D.Gray-man
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| D.Gray-Man | |
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| ディー・グレイマン (D.Gray-man) |
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| Genre | Comedy, Adventure, Horror, Shōnen |
| Manga | |
| Authored by | Katsura Hoshino |
| Publisher |  Jump Comics  VIZ Media  Glenat Tokyopop Panini Comics TongLi Comics |
| Serialized in | Weekly Shōnen Jump |
| Original run | May 31, 2004 – |
| No. of volumes | 10 (as of February 2007) 4 (as of February 2007 8 (as of February 2007) 6 (as of January 2007 2 (as of November 2006 9 (as of December 2006) |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Osamu Nabeshima |
| Studio | TMS Entertainment |
| Network | TV Tokyo |
| Original run | October 3, 2006 – |
| No. of episodes | 25 (current) |
D.Gray-man (ディー・グレイマン Dī Gureiman) is a manga series by Katsura Hoshino. It is a Gothic-fiction manga first serialized in 2004 in Weekly Shōnen Jump (published by Shueisha under their Jump Comics imprint). It is an ongoing series and is currently up to 113 chapters. There is also a novel series called Reverse that tells the characters' backgrounds. As of February 6, VIZ has released the first four volumes in the United States. An anime version began airing on October 3, 2006.
Contents |
[edit] The story
The plot revolves around Allen Walker, an Exorcist, in the end of the 19th century Europe. Allen is a member of the Black Order, which contains Exorcists, connected with Vatican. The mission of the Black Order is to stop The Millennium Earl, an evil ghoul intending to cleanse the world by destroying all the humans in the manner of Noah's great flood.
The Exorcists themselves are special people gifted with the ability to control and use Innocence, a divine substance created in the ages past to combat the Earl's minions, the Akuma. It is said that there are exactly 109 units of Innocence scattered around the world. Once an Innocence finds its compatible person, it will evolve to become a weapon to fight the Akumas.
As the story goes, Allen Walker is introduced with more Exorcist characters, among them are Yu Kanda, Lenalee Lee, Lavi, Arystar Krory, and Miranda Lotto. Also in the spotlight are Komui Lee, the church's science department supervisor and older brother of Lenalee Lee; Bookman, a mysterious colleague within the church; and Cross Marian, a General in the Organization and Allen's master.
More villains also appear along the way. There are higher level Akumas, with greater power, skill and wit. Also appearing is Noah's Family, a group of humans descended from Noah himself each gifted with great power, who have allied themselves with the Earl.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Terms
[edit] Akuma
アクマ Akuma (literally "evil demon" officially used and translated as "devil")
Akuma are created through the mixture of machine, soul, and despair. When a loved one has died and the living still mourn for them, the Earl of Millennium appears at their side. He asks for their cooperation to bring back the soul of their loved one and place it in a special mechanical body (魔導式ボディ) that the Earl had created. It's only once this is done that the mourners realize their terrible mistake. Once they bring back their loved ones by yelling out their name in front of the mechanical body, the Earl then orders the mechanical body to 'wear' their resurrector's skin by killing them. The soul inside of the Akuma has no freedom whatsoever, and is doomed to follow the Millennium Earl's orders for all eternity. The Akuma are really soldiers in a war for Innocence against the Exorcists. They hide in the human world by taking over a human's body. Only Allen can distinguish between who is Akuma and who is human with the power of his cursed left eye.
There are several levels of Akuma seen thus far in the series.
- Level 0 is the akuma right after being created. It is only the metal skeleton. The human soul is the dominate personality, but it is still bound to the Earl's control. The ends of the arms varies from akuma to akuma. The separate 'bones' are not connected in any way, but rather hover near where they would be connected. No mater how inhuman an akuma becomes upon reaching level 2, the level 0 form remains as its skeleton.
