The Star of Cottonland

The Star of Cottonland

Cover of volume 1 of the bunkoban edition
綿の国星
(Wata no Kuni Hoshi)
Genre Fantasy, Romance
Manga
Written by Yumiko Ōshima
Published by Hakusensha
Demographic Shōjo
Magazine LaLa
Original run 1978 – 1987
Volumes 7
Anime film
Directed by Shinichi Tsuji
Written by Masaki Tsuji
Yumiko Ōshima
Music by Richard Clayderman
Studio Mushi Production
Released February 11, 1984
Runtime 92 minutes

The Star of Cottonland (綿の国星 Wata no Kuni Hoshi) is a shōjo manga by Yumiko Ōshima. It was serialized by Hakusensha in the magazine LaLa from 1978 to 1987 and collected in seven tankōbon volumes. The story is about an abandoned kitten called Chibi-neko (drawn as a small girl with cat ears and tail) who is adopted by a young man named Tokio and grows up believing she is human. The Star of Cottonland received the 1978 Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo manga. It is credited with popularizing the kemonomimi (catgirl) character type.[1]

The series was adapted as an anime movie directed by Shinichi Tsuji released in theaters on 11 February 1984.

Story

After two-month-old kitten Chibi-neko (チビ猫) is abandoned by her former owners, she is found by 18-year-old Tokio. Although his mother is allergic to cats and has a great fear of them, she agrees to let him keep the kitten because she fears he is becoming too withdrawn after failing his university entrance exams. Chibi-neko soon falls in love with Tokio.

In her own mind, Chibi-neko is a small human who speaks in human words, although people only ever seem to hear her meow, and she believes that all humans were once kittens like her. When she realizes that Tokio is in love with a human girl, she wishes to grow up into a full human more quickly. However, a tomcat named Raphael tells her this is impossible, destroying her dream. Raphael tells Chibi-neko of a paradise called Cottonland, where dreams can come true.

Chibi-neko runs away from home to travel with Raphael, searching for Cottonland. After many adventures, she ends up near Tokio's house, where Tokio's mother finds her and overcomes her fear of cats.

Characters

Chibi-neko (チビ猫 Chibi-neko) A main protagonist and a little human-like kitten. She is two-month-old. Also known as Chibi-neko Suwano (須和野 チビ猫 Suwano Chibineko). Originally she was abandoned cat, was picked up by Tokio the dying. She believe there is a case to become the cat and human growth.

Tokio Suwano (須和野 時夫 Suwano Tokio) 18 years old. Had become desperate to (slightly neurotic) in the failure of the college entrance examination, He encounter a cat and Little will change one day.

Tobio Suwano (須和野 飛夫 Suwano Tobio) Tokio's father. Novelist.

Fumiko Suwano (須和野 二三子 Suwano Fumiko) Tokio's mother. Stay-at-home mom. Was allergic to cats and cat before he met Chibi. (Sneezing cat phobia is a symptom, of the original cat allergy. Hysteria itself, in the depiction of the play was not any symptoms such as runny nose and itchy eyes).

Mitsuko (美津子 Mitsuko) Tokio's girlfriend. Law college students. Hittsume braid hairstyle. In the second half of the story I will not appear at all.

Raphael (ラフィエル Rafieru) Male leader in beauty cat cats in the neighborhood. Chibi cat preach the theory of life. Chibi cat subject of admiration.

Chestnut Man (くりまん Kuriman) Appeared in the "Cat" Chibi sequel. Chibi cat came to pick up, baby female cat.

Buchineko Suzuki (鈴木ぶちねこ Suzuki Buchi-neko) Chibi-neko's next lover after the third ones is Suzuki Buchi-neko. He has little sister lookalike Chibineko.

Media

Manga

The Star of Cottonland was serialized by Hakusensha in the magazine LaLa at irregular intervals from 1978 to 1987. The series was collected in seven tankōbon volumes under the Hana to Yume imprint, and then reissued in 16 child-sized volumes. It was later reprinted in four bunkoban volumes in 17 June 1994.[2]

Movie

The Star of Cottonland was adapted as an anime movie produced by Mushi Production. The movie was directed by Shinichi Tsuji from a script by Masaki Tsuji and Yumiko Ōshima, with music by pianist Richard Clayderman.[3] The movie was released in theaters on 11 February 1984. The movie was later released on VHS,[4] then rereleased on DVD by Columbia Music Entertainment on 31 March 2004.[5]

Reception

In 1978 The Star of Cottonland received the Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo manga,[6] and in 1979 it was voted the most popular series running in LaLa.[5] According to German manga scholar Jaqueline Berndt, the depiction of cats as young girls spread to other manga series from The Star of Cottonland.[1] It is described by Masanao Amano as not just a simple animal fable but a story in which psychological and mental states are highly differentiated.[7]

The movie of The Star of Cottonland has been praised as a "hidden gem" for its complex characterization, philosophical story, and gorgeous animation.[8] The soundtrack of Richard Clayderman's piano music is praised by Helen McCarthy and Jonathan Clements as striking exactly the right tone for the romantic mood.[3] The depiction of Chibi-neko's self-image as a catgirl was seen by a reviewer at T.H.E.M. Anime as a metaphor for adolescence.[8]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jaqueline Berndt (1995). Phänomen Manga : Comic-Kulture in Japan (in German). Berlin: Edition q. p. 111. ISBN 3-86124-289-3.
  2. ↑ "s-book.com" (in Japanese). Retrieved August 29, 2008.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Helen McCarthy and Jonathan Clements (2006). The Anime Encyclopedia (2nd ed.). Berkeley: Stone Bridge Press. p. 113. ISBN 1-933330-10-4.
  4. ↑ 綿の国星 データベース (in Japanese). Retrieved September 23, 2008.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "綿の国星☆☆DVD" (in Japanese). Columbia Music Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 2, 2008. Retrieved August 27, 2008.
  6. ↑ Joel Hahn. "Kodansha Manga Awards". Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on August 16, 2007. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  7. ↑ Masanao Amano, ed. (2004). Manga Design (in German). Köln: Taschen. pp. pages 92–95. ISBN 3-8228-2591-3. [E]s handelt sich aber keinesfalls nur um eine nette Tiergeschichte, vielmehr werden psychische und mentale Befindlichkeiten äußerst differenziert dargestellt.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Jennifer Berman. "THEM Anime Reviews 4.0 - The Star of Cottonland". T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews. Retrieved January 9, 2008. The story is also a rather deep and philosophical one. It may look like some doinky cutesy anime on the surface, but there are actually many profound metaphors to adolescence and growing up and coming of age and trying to find your place in life. I really appreciated that aspect of the story.

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