Nabari no O
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese manga
series written and illustrated by Yuhki Kamatani
. The series premiered in Japan
in Monthly GFantasy in 2004 ended serialization in 2010. Square Enix
is also publishing the individual chapters in collected volumes
with fourteen volumes released as of February 2011. The series has been licensed for an English language release in North America
by Yen Press
. The first volume was released in May 2009.
J.C.Staff
created a twenty-six episode anime adaptation of the Nabari no Ou manga series. Directed by Kunihisa Sugishima, the series premiered in Japan
on TV Tokyo
on April 6, 2008. The episodes subsequently air on other TXN
networks, including TV Aichi and TV Osaka
. The series has been licensed by FUNimation. Part one of the complete series was released in the US on DVD September 22, 2009.
After Miharu returns to the Banten village, he is approached by Yoite. Yoite wishes that his existence be erased. If Miharu does not comply, Tobari, Aizawa, and Raimei will die. As Miharu tries to gain enough control over the Shinra Banshou to grant Yoite's wish, Grey Wolves, Fuuma, and Banten collect the forbidden arts from the other ninja villages. After learning that the Grey Wolves will kill Yoite, Yoite, his caretaker Kazuhiko Yukimi, and his physician Kazuho Amatatsu defect from the Grey Wolves and join Banten. Raikō Shimizu and Gau Meguro also leave the faction, and with Raimei, the three reestablish the nearly extinct Shimizu clan. Aizawa and Shijima Kurookano are revealed to have gained immortality long ago through the Shinra Banshou's power, and the two separate from the Banten ninja. During a Grey Wolf attack on Banten, Yoite overuses the Kira, which drains the user's life, and dies. Miharu uses the Shinra Banshou to erase Yoite's existence, and everyone forgets about Yoite. Fuuma is also found to be working with the Grey Wolves. Tobari is able to complete a ninjutsu that will remove the Shinra Banshou. First, he will use Banten's forbidden art to return the memories everyone in Nabari lost. Ten years ago, Tobari and his grandfather attempted to remove the Shinra Banshou from the body of Asahi, Miharu's mother. Before they could, Miharu's father, Tobari's grandfather, and Miharu were killed by a cloaked figure. Asahi went insane from the shock and brought Miharu back to life, losing her own life and transferring the Shinra Banshou to Miharu in the process. In the present, Tobari tries to remove the Shinra Banshou from Miharu, but the cloaked figure reappears. His hood falls back, and the figure is revealed to be Fuuma.
Miharu withdraws into himself, where Asahi battles with the Shinra Banshou. The Shinra Banshou wants Miharu to remain apathetic, while Asahi wants her son to trust people again. Eventually Miharu realizes he doesn't have to hide from people anymore, and grows more confident. Asahi is pleased with her son, and vanishes. The Shinra Banshou decides to return everybody's memories of ten years ago, noting that there are still "lies" in Miharu's heart. Meanwhile, Ichiki has also remembered what happened ten years ago - and, for some reason, this prompts her to kill Hattori. She then opens her eyes for the first time, suggesting that she is not blind after all. She decides to return to where the Shinra Banshou is, clearly planning something. Fuuma meanwhile explains that his goals are to attain wisdom beyond human knowledge, and essentially "become God." Tobari is extremely hurt by his betrayal, and attacks him. Raimei and Raikō also return to protect Miharu, making it clear they will no longer be on Fuuma's side. Shijima and Kouichi, too, call off their long alliance with Fuuma. The chapter ends with Tobari being horribly wounded by Fuuma; it is unclear as of yet whether he will survive.
The manga series is written and illustrated by Yuhki Kamatani. It started serialization in the Japanese shōnen
manga magazine Monthly GFantasy in 2004. Square Enix
released the first volume on November 27, 2004 and, as of June 27, 2009, eleven volumes have been released in Japan. The manga has been licensed by Yen Press
for distribution in English
in North America
. The manga will be serialized in Yen Press' Yen Plus
anthology magazine, the first issue of which went on sale on July 29, 2008. The first English volume of the manga was sold in May 2009.
adaptation directed by Kunihisa Sugishima, and animated by J.C.Staff
premiered in Japan
on TV Tokyo
on April 6, 2008. The series aired weekly, with each episode subsequently airing on various other TXN
networks, including TV Aichi, TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting
, TV Osaka
, TV Setouchi
, and TV Hokkaido
The series ran for a total of twenty-six episodes.
On August 19, 2008 Funimation, on the behalf of d-rights, sent cease and desist
orders to the fansub
groups who were subtitling the series, to prevent copyright infringement, although the company did not have licensing rights at the time.
On December 24, 2008, Funimation announced that they will be releasing the English dub of the anime in 2009. At Otakon 2009, the first episode was shown in English at a Funimation panel. The first DVD was released September 22, 2009.
The series made its North American television debut when it started airing on the FUNimation Channel
March 29, 2010.
and was a recommended title.
