Boogiepop series
Encyclopedia
Kouhei Kadono
is a Japanese author, best known for the Boogiepop series, which has also been adapted as a live action movie, two manga and an anime.- Biography :Born December 12, 1968, he graduated from Hosei University...
and illustrated by Kouji Ogata
Kouji Ogata
is a Japanese artist, character designer, and manga artist best known for his work on the Boogiepop series and Gin-iro no Kami no Agito. He was born on December 14, 1970. He has another pen name .- External links :...
. It includes titles from different media, each connected by repeating characters and related plots. Presented in vignettes
Vignette (literature)
In theatrical script writing, sketch stories, and poetry, a vignette is a short impressionistic scene that focuses on one moment or gives a trenchant impression about a character, an idea, or a setting and sometimes an object...
, each chapter presents the reader with only snapshots of what is happening, leaving them to find clues to understand the greater plot.
Boogiepop is best characterized as young adult
Young adult literature
Young-adult fiction or young adult literature , also juvenile fiction, is fiction written for, published for, or marketed to adolescents and young adults, roughly ages 14 to 21. The Young Adult Library Services of the American Library Association defines a young adult as "someone between the...
fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
and is credited with starting the light novel trend in Japan. By March 2000, two million copies of Kadono's Boogiepop light novels works were in print. The anime
Boogiepop Phantom
is a twelve episode anime television series produced by Madhouse Studios, based on the Boogiepop light novel series by Kouhei Kadono, particularly that of Boogiepop and Others and Boogiepop At Dawn...
and live action film inspired by the original light novels have been released in English by The Right Stuf International
The Right Stuf International
The Right Stuf International, Inc. is an American retailer based in Grimes, Iowa that markets and distributes anime and manga-related products throughout the United States and internationally...
, while Seven Seas Entertainment
Seven Seas Entertainment
Seven Seas Entertainment is a publishing company located in Los Angeles, California. It was originally dedicated to the publication of original manga, but now publishes licensed manga and novels, as well as select webcomics...
released four of the light novels and the 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...
.
Overview
To face the "enemies of the world", the shinigamiShinigami
is the personification of death in Japan. It's unclear when the concept entered Japanese culture; it may have been imported from China , or possibly been imported from Europe during the Sengoku era—that period in European history featured a common motif of the Grim Reaper gathering souls...
Boogiepop automatically rises to the surface. In Boogiepop's world, the Towa Organization, a shadowy group seeking to control humanity, managed to capture an alien organism who had taken the form of a highly-evolved
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
human. By studying him, the Towa Organization was able to create synthetic humans, people who have been artificially enhanced with special abilities. The mission of the Towa Organization and its agents is to find and kill MPLS, people who are more evolved than others and possess special abilities. However, Boogiepop will not let the Towa Organization get its way and he is not alone in his efforts.
The Boogiepop series is very much about the characters: their relationships, their pasts, their memories. This is especially true for how their pasts molded them into the people they are today. It can also be seen through scenes being presented from the perspective of different characters, and how the individual casts a different "feel" by how they relate to events. Another important theme is change. How the world changes and our different perceptions of this change, especially how one's perception of things changes as they grow up. Boogiepop Phantom
Boogiepop Phantom
is a twelve episode anime television series produced by Madhouse Studios, based on the Boogiepop light novel series by Kouhei Kadono, particularly that of Boogiepop and Others and Boogiepop At Dawn...
is also highly metaphorical, with a character or an image representing much more than face value. It is also "a show about the inter-related nature of people's lives and the concept that they know of as time."
Kadono has published fourteen light novels and has serialized short stories
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
in Dengegi HP, many of which have been published as a four-volume series about Pete Beat, a member of the Towa Organization. Two manga serials have been drawn for this series, which were serialized in Dengeki Daiou and Dengeki Animation. In 2000, the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Boogiepop Phantom aired on Japanese television; a drama CD, featuring Kaori Shimizu, was released to promote this series. Later that year, the movie Boogiepop and Others
Boogiepop and Others
is a light novel and manga authored by Kouhei Kadono and illustrated by Kouji Ogata, and a live-action movie directed by Ryu Kaneda. The light novel, the first in the Boogiepop series, was released in 1998 by MediaWorks and won the fourth Dengeki Game Novel Contest.The story takes place in an...
was released.
