Guin Saga
Encyclopedia
is the title of a best-selling heroic fantasy novel
series by the Japanese author Kaoru Kurimoto
, in continuous publication since 1979. A record 100 volumes were originally planned, but the final total stands at 130 volumes, the last four published posthumously, with 21 side-story novels. She was working on the 130th volume of Guin Saga up until 23 May 2009, after which point she became too ill to write. After the 100th book in the series was published in 2005, an event to celebrate this was held in Tokyo, with 600 attending. Guin Saga is the longest continuing single-writer's work in the world with total circulation exceeding 28 million worldwide.
named Guin, an amnesia
c with a leopard
mask magically affixed to his head. Remembering nothing but his fighting instincts and the word "Aurra", he confronts a world laden with danger, intrigue, and magic.
. Noted artist Yoshitaka Amano
then took the reins until vol. 57 (1997), upon which time he was replaced by Jun Suemi
. Shinobu Tanno
, whose style closely resembles Suemi's, has been the series artist since vol. 88 (2003) until the final 130th book in 2009.
. The English editions have drawn praise comparing the series to The Lord of the Rings
and Conan the Barbarian
. The novels have also been translated into German, French, Russian, Italian, Korean and Chinese. Vertical has released the first five novels in English, but only the first three in hardback and paperback editions.
(side-story) from the Guin Saga novels, where Guin is now King of Cheironia and must protect his kingdom from a magical plague. The story was originally published as a novel in 1981 and was adapted to manga in 2001. It is illustrated by Kazuaki Yanagisawa, was published in Japan by Media Factory
, and has been released in English in three volumes by Vertical.
The other manga is based on the early part of the story and is adapted to manga format by Hajime Sawada, as part of the Jive series , adapting Kurimoto's works to manga form.
based on Guin Saga. In October 2008 more details surfaced which revealed Atsushi Wakabayashi is directing the anime, while famous video game composer Nobuo Uematsu
is creating the score. This is to be Uematsu's first full soundtrack for an anime, and Wakabayashi's first directing role. Animation production will be handled by Satelight
and the background art by Studio Easter.
The anime debuted on April 5, 2009. On April 3, 2009 an English-dubbed trailer was posted on the anime's official website. On May 7, 2010, North American anime licensor Sentai Filmworks announced that they have acquired the series. Sentai, along with distributor Section23 Films
will release part one of the series on DVD on March 29, 2011. Section23 had previously announced a Blu-ray release, but it has been postponed indefintly.
The anime uses two pieces of theme music
. by Nobuo Uematsu
is the series' opening theme, while "Saga~This is my road" by Kanon
is the series' ending theme. The soundtrack, comprising two CDs, will be released on 24 June 2009.
The anime is expected to adapt the first sixteen volumes of the light novels.
creator Kentaro Miura
has stated that Guin Saga was a large influence on his work. The books won the 2010 Seiun Award
for long fiction. Science fiction critic Mari Kotani
regards Guin as "a hero who lives on the border between man and beast". Erin Finnegan from Pop Shock Culture comments that the book "is absolute torture for the first 100 pages, but suddenly at page 105 it turns good". She also comments that the fight scenes "although cheesy at times" "are all entertainingly well written". The Seattle Times
's Nisi Shawl comments that "the book's intense images and dreamlike simplicity give it an anime
air".
Jason Thompson
of Otaku USA
criticises The Seven Magi for trying to summarise "116 volumes and still going" novel series into a few volumes, which "means a lot of backstory that isn't explained for the casual American reader". Later, writing for the appendix to Manga: The Complete Guide
, he found the English dialogue in the series "captures the retro pulp fantasy style almost to the point of self-parody", describing the art as "macho and grotesque", although finding the background art "flat". Thompson also found the story was too open at the end. Ian Randal Strock of sfscope.com commends the manga for its "black-and-white pen-and-ink work".
Theron Martin enjoyed the broadening of scope of the series in the second half of the anime.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
series by the Japanese author Kaoru Kurimoto
Kaoru Kurimoto
was the pen name of , an award-winning Japanese novelist. Imaoka also used the pen name to write criticism. She was known for her record-breaking 126-volume Guin Saga series, which has been translated into English, German, French, Italian and Russian...
