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Kannagi (manga)
Encyclopedia
, is a Japanese manga
series written and illustrated by Eri Takenashi. The manga began serialization in the January 2006 issue of Ichijinsha
's shōnen manga magazine Comic Rex
. Six tankōbon
volumes have been released in Japan. A 13-episode anime
adaptation produced by A-1 Pictures
aired between October and December 2008 in Japan. An original video animation
(OVA) episode was released in May 2009. Bandai Entertainment licensed the manga and anime series, including the OVA.
series written and illustrated by Eri Takenashi and began serialization in the first issue of Ichijinsha
's shōnen manga magazine Comic Rex
on December 9, 2005. The first tankōbon
volume was released on August 9, 2006 under Ichijinsha's Rex Comics imprint
; as of November 8, 2008, six volumes have been released in Japan. Bandai Entertainment licensed the manga for distribution in North America.
The manga was put on hiatus starting in January 2009 because of concern about the author's health problems. The installment of the manga just prior to the author's illness caused some fan controversy, because of implications that Nagi was not a virgin
, but was not linked to her illness. The author underwent surgery on December 12, 2008 and announced in September 2009 that she would be taking at least a year-long break to fully recover before working on her manga again. It was reported that Ichijinsha had planned to announce in the November 2010 issue of Comic Rex when Takenashi would begin drawing Kannagi again. The manga resumed with the September 2011 issue of Comic Rex on July 27, 2011, but because of Takenashi's health conditions, three consecutive chapters will be released, followed by chapters on an irregular schedule.
A spin-off
manga titled Kanpachi written and illustrated by Takenashi's brother Shinichi Yuhki began serialization in the April 2010 issue of Comic Rex.
show to promote the anime series was distributed ten episodes between June 11, 2008 and April 7, 2009. The show is hosted by Haruka Tomatsu
(who plays Nagi in the anime), Hideyuki Kurata (the anime's screenwriter), and Yutaka Yamamoto
(the anime's director). The broadcasts are distributed on the anime's official website.
adaptation was produced by the animation studio A-1 Pictures
, directed by Yutaka Yamamoto
, and with screenplays by Hideyuki Kurata. The anime aired in Japan between October 4 and December 27, 2008, and consisted of thirteen episodes. The anime was dropped by the satellite channel BS11 Digital before it started airing; no explanation was given. An original video animation
episode was shipped with the final Japanese DVD volume on May 27, 2009. Bandai Entertainment licensed the anime and released the first of two seven-episode DVD compilation volumes on July 17, 2009. The second volume was released on September 24, 2009.
written by Tōka Takei
, with illustrations by Eri Takenashi and Kasumu Kirino was published by Ichijinsha
under their Ichijinsha Bunko imprint
on December 20, 2008.
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...
series written and illustrated by Eri Takenashi. The manga began serialization in the January 2006 issue of Ichijinsha
Ichijinsha
is a Japanese publishing company focused on manga-related publication, including magazines and books. The company was first established in August 1992 as a limited company under the name Studio DNA which main purpose was to edit shōnen manga. In January 1998, Studio DNA became a public company and...
's shōnen manga magazine Comic Rex
Comic Rex
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Ichijinsha. The first issue was sold on December 9, 2005, and is sold monthly on the ninth. Manga collected into bound volumes which were serialized in this magazine are published under Ichijinsha's imprint...
. Six 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 have been released in Japan. A 13-episode 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....
adaptation produced by A-1 Pictures
A-1 Pictures
is a Japanese animation studio, a subsidiary of Sony's anime production firm Aniplex.-History:The studio was established by Sony's animation production division, Aniplex, on May 9, 2005, to animate its anime series and productions. In 2006, it co-produced the original production Zenmai Zamurai,...
aired between October and December 2008 in Japan. An original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
(OVA) episode was released in May 2009. Bandai Entertainment licensed the manga and anime series, including the OVA.
Main characters
- Nagi is a goddess who wakes up after years of slumber with Jin's unexpected help. Her mission as a deity is to cleanse the impurities of the world, but as her powers have weakened over time due to her sacred tree being cut down, her body is easily harmed by them. She ends up having to do it with the help of Jin and brandishing an improvised exorcistExorcismExorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
staff created using a magical girlMagical girlbelong to a sub-genre of Japanese fantasy anime and manga. Magical girl stories feature young girls with superhuman abilities, forced to fight evil and to protect the Earth. They often possess a secret identity, although the name can just refer to young girls who follow a plotline involving magic...