Characters
Each Boogiepop title has its own cast of characters, and many of these characters will make appearances in more than one title, but there are only four central characters that are consistently at the center of the plot.The shinigami
Shinigami
is the personification of death in Japan. It's unclear when the concept entered Japanese culture; it may have been imported from China , or possibly been imported from Europe during the Sengoku era—that period in European history featured a common motif of the Grim Reaper gathering souls...
whispered of among the female students of Shinyo Academy, few people know that Boogiepop actually exists. Normally dormant, Boogiepop rises to the surface when enemies of the world appear. Boogiepop's appearance and voice are ambiguous: they seem both masculine and feminine at the same time. However, hidden beneath his signature black cloak and black, pipe-shaped hat, little is ever seen of him. Straight-faced and to the point, Boogiepop acts as mechanical as he claims to be. Boogiepop speaks in an archaic manner, and seems fond of whistling the overture to Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is an opera in three acts, written and composed by Richard Wagner. It is among the longest operas still commonly performed today, usually taking around four and a half hours. It was first performed at the Königliches Hof- und National-Theater in Munich, on June 21,...
.
Known as the Fire Witch to many, Kirima has made few friends due the way she distances herself from others: she knows that she is too dangerous for 'normal' people to associate with. She has a messianic complex, and seeks to save the world from whatever may threaten it. As such, whenever there are unusual happenings within the city, Kirima can be found investigating what has happened. In the past, she had spent a period of time in hospital. A combination of the events from that period of her life, as well as the death of her father, the famous writer Kirima Seiichi, brought her to follow this path in life. Extremely gifted both physically and intellectually, she has the basic tools she needs to carry out her self-appointed mission.
An ordinary, happy school girl at Shinyo Academy, Miyashita is in love with her boyfriend, Keiji Takeda, and close friends with Suema. Not particularly good at school, she does not stand out in any way. Unknown to most, she was hospitalized as a child, and this saw her life change, though even Miyashita herself does not seem to know the truth of what happened, and was simply told that she had been possessed by a kitsune
Kitsune
is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore; in English, kitsune refers to them in this context. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to assume...
. Unknowingly, when the world is in trouble, she carries a Spalding sports bag containing the effects of Boogiepop, her alternate personality
Dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis and describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment....
. She has no recollection of her time as Boogiepop, and alters her memories to explain the blanks.
As a result of a childhood trauma, Suema has developed an unusual fascination with criminal
Criminal psychology
Criminal psychology is the study of the wills, thoughts, intentions and reactions of criminals. It is related to the field of criminal anthropology. The study goes deeply into what makes someone commit crime, but also the reactions after the crime, on the run or in court...
and abnormal psychology
Abnormal psychology
Abnormal psychology is the branch of psychology that studies unusual patterns of behavior, emotion and thought, which may or may not be understood as precipitating a mental disorder...
, as well as the desire to not let anything occur around her without her knowing. As a result of this, she desperately seeks the truth about the unexplained events happening in her city, and meddles with forces best left untouched. Good friends with Miyashita Touka, Suema appreciates how she so open and unconditionally accepting of her, and looks out for her friend. She seeks to be closer with Kirima Nagi, who seems to know the answers to the questions that have haunted her all these years. Despite her involvement in several incidents, she has yet to see Boogiepop in action.
Internationalisation
The Right Stuf International licensed Boogiepop Phantom for English release in 2001. They dubbedDubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
the series and have distributed it in the US in both VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
formats. The series is distributed in the UK by ADV Films and across Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs 130 people and has an annual...
. Boogiepop Phantom has also been localised and released in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
In 2004, The Right Stuf International acquired the film Boogiepop and Others. It has been released on DVD in Japanese with English subtitles, and is distributed in both the US and Europe, along with a director's commentary and behind the scenes interviews with the cast.
In 2005, Seven Seas Entertainment announced they had acquired the rights to publish the Boogiepop novels and manga in English. To date, they have released the first four novels, as well as the Boogiepop Doesn't Laugh and "Boogiepop Dual" manga. Seven Seas Entertainment currently has no plans to go ahead with further releases.
