a 14-year old boy in junior high school. His father, Seitaro Takamine, discovers an unconscious mamodo named Zatch Bell (Gash Bell in the Japanese version) while in an English forest. His father sends the demon to be Kiyo's mentor. Unlike the other demons, Zatch lost his memory of the demon world. Kiyo and Zatch are now caught up in the battle to be the king of the demons.
Week 15
Zillion (赤い光弾ジリオン Akai Koudan Zirion?, lit. Red Optical Bullet Zillion) is an anime series that ran from April 12, 1987 to December 13, 1987 on Nippon Television in Japan and was produced by Tatsunoko Productions and Sega. The series was dubbed partially, five of the 31 episodes, into English and released on VHS in the United States by Streamline Pictures.
The story takes place on the planet Maris in the year 2387. Around this time, the Nozas started to genocidally kill all humans in order to lay eggs and reproduce on the planet. Three mysterious guns dubbed the "Zillion Weapon System" appear and three teens (JJ, Champ, and Apple) are chosen to wield them as the White Knights in order to fight back against the Nozas.
Week 16
Emma (エマ Ema?) is a Japanese seinen manga by Kaoru Mori. The manga was adapted into a 12 episode TV-anime series directed by Tsuneo Kobayashi, airing in 2005.
Set in Victorian London at the end of the 19th century, it is about a maid who falls in love with a member of the gentry. However, the latter's family disapproves of him associating with people of the lower classes.
Both the manga and anime versions of Emma are unique for being set in a setting seldom visited by either medium without some fantasy or speculative element. The author and illustrator of the manga, Kaoru Mori, is a self-professed anglophile, and attempted to recreate 1885 London with meticulous detail. The manga has a cult following in Japan and North America, even going as far as opening an Emma-inspired and themed maid café in Shibuya.
Week 17
Legend of the Galactic Heroes (銀河英雄伝説 Ginga Eiyū Densetsu?) is a series of novels in the genres of space opera, military science fiction, action, drama and epic, written by Yoshiki Tanaka. An anime adaptation of the novels ran from 1988 to 1997 and a manga is also based on the novels, with art by Katsumi Michihara.
The story is staged in the distant future within our own Milky Way Galaxy, approximately in the 35th century. Unlike most other science fiction stories, there are no alien civilizations. A portion of the galaxy is filled with terraformed worlds inhabited by interstellar traveling human beings. For 150 years two mighty space powers have intermittently warred with each other: the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance.
Legend of The Galactic Heroes boasts the largest voice cast for any known animated production. It has been said that the cast listing is a Who's Who for almost every veteran and current Japanese voice actor, known as seiyū. For some voice actors in the series, this was their "breakthrough" role. Most notably Ryo Horikawa, as Reinhard, went on to star as the voice of Vegeta in the long running Dragonball Z.
Neither the novel, anime nor manga have been released officially in the English language, but there exists an unofficial fansub of the anime. For that reason most English speaking fans identify Legend of the Galactic Heroes with the anime adaptation and not the earlier novels.
Week 18
Tramps Like Us (きみはペット Kimi wa Petto?, a.k.a. You're My Pet) in Japan, is a josei manga series by Yayoi Ogawa, which was adapted to a TV drama series that aired in Japan on TBS in 2003.
The story concerns Sumire Iwaya (巌谷澄麗 Iwaya Sumire), a journalist at a major newspaper. A career woman in a society which doesn't handle successful women well, Sumire suffers from depression.
After her fiancé leaves her for his mistress and Sumire is demoted at work, she stumbles across a young injured homeless man in a box outside her condominium. She takes him in and becomes attached to him. As a joke, she says she wants to keep him as a pet, and names him Momo (モモ), after her beloved dog from childhood. To her surprise, the young man agrees. Complications arise when Sumire is reunited with the man she crushed on at Tokyo University, Shigehito Hasumi (蓮實 滋人 Hasumi Shigehito)
Week 19
Oroshitate Musical Nerima Daikon Brothers (おろしたてミュージカル 練馬大根ブラザーズ lit. Dress-up Musical: Nerima Daikon Brothers?) is a manga and 12 episode comedy anime series that follows the adventures of childhood friends Hideki, Ichirō, and Mako who form the band, "Nerima Daikon Brothers."
