Hamatora

Hamatora
The cover of the first Hamatora: The Comic volume released on February 19, 2014.
ハマトラ
Genre	Action, Mystery, Supernatural
Manga
Hamatora: The Comic
Written by	Yukino Kitajima
Illustrated by	Yūki Kodama
Published by	Shueisha
Demographic	Seinen
Magazine	Weekly Young Jump
Original run	November 2013 – ongoing
Volumes	2
Anime television series
Hamatora: The Animation
Directed by	Seiji Kishi Hiroshi Kimura
Written by	Tōka Machida Jun Kumagi
Music by	Makoto Yoshimori
Studio	NAZ
Network	TV Tokyo, TVA, TVO, AT-X
English network	Crunchyroll
Original run	January 7, 2014 – March 25, 2014
Episodes	12
Anime television series
Re:_Hamatora
Directed by	Seiji Kishi
Written by	Jun Kumagi
Music by	Makoto Yoshimori
Studio	Lerche
Network	TV Tokyo, TVA, TVO, AT-X
English network	Crunchyroll
Original run	July 7, 2014 – September 22, 2014
Episodes	12

Hamatora (ハマトラ, lit. "Yokohama Troubleshooter") is a Japanese mixed-media project. The project began with a manga series written by Yukino Kitajima and Yūki Kodama as the character designer, while Yū Wazu is adapting the design to the illustration. The manga, Hamatora: The Comic, started serialization in Shueisha's Young Jump magazine in November 2013. An anime television series, Hamatora: The Animation, by the studio NAZ premiered on TV Tokyo and ran for twelve episodes between January 7 and March 25, 2014. It was followed by a second series by Lerche starting in July 2014, Re:_ Hamatora. Additionally, a role-playing game titled Hamatora: Look at Smoking World developed by FuRyu was released in July 2014. Other related titles include a light novel and a stage play.

The series takes place in the year 2014 when selected humans called Minimum Holders have been discovered to possess supernatural abilities. The story focuses on Minimum Holder Nice who forms a detective agency called "Hamatora" based in Yokohama and he starts gathering a large number of allies such as his partner Murasaki and assistant Hajime as well as enemies including several criminals. The anime stars Ryōta Ōsaka, Wataru Hatano, Emiri Katō, Kiyono Yasuno, Jun Fukuyama, and Yuichi Nakamura among others.

The series has earned mixed criticism by publications for manga and anime. While the elements of mystery have been well received, the themes and animation have attracted criticism. It has also been often compared with the X-Men for its setting and characters.

Plot

The story of Hamatora revolves around a 17-year-old teenager called Nice, who runs a private investigation agency called 'Hamatora' in Yokohama, Japan with his partners Hajime and later, Murasaki. In the world there is the existence of Select humans called Minimum Holders (ミニマムホルダー, Minimamu Horudā) have been discovered to possess supernatural abilities known as 'Minor Miracles' or 'The Minimum'. These people are trained in the Facultas Academy to develop their potential, and are given highly advanced classes and training to do so. As a result, those who graduate from Falcultas are given extreme benefits and privileges that enable them to be highly successful in life, such as being entitled to any job or career they want with ease. The existence of minimums and minimum holders is kept extremely confidential and secretive from the general population of the world.

The events of Hamatora The Comic takes place in the year 2013, with Nice having left Falcutas academy early in his first senior year. Due to Nice both being a genius and a prodigy, Murasaki, the second highest ranked graduate from Falcutase, is tasked with the mission of bringing Nice back to Falcultas by any means necessary. As Murasaki first meets Nice, his impressions of him leave Murasaki feeling insulted and angered that someone as easy going and immature like Nice could be superior to him. As Murasaki observes Nice on his jobs though, Murasaki finds himself assisting Nice and comes to see the potential Nice actually possesses as well as acknowledging his genius. He also dwells on Nice's views on Falcultas' workings and his opinion of how people with minimums are not slaves and are free to live their lives responsibly.

