Arata: The Legend
Encyclopedia
, a Japanese manga
written by Yuu Watase
that began serialization in the manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday in 2008. The first volume of the series was released in Japan on January 16, 2009. The series has eight volume and is still serialized in Shōnen Sunday. The series is Watase's first shōnen series. It is licensed by Viz Media
as part of their Shōnen Sunday imprint.
Meanwhile in modern-day Japan, a boy named Arata Hinohara is starting his new life in high school. He wants to put memories of his difficult past behind him, but things aren’t going to be simple when Kadowaki, the bully from his old school, emerges. Kadowaki's bullying continues, and Hinohara discovers that his friend, Suguru, allied with Kadowaki and covered his desk with glue. Feeling angry and betrayed, he walks into an alley, and soon finds that is no longer in Japan, but rather a new world, Amawakuni, the other Arata's home. He is helped by Arata's grandmother and Kotoha, Arata's childhood friend. When Kannagi searches their house, Hinohara comes across a rusted sword and activates its power and becomes a sho. The sword is a Hayagami, or god, named Tsukuyo.
Kotoha gives Hinohara a stone (michihi no tama). He is arrested, and in a jail cell, talks to Arata through the stone. He discovers the truth behind the princess' assassination, and both realize that they are in each other's worlds and being mistaken for each other. Hinohara is speedily tried, found guilty, and exiled to Gatoya Island, a place compared to a living hell. On the trip to the island Kotoha tags along and gives him his Hayagami. Also because of the stones power he is able to talk to the princess (who is just barely alive) and she asks him to govern the world as otherwise there will only be war and bloodshed.
On the Gatoya, he meets two friends, Kanate and Ginchi, who try to steal his belongings and Kotoha. Kotoha soon disappears, and Hinohara, desperate to find her, trades everyday items from Japan for information. He discovers that Tsutuga, the warden of Gatoya Island, is a sho, and confronts him. Hinohara learns that Tsutuga was betrayed and empathizes with him. Tsutsuga decides to give his Hayagami to Hinohara, and becomes one with his Hayagami. Hinohara uses his new power to then restore the island. He and Kotoha escape with their new friends, Kanate and Ginchi, to the mainland to restore order and save the princess.
:
:
:
:
:
:
, chapters of Arata: The Legend have been serialized in Shogakukan
's Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine since October 2008. As of now, Shogakukan has released eight tankōbon
volumes. The first volume was published on January 16, 2009 and eighth on March 18, 2011. It is licensed in English by Viz Media
as part of their Shonen Sunday imprint.Shonen Sunday imprint.
gave the first volume an overall B+ for "Great art and character designs; plus, Watase's ability to create interesting lore is as sharp as ever." She also noted however that the "Pathetic, cowardly main character makes everything involving him painful to read." Deb Aoki of About.com
notes that the plot is "fairly formulaic fantasy fare that's just a bit too predictable to offer fans something truly fresh and new" but that the series has her "hooked." Todd Douglass of Blogcritics.org says that the first volume is "strongly recommended," despite some reservations. Christopher Nadolsk of Mania.com says that the first volume offers "an entertaining and eye-pleasing escapist fantasy read."
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
written by Yuu Watase
Yuu Watase
is a female Japanese shōjo manga artist. She received the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo for Ceres, Celestial Legend in 1997. Since writing her debut short story "Pajama de Ojama" , Watase has created more than 80 compiled volumes of short stories and continuing series...
that began serialization in the manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday in 2008. The first volume of the series was released in Japan on January 16, 2009. The series has eight volume and is still serialized in Shōnen Sunday. The series is Watase's first shōnen series. It is licensed by Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
as part of their Shōnen Sunday imprint.
Plot
In a mythical world where humans and gods co-exist, a ceremony marking the new governing princess is about to occur for the first time in 60 years. Only a girl from the Hime Clan may take this position, but the lack of females born to this family means that a boy called Arata must pose for the role. During the ceremony, the Twelve Shinsho, the wielders of special swords called Hayagami, led by Kannagi, betray the princess by trying to kill her and Arata. Arata escapes and runs into the Kando Forest. He emerges from the forest and finds himself in the alley in present day Japan. He has a run-in with the police because he is shirtless but is saved by Nao, a girl who claims to be his sister.Meanwhile in modern-day Japan, a boy named Arata Hinohara is starting his new life in high school. He wants to put memories of his difficult past behind him, but things aren’t going to be simple when Kadowaki, the bully from his old school, emerges. Kadowaki's bullying continues, and Hinohara discovers that his friend, Suguru, allied with Kadowaki and covered his desk with glue. Feeling angry and betrayed, he walks into an alley, and soon finds that is no longer in Japan, but rather a new world, Amawakuni, the other Arata's home. He is helped by Arata's grandmother and Kotoha, Arata's childhood friend. When Kannagi searches their house, Hinohara comes across a rusted sword and activates its power and becomes a sho. The sword is a Hayagami, or god, named Tsukuyo.
Kotoha gives Hinohara a stone (michihi no tama). He is arrested, and in a jail cell, talks to Arata through the stone. He discovers the truth behind the princess' assassination, and both realize that they are in each other's worlds and being mistaken for each other. Hinohara is speedily tried, found guilty, and exiled to Gatoya Island, a place compared to a living hell. On the trip to the island Kotoha tags along and gives him his Hayagami. Also because of the stones power he is able to talk to the princess (who is just barely alive) and she asks him to govern the world as otherwise there will only be war and bloodshed.
On the Gatoya, he meets two friends, Kanate and Ginchi, who try to steal his belongings and Kotoha. Kotoha soon disappears, and Hinohara, desperate to find her, trades everyday items from Japan for information. He discovers that Tsutuga, the warden of Gatoya Island, is a sho, and confronts him. Hinohara learns that Tsutuga was betrayed and empathizes with him. Tsutsuga decides to give his Hayagami to Hinohara, and becomes one with his Hayagami. Hinohara uses his new power to then restore the island. He and Kotoha escape with their new friends, Kanate and Ginchi, to the mainland to restore order and save the princess.
Characters
- Arata Hinohara is a shy, quiet high school freshman from present day Japan. He is athletic, and used to run track in middle school. After being betrayed by his friend Suguru, Hinohara is sucked into another world, Amawakuni, where he poses as the Arata from Amawakuni, who has been framed for the princess' murder. Soon after his entrance into the new world, he discovers that he is a sho, one chosen to wield a Hayagami, a god in the form of a sword. He promises the princess to help restore her power and embarks on a quest to make all the Sho submit to him. He eventually fell in love with Kotoha.
:
- A former friend of Arata in middle school, where they both were on the track team. In high school, he and Hinohara have the same class. He hates Arata Hinohara because he believes that Hinohara looks down upon him, and constantly bullies Hinohara. He causes everyone to turn against Hinohara, including his best friend.
:
- On the first day of school, Hinohara saves him from being falsely accused of being a pervert on the subway. They become friends, but he later betrays Hinohara by covering his desk and chair with glue.
- Arata, from Amawakuni, is outgoing, full of energy, and becomes bored quickly. At birth, his grandmother, Makari, claimed that he was a girl but still raised him as boy. He is part of the Hime clan, which provides the princesses to maintain balance in the world. With no other girls to succeed the current princess, Arata poses as a girl to become the princess' successor. At the succession ceremony, he witnesses the princess' assassination and is quickly framed for murder. He runs into Kando forest, where he switches places with Arata Hinohara from present-day Japan.
:
- Kotoha is Arata’s childhood friend, even though her family the Uneme clan has served the Hime clan for years. Like almost everyone else in Awamakuni, she thinks that Hinohara is the Arata from the Hime clan and that he lost his memories after being “eaten” by the Kando Forest. She has the healing powers that all women of Uneme clan have. She tags along with Hinohara on his quest.
:
- Kikuri is the current princess of Amawakuni and has been in that position for 60 years. She governs Amawakuni and leads the Twelve Shinsho. At Arata's succession ceremony, the Twelve Shinsho, led by Kannagi, betray her and attempt to assassinate her. She clings to life with the last of her power, the Amatsuriki. She communicates with Arata Hinohara and asks him to bring his Hayagami to her, in a last attempt to bring order to and prevent chaos in the world.
:
- One of the Twelve Shinsho, he wields the Hayagami Homura, the god of fire. He incites the coup d'etatCoup d'étatA coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
against the princess so that the Shinsho can use their Hayagami without limitations and also frames Arata for the murder. At first, he leads the manhunt for Arata but later decides to accompany Arata on his quest.
:
- He was part of a band of thieves and acts like an older brother to another orphan, Ginchi. He and Ginchi were prisoners of Gatoya Island, along with Kotoha and Arata. Hinohara saves him from Tsutsuga, the warden of the island, and they later become friends. After Tsutsuga submits to Hinohara, Kanate escapes Gotoya Island in a ship with Ginchi, Hinohara and Kotoha.
Manga
Written and illustrated by Yuu WataseYuu Watase
is a female Japanese shōjo manga artist. She received the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo for Ceres, Celestial Legend in 1997. Since writing her debut short story "Pajama de Ojama" , Watase has created more than 80 compiled volumes of short stories and continuing series...
, chapters of Arata: The Legend have been serialized in Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
's Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine since October 2008. As of now, Shogakukan has released eight tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes. The first volume was published on January 16, 2009 and eighth on March 18, 2011. It is licensed in English by Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
as part of their Shonen Sunday imprint.Shonen Sunday imprint.
Reception
Rebecca Bundy of Anime News NetworkAnime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
gave the first volume an overall B+ for "Great art and character designs; plus, Watase's ability to create interesting lore is as sharp as ever." She also noted however that the "Pathetic, cowardly main character makes everything involving him painful to read." Deb Aoki of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
notes that the plot is "fairly formulaic fantasy fare that's just a bit too predictable to offer fans something truly fresh and new" but that the series has her "hooked." Todd Douglass of Blogcritics.org says that the first volume is "strongly recommended," despite some reservations. Christopher Nadolsk of Mania.com says that the first volume offers "an entertaining and eye-pleasing escapist fantasy read."