Shadow Star

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the unrelated novel by Chris Claremont, see Shadow Star (novel).
Shadow Star

Shīna and Hoshimaru
骸なる星･珠たる子
(Mukuro Naru Hoshi·Tama Taru Ko)
Genre Supernatural
Manga
Author Mohiro Kitoh
Publisher Flag of Japan Kodansha
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Flag of Japan Afternoon
Flag of the United States Super Manga Blast
Flag of Italy Kappa
Original run 21 July 1998 – 22 December 2003
Volumes 12
TV anime
Director Toshiaki Iino
Network Flag of Japan Kids Station
Original run 7 July 2003 – 29 September 2003
Episodes 13

Shadow Star, known in Japan in full as Mukuro Naru Hoshi Tama Taru Ko (骸なる星･珠たる子 Mukuro Naru Hoshi·Tama Taru Ko?, The Star That Died And the Jewel of a Girl) and abbreviated as Narutaru (なるたる), 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 the Japanese version was released in the magazine Afternoon. In the United States, it was licensed by Dark Horse and serialized in Super Manga Blast!.

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 and as of 2007 runs on the Illusion on Demand television network.

The protagonist of the series is a young girl called Shiina Tamai. She bonds with a starfish-shaped "dragonchild" (baby "shadow dragon") whom she calls Hoshimaru. The series is mainly about the interaction between Shiina and other young people who have also bonded with dragons.

The manga, especially the original Japanese versions, contains gruesome material and images particularly towards its later volumes. Despite the young main characters, cute aliens, and initial look of a shōjo or magical girl series, the story quickly transforms into one filled with very graphic sexual and violent themes. The English-language [1] and German-language [2] versions of the manga have some edited scenes; entire pages of content were removed from the English-language version of the manga.

Contents

[edit] Anime

[edit] Episodes

Main article: List of Shadow Star episodes

[edit] Characters

Main article: List of characters in Shadow Star

[edit] Manga

Shadow Star Narutaru volume 1 English cover
Shadow Star Narutaru volume 1 English cover

Note: The titles of the individual volumes refer to the English translation, which gave names to the individual volumes.

  • 1: Starflight // Chapters 1-4 (Japanese 1-5)
  • 2: Darkness Visible // Chapters 5-10 (Japanese 6-13)
  • 3: Shadows Of The Past // Chapters 11-15 (Japanese 14-20)
  • 4: Nothing But The Truth // Chapters 16-20 (Japanese 21-23)
  • 5: A Flower's Fragrance // Chapters 21-23 (Japanese 24-28)
  • 6: What Can I Do For You Now? // Chapters 24-28 (Japanese 29)
  • 7: Victim's Eyes, Assailant's Hands // Chapter 29 (Japanese 30-38)
  • 8: Japanese 39-44
  • 9: Japanese 45-48
  • 10: Japanese 49 & 50
  • 11: Japanese 51-61
  • 12: Japanese 62-68

There are twelve volumes total in the Japanese releases, of which the seven listed have been translated to English. The English volumes end at different spots than the Japanese volumes. This was a result of Dark Horse's arrangement of the manga's chapters, which were spaced differently in the Japanese and English releases. The same treatment was given to Oh My Goddess! in its initial distribution.

There have been no new announcements for future English releases. English volume eight (Japanese volume seven) and part of volume 9 (Japanese volume 8) have been translated in Super Manga Blast!, and starting with the magazine's 54th issue, the manga was translated in its original right-to-left reading format; this lasted until SMB was cancelled five issues later. These chapters have not been printed as stand-alone graphic novels as yet.

[edit] Reception of the anime

Sci Fi Channel described the series as "transformed" from "fascinatingly quirky" to "slow but expressive."[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Shadow Star Narutaru." Sci Fi Channel.

[edit] External links