Impact and influence
Boogiepop and Others won the Fourth Dengeki Novel PrizeDengeki Novel Prize
The is a literary award handed out annually by the Japanese publisher ASCII Media Works for their Dengeki Bunko light novel imprint. The contest has discovered many popular and successful light novelists, like Kouhei Kadono and Yashichiro Takahashi. Originally called the Dengeki Game Novel...
in 1997 and was released in the Dengeki Book Collection in 1998 where it gained popularity. It is credited with popularizing light novels, as well as redefining young adult fiction in Japan. It was later adapted into a live action film by Ryu Kaneda, a two-volume manga by Kouji Ogata and served as the inspiration for a soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
composed by Yuki Kajiura
Yuki Kajiura
, born August 6, 1965 in Tokyo, Japan, is a Japanese composer and music producer. She has provided the music for several popular anime series, such as one of the Kimagure Orange Road movies, Noir, .hack//SIGN, Aquarian Age, Madlax, My-HiME, My-Otome, .hack//Roots, Pandora Hearts, Puella Magi...
. Boogiepop and Others also sets the scene for the anime, Boogiepop Phantom, which has its backstory loosely based on the climax of the light novel. Having already gained a strong readership among High School and University age men, the release of Boogiepop Returns: VS Imaginator Part 1
Boogiepop Returns: VS Imaginator Part 1
is the second novel in the Boogiepop series by Kouhei Kadono, and was illustrated by Kouji Ogata.-Plot introduction:The year before the incident with Manticore, Boogieopop fought against Imaginator. Now, Imaginator is attempting to return and complete its ambitions...
was met with overwhelming support. By the time the Boogiepop and Others film was released, the Boogiepop series was a bestseller, with over two million copies in print.
Reviews
The Boogiepop series has received high praise from critics. Boogiepop Phantom has received the most exposure, where it is often compared to Serial Experiments LainSerial Experiments Lain
Serial Experiments Lain is an anime series directed by Ryutaro Nakamura, original character design by Yoshitoshi ABe, screenplay written by Chiaki J. Konaka, and produced by Yasuyuki Ueda for Triangle Staff. It was broadcast on TV Tokyo from July to September 1998...
and Paranoia Agent
Paranoia Agent
is a Japanese anime television series created by director Satoshi Kon and produced by Madhouse about a social phenomenon in Musashino, Tokyo caused by a juvenile serial assailant named Lil' Slugger...
. It has been noted that the series is "not your average anime", and one that "demands your attention". While the fine detail the animators went into with the visuals has received much praise, bland character designs have been noted as one of the series' flaws, though "astute viewers may notice some rather interesting [...] differences between the various characters." The soundtrack has received much acclaim, not only for the background music
Background music
Although background music was by the end of the 20th century generally identified with Muzak or elevator music, there are several stages in the development of this concept.-Antecedents:...
and voice actor performances, but also the detail that went into the sound effects. The presentation of the storyline was well received, but it was acknowledged that not everyone would be interested in following the subtle clues in each episode. A common complaint, however, is that there are many loose ends, mainly relating to the back-story, leaving the series "with more questions than answers".
Far less critiqued, the Boogiepop and Others film fares less well than its sequel. Whilst the characters and plot were well received, the special effects and costumes have been described as "campy", but "par for the course of something of this level and budget". The movie is, however, cited as being easier to watch, and is recommended to fans of the anime, so as to gain "a complete understanding of the Boogiepop events".
The Boogiepop and Others novel has received more favorable reviews, though these have mostly focused on the translation, which has been cited as "a standard against which future Japanese novel translations are judged". It has also received praise for ripping "the rules of narrative wide open", especially for how it allows the characters to grow on the reader. Boogiepop Returns: VS Imaginator Part 1 continues receiving positive feedback for its easy-to-read style and excellent translation, as well as its use of atmosphere and characters. The main flaw, however, is the briefness of the title, which has clearly been used to set up the sequel.
Boogiepop Doesn't Laugh has received generally favorable reviews, particularly for capturing some of the more complicated scenes better than the original light novel. This makes the plot easier to follow, and captures the urgency of the climactic battle. However, it has been noted that breaking the complicated plot of Boogiepop and Others into a multi-volume manga results in individually weak volumes. As with Boogiepop Phantom, the character designs have been noted as "lookalike and nondescript", which can make some of the events difficult to follow. The art has also been described as "washed out and dull".
External links
Official Sites- Official The Right Stuf International Boogiepop webpage
- Official Seven Seas Entertainment Boogiepop webpage
- Boogiepop: The Ultimate Guide MediaWorks Boogiepop webpage VAP Boogiepop Phantom webpage
Reviews
- Boogiepop and Others (novel) at Anime News NetworkAnime News NetworkAnime 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...
. - Boogiepop Phantom at THEM Anime Reviews.
- A Thematic Analysis of Boogiepop Phantom at Anime on DVD.
- Boogiepop and Others (film) at Anime on DVD.