The show uses a musical comedy format, with the characters often breaking out in song to show their emotions or go through a montage scene. The melodies of the songs are sometimes recycled episode after episode with different lyrics substituted for the particular situation. The musical comedy format is rare in Japanese animation. The show's style is influenced by such musicals as the Blues Brothers Film and Bollywood musicals such as Muthu.
The show parodies many famous people and institutions in Japan including Junichiro Koizumi and his political followers; Michael Jackson; fortune tellers, Star Wars, Host club entertainers among many others. Until recently with TV anime didn't make jokes about the current news topics like homosexual love, consumer credit, or the success of Korean artists in Japan such as Bae Yong-Joon.
Week 20
Fullmetal Alchemist (鋼の錬金術師 Hagane no Renkinjutsushi?), commonly abbreviated "FMA" or "Hagaren" by fans, is a manga series created by Hiromu Arakawa and serialized in Monthly Shonen Gangan. It has also been adapted into an anime series and a movie, as well as several spin-off novels and videogames.
Fullmetal Alchemist is set in the early 20th century, in a country called Amestris in an alternate-historical Earth with technology dating from early 20th century Europe. In this alternate world, the science of alchemy is heavily used, but takes on a fantasy element. In the series, alchemy becomes the science of transmuting matter into different matter through the use of transmutation circles -- a scientific, yet equally magical practice, with seemingly infinite uses. Talented alchemists can become the military's State Alchemists. Against this backdrop, the series portrays the quest of the young Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, and his younger brother Alphonse, for the legendary Philosopher's Stone. Their adventures lead them to discover the truth about their past and the very world they live in.
Week 21
Naruto (ナルト NARUTO?) is a manga by Masashi Kishimoto with an anime TV series adaptation. Its titular main character, Uzumaki Naruto, is a loud, hyperactive adolescent ninja who constantly searches for approval and recognition.
The manga was first published in Japan by Shueisha, in the 43rd issue of the Shonen Jump magazine in 1999. So far there have been 32 volumes of the manga series published in the country, with a total of 307 chapters written since its initial release in 1999. VIZ Media publishes a translated version in the American Shonen Jump, though there have been only 9 of the 32 volumes of manga released so far. It has become VIZ Media's best-selling manga series.
Naruto maintains a balance between drama and comedy, with plenty of action. It follows Naruto and his friends' personal growth and development as ninja, and emphasizes their interactions with each other and the influence of their backgrounds on their personalities. Naruto finds two friends and comrades in Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, two fellow young ninja who are assigned with him to form a three-man team under a very experienced sensei named Hatake Kakashi. Naruto also confides in other characters as well that he has met through the Chuunin Exam. They learn new abilities, get to know each other and other villagers better and experience a coming-of-age journey as Naruto dreams of becoming the Hokage of Konoha.
Week 22
Midori Days (美鳥の日々 Midori no Hibi?, Days of Midori or Midori's Days) is an 85-chapter manga and 13-episode anime series created by Kazurou Inoue (井上和郎).
The manga was published in the magazine Shonen Sunday until July 2004, while the anime series aired on Japanese television from April to June 2004. Studio Pierrot was the animation studio for the TV series. Media Blasters holds the North American license for the TV series, and VIZ Media licensed the manga in English in North America. Chuang Yi publishes the manga in Singapore in English.
The story is about Seiji Sawamura, a chivalrous though delinquent high school student, who is idolized by a few younger characters (such as Shiori Tsukishima). However, thanks to his poor reputation, he is loathed by his peers and unable to find a girlfriend. His isolated life is completely turned upside down when a miniature girl appears in place of his right hand.
The girl's name is Midori Kasugano. She is very shy and has secretly been in love with Seiji for a long time. Faced with this sudden and forced closeness, she quickly becomes Seiji's self-established "right hand girlfriend" and refers to Seiji and herself as 'lovers'.
