Shadow Star
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shadow Star | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 骸なる星･珠たる子 (The Dying Star and the Jewel of a Girl) |
|
| Genre | Drama, Horror, Supernatural |
| Manga | |
| Authored by | Mohiro Kitoh |
| Publisher |  Kodansha  Dark Horse Comics Glénat (formerly) Egmont Manga und Anime |
| Serialized in | Afternoon Super Manga Blast |
| Original run | 21 July 1998 – 22 December 2003 |
| No. of volumes | 12 |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Toshiaki Iino |
| Studio | Kids Station |
| Network | Kids Station |
| Original run | 7 July 2003 – 29 September 2003 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
Shadow Star (骸なる星･珠たる子 Mukuro naru Hoshi·Tama taru Ko?, The Star that Died and the Jewel of a Girl) is the name of a Japanese manga and of the anime series which was based on the manga. The series was created by Mohiro Kitoh and released in the Japanese magazine Afternoon. The manga was released in North America by Dark Horse Comics with the name Shadow Star. The anime broadcast was in 2003 on the Japanese television station Kids Station. It consists of 13 episodes of 24 minutes each. The anime has been licensed by Central Park Media.
The protagonist of the series is a young girl called Shiina Tamai (玉依シイナ Tamai Shiina). She bonds with a starfish-shaped "dragonet" (baby dragon) whom she calls Hoshimaru (ホシ丸). The series is mainly about the interaction between Shiina and other young people who have also bonded with dragons.
It is important to note that the original Japanese version of the manga contains gruesome material and images, especially towards its later volumes. Despite the young main characters, and the initial look of cuteness, the story quickly transforms into a story filled with graphically brutal and violent themes.
Contents |
[edit] Anime
[edit] Episodes
[edit] Characters
Tamai Shiina: The protagonist of Narutaru. She acts very mature for her age, and though she does not get the best grades, she is talented at cooking and athletics. She always tries her hardest to become stronger, often facing newer and more difficult challenges. While outwardly cheerful and optimistic about everything, on the inside the protagonist’s hurt stems back as far as her name; in her dream in the first episode she says, "Are you calling me? That name, Shiina... I don't like it. So next time you want to call me, do me a favor and don't use that name." Using heart-thumping music of the same three piano keys to further the idea of death, Shiina asks, "Am I going to be gone from this world?" She fears losing those closest to her, but must endure.
Hoshimaru: Shiina’s companion. He does what Shiina unconsciously wants to do or have happen. This means that in reality she does not wish to casually speak with him, and that everything he does is actually Shiina’s will - whether for good or for bad. In the anime it is not stated, but later in the manga it becomes known that Hoshimaru is Tsurumaru's Shadow Dragon, not Shiina's.
Sakura Akira: A ninth grade student, she always seems out of place. She likes to hide in the shadows where she can feel protected from the outside world. Living above her family’s restaurant, her parents wish her to try harder in school and not slack off. Instead of trying to free herself of her timidity, she creates further barriers, with the exception of befriending Shiina. She keeps all of her pain inside, and tries at first to free herself of that pain by slitting her wrists, and later on pointing a gun at her head, but ends up unleashing her rage on her father by killing him with a dagger.
Tamai Shunji: Shiina’s father and a pilot for a company. He and his wife separated years ago, and he lives with Shiina. Once a sensational ace pilot for the National Defense Force, his abilities have diminished since an undisclosed incident involving a dragon. He loves his daughter dearly and wants always to protect her, even though she is often the one who ends up protecting him.
Otohime: Appearing on a large dragonet, the Virgin Princess is equivalent to a goddess of dragons. She rarely makes appearances, thus, seeing her even once in a lifetime is a rare and treasured event. However, the Otohime is a replica of its owner's body whose soul has been absorbed by his or her Baby Shadow Dragon, thus becoming an Adult Dragon. There are more Otohimes than one.
Tomonori Komori: While to the outside world Komori was a polite, nice, and popular boy who wanted to become a doctor, in reality he wanted to change the world by sacrificing the educated. He tells Akira that he is going to build an everlasting empire, and that he will be kind and she will be his queen. He dies at the hands of Hoshimaru after introducing immense fear into Akira and Shiina’s hearts. His friends and living family do not know of his death; they believe he has simply gone missing. -- His "living family" was someone who couldn't move and couldn't live without someone whom helped her, thus she died of starvation when he died.
Ozawa Satomi: A haughty girl who goes to an exclusive all-girls' school called Banda Academy, Amapora is her dragonet companion. She wishes to kill people, but lacks the strength, until she finally unleashes her power on civilians, creating a city of dead people. She did a favor for Naozumi by kidnapping Mamiko, who is believed to have a dragonet.
Takano Kazuyuki: A second year high school student and one of the friends of Komori. His dragonet, Hainvelle, resembles an angel with talons and attacks Shiina’s father while flying. A member of his high school’s track team, he often skips class to spend time with Satomi, whom he has strong feelings for.
Sudo Naozumi: One of Komori’s friends, he is rather calm, yet extreme enough to commit grand theft auto. Naozumi himself claims that he has surpassed a human level of emotional discomfort and desire. He sees himself as someone who protects Earth, even though he sends Ozawa to kidnap Mamiko to discover whether she has a dragonet. He believes he can change the world, releasing it of its bonds to tradition, custom, and common sense.
Kaizuka Hiroko: A very smart girl and Shiina’s friend, bullies torture her for scoring high on exams, while her parents scold her for not receiving better marks. Only finding solace from Shiina, she cannot approach Shiina about the bullying, but must live with it - until the day she snaps. After experiencing the unfairness in Japanese society, she wishes that everything would disappear.
Ezumi Jun: Her dragonet, Nendo, looks like a broom. She appears briefly and apparently died two years before she meets Shiina. Her dragonet’s ability allowed Kyoji to take her form when his body died. Jun’s body, along with Kyoji’s soul, merges with the dragonet, causing them to evolve into a full dragon and Otohime.
Tsurumaru Takeo: Shiina confuses him with the writer of a threatening note. His friend Norio has a dragonet who accompanies Takeo often. He helps Shiina and Akira many times, although he does not always understand where his responsibilities should stand. He has five illegitimate children and three girls pregnant during the course of the series.
Honda Aki: She leads the group that bullies Hiroko. Her brother Yasuhito teaches her various ways to torture Hiro.
Shitou Mioko: A close friend to Shiina, she remains always nervous when she helps bully Hiro because she fears Shiina’s potential reaction. Her lack of confidence in her own strength undoubtedly led to her involvement in the group that bullies Hiro.
Takamura: One of the girls who bullies Hiro, she joined out of jealousy for Hiroko’s perfect test grades.
Ozaka Mihaya: A classmate of Shiina’s, she bullies Hiroko along with other girls out of jealousy.
[edit] Manga
- 1: Starflight
- 2: Darkness Visible
- 3: Shadows Of The Past
- 4: Nothing But The Truth
- 5: A Flower's Fragrance
- 6: What Can I Do For You Now?
- 7: Victim's Eyes, Assailant's Hands
There are twelve volumes total, of which the seven listed have been translated to English. There have been no new announcements for future English releases due to the series' content and sales. Volumes 8 and 9 have been translated in Super Manga Blast! and have been converted to the "right-to-left" manga reading style.
[edit] External links
- Narutaru site at Kid's Station (Japanese)
- Shadow Star Narutaru at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Shadow Star (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