During the job where Sayuri Akatasuki requests for Nice and to rescue her sister Shizuku, a Minimum Holder who can generate fire, from a criminal family. Nice and Murasaki finish their job but Murasaki is tasked to leave Nice and to take Shizuku back to Facultas as part of the academy's dark dealing with the mafia family. As Murasaki takes Shizuku to Falcutase, Nice, Hajime and Sayuri are attacked by Falcutas and the Hamatora office is destroyed. As Murasaki hands over Shizuku, he struggles on the decision he made and ends up trying to rescue Shizuku from Falcutas. Nice, who managed to save himself, Hajime and Sayuri before defeating the Facultas agents, ends up saving Murasaki, but during the confrontation with Falcutas and the mafia family, Shizuku apparently dies. In the week that follows, It is then revealed that Shizuku survived and faked her death so that she and Sayuri can live a new life without fearing her Minimum or Falcultas and the Mafia Family. Murasaki has since left Falcultas and has joined Nice as a Hamatora P.I. which is now located in Cafe Nowhere along with Birthday and Ratio's 'Odd Jobs' Business and Honey and Three's Bodyguard business.

During the anime, Murasaki has joined Nice as a Hamatora P.I. now based in the Cafe Nowhere in Yokohama where they prefer to sit around all day with their friends and wait for clients. During their Jobs, Nice finds similarities in the working of several crimes he investigates and the existence of non-innate Minimum Holders; people who possess a Minimum but where not born with it. Nice and Murasaki are warned by their friend, Art, a non-Minimum Holder who still managed to graduate from Falcultas, about a Minimum Holder seriel killer who extracts the brains to create more Minimum Holders.

The culprit is Moral, a former professor from the Facultas Academy who wishes to give everybody Minimums in order to achieve equality. For this, he has to kill several Minimum Holders and use their brains to create a substance he calls 'essence' that enables him to create 24 non-innate Minimum Holders for every Minimum Holder brain he possesses. While his overall purpose in this is to create equality, what Moral truly wants is to save Nice, as he believes that Nice is tortured by solitude as he is the number one student of Falcultas, also calling him the accumulated wisdom of humanity, and therefore has no equal.

Moral kills Art and starts assuming his identity to dismiss the Hamatora from the case.arts a riot in order to expose the existence of Minimum Holders and Momoka also leaks information exposing the existence of Facultas Academy and Minimum Holder identities, causing disturbance in society as normal people treat Minimum Holders in a hostile manner while Minimum Holders fight back to ensure their right to exist. After discovering Moral took Art's face, Nice confronts him in person to get revenge for his best friend's death. The two face off in a ship that Moral is using to perform a terrorist attacks on non-Minimum Holders. As Nice defeats Moral, the murderer is killed by a resurrected Art. As revealed in Re: Hamatora, Art survived to Moral's attack thanks to Regeneration Minimum and has since been collecting new abilities. He becomes the leader of a gang called Freemum composed of Minimum Holders who are against the Minimum Agency. Using Freemum and Momoka, Art succeeds in leaving Nice as his only potential enemy. He tries killing Nice to trigger Hajime's Nihilist Minimum which erases all Minimums in Yokohama. Shortly afterwards, Nice is revived by the powers of Art's late brother, Skilll. His heart had been transplanted by Moral years ago during an incident. As a result, the people in Yokohama recover their lost Minimums thanks to Skill's own power. Nice defeats Art and six months later they reconcile.

Characters

Hamatora

Nice (ナイス, Naisu)

The impulsive founder of the detective agency "Hamatora", Nice works in the manga as the only detective with Hajime's help whereas in the anime he is the half of the "Minimum Holder PI duo" along with his partner Murasaki.^[1] He is a former member from an academy of Minimum Holders who left to start a life as a detective, obtaining several allies. He is constantly in need of money, partly due to the fact that he does not care about the cost of a job request more than what it entails. He is a bit absent minded at times and rarely acts like his age.