Week 23
Marmalade Boy (ママレード・ボーイ Mamarēdo Bōi?) is a manga created by Wataru Yoshizumi and serialized in the monthly manga magazine Ribon. The manga was later adapted by Toei Animation into a 76 episode anime TV series which aired on Fuji Television. There was also a short animated movie (only slightly longer than a normal episode) produced in 1995, which was a sort of prequel to the series. The manga is published in English by TOKYOPOP which has now begun releasing the anime as well with the co-operation of Studio E.
The storyline revolves around Miki Koishikawa, a high-school girl whose parents go on vacation, meet another couple, and decide to swap partners. As Miki does not want to be separated from either parent, the two newly-formed couples decide to live together in the same house, despite Miki's objections to the new plan. The situation becomes even more complicated with the addition of her new (double) step-brother Yuu Matsuura. She is initially attracted to him, but is put off by his indifferent and somewhat cold attitude toward their odd family situation. Yū also likes to tease Miki, which alternately turns her on and off depending on the situation.
Week 24
Glass Mask (ガラスの仮面 Garasu no Kamen?) is a long running shōjo manga by Suzue Miuchi (美内 すずえ), serialised in Hana to Yume from January 1976, and collected in 42 tankōbon as of 2006.
It follows the story of an ordinary girl named Maya Kitajima (北島マヤ) and her tumultuous rise into the world of acting.
There have been three anime adaptations, first a 23 episode TV series produced by Eiken in 1984, then a three episode OVA continuation in 1998 by TMS Entertainment. Then in 2005 TMS began a new TV series, starting from the beginning of the story.
Week 25
Samurai Deeper Kyo (サムライ ディーパー キョウ?) is Akimine Kamijyo's first published manga. First released in October 1999 in Shūkan Shōnen Magazine, volume thirty-seven was published in April, 2006 by Kodansha[2]. The manga led to the adaptation of an anime series of the same name from Studio Deen. Both the manga and the anime combine action with the supernatural, taking liberties with historical personages to create an alternate history of Tokugawa Japan.
Although they differ widely in many crucial aspects of plot and characterization, both the anime and the manga follow the story of Demon Eyes Kyo (鬼眼の狂 Onime no Kyō?) as he seeks to regain his body after his soul was sealed inside the body of his rival, Kyoshiro Mibu (壬生京四郎 Mibu Kyoshiro?). Kyo is joined in his search by, among others, the bounty-hunter Yuya Shiina, Hidetada Tokugawa, heir to the shogunate, and Yukimura Sanada, a famous rival of the Tokugawa.
Week 26
Yotsuba&! (よつばと! Yotsuba to!?) is an ongoing manga series by Kiyohiko Azuma, the creator of Azumanga Daioh, which was licensed by ADV Manga for English language distribution in 2004 and was released beginning in 2005. It is published by MediaWorks and serialized monthly in their magazine Dengeki Daioh.
The series is centered on the antics of Yotsuba Koiwai (see characters, below), a five year old adopted girl who is energetic, cheerful, curious, strange and quirky; so strange and quirky in fact, that even her own father calls her a weirdo. She is also completely ignorant about a large number of things one would expect a child of her age to know about, among them doorbells, escalators, and even playground swings. This not only adds to her weirdness, but also allows for humorous stories where she first learns about and/or misunderstands these everyday things. She and her adoptive father, Koiwai, have recently relocated to a new neighborhood with the help of Koiwai's best friend, an impressively tall man nicknamed Jumbo. Yotsuba makes quite an impression on the neighboring Ayase family's three daughters Asagi, Ena, and Fuka, whose interactions with her often lead to hilarious misadventures.
Though there seems to be no central plot, the main focus of the manga story is purely Yotsuba's voyage of discovery. Within that process, the reading audience is on the same voyage to discover more about the characters, especially Yotsuba. Each chapter has a prevalent theme or object pertaining to its title. This theme is often Yotsuba discovering something for the first time, or other characters dealing with and reacting to her discoveries.
"Yotsuba to !" means "Yotsuba and !", which comes from the fact that the title of nearly every chapter/issue of the manga is of the form "Yotsuba and something". The name "Yotsuba" (四葉) can be translated as "four leaves," and is part of the phrase 四葉のクローバー yotsuba no kurōbā ("four-leaf clover"). In reference to this fact (or perhaps because of it), Yotsuba has four ponytails and green hair.
Week 27
3000 Leagues in Search of Mother (母をたずねて三千里 Haha wo Tazunete Sanzenri?) is an anime series directed by Isao Takahata and aired in 1976. It is (very) loosely based on a small part of the novel Heart (Cuore) by Edmondo De Amicis, widely expanded into a 52-episode epic.
During a depression in 19th century Genoa, Italy, Marco's mother goes to Argentina to work as domestic. However, his mother's letters stop coming after an indication that she is sick. 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother details Marco's journey to find his mother.
The series was broadcast on the World Masterpiece Theater, an animation staple that showcased each year an animated version of a different classical book or story, and was originally titled "From the Apennines to the Andes".
A summarization movie was released in the 1980s using edited footage from the TV run.
The series was dubbed into several languages and became an instant success in some countries, such as Brazil, Spain and Israel. In Hebrew, the series is called HaLev, meaning The Heart (the name of the novel which the series is based on).
Week 28
Kaleido Star (カレイドスター?) is an anime series produced by GONZO DIGIMATION and licensed in the United States by ADV Films. It was a joint venture involving Japanese studio Gonzo Digimation Holding, Korean studio G&G Entertainment, and American studio ADV Films. The series is about a young girl who comes from Japan to the United States in search of her dream. She wants, with all her heart, to be a member of the famous Kaleido Stage (a circus similar to the Cirque du Soleil). With the help of her friends, she struggles to make this dream come true. The series was aired on the Anime Network during 2005 in the USA.
Week 29
Angel's Egg (天使のたまご Tenshi no Tamago?) is a Japanese anime feature film produced by Tokuma Shoten in 1985. A collaboration between popular artist Yoshitaka Amano and director Mamoru Oshii, it incorporates surrealistic and existentialist qualities but very little dialogue, making it a commonly cited example of progressive anime.
Angel's Egg follows the daily life of a young girl in a surreal world of darkness and shadows. The girl, whose name we do not learn, is the keeper of a mysterious egg. A man, whose name also remains a mystery, arrives in the dark town one day riding a machine and wearing a cross on his back. The two meet and talk, though their dialogue consists mostly of the single, repeated question "Who are you?".
Because of the little dialect in Angel's egg, much of the film's intended meaning is portrayed through visuals and symbols. Many of the symbols in Angel's Egg can be related to religion, specifically Christianity.
Week 30
Ninja Scroll (獣兵衛忍風帖 Jūbei Ninpūchō?) is a Japanese action thriller anime, set in feudal Japan, by critically acclaimed director/writer Yoshiaki Kawajiri, who was best known for his previous thriller Wicked City (Yōjū Toshi). The character designs were done by Yutaka Minowa.
The movie was released on June 5, 1993 and received a Western release on December 6, 1996. The movie was also released in some regions as Jubei Ninpucho: The Wind Ninja Chronicles. The Japanese title could be translated at "Jubei the Wind Ninja", although this is subject to debate as it does not account for the last part of the title. Ninja Scroll won the Citizen's Award at the 1993 Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival. Ninja Scroll is among the most popular anime movies outside of Japan, along with such movies as Akira and Ghost in the Shell. It is well-received in its depiction of the samurai and Japanese mythological creatures such as the Stone Golem, Blind Assassin and so on.
Week 31
Ninku (忍空 Ninkū?) is a Japanese manga series by Kōji Kiriyama, which was later adapted into an anime television series, produced by Studio Pierrot and directed by Noriyuki Abe, spanning 55-episodes. The anime series, originally running between 1995 to 1996, premiered on the Fuji Television network, and was broadcast by the anime television network, Animax, across Japan, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and other regions. The Anime also spawned a movie in 1996. The original manga spanned 9-tankobon volumes and was serialized in the Weekly Shōnen Jump manga magazine between 1993 to 1995 and recently restarted as Ninku -Second Stage: Stories of Etonins- in the Ultra Jump since October 2005 and the first tankobon was issued in March 2006.