- Level 1 consists of a floating ball shape creature with dozens of gun barrels protruding from it that fire enlarged 5.56 x 45 mm NATO-like rounds. The bullets made of the blood of the Akuma is deadly to the human flesh, leaving black star marks, cracking and corroding the human's body. Only those with Innocence like Allen Walker and Arystar Krory can heal the virus ,sucking the virus out with his teeth (for Allen his Innocence just cures him of the akuma poison)(also Krory can suck the virus out of other humans that were hit by an akuma blood bullet), from these bullets. The souls inside a level 1 Akuma has the body and cloths of their original form, however, their face is rather distorted and there is a chain around their neck. After murdering a large amount of people, it can evolve to Level 2.
- Level 1.5, not an actual level per say, is more of a mid-way point for a level 1 Akuma. The only difference is that the Akuma gets rounder and more spherical, with the ends of the barrels on the surface. Their bullets can also penetrate barriers that normal level 1 Akuma bullets cant.
- Level 2 produces a dramatic change. They develop a unique ability and a sense of self. Level 2 Akuma are capable of intelligent thought and are largely independent, though they still maintain unquestionable loyalty to the Millennium Earl and the family of Noah. The souls of a Level 2 Akuma seem to become more deteriorated. The souls inside of these Akuma can't seem to be identified at all and are in a fetal position wrapped from head to toe in bandages. Level 2 Akuma come in all shapes and sizes (some have even appeared simply as a gas, fire, a demonic court jester, even a playing card) and they have no common appearance. They also have different powers such as copying a person's appearance (mirror image), emitting "ice fire" which hurts worse than normal fire, creating blades of air, emitting destructive sound waves, and creating bubbles that absorb water from everything they touch. After murdering enough people, it can evolve to Level 3.
- Level 3 brings perhaps the most terrifying changes of any previous stage. Regardless of their appearance in Level 2, all level 3 Akuma become bipedal, roughly 8 to 9 feet tall, sharp jagged teeth, and wear what looks like medieval armor that covers most of their bodies. In addition to this, they receive a massive power boost. A level 3 Akuma is easily capable of standing up to multiple exorcists in combat and usually has an extremely powerful ability in addition to its greatly improved strength and speed. The first Level 3 Akuma encountered in the series was only destroyed after a fight that almost cost Lenalee her life and forced her Innocence to take drastic measures, for a shocking revelation. According to Cross' modded Akuma, there are plenty of Akuma above Level 3 in Japan.
Recently in the manga, the Millennium Earl combined a large quantity of Akuma (perhaps millions) into a single enormous monster. This monster proved to be strong and very hard, but fairly easily defeated by Kanda.
[edit] Blood Bullet
The bullets shot by the akumas. The bullets contain a poisonous virus. The moment the bullet hits someone, the virus rapidly spreads throughout their body and they crumble to pieces.
[edit] Anti-Akuma Weapon
Weapons made out of converted Innocence which are used to destroy Akumas. All exorcists are equipped with anti-Akuma weapons (due to being accommodators of the Innocence). There are three kinds of anti-Akuma weapons seen thus far: equipment type, parasite type and feral type.
Parasite Types
The most rare type of Innocence. The Innocence actually dwells inside of the exorcist's body and transforms a part of the exorcist into a weapon. Basically, an exorcist with a parasitic Innocence becomes a weapon. An exorcist with a parasitic type is able to use their Innocence to practically full-potential and the weapons can adapt to the exorcist's feelings and "evolve" to a new weapon, this has been shown by both Allen's and Krory's Innocence. Parasitic types can also heal the corroding virus from the akumas' bullets, as long as it is an internal infection. Although the weapon might transform a certain part of a person's body, the innocence can increase an accomomdator's agility and over physical strength, which is shown by Allen's increased speed when his weapon is invoked, and Krory's increased agility and speed, and possibly his jumping strength. Parasite-type exorcists require high amounts of food and nutrients to sustain themselves. Some exorcists who are parasite-type are: Allen Walker, Arystar Krory, and Suman Dark.
Equipment Types
The most common type of Innocence. The Innocence are forged into external weapons (e.g. Katana) that are easily adapted to their Accomodators. Pros: The exorcist would tire less than a parasitic type. Cons: Usually cannot be used to the Innocence's full potential and if separated from the weapon, the exorcist would become very vulnerable for attacks. Some exorcists who use equipment-types are: Yu Kanda, Lavi, Lenalee Lee, and Miranda Lotto.