, in continuous publication since 1979. A record 100 volumes were originally planned, but the final total stands at 130 volumes, the last four published posthumously, with 21 side-story novels. She was working on the 130th volume of Guin Saga up until 23 May 2009, after which point she became too ill to write. After the 100th book in the series was published in 2005, an event to celebrate this was held in Tokyo, with 600 attending. Guin Saga is the longest continuing single-writer's work in the world with total circulation exceeding 28 million worldwide.
Plot Overview
The story centres around a mysterious warriorWarrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
named Guin, an amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
c with a leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
mask magically affixed to his head. Remembering nothing but his fighting instincts and the word "Aurra", he confronts a world laden with danger, intrigue, and magic.
Characters
- Guin
- The title character, Guin is a mysterious warrior with the head of a leopard. He stumbles upon Remus and Rinda being attacked by soldiers and defeats the entire unit singlehandedly. He remembers nothing of his past, knowing only his fighting instincts, what he believes is his name, and a word: Aurra. Guin is often put in position where he will suddenly have a skill he doesn't know he has. He understands the language of the Sem. As of Prisoner of the Lagon, he starts to realise that he really is part of the Destiny reshaping the land. Guin is inhumanly strong and knowledgeable about battle strategies, causing the Mongauli army to fear and respect him as a warrior, as he often will set up battle scenarios and jump into battle himself with inhuman skill.
- Rinda Farseer
- The Crown Princess of Parros and Remus's twin. She is more independent than Remus. While putting up a strong front for her brother, she is just as devastated over the loss of her homeland. She has prophetic abilities, hence her name "Farseer". According to the novels, she's sure to be one of the top beauties of the land. She has a hatred for Lady Amnelis that is suggested in Warrior in the Wilderness to be partly because they are rivals and opposites in beauty, but mostly because the White Knights that Lady Amnelis commands were responsible for the deaths of her parents. She is a platinum blonde with violet eyes. At the beginning of the story, she is 14.
- Remus Farseer
- The Crown Prince of Parros and Rinda's twin. Although Remus comes off as less courageous than Rinda, it is also suggested in the novels that he is more realistic and more able to understand others. His caution is derived from observation of others. He also reveals secrets accidentally by just talking too much. He apparently can "sense" his sister, and occasionally hear her thoughts (The Leopard Mask). Remus is bitter about not having the gift of farsight, although it's evident he will have other talents. He is a platinum blond with violet eyes. At the beginning of the story, he is 14.
- Aldross the Third
- The father of Rinda and Remus.
- Istavan Spellsword
- A young mercenary without scruples, but who is portrayed sympathetically. When he was born, he held a jewel in his hand, and a seer predicted that he would one day rule a kingdom and marry the Princess of Light, who he believes is Rinda. He is nicknamed "The Crimson Mercenary." Istavan is a cunning fellow, and a battle-hardened mercenary by his (approximate) age of 20. He is very mischievous and has a wild sense of humour, finding things outrageously funny. He particularly likes to tease Rinda, and currently has her promise to become Captain of the Holy Guards of Parros, once it is regained. He has a sixth-sense about danger, and will often disappear right before a disaster strikes. Although he complains quite a bit, he follows Guin's orders. A likeable fellow with a thin, strong frame, obsidian eyes, quick wit and a cheeky belief he will survive anything.
- The Black Count Vanon
- The Count of Stafolos Keep who is suffering from a plague that causes flesh to fall off. He is discovered to have been possessed by a ghoul, who requires blood of living things to keep him alive. He passes on with Guin's help when Stafolos falls.
- Suni
- A member of the monkey-like Sem barbarian tribe. She was being held captive by the Black Count and was liberated by Rinda, Guin, and Remus.
- Lady Amnelis
- The General of the Mongauli army, the enemies of Parros. She's obsessed with capturing Guin. She has found a way to bridge the Kes river and travel into Nospherus, the no-man's land of the Sem. She is considered one of the most beautiful women in the land with her golden hair and green eyes, but has been described as a "Lady of Ice".