The story in Ninku is about an odd-looking 12-year-old boy named Fuusuke (Fusuke or Fuusuke the wind (風の風助 Kaze no Fūsuke?)) who is a powerful warrior from the Ninku school of martial arts, a style that mixes ninjutsu and karate.
Week 32
Mushishi or Mushi-shi (蟲師?) is a historical fantasy manga and anime series. The original manga is drawn by Yuki Yoshiyama under the pen name Yuki Urushibara. It is ongoing; as of March 2006, 35 chapters have appeared in Afternoon magazine, and seven volumes of the compiled manga have been released in Japan. The anime series, directed by Hiroshi Nagahama, had 26 episodes and completed its run on June 18, 2006. At the 2006 San Diego Comic Con, representatives from Del Rey Manga announced that they had licensed the manga series for release in the English language.
At the 5th Tokyo Anime Award competition at the Tokyo International Anime Fair in 2006, Mushishi won grand prizes in the categories of Television Series and Best Art Direction (Takeshi Waki).
A live-action movie based on Mushishi is in production. It will be directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, famous for creating the print and film versions of Akira. It is scheduled to have its world premiere at the 2006 Venice Film Festival.
Week 33
Geneshaft (ジーンシャフト jīn shafuto?) is a Japanese science fiction anime television series set in space, created by Bandai Visual in 2001, and directed by Kazuki Akane (of Escaflowne fame). It was broadcast on the WOWOW network and was translated and dubbed into English by the anime television network Animax, who broadcast it within its respective networks in Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and around the world.
The story revolves around the voyages of the 'Bilkis' spaceship across the Solar system, and its crew of genetically engineered humans, as they attempt to uncover the mysteries of an alien technology threatening to destroy the Earth,and whose nature may reveal the true origins and destiny of humanity in the late 23rd century.
The series is characterized by its exploration of the theme of genetic engineering, and the possible consequences of this technology dominating and defining future human society. It also contains a distinctive Metal soundtrack with electronica elements (composed by Akira Takasaki), often featuring electric guitar solos at dramatic moments.
Featured as a central plot element is the 'Shaft', a Mecha with a peculiar appearance. Made entirely with CGI, this barely-humanoid robot seems to be made of structures resembling gray mechanical cranes, lacking appealing characteristics common to other Mecha, such as bright colors or even a 'head'.
Week 34
Neon Genesis Evangelion (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン Shin Seiki Evangelion?) is a popular Japanese anime begun in 1995. The anime was written and directed by Hideaki Anno, and produced by Gainax. It is a post-apocalyptic mecha action series, and references a number of Judeo-Christian symbols from the book of Genesis and biblical apocrypha. Later episodes shift focus to psychoanalysis of the main characters, who display various emotional problems and mental illnesses. Hideaki Anno, the director of the anime series, had suffered from depression prior to creating the series, and the psychological aspects of the show are based on the director's own experiences in dealing with depression and psychotherapy.
Neon Genesis Evangelion consists of 26 television episodes which were first aired on TV Tokyo from October 4, 1995, to March 27, 1996. The series was followed by three movies: Death and Rebirth, The End of Evangelion, and Revival of Evangelion. The first two movies were introduced in 1997. Death and Rebirth is a highly condensed re-edit of the series (Death) plus the first half of The End of Evangelion (Rebirth). The End of Evangelion is an alternate version of the series ending, which either supplements or replaces episodes 25 and 26, depending on how they are viewed. The two movies were re-edited and re-released as a single movie, Revival of Evangelion in 1998. Two additional DVDs, subtitled Genesis Reborn and Resurrection, were released. They contain both the original final six episodes and director's cut of episodes 21 to 24 of the series.
Week 35
InuYasha (犬夜叉?), full title InuYasha, A Feudal era Fairy Tale (戦国お伽草子ー犬夜叉 Sengoku Otogi Zōshi InuYasha?), is a shōnen adventure romantic comedy manga created by Rumiko Takahashi, creator of Ranma ½. The story tells of the adventures of Kagome Higurashi, who can travel back in time through a mysterious well, and the half-demon, InuYasha, along with their companions Miroku, Sango and Shippo. It was adapted into an 167 episode anime series produced by Sunrise which first aired on Nippon TV in Japan from 16 October 2000 to 13 September 2004. The anime ended prematurely, while the manga is still being released in Japan as of today.
The series is named after the main character, InuYasha. The name "InuYasha" literally means "dog demon". Inu (犬) is a Japanese word meaning "dog". Yasha (夜叉) can be translated roughly to "Demon".
Week 36
King of Bandit Jing (王ドロボウJING Ō Dorobou Jing?), also known as Jing: King of Bandits, is a seven volume manga series by Yuichi Kumakura about the adventures of the bandit Jing and his partner Kir. The manga was adapted into a 13 episode anime series produced by Aniplex and directed by Hiroshi Watanabe. The anime series aired from 15 May 2002 to 14 August 2002 on NHK in Japan. The manga is licensed in English in North America by TOKYOPOP. ADV Films licensed the King of Bandit Jing series.
Week 37
D.C. ～Da Capo～ (Ｄ．Ｃ．～ダ・カーポ～?) is a Japanese video game by Circus, of the genre "funny school romance adventure" (こそばゆい学園恋愛アドベンチャー?), according to its maker, Circus. It has been adapted into two anime and two manga series based on it, improved versions of the first game, several fandiscs, and assorted comic anthologies and merchandise.
A sequel, D.C. II ～Da Capo II～, was released on 26 May 2006.
It is set on a fictional island in modern Japan, Hatsunejima, where the the sakura trees are mysteriously always in full blossom.
Week 38
Serial Experiments Lain is an anime series about Lain Iwakura, an adolescent girl living in suburban Japan, and her introduction to the Wired, a global communication network.
The original idea of the series is written by Chiaki J. Konaka, the original character design is by Yoshitoshi ABe. The anime is directed by Ryutaro Nakamura and produced by production 2nd.
Lain has been adapted into English in North America by Geneon (previously Pioneer Entertainment on DVD and LaserDisc). It has also been released in Singapore by Odex.
A Serial Experiments Lain PlayStation game has been released in Japan. The original story was prepared for the game first and work began on the anime using parts of the plot from the game. Though they were produced at the same time, the anime was shown first in Japan in 1998. The storylines are different and do not follow the same continuity.
Week 39
Excel Saga (エクセル・サーガ Ekuseru Sāga?) is a manga series by Koushi Rikudou, and a TV anime series based on it and directed by Shinichi Watanabe. Both the anime and the manga are absurdist comedies following the attempts of the "secret ideological organisation" ACROSS, to conquer the city of Fukuoka as a first step towards world domination. Excel, the title character, is a key member of ACROSS and ranks below only the organization's enigmatic leader, Ilpalazzo. In both the manga and anime, the city is defended by a shadowy government agency led by Dr. Kabapu, whose subordinates engage Excel and her junior officer, Hyatt on several occasions.
The manga focuses on the development of its principal characters by means of satirizing life and culture in Japan: Rikudou notes that Excel Saga developed out of his earlier dojinshi comic Municipal Force Daitenzin as a way both to "laugh off" economic problems of the time and to explore Excel's character, which he felt he had neglected in Daitenzin. While the anime maintains much of the satire, it is more gag-based and self-referential, featuring animated representations of the Rikudou, Watanabe, and other members of the production staff. It also relies more than the manga on parodies of popular Japanese works, including Super Sentai, Space Battleship Yamato, and Fist of the North Star. The English-language reception of the Excel Saga anime was generally positive, likening the humor in nature and quality to the works of Tex Avery and Monty Python. Nevertheless, many reviewers were dissatisfied with later episodes, and some censured the series for frequent references to obscure aspects of Japanese culture.
The Excel Saga manga began publication in Japan in the mid-1990s, serialized in Shonen Gahosha's Young King OURs, and as of August 2006 sixteen collected volumes have been published. The TV adaptation was animated by J.C.STAFF and produced by Victor Entertainment. TV Tokyo broadcast the series, beginning 1999-10-07, on Thursdays at 1:45 a.m. Japan Standard Time. Although twenty-six episodes were made, the last one was intentionally made too violent and obscene for public broadcast and did not air in Japan. Several international editions of both media have been made, with the manga released in English, French and Italian, and the anime in these languages, Spanish and Portuguese.