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...
ese 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...
series written and illustrated by Yuhki Kamatani
Yuhki Kamatani
is a Japanese manga writer and illustrator from Hiroshima, Japan. She debuted with and is known for . was published a year later. Both manga are published by Monthly GFantasy....
. The series premiered in Japan
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...
in Monthly GFantasy in 2004 ended serialization in 2010. Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
is also publishing the individual chapters in collected volumes
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...
with fourteen volumes released as of February 2011. The series has been licensed for an English language release in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
by Yen Press
Yen Press
Yen Press is the manga and graphic novel imprint of Hachette Book Group. In addition to their regular book releases, Yen Press produces a monthly anthology called Yen Plus. The company's varied list demonstrates an interest in publishing a wide variety of Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and other...
. The first volume was released in May 2009.
J.C.Staff
J.C.STAFF
, is a Japanese animation studio founded in January 1986. Their first release was the three episode OVA Sengoku Kidan Yōtōden, in 1987. They have produced several well-known anime series, such as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Excel Saga, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Shakugan no Shana, Toaru Majutsu no...
created a twenty-six episode anime adaptation of the Nabari no Ou manga series. Directed by Kunihisa Sugishima, the series premiered in Japan
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...
on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
on April 6, 2008. The episodes subsequently air on other TXN
TXN
- TV Tokyo Network stations :-External links:*...
networks, including TV Aichi and TV Osaka
TV Osaka
is a TV station affiliated with TXN in Osaka, Japan. The mascot character is "Takoru-kun" .-Offices:*The headquarters - 1-2-18, Otemae, Chūō-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan...
. The series has been licensed by FUNimation. Part one of the complete series was released in the US on DVD September 22, 2009.
Plot
Miharu Rokujo is a modern-day Japanese student apathetic to the world around him. One day, Miharu is protected from ninja by Koichi Aizawa and Tobari Kumohira, who are ninja affiliated with the Banten Village. He learns that his body carries the Shinra Banshou, the most powerful secret art in the ninja world of Nabari. Because the Grey Wolves, a faction associated with Iga village that wants to use the Shinra Banshou for their personal gain, will kill Miharu for the secret art, Miharu cannot return to his normal life. Although he wants nothing to do with ninja, Tobari vows to protect him until he becomes Nabari's ruler. Miharu instead asks that the Shinra Banshou be removed, which has never been successfully done. Soon after, Raimei Shimizu, a samurai from the neighboring Fuuma ninja village, arrives to test Miharu's abilities. Eventually, Raimei invites the Banten ninja to see Kotarou Fuuma, the leader of Fuuma village. Because he has written every text on ninjutsu, he may find a way to remove the Shinra Banshou. At Fuuma village, they discover that the Grey Wolves are searching for Fuuma village's forbidden art. The Grey Wolves recognize Miharu as the one who possess the Shinra Banshou, and Yoite, a user of Iga's forbidden art of Kira, attacks. The Grey Wolves escape soon after. With this, the Fuuma and Banten ninja realize that the Grey Wolves are collecting the forbidden arts in the hope of finding a way to remove the Shinra Banshou from Miharu. The Fuuma and Banten follow suit.After Miharu returns to the Banten village, he is approached by Yoite. Yoite wishes that his existence be erased. If Miharu does not comply, Tobari, Aizawa, and Raimei will die. As Miharu tries to gain enough control over the Shinra Banshou to grant Yoite's wish, Grey Wolves, Fuuma, and Banten collect the forbidden arts from the other ninja villages. After learning that the Grey Wolves will kill Yoite, Yoite, his caretaker Kazuhiko Yukimi, and his physician Kazuho Amatatsu defect from the Grey Wolves and join Banten. Raikō Shimizu and Gau Meguro also leave the faction, and with Raimei, the three reestablish the nearly extinct Shimizu clan. Aizawa and Shijima Kurookano are revealed to have gained immortality long ago through the Shinra Banshou's power, and the two separate from the Banten ninja. During a Grey Wolf attack on Banten, Yoite overuses the Kira, which drains the user's life, and dies. Miharu uses the Shinra Banshou to erase Yoite's existence, and everyone forgets about Yoite. Fuuma is also found to be working with the Grey Wolves. Tobari is able to complete a ninjutsu that will remove the Shinra Banshou. First, he will use Banten's forbidden art to return the memories everyone in Nabari lost. Ten years ago, Tobari and his grandfather attempted to remove the Shinra Banshou from the body of Asahi, Miharu's mother. Before they could, Miharu's father, Tobari's grandfather, and Miharu were killed by a cloaked figure. Asahi went insane from the shock and brought Miharu back to life, losing her own life and transferring the Shinra Banshou to Miharu in the process. In the present, Tobari tries to remove the Shinra Banshou from Miharu, but the cloaked figure reappears. His hood falls back, and the figure is revealed to be Fuuma.
Miharu withdraws into himself, where Asahi battles with the Shinra Banshou. The Shinra Banshou wants Miharu to remain apathetic, while Asahi wants her son to trust people again. Eventually Miharu realizes he doesn't have to hide from people anymore, and grows more confident. Asahi is pleased with her son, and vanishes. The Shinra Banshou decides to return everybody's memories of ten years ago, noting that there are still "lies" in Miharu's heart. Meanwhile, Ichiki has also remembered what happened ten years ago - and, for some reason, this prompts her to kill Hattori. She then opens her eyes for the first time, suggesting that she is not blind after all. She decides to return to where the Shinra Banshou is, clearly planning something. Fuuma meanwhile explains that his goals are to attain wisdom beyond human knowledge, and essentially "become God." Tobari is extremely hurt by his betrayal, and attacks him. Raimei and Raikō also return to protect Miharu, making it clear they will no longer be on Fuuma's side. Shijima and Kouichi, too, call off their long alliance with Fuuma. The chapter ends with Tobari being horribly wounded by Fuuma; it is unclear as of yet whether he will survive.
Manga
Shonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
manga magazine Monthly GFantasy in 2004. Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
released the first volume on November 27, 2004 and, as of June 27, 2009, eleven volumes have been released in Japan. The manga has been licensed by Yen Press
Yen Press
Yen Press is the manga and graphic novel imprint of Hachette Book Group. In addition to their regular book releases, Yen Press produces a monthly anthology called Yen Plus. The company's varied list demonstrates an interest in publishing a wide variety of Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and other...
for distribution in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The manga will be serialized in Yen Press' Yen Plus
Yen Plus
Yen Plus is an American monthly anthology magazine of Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and Original English-language manga published by Yen Press. The first issue went on sale on July 29, 2008 with five manga titles originally published by Gangan Comics, four manhwa titles, and two OEL manga titles...
anthology magazine, the first issue of which went on sale on July 29, 2008. The first English volume of the manga was sold in May 2009.
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 directed by Kunihisa Sugishima, and animated by J.C.Staff
J.C.STAFF
, is a Japanese animation studio founded in January 1986. Their first release was the three episode OVA Sengoku Kidan Yōtōden, in 1987. They have produced several well-known anime series, such as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Excel Saga, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Shakugan no Shana, Toaru Majutsu no...
premiered in Japan
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...
on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
on April 6, 2008. The series aired weekly, with each episode subsequently airing on various other TXN
TXN
- TV Tokyo Network stations :-External links:*...
networks, including TV Aichi, TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting
TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting
is a Japanese TV station affiliated with TX Network , broadcasting in Fukuoka Prefecture.-History:At the point of establishment, the company was named as "TXN Kyushu", because the name "TV Kyushu", which owner side intended to apply, was already registered as a company name by a cable TV station in...
, TV Osaka
TV Osaka
is a TV station affiliated with TXN in Osaka, Japan. The mascot character is "Takoru-kun" .-Offices:*The headquarters - 1-2-18, Otemae, Chūō-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan...
, TV Setouchi
TV Setouchi
is a TV station in Japan.It is one of the TX Network stations, broadcasting in Okayama Prefecture and Kagawa Prefecture, and it is an only TXN's TV station in Chugoku-Shikoku region....
, and TV Hokkaido
TV Hokkaido
is a TV station headquartered in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan, and is affiliated with TXN.- Offices :*Headquarters - 6-12-4, Odori-higashi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo*Tokyo office - Hashizen Building, Shinbashi, Minato, Tokyo...
The series ran for a total of twenty-six episodes.
On August 19, 2008 Funimation, on the behalf of d-rights, sent cease and desist
Cease and desist
A cease and desist is an order or request to halt an activity and not to take it up again later or else face legal action. The recipient of the cease-and-desist may be an individual or an organization....
orders to the fansub
Fansub
A fansub is a version of a foreign film or foreign television program which has been translated by fans and subtitled into a language other than that of the original.-History:...
groups who were subtitling the series, to prevent copyright infringement, although the company did not have licensing rights at the time.
On December 24, 2008, Funimation announced that they will be releasing the English dub of the anime in 2009. At Otakon 2009, the first episode was shown in English at a Funimation panel. The first DVD was released September 22, 2009.
The series made its North American television debut when it started airing on the FUNimation Channel
FUNimation Channel
The FUNimation Channel is a 24-hour cable network which broadcasts anime series in the United States. OlympuSAT was chosen as the exclusive distributor of the network....
March 29, 2010.
Reception
Nabari no Ou was a finalist in the 2005 Japan Media Arts FestivalJapan Media Arts Festival
The Japan Media Arts Festival is an annual festival held by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs since 1997. The festival for a nominal year was usually held during February or March next year, rather than at the end of the nominal year. For instance, the 2010 Japan Media Arts Festival, where...
and was a recommended title.