- Astrias
- A soldier in the Mongaul army, he is in love with Lady Amnelis.
Series Artists
Painted covers and interior illustrations for volumes 1-19 (1979–1984) were done by Naoyuki KatoNaoyuki Kato
is a Japanese illustrator, a native of Hamamatsu City, Japan.-Illustration works:A noted science-fiction artist since the 1970s, he has contributed to many science fiction/fantasy magazines, novels and games....
. Noted artist Yoshitaka Amano
Yoshitaka Amano
is a Japanese artist. He began his career as an animator and has become known for his illustrations for the anime Vampire Hunter D and for his character designs, image illustrations and title logo designs for the Final Fantasy video game series developed by Square Enix . His influences include...
then took the reins until vol. 57 (1997), upon which time he was replaced by Jun Suemi
Jun Suemi
Jun Suemi is a Japanese illustrator, born in Ōita, Ōita, Japan.-Illustration works:He has provided artwork, including monster design and graphic design, for various video games, fantasy and science-fiction books, the Guin Saga novel series written by Kaoru Kurimoto and the Kerberos Panzer Jäger...
. Shinobu Tanno
Shinobu Tanno
Shinobu Tanno is a Japanese illustrator, born in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.Tanno graduated in 1997 from Ritsumeikan University...
, whose style closely resembles Suemi's, has been the series artist since vol. 88 (2003) until the final 130th book in 2009.
Novels released in English
American publisher Vertical has released the first five volumes, translated into English by known game translator Alexander O. SmithAlexander O. Smith
Alexander O. Smith is a professional English/Japanese translator and author. While his output covers many areas such as adaptation of Japanese novels, manga, song lyrics, anime scripts and various academic works, he is best known for his software localizations of Japanese video games...
. The English editions have drawn praise comparing the series to The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
and Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
. The novels have also been translated into German, French, Russian, Italian, Korean and Chinese. Vertical has released the first five novels in English, but only the first three in hardback and paperback editions.
| Title | |ISBN |
|---|
Manga
There are two manga based on the Guin Saga. The Guin Saga Manga:The Seven Magi グイン・サーガ七人の魔道師 is based on a gaidenGaiden
is a Japanese-language word meaning "side story" or "tale", used to refer to an anecdote or supplementary biography of a person. This use of gaiden is commonly used in popular Japanese fiction to refer to a spin-off of a previously published work that is neither officially considered a sequel nor...
(side-story) from the Guin Saga novels, where Guin is now King of Cheironia and must protect his kingdom from a magical plague. The story was originally published as a novel in 1981 and was adapted to manga in 2001. It is illustrated by Kazuaki Yanagisawa, was published in Japan by Media Factory
Media Factory
is a Japanese publisher. It was founded on December 1, 1986, and its headquarters are situated in Shibuya, Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of Recruit Co., Ltd...
, and has been released in English in three volumes by Vertical.
The other manga is based on the early part of the story and is adapted to manga format by Hajime Sawada, as part of the Jive series , adapting Kurimoto's works to manga form.
Anime
On April 12, 2005, Micott & Basara (Japanese investors) announced plans to create an animeAnime
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....
based on Guin Saga. In October 2008 more details surfaced which revealed Atsushi Wakabayashi is directing the anime, while famous video game composer Nobuo Uematsu
Nobuo Uematsu
is a Japanese video game composer, best known for scoring the majority of titles in the Final Fantasy series. He is considered as one of the most famous and respected composers in the video game community...
is creating the score. This is to be Uematsu's first full soundtrack for an anime, and Wakabayashi's first directing role. Animation production will be handled by Satelight
Satelight
is a Japanese animation studio.-History:The studio was founded on December 1995, in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, their first project being Bit the Cupid, the world's first fully digitally-animated television series. The name Satelight consists of S for Sapporo, A for Animate, T for Technology and E for...
and the background art by Studio Easter.