-themed toy baton. When she is in her normal personality, she is mischievous and child like.
- A different personality that exists inside Nagi. She seems to be the only one who knows about Nagi's real identity. When she descends upon Nagi's body, the process cannot last very long as it consumes a significant amount of energy, though this can be prolonged with the help of another person. When Nagi is Kannagi she speaks in a kinder and more holy manner.
- After using a part of a fallen sacred tree to make a sculpture of a girl, he inadvertently brings Nagi back to life. Since then, Nagi lives in his house and counts on his help to hunt down the impurities (as he is able to catch them with his bare hands), a task impossible to Nagi due to her weakened state. Later, when Nagi was frustrated by being uncertain about her own identity, Jin decides to assist Nagi to trace back her origin. He enjoys Worcester sauce on a slice of bread or a bowl of rice.
- Tsugumi is Jin's childhood friend who harbors a crush on him. She is concerned about Jin living alone with another girl despite Nagi fabricating a story about being his half-sister.
- Another goddess and Nagi's twin sister. Unlike Nagi's, Zange's tree is still intact and located in a church's courtyard, thus she is still able to catch and cleanse impurities by herself. The fact that she switched her character to that of a Catholic nun, as it is a stronger religion nowadays according to her, contributed to her divinity staying intact. Despite seemingly being kind and caring on the outside, she usually takes advantage of Nagi's weakened state to torment her. The word zange in Japanese means 'penitence' or 'confession'.
- Hakua is a girl from Jin's school possessed by Zange. Since childhood, Hakua was able to see spiritual images around her and her body has been very susceptible to spiritual possession. As other children considered her ability very odd, she had trouble interacting with children of her age. When she was still a child, she makes a friend with Jin during a summer camp, who did not consider her ability strange as he also possessed a strong spiritual sense. However, in the current storyline, Jin doesn't seem to remember well about his encounter with Hakua in the past. Since then, Hakua has not been able to go outside her house and she compared herself to a "princess locked up in a castle". Just before Hakua attempted to commit suicide due to depression, she "willingly accepted" Zange to be her host. However Nagi claims that despite this, it may put too much stress into her body. Both Zange and Hakua develop a liking for Jin and decide to bring him to their side.
Art club members
- Daitetsu Hibiki is Jin's friend and a member of the art club. He seems to be talented at everything from singing to sculpting and Jin hopes to one day be as good as him. Despite his imposing figure, he can be sensitive and has a surprising love for cats.
- Akiba is one of the three male members of the art club. He claims to have joined the art club instead of the manga club because he could not stand the otakuOtakuis a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga or video games.- Etymology :Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another's house or family , which is also used as an honorific second-person pronoun...
behavior of its members, although Akiba is quite the otaku himself. He dedicated himself to drawing manga. He often launches himself into very long and detailed diatribes, speaking so quickly that people end up just ignoring him.
- Shino is the vice-president of the art club. She is quiet member who is close friends with Takako, and is often observant of the male members' personalities. She especially takes an interest in how Jin interacts with Nagi.
- Takako is the presiding president of the art club, as well as a fujoshiFujoshiYaoi fandom refers to readers of yaoi , a genre of male-male romance narratives aimed at a female audience, and more specifically those who participate in communal activities organized around yaoi, such as attending conventions, maintaining or posting to fansites, creating fanfiction or fanart,...
, even though she knows very little about anime, manga, or games. She enjoys teasing the male members of the art club. She is a devoted fan of Nagi's, being a proud member of her fan club at the school.
High school teachers
- The teacher of religious studies and Hakua's father. He is aware of his daughter being possessed by Zange and easily figures Nagi's identity. He is worried about Hakua's condition. Although Hakua "claims" to do so by free will, he gets himself a little relief when Nagi promises him to find a way to make Zange leave her body.
Manga
Kannagi began as a mangaManga
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...
series written and illustrated by Eri Takenashi and began serialization in the first issue of Ichijinsha
Ichijinsha
is a Japanese publishing company focused on manga-related publication, including magazines and books. The company was first established in August 1992 as a limited company under the name Studio DNA which main purpose was to edit shōnen manga. In January 1998, Studio DNA became a public company and...