Despite his seemingly carefree nature, Nice is a genius thinker and able to quickly assess information. He always wears a set of headphones around his neck which he uses to activate his Holder ability, known as Sonic Minimum (音速ミニマム) in the anime and Cannon Ball (キャノンボール, Kyanon Bōru) in the manga, allows him to move at the speed of sound. In Re: Hamatora, using the Minimum causes a strain in his body.^{[Re: ep 5]} He is the top-ranked graduate of the Facultas Academy and went there alongside Art and Skill.^{[Re: ep 12]} His existence is regarded as classified information.^{[Animation ep 3]} He tried abandoned that place alongside Hajime in order to see the world,^{[Re: ep 8]} but was shot in the process; his life was saved by Moral, who transplanted Skill's heart in his body, saving his life, and had left shortly afterwards to discover Hajime has amnesia.^{[Re: ep 11][Animation ep 12]} He detests the academy due to how it judges people based on whether or not they have power and believes power should not be necessary to determine one's worth.^{[Animation ep 2][Animation ep 10]} In the finale it is revealed Nice has Skill's heart and Minimum allowing him to grant others Minimums.^{[Re: ep 12]} He is voiced by Ryōta Ōsaka.^[2]

Murasaki (ムラサキ)

The rather reserved other half of the "Minimum Holder PI duo" along with his partner Nice. He is originally an agent of Facultas sent to capture Nice, but ended joining him. He is a rational thinker and unlike Nice, prioritizes the cost of a job request over content.^{[Animation ep 1]} He has a bit of an existentialist outlook on things. His Holder ability known as Gravity Minimum (偉力のミニマム) in the anime and All or Nothing (オール・オア・ナッシング, Ōru Oa Nasshingu) in the manga, is activated when he removes his glasses and greatly hardens his body, giving him super-human like strength.^{[Animation ep 2]} Using the Minimum in Re: Hamatora weakens his body.^{[Re: ep 5]} He is a prodigy who is ranked second among the Facultas Academy graduates.^{[Animation ep 3]} He dislikes how Nice always manages to surpass him and wishes to defeat him once in order to be acknowledged by him.^{[Animation ep 8][Animation ep 11]}. In Re: Hamatora, Murasaki tries confronting Art but gets beaten up by Freenum.^{[Re: ep 6]} While he survives, his Minimum disappears,^{[Re: ep 7]} and returns to the group.^{[Re: ep 9]} In the finale, he recovers his Minimum.^{[Re: ep 12]} He is voiced by Wataru Hatano.^[2]

Hatano has commented that while the series its share of comedy, there is also drama in some parts of the story that could result in the viewer becoming emotional. He compared the series with a festival due to the viewer's feelings. He added "The story will be followed with that feeling, what end will be met the complex case interwined."^[3]

Hajime (はじめ)

A gluttonous girl who spends most of her time at the Nowhere Café. In the manga, she is Nice's only ally and accompanies him to all of his cases. She is one of Hamatora's founders.^[4] She suffers from memory loss. Hajime is a test subject from Facultas. She was the first person to survive to a certain experimentation by Moral and was kept in the secrets. In Facultas, she met Nice who named her as she was simply known as "success No.01" and invited her to see the world alongisde leaving the academy.^{[Re: ep 8]}

Her Holder ability, while initially unexplained, makes her a strong combatant and is said to be able to rival Nice.^{[Animation ep 5]} Her Holder also heals her wound and is able to unleash a berserk state.^{[Animation ep 12]} By Re: Hamatora it is revealed the Minimum is known as the Nihilist Minimum (虚無のミニマム) triggered by despair which was first activated by seeing Nice nearly dying. It has the power of nullifying every other Minimum around her which cause her friends to go through sideeffects of their powers until they will lose it.^{[Re: ep 8]} She is voiced by Emiri Katō.^[2]

Odd Jobs

Birthday (バースデイ, Bāsudei)

Birthday is a Minimum holder who runs an 'Odd jobs' business located in Nowhere Cafe. His demeanor sometimes gets him into trouble such as when he is wrongfully arrested by the police for a bombing while trying to impress some girls.^{[Animation ep 2]} Birthday possesses an unknown disease which nearly caused his death during his childhood. By surviving the surgery that saved him from that death, he defies Ratio's stigma and becomes friends with him. He is determined to live as long as he can because he wants to prove Ratio wrong by being alive. His Holder ability is the Electrick Shock Minimum (電撃のミニマム, Dengeki no Minimamu) which involves electrical manipulation which he activates by biting the tip of a taser and blitz attacks his enemies.^{[Animation ep 6]} Using it in Re: Hamatora causes him to start absorbing electricity.^{[Re: ep 5]} Besides that his terminal disease is back in later episodes and requires help from Freemum in order to heal.^{[Re: ep 9][Re: ep 12]} He is voiced by Jun Fukuyama^[2] whereas Akeno Watanabe voices his young self.

Ratio (レシオ, Reshio)

Ratio is Birthday's partner in his 'Odd Jobs' Business as well as Birthdays childhood friend. His Holder ability is the X-Rays Minimum (透視のミニマム, Tōshi no Minimamu) which allows him to see the structure of a person's body and use the information to determine their weak points.^{[Animation ep 1]} Using it in Re: Hamatora causes his body to overheat.^{[Re: ep 5]} He wears an eye-patch over his right eye which when removed activates his Holder ability. After discerning an enemy's weak points, he then uses brass knuckles to melee them into submission. Flashbacks reveal how this ability caused a young Ratio to be distant from others as a result of foreseeing the death of people with weak health, but Birthday's promise to ruin his reputation breaks him free from that curse. As a result, Ratio is determined to protect Birthday and find a cure to his disease.^{[Animation ep 6][Re: ep 9]} He is voiced by Yuichi Nakamura^[2] whereas Sanae Kobayashi voices his young self.

Bodyguards

Honey (ハニー, Hanī)

A genius whose Minimum, Analysis Minimum (解析のミニマム, Kaiseki no Minimamu), makes use of her self-invented "Mighty Script" (マイティ) program, which allows her to look 10 minutes into the most probable future through a digital pad she calls "Mighty".^{[Animation ep 4]} As a child this ability was planned to be used for assassination jobs as hoped by her father. However, the young Honey created the Mighty Script to give her abilities another use and requested Three's help after relating with him. Her catchphrase is "Got you!" which she says when she sees her target's future. Honey is also Art's acquaintance. She and Three work as bodyguards that have them traveling around the world, while they are mainly located in Cafe Nowhere. However, during Re: Hamatora, after she uses her Minimum she psychologically regresses to her childhood as a side effect.^{[Re: ep 3]} She is voiced by Eri Kitamura.^[2]

Three (スリー, Surī)

Honey's partner. His Minimum ability, the Beast Minimum (獣化のミニマム, Shishika no Minimamu), allows him to take on a beastly form with super strength after repenting his forthcoming actions to a bible. Despite his appearance, Three is quite carefree and often reads manga during his free time.^{[Animation ep 4]} He is also Art's teacher from the Facultas Academy.^{[Animation ep 7]} A former mercenary, Three once run an orphanage to raise the victims of those he killed so that one day they would have their revenge on him. However, an attack by an unknown group resulted in the orphanage being burned with the kids and Three getting scarred.^{[Animation ep 9]} In recovering from his shock, Three met a young Honey and promised to protect her life seeing that as a second chance.^{[Re: ep 4]} In Re: Hamatora he starts losing control of his mind when using his Minimum.^{[Re: ep 5]} He is voiced by Katsuki Murase.^[2]

Police

Art (アート, Āto)

The superintendent of the Yokohama Police Department. Art is generally calm with a kind demeanor and possesses a strong sense of justice. He is old friends with Nice and Murasaki. Despite not being a Minimum Holder, he is a graduate from the Facultas Academy which he assisted with his late younger brother, Skill.^{[Re: ep 11]} In the case to arrest Moral, Art becomes conflicted due to his inability to produce a Minimum as well as the differences between him and Nice. Art is invited by Moral to join his cause in exchange of a Minimum as well as becoming Nice's equal, but he rejects him and is killed shortly afterwards.^{[Animation ep 7]} In the tenth episode his body is found by Moral's assistant Momoka who talks to him.^{[Animation ep 10]} In episode twelve, Art reappears killing Moral much to Nice's confusion.^{[Animation ep 12]}

In Re: Hamatora it is revaled Art possesses the Regeneration Minimum (再生のミニマム, Saisei no Minimamu), which triggers each time he receives a fatal injury in the heart, and allows him to recover from any wounds and even regrow lost limbs. He then dedicates himself to steal any Minimum that he encounters, which he calls "collecting sins", in order to kill Nice.^{[Re: ep 2]} He eventually manages to accomplish his goal of erasing all Minimum Holders in Yokohama by triggering Hajime's anti Minimum Holder when seeing a seemingly dead Nice.^{[Re: ep 11]} However, his plans are ruined by the Minimum of his late brother and attempts to commite suicide when being defeated by Nice. In the series' finale he befriends Nice again.^{[Re: ep 12]} He is voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya.^[2]

Gasquet (ガスケ, Gasuke)

An officer at the Yokohama Police Department with a keen interest in researching Minimum Holders. He is Art's partner, often concerned about his state.^{[Animation ep 7]} In Re: Hamatora he blames himself for his partner's actions.^{[Re: ep 2]} He is killed by Freemum's Minimum Holders while trying to confront Art.^{[Re: ep 5]} Yousuke Akimoto voices him in the anime.^[2]

Black Cosmos

Moral (モラル, Moraru)

Moral is a graduate of the Facultas Academy and is the serial killer targeting Minimum Holders. He extracts the brains of his victims and stores them for use in creating non-innate Minimum Holders, i.e. artificially created Holders. Like a typical serial killer he possesses a severely warped mind, often personifying the physical brains of his victims, speaking to them and even going as far as to take them out for walks. His interest in researching the non-innate Minimum comes from his belief in the equality of people whereby all people should have access to Minimum abilities and hence would put an end to the stratification amongst the weak and strong in society.^{[Animation ep 3]} He is motivated by Nice whom he sees in flashbacks as an isolated person as a result of being the only strong person and wishes people become equal to him.^{[Animation ep 7]} His Transformation Minimum (変身のミニマム, Henshin no Minimamu) allows him to take on the appearance of other people.^{[Animation ep 6]} For his final showdown with Nice, he injects himself the Forbidden Minimum, the Type 0 Minimum (零式のミニマム, Rei Sheki no Minimamu) which allows him to warp. After being overwhelmed in combat, Moral is killed by Art.^{[Animation ep 12]} He is voiced by Yūki Ono.^[5]

Momoka (モモカ)

Moral's ally and the owner of a flower shop. Her Minimum allows her to hack into computers and reach people whom Moral bestows Minimums. She is motivated to see the end of Moral's journey. She reappears in Re: Hamatora alongside Art and confronts Hajime. She actually is Saikyo, Freemum´s boss and sponsor. When Hajime erases all Minimums in Yokohama she kills herself, having lost all interest in the world.^{[Re: ep 12]} Megumi Ogata voices her.

Freemum

Ishigami Shunichi

The defacto leader of a group of Minimum Holders hiding in the club Freenum. He and his comrades seek to live freely without discrimination against Holders.^{[Re: ep 2]} For this purpose, they join forces with Art.^{[Re: ep 5]} His minimum makes liquids in boiling point (it includes water, blood) and it is activated when he put a bloodline under his eyesockets. However, when trying to put a coup, he is killed by Art to avenge Gasquet.^{[Re: ep 12]}

Mamiya

He possess the Decadence Minimum, which activates when someone eats the food that he makes, putting his victims in a frenzy state. He is an expert hacker. He is one of the Freemum remaining members that survives in the epilogue.

Goda

She possesses the String Minimum, however she lost it when Art stole it. She survives in the epilogue.

Suzuki

His minimum can produce perfect masks based in real faces, but it´s only activated when he makes his victims (which his mask are based) scream in horror.

Masumoto

He uses a minimum that can increase the weight (gravity) in people and objects. His minimum is stolen by Art.^{[Re: ep 11]}

Suruga

He carries along a sock puppet in which he uses it to communicate with others due he uses a mouth gag in that keeps him from talk naturally. He has the Healing Minimum, which is said to be able to cure any disease or illness. It is activated when Suruga removes his mouth gag and touches an afflicted person. He has his minimum stolen by Art in Episode 10, however, he recovers his minimum in the final episode and is forced by Ratio to heal Birthday and Chiyo. He isn't with the remaining fugitive Freemum members in the epilogue.

Sakuraba

A Freemum member and a rap artist who communicates with hand signs mostly of the time. He possesses the Singing Minimum, for his activation, Sakuraba must keep silent for a period of 3 months. With the Singing Minimum, when Sakuraba sings, he has a circle of influence that spreads from him outward; its radius seemingly encompassing the city of Yokohama. Anyone who crosses out of this circle whilst he is still singing are killed whilst passing through. He is defeated by Hajime in Episode 11.

Others

Master (マスター, Masutā)

The owner of the Nowhere Café. He rents out a table to Hamatora which acts as their office. He tends to show wisdom in the most unlikely of times.^{[Animation ep 1]} In Re: Hamatora, it is revealed he a former member of the Minimum Agency and left the place swearing to protect on of their test subjects, Hajime, alongside Koneko.^{[Re: ep 11]} He is voiced by Atsushi Ono.^[2]

Koneko (コネコ)

An employee of the Nowhere Cafe. Koneko acts as Hamatora's receptionist and contract negotiator. She receives job requests which she then explains and assigns to the members of the agency.^{[Animation ep 1]} In Re: Hamatora, it is revealed she is a former test subject of the Minimum Agency and was set free by Master who needed her aid.^{[Re: ep 11]} She is voiced by Kiyono Yasuno.^[2]

Mao (マオ)

The local information broker of Yokohama who seems to know everything happening around the city.^{[Animation ep 1]} He is voiced by Takuya Eguchi.^[2]

Theo (セオ, Seo)

A student at Yokohamabane High School whose cool personality made him the target of severe bullying. Despite his appearance he has low self esteem and often contemplated suicide over his bullying while relying on his teacher for support. After hiring Nice to search for him, Theo learns the teacher was behind the bullyings and becomes one of Nice's friends.^{[Animation ep 2]} He is voiced by Nobuhiko Okamoto.^[2]

Rei (レイ)

Another student at Yokohamabane High School and Theo's friend. The death of her teacher and Theo's depression causes her to join him in requesting Hamatora's help. In the end, she and Theo become one of their friends.^{[Animation ep 2]} She is voiced by Ayaka Ohashi.^[2]

Chiyo

A young artist friend of Birthday and Ratio. She describes her emotions with colors.^{[Animation ep 6]} She is later revealed to be a Minimum Holder with the capacity of camouflaging.^{[Animation ep 10]} In Re: Hamatora she joins the group Freemum to localize the person who has the Healing Minimum to cure Birthday´s illness; she was then captured and drugged by Mamiya´s minimum, howevever, in the final episode, she was healed, alongside Birthday, by Suruga´s Healing Minimum; and she was with Birthday and Ratio in Nowhere Cafe. She is voiced by Ayami.

Takahiro Itou (伊藤 貴弘, Itou Takahiro)

A young adult who makes a deal with Moral to gain a Minimum Holder. The experiment fails and Takahiro becomes a giant berserker who wishes to fight Nice.^{[Animation ep 3]} Following his defeat, Takahiro is arrested until he is freed by Moral's group. Takahiro requests to the Hamatora a way back to regain his original body which he first tries by going through a diet with Hajime.^{[Animation ep 10]} However, he then decides he will use his power to protect his mother from Minimum Holders attacking her. He is killed shortly afterwards by Moral.^{[Animation ep 11]} He is voiced by Takahiro Mizushima.

Doktor

A member from the Minimum Agency who detests the Minimum Holders. He is also Honey's father and has a strained relationship with her daughter who chose to use her powers for a different objective than him.^{[Re: ep 4]}

Skill

Art´s younger brother. He is dead during the series and appears only in flashbacks. These sequences reveal Skill went to Facultas with Art and Nice. Soon Facultas discovered Skill had the Ego Minimum which grants other people different Minimums. As a result, the Minimum Agency used Skill as a test subject to grant other individuals Minimums. Once Art found Skill, he was shocked to find that Skill had been attached to a machine by Facultas to facilitate use of his minimum. Skill indicates that they may have gone so far as to mutilate him to 'fit' the machine. Skill begs Art to kill him, and Art reluctantly obliges. Nevertheless, it´s revealed that Art hesitated kill his brother in a clean shot, and Moral realized that Skill´s heart still working, therefore, transplanting him to save child Nice´s life (who was dying in his and Hajime escape attempt the same night). Skill's Minimum appears to stay with Nice, saving his life in Re: Hamatora‍ '​s finale, also recovering the other Minimums in the process.^{[Re: ep 12]}. He is voiced by Mai Fuchigami.

Production

The anime series Hamatora: The Animation was announced in the 2013 50th issue of Shueisha's Young Jump magazine.^[6] The Nintendo 3DS game titled Hamatora: Look at Smoking World was announced in December 2013. Director Shuuhou Imai Imai was inspired by the DC Comics and Marvel Universe in the making of the game and hinted at the possibility of featuring a character from Tokyo Majin Gakuen.^[7]

The anime ended on March 25, 2014 with a "To Be Continued" sign. In the next day, the official Hamatora Twitter account posted that the Hamatora project was still ongoing.^[8] The second series, titled Re:_Hamatora is air in July, the staff and cast is returning respectively, but animated at Studio Lerche.^[9]

Music

The music of the Hamatora anime is composed by Makoto Yoshimori. The Hamatora official soundtrack was released on March 26, 2014.^[10] Additionally, a series of "Character File" CDs are set to be released with the first two, respectively focused on Nice and Murasaki, on March 26, 2014.^[11][12] Each song explores a cast member's characterization as well as his or her relationship with other characters.^[3] The single "Hikari" was compared with the series by the singer himself based on the lyrics that talk about a "small miracle."^[3]

Media

Manga

A manga series, Hamatora: The Comic, written by Yukino Kitajima and illustrated by Yūki Kodama began serialization in Shueisha's Young Jump magazine in November 2013.^[13] Its first tankōbon volume was released on February 19, 2014.^[14] The series is a prequel to the anime and focuses on Nice solving cases with Hajime while Murasaki works on bringing Nice back to the Facultas Academy.

No.	Release date	ISBN
1	February 19, 2014[14]	ISBN 978-4-08-879665-9
"That Man, Nice" (その男、ナイス, Sono Otoko, Naisu) "Where Did The Stray Go?" (野良はどこへいった, Nora wa Doko e Itta) "It's Checkmate For You" (お前はもうツんでいる, Omae wa Mō Tsundeiru) Trouble is Flame Colored (トラブルは炎の色, Toraburu wa Honoo no Iro) Totsunyū! Mafia no Yakata! (突入！マフィアの館！) Dotanba Gettawei (どたんばゲッタウェイ) Issun Saki wa Dākunesu (一寸先はダークネス)
A graduate from the Facultas Academy gets the mission of making its top graduated member Nice return to them. These Facultas students have developed supernatural abilities known as Minimums and Nice demostrates his one when capturing a pervert stalking his client during his detective business, Hamatora. Realizing he cannot defeat him in combat, Murasaki makes a bet to have Nice return to Facultas if he cannot capture one dangerous Minimum Holder. While Nice easily defeats him, his assistant Hajime takes care of another one by destroying Murasaki's car. In the next case, Nice is hired to rescue the Minimum Holder Shizuku from a group of kidnappers. For this Nice has Hajime taking care of the Yakuza, while he handles Shizuku. With Murasaki's reclutant help, Nice and Hajime succeed in saving Shizuku but are intercepted by duo known as Ratio and Birthday.
2	July 18, 2014[15]	ISBN 978-4-08-879870-7
Chinatown Wars (チャイナタウン・ウォーズ, Chainataun Wōzu) A Small Miracle (小さな奇跡, Chīsana Kiseki) Belief of Each (それぞれの信念, Sorezore no Shinnen) If There are Those Who Believe (信じるものかあるならば, Shinjirumono ka Aru Naraba) Mohaya Negai wa (もはや願いは) A New Day (新しい日々, Atarashii Hibi) Give It Back! My Smartphone! (かえして!私のスマホ!, Kaeshite! Watashi no Sumaho!)
2	February 19, 2015[16]	ISBN 978-4-08-890119-0
In A Locked Room (インア・ロックド・ルーム) ? (奇跡の死角) (突然炎のごとく)

Anime

An anime adaptation titled Hamatora: The Animation was announced in the 2013 50th issue of Shueisha's Young Jump magazine.^[6] The anime is produced by NAZ Animation Studio of Japan and began airing on TV Tokyo on January 7, 2014 with later airings on TVA, TVO and AT-X.^[17] While the anime ended on March 25, 2014, it has been hinted it would return in July 2014.^[18] The second season is to be titled Re: Hamatora^[19] Unlike the first season, it will be produced at Studio Lerche.

The anime is chiefly directed by Seiji Kishi. In addition, Hiroshi Kimura is also directing the anime, along with series composers and script writers Jun Kumagai and Touko Machida. The soundtrack music is composed by Makoto Yoshimori. Character designs are done by Yū Wazu, based on the original character designs by Blood Lad's Yūki Kodama along with art direction by Fantasista Utamaro. The project was composed by Yukinori Kitajima.^[20] The story is set after the events of the manga, focusing on the already formed group of detectives known as Hamatora.

The series is being simulcasted by Crunchyroll with English subtitles in North America, Australia and other select parts of the world.^[21] Avex Group began releasing the series in Japan on Blu-ray and DVD volumes starting on April 25, 2014.^[22] The opening theme is "Flat" by Livetune feat. Yūki Ozaki.^[23] The ending theme is "Hikari" by Wataru Hatano.^[24]

There is also a radio programm titled Hamatora From Cafe Nowhere (ハマトラジオ from カフェノーウェア) where voice actors often interact.^[25][26]

In March 2015, a film and a new television series were announced.^[27]

Video game

A Nintendo 3DS game developed by FuRyu titled Hamatora: Look at Smoking World was announced in December 2013.^[28] It was released in Japan on July 17, 2014. Directed by Shuuhou Imai, the game resemble the Tokyo Majin Gakuen role-playing game series.^[7] The combat is a turn based and require to input different commands to execute the Minimums.^[29] It takes place in the same fictional setting as both the Hamatora manga and anime but featuring a new story. It was made so that newcomers to the franchise will have access to it.^[7]

Set in a port town of Kobe, the protagonist is a transfer student named Souken who awakens his own Minimum and starts participating in fights against other students. Certain shopping districts were modeled after real-life areas, which the player will be able to see in stereoscopic 3D.^[7] The main cast from the Hamatora anime and manga series is also set to appear in the game.^[30] Preorders of the game include a Honey IC Sticker Card, that was designed using Honey's tablet from the anime as a motif.^[29]

Stage play

The production company Eigeki is putting together the Hamatora play. The play will run for 12 performances from August 16 to August 24 at the Haiyūza Theater Roppongi in Tokyo.^[31] Titled Hamatora The Stage: Crossing Time, the play will focus in the Hamatora team aiding Art in solving a murder case.^[32]

Novel

A novelization titled Hamatora the Novel by Kenichi Fujiwara was to be published by Shueisha in July 2014.^[33]

Reception

Reactions to the first episode of Hamatora have been between mixed between positive and average. UK Anime Network called it "slick and stylish" and commented it could be one of the season's surprises.^[34] The pilot was noted for the way it connected multiple stories and its distinctive use of animations. Brad Rice from Japanator mentioned he was attracted by the show and was curious about how the characters would be portrayed.^[35] Chris Beveridge from Fandom Post noted that while it had several good moments, the characters had yet to bring an impact to him.^[36] Multiple writers from Anime News Network showed several opinions about the series' first episode which went from positive to one simply saying he did not care about it.^[37]

Nick Browne from THEM Anime Reviews called it a "fun watch" while noting similarities with the comic book series X-Men. He believes "it isn't a series I regret watching, for its early self-contained episodes function as a good if pedestrian detective series, and it is certainly pretty to look at."^[38] Similarly, Richard Eisenbeis from Kotaku praised the series for the appeal of superhero power used by business people who would appeal to the audience. He noted fans of the X-Men might enjoy the series. Despite praising the threat Moral poses to Nice due to how he is a foil, Eisenbeis criticized some of the dark parts from the series as well as its anticlimatic finale.^[39] Carl Kimlinger from Anime News Network was more critical of the series as despite praising its action scenes and comedy, he panned the series' plot and animation.^[40]

The first DVD of the series sold 1,454 units in two days after its release.^[41]

References

Hamatora: The Animation

Re: Hamatora

Specific

External links

• Official website
• Official anime website at TV Tokyo
• Re:_Hamatora official website
• Official 3DS game website
• Hamatora (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia