Arm of Kannon
Encyclopedia
Arm of Kannon, originally titled in Japan
, is a manga
by . The series was licensed in English by Tokyopop
; the Tokyopop version of the manga is out of print as of August 31, 2009.
of the buddhist
goddess Kannon (Kanzeon
bosatsu
); after the archeologist Tozo Mikami discovered it, he disappeared for three years. When he returns, his son, Mao, starts noticing something strange about him, and soon discovers that a secret military organization, Garama, is trying to unveil the secrets of the artifact to use it as a weapon.
The first four volumes of the series see Mao infected by the Arm and his rapid growth in relation to the Arm's effects. He is captured by Garama and subsequently escapes to the surrounding forest which has also been affected by Garama. Several parties try to achieve different things in the forest. The first is Mao's sister Mayo, the swordsman from Isurugi, and a monk called Kakujo. These three try to find Mao to help him overcome the Arm's infection and release him. The second group following Mao is a group called the "SDF" who are employed by the government to capture Mao alive. This group consists of four people; a male cyborg, a female soldier, a male with cybernetic eyes and sonic abilities, and a psychic man. The third group is the Manma, these are four mutants who are to kill Mao. These four are a male illusionist, a mysterious female, a man wrapped in bandages, and a gremlin-like man. These three groups face off in the forest in a race to reach Mao first.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, is a manga
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...
by . The series was licensed in English by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
; the Tokyopop version of the manga is out of print as of August 31, 2009.
Story
The is a holy relicRelic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
of the buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
goddess Kannon (Kanzeon
Kuan Yin
Guanyin is the bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. The name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin which means "Observing the Sounds of the World". She is also sometimes referred to as Guanyin Pusa...
bosatsu
Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
); after the archeologist Tozo Mikami discovered it, he disappeared for three years. When he returns, his son, Mao, starts noticing something strange about him, and soon discovers that a secret military organization, Garama, is trying to unveil the secrets of the artifact to use it as a weapon.
The first four volumes of the series see Mao infected by the Arm and his rapid growth in relation to the Arm's effects. He is captured by Garama and subsequently escapes to the surrounding forest which has also been affected by Garama. Several parties try to achieve different things in the forest. The first is Mao's sister Mayo, the swordsman from Isurugi, and a monk called Kakujo. These three try to find Mao to help him overcome the Arm's infection and release him. The second group following Mao is a group called the "SDF" who are employed by the government to capture Mao alive. This group consists of four people; a male cyborg, a female soldier, a male with cybernetic eyes and sonic abilities, and a psychic man. The third group is the Manma, these are four mutants who are to kill Mao. These four are a male illusionist, a mysterious female, a man wrapped in bandages, and a gremlin-like man. These three groups face off in the forest in a race to reach Mao first.