Week 40
Portal:Anime and manga/Selected series/Week 40 2006
Week 41
Golden Boy (ゴールデンボーイ Gōruden Bōi?) is a manga series by Tatsuya Egawa about a 25-year-old freeter, pervert, and "travelling student" named Oe Kintaro. The manga was originally serialized in Shueisha's Super Jump starting in 1992, with the first collected volume released the following year. Parts of the manga were adapted into a six episode OVA series produced by Shueisha and KSS in 1995, which was subsequently released through ADV Films in North America.
Kintaro, despite having met the requirements for a law degree, left Tokyo University without graduating. Golden Boy depicts his living the life of a free spirit, roaming Japan from town to town, job to job. During his travels, Kintaro meets several women whose lives he dramatically changes, despite inauspicious first impressions. He constantly observes and studies the people and events around him, assiduously recording his findings in a notebook.
The Golden Boy OVA has been positively received by English-language reviwers, but it is widely known for its mature content: while the OVA is not strictly a hentai animation, it does feature instances of partial female nudity, orgasms, and female masturbation. In contrast, the manga, which has not been released in English, becomes almost pornographic starting in the second volume.
Week 42
Kino's Journey: the Beautiful World (キノの旅 -the Beautiful World- Kino no Tabi -the Beautiful World-?), shortened to Kino's Journey, is a Japanese light novel series, authored by Keiichi Sigsawa and first published in March 2000, which has been adapted into an anime series that premiered between 8 April 2003 and 8 July 2003. An English adaption has been released by ADV Films.
In Kino's Journey, the protagonist, Kino, accompanied by a talking motorrad, a Brough Superior motorcycle named Hermes, travels through a mystical world of many different countries and forests, each unique in its customs and people. She only spends 3 days and 2 nights in every town, with some exceptions, on the principle that three days is enough time to learn almost everything important about a place, while leaving time to explore new lands.
A phrase repeated in the anime and novels is "The world is not beautiful, therefore it is." Kino's Journey explores what the anime director Ryutaro Nakamura described as "a radical sense of 'beauty,'" and brutality, loneliness, nonsense, oppression and tragedy are often juxtaposed against compassion and a fairy-tale atmosphere.
Week 43
RahXephon (ラーゼフォン Rāzefon?) is a popular science fiction anime television series about young Ayato Kamina, his ability to control a godlike mecha that is known as the RahXephon, and his inner journey to find a place with the world around him. The story begins during the early 21st century in Japan with a seemingly peaceful Tokyo suddenly being attacked by invaders while a mysterious woman stalks Ayato.
Music, time, mystery and personal intrigues are central elements of RahXephon's plot. The series shows clear influences from philosophy, Japanese folklore and western literature, in particular from the writings of James Churchward. The series was the first directed by veteran designer Yutaka Izubuchi and was produced by BONES.
Week 44
Portal:Anime and manga/Selected series/Week 44 2006
Week 45
Portal:Anime and manga/Selected series/Week 45 2006
Week 46
Monster is a seinen manga by Naoki Urasawa, serialized in Big Comic Original, published by Shogakukan, between 1994 and 2001, and reprinted in 18 tankōbon. Naoki Urasawa would later release Another Monster, a supplement book detailing the events from the manga as from an investigative reporter's point of view, published by Shogakukan in 2002. A 74 episode anime TV adaptation by Madhouse aired on NTV from April 07, 2004 to September 28, 2005.
The manga is licensed in English by Viz Communications, with the release of the sixth volume scheduled for December 2006. New Line Cinema has also recently acquired rights to create an English language film version. Josh Olson, whose best-known work has been adapting A History of Violence in 2005, has agreed to write a screenplay adaptation for the movie, and also script a second Monster movie for the studio.
Week 47
Crest of the Stars (Japanese: 星界の紋章 Seikai no Monshō) is a trilogy of space opera (some parts could classify as military science fiction/military space opera) science fiction novels written by Morioka Hiroyuki. Beginning in 1999, the novels were adapted into anime series, the first of which ran for 13 episodes on WOWOW. There are three sequel series to the anime — Banner of the Stars (13 episodes, aka Seikai no Senki), Banner of the Stars II (10 episodes, aka Seikai no Senki II) and both adapting the second novel, two recap movie — Crest of the Stars Special Edition and Banner of the Stars Special Edition, and an OVA Crest of the Stars Lost Chapter (aka Seikai no Danshō). The fourth anime series, adapting the third novel, Banner of the Stars III (aka Seikai no Senki III) is an OVA released in Japan in 2005.
Crest of the Stars and Banner of the Stars (series I and II) follow Ghintec Linn (aka Jinto Lynn), a young prince whose world is taken over by the space-dwelling race of the Abh. When Ghintec was a young boy, his father, Rock Lynn, under threat of invasion, handed over their world, Martine, to the Abh in exchange for a position within Abh society. Young Ghintec is sent off to school to learn the ways of Abh nobility and the story of Crest of the Stars picks up as he meets the young Abh princess, Lamhirh (aka Lafiel) as they are about to travel to military school for Ghintec's further training.
Week 48
NieA_7 (ニアアンダーセブン?), also known as NieA under 7, is a 13 episode anime series about Mayuko, a poor, introverted student who lives above a Japanese bathhouse, and NieA, a freeloading, freewheeling alien who lives in her closet and eats her food. The series begins on a light comedic tone (most of the early episodes are about schemes to rejuvenate the bathhouse), and deepens somewhat as it explores the evolving relationship between Mayuko and NieA, but the overall ending is upbeat. The series touches lightly upon issues of discrimination, stereotypes, alienation and assimilation. Mayuko, who attends a cram school, is prone to melancholy and suffers from anomie. NieA, who is apparently placed in an inferior class by her fellow aliens, immediately accuses anyone who calls her a 'stupid no-antenna' or the like of discrimination. Another alien adopts stereotypical Indian dress and opens a convenience store. This theme of the comic alien is carried through in the brief live-action sequence which ends each episode, "Dalgit's Tidbit of Indian Information." which is in a foreign language and must be subtitled if you want to read it.
NieA_7 is based on a doujinshi by graphic designer Yoshitoshi ABe and published by Kadokawa Shoten. Much of NieA_7's staff was made up of people who had worked on Serial Experiments Lain (director Takuya Sato was the storyboard artist for Lain, Yoshitoshi ABe was the character designer for Lain, etc.); it is commonly supposed that they chose to do this light-hearted series to cool off after the dark and psychologically intense Serial Experiments Lain. This idea is further supported by the character Chiaki, a UFO fanatic who shares a name with Chiaki J. Konaka, the script writer for Lain.
Week 49
Portal:Anime and manga/Selected series/Week 49 2006
Week 50
Week 51
Voltron is a shape-changing giant mecha robot first featured in the 1980s animated television series Voltron: Defender of the Universe. There has since been a second series, made in the 1990s using CGI techniques. The 1980s Voltron series was based on two vaguely-related Japanese anime series (both originally produced by Toei Animation & Bandai, who also produced the popular Super Sentai series in Japan). The anime was dubbed and strung together by North American television production and distribution company World Events Productions. The series was not a straight dub, however, as much of the violence of the original Japanese series was removed (among other things).
Week 52
Vampire Hunter D (吸血鬼ハンターD) is the title character of a series of novels by Japanese horror and pulp author Hideyuki Kikuchi.
Beginning in 1983, Kikuchi has so far written 17 "D" novels, illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano. The first and third books were adapted into internationally released anime movies (licensed in the USA by Urban Vision), reaching a minor cult status in the U.S.; the first six novels are now available in English from the prose division of Dark Horse Comics, with one more scheduled for release in May of 2007. At least two art books, a survival-horror video game, Japanese-language audio dramas, and various other official (as well as fan-based) memorabilia exist based upon the Vampire Hunter D series.