's shōnen manga magazine Comic Rex
Comic Rex
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Ichijinsha. The first issue was sold on December 9, 2005, and is sold monthly on the ninth. Manga collected into bound volumes which were serialized in this magazine are published under Ichijinsha's imprint...
on December 9, 2005. The first 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...
volume was released on August 9, 2006 under Ichijinsha's Rex Comics imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
; as of November 8, 2008, six volumes have been released in Japan. Bandai Entertainment licensed the manga for distribution in North America.
The manga was put on hiatus starting in January 2009 because of concern about the author's health problems. The installment of the manga just prior to the author's illness caused some fan controversy, because of implications that Nagi was not a virgin
Virginity
Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
, but was not linked to her illness. The author underwent surgery on December 12, 2008 and announced in September 2009 that she would be taking at least a year-long break to fully recover before working on her manga again. It was reported that Ichijinsha had planned to announce in the November 2010 issue of Comic Rex when Takenashi would begin drawing Kannagi again. The manga resumed with the September 2011 issue of Comic Rex on July 27, 2011, but because of Takenashi's health conditions, three consecutive chapters will be released, followed by chapters on an irregular schedule.
A spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
manga titled Kanpachi written and illustrated by Takenashi's brother Shinichi Yuhki began serialization in the April 2010 issue of Comic Rex.
Internet radio show
An Internet radioInternet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
show to promote the anime series was distributed ten episodes between June 11, 2008 and April 7, 2009. The show is hosted by Haruka Tomatsu
Haruka Tomatsu
is a Japanese voice actress and singer, employed by Music Ray'n .-Summary:Haruka debuted as voice actress in 2007, starring in Shinkyoku Sōkai Polyphonica as Corticarte Apa Lagranges...
(who plays Nagi in the anime), Hideyuki Kurata (the anime's screenwriter), and Yutaka Yamamoto
Yutaka Yamamoto
is a Japanese anime director from Osaka. He is the founder of the Ordet animation studio, and is formerly of Kyoto Animation.-Personal history:Originally a member of Kyoto Animation, Yamamoto rose to prominence within the company after serving as assistant director on Munto 2: Beyond the Walls of...
(the anime's director). The broadcasts are distributed on the anime's official website.
Anime
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....
adaptation was produced by the animation studio A-1 Pictures
A-1 Pictures
is a Japanese animation studio, a subsidiary of Sony's anime production firm Aniplex.-History:The studio was established by Sony's animation production division, Aniplex, on May 9, 2005, to animate its anime series and productions. In 2006, it co-produced the original production Zenmai Zamurai,...
, directed by Yutaka Yamamoto
Yutaka Yamamoto
is a Japanese anime director from Osaka. He is the founder of the Ordet animation studio, and is formerly of Kyoto Animation.-Personal history:Originally a member of Kyoto Animation, Yamamoto rose to prominence within the company after serving as assistant director on Munto 2: Beyond the Walls of...
, and with screenplays by Hideyuki Kurata. The anime aired in Japan between October 4 and December 27, 2008, and consisted of thirteen episodes. The anime was dropped by the satellite channel BS11 Digital before it started airing; no explanation was given. An original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
episode was shipped with the final Japanese DVD volume on May 27, 2009. Bandai Entertainment licensed the anime and released the first of two seven-episode DVD compilation volumes on July 17, 2009. The second volume was released on September 24, 2009.
Light novel
A light novelLight novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
written by Tōka Takei
Toka Takei
is a Japanese game creator, screenwriter, and light novel author from Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. He has also written some scripts for drama CDs.-Visual novels:*Himawari no Chapel de Kimi to*Kosumosu no Sora ni*Oneechan no 3 Kyūbu-Light novels:...
, with illustrations by Eri Takenashi and Kasumu Kirino was published by Ichijinsha
Ichijinsha
is a Japanese publishing company focused on manga-related publication, including magazines and books. The company was first established in August 1992 as a limited company under the name Studio DNA which main purpose was to edit shōnen manga. In January 1998, Studio DNA became a public company and...
under their Ichijinsha Bunko imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
on December 20, 2008.
External links
- Eri Takenashi's personal blog
- Anime official website
- Kannagi anime at A-1 PicturesA-1 Picturesis a Japanese animation studio, a subsidiary of Sony's anime production firm Aniplex.-History:The studio was established by Sony's animation production division, Aniplex, on May 9, 2005, to animate its anime series and productions. In 2006, it co-produced the original production Zenmai Zamurai,...