| Apocalypse Meow | |
Cover of Apocalypse Meow volume 1 as published by Softbank Publishing |
|
| Genre | Military |
|---|---|
| Manga | |
| Written by | Motofumi Kobayashi |
| Published by | Softbank Publishing |
| English publisher | ADV Manga |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Magazine | GameSpot |
| Original run | 1998 – ongoing |
| Volumes | 3 |
| Original net animation | |
| Cat Shit One: The Animated Series | |
| Directed by | Kazuya Sasahara |
| Produced by | Junya Okabe |
| Studio | anima.inc |
| Released | July 17, 2010 – ongoing |
| Runtime | 23 minutes |
| Episodes | 12 |
| Cat Shit One '80 | |
Cover of Cat Shit One '80 volume 1 as published by Softbank Publishing |
|
| Genre | Military |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Motofumi Kobayashi |
| Published by | Softbank Publishing |
| Demographic | Seinen manga |
| Original run | 2008 – ongoing |
| Volumes | 3 |
Apocalypse Meow is a three volume manga series written and illustrated by Motofumi Kobayashi. It was originally published in Japan as Cat Shit One (キャットシットワン) in 1998 by Softbank Publishing, but was renamed for the US release to parody the title of the film Apocalypse Now, which also took place during the Vietnam War. It was published in the UK (printed in Canada) in 2004 by ADV Manga. It was also released in Poland in 2006, also under the title Cat Shit One. It has been released in France, Belgium and Spain, as Cat Shit One, by Glénat in 2006.[1]
In 2008 Kobayashi released a follow-up to Cat Shit One – Cat Shit One 80. Currently three volumes have been published in Japan.
A computer-generated original net animation series of Cat Shit One by Studio Anima began release on IDA Entertainment's YouTube channel in Japan from July 17, 2010,[2] and in North America, Australia and New Zealand on February 5, 2011. The animated version is set in the Middle East rather than Vietnam,[3] and a trailer indicates that the action takes place after 1991.
Contents |
The manga follows three American soldiers (who are anthropomorphic animals) in the Vietnam War named Botasky, Perky and Rats. All three are in the recon team called Cat Shit One. Each mission (or chapter) shows the daily activities of the reconnaissance group in Vietnam. There are sections of the manga which give brief history and truths behind the war, such as the types of weapons used by different countries and the activities of forces in the war. At the end of volume one there is a chapter called Dog Shit One — separate from the main story — showing human characters.
In Cat Shit One '80, the story continues to follow the three main protagonists as they became involved in various low intensity conflicts in the 1980s. Perky, now a member of the elite Delta Force, was attached to the Special Air Service and was involved in various SAS operations while Rats and Bota were involved with the US operation in Afghanistan against the Soviet invasion.
An animated adaption of Cat Shit One was released in 2010. As of 11 July 2011[update] only one episode has been released.
The manga depicts the characters as different animals according to their nationality as follows:
The following are new animals depicted in Cat Shit One '80:
The depiction of Americans as rabbits is actually a pun on the Japanese word for rabbit. The Japanese word for rabbit is "うさぎ", which can be romanized as "usagi", or USA GI.
The British characters were depicted as rats to honour the Desert Rats, the nickname of the World War II British 7th Armoured Division. Similarly, the Germans were depicted as Foxes to honor Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, nicknamed the Desert Fox.
A CG animated ONA adaptation of Cat Shit One was developed by IDA Entertainment. So far, only one episode has been released on Japan's YouTube channel on July 17, 2010, with plans for a 12 episode series currently in production. An English dub was released on YouTube on February 5, 2011, and will be independently distributed on DVD and Blu-ray Disc via Amazon in North America.[4]
| # | Episode Title | Original air date | English air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 17, 2010 | February 5, 2011[5] | |
| Sergeant "Perky" Perkins and his companion, Botasky, are sent to retrieve three hostages from a group of terrorists. As Perkins infiltrates the camp and manages to reach the hostages, Botasky panics after coming under attack when his sniper position is compromised, requiring Perkins to help him out. With intel that enemy reinforcement will arrive before gunship support can, Perkins orders Botasky to get the hostages to safety while he fends them off single-handedly. Although Botasky eventually regathers his courage and returns to Perkins' aid, both of them end up being pinned down by enemy fire. Just as all hope seems lost, a friendly "angel" arrives in time to help save the day. | |||
The recent Cat Shit One adaptation was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Short category in the 9th Annual VES Awards.[6]