[edit] Exorcists
エクソシスト Ekusoshisuto
The "Apostles" of Innocence, and members of the Black Order, they fight the Earl, his minions, and the Akuma, to stop him from bringing death to the world. There are currently only 13 exorcists alive; of the dead exorcists, 6 of them have been murdered by Tyki Mikk. They wear their uniforms as a symbol of their authority and to provide durability for combat. Another use of their uniforms is to draw the attention of Akuma to themselves, as they cannot tell the difference between a normal human being and an Akuma wearing a human's skin (with the exception of Allen Walker). On their uniforms, they have Rose Crosses which represent their authority, and grant them permission anywhere in the name of the Vatican (New World Alliance). All are protected by God.
[edit] Innocence
イノセンス Inosensu
A strange material left by an ancient civilization which, if compatible with a person, can form into the weapons Exorcists use to stop the Earl. The Earl's plan is to prevent the revival of the Innocence by searching for a special piece of Innocence called "Heart" - once he destroys it, the rest of the Innocence will also be destroyed. There are 109 units of Innocence scattered throughout the world, but only 20 Apostles of them have been found. Most Innocence take different forms since the great flood. In Allen's first mission, an Innocence served as an energy source for a doll from the city of Mater that was built to sing and dance. In the mission to the rewinding town, an Innocence takes the shape of a grandfather clock. In the mission to Arystar's castle, an Innocence took the form of a plant that bit Arystar and gave him his anti-akuma teeth.
[edit] Finders
Supporters of the Exorcists , And members of the Black Order. They are set to scout out place where an Innocence may be located and if the chances are high, they call in the exorcists. Their uniform is a light yellowish outfit with a hood. They carry a telephone on their backs.
[edit] Noah's Ark
The original ark that was used by Noah to save the last living humans on Earth during the great flood. Now, it is currently used by the Earl to create Akuma. The original ark became "glitchy" after the Noah who originally controlled it gave away this ability to a human (the Earl believes it may be Cross Marian). A new ark is currently being built and is still continuing downloading components from the original. Only the Earl and Road Kamelot are able to use it.
The ark is also a device that is used by the Earl's troops to travel to a place instantaneously.
[edit] Togaochi, The Fallen One
咎落ち（とがおち） This is a condition where the synchronization ratio is below zero, this means that Togaochi is a product of a non-Apostole forcefully using Innocence. To put it simply, Togaochi is the loss of control over the Innocence. Once the condition settles in, the user will be sucked into the Innocence. Within about 24 hours, the body of the user will be destroyed. In the past, the Order carried out experiments to "create" Exorcists which failed terribly, as every subject experimented turned into a Togaochi. Simply, the Innocence begins to "judge" the non-apostle as if it were god, and punishes them for attempting to synchronizing without being declared worthy by the Innocence. Linali herself witnessed a boy, who is part of an exorcist bloodline, turned into a Togaochi when Hevlaska forcefully put an Innocence into him. This led Hevlaska to comment that experiments of this sort will not succeed, only those chosen by the Innocence can achieve synchronization with Innocence. The experiment is now forbidden. The formation of Togaochi need not be of a forceful syncho by a non-Apostle with an Innocence, this could also happen with an exorcist who betrays their Innocence. This had happened to the exorcist Suman Dark, who had begged for life to a member of the Noah family and betrayed the Order by giving information of the Order's current status.
[edit] Manga Covers
[edit] VIZ Media
 Volume 1 |
 Volume 2 |
 Volume 3 |
 Volume 4 |
 Volume 5 (May 1 2007) |
[edit] Anime
[edit] Episode guide
[edit] Production staff
- Original creator: Hoshino Katsura
- Director: Nabeshima Osamu
- Character Design: Morioka Hideyuki
- Scenario: Yoshida Reiko
- Art Director: Koga Toru
- Chief Animation Director: Morioka Hideyuki
- Director of Photography: Tsuchida Eiji
- Music：Wada Kaoru
- Animation: TMS Entertainment
- TV Boardcaster: TV Tokyo - Tuesdays @ 18:00
[edit] Music
[edit] Opening & Ending Themes
- 1st Opening Theme - INNOCENT SORROW (Episode 001-025)
- Lyrics: Nishikawa Takanori
- Music: Shibasaki Hiroshi
- Arrange: abingdon boys school
- Sung by: abingdon boys school
- Went on sale December 6, 2006
- 2nd Opening Theme - Brightdown (Episode 026- )
- Sung by: Tamaki Nami
- 1st Ending Theme - SNOW KISS (Episode 001-013)
- Lyrics: Iwata Acchu
- Music: Iwata Acchu & Koki Ito
- Arrange: NIRGILIS
- Sung by: NIRGILIS
- Went on sale November 22, 2006
- 2nd Ending Theme - Pride of Tomorrow (Episode 014-025)
- 3rd Ending Theme - Toward the Point of a Dream (夢の続きへ - Yume no Saki he?) (Episode 026- )
[edit] OST
- Music: Wada Kaoru
- Artists: abingdon boys school, NIRGILIS, & JUNE
[edit] Trivia
- Some of the character designs are based on Hoshino's earlier works (Zone & Continue).
- The character Arystar Krory's name is taken from Aleister Crowley, a famous English hedonist and occultist who self-styled himself as "The Wickedest Man in the World."
- Kanda's name is a "hand-me-down" from an earlier manga draft, which got rejected. The mangaka liked the name and kept it. Information from Vol. 8 Talk Room.
- Some of the characters are based on her assistants.
- Allen refuses to touch anything with alcohol due to an incident with Cross. After training, he accidentally found some of his master's alcohol-laced chocolates and ate them. Cross went berserk and punished him so harshly that Allen promised him that he would never touch alcohol ever again. Information from Vol. 7 Talk Room.
- In term of intelligence, here is the ranking according to Hoshino (from least intelligent to most): Kanda -> Allen -> Lavi -> Lenalee. Information from Vol. 3 Talk Room.
- The "D" in D.Gray-man has many meanings. It can refer to Allen and to several other characters. From Volume 3 Talk Room.
- Earlier titles were Dolls, Chronoa, and Zone. From Volume 3 Talk Room.
- Allen is ambidextrous. Information from Volume 3 Talk Room.
- Allen becomes "evil" and merciless when playing poker due to a special "training session" he had when he was still General Cross' assistant in order to pay some of the enormous debts of Cross. Allen is a master at cheating and refuses to lose while gambling.
- According to the Volume 7 Talk Room, Lavi has an interest in girls whose age range from ten to forty.
- When Tiki is in his "white form," he wears glasses. He obtains it from a garbage can. Information from Vol. 9 Talk Room.
[edit] Game Appearances
Characters from D.Gray-Man appeared in Jump Super Stars, but Allen was the only battle character representing the series. In the sequel, Jump Ultimate Stars, Allen and Lenalee are both battle characters while Kanda, Lavi, and Arystar are support characters.
Recently, a D.Gray-Man game for the Nintendo DS has been announced. The game is titled D.Gray-man: Kami no Shitotachi (D.Gray-man: The Apostles of God) and will be released on March 29, 2007. In this game, you interact with characters from the series and destroy Akuma using the Touch Screen and Stylus.
[edit] External links
- Weekly Jump Official Website - The magazine which publishes D.Gray-man
- D.Gray-man Official Website - Contains several links to other official websites. Note: The characters link is still under construction.
- TV Tokyo - D.Gray-man - TV Tokyo's D.Gray-man anime site
- D.Gray-man presents - Contains D.Gray-man goodies. Note: A D.Gray Land link is under construction.
- Konami's D.Gray-man website - Contains information about the DS and trading card games.
- Cross Grave - A fanlisting for D. Gray-man.
- D.Gray-Man Italia - Italian Site About D.Gray-Man
- Timcanpi.org - Official manga scan website
- D.Gray-man: Exorcists Order - Contains translations and useful information.
- D. Gray-Man Fan Site - The #1 Fan Site voted by Yahoo contains direct downloads for manga chapters and anime episodes