The anime debuted on April 5, 2009. On April 3, 2009 an English-dubbed trailer was posted on the anime's official website. On May 7, 2010, North American anime licensor Sentai Filmworks announced that they have acquired the series. Sentai, along with distributor Section23 Films
Section23 Films
Section23 Films is an American home video distribution company specializing in anime and Japanese films. The company is one of five successors to ADV Films, as well as the distributor of titles from Sentai Filmworks and Switchblade Films. ADV had announced that it had sold its assets to a group of...
will release part one of the series on DVD on March 29, 2011. Section23 had previously announced a Blu-ray release, but it has been postponed indefintly.
The anime uses two pieces of theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
. by Nobuo Uematsu
Nobuo Uematsu
is a Japanese video game composer, best known for scoring the majority of titles in the Final Fantasy series. He is considered as one of the most famous and respected composers in the video game community...
is the series' opening theme, while "Saga~This is my road" by Kanon
Kanon (singer)
Kanon is a Japanese singer and song-writer born in Tokyo, Japan on March 9, 1980. She is signed to Sony Music Japan International.Her latest mini album, My Road ~ Songs for Guin Saga was released on August 26, 2009. Her fifth album planned to be released on March 31, 2011 as she stated on her blog....
is the series' ending theme. The soundtrack, comprising two CDs, will be released on 24 June 2009.
The anime is expected to adapt the first sixteen volumes of the light novels.
Audio CDs
On September 21, 2005, six image albums were released for Guin Saga. There were only 5,000 copies made of each CD. The six CDs were:.Reception
BerserkBerserk (manga)
is a manga series written and illustrated by Kentaro Miura. Set in a medieval Europe-inspired world, the story centers around the characters of Guts, an orphaned mercenary, and Griffith, the leader of a mercenary band called the...
creator Kentaro Miura
Kentaro Miura
is a Japanese manga artist best known for his popular dark fantasy manga, Berserk.-Life and notable works:Kentarou Miura was born in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, in 1966. He is left-handed. In 1976, at the early age of 10, Miura made his first manga, entitled Miuranger, that was published...
has stated that Guin Saga was a large influence on his work. The books won the 2010 Seiun Award
Seiun Award
The is a Japanese science fiction award for the best science fiction published in Japan during the preceding year, as voted by attendees of the Japan Science Fiction Convention. "Seiun" is the Japanese word for "nebula", but the award is not related to the American Nebula Award. It was named after...
for long fiction. Science fiction critic Mari Kotani
Mari Kotani
is a Japanese science fiction critic, best known as the author of Evangelion as the Immaculate Virgin and of *Joseijou muishiki: techno-gynesis josei SF-ron josetsu. Tokyo: Keiso shobo, 1994...
regards Guin as "a hero who lives on the border between man and beast". Erin Finnegan from Pop Shock Culture comments that the book "is absolute torture for the first 100 pages, but suddenly at page 105 it turns good". She also comments that the fight scenes "although cheesy at times" "are all entertainingly well written". The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
's Nisi Shawl comments that "the book's intense images and dreamlike simplicity give it an 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....
air".
Jason Thompson
Jason Thompson (writer)
Jason Thompson is a manga critic, journalist, writer and comics artist.-Life and career:...
of Otaku USA
Otaku USA
Otaku USA is a bimonthly magazine, published by Sovereign Media, which covers various elements of the "otaku" lifestyle from an American perspective...
criticises The Seven Magi for trying to summarise "116 volumes and still going" novel series into a few volumes, which "means a lot of backstory that isn't explained for the casual American reader". Later, writing for the appendix to Manga: The Complete Guide
Manga: The Complete Guide
Manga: The Complete Guide is a 2007 encyclopedia written by Jason Thompson and published by Del Rey which provides basic details and short reviews of over 1000 Japanese manga titles that have been translated and released in English in North America...
, he found the English dialogue in the series "captures the retro pulp fantasy style almost to the point of self-parody", describing the art as "macho and grotesque", although finding the background art "flat". Thompson also found the story was too open at the end. Ian Randal Strock of sfscope.com commends the manga for its "black-and-white pen-and-ink work".
Theron Martin enjoyed the broadening of scope of the series in the second half